Wednesday, January 12, 2022

The 2020 IndyCar Un-Golden Tailpipe Lockdown Awards edition, Positions 6-10

As it’s another Belated round of Zany No Fenders End ‘O year frivolities once again, Far far Behind. As Run Run Rudolf indeedy!

 

Yeah Folks, I’m somewhat “Mailing this In!” As  I’m Not making too many excuses, but! Due to the myriad ‘O Confuzer issues I had during the year 2020 due to Covid 19 precluding Mwah from getting anybody to Help me in-person wrangle my litany of computing issues. Mainly  my Zoomtext 2020 Screen Reader not interfacing with my new Bitchin’ winDOUGHS 10 Puter’. Not to mention needing to learn two new “Operating” systems! Along with resorting to plugging back into my trusty ‘Ol Windows 7 Machine for a further eight Gory months before my new Wider Aint’ Better 24-inch monitor and SoundBar arrived on Back Order and were installed, it was simply A Nightmare Blah blah blah!

 

Thus, I’d only managed to form my initial thoughts for category #9, (below) No. 9, Numeral Nein, Oh Never Mind! And just chosen the respective winners for categories 6-8, 10 but hadn’t put any thoughts to why? So here goes Nothing!

 

Although if you’re Blind like your Humble No Fenders Scribe Tomaso is, then this short 2020 IndyCar season review video really Doesn’t Help you too much! But Y’all may injoy it…

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCiDEmdSIVE

 

Categories 6-10

6. Most Improved Driver of the Year

Winner: Patricio O’Ward

Otay, this is completely Biased, since if you’ve read No Fenders the last few years, than Yuhs already know that Pato O’Ward is my current Numero Uno IndyCar Driver!

 

Initially I pondered choosing between Felix rosenqvist and The Great santini’, aka Santino Ferrucci. But in order to be “Improved,” one Arse-sumedly would need to improve upon his previous years standings, which neither did. With Rosenqvist dropping from sixth Overall to 11th, even though scoring his maiden IndyCar W’ at Road America, ironically ahead of O’Ward. With Ferrucci going P13 two years in-a-row. While I certainly didn’t See Felix becoming Pato’s future teammate…

 

http://www.nofenders.net/2020/07/indycar-oward-just-6-miles-short-of.html

 

Could have Begrudgingly given it to Colton Herta who finished third Overall. But driving for the Satellite Andretti Squad, you’d expect him to finish more than five points ahead of Pato. (421-416)

 

Hence, O’Ward made more of an “Improvement” with the “Upstart” Arrow McLaren SP Team, formerly known as SPAM! Although it’s not really a fair comment, since O’Ward’s always had the talent, which is now totally Obvious following his 2021 IndyCar campaign. But Pato had to overcome being Droped by Harding Steinbrenner Racing in the 11th Hour of the 2019 IndyCar Pre-season. Then flushed out a partial season ride with Carlin after missing the St Pete season opener before “His” Funding Dried Up!

 

Then tried going to a Hopeful Formula 1 future with Red Bull via racing in Japan’s Super formula series and Formula 2, before it became apparent He wouldn’t be able to get the necessary FIA Superlicense due to there only being eight Fulltime Indy Lights competitorsduring his 2018 season, when he won the Lights title Ahead of IndyCar Media Darling Colton Herta…

 

Thus Zack Brown schrewdly signed the talented Mexican Open Wheel Racing Driver and the rest as they say, is History!

 

7. Most Disappointing Driver of the Year

Winner: Alexander Rossi

Initially thought of giving this “Award” to Zach Veach, but that, like picking on A.J. Foyt Racing or Carlin’s just plain too Easy! And it’s Not entirely Zach’s vault that He never managed to win an IndyCar race! Since arguably you’d have to say He was always gonna be P5 of the Andretti Armada’s Pecking Order.

 

https://racer.com/2020/09/28/miller-saluting-an-indycar-feel-good-story/

 

Thus, instead I gave it to Alexander Rossi, who even though eventually salvaged his season by pulling himself back up to finish Ninth Overall on the strength of four late, consecutive Podium finishes. Rossi’s season was punctuated by his uncharacteristically Spinning into the Barriers while leading the Season Finale St Pete race! And it’s just after his previous two Brilliant seasons, including a strong third Overall in 2019, you’d just expect more from that ever “Scowling” American Indianapolis 500 winner, Hya!

 

8. Comeback Driver of The Year

Winner: James Hinchliffe

Feel like this one’s sort of self explanatory, although you’d need to know the “Back Story.” As The Mayor of Hinchtown, aka James Hinchcliffe was very poorly Fired from Schmidt Peterson Motorsports with a year remaining on his contract when Sam Schmidt and Rick Peterson decided to glom onto McLaren’s Dowry and switch to Chevrolet engines for 2020. And with Hinch’ being a longtime Honda Driver, with his strong ties to Honda of Canada, Hinchcliffe got the Shiv’ in his Backside!

 

Alas, after doing some TV Broadcasting work for NBC’s IndyCar coverage, James also wrangled up enough Sponsorship Dinero from Genesys to originally run three IndyCar races, most notably the Indy 500 before replacing the departing Veach at Andretti for the final three races, seeing the likeable Kuhnuck’ race six times when originally he was set to just sit on the “couch” since Schmidt Peterson Motorsports wouldn’t release him from his contract!

 

9. "Big Boyz Pants" Award

Winner: Rinus VeeKay

Guess this one should be Obvious? But for Mwah, hearing (Townsend) T-Bell' proclaim his nickname being Mozart! For his Scintillating Overtaking maneuvers, not to mention he's actually a Bloody “Count,” Hya! The award goes to Dutch phenom Rinus Van Kalmthout, who's politely taken the Alex Zanardi approach of shortening his name to make it easy for us Yanks' to pronounce.

 

10. Rookie of The Year

Winner: Rinus VeeKay

Yeah, I know that Felix rosenqvist, who I was rootin’ for over Colton “NBC LUV’ Fest” Herta actually won the IndyCar Rookie Of the year (ROY) Championship. And I used to be a Fan of the Swede’s, but may be it’s his Ice Cool Demeanor that’s faded upon Mwah?

 

Since I just found Rinus VeeKay to be the most exciting Rookie this year with his brazenly Bold passes! Punctuated by claiming his first IndyCar career Pole position and first IndyCar Podium at Mother Speedway’s October Harvest Grands Prix Race-1, finishing third behind Josef Newgarden and Alexander Rossi, definitely some “Heavy” company…