Eleven hundred miles of racing last weekend was a pretty good show. Both the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 were exciting events that went off smoothly. I'd venture to say that the 500 was the better of the two.
Sam Hornish's ability to come back after what seemed to be a devastating pit gaffe, penalty drive-through and failed passing attempt with just two laps left was astonishing. He was one of several favorites for whom I was rooting as I otherwise wasted a hot Sunday afternoon.
In the 600, the most memorable moment probably was the tantrum Kyle Bush threw (along with a piece of his HANS device) after his car was crashed out by contact with another car.
You may remember that Bush had a few starts in Cup racing when he was a teenager. NASCAR then instituted an age limitation that made him ineligible for a couple of years. It seems that he may have aged enough, but not yet matured.
A more interesting character is Hornish, the Boy from Defiance, OH, who overcame tactical adversity to reach what he said was his primary goal, winning Indy.
An Associated Press story this past week says that Hornish's response to the nauseating question, "Are you going to NASCAR?" has always been that he wanted to win the 500 first. This was the first time in seven tries that he has completed the event.
Well, now he has. His answer now? To paraphrase … "Not yet."
He said that there is a lot more he wants to accomplish in IndyCar racing, like winning another series championship. He already has two.
He said that the obligations and hoopla that follow an Indy 500 winner still seem like a dream.
He has been busy. He left Indianapolis last Tuesday morning after the Monday night awards banquet. He did a personal appearance in Texas, where he is scheduled to race June 10th, then flew to New York and threw out the first pitch at a Mets' game.
He had a series of appearances on national TV in the Big Apple and rang the closing bell at the New York Board of Trade that afternoon.
Then he headed north a few miles to Watkins Glen, where he is racing on a road course this weekend.
He's to be on the David Letterman show Monday night. He hopes to have a day at home in Defiance before heading back to Texas for the Foyt-Rutherford Trophy at Texas Motor Speedway.
A.J. Foyt and Johnny Rutherford both are Texans well known in open wheeled racing.
Hornish's employer, Roger Penske, also fields Busch Series and Nextel Cup teams, but the driver said that they have not talked about him racing with fenders.
If Hornish does move to the better known and better paying Nextel Cup series, he would find the car he drives looking very different from what is being raced now in NASCAR, not to mention the difference from the streamlined open wheeled cars he drives now.
Another AP story this week said that NASCAR officials are zeroing in on the final design for their "Car of Tomorrow" The design underwent testing last Tuesday at Lowe's Motor Speedway, where Kasey Kahne won the 600 mile race Sunday night.
Eight drivers took one-lap tests, followed by a couple of 20 lap races. The report said the cars worked well in traffic this time. In an earlier test at Atlanta Motor Speedway, they had not done so well.
The AP describes the COT as a "bigger, boxier vehicle." It also may include a rear wing that looks like those used on sporty street cars.
COT's are to be used in 15 races next season … almost half the schedule. The 2009 season will be all COT's.
How is this an improvement?