There’s plenty to break down from Sunday’s Indianapolis 500, but considering that there’s another race in four days, I’ll skip the intro and just get the Machine firing…
1. Dario Franchitti doubles up. The humble Scotsman joined the likes of “Little Al,” Emmo, Vuky, and Arie as two-time winners of the ‘500.’ While he tried to shy away from the magnitude of his triumph — “I’m just a driver, those guys are legends,” he said after his win — it can’t be denied that Dario Franchitti has earned his place in history as one of the best drivers ever in American open-wheel racing. Bonus: The victory made Chip Ganassi the first team owner ever to win the Daytona and Indy 500s in the same year. PLUS 20.
2. Mike Conway survives. He’ll be out three months (broken left leg, compression fracture to one thoracic vertebrae) and have to wear a back brace after getting launched into the north short chute’s fence on Lap 199. But it could have been so much worse. MINUS 25.
3. Penske not-so-perfect. Will Power had two pit road mistakes — first, attempting to drive away with the fuel hose still attached to his car, and then overshooting his pit box and needing his crew to push him back in it. Helio Castroneves’ quest for a fourth Indy win was effectively derailed after stalling his car on Lap 145. And finally, Ryan Briscoe got too high in Turn 4 and smashed into the SAFER Barrier at Lap 148. You don’t often see Team Penske become a non-factor at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but that was indeed the case on Sunday. MINUS 10.
4. TK’s charge. After crashing two cars during qualifying weekend, Tony Kanaan started 33rd but immediately made a bee-line for the front of the field (he passed eight cars in the first lap of the race). He eventually made it all the way to second place before he was forced to pit for a final gulp of fuel on Lap 196 and settle for 11th at the finish. “I hope I made it exciting out there,” said the 2004 IZOD IndyCar Series champion. Yeah, Tony. You did. PLUS 15.
5. Another close call. Dan Wheldon was charging hard to hunt down a fuel-saving Franchitti, but the Conway/Ryan Hunter-Reay crash ended the race under yellow. It’s his second straight runner-up performance at Indy and the third straight for his team, Panther Racing. What’s it going to take for them to get that last spot? PLUS 10.
6. Danica bounces back. Danica Patrick lost favor with the Indy faithful during qualifying weekend, but she may have quieted her critics a bit with her sixth-place run (her best result of 2010). “I focused on making sure I lifted and got a tow from other cars to save fuel as the laps were winding down,” she said. “I’m really glad that yellow came out at the end because we were cutting it real close on fuel.” PLUS 5.
7. Marco on the podium. You gotta hand the entire Andretti Autosport team credit. Their drivers seemed way off the pace during the month, but on Race Day, they were solid. And in the end, it was Marco Andretti that led the way for his father Michael’s team. However, it wasn’t until after an official review that he was able to claim third place. PLUS 5.
8. FAZZT finally falters. Alex Tagliani (finished 10th) wasn’t quite as strong as he had been in practice and qualifying, while his teammate Bruno Junqueira — who had set himself up as one of the major dark horses with a stellar Bump Day qualifying run — crashed just seven laps into the event. Indy can be a mean mistress. MINUS 10.
9. Simona scores big. The same review that put Andretti 3.0 on the podium also eventually moved Mario Romancini (13th) ahead of Simona de Silvestro by one spot (14th). But she still walked away with the Indy 500 Rookie of the Year honors last night at the Victory Banquet. So far, she’s done well in her rookie season and this is definitely a milestone for her. PLUS 5.
10. Alex Lloyd goes fourth. That’ll be a nice little payday for his Dale Coyne Racing operation. Who saw this coming? PLUS 5.
This week’s tally: +20 beans.
Season tally (after six races): +45 beans.
