I hope you all had a Happy Easter and didn't stuff yourselves with too much candy. Not much happened on track in the motorsports world this past weekend but we have a doozy lined-up this weekend. I would just like to note that For the Love of Indy turned three years old yesterday. It has been a blast and look forward to the future. Here is a run down of what got me thinking.
Paint The Rainbow
The state of Indiana was at the center of attention all last week after Governor Mike Pence signed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, a law which could have allowed for discrimination against LGBT people. Many voiced their displeasure in the law and it was changed on Thursday.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway released a statement in response to the law saying the track will continue to welcome everyone to the track.
The state of Indiana has received a lot of bad press in the past week and the backlash will effect many who never supported the law. Will people decide not to go to IMS during the Month of May because of the law? Only time will tell but I think IMS can turn the month of May into a chance to show their support beyond just a statement.
This month of May should integrate the LBGT community into their festivities. Paint the outside wall in the colors of the Rainbow Flag and when I say the outside wall, I mean the entire outside wall. It should be a continuous rainbow from the start of the yard of bricks, into turn one, around the south end to the back straightway, around the north end and meeting back up at start/finish. It will be unique and a clear message where the Speedway stands on the issue. Bring in a prominent LBGT figures to the Indianapolis 500 to perform the national anthem, drive the pace car and wave the green flag.
For all of you who want people with ties to the Indianapolis 500 to drive the pace car and wave the green flag, that can wait until next year and the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500. This year is for a bigger purpose.
Shut Up Penske
Last week, we talked about the discrepancy in visions between IndyCar management (Mark Miles) and team owners (Roger Penske and Chip Ganassi).
Penske noted he was upside with the cost increase especially with the introduction of aero kits. News flash skipper: No body forced you to buy aero kits. You could have kept the Dallara kit on the car and been at the back of the field but you know as well as I know Mr. Penske that you wouldn't want that, your sponsors wouldn't want that and most importantly, you would not have any of the four drivers you currently have if you told them, "Hey, we're going to run the old kit and be a second off the pace."
And you couldn't turn down being Chevrolet's test team. You didn't give a rat's ass about the cost because you were getting an advantage. You know if you turned down Chevrolet's offer to be the test team, Ganassi would have accepted it and the script would have been flipped at St. Petersburg. Ganassi cars probably would have had four of the top five instead of your cars.
To be fair to the Dallara kit, you could get some speed out of it. In 2012, the first year of the DW12-chassis and Dallara kit, Will Power won St. Petersburg pole position with a 61.3721. That time would have put him second in group one from qualifying at St. Petersburg this year and fifth in group two this year. That time would have been 11th-fastest in the second round. The following year, Power won St. Petersburg pole position with a 61.2070, which would have been fastest in group one this year and still fifth in group two. Power's 2013 pole time would have been ninth-fastest in round two this year. In 2014, IndyCar qualifying from St. Petersburg took part partially in the wet and ended on a drying race track.
It should be noted that a new floor has been mandated for 2015, which creates less downforce and doesn't mesh well with the Dallara kit, according to Dale Coyne Racing, who tested Francesco Dracone in the Dallara kit at Barber preseason testing. However, if there is one team that could figure out to find the right balance with the floor and Dallara kit, it's Penske.
So Penske, with the evidence on the table that the old kit not only could compete with the current kit, you tell me and the rest of IndyCar why you are paying more when you easily could have taken the old kit and spent much less developing it during the offseason and possibly still made the second round and Fast Six in qualifying?
Winners From the Weekend
Nelson Piquet, Jr. became the sixth different winner in six Formula E race after he won at Long Beach, 35 years after his father Nelson Piquet won his first career Formula One race at Long Beach.
Andrea Caldarelli and Ryō Hirakawa won the Super GT race from Okayama. Yuichi Nakayama and Koki Saga won in GT300.
The Monegasque pairing of Stéphane Ortelli and Stéphane Richmeli won the Blancpain Sprint Series qualifying race from Nogaro. Maxime Martin and Dirk Müller won the Blancpain Sprint Series main race earlier today.
Coming Up This Weekend
IndyCar makes their debut at NOLA Motorsports Park for the Grand Prix of Louisiana.
MotoGP returns to Austin.
FIA World Endurance Championship kicks off their season from Silverstone.
European Le Mans Series joins FIA WEC at Silverstone.
Formula One goes to China.
Blancpain Endurance Series starts their season at Monza.
World Superbike runs their first race in Europe at Aragón.
NASCAR runs their first night race at Texas.
AMA Supercross heads to Houston.
Covering All Motorsports. From Indianapolis to Le Mans, Daytona to Monaco.
