Toronto 2013 Race One: First Impressions

1. Scott Dixon goes back-to-back and Sébastien Bourdais does donuts for his first podium since Mexico City 2007. It was a great race one. I hope they keep this doubleheaders. Maybe expand them to one or two other tracks. Look out for Dixon in the championship battle. Unfortunately Bourdais was given a broken trophy and it got worse. Expect IndyCar to make SportsCenter but not for Dixon winning and no one watching SportsCenter will know Dixon won after watching the "highlights."

2. Dario Franchitti got third after a great battle with Will Power. Unfortunately for Power his race ended in the turn three tires. 

2. Dario Franchitti loses his third. Blocking. Time penalty. Dropped to thirteenth.

3. Great day for Marco Andretti. Started in the back and worked his way to fourth third proving again why Toronto is his best road/street circuit. He has a little bit of his father in him. Who knows. If he were to start better he just might pick up a win at Exhibition Place.

4. Brazilians get fifth fourth and sixth fifth. Tony Kanaan had a clean day and Helio Castroneves had another consistent day up front as he extends his championship lead.

5. Another bad day in the championship for Ryan Hunter-Reay. Helio Castroneves has been consistent all year and though Hunter-Reay has two wins and a handful of top fives, races like today, Long Beach and Belle Isle race two will kill his championship hopes.

6. Mike Conway had to come from the back but got a seventh sixth place finish while James Hinchcliffe finished a career best eighth seventh in his hometown. Simon Pagenaud was ninth eighth and how about Simona de Silvestro? Went from the back to a top ten nine finish.

7. Good days for Justin Wilson and James Jakes but Ed Carpenter got a thirteenth twelfth place finish and he worked his tail off to get it.

8. Alex Tagliani had a top ten slip through his fingers as he spun late and finishes seventeenth.

9. Can we try standing starts Sunday?

10. Rough day for Josef Newgarden. Day ended before it even started.

11. Robin Miller reported on the broadcast Rahal Letterman Lanigan is looking at an engineer change for Graham Rahal. They've got to do something to turn around 2013.

12. I've never understood why the curbs were so far out in turn five at Toronto. Going over them seems to make sense to me.

13. A little disappointing there was no double file restart on the final restart. I understand there wasn't enough time for the track to be swept but let's make a effort. Once the caution came out and the final part of the track is clear, the sweepers should be out cleaning up the marbles as best as possible. Lesson learned.

14. I really like these doubleheaders. Physically demanding for the drivers? Yes. Physically demanding on the crews? Yes. It's a slippery slope but if tomorrow produces a race as good as today the series should capitalize and get IndyCar on television more than it currently is. I proposed a way to do doubleheaders on ovals and keep the heat format but let's bring the doubleheaders to Mid-Ohio and Sonoma. At Sonoma you could run two different courses. Just an idea. Plenty of time to think about it. We don't have to make a decision today.

15. I look forward to tomorrow and so should you.