Danica Patrick continues a dubious streak this weekend - once again she loses her temper and throws a temper tantrum.

This time, the "victim" was Indy Car's only other female:  Milka Duno. 

Danica became upset during practice when she perceived Duno did not let faster cars pass her car.  Notably, no other driver went to Duno's pit and confront her.

Danica, however, stormed down to Duno's pit and began yelling at Duno.  Duno yelled back to "Go away" and eventually threw a towel at Danica.  The argument then escalated to foul language, but only lasted a minute.  Reportedly, there is a video of the incident.

My question is this:  How many times will Danica get to throw these temper tantrums without punishment?

Let's review:  She stormed down toward Ryan Briscoe's pit earlier this year and had to be stopped by a steward from entering Briscoe's pit.  She confronted and shoved  Dan Wheldon last year.   In 2005, Danica allegedly poked Jacques Lazier during a confrontation.

In all these situations, an argument can be made that  they were either racing incidents and/or Patrick was at some fault for each incident.  However, the view from her seat seems to be that she is always right, and she's not afraid to get physical. 

Remember that this confrontation began because Danica walked over to Duno's pit.  But for that, this incident would not have happened.  Duno apparently wasn't afraid to dish back what Danica was serving, but what option does this leave their male counterparts when Danica physically assaults them?  Can they shove her back?  Can they slap her?  The PR nightmare that would ensue from a male driver doing this to Danica would probably end the guy's career.

Danica is allegely a role model for young women.  But violence when things don't go your way is not cool and not a responsible way to act.  And she shouldn't get by with behaving this way - if nothing else, the lesson young people should learn is that there are consequences for losing your temper.

Enough is enough.  Danica needs to know that these little power plays and physical aggressions will cost her.  First, a stiff financial penalty for both her and her team.  Next, park her for a race, during which time she can work on her 100 hours of community service at a battered women's shelter.  My guess is that she'll get a whole new view of how fortunate she is.   And Finally, sign her up for an anger management course with the requirement that when she is done she will do Public Service Announcements about how losing your temper and having physical confrontations isn't the right thing to do.

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.

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?

Bashing at Bristol, Hounding the Champion in Hungry, and Rookie Sensations at Sonoma and the Turkish Grand Prix.  What a weekend for race fans!

Bristol

Matt Kenseth swept the Bristol weekend, winning both the Busch series race and the Nextel Cup race.  As anticipated, the race shook up the standings - with Mark Martin taking the biggest hit in the points, ending up in 10th from 4th.  Tony Stewart also suffered a loss of positions in the standings, falling from 5th to 8th.  Junior rallied up a position, to 9th.  Kasey Kahne, despite a good run, is still 90 points behind the 10th spot.  If Kahne is shut out of the Chase, there will not be  a Dodge in the race for the Championship.

Kenseth's win, his second in a row, shows that his team is on a roll.  While Johnson is doing well, he isn't burning up the track like Kenseth is right now.  We'll see what happens once the final 10 races get here.

Elliott Sadler's move seems to be panning out - at least as far as qualifying goes.  He didn't have a good time at Bristol, being involved in a couple of crashes.  However, he kept the car in the top 35 of owner points, which means he does not have to qualify on speed next week.

If there is any justice in the world, Jeff Burton will win a race this year.  How many races has he sat on the pole, lead the most laps, and not finished in the top 5?  It looks like both he and Harvick will be in the Chase, but Burton is due to win one.  Soon.

On the Busch side, Kevin Harvick has a 500 point lead over second place.  In other words, he could miss 2 races and still have the lead.

Turkish Grand Prix

Felipe Massa ran away with the race from the pole.  It was his first Formula One win - and probably solidifies his return to the seat next year.  The real race was for second in this one, with Michael Schumacher hounding Fernando Alonzo over the final 10 laps.  At times, Schumacher and Alonzo were running as close as the cars at Bristol.  On a road course.  At over 200 mph.  At stake was more than 2nd place, as Alonzo leads the Championship Points.  Additionally, Renault and Ferrari are in a dead heat for Manufacturer honors.  This Championship race is going to get very interesting...

Sonoma

Marco Andretti won the IRL race at Infineon today, becoming the youngest IRL winner ever.  Andretti won on fuel-mileage strategy, running over 30 laps on his last tank of gas.  Suffice it to say that the rest of the field could barely manage 28 laps before refueling.  Andretti has done what Danica could not - winning in his rookie season.  But then again, he's definitely got the genes to do it.  Both his father, Michael, and grandfather, Mario, were on hand to help him celebrate (and since Marco is a bit too young to drink champagne, he'll need the help).

This weeks Password:  Gas mileage.  Those who got it:  Jeff Gordon, Jeff Burton.  Those who didn't:  Tony Stewart, Matt Kenseth. 

Some random thoughts from racing this weekend:

Jeff Gordon vs. Matt Kenseth Part II:  I can hardly wait for Part III.  Brickyard anyone?

What happened to nice, laid back Matt Kenseth?  He's had run ins with Stewart and  Gordon (again).  Are we finally seeing "Matt the Brat" from his short track days in all his glory?  And he's still 2nd in points.  What's going to happen when he gets focused?

How does Jimmie Johnson pull off those finishes?  He is truly consistent this year.  Could this be the year he's the groom, not the groomsman, come December?  Or is he using up all his good luck early again this year?

Reed Sorenson had his best finish of the year.  Ever notice how a good run usually happens when someone on the team is featured on Speed's "7 Days?"  This week featured Jimmy Elledge, the 41's crew chief.

Jeff Burton had a fantastic week.  It's great to see all his struggles and hard work pay off with a good season.  Burton had been a championship contender back in the late 1990's and yearly 2000's, but had suffered through a few bad years.  Fortunately, Burton didn't give up.  He could be the feel good story of the season if he pulls off the championship.  And I don't think anyone in the garage would be unhappy with his win.

Kevin Harvick's fourth place finish, and Clint Bowyer's nineth place finish mean that Richard Childress Racing all finished in the top 10.  Apparently, the additional technological help Childress swiped from Formula One is quickly paying off.

Three rookies finished in the top 10:  Sorenson, Clint Bowyer and JJ Yeley.  Too bad this was the only trip this year to Chicago.  All six rookies finished in the top 21 spots.  Who would have guessed that?

Dale Earnhardt Jr. got a great finish at a 1.5 mile track.  If this team keeps it up, he will be a threat for the championship.  The news out of Indy testing was that he was the quickest car this morning.  Could he win at Indy?

Juan Pablo Montoya announced he was racing for Ganassi next year.  Rumor now has it that he may be available earlier than expected if his team, McLaren, decides to audition drivers for the seat before the end of the F1 year.

Jumping on the nascar bandwagon may be Danica Patrick.  We'll see if this is any more than a contract negotiation ploy with her current or future IRL team.  She's already commented that the 38 week schedule looked exhausting to her.

Add to the 2007 potential nascar driver stew Juan Pablo Montoya, Bill Elliott, Ward Burton, Jon Wood, Ricky Craven, and Paul Menard, and I'm wondering who is getting bounced from their ride, is going home early each week or worse.  There are too many drivers and teams - and only 43 starting spots available each week.  It could get really interesting come Daytona in February.

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.