Nah, No May the 4th be With You Jokes
Here, Hya!
Every time that I listen to an IndyCar race via
the “Radio,” Err Indycar Radio Network via Zed Intrawoods’, (Internet) I always
think of ‘Ol R’, thee Curmudgeon ‘O Indy Cars Robin Miller telling me: why would
Anybody wanna listen to an IndyCar race?
That said, being Blind, have I reminded Y’all
lately? For Mwah this is far superior for describing the race action vs. NBC’s
capable Booth trio of Leigh Diffey, Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe, whom I
All like. But I also enjoy the timbre ‘O IndyCar Radio’s Mark Gravelly’ James,
Davey Hamilton, Jake The Riddler’ Query and Nicky Salt’ Yeoman. Hell, even
Michael Screech’ Young’s growing on me…
As I accidentally learned that I could listen
to Indy Lights, remember them Y’all? Not having raced for some Gory Nine weeks
now at St Pete via IndyCar Radio! When learning who owns TS Speed Motorsports.
Hence I got up Justin-time’ for the 8AM Pacific
Lights Broadcast, Err, Uhm apparently it got moved up? Since It actually began
at 7:35AM Pacific? Nope, Joke’s on Mwah, that was the supposed Pre-race time as
my Confuzer Speaker said we’re live in five minute, which I partook since I
haven’t heard a Lights race in several years now, But I digress…
And with this new found ability to easily have
my Screen Reader read and enable Indycar.com’s Click to Play link, just for
Humour I decided to See’ if I could “Pull Up” the live Qualie’ session from Ye
Barbers also on IndyCar Radio? And was absolutely Estatic when the Canned Highlight
Drivers Quips was interrupted by a voice saying Live in One minute! Doing a
Countdown to when the live Barber Motorsports Park’s Indy Cars Qualifying
session began, Friggin Sweet, Eureka!
As I hadn’t listened to an IndyCar Qualie’
session since late last year via NBC Sports Late Night 43 Glows in Duh Dark
Heli’ Commercials replay. As Good riddance NBC Sports! Which strangely on my Spectrum
Cable TV has now morphed into another Gawd channel, Barf!
Thus it was absolutely Fantastic being able to
listen to an entire Qualifying session Uninterrupted during the Uber Quick
10mins Qualie’ sessions!
So Kudos to IndyCar Radio Network for
Broadcasting Saturday’s action
As I chose IndyCar Radio for both events since
Big NBC was giving IndyCar the ABC Stick ‘N Ball Sports treatment with a Svelte
2 Hours Broadcast window Sunday, immediately following an Hour of Gulp,
Swimming. As Heavens Forbid that Mother Nature Deluges Barbers Motorsports Park
and the race takes more than the Allotted two Hours TV Window. Not to mention
Thar being No Post race coverage…
And speaking of Allotted, How ‘bout that Callum
Ilott and the Minnowesqe Juncos Hollinger Racing Team! As this had to be the
Feel Good story so far thru Qualifying. As the only single car team on the Grid
with a Rookie Driver made Thar Debutante Fast 12 appearance, ultimately winding
up P11! Not to mention running as High as 7th during the race before
that unfortunate Spin…
Meanwhile, I was totally unawares’ until Qualie
started that Alexander Rossi had center punched the Wall Bass Ackwards with his
#27 Andretti Autosport ride, causing All four of Mikey A’s Squads to pitch in
order to rebuild the car in 90mins, having to replace the engine, Gearbox and
several other major Bits, Aye Karumba!
As Rossi rewarded the team by being the Only
Andretti driver to make the Fast Six Shootout, ultimately finishing fifth. With
Rossi telling one of IndyCar Radio’s Pit Reporters that it wouldn’t Rain Sunday.
Which turned out to be Ryan Marin, who reminded us of this Quip during Sunday’s
Pre-race…
And may be it’s just Mwah, but it seemed like
Nary a Peep was made about the two Arrow McLaren SP drivers advancing to the
Fast Six Shootout until the session actually began. As AMSP was the only team
with two cars in the Pole Shootout, which as we All know. As Pato O’Ward sat on
Pitlane thinking He’d secured his second Pole in a row at Barber, Rinus VeeKay
in his No. 21 Ed Carpenter Racing entry Stole Pole away on the very final lap!
Gorging Thyself upon the IndyCar Radio
Broadcast, I next listened to the Indy Lights 30mins Qualie’ session before
deciding to do the triple, rounding out the day with the final IndyCar practice,
for which I’m really Not certain how much it means?
Hey, I’m very Happy for Callum Ilott to be P1,
with only four of the Top 10 Qualifiers remaining Thar. As the two most notable
have to be Alex Palou, last year’s winner finishing second after qualifying
third; where He won last year’s race from. Rossi maintained his fifth place
with ScottyMac’, aka Scott McLaughlin dropping to sixth from his P4 Qualie
result, whilst Colton Herta remained P10.
But I say does it really mean anything? Since
Pole sitter VeeKay was 20th whilst Outside Row 1 finisher O’Ward was
P13 and AMSP teammate Felix Rosenqvist who starts sixth Sunday, was P23!
Sunday’s Indy Lights race was entertaining in
the aspect that it began as a Wet race with the 14 entrants throwing
Roostertails at race’s start, which was 8AM (Pacific) after all. And although
the front row’s HMD Motorsports with Dale Coyne Racing’s duo of Linus
Lundqvist, who started from Pole and led Flag to Flag, barely ahead of teammate
Benjamin Peterson who finished an eye blinking P2! It was the problems of the
entire field having to nurse Thar wet weather Cooper Rain tyres home on a completely
Dry racing line track, with the tyres quickly degrading enroute to turning into
Gunked up Slicks that made it entertaining!
Andretti Autosport’s Mattie B’, aka Mathew Brabham
got my nod for Driver of the Race, emulating Colton Herta’s panache, driving from
a lowly ninth up to fourth, before getting a little too Aggressive trying to
pass teammate Sting Ray Rob for the final podium position, spinning backwards and
having to try again, before ultimately getting taken out by teammate Hunter
McElrea when running fifth!
The Big Boyz’ IndyCar race looked like it was
gonna be another Snoozer, with Rinus VeeKay seemingly leading Wire-to-Wire,
which we know Didn’t happen, thanks to my Numero Uno IndyCar Driver Pato O’Ward’s
excellent final Pit Stop sequence and subsequent pass for the lead at Charlotte’s
Web (Turn 5) on lap 62!
Whilst Ganassi’s Alex Palou starting third used
the Overcut on that final Pit Stop to also leapfrog VeeKay, finishing runner-up
with the Dutchman a Dejected third.
Although I cannot say it was a truly mesmerizing
race, it was fairly entertaining with All of the Mid-pack Dicking’ as ‘Ol Hobbo’,
nee HobbsCapps’, aka David Hobbs would say…
And although I truly thought Alexander Rossi’s
Dreaded luck had finally turned, apparently not, since reportedly another Slow
Pit Stop left him finishing a listless ninth, Sigh!
And while I’ll give DJWillyP’, nee Will Power
the Drive of the Race for going from a lowly P19 to fourth, have to say I was
more impressed with Colton Herta’s race. Even if like Racer’s Marshall Pruett
said afterwards: “Brother you Drove a Helluva lot just to Finish where you Started!”
Whilst I’ll Arse-sume that Romain Grosjean will
be the winner of Marshall’s Golden Bowling Ball award this week! But then again
like Rossi’s said multiple times previously: “I’m Not Here to Make Friends!”
And now it’s on to Nonstop Wall to Wall Disco Ball Eye Popping 24/7 Month ‘O May Mania! As the Crowd goes Wild…