By Ringing Out the last vestiges of this year’s Indy
500 trivia…
So the 106th running of the
Indianapolis 500 is Done ‘N dusted. As congratulations to Marcus Ericsson, who I
certainly Didn’t Pick to win this year and joins Mother Speedway’s legendous’
Record Book! For which now we’re off to Belle Isle and the rest of the “Tracks”
on the IndyCar Calendar…
As I won’t attempt going thru all of the Indianapolis
500 Years ending in 2, but some that stuck out for me over the Month ‘N May, and
I’ve not had time or space to comment upon here on No Fenders. And Nah, No Time
Space Continuum Jokes Here, Hya!
Although you could certainly add Colton Herta’s
wicked High-side Blow Over Carb Day accident to the mix!
The first 2’ that caught my Attenzione was
pointed out by The Pit Window’s Mike Silver. Noting how He was somewhat surprised Not more was being made out of the
fact that this year marked the 50th Anniversary of Mark Donohue
winning for El Capitano’, giving Roger Penske the first of His 18 Baby borg
trophies! As that brilliant Sunoco Blue McLaren M16B/Offenhauser is one of my
All-time favourite IndyCar’s!
Putting this somewhat into perspective, and making
me feel somewhat Old, since I Grew Up during the 1980’s listening to them. I’ve
just learned that Steely Dan’s Debut Album Can’t Buy A Thrill was released this
very same year. With their first Album including two Bona fide Hit Singles,
i.e.; Do It Again and Realin’ In the Years. Although the track Dirty work is
also very familiar to Mwah…
Meanwhile the IndyStar’s Dana Hunsinger Bembow
wrote a bunch of great Indy 500 “Human Interest” stories over the month. The
first being upon the Oft, Overlooked Jimmy Murphy, winner of the 1922
Indianapolis 500. Not to mention also presumably being America’s first ever
Formula 1 winner at the 1921 French Grand Prix, along with winning the AAA National
championship twice in 1922 and 1924, the latter posthumously.
Noting how Murphy Cut His Teeth as a Riding
Mechanic for some of the Best then, before Duesenberg’s No. 1 Driver Tommy
Milton recommended Duesenberg giving Him a Factory Car to Drive. For which
Jimmy dually won the first race entered, the Beverly Hills Board Track race!
As Murphy would soon become known as “The King
of the Boards,” before Sadly, Murphy lost His life contesting a Board Track
race in 1924 as a favour to the race’s Promoter.
While Her Article about how Paul Tracy still firmly
believes He won the 2002 Indy 500 twenty years later made me recall the time in
2009 riding the elevator down from the IMS Media Center’s forth floor with my
IMS Media Center “Handler” Daniel Baines cooper. When Danny asked Mark Gravelly’
James if He thought that Paul Tracy Had won the ’02 Indy 500?
For which I
thought I could feel James Mutinous Scowl radiating as He Firmly, and somewhat
testily said that Helio Castroneves most Definitely won that Race! Although I would
have expected Nothing less from Mark James, since after All He was an IndyCar
employee then working for somebody named Tony George, Just Sayin’
As you have to say it’s interesting how two of
Roger Penske’s record 18 Indy 500 victories have been won by lawyers fighting
Appeals! And a third W’ comes courtesy of another trademark Penske “Unfair
Advantage” with that Mercedes Stock Block motor.
While I also was reminded that it was 30 years
ago that we witnessed the Closest Indianapolis 500 finish in History when reading
Geo. Phillips Oilpressure yarn about the Galmer IndyCar chassis, one of my
favourites. As I can still recall having been given Cough cough! The NO. 33
entry in our ‘lil Indy 500 Racing Pool that year. Y’all know when somebody later
named Scott “What Pace Car”” goodyear finished a tantalizing 0.043 second
behind ‘lil al’, aka Al Unser Jr.
Although I tend to
forget that Goodyear had Failed to Qualify and replaced Mike Groff that year…
And capping off this quick Look See at some of
the 2’s, I’ll close with the following two Nuggets.
Although I was less than impressed with this
year’s Fast 12 Pole Shootout format, which I’ll save for another, Rainy day. I
did think it was Cool that some Cat named “Rocket Rick” (Mears) was Deputizing
for this year’s Indy 500 Pace Car Driver Sarah Fisher on Pole Day, driving the
70th Anniversary Corvette Pace Car. Hmm, some guy named Penske Owns
the facility and his IndyCar team runs bowties’, CoInky-dense? But still very
Cool!
Which made me remember that it was 40 years ago
‘Ol Gordie Johncock Beat Rick Mears to win His second Indianapolis 500 victory
in a thrilling duel with Mears.
Along with the fact that I’m positive Nobody’s
talking about regarding 2012. Since All that’s remembered is how close Takuma
Sato came to winning His first Indianapolis 500 that year, when being given the
Cold shoulder by eventual race winner Dario Franchitti. But what’s Sato’s motto?
Oh Yeah, “No Attack, No chance! While that was the only time I’ve ever Heard
Fans vehemently Booing ain Indy 500 winner!
Instead, 10 years ago was the Sad, Pathetic and
Disappointing Debut of the third IndyCar engine manufacturer. Y’all remember when
John Judd built Lotus engines appeared briefly, before the Under-powered Luddi’
lumps quickly Disappeared forever from the IndyCar landscape!
As poor Indy 500 Rookie Jean Alesi, who’s #64 Fan Force United Dallara/Lotus entry was black Flagged for Not meeting the 105% Minimum Speed requirement Rule by lap 9! While Keith Wiggins was unable to get out of His Lotus engine supply contract, with His #78 HVM Racing’s Lotus entry driven by Simona de Silvestro was similarly Black Flagged One lap later!
