Last week, the Indy Racing League reunified with the Champ Car World Series.  The merger opens up a whole new racing option for fans.  And for those "disgruntled" Nascar fans who complain about everything the sanctioning body does, the new IRL offers some salve for those open wounds.

History

The Daytona 500 turned 50 this year.  So what?  The Indianapolis 500 (the original "The 500") is nearly double that, and will run for the 92nd time on Memorial Day.  The track itself has been open since 1909.  Oh, and the track and race  Inspired Nascar track builders, with Darlington's conception and Pocono's corners leading the list.

Given this tradition, it is unlikely that the IRL will move The 500 from Memorial Day and give the date to another track.

Also impressive is the roster of generational talent the IRL has at its disposal.  Marco Andretti, grandson of Mario Andretti, A.J. Foyt IV, grandson of  AJ Foyt, and Graham Rahal, son of Bobby Rahal, may all  race in the new league.

Ovals, Street and  Road Courses

Previously, the IRL dabbled in a dash of road courses, much like the Nascar schedule.  But in 2008, there will be 11 oval races and six road courses, including a few street courses.  One weekend half the field will go to Japan, while the "old" CCWS cars race at Long Beach.  Next year, the IRL hopes to have 20 races with a mixture of oval and road courses.

National Pride

The IRL features drivers from around the world, including several drivers from South America, Britain and New Zealand.   And there are several American drivers to cheer on as well, including Danica Patrick, Marco Andretti, and AJ Foyt IV.

Women

Danica Patrick, Sarah Fisher, Milka Duno, and possibly Katherine Legge will race in the new IRL.  Count the women drivers in the Nascar series.  Maybe one in trucks?  Sarah Fisher will own her team, another landmark for women.  Fisher will be racing the 500 at a minimum, but hopes that her new race team will run a few more races. 

Villians

Nascar lacks villains.  Just as  soon as Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch or Tony Stewart commit a gaffe, Nascar, their owners and sponsors have them issuing "Mea Culpas" everywhere.  The IRL has a few potential villains, with harridan Danica Patrick taking on cranky Dan Wheldon.  But the best villain option is brash Paul Tracy, who doesn't mince words or apologize easily.  Tracy currently does not have a ride for this year. 

Sanctioners Race

Both Tony George and Kevin Kalkoven own teams that race in their series.  George will continue with his teams, and it appears that Kalkoven will do so as well.  This would be like Brian France fielding a team like Rick Hendrick or Jack Roush.  At least the IRL sanctioners  have a vested interest in the application of the rules, unlike the Nascar system.  On the down side, that certainly leaves room for unfairness, which has not happened, yet.

Commercial Breaks

ESPN/ABC runs commercials during the IRL races without leaving the action.  Regardless if the commercial break occurs during a yellow flag, pit stops or green flag racing, fans can watch what happens because the commercial runs on one side of the screen and the race on the other.  No more complaints about missing something - it's all visible.

Nascar migration

This year, two IRL stars and former Champions, Sam Hornish and Dario Franchitti, migrated from the IRL to Nascar.  Rumors abound that Dan Wheldon, Danica Patrick, or Helio Castroneves may defect  to Nascar in the future.  Watch and become a fan now instead of bandwagon jumping later.

The reunification will not solve all of open wheel racing's problems, but it is the first of many steps to better the sport.  And maybe teach Nascar a thing or two.

AJ Foyt did it.  So did Mario Andretti.  And most recently Tony Stewart.  They made it look easy.  Like anyone who could put on a helmet was talented enough to make it big. 

Make it big in Nascar.

Get the wreckers ready.  It's raining potential Rookie Drivers.

This year, Juan Pablo Montoya switched from CART to F-1 to Nascar.  He's taken alot of criticism, but he's on track to be rookie of the year.  (Remember the term "rookie"?  Losely translated, it means "Crashes a lot.").

Joining JPM was AJ Allmindenger, who hasn't been as fortunate in qualifying, but still manages to crash on occasion.  Allmendinger transferred from Champ Car to Nascar.

But waiting in the wings is an open wheel tidal wave,  the likes of which Nascar hasn't seen for, well, decades.  Fabricators around the garage are loving the job security on the horizon.

Sam Hornish Jr and Dan Wheldon, both Indy 500 winners, drive in the IRL for owners who field Nascar teams.  Neither has made a secret of their aspirations to the stock car  universe.  Penske has allowed Hornish to drive a few Busch races.  While Wheldon hasn't attempted a stock car race yet, his name pops up every year during silly season as a possible candidate.  In preparation for their Nascar rookie year, these two have taken to crashing each other out of their current series.  Not to be out done, Danica Patrick, who eyed Nascar last year during her contract talks, attempted to take the safety vehicle out in her crash.

Meanwhile, displaced Formula One drivers are looking to break into Nascar.  Jacque Villeneuve is shopping a ride, even though he has "retired" from F-1.  Scott Speed, who was crashed against a wall in a physical spat with his F-1 owner, is likely to drive for Red Bull in Nascar.

The Newman/Haas/Yates merger opens the door for Champ Car drivers.  If Sebastian Bourdais finds F-1 too stoggy for his tastes, he can slip into a Ford any time. 

This list doesn't even take into account the open wheel drivers who are waiting in support series (with development deals) to get into Nascar's top series:  Tim McCreadie, Josh Wise, Bryan Clauson, Brady Bacon, and Kevin Swindell.

Add these names to the "displaced" and non-qualifying Nascar drivers of Sterling Marlin, Joe Nemechek, Boris Said, Patrick Carpentier, John Andretti, Regan Smith, Dale Jarrett, Michael Waltrip, Kenny Wallace, Mike Wallace, and Ricky Craven.

Nascar has 43 starting spots.  And a crop of drivers anxious to get their shot at the top.  Let's hope their learning curve is more like Stewart, and less like the typical rookie.

Taking a page from the Humpy Wheeler playbook, Texas Motor Speedway President Eddie Gossage has billed the next IRL race, which happens to be at his track on Saturday, as "The Rumble at the Speedway." 

Pitting Dan "The Battlin' Brit" Wheldon against Danica "The Phoenix Firebird" Patrick in their follow up bout, Gossage is attempting to generate ticket sales and media coverage of the event.  Prominently displaying Wheldon & Patrick's pictures on the TMS webpage, with a "Tale of the Tape," TMS is betting that racing fans will be watching the two as they head to the track. 

And it appears that the two are ignoring the spat, and waiting for the other to make the first move to amend the situation.

USATODAY, quoting AP, reports that Patrick has no intention of apologizing  to Wheldon.  But Wheldon isn't holding his breath waiting for one either, "She acted a certain way and if she wants to look at the video, I think she'll be feeling pretty silly. ... If she wants to come and apologize, I would be very happy to listen."

But Wheldon feels that Patrick took advantage of the situation "When you tug at a guy in the pit lane, I think that is taking advantage of your gender, because it puts me in an awkward position," Wheldon said. "She was acting like a spoiled brat. I don't respect that. ... I tried to step away. She kept grabbing on me like a dog that wanted to bite my ankles."

Patrick, however, believes Wheldon deliberately cut her off.  "We'll see how it unfolds, and we're going to have to give each other respect and the space on the track," Patrick said. "If that happens, then I can't see a reason why it would continue. But if he doesn't, then I'll be mad again."

Meanwhile, we'll see if Gossage's promotion sells more tickets.  If so, IRL may want to keep the Wheldon-Patrick dispute going for  a few weeks to come.

Information from AP, USATODAY.COM and TexasMotorspeedway.com

Danica Patrick was Miffed.  She fumed.  She stomped up to give Dan Wheldon a piece of her mind.  She raised her voice and her eyebrows, dramatically making her point.  Danica went so far as to push Wheldon to make sure he got it.  Wheldon's reaction?

He ignored her.  Like the leftovers you don't want to eat after you get home, and then fester in your refridgerator.

Danica was upset that Dan and Dario Franchitti hadn't let her pass them on the track.  Wheldon went so far as to bump her car.  She managed to keep it off the wall, and finished the race.  But she was upset.

Unfortunately, she hadn't mastered the Jeff Gordon Bristol shove.  Back to the drawing board, Danica!   You did much better slapping Jacque Lazier.

Meanwhile, at the rain delayed Nascar race, Tony Stewart and Kurt Busch had another round of "Oh, yeah, well, take that!" which usually ends with both cars wrecked and ruining a good finish.

However, this version amped up the typical slugfest when Busch bumped into Stewart.  On pit road.  While Jason Lee, a crewmember, was on the right fender. 

Lee had to jump onto the hood to avoid being crushed by Busch's car.   Never fear, it appears Lee gave Busch an earful after it happened, and he wasn't hurt.  

Both sides are claiming the other is at fault. 

The IRL announced neither Danica or Dan would be penalized. 

Nascar parked Busch at the time of the offense, but penalties could be handed down tomorrow.   Busch's problem is that a crew member on pit road nearly got hurt and it was clearly intentional behavior. 

The on-track incident is likely to be considered "just racing" even if you could see the outcome watching the two race without giving.

I think Busch could be up for a signficant penalty.  Maybe even a suspension.

After all, if Junior loses 100 points and his crew chief for 6 races for tinkering with the COT, which didn't almost injure someone, shouldn't intentional behavior which comes within inches of harming a teammember be worth more?

Saturday was Pole Day at Indy.  Well, it was supposed to be anyway.  The rain has keep the cars off the track sporadically the past few days.  The original plan was for 11 cars to be set on the grid on Saturday and the next 22 cars to be set on Sunday.  Then, next Saturday (the 20th) the remaining 11 cars (for a total of 33) would be set.  Then next Sunday would be Bump Day.  However, Mother Nature had other plans - raining out both Saturday and Sunday and leaving the qualifications in limbo.

Last year, Pole Day was delayed one day by the rain.  This year, after one 35 minute practice session and the start of the second, the day was washed out.

Rain is not merely an inconvenience for the teams.  Because of the rain, the rubber which builds up on the track has been washed off. Thus, the drivers were unsure how fast they would be able to go.  The coole temperatures were another concern, but at least the wind was minimal.  Engineers, drivers, and race planners were unsure how to set up the cars to take advantage of the conditions.  Some of them got it figured out as at the end of the first practice session, Scott Dixon led the filed at over 226 mph.  By the time rain shortened the second session, Dan Wheldon had clocked in at over 227 mph, as had Sam Hornish.

Danica Patrick has not been running as fast as the majority of the field.  When asked if she could reach 228 mph, she said she did not see how given how the car had performed thus far in the practice sessions.  Patrick said she wanted qualifying delayed until next weekend.

After a meeting with IRL officials, IMS officals and others, the decision was made to qualifty  for all 33 spots next Saturday.  Bump Day will then occur as scheduled on Sunday.

At least, if Mother Nature decides to let it happen on that schedule.

The brouhaha and anticipation for the Indianapolis 500 has started - and the race isn't for another 3 weeks.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway publicizes the race as "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing."  And it very well may be.  It is one of the few races that even non-race fans know about and watch.  When I was growing up, I thought it was the only race in the world.  It never crossed my mind that the drivers and teams may race at other times of the year or on other tracks.  Who needed other races when there was the Indianapolis 500?  I now know that there are many people who still feel this way, either through ignorance or preference.  I'm not sure that they are entirely wrong.  There is something about the month of May in Indianapolis at the race track that plays on the psyche.

To the average non-gearhead, the race is the main thing.  However, the Indy 500 really runs thoughout the month of May.  The drama of bumping cars out of the race and changing cars doesn't have anything to do with race day.

Here is a brief primer on what happens at the track during the month of May, and what you should be watching for:

Opening Day:  Today (May 7th) was the first day of cars on the track.  The Rookies and those who needed to "Refresh" their racing skills were working on the four skills/speed tests.  So far, both Marco Andretti and PJ Chesson have completed their rookie tests.  The remaining rookie in this year's race is Arie Luyendyk Jr.  Marco's father, Michael is "refreshing" his skills, despite numerous starts as his last start was in 2003.  Michael Andretti has never won the 500 despite 14 attempts.  Marco's Grandfather is Mario Andretti, who won the 500 in 1969.  Luyendyk's father (Arie Luyendyk) won the 500 twice, but has been retired for a few years. 

Pole Day:  Pole Day is set for next Saturday, May 13th.  There are 38 entries with 66 cars registered for the 500.  A driver can try to time in with more than one car.  This is different than what Nascar does each week - the driver is entered and can only run 1 car.  Imagine if Jeff Gordon could qualify one car then decide he wanted to try another car to get the pole.  However, if you elect to try another car, you lose the first car's qualification run.   Pole Day is the only day the pole position is available.   Qualification is based upon the average speed/time of four laps.  Thus, a mistake on just one corner will bog down your average time.  This is what happened to Danica Patrick last year - one bauble cost her the pole position - actually cost her a start in the front row.  Even though bumping can go on for the other positions throughout the remaining days of qualifying, once on the pole at the end of Pole Day, you are set in the field and cannot be bumped.  There are only 33 positions in the 500.  If you qualify 34th, you will be going home without racing.

Second Day & Third Day:  Second Day and Third Day 1 are other days of qualifying.  It is scheduled for May 14th and May 20th.  Again, bumping the slowest car from the field can happen on these days.

Bump Day:  Bump Day is scheduled for May 21st. It is the last chance to qualify for the 500.  Once 33 cars have qualified, the 34th car to qualify is trying to "bump" the slowest car out of the field.  Obviously, that car wants to do well enough to not be the one on the hot seat for the 35th car to qualify.  In 2005, the rule was changed to allow bumping on every qualifying day.  Otherwise, bumping only occurred on Bump Day.  But Bump Day can be exciting - it isn't until the time is up at the end of Bump Day that the field is set for the race. 

Carb Day or Carburetion Day:  Carb Day is the opportunity for cars to run in their race trim instead of their qualifying trim.  A first look at who will be strong under racing conditions.

Past winners competing this year:  There are 6 prior winners competing in this year's 500.  Two of them "unretired" for this race.  Al Unser Jr. and Eddie Cheever Jr decided that the 90th running of the 500 was a race not to miss.  Other past winners in the field include Dan Wheldon (2005), Buddy Lazier (1996), Buddy Rice (2004), and Helio Castroneves (2001, 2002).

Danica Patrick:  It seems she has been on TV everywhere promoting her autobiography.  While it is nice to see a woman racing at this level, Patrick is not necessarily a trailblazer.  Given the publicity she received, one would think no woman has every qualified for the 500 before.  In fact, Janet Guthrie qualified 3 times, Lynn St. James qualified for the 500 seven times, and Sarah Fisher qualified five times.  Fisher has the fastest qualification laps for a woman, even though Patrick qualified in a better starting position.

Who's Hot:  Helio Castroneves has been scorching the competition thus far.  His teammate Sam Hornish Jr. is desperate to win the 500.  Hornish has commented that the main thing he wants to accomplish in his career is to win the 500.  The pieces should be in place as the Penske team looks to have it all together this year.  Dan Wheldon is having a great season even though he changed teams from Andretti Green to Ganassi.

Who Knows?  Anthony Foyt IV will be back in Indy cars at the 500, driving for his grandfather, four time winner AJ Foyt Jr.  Larry Foyt,  AJ's son, will also be driving in the 500.  As neither has run IRL races this year, they are wild cards.  Al Unser Jr, Eddie Cheever Jr, and Michael Andretti have also been out of the IRL driver's seat for a period of time.  Andretti is involved with his family team, and Cheever has been running various sports car races to hone his skills.   It remains to be seen if their skills have diminished with their "retirements." 

Doing the Double?  A couple years ago, Tony Stewart and Robby Gordon would try to run the double - the Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600.  To accomplish this means that the driver would run 1100 miles in less than 24 hours.  Given the start times for both races, it is unlikely that anyone can complete both races.  The 500 moved its time back to 1 p.m. EST, and there is not enough time to complete the race, fly to Charlotte, and start the other race.  In some ways, this is a shame, as it is amazing that (a) anyone wants to try this (b) that anyone can do this and (c) that no one will ever win these two premier races on the same day.  If the times were changed, who knows who would try it?  Bobby and Donnie Allison drove in it, and Smokey Yunick prepared cars for it.  Could other Nascar drivers be inticed to do it? 

Behind the Scenes:  The month of May ushers in an exclusive club at IMS - those who love the 500, those who have won the 500, and those who have lost the 500 gather at the track.  Not only racing goes on - there are banquets, poker games, deal making, and networking going on the whole time.  It's no wonder that the racing world loves this race.

So when you watch the 500 on television, remember whether you spend a couple minutes or a couple hours watching the race, that there has been something going on in Indy during the month of May.