As I’m certain He saw the Chequered flag being
waved!
Have to say that was one of the most bizarre
race weekends I can remember in awhile, at Gateway. Yeah, it will always be
Gateway to this ‘Ol Codger. Not Wide World Technology Raceway, Spew! (WWTR)
Missed Indy NXT live Qualie’, so I was unaware
of the drama afterwards. As pole sitter Myles Rowe, who’d been faster by one
mile per hour was disqualified for taking an extra flying lap after finishing
His run. Failing to follow race officials instructions.
Have to say I agree with IndyCar Radio’s Driver
Analyst Davey Hamilton, who said you cannot blame your radio for not hearing
what lap you’re on. You need to be visually aware of your surroundings and
situation and never trust your equipment.
Davey said He loved Myles, but just didn’t
agree with Rowe trying to blame His radio, while Myles had said He needed to
have a talk with the Bell Helmet guys…
Thus Myle was relegated to the final row,
rolling off last in P24. But Hamilton said He was excited to see what Rowe and
Enzo Fittipaldi could do coming from the back.
Also missed the memo over points leader Enzo
Fittipaldi not being able to qualify Saturday due to a mechanical failure,
meaning He’d start P23, alongside Rowe.
Yet as the race got ready to start, IndyCar
Radio’s Michael Young and Davey Hamilton noticed a lack of two cars from the
grid. Most notably Fittipaldi standing on pitlane waiting the arrival of His
No. 67 HMD Motorsports racecar, before walking to the front of the grid.
As Hamilton said He couldn’t see any cars being
pushed towards the track from their vantage point, with the other delinquent racecar
being Matteo Nannini’s #20 Cape Motorsports Powered by ECR entry.
Then Fittipaldi ran to the garage as the race
got ready to start, before His racecar with driver was pushed into pitlane. But
race officials wouldn’t let Fittipaldi on-track until the entire field had
taken the green! While Nannini also appeared and entered the race behind,
possibly two laps down?
As queue the JAWS’ theme music! As Rowe was up
to tenth place by lap 19 of 75. He’s coming boys!
“the High line is the Right line!”
Really have to say I was rootin’ for Homeboy’
Josh Person who’d gotten round Andretti Global teammate Max Taylor for second
place; believe Alessandro de Tullio who’d started second dropped down the
order. With Pierson then harrying pole sitter and Andretti global teammate
Lochie Hughes before passing the Aussie’ for the lead.
Yet not only was Myles faster than everyone
else, He also could place His car wherever He wanted to pass the opposition.
Going down low to pass Taylor on lap 32 for third place, with His next victim
being Hughes.
Rowe passed Hughes on lap 41 with a spectacular
three wide pass and set sail for leader Person.
Target acquired, as Rowe went to the bottom
again six laps later to pass Pierson and never looked back! Making history in
the process of starting deepest in the field to win. Shattering Esteban “Ratta-Tat-Tat”
Guerrieri’s record climb from P18 to first at the 2012 Freedom 100.
Fittipaldi’s day starting from the back wasn’t
as stellar as Rowe’s, yet did climb ten places to finish 13th . With title
protagonist Nikita Johnson finishing seventh.
De Tullio regained positions and finished
runner-up to a distant Rowe, while Pierson held on for third, His best finish
of the season.
Swear I heard Team Penske boss Jonathan Diuguid
congratulating Rowe during Myle’s post-race winners interview. As it was Rowe’s
third career win, all coming on ovals, and this one being extra special.
While Marshal Pruett has reported that Team
Penske is considering giving Rowe a post season test aboard one of it’s Indy
Cars.
Following Gateway, Nikita Johnson led the
championship by two markers over Enzo Fittipaldi. (285-283) Both having won
twice. And a further three markers adrift (280-points) was Tymek Kucharczyk. As
the Polish driver’s been the revelation of the season so far! Scoring His
maiden victory at Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s second Indy road course race. Along
with finishing third the first three races, and four thirds to date.
Max Taylor was fourth, 27 points behind.
(258-points) And Vaulting to fifth was Myles Rowe, albeit 73 markers adrift.
(212-points)
While the $64k question was whether Rowe could
continue this momentum at the following Double Header weekend at Road America
and to the end of the season?
Meanwhile, we learned that both Fittipaldi and
Nannini’s racecars had suffered fuel leaks, being the cause of their maladies.
Which struck a third, unrelated racecar. As Dennis Hauger failed to start the
IndyCar race due to also suffering a fuel leak.
As don’t think I’ve ever heard of three cars suffering fuel leaks over a race weekend!
