Hello Alex Palou, Come On Down, you’re this year’s
IndyCar Champion!
“The Hamburger and French Fry Show”
Although I’ve never been a Fan of le
Hamburgular’, Sealmeister B’, SeaBass or simply Sebastien Bourdais, I’d like to
give Racer’s Marshall Pruett and Bourdais A “shout Out” for their wonderfully Brilliant,
Zany Daily Race session Video Debriefs over each weekend, which have become the
Highlight of the West Coast Swing for Mwah! As I find that Seb’ has become
quite Self Deprecating, Humble and Honest on his struggles with the A.J. Foyt racecar.
While Marshall has really Blossomed as he Ad libs’ spontaneously, Conquers Any Topic
of the Day, yet always keeps the “Interviews” light hearted…
As I thought I’d never say this, But! We need
for Foyt to keep Bourdais another year to not only improve the Team’s Ontrack
performances, but more importantly, so we can have another season of the
Hamburger and French Fry Show videos!
Practice
Once again, Colton Herta led the way in Friday’s
first afternoon practice session as Quickest of the four Andretti Autosport runners
in the Top 10; Herta P1, Ryan Hunter-Reay 5th, and James Hinchcliffe
and Alexander Rossi eighth and ninth respectively. Team Penske’s Simon Pagenaud
pipped Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou for second in the waning stages of practice.
Arrow McLaren SP’s Felix Rosenqvist was fourth, with Meyer shank Racing’s Helio
Castroneves sixth. Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin was P7 and team-mate Josef
Newgarden rounded out the Top 10 despite having caused a Red Flag, as one of the
multiple drivers pirouetting Ontrack, with many hitting the Walls.
Championship rival Pato O’Ward struggled
mightily to find the handling in his Arrow McLaren SP, mired in a lowly 16th!
With Coyne-Ware Racing’s Romain Grosjean five places ahead of O’Ward in 11th,
but behind his Rookie Of the Year Points leader and rival McLaughlin’s Top 10
outing.
Other possible Race winner contendahs’ Will
Power and Scott Dixon were P12-13 respectively, and Im sure we haven’t heard
the last of the Team Penske and CGR Drivers this weekend, since you can never
count out The Iceman’ (Dixon) or Wild child DJ WillyP”, (Power) Righto!
Although Colton Herta remained P1 in Saturday
morning’s practice, Team Penske Flexed Thar Muscles with Power second, Newgarden,
Pagenaud and Mclaughlin P4-6 respectively! Thee Mayor ‘O Hinchtown’
(Hinchcliffe) was an impressive third.
Arrow McLaren SP’s Pato O’Ward potentially
righted his floundering “Ship” after saying on Friday they’d need to “Yard Sale It!” In order to fix
the handling, before moving up to eighth. While team-Mate Felix Rosenqvist
remained ahead of the Mexican in seventh.
Romain Grosjean moved forward to ninth and
Meyer shank Racing’s Jack Harvey rounded out the Top 10. Whilst Chip Ganassi
Racing’s “Big Guns” Alex Palou and Scott Dixon went Backwards. As Palou dropped
to 16th and Dixon to 20th.
Qualifying
That was the most Insane Qualifying session I’ve
seen in forever! Which Leigh Diffey politely noted, Can You Feel the
Championship Pressure Ratcheting Up? Since after all it’s his job to keep us
All “Hooked.”
Group 1 saw Jack Harvey Clout the Wall and I
believe pirouetted? Well at least he was laying “Dead Stick” Ontrack in the way
of unexpecting will Power who had nowhere to go and B-A-M! As it was absolutely
amazing that Team Penske was able to rebuild the left side of Power’s crumpled
racecar during the ensuing 10-15mins plus before he returned to contest the
Fast 12 Round sporting a replacement Team Penske Sidepod among other
replacement parts!
Pato O’Ward brushed the Wall with the left side
of his car, radioing in he’d definitely affected the rear Tow-link, which Arrow
McLaren SP also did stellar work to have Pato ready to compete in the Fast 12
round.
And in the voice of ‘Ol R’, Ye Curmudgeon of
Indy Cars Robin Miller: Sorry boys, But Hate is Good! And thus I just started
bellowing out Choke, Choke, Choke after Colton Herta apparently was attempting
to conserve a set of the FirestoneAlternate Reds by staying on his primary
Black tyres and subsequently Hit the Wall! Then came in to the Pits and put on a
set of Reds too late and was unable to advance out of Group 2!
As Sebastien
Bourdais said it best during his Saturday video Debrief with Marshall Pruett.
Why would you Expose yourself like that? The Field is so Competitive, why would
you get Greedy when you’ve been the Fastest Car in practice…
But the most Drama of the afternoon came in the
Fast 12 Round when Power’s car suffered a Gearbox issue leaving him stranded
Ontrack and unable to move out of the way, even though Townsend Bell was
certain he’d scraped the Wall again!
As Power’s stricken car caused a local Yellow
for which it was reported that Felix Rosenqvist, James Hinchcliffe and Ed Jones
All Failed to Slow adequately and initially advance to the Fast Six Shootout,
Huh? For which after the IndyCar Stewards deliberated for 20mins, ironically Rosenqvist
stayed in the Fast Six shootout to the protests of his Team Boss Taylor Kiel and
team-mate O’Ward.
After the dust had settled, and I still think O’Ward
got Screwed! The Fast Six Shootout results were as follows: Josef Newgarden
took a somewhat surprise Pole position,
As I enjoyed Diffey saying please excuse the
Foul language as you could clearly hear Newgarden say fuck Yeah!
Scott Dixon was a mildly upset second, claiming
that third place Helio Castroneves had ruined his attempt at Pole, to which
Hulio’ in typical gusto said Dixon’s just used to people pulling out of his
way, Youch!
Simon Pagenaud was fourth, while Felix
Rosenqvist was fifth and Romain Grosjean was P6.
Seventh went to James Hinchcliffe followed by
Pato O’Ward in eighth, while Ed Jones split the championship contendahs’ with
Alex Palou lining up 10th.
Scott McLaughlin wound up P13, while Colton PB ‘N
J’ Herta and Alexander Rossi roll off P14-15 respectively.
Shout Out to Callum Ilott in only his third ever
IndyCar race qualifying the Juncos Hollinger Racing Dallara/Chevy 18th
and Outqualifying 10 competitors! Including Graham Rahal and Oliver Askew, both
Ed Carpenter Racing entries, All three A.J. foyt entries, Max Chilton, Jimmie
Johnson and Jack Harvey. As both Harvey and Askew Slapped the Wall in Thar
respective Groups, triggering Red Flags and having their Fastest two laps
deleted…
Race Day
The day began with Hulio’ literally blowing
Ah-Gasket’ over feeling that Alexander Rossi hadn’t gotten out of his way
during the morning Warm Up session when they came together. Hmm, what was that
Prima Donna soliquy ‘bout how Scott Dixon was Mad at Him for Not Moving Over
the day prior? As how long ago was it when Rossi said He’s Not here to make Any
friends Ontrack…
As far as I was concerned, the Championship was
Already over before the Green Flag flew, but after soon to be Ex-Coyne Vasser
Sullivan driver Ed Jones Stupidly Spun Pato O’Ward on lap-1 and he’d dropped to
last, I began singing ‘Ol Dandy don’s (Merrideth) melody “Turn Out the lights,
The Party’s Over!” As it was a cruel way for Pato to end his season, and that
was before his Halfshaft snapped on lap-18 presumably due to the errant collision
by Jones…
After that it was just a case of who’d win the
race? For which although I was rootin’ for Josef Newgarden, Not for him to win
an unlikely IndyCar title, but to stop Colton Herta.
But as we All know, the 21yr old Californian
drove like a Man possessed to atone for his Snafu’ during Qualifying, which he
did by putting on a Driving Clinique! Leading some 40-plus laps en route to a
fairly Dominant victory and a sweep of the California races, so Gulp! Nice Job
Colton, Urgh!
Newgarden finished second, and in turn overtook
O’Ward in the standings, with Pato sliding down one spot to third Overall. While
the podium’s final finisher Scott Dixon claimed a fairly mundane fourth in the
standings, since the Kiwi’s accustomed to winning titles instead.
Romain Grosjean slapped the wall midway thru
the race, effectively ending his longshot for overcoming Scott McLaughlin in
their Rookie Of the Year battle, which McLaughlin captured with an 11th
place finish.
But Kudos to Alex Palou, who could have coasted
home Midpack or worse to claim his first IndyCar Championship. But instead, the
24yr old Spaniard drove as he’s done during his entire Sophomore season and
clinched the Crown with a fine fourth place finish.
As All sorts of noise has already been made over
how it’s Chip Ganassi’s first Championship forever by another car instead of
Dixon’s No. 9, with the #10 last winning an IndyCar Championship in 2011 at the
hands of Dario Franchitti.
Or it being the first CGR title by somebody
other than Dixon or Franchitti, who’ve won the lion’s share of Cheeps’ 14
IndyCar titles. The last being Juan Pablo Montoya’s Championship in 1999, which
he won in his Rookie season on a Tiebreaker ironically with Franchitti.
As Palou’s title also comes on the 25th
Anniversary of Chip Ganassi Racing’s first IndyCar Championship won by Jimmy
Vasser at Laguna Seca, and it’s pretty impressive thinking how Cheep’s (Chip
Ganassi) has amassed 14 IndyCar Championships in that time, which is obviously
more than 50%!
While can Y’all guess who’s the other CGR
Champion? Well I had to laugh out loud when hearing Leigh Diffey mutter my same
words into the camera during the Post Race wrap-up, when he said that Alex
Palou is a young Alex Zanardi! But it was Fantastic hearing an exhuberant Palou
on the Speed Freaks Sunday night with Fans in the background of his Hotel
Hooting ‘N Hollering for him, so Congrats Alex!
Whilst the funniest Bit I’ve heard over Palou’s
impending Championship came from Dixon, who said he was one of the Ones telling
Chip to sign him, so may be I should get a Cut? For which if Y’all Don’t know,
Cheep’ garnered his nickname from Zanardi for being, Uhm… Uh, it’s an Italian
pronunciation thingy’, Yeah, That’s the Ticket, Hya!
As Hello Palou Indeed. Congratulations Alex!