Danica Patrick wins first race

There's a listen-only teleconference in about an hour. FWIW.

 

And, by the way, we're going big with it Monday at my direction ... but mostly because it's a slow day from our perspective.

 

It took about thirty minutes after the race to see that argument from Champ Car nuts who remind me of the Germans who kept fighting long after the war was over.

However, most of the Champ Car guys were multiple laps down in the previous oval race, so I don't think they would've made a difference at Motegi, save for being rolling chicanes. They'll be backmarkers/chicanes again at Kansas next week, and then get their oval chops up when they get, basically, three full weeks of oval testing at Indianapolis.

Most of the pundits will be all over the fuel mileage thing. Graham Rahal won two weeks ago on pit strategy & fuel mileage, and there wasn't much squawking then. Last year's IRL championship was won on the final turn of the final lap, when Scott Dixon ran out of fuel. Heck, if it weren't for pit mistakes, Sam Hornish probably wouldn't have won the 2006 Indy 500 (he re-pitted when everyone else stayed out, got a lap back, moved up front when everyone else pitted in the last 10 laps, which put him in position to win the race), and Danica Patrick wouldn't have been in position to win the 2005 Indy 500 (she got on an alternate pit strategy after two on-track incidents, and took the lead when others pitted. Wheldon clearly had a faster car than her that day -- and while she led late, she was passed by Wheldon, Meira and Kanaan in the closing laps).

 

I figure you mean that in jest, but ...

Given Danica's not-so-friendly departure from Rahal-Letterman Racing a couple of years ago, probably not .

Of course, Graham Rahal got on Letterman a few days ago, but Dave's connections with Graham's dad probably had something to do with that.

 

Bob Margolis comments, bucket of water in hand.

http://sports.yahoo.com/irl/news?slug=bm-patrick042008&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

 

As many of the above posters said, strategy plays a huge part in racing. Kudos to the team for coming up with it, and to Patrick for pulling it off. Team Penske and Castroneves tried the same thing and could not.
Kleeda is spot on: A win is a win is a win. And for Patrick, the first of many. The kid can drive.

 

Didn't need to wait for the screaming heads. Yeesh.

 

Margolis comes across as another shitweasel who's terrified of anyone with a uterus.

Anyone with any understanding of the current state of American open wheel racing who suggests this win is slightly tainted by the fact that the ex-Champ Car guys weren't there is a liar or an imbecile. It's very unlikely any of them would have finished on the lead lap.

And to suggest a win is lessened because it is based on a superior team strategy is just dumb.

 

I know Bob Margolis, and I can promise you he is neither a shitweasel, nor afraid of uterii.

I did think that column was a bit weak (he argued both sides) but I didn't take it as him trying to keep women down.

 

It looks like this guy knows racing lingo but doesn't get it. Bob, old boy, it works like this: If you finish ahead of everybody else, you have won. You get the hat in victory lane, the big trophy, and your name in the record book. Been that way since 1895. Simple, eh?
And sorry that Bruno Junquiera wasn't in the field, but outfoxing the best Indycar team in history and roaring past a two-time winner of the Indianapolis 500 with four miles to go will just have to do.

 

And then there's this gem in the second line.

Straw man much?

Also, the bit where he prattles about how the field was devoid of the last two series champions: I guess that means no one can win a race legitimately anymore?