"I was delighted by the speed of the Canadian Club car. It was the fastest four-lap average I've had all week. It was a really, really great job by the whole Andretti Green team: all of my teammates, the engineers, everybody.
The Indianapolis 500 will be Sunday, May 27, at 1 p.m. (EDT) with ABC Sports providing live coverage beginning at 12 p.m. (EDT). It can also be heard live by XM Satellite Radio subscribers on XM channel 145, the exclusive home of the IndyCar Series.
Dario and Ashley.. An unusual pair. But they are still together so it must be working..
He is certainly with the right team ( Andretti ). A name sononomous with INDY.
I am going to watch the 500 so I will have to go wih Danica Patrick. Why??? She looks danged good in a skimpy black swim suit ( don't imagine the male drivers would look that good) plus her times are not too far back from the front row. A good position to be in should the front drivers falter.. For old times sake and nostalga, I like Mike Andretti but his times seemed slow.
The cars seem so evenly matched this year - should be a very close race. I figure it's Helio's to lose, but Kanaan, Franchitti, Hornish, Wheldon, Marco Andretti, and Dixon all seem to be strong candidates to win.
My picks:
1st - Tony Kanaan
2nd - Sam Hornish, Jr.
3rd - Dan Wheldon
4th - Dario Franchitti
5th - Marco Andretti
... figuring Helio is due for car trouble this year. His pit crew is the best there is, so that shouldn't be a problem - just have a feeling he's going to have a problem (Kanaan is they one who is usually too hard on his equipment, ala Michael and Mario Andretti).
Great, as if being married to Ashley Judd wasn't enough reason to be jealous of Dario...
I hate to go with the obvious pick, but I feel so strongly that Helio's going to win this year that I can't justify picking another driver. Helio picks up the victory and cements his legacy as one of the all-time greats in Indy 500 history.
OK guys ... outside of Photos "black swimsuit" theory, How Will Danica Patrick fair????
The reason I'm askin'....... I don't follow the open wheel circuits very closely.... but I do have a passing interest in her.....
I believe... "More Wins = More Exposure..... More Exposure = More "Black Swimsuits"!!!!!
I have a little more faith in Danica's driving skills than Dave. She has the equipment, no pun intended, but what the hell it is funny, to finish in the top five, but more than likely I see her in the top ten.
I'm shocked that you two, whose opinions I respect, seem buffaloed by Danica.
What in her IRL racing history has led you to believe that she can finish a race well? Her inaugural race was a pit stop strategy and grace-of-God fluke (she wrecked two other cars, spun, continued on and managed to later lead for a short while - due to the aforementioned pit stop fluke). All other IRL races have been disappointments - with her whining about her equipment in most cases (or her legitimate whine about the pit error in either the last race or the one prior, where an incorrect "clear" call on exiting her pit put she and Tony K together - although she still ran an awful race there too, was getting passed by inferior equipment frequently).
Last year Danica was GREAT at Indy, but she was driving a #### Panoz chassis. I wouldn't pick her to do that well at any other track right now, but she has her confidence at Indy and she is up to speed with everyone else, and she would have two better finishes this season if not for pit road-miscues.
I think the fact that she's on a new team has hurt her this season, but the fact that they have had three weeks at Indy, her best track, has me expecting good things from her Sunday.
I admit to liking Danica because she is from Indiana and one of a few true midwesterners, male
or female. She is my number four fave, behind Franchitti Weldon and Dixon. So I am a little biased. If she wasn't from the Midwest, all the attention she gets would probably #### me off and I wouldn't like her. But that is not the case.
She has Andretti Green equipment which is competitive. I can see three AGR cars in the top ten (not sold on Marco myself, or betting on Michael)with the Ganassi and Penske cars. She is eight in the points.
Are you biased against her? I am not trying to start anything. I just wonder if you are tired of the hype which is much more than she deserves as a driver. But she gets it because she is an attractive woman.
That isn't all that bad is it? She sure is easy on the eyes anyway.
It beats the Dale Jr. hype to me. He is overblown too. I am not saying he isn't a good driver Jr. fans. But a third of the fans are not for him because he has won so many races. No his legion is his dad's legion. And that isn't much better of a reason for all the hype than good looks on a woman in my opinion (humble would be a lie).
Chux: I with the more wins more exposure more black skimpy swim suits thing.
Dave:
Seriously though, The time is comming when a woman wins the Indy 500.If not this year, maybe next year. Danica qualified well and if the car is set up well she has a good chance baring any accidents.
Having to go through the B.S.back in the 80s when my daughter wanted to go racing and was shut out from the male only club of racing, I am looking forward to the day a woman wins the INDY 500 or a NASCAR race. Might make some of the good ole boys wake up and take notice that they have been invaded by the weaker sex as my daughter was always told..
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