THAT was maybe the most topsy-turvy Pole and Bump Day in recent history and maybe of all time.
I can say that despite the all the nonsensicalness of who qualified when and where and got bumped and by whom… I correctly predicted the outcome of qualifying…
for one driver anyway – Vitor Meira, middle of Row 5. I was within one spot of another 4 drivers – Dixon, Power, Junquiera, and Kimball. It appears I have the Foyt Racing stable pretty well pegged.
I managed to get only two of the seven ‘bumpees’ correct – Saavedra and Jakes, meaning 5 of the drivers I had bumped made the show. I’m happy to report that Pippa Mann, Hinchcliffe, Lloyd, Howard, and Beatriz made it in but coming at the expense of very good drivers such as Andretti Autosport teammates Hunter-Reay and Conway, AFS Racing’s Matos, and both Dragons Speed and Tung.
Now excitement shifts into top gear, for raceday is nearly upon us and I for one cannot wait to see what this ol’ Speedway is going to give us this year… I’m foreseeing something rather special…
“Race Prediction?”, you ask.
OK, not gonna just pick a winner, but a Top 10.
Panther finally gets their first win at Indy as Buddy Rice (crazy, flat-brimmed cap and all) wins his 2nd.
Runner-up Dixon and teammate Franchitti will have been in the Top 5 all day, but fate conspires against TCGR near the end and Rice (who history will report had had the racing gods smiling upon him that day) steps through the breach and takes the victory.
Dixon finishes 2nd, Bell 3rd, Castroneves 4th, Tagliani 5th, Wheldon 6th, Carpenter 7th, Franchitti 8th, Meira 9th, Rahal 10th.
That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. Think I’m nuts and want to tell me so? Please do. Leave a comment below. It’s like a type-written answering machine. I may be listening to you, I may not. Yep I’m a screener of my home phone. “Leave a comment… I’ll get back to you.”
Enjoy your race weekend (I know I plan to), and don’t miss the 100th Anniversary edition of the Indianapolis 500!
Ground(ed) Effects 