Watching the races

Sunday of Memorial Day weekend has become a HUGE day for racing. The Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 make for several hours of excellent racing ... and time on the couch. I logged my hours and was thoroughly entertained. I saw neither race through to the finish but did see a lot of excellent action on the tracks.

I started with the 500 and was disappointed when I learned that Jim Nabors wasn't going to be singing Back Home Again; that's become an important part of race day for me.

The race started and the action started immediately. I think that in the first two laps there were three lead changes; busy. Occasional accidents provided time to catch your breath but then they'd be back at it again. Weather awareness seemed to add a sense of urgency. Just over half way, the rains came and the drivers parked their cars. A couple of hours later, the rain was gone and the track was drying. They'd be racing again! They returned to the track and the action resumed. Sixty laps later, rain came again and Dario Franchitti was declared winner of the 91st Indianapolis 500.


A little before the end of the the rain delay in Indianapolis, the cars were firing up in Charlotte for the Coca-Cola 600. Like the race "out west," the 600 had action from the start. Before it was over, Matt Kenseth and Jimmie Johnson led and Kyle and Kurt Busch wreck. Some things unusual happened as well: Brian Vicker's Toyota led as did Jeremy Mayfield. Jeremy also makes one of the finest saves of a car out of control I've seen; he lost it left, right, did a 360, and got it right... right in front of the grandstands! Excellent!

In the end, fuel mileage and guts put Casey Mears in the winners circle. His Hendrick powered Chevy had enough milage and his team had enough guts to stay out when others were pitting. That put him in the front and he was able to hang on as the laps ran out. When the race was done, so was his fuel; he ran out on the cool down lap. That's cutting it close. Congrats to Casey on his first Cup win!

My team didn't do too well. They were up against the number one team this year and lost. Jeff Burton had tire trouble that put him in the wall. The Kellogg's number five had Kyle driving (as usual) and that put it in the wall ... multiple times. Jimmie ran well but couldn't afford to take the fuel gamble so he finished tenth.

#2 Overdue 346 vs. 211 #6 Red Neck Racing Academy
#4 halffastracing 405 vs. 308 #1 Bear Down Racing
#5 Blue Bayou 307 vs. 251 #3 Desert Denny

#4 halffastracing was 9-2; won; now 10-2
#1 Bear Down Racing was 7-4; lost; now 7-5
#5 Blue Bayou was 6-5; won; now 7-5
#6 Red Neck Racing Academy was 5-6; lost; now 5-7
#2 Overdue was 3-8; won; now 4-8
#3 Desert Denny was 3-8; lost; now 3-9