The buzz following the waving of the checkered flag at the 92nd running of the Indianapolis 500 was not about New Zealander Scott Dixon’s well-earned victory, but the inability of driver Danica Patrick to punch Australian driver Ryan Briscoe in the nose. The irate Ms. Patrick climbed from her disabled Motorola-backed Andretti Green machine, vocalizing about what she intended to do to Penskeman Briscoe, who she blamed for the crash that eliminated her from a top-10 finish. Her well-voiced, pugnacious intentions were relayed by radio to Briscoe bossman Roger Penske in the pits, who immediately radioed Briscoe to pull down his face shield and stay in the car. The disturbed Danica hot-footed it toward the stalled Briscoe car. Danica never got to the Team Penske machine, being intercepted on the way by a burly track worker. The stalled Aussie stayed in his car so long, that he was still in it when track workers finally pushed it to a safer location. As to the race, it is described “as good” by experts, noting a deserving driver-team won, that there were no injuries and the crowd was — as usual — huge. There were some complaints over the extended yellow-flag running — one hour and 59 minutes worth — and the accompanying lengthy track-cleanup time required. Statisticians loved the May 23 practice-day figures. Dan Wheldon headed the list with 441 laps; Max Papis, who missed the race, covered 427 laps; Will Power drove around the track 417 times while Scott Dixon logged 416 laps, and Marco Andretti covered 408 laps. Marco’s 228.318-mile-per-hour lap was the fastest of all those practicing. Multiply these total lap numbers by 2.5 to get the impressive mileage totals. Reports from a local champagne salesperson would have one and all believe more champagne was sold in the three hours following the race than had been sold all month long! The bulk of this bubbly sale was in the Ganassi-Dixon garage area. Rookie-of-the-year honors went to Rahal-Letterman driver Ryan Hunter-Reay for his sixth-place finish in their Ethanol-backed car. Last year he took the Bombardier Rookie of the Year in the Indy Lights Series. For those interested in who comes from where, there were nine drivers who led during the 500 but only three, Marco Andretti, Buddy Rice and Ed Carpenter, were Yankees, all other leaders were foreign born. The first two drivers to exit this year’s race were the youngest, Graham Rahal at age 19 — and the oldest, Marty Roth at 49. Ye Ed is easy to please, but Julianne Hough, who sang the pre-race National Anthem, should stick to dancing. She was in the news earlier for her “Dancing with the Stars” role with Helio Castroneves. Race day was perfect, a bit cool at the start with the thermometer reading 55 degrees. I’ll come back.

Spent Saturday night at O’Reilly Raceway Park where a 54-car USAC midget field put on a great show. The open-cockpit events were interspersed with races by the local stock-car club whose members were thrilled by the huge crowd the midgets drew, the biggest in years. The 50-lap stock-car finale, where yellow flags do not count, was riddled with yellow flag after yellow flag. Though I didn’t count, I would bet it was a 100-lapper.

By and large, racing program books are, in a sense, meaningless. Not so, however, for this year’s Indianapolis 500 program book, as this heavyweight publication is a classic. In all of Ye Ed’s years around motorsport, never has such a fine race-program book been encountered. It is a captivating publication, with great stories, charts, graphs, artwork and unique angles. Responsible for this superb piece of work is Dawn Dyer, director of the Speedway’s Creative Services Dept., with great help from artist David Uhl, whose handiwork throughout is outstanding. Want a copy? Go to: Store.IndianapolisMotorSpeedway.com. You won’t be sorry.  

One of the many niceties of staying at the Brickyard Crossing Inn, known to old timers as the Speedway Motel, is a historic Indy 500 racing car always on display in its lobby. For this year’s Indy 500 visitors, it was the supercharged 183-cubic-inch straight-eight Miller driven in the 1925 Indy 500 by the legendary Ralph DePalma. Its four-spring chassis tells seasoned regulars the car was designed for “board-track” usage and the various chassis and related hand-made parts are a joy for car-oriented types to behold. One wonders if — and when — a Novi will grace this display space. And being an accredited press member means daily hot lunches and fancy desserts, superbly crafted by the great kitchen staff, on the third level of the Media Center for which Ye Ed (and his stomach) offer profound thanks.

Addictive? Auto racing may just be one of the most addictive sports extant. Arriving at my table to say hello last Monday was Toddy Ruttman, daughter of the 1952 Indy 500 winner. Lowering her head, Toddy quietly said, “It was 12 years ago today that I lost my dad to lung cancer.” Today Toddy is a devout anti-smoking advocate, telling one and all of the dangers of smoking. Another regular is Patty Parsons Vigants, whose dad won here in 1950. I asked her why she comes back, time and again. Her reply, “It’s part of my life.” Just think of it, more than a half century after their fathers won the 500, here they are, year in and year out, at the Speedway. That, dear readers, is what addiction is all about.

Obviously aware of the increasing concern over high gasoline prices, the Speedway’s invite to its Centennial Era announcement at the Marian College Mansion noted that it was 3.88 miles from the Speedway’s main gate and would take approximately nine minutes to drive there. 

Lots of interest in the Firestone Indy Lights series, as there were 10 newcomers (rookies) in the 27-car field for the rain-plagued Friday race that was finally held on Saturday. Familiar on-track names include Luyendyk and Unser, both of whose ancestors were winners of the 500. Indy 500 vets Jim Guthrie and Tyce Carlson have become team owners in the Firestone Indy Lights series and fielded cars in Friday’s Freedom 100.

Still too fast. Back as a Speedway Motel regular is 1960 Indy 500 winner Jim Rathmann, again with Kay II close by. Along in years, Rathmann now uses a motorized cart in which to get around, which is a problem for some motel guests, who say he should be wearing a helmet, as he is far too fast in his room-to-room runs.

Pleasant New Zealander Willie Kay was again in town reporting that, for the 25th-consecutive year, he brought a troupe of 15 New Zealanders from Auckland to witness the 500 and several supporting short-track events in the area. Transportation difficulties limit the size of his group to 15 every year. Willie says it would be much larger were it not for the transportation issue. His group crams into a 16-passenger van in which they get around greater Indy. They pay the equivalent of $5,000 U.S. for the five-day trip. They had to have gone home happy after one of their countrymen, Scott Dixon, won the 500.

It looks like I’m the only one really upset over the diminishing number of American drivers in the Indy 500 lineup. And next year doesn’t look much different as this year’s green flag waved over 18 foreign-born drivers and only 15 statesiders. Another rub is the “sameness” in the race lineup. Only one chassis (Dallara), one engine (Honda), and one tire (Firestone). And tinkering with one’s own engine (aside from changing oil and spark plugs) is a no-no, as all inner-engine work is done by Honda Performance Development as individual teams are not permitted inside their own engines.  

Did you see that typo in last week’s Notebook? Firestone issued each car 35 sets of Firehawk Tires for month of May usage, 140 tires to be exact, not 5,100. Sorry folks.

A popular gathering spot for Indy 500 regulars these days is the C&R Racing suite, which for years was known as The Mecom Suite. It is now occupied by now-and-then NSSN columnist Chris Paulsen and his C&R company which is often visited by key race folk from all forms of racing from around the country. Late one afternoon Chris’s wife, Debbie, broke out some fine red wine for those in the suite. Among the guests savoring this vino tinto was former driver Steve Chassey who, as it turns out, is a high-level wine drinker, with a cellar of his own, he says. The only folks not complaining about business being bad were the Giuffre brothers of Milwaukee. They explained — cocktails in hand — how 2007 was the best year in the history of their business. Another “must stop” is Bill Simpson’s Impact company lounge. Burly Bill runs his month-of-May safety business from this popular spot, not far from his huge business and warehouse at Eaglepoint.

Kevin Olson, when not busy driving his midget, played roving interviewer on the Speedway’s 500-mile race radio broadcast crew, revealed to Ye Ed that come Chili Bowl time, he will remove the roll cage and driver’s side cockpit cover from his midget for this major off-season show. He will do this to please his fans. I told him the cages don’t really bother me, but cockpit covers do, as with them avid fans (which include Ye Ed) can’t admire the style of the driver.

From The Staff

The Charlotte Business Journal reports that the NASCAR Hall of Fame will be selling commemorative bricks to be placed along the hall’s plaza in the coming months. The Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority will operate the proposed HoF, and hospitality taxes on hotel rooms count for the majority of the construction financing. However, Bank of America and Wachovia have lent a combined $21.5 million, which the CRVA is trying to reduce. Zak Brown’s Just Marketing was hired to sell sponsorships, with the hopes of landing eight major corporate partners as well as minor partners. The CRVA hopes that brick sales — no price as yet — will generate $4 million! Now that’s a ton of bricks!

Gas prices, food prices and the like have had a big effect on auto racing this year. But the Empire Super Sprints is one organization not suffering from the times. The group, which is celebrating its 25th season of 360-winged sprint-car racing, has signed up $140,000 in sponsorship for the series this season. That’s a record for the series and an increase of more than $10,000 from last season. Good work gang.

Hendrick Motorsports opened its renovated museum and store on the Hendrick Motorsports Campus in Harrisburg, N.C. Hendrick Motorsports General Manager Marshall Carlson welcomed a crowd of sponsors, media and local officials to the building, which he touted as free to all visitors. That is true, but the facility is now less of a museum and more a retail store for Hendrick Motorsports merchandise. No doubt most of the changes are due to the demand for Dale Earnhardt, Jr. memorabilia. While trophies and old race cars remain, much of the expected memorabilia was absent. However, we did find one unique item of interest. A clipboard once carried by Ray Evernham during his tenure as a crew chief at Hendrick Motorsports, was autographed by Evernham with the inscription: “Rick, thank you for all you have done for me and for my family. I carried this folder at every race I worked for you. Ray Evernham.”

The Illinois General Assembly passed the “Smoke-free Illinois Act” last summer and the law went into effect Jan. 1. As a result, all sports facilities in the state, including race tracks fall under the law. Thus, the policy will be in effect in grandstand, suite, hospitality and restroom areas at Chicagoland Speedway and Route 66 Raceway beginning this past weekend. The law doesn’t govern smoking engines.

According to Joyce Julius & Associates, Dale Earnhardt, Jr.’s sponsors received $150 million worth of television exposure during the first 10 NASCAR Sprint Cup races of the season. That’s more than $24 million more than second-place Jeff Gordon. Can you imagine what those figures would be if either one of them would win a race?

Congratulations to National Speed Sport News contributors Susan Wade, Dave Argabright, Ron Hedger and Don Figler, who were among those winning American Auto Racing Writers & Broadcasters Ass’n awards for their writing and photography work. Good work folks, and many thanks.