Hildebrand’s (Panther Racing) Pit crew standing on wall on Lap-199
cheering as JR takes the white Flag seemingly headed for victory! (The Tomaso
collection)
As where’s the late Jim McKay to say “The Thrill of
Victory, and the Agony of Defeat!”
Suppose it’s just Mwah? But I was far more sintilated
by the outcome of the Last Row Shootout vs. Fast Six Shootou for Pole position
at Mother Speedway on Sunday!
Have never had anything against Jack Not Bloody
Nige! Harvey, just that He’s never moved thoust proverbial needle for Mwha.
Making it Uber Funny that I was rootin’ so vehemently for the Englishman Sunday!
As I know it’s probably wrong, as I flash back
to Gory Ought Nine (my first Indy 500) and riding in the IMS Elevator with
Daniel Banes Cooper and Graham Rahal. With Danny commenting upon Graham’s “Air
Jordan-like” Sneakers.
Whilst to Graham’s credit. He’s the only IndyCar
driver who took a question from this lowly No Fenders Blogger about Portland International
Raceway during a long ago IMS Teleconference…
But I simply wanted Graham to Not Qualify for
this year’s Indianapolis 500! Especially since the symmetry was so grand! Being
the 30th Anniversary since His father Bobby Rahal failed to qualify
for the Indianapolis 500!
As it’s strange how vividly I can still remember
three decades later, a lifesize cardboard cutout of “Stash Senor”, aka Bobby
Rahal resplendent in His Miller High Life Firesuit. At a local Portland, Oregon
“Watering Hole” during that year’s G.I. Joes Budweiser 200 Portland IndyCar
race - that some clever Patron had attached Wanted, Two Tickets for Indy
underneath His right Armpit!
And although I’m Arse-suming it was simply
programmed for sometime during the broadcast, since they place the same Promo
every broadcast. I found it Uber’ ironic hearing good ‘Ol bobby Rahal’s voice promoting
the IMS Museum whilst two of His drivers were fighting to Bump each other out
of this year’s Indy 500!
As Harvey went out on track with some 16mins
remaining, I found myself crossing two sets of fingers for bloody Jack! Even
though it was simply a cooling down lap at 170mph…
Thus I found myself feeling the “Agony of Defeat!”
thinking that Jack Harvey had simply Shot His Wad! Saying Bye-Bye Jack, you’ve
just lost your Job!
As Harvey’s second run during the Last Row
shootout with some ten minutes remaining in the One Hour session wasn’t Quick
enough to Bump Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing teammate Graham Rahal from the
field!
With the Englishman originally needing to find what
I thought Davey Hamilton said was some eight tenths of a mile per hour!
Although apparently it was only 0.68miles per hour to advance…
Thus I felt that IndyCar Radio Driver Analyst
Davey Hamilton was correct when Harvey’s crew thru on a third set of Firestone
tyres, which came from Christian lundgaard’s supply. That Harvey simply wouldn’t
have enough speed to Bump Graham from the field!
And only Harvey and His team will know what was
the true difference? As Harvey pulled out onto Mother Speedway with some 2.5
minutes remaming as Graham sat in His cockpit with No chance of responding! As
was it the tyre pressure adjustments or something else? Or simply Jack Harvey driving
the four laps of His life to potentially save His Job as an IndyCar Driver?
But whatever it was, Harvey did the unthinkable
by knocking Graham out with a four lap average of 229.166 vs. 229.159 miles per
hour after four laps or ten miles! Which I believe is a difference of seven
One-thousand’s mph?
For which I cannot believe how ecstatic I was!
And how loudly I Kackled over Graham’s demise! Since I know it wasn’t the same.
But I hadn’t felt that same amount of euphoria since Kyle Kiser Bumped some Smarmy
Spaniard named Fernando Alonso out of the field in 2019!
Thus for Mwah, and with No disrespect towards
any of the Fast six Pole Shootout competitors, including my Numero Uno IndyCar
Driver Pato O’Ward. With both eventual Pole winner Alex Palou and second place
Rinus VeeKay throwing down monster first laps of 235mph-plus, aye Karumba! It
really simply didn’t matter to me!
As I’d gotten what I wanted; being for Graham
Rahal to Not make the Show! For which I have to say that both Graham and father
Bobby both handled most professionally! And Didn’t shy away from All of the unwanted
Attention and Scrum for interviews…
As even more classy was Graham apparently
shaking Harvey’s hand in Congratulations immediately afterwards!
Since not sure why? Especially since it was a
different circumstance. But I found myself Flashing-back to when Big Al (Unser)
Defeated His son ‘lil Al’ for the 1985 CART/PPG IndyCar World Series
Championship! When Al Unser said although He Didn’t want to Beat His son, He
owed it to His team and sponsors to do His Best…
Whilst I believe it was IndyCar Radio Pit Reporter
Alex Wolff who interviewed Bobby Rahal before the Last Row Shootout warm-up
session began. To which bobby answered that He was Proud of Katherine Legge and
that She deserved to be in the race! And that RLLR wouldn’t “Pull” Her from the
cockpit no matter what happened during the Last Row Shootout!
For which I’m also glad that RLLR won’t deny
Jack Harvey from starting this year’s race in favour of Graham Rahal! And that
Graham, bobby and the rest of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing will simply face
the music come this Sunday. Although perhaps Harvey’s, Lundgaard’s and Legge’s
cars will carry some extra “Associate” sponsors from Graham’s car upon them now?
Picture C/O No Fenders Offical’ Photographer CARPETS’
