Indy 500 is a joke

[doug odom]

What has happened to the Indy 500 race? Watching yesterday I realized I had no idea who more than half of the drivers were. Where are all the real race drivers? When a Brazilian fashion supermodel that I never heard of can make the race and finish 21st in what use to be the biggest race in the world it is sad.

[SPARKY]

Dougie, she may be RALLY talented 

[Cajun Kid]

Hmm,, if I could fit in one of those cars,,, does that mean I could drive too ??

Charles

[Glen]

Doug, the good ole days are gone, We grew up with Kuzma, Kurtis, and the many hard core build it in the back yard  dirt midget and sprint cars from the past. They earned their way to the 500 by guts and talent. 50 or more cars trying for a spot in the 33 car field. Todays world doesn't offer that today. It's all big business with megi shops and lots of high priced staff. Drag racing is going the same way.

[debgeo]

Nascar too

[46champ]

If you did come up with something new and unique if would probably be illegal because it doesn't meet spec.

[Gwillard]

What has happened to the Indy 500 race? Watching yesterday I realized I had no idea who more than half of the drivers were. Where are all the real race drivers? When a Brazilian fashion supermodel that I never heard of can make the race and finish 21st in what use to be the biggest race in the world it is sad.

To address your comment about a "Brazilian fashion model", Ana Beatriz is a racer, not a model. She started in karts at 9 and has competed in open wheel racing ever since. She also has two wins in the Indy Lights series. Of the four women in the race, three of them earned their way by winning races in other open wheel cars. Ana in Indy lights, Sarah in sprints & midgets, and Simona in Toyota Atlantic (she KICKED ASS!).

[doug odom]

Google Ana Beatriz. I didn't make it up! Remember the guy that won could not even get competitive in the nascar nationwide series. He won Indy twice.

[Elmo Rodge]

Doug, it's a different ana Beatriz. There are 2 of 'em.  Wayno

[maguromic]

Doug, You looked at the wrong link.  Here is the correct link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bia_Figueiredo As for Dario not being competitive in NASCAR, all the open wheel guys that have tried NASCAR only a few have been marginally successful, like AJ, Mario, PJ and Dan Gurney.  Just as I don’t think a NASCAR driver would be good in Indy car.  I think the last real attempts by NASCAR drivers at Indy were by Cale Yarbrough and Tim Richmond.  The two were mediocre at best, but in the NASCAR series they dominated.

Since the unification of the two series, this year’s race was better than the previous ones.  But still has a long way to go to get the luster back.  Tony

[DavidinDurango]

 I came in during the race.  Of the eight minutes I watched . . . .eight minutes were commercials.

[SPARKY]

"smoke"    

[maguromic]

"smoke"    

There is no doubt that Smoke is a great diver (one of my favorite). But his Indy career, 3 wins in 5 years wont qualify him for the Indy hall of fame.  His championship year he only had one win.  This is the opposite of Montoya, great in Indy cars and F1 and a few wins in NASCAR.

In my opinion all the professional series are so specialized now that drivers tend to be pigeon holed into a series.  The days of guys like AJ and PJ jumping into any type of car and winning are gone. Just take a look at Indy 500 winner and F1 champion Jacques Villeneve, he had a tough time qualifying for NASCAR truck races before finally giving up. Tony

[jimmy six]

I would be a little more interesting if were not so PC.. Same Chassis...Same engines for all...

At least NECKCAR has different decals and MHRA has different body/chassis manufacturers

[Seldom Seen Slim]

I attended my first Indy 500 in 1961 - and the last one in 1968.  I saw the last of the Offy roadsters and the first of the rear-engine cars (Jack Brabham's Lola).  I saw Andy Granatelli's Novi and the turbine car and all the great stuff of that era.

Sure is different now.  I had to search around a while this morning to see when the race would be held - and found it happened yesterday.  Nothing about it on the newscasts that I heard.

Heard?  Oh, that brings back a fond memory -- 33 cars coming at me (sitting near the finish line) for the first time ever - and with not much difficulty I could pick out the Novi.  Wow -- that engine was LOUD!   Now all the cars are muffled by the turbos.  Ah, getting old means I've got lots of good memories to keep me going.