Danica Patrick wins first race

I also give the late edition of SC credit because they could have kissed NBA ass and went straight to playoff coverage. But they led with Danica for about a minute and a half and then did some extensive coverage later in the show.

Good job, guys.

 

Not touting a John Oreovicz story just because he's one of mine, but he addressed the fuel-mileage issue well in his story from last night: http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/racing/indycar/columns/story?columnist=oreovicz_john&id=3355243

The money grafs: Patrick led only three of 200 laps, and she certainly didn't have the fastest car on the Twin Ring Motegi oval nestled in the mountains northwest of Tokyo. Her win was the product of a disciplined final stint that allowed her to stretch a 22-gallon tank of ethanol farther than anyone else.

But a win is a win is a win.

And as any driver who has won a race on fuel mileage can attest -- most recently, Jimmie Johnson in last week's NASCAR Sprint Cup event at Phoenix -- they pay the same prize money and there's no asterisk in the record book.

After 50 tries, Danica Patrick is a winner in IndyCar.

 

We're a six-day PM, and unfortunately, because of several factors (we typically give very little play to Saturday events on Monday, my SE dislikes auto racing, we have a significant amount of local copy and not likely much space), I'd be surprised if it goes anywhere other than 2-3" in our 1B briefs column. Maybe if we can make room, a couple of inches inside if we need a picture.

 

We're two-plus pages into the thread and no one else has noted it, so I will:

Michelle Wie is now on the clock as undisputed owner of the title of Most Visible Active Female Professional Athlete Who Still Hasn't Won Jack-Shit.

 

Any idea what channel and time? I don't see the replay anywhere. I assumed it would be an "instant classic.

 

Of course, other than that the final CCWS race will be the least interesting race of the weekend from a viewing standpoint (certainly less interesting than the ALMS race).

 

It was on ESPN2, from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. ET, which was the plan well before the race started, FYI.

 

DirecTV's onscreen program guide had a string of classic car auctions listed in that block. When was this plan initiated?

 

It's because of the rain delay. There was always a plan for a replay -- it just came a day later than planned.

 

Everyhting was moved back a day with the rainout. And my Dish Network program guide had neither the race or the re-air on the lists, so that doesn't surprise me. Those program guides aren't infallible.

EDIT: PCLoadletter beat me to it.

 

Looks like it will be replayed again 9 am Monday on espn2 according to espn.com's tv listings. If the Sunday replay was the plan all along, a very poor job was done communicating that.

 

I'm excited for her, for the sport and for women in general. Whatever you may think of her driving abilities or her sex appeal, she generates a lot of Indy interest outside of those who follow the sport regardless of who's racing. Congrats to her! And after she led a few laps at Indy in the past, I'll definitely be watching when the big race comes up.