1. No “fuel mileage race” here
At Twin Ring Motegi, Helio Castroneves didn’t have to be good to the last drop like he was at Kentucky. The three-time Indy 500 winner flat-out dominated the field to ensure that the only suspense would come from how the championship contenders finished behind him. PLUS 3.
2. Power minimizes damage
For a moment, it looked as if Dario Franchitti would have the points lead going into the final race of the season on Oct. 2 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. But Will Power managed to get back toward the front with some help from his crew in the pits and found himself one spot behind Franchitti in third place at the finish. PLUS 3.
3. Oh yeah, there she is
Danica Patrick records her first top-5 since Texas in June with a fifth-place run at the site of her lone IndyCar victory. Patrick has taken a tumble since finishing fifth in the championship one year ago and is staring at her worst points finish since she came on the scene in 2005. We’ll see if she can gain more momentum for 2011 in a couple of weeks. PLUS 3.
4. Making Honda happy is important, but…
…It doesn’t change the fact that the Indy Japan 300’s current position on the calendar robs some of the buzz that should be surrounding the final race of the season and the Power-Franchitti battle. Let’s face it — nobody save for the diehards is watching this race (which is usually subpar in action anyway), and some of the diehards can’t and won’t stay up past midnight and are putting it on DVR instead. MINUS 10.
5. The obligatory KV crash
Mario Moraes hit the wall in Turn 2 and needed to go to a local hospital afterwards (he’s okay). Add another one to the highlight reel. Actually, add two — we forgot Takuma Sato’s practice hit. MINUS 5.
6. Feel the love
From the Tony Kanaan “impostor” to the veritable sea of green-and-gold cheering for Sato-san, the fan support at Motegi looked awesome. It makes you happy that they truly enjoy IndyCar racing — and makes you wish that the same thing existed Stateside beyond Indianapolis and a couple of other places. EVEN.
This week: -6 beans.
Season tally (after 16 races): +13 beans.
