IndyCar Announces New 2020 Season Finale

But Inquiring Minds wanna Know how many races will really be Held?

By now I'm Arse-sumin' Y'all have heard the News that IndyCar has announced that St Pete will serve as this year's Season Finale on October 25th, three weeks after the October 3rd inaugural NTT IndyCar Harvest Grand Prix at Indianapolis.

And before Yuhs begin Griping over the three weeks "interruption" between races, it's worth noting that this year's IMSA Weathertech SportsCar Championship's annual Petit Le Mans had already been rescheduled to October 17th.

As presumably IndyCar Drivers Scott Dixon, Simon Pagenaud and Alexander Rossi will all be competing at Road Atlanta for (WTR) Wayne Taylor Racing and Acura Team Penske respectively that weekend.

Not to mention that Sebastian Bourdais, who now Drives the No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac Fulltime for JDC Miller Motorsports was slated to contest the Season Opening IndyCar round at St Pete for A.J. Foyt Enterprises, which I'll Arse-sume he's still contracted to do so?

While I'd also hazard a guess that Ryan Hunter-Reay will be chauffeuring one of the Mazda RT24P Prototypes, not to mention the possibility of Colton Herta Moonlighting at Team BMW RLL (Rahal Letterman Lanigan) in the GT Le Mans Class?

And DragonSpeed, which hopefully will persevere thru the current COVID 19 Pandemic Crisis will desperately wish to be competing in the second tier LMP2 Category  at Atlanta for Financial reasons, was slated to make Thar IndyCar return at St Pete this year if I remember correctly...

Whilst I've almost forgotten that Meyer Shank Racing also has two Acura NSX GT3 Evo's in the GT Daytona Class to prepare and run in Petit Le Mans, which I'm sure All of this was considered by IndyCar when choosing it's new Date for St Petersburg, Eh?

Yet the real Questione is how many races will actually be held by IndyCar this season? Since if I've read All of the Tea-leafs correctly? Toronto, Portland and Laguna Seca All are "Iffy" at best.

But I'm just Speculating on those three IndyCar events, which is why I've tended to Shy away from trying to make any predictions on how many IndyCar races we'll have this season, since the rest of the year is still what I'd call A Crapshoot, Righto?

IndyCar to End Season at St Petersburg on Oct 25th

Celebrating Art Pollard Day Once again

The traditional launching of the Balloons on Race Day at Indianapolis Motor Speedway circa 2011, Mother Speedway's true Centennial. (The Tomaso Collection)

As another year passes by since One of the worst year's at Mother Speedway...

Unfortunately, Forty-seven years ago Today, Art Pollard lost his life during a qualifying attempt for the Ill-fated 1973 Indianapolis 500. For which it was George Phillips of Oilpressure fame, Ye Elder Statesman of IndyCar Bloggers who introduced Mwah to him posthumously many years ago.

Art Pollard: A Forgotten Driver...

As I was simply amazed over Art's Off the Track efforts with Handicapped Children, not to mention his  overall good nature and was surprised to learn that he was a transplanted Oregonian...

Meanwhile, a forgotten Driver's name I tend to overlook typically, and knew Nothing about his career, reputedly was the first Driver to Die at Mother Speedway during a Qualifying run on May 15th, 1982 since Pollard's and Swede Savage's Deaths at Indianapolis.

And although I Don't know how long the following video below is? It's a very good In-depth look at Smiley's racing career interspersed with antidotes from thoust Acclaimed D-Squared', aka Donald Davidson - Official Historian of Mother Speedway.

As Donald notes how Gordon rubbed many Indy 500 veteran Drivers the wrong way by proclaiming publicly that Indy was just a "Business" Stop along his way to his ultimate goal of becoming a Formula 1 Driver...

 VIDEO: Who Was Gordon Smiley

Ironically Smiley's name came Ah-Bublin' back up to Ye Surface when reading Racer's Robin Miller's Bob Lazier Obituary, since it was Bob's son Buddy who made an impassioned plea for his father to Quit Open Wheel Racing upon Gordon Smiley's Gruesome Death that May when Bob was planning to attempt Qualifying for his second Indianapolis 500.

INDYCAR: Bob Lazier, Virtual Unknown CART Rookie Of the Year Dies at 81

As this Song's for You Art, and All of the other Drivers who've perished at Mother Speedway. Along with Bob Lazier who was a Gentle Giant of Thee Sport...

VIDEO: Elton John and George Michael - Don't Let The Sun Go Down on Me live

INDY 500: Now and Then

When the virtual road meets the reality of Real World Driving...

Yeah, I know Thars absolutely NO Correlation, but... I found the Speed Freaks interview with Conor Daly, Thee Hardest Working Driver in IndyCars, Tuh-duh! Enjoyable as always.

As Conor was fairly philisophical about his runner-up finish in the IndyCar i Racing Indianapolis 175 Virtual Race. Saying he'll take it, but Tank Gawd' for Guaranteed Starting Spots, which Daly was filling in for Carlin that week, albeit Conor's a Fulltime Driver this year courtesy of two race teams, i.e.; (ECR) Ed Carpenter Racing and Carlin.

Yet Daly Mused He'd have Never Qualified - Presumably on Speed alone due  to his running the Barest Bones Sim Rig Set-up of All...

Conor Daly on New Fans, Anger and Monkey Butt

As I Don't know 'bout Y'all, but just Thee Mention of Guaranteed Starting Grid Slots for the Indianapolis 500 absolutely makes me Shudder!

Which is why I suppose I found 'Ol R', aka Racer's Robin Miller, Ye Curmudgeon of IndyCar's following yarn so refreshing.

As Miller harkens back to another obscure name from the past, another of his Sprint Car Heroes Me Thinks? Noting how Jan Opperman put an underperforming Champ Car into the Field of The Fastest 33 Starters at Mother Speedway Wayback in 1976!

RETRO: Jan Opperman's Bump Day Brilliance

And speaking 'O Bump Day's of Past, Robin Miller tells us 'bout three Drivers who persevered to land starts at Indianapolis despite long odds...

MILLER: Heroes of Bump Day

INDYCAR: Breaking News, Sorta, Not Really...

Hmm? Was Thar some Sorta Really, Really, Big Announcement Yesterday?

Thanks in some small part to the Commodore 64k Computer I'm currently utilizing here upon thoust Isle 'O Nofendersville. Along with my ISP's Blazing Intrawoods' Uhm, Blaze    ---            Stall, Sputter-Sputter, Cough-Cough Clutch In! Ing Speeds; Oh Never Mind!

Perhaps Y'all have heard that IndyCar has Announced that its truncated 2020 NTT IndyCar Series Season will begin at Texas Motor Speedway on June 6th. With All of the Necessary Health/Safety Precautions taken,.

Along with a condensed One Day format featuring just Indy Cars On-track, with Practice, Qualifying and the Race All being Held Spectator Free on Saturday, June 6th. with the Shortened 300 miles Distance Race beginning live on NBC Sports at 5:15PM Pacific, and reportedly the Green Flag being waved at 5:45PM Pacific. But Check Your Local Listings As Always!

According to IndyStar's Crack Motorsports Reporter Nathan Brown, the Deal's Clincher for TMS President & General Manager Eddie "The Goose!" Gossage said with Tongue Firmly in Cheek - was the caveat of getting to comb El Capitano', nee Roger Penske's Motorcoach for 10mins and keep whatever he finds underneath the seat cushions. Since we All know how sloppy Roger is; Hya! Uhm what's his mantra 'bout Attenzione to Detail, Eh?

IndyCar returning at Texas Next Month