The Vendor Marketplace is one of my favorite spots this weekend. It’s a chance to stroll around and check out some fashion, new motorcycle products, score some sunglasses or accessories and learn more about the motorcycle culture. Plus it’s located in Gasoline Alley. Not bad.
Early in the day at Vendor Marketplace
This year I’ve noticed a greater digital influence. As someone that works in the digital arena, this had me intrigued.
The clock is ticking, so let the dissection begin.
No, we’re not talking about the Biology final you took as a sophomore in high school. We’re talking about the final countdown to the NASCAR Sprint Cup season finale this Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Denny Hamlin leads four-time reigning champion Jimmie Johnson by 15 points, with Kevin Harvick third, 46 points behind Hamlin. The math is so simple, yet so tough, for Hamlin: If he wins, or finishes second and leads the most laps, at Homestead, he will hoist the Sprint Cup for the first time.
Can you believe this was $150 in 1972?
If that doesn’t happen, have a slide rule, abacus or an old, four-function Texas Instruments pocket calculator ready.
NASCAR beat writers and bloggers are starting to trot out various scenarios for victory for Hamlin, Johnson and Harvick this weekend. Jim McCoy at All Left Turns makes the point that Hamlin has been the dominant driver this season, won two weeks ago at Texas and was ruling the Desert Mile at Phoenix before fuel-mileage follies emerged.
But Long also writes why it wouldn’t be one bit surprising if Johnson earns his fifth consecutive Sprint Cup this weekend at Homestead, and the reasons boil down to two men: Chad Knaus and Jimmie Johnson. They’ve been the best driver-crew chief combination in NASCAR for the last five or six seasons. They’ve been here and done it, which neither Hamlin nor Harvick can say.
I also think Johnson is winning the psychological battle entering Homestead. He spoke like a man without a care in the world after slicing Hamlin’s lead to 15 points at Phoenix, laying all the pressure on Hamlin’s garage door. Johnson also knew Hamlin was cracking emotionally after seeing fuel strategy foil his chance to expand his points lead, and like any ruthless competitor, Johnson pressed down the boot even harder on Hamlin’s fragile psyche.
My racing weekend could be summed up by one sentence: I didn’t see that coming.
Denny Hamlin surrendering a padded lead in the Chase for the Sprint Cup in the final laps at Phoenix due to bad fuel mileage? I didn’t see that coming. Sebastian Vettel becoming just the second driver in Formula One history to rally from third in the standings to the World Championship in the final race of the season? I didn’t see that coming.
It was one of those weekends why we dig this sport. The unexpected happened, which is one of the most appealing aspects of motor racing.
Here are the facts after the Kobalt Tools 500 Sunday at Phoenix: Hamlin leads four-time reigning champion Jimmie Johnson by 15 points entering the season finale this Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway. 2003 Brickyard 400 winner Kevin Harvick is third, 46 points behind. It’s the closest three-way Chase with one race remaining.
Muzzle the mouth or walk the walk, Mike.
Now to the opinions. It might be a good idea for Hamlin’s crew chief, Mike Ford, to keep a low profile heading into South Florida this week. Ford crowed after the Texas race Nov. 7 that crew chief Chad Knaus may have lost a fifth consecutive title for Johnson by essentially firing Johnson’s crew mid-race and replacing it with the crew of Hendrick teammate Jeff Gordon.
The end result was that Hamlin is rattled. He ripped his team after the race by saying, “Like I said, I did my job.” Not exactly a rousing vote of confidence or rallying of the beleaguered troops by a wise veteran. More of the impetuous Denny we thought had grown up. And at just the wrong time.
Hamlin pledges a pedal-to-the-metal approach at Homestead. He’s going to need it, as there are only two guaranteed routes to the championship for him, either winning the race or finishing second and leading the most laps.
My money still remains on Johnson to hoist the Cup for the fifth straight year. Who is your pick, and why?
Judging by the feedback I received from the Nov. 8 edition of Splash And Go, it appears that the many dramatic subplots of the AAA 500 last Sunday weren’t enough to draw back those of you who have abandoned the NASCAR Chase for the Sprint Cup this fall. Your attitude seems to match that of Kyle Busch to the NASCAR official during his stop-and-go penalty for pit road speeding last Sunday at Texas — the big, fat middle finger.
Guess many of you feel the same way about the Chase, which is too bad.
That’s a shame, as no one is going to convince me this isn’t a compelling Chase. The top three drivers within 59 points. Two races to go. Forget about the COT. Forget about the Chase system.
Two races to go, 59 points separate the top three. If that’s not good enough for you, maybe Travis Pastrana can save NASCAR in your eyes.
Four-time reigning Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson trails leader Denny Hamlin by 33 points after Hamlin won last Sunday at Texas. But there are few better places for a JJ rebound than Phoenix, as he has won the last three fall races at The Desert Mile.
Hamlin is hot, as he’s racing no differently during the Chase than he did during the “regular season” — the dude is driving to win. So anyone Chase naysayers complaining about conservative “points racing” better not point to Hamlin. Oh, sorry, I’m on that soap box again.
And what about Kevin Harvick? He’s 59 points behind leader Hamlin, and Mike Mulhern suggests it might be a must-win situation for Happy this Sunday at Phoenix.
It should be vewwwy interesting, as Elmer Fudd would say.
Is this Kyle Busch after a speeding penalty or NASCAR fans who still think this year's Chase stinks?
So, Chase naysayers: Are you happy now?
If not, then just end your illusion of any allegiance to NASCAR. Just come clean: You’re not a NASCAR fan anymore.
Because if you didn’t find the AAA Texas 500 even the slightest bit entertaining, then you should just move on. Pass Go, collect $200 and move to your latest sport du jour or continue to long for the “glory days” that had no more glory than what was on track Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway.
I’m far from a NASCAR apologist, as there are times I think reading toaster oven wiring manuals is more exciting than watching a Sprint Cup race. But this season has been solid, and no race has featured more drama, excitement and over-the-top entertainment than Sunday at Texas.
Let’s start recapping the plot lines. I bet we’ll need to move to a second hand to get a complete count.
One, Denny Hamlin uses a great inside-out move on Matt Kenseth to win the race. Denny could have sat back in second and taken the safe route, knowing he still would have left Fort Worth with the points lead. But Denny did what champions are supposed to do: Drove his ass off for a victory. (It’s a shame that NASCAR doesn’t reward winning drives like this with more points, but that’s a topic for another day.)
Two, Jimmie Johnson is out of the points lead with just two races remaining. Johnson entered the race 14 points ahead in his Drive for Five, yet he left Texas 33 points behind Hamlin, in second, after finishing ninth. Kevin Harvick remains third, 59 points out of the lead, in the closest three-man race this late in the Chase since the format started in 2004.
Three, Johnson’s crew chief, Chad Knaus, benched his pit crew mid-race for poor performance, orchestrating a swap with teammate Jeff Gordon’s pit crew. It was about as stinging as a public rebuke can be, but it’s not surprising considering Knaus’ Texas-sized ego. Plus even though Knaus never has met a mirror or the pronoun “I” that he didn’t like, look at the man’s record: He delivers. Johnson didn’t seem that torn up about the divorce from his pit crew after the race.
Four, smack talk by Hamlin’s crew chief, Mike Ford. He said the mid-race Hendrick crew swap could be the tipping point toward Denny ending Jimmie’s run of four consecutive Sprint Cup titles. Brash, bold talk — you’ve got to love it.
Five, Gordon’s crew was available because Jeff Burton inexplicably took out Gordon, precipitating the Backstretch Bash. The Driver formerly known as Boy Wonder stomped toward Burton on the backstretch, gave him a strong two-handed shove and started to throw punches before being restrained by NASCAR officials.
It wasn’t exactly Cale vs. Donnie and Bobby on the backstretch at Daytona in 1979, but it was quite compelling. And because the combatants were Gordon and Burton, two of the more sage, even-tempered elder statesmen in the NASCAR garage, you know it was real.
3:51 p.m. CONGRATULATIONS TO DANI PEDROSA WINNER OF THE 2010 RED BULL INDIANAPOLIS GP!
Top 3:
Dani Pedrosa (SPAIN)
Ben Spies (USA)
Jorge Lorenzo (SPAIN)
Nicky Hayden placed 6th.
3:36 p.m.- Colin Edwards is out now and Mika Kallio takes a long slide in Turn 10, retiring him from the race.
3:27 p.m.- Ducati Team is down- Casey Stoner and Nicky Hayden has a loose knee slider- currently in 6th. Marco Mandri is out. Ben Spies is in second and Dani Pedrosa is in first and has a pretty good lead on the pack.
3:00 p.m.-2010 Red Bull Indianapolis GP !!
2:32 p.m.- Red Bull Sky Divers! Land in the infield:
Coming in hot- I see three!
2:24 p.m.- Top 3 Moto2 Results:
Toni Elias
Julian Simone
Scott Redding
Toni gets sprayed!
1:14 p.m.-Fan of the Day: The 2010 Red Bull Indianapolis GP Fan of the Day is Monica Condict! We found her out in front of the Yamaha Tent, sporting her Yamaha shirt.
Fan of the Day- Monica Condict
First time at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway:
Monica’s first experience was at the inagural race 3 years ago when there was huge rainstorm. “I just remember how fast Rossi was going [in the rain]. I can’t believe they didn’t stop the race!”
Favorite Rider and why:
Monica’s favorite rider is Valentino Rossi. “I just like his attitude and he rides a Yamaha!” Monica also rides a Yamaha, a yellow and pastel blue 1973 RD 350.
Favorite Indiananpolis GP memory:
She said watching the inagural race in the rain, having to go get panchos and then driving home in the rain on her bike was most memorable.
What would you like to see next year at the race:
Monica was happy to have the race come back to Indy next year. For those who have never been to a MotoGP race, Monica says, “You can’t even imagine it until you’ve seen it in person!”
11:03 p.m.- Another Ducati Fashion show kicking off at Ducati Island NOW until 11:30. Complete schedule of events happening at Ducati Island located: here.
10:26 a.m.- Camping Lots: We got to talk to some campers out in Camping Lots this morning, which was packed with hardcore race fans. Two guys we met rode down from Chicago on their bikes, with all their camping necessities -tent, clothes, sleeping bag and even a phone charger that hooked up to the bike’s battery! It reminded us of backpacking, but on a motorcycle- pretty cool. Other fans had more ellaborate set-ups including cars, RV’s etc. We snapped a few photos, check it out. Might be something to consider next year! Camped here before? Let us know what you think!
Good Morning from the Campgrounds!
9:40 a.m.- MotoGP Warm up has begun! Rossi drops it and is now back on track- Third time he has fallen all weekend.
7:00 a.m.- GATES ARE OPEN! Looks like it will be another beautiful day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Red Bull Indianapolis GP!! Warm up for MotoGP starts at 9:40 a.m.
Tickets are still available Race Morning! Fans wanting to attend the race need to go to the ticket office at the corner of 16th Street and Georgetown Road or to one of the satellite ticket offices, located outside of Gates 3, 6, 9,10 and on the Backstretch . Tickets start at $40 for general admission for Race Day. All children 12 and under will be admitted free with a general admission ticket holder. All ticket offices will open at 7 a.m. and remain open until 3 p.m.
Pagoda Sunrise at IMS
6:01 p.m.- Not sure what you’re doing tonight, but if you have no plans, head downtown for Motorcycles on Meridian. Downtown Indy is transformed by hundreds of motorcycles, a party atmosphere and people everywhere. See you down there. It kicks off at 7pm.
Motorcycles on Meridian
5:45 p.m.- PHOTOS ARE IN FROM QUALS! Take a look: here. Can’t believe two Americans will start on the front row tomorrow- Ben Spies and Nicky Hayden! The last time two American riders were on the front row for a MotoGP race was the Grand Prix of Portugal in 2006, when Colin Edwards qualified second and Nicky Hayden third.
Crossing the Bricks for Quals
5:05 p.m.-Contest Concludes: The answer was 1,888 motorcyles parked on the backstretch at IMS today! Wow! The 1,888th bike was owned by Russell Stephen from Martinsville, Indiana, who rode in on a 2006 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14. The bike had 50k miles on it already!
4:53 p.m.- Enjoy some live music on this perfect afternoon. Crash with Yamaha World Superbike Rider James Toseland will start playing in a few, on the SPEED Stage.
4:23 p.m.- Contest Time: Hope you are following us on Twitter @IndyTalk and friends with us on Facebook! Right now we are running a contest to see who can guess how many motorcycles have been parked on the backstretch today. Let you know how many motorcyles there were and who won by the end of the day!
3:30 p.m.- Ducati Fashion Show on Ducati Island! Super cool.
Ducati Fashion Show- Bikini
2:55 p.m.- Quals Fast Five:
Ben Spies
Jorge Lorenzo
Nicky Hayden
Andrea Dovizioso
Dani Pedrosa
Two Americans on the front row- Spies and Hayden! Crashes by “The Doctor” -Valentino Rossi and Marco Simoncelli. The crowd cheers the riders in, beautiful day at the track by the way- not a cloud in the sky!
Ben Spies Takes the Pole at IMS
1:25 p.m.- Monster Umbrella Girls: We love Umbrella Girls! We got the chance to talk with Leslie and Savanna two Monster Umbrella Girls, here is what they had to say about their job:
Umbrella Girls- Leslie and Savanna
What is your favorite part about your job?
“We like interacting with the fans and ‘Umbrella Girl’ is a cool title to have.”
Does that umbrella get heavy?
“YES, it can get really heavy and sometimes the wind blows us around so it’s harder to hold.”
Favorite riders?
“Ben Spies and Colin Edwards.” -Both riders for Monster of course!
These Monster girls were not scary at all, so hope you will stop by and grab a photo with them!
12:12 p.m.- Fan of the Day: Mike Gunn’s mohawk reminded us of rider Nicky Hayden and when we saw his hair-do near the SPEED stage we took the opportunity to interview him for Fan of the Day. Meet Mike Gunn:
Fan of the Day- Mike Gunn
When was your first experience at Indianapolis Motor Speedway:
Gunn’s first experience was last year for the Red Bull Indianapolis Motor GP. He said he had such a great time, he was back again this year for more.
Favorite Rider and why:
“I like Ben Spies and Nicky Hayden, cause they are two American riders.” We asked if his hair was inspired by Nicky and to our surprise he said it wasn’t- Mohawks must just be in!
Favorite Indiananpolis GP memory:
Gunn explained his favorite memory was going to Motorcycles on Meridian downtown last year. He explained how he really enjoyed the overall atmosphere. Gunn is a rider himself- 2008 Wazi FR1 – white in color just like Spies.
What would you like to see next year at the race:
Gunn wanted to see new bikes released before the race, so then they could show them off on event weekend.
11:16 p.m.-MotoGP Fast Five after Practice Two:
Casey Stoner
Dani Pedrosa
Andrea Dovizioso
Jorge Lorenzo
Nicky Hayden
Top nine with all within one second of eachother! Crashes during this practice occured by Casey Stoner and Valentino Rossi.
8:14 a.m.- Hope everyone had fun at Motorcycles on Meridian last night. We had a blast, we met so many cool people and saw plently of amazing bikes- It is great to see people so passionate. We loved hanging out at the Red Bull Energy Station and got to listen to live music by Crash.
Meridian Street was full of bikes before 10 o’clock and swarming with people, incredible! Funs not over yet though, Motorcycles on Meridian will be happening again tonight same time and place: click here for more information. We interviewed lots of riders and will post the video as soon as possible! Stay tuned! To tide you over, check out these amazing photos on our Flickr page.
Sunset on Motorcyles on Meridian
5:01 p.m.- TGIF! It’s Friday night and the work whistle has blown! Not for us though, we will be downtown for Motorcycles on Meridian and live music by Crash (7 p.m. to 3 a.m.) So bring your bike and come hang out with us, it’s going to be a lot of fun. Meridian Street will be open to motorcycle traffic and parking between Monument Circle and South Street. Hope to see you or your bike there.
3:52 p.m.- New pictures are rolling in from our photographers, pretty cool stuff. Check them out here.
Pagoda Blur
3:07 p.m.- Top Five Riders after the First Practice:
Casey Stoner
Jorge Lorenzo
Nicky Hayden
Dani Pedrosa
Valentino Rossi
Two crashes in this session one by Nicky Hayden and the other by Ben Spies. Moto2 practice kicks off now!
2:48 p.m.- During the first practice Ben Spies, lays the bike down in turn six. Whoops!
1:45 p.m.- MotoGP bikes go on the track in 10 minutes! Check out the Live Timing and Scoring! Live timing and Scoring
1:24 p.m.- Want to know how to race a motorcyle on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway circuit? Kevin Schwantz, the famous American motorcycle racer and 1993 MotoGP World Champion, talks you through it in this video:
12:47 p.m.-Beautiful day at the track, sun is shining and the weather is fine! We ran into Tom Davis on the backstretch applying suntan lotion in the Motorcycle Corral, wearing his MotoGP gear and motorcycle necklace. We thought everyone should meet him-he is today’s Fan of the Day!
When was your first experience at Indianapolis Motor Speedway:
First experience was in 1980 for the Indy500, but he has been to every MotoGP race at Indianapolis.
Favorite Rider and why:
Tom’s favorite rider is Nicky Hayden, because “He lives down the street, seems like everyone else is from Europe.”
Favorite Indiananpolis GP memory:
“The first race when Hurricane Ike came rolling through, it was something you wouldn’t believe!” Tom is talking about the inaugural race at Indianapolis when there was a huge rainstorm- but these bikers ride rain or shine!
What would you like to see next year at the race:
“Well you asked- better parking!”
10:47 a.m.- The Pit Walkabout was smashed, great crowd! Take a look at some photos from our morning at the track here.
Pit Walkabout
9:23 a.m.- Welcome to the Red Bull Indianapolis GP Live Blog! We will be keeping you posted on all the latest activities and behind the scenes content we can pump out! Speaking of content- There are a lot of cool things happening around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Indianapolis in general for MotoGP. The city is practically motorcycle crazy!
Crowds Entering at IMS
Want to know the minute by minute schedule: click here. Right now the Pit Walkabout is underway until 10:45 a.m. and the Vendor Marketplace is open until 6:00 p.m. Oh yea, make sure you bring your bikes down to Motorcycles on Meridian tonight-starts at 7:00 p.m.
It’s finally here: Red Bull Indianapolis MotoGP weekend! As you know, for each race weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway we like to feature a “Fan of the Day.” For this race, we decided to make a special edition Fan of the Day…just cause! So we polled our video gamer fans to find the best MotoGP gamer and ultimate IMS fan. How’d we do that?
First, we polled our social network audiences and then polled the Capcom Forum to find the best gamers. Basically, we asked “Who is the best gamer for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway course and why?”…pretty straight forward, right? And you answered! Today we feature the first installment of Fan of the Day…with a Gamer of the Day twist. Meet Jeremy from Manchester, Tennessee:
Gamer of the Day- Jeremy
When was your first experience at Indianapolis Motor Speedway? “The 2009 Red Bull Indianapolis MotoGP”
Who is your favorite Rider and why? “Ben Spies: He’s a phenomenal rider with a great attitude, and seems to be the most competitive American rider in the field. If anybody is going to put America on the top step of the podium it will be him.”
What is your favorite Indiananpolis MotoGP memory? “The 2009 Red Bull Indianapolis GP. We stayed all weekend and had a blast. Beautiful weather at a great facility and the fastest bikes in the world. What could be better?”
What would you like to see at the MotoGP next year? “There isn’t much I can think of that isn’t there already. An American victor would be nice, for sure.”
GAMER QUESTIONS
Favorite bike game: MotoGP 08 Why: It is a very fun game with very realistic power slides. It really feels like you’re on edge.
Favorite console: PS3 Why: It is capable of better graphics than any other console, free online, bluray player, great exclusive games, more exclusive games, built-in wi-fi.
What do you like best about racing on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in MotoGP 08: The technical nature of the circuit. It is a very demanding layout that forces you to really be on your game to make a good lap.
Think you have what it takes to be Gamer of the Day? Tell us why!
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Brand Ambassadors consists of six college students that travel around Indiana promoting the Indianapolis 500, Brickyard 400, and the Red Bull Indianapolis GP. The IMSBA program started in June and started out small. There were three IMSBA to begin with and as there was a demand for our presence at community events, the team doubled in size. Since June they have been to every motorcycle dealership in the metro Indy area, the Indianapolis Air Show, Indiana Black Expo, Gen Con, and a good chunk of motorcycle rides that happened throughout Indy. The IMSBA talk to people they see at events, big or small, and inform them about anything and everything IMS related. I will be keeping you up to date with all of the places the team goes to and I’ll let you know where you may be able to run into them!
IMS Brand Ambassadors at the Brickyard Beach Bash
This past weekend you may have seen them at the Indiana State Fair during ABATE’s Motorcycle Day or at the Home and Family Arts building strutting down the cat walk showing off this year’s latest Alpinestars 2010 Red Bull Indianapolis GP gear.
IMS Models at the State Fair for MotoGP gear
The IMS Brand Ambassadors will be at IUPUI and Butler University this week along with a handful of community events leading up to all of the race festivities this weekend. You can spot them in their 2011 white Chevy Camaro that they cruise around in, distinguished by the IMS centennial logo on both sides of the car.
As promised, the video from our day with Nicky Hayden. Nicky came to Indianapolis last week to tour the city and make several media stops to promote the 2010 Red Bull Indianapolis MotoGP happening August 27th-29th.
Almost everyone had questions about his hair-mohawk and relationship status-single. Nicky also got to ride at the Major Taylor Velodrome with the Marian University cycling team. Hope you enjoyed the behind the scenes action, make sure and grab your tickets at imstix.com
Have you ever wanted to own a piece of racing history? Now’s your chance!
On July 25th, Reed Sorenson will strap into his #83 Red Bull Racing Toyota Camry to start his fifth Brickyard 400. Sorenson, the youngest pole winner in Indianapolis Motor Speedway history (21 years and 173 days old), will also be doing something special for the fans on Brickyard weekend.
Reed Sorenson's Brickyard 400 helmet to be auctioned after the race
Through a partnership with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Red Bull and Beam Helmet Designs, Reed will be sporting a custom painted IMS themed helmet for the 2010 Brickyard 400. This helmet will be auctioned off via eBay to one lucky fan; with all proceeds going to the American Red Cross to support efforts in cleaning-up the oil spill on the Gulf Coast. Both Sorenson and Mari Hulman George will autograph the helmet for the auction winner.
Sorenson's custom helmet to be auctioned for charity
This helmet may end up being quite a collector’s item. Reed has been reunited at Red Bull Racing with Jimmy Elledge, the crew chief who helped him win the pole at the 2007 Brickyard 400. That, in combination with the upward momentum Reed has been building this season, points to a solid chance for a great result in the 2010 Brickyard 400.
Red Bull and IMS themed paint scheme by Beam Helmet Designs
More news will be available after the race about this great opportunity to get a piece of racing history while supporting a great cause at the same time!
Here is the link to our Brickyard Authentic eBay store where the helmet will be on auction: Click here to go to the store. Keep an eye on the eBay store as the auction will be starting soon!
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