Newman & Penske Finally Win the 500 @Daytona

@Speed Photo by Kevin Thorne

Tony Stewart Nationwide Series Winner

Todd Bodine Craftsman Truck Series Winner

  Duel Winners

Ella Sofia Gordon Gets First Win @Talladega

@Speed Photo by Kevin Thorne

Tony Tigers To Second Victory @The Brickyard

@Speed Words & Photos by Annie Miller Carr

Stewart showed his muscle all day long and was always in the hunt. His first Brickyard win was in 2005. Stewart is now fifth in the NEXTEL

Tony Stewart and his Home Depot crew kiss the bricks.

Cup point standings, behind Jeff Gordon, Denny Hamlin, Matt Kenseth and Jeff Burton.

Of the nine yellow flags, six were for crashes--all of them during the first half of the race. Wrecking out were Jeff Green, Ryan Newman, Tony Raines, Kasey Kahne, Jimmy Johnson and J.J. Yeley. There were 14 lead changes among five drivers. Besides Stewart and Harvick, also leading laps were Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kyle Busch and Greg Biffle.

Sorenson Surprise @The Brickyard

@Speed Words & Photos by Annie Miller Carr

Reed Sorenson contemplated his first Cup pole as he signed a hat after qualifying ended.

Fans cheer as Dale Earnhardt Jr. and car #8 leave the garage area during the morning practice session.

Defending NEXTEL Cup and Brickyard 400 champion Jimmy Johnson heads out to practice in his #48 Lowe’s Chevrolet. Johnson starts in the 10th row for the race.

NEXTEL Cup rookie Juan Pablo Montoya will start alongside his Ganassi Racing teammate in the front row. If Montoya leads a lap tomorrow, he

Ryan Newman and wife Krissie head to pit lane for qualifying. Newman will start third on Sunday.

will not only be the first driver to race in the Indianapolis 500, the United States Grand Prix and the Brickyard 400, but he will also become the first to lead all three races. Ryan Newman will start third, Dale Earnhardt Jr., fourth, and Kasey Kahne, fifth.

Rain Plays Havoc With NASCAR's Schedule @The Brickyard

@Speed Words & Photos by Annie Miller Carr

Juan Pablo Montoya (front, L) signs autographs while being interviewed at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Friday. If he qualifies, the Columbian will make history as the first driver to compete in the Indianapolis 500, the U.S. Grand Prix and the Brickyard 400, all at the IMS.

Jeff Gordon’s Hendrick Racing crew pushes the 24 Chevrolet through the Indianapolis Motor Speedway garage area before the rain began. Gordon, who has won both the NASCAR championship and the Brickyard 400 four times, is the current NEXTEL Cup points leader.

The NEXTEL Cup cars will practice Saturday from 8:30-11am, weather permitting, with qualifying at 4:05pm. There will be no practice after qualifications. The showers also postponed Friday night’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at O’Reilly Raceway Park. The trucks will race Sunday morning at 10am at ORP.

Team Speedsport Dodges A Bullet @Augusta

@Speed Photo by Kevin Thorne

John Haas has the candles lit as he takes the Augusta Southern Nationals win.

Other winners included Dave Lipinski in Pro Comp Eliminator, Randy Reynolds in Pro Eliminator, Charley Wilkie in Top Eliminator, Ron Morton in Modified Eliminator, Tommy Turner in Stock Eliminator, and Skully Alley, Jr. in River Racer.

Plans are already in the works for the 23rd Augusta Southern Nationals to be held July 18-20, 2008. Mark it on your calendar and make your plans now to attend.

The Augusta Southern Nationals is held as a benefit for the Chapter 9 Georgia Special Olympics.

USGP to Hamilton on Historic Day @Indy

@Speed Photos & Words by Annie Miller Carr

The first turn of the USGP at Indy usually is a melee and this year was no exception. Anthony Davidson’s Super Aguri Honda (upper left) plows through the grass while David Coulthard of Red Bull Racing (center) remains mired there. In the lower part of the picture, Rubens Barichello’s Honda (L) and Ralf Schumacher’s Toyota (R) also are off course and headed for the grass.

McLaren Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton rewrote the history books Sunday when he won the United States Grand Prix at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Hamilton is the youngest Formula 1 driver and the first F-1 rookie driver to triumph at the IMS. Moreover, he became the first black driver to win a major race in the history of the famed Brickyard.

A turn 2 corner worker waves the yellow flag as Takuma Sato’s Super Aguri Honda goes spinning through the gravel.

Hamilton, from England, edged out his McLaren teammate, two-time defending Formula 1 champion Fernando Alonso, by 1.5 seconds. The two

Nico Rosberg makes a fast exit from his Williams after his engine blew and the car caught fire near turn one.

Ferraris crossed the line after the two McLarens, with Felipe Massa finishing third and Kimi Raikkonen fourth. The top four finishers also started the race in the same positions.

Also scoring points on the day were Heikki Kovalainen in fifth, Jarno Trulli, sixth, Mark Webber, seventh and Sebastian Vettel, eighth.

Try as he might, this is about as close as Alonso (R) got to his McLaren teammate Hamilton the entire day.

Vettel added to the historic perspective by, at age 19, being the youngest driver ever to score a point in a Formula 1 race. Vettel was subbing in Robert Kubica's BMW Sauber as Kubica was not cleared to drive after wrecking in the Grand Prix of Canada.

Lewis Hamilton of McLaren Mercedes waves to the fans after winning the 2007 United States Grand Prix at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Hamilton led 66 of the 73 laps. The only time he relinquished the lead was when he pitted. Alonso pulled to within a half a second on lap 41 after both had made their second and final pit stops, but Hamilton was able to once again extend his lead in the closing laps.

Rookie Hamilton To The Pole Again @Indy

@Speed Photos & Words by Annie Miller Carr

Hamilton sweeps through turn 13 of the IMS road course which is turn 1 of the oval track.

An elated Lewis Hamilton clapped his hands, gave two thumbs up and waved to the cheering crowd as he came into the pits.

The impressive Sebastian Vettel, who will make his F-1 debut Sunday, is only 19 years old.

Scuderia Ferrari, which has dominated the USGP at the IMS, was relegated to the second row. Felipe Massa qualified third and Kimi Raikkonen fourth. In the third row will be BMW Sauber’s Nick Heidfeld and Heikki Kovalainen of Renault.

Sebastien Vettel continues to surprise. Vettel, Sauber’s test driver, is subbing for Robert Kubica, who was not medically cleared to race after his horrific crash in the Grand Prix of Canada last Sunday. Vettel, who posted the second-fastest lap in the morning practice, will start seventh alongside Toyota’s Jarno Trulli.

Formula One Cars Hit The Track @Indy

@Speed Photos & Words by Annie Miller Carr

Fernando Alonso speeds through turn 9 in his McLaren Mercedes on his fast lap of the day.

The Spaniard set the time during the morning practice session. He was fastest again in the afternoon, but failed to top his earlier time.

Lewis Hamilton’s McLaren leads Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen through turn 6 during the afternoon session.

His teammate, Britain’s Lewis Hamilton, was only .153 of a second behind him. The two Ferraris followed, with Felipe Massa besting Kimi Raikonnen. The surprise on the day was David Coulthard, who was sixth-quickest, right behind Nick Heidfeld. Heidfeld had posted the second-quickest time in the morning round, but fell to fifth in the later practice.

Third-quick on Friday was Felipe Massa in his Ferrari.

The only incident of the day - a minor spin into the turn 11 gravel by Spyker’s Adrian Sutil.

Formula One "Walkabout Day" @Indy

@Speed Photos & Words by Annie Miller Carr

McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton gives a “thumbs up to the fans” while onstage.

Another popular moment - Sato elated fans with an amusing description of his amazing pass of Raikkonen during the closing laps @Canada.

The crowd cheered for all their favorites, and most of the drivers responded to the fans’ enthusiasm. Chief among those was Formula 1 rookie

Spain’s Fernando Alonzo of McLaren, F-1 champ for the past two years, acknowledges the lively fans @Indy.

sensation Lewis Hamilton of Vodaphone McLaren Mercedes. Hamilton, who has led every F-1 race this year, won his first Grand Prix of Canada last Sunday in Montreal. The engaging Englishman, who said during his interview that he has never been to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, currently leads the F-1 point standings.

Nico Rosberg of AT&T Williams, like the rest of the drivers, threw hats to the appreciative crowd around the stage following his interview.

The only regular driver missing onstage was Robert Kubica, who was undergoing medical testing to determine if he could race this weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Dr. Gary Harstein of the FIA and the IMS medical director, Dr. Geoffrey Billows, decided against allowing Kubica to drive, saying it was too risky for him after his vicious wreck at Montreal. Taking his place in the BMW Sauber will be the team’s German test driver, 19-year-old Sebastian Vettel.

The F-1 cars take to the track Friday for practice.

Earnhardt to Hendrick @Mooresville

@Speed Photos & Words by Bob McSwain

Kelly Earnhardt Elledge (Jr.’s sister)                            Rick Hendrick                                                 Dale Earhhardt, Jr.

In fact, he had signed Jr. years ago. In a humorous story, Jr. related how at 16 he and Kenny Schraeder were on a trip to the midwest. At some point in the trip, Jr. and Kenny met Rick and Dale Earnhardt, Sr. At a restaurant Hendrick slid a ...

read more by Bob McSwain

Official Indy 500 Winner Photo Day @Indy

@Speed Photos & Words by Annie Miller Carr

In the post-race interviews, Andretti hinted that he may once again retire from racing—this time for good. Obviously it wasn't meant to be, to win it as a driver,” said Andretti.

“We won (the Indy 500) as an owner. Two of the last three years isn't too bad,” Andretti noted. Dan Wheldon, now at Chip-Ganassi Racing, won the race for Andretti-Green in 2005.

Also during the photo session, Franchitti kissed his wife, actress Ashley Judd, while one of his sponsors (L) and Judd’s pooch, Buttermilk, looked on.

Be sure and check out more @Speed Indy 500 news on the board!

Or is it now called a blog?

Casey Mears In 600 For The National Guard @Lowe's

@Speed Photo by Kevin Thorne

Yet tonight Casey Mears won (right), and it should be considered an upset. Even though he drives for Hendrick Motorsports, it was an upset! Mears had never ... read more by Bob McSwain

Kasey Kahne raced to his first Busch Series win of the season Saturday night.

Dario Franchitti @Indy

@Speed Words & Photos by Annie Miller Carr

Polesitter Helio Castroneves and family head to the garage area after his third place finish in the Indianapolis 500. Helio had a bad pit stop that caused him to drop to deep in the field, but he battled his way back into contention at the end.

Marco Andretti shakes the hand of a friend after the Indianapolis 500. The young Andretti's car flipped upside down on the backstretch late in the race, but he was unhurt.

The Day Before ... Who Will Win @Indy?

@Speed Photos by Annie Miller Carr

The Best Bargain In Motorsports - $10 Carb Day @Indy

@Speed Photos & Words by Annie Miller Carr

A massive crowd jammed to Kid Rock and enjoyed the annual pit stop competition, won by polesitter Helio Castroneves, in addition to watching the final day of practice for The 500.

Andretti Green Racing showed their stuff today with Tony Kanaan (R) at the top of the speed charts, followed by Dario Franchitti (C) and Michael Andretti (L).

Former Indianapolis 500 winner Buddy Lazier (R) explains to his car owner Sam Schmidt how his car handled during the final practice. Schmidt, a former 500 competitor who was paralyzed in a racing accident, saw his Indy Pro Series driver, Alex Lloyd, win the Freedom 100 race today.

Al Unser Jr., a two-time Indy 500 champion, wipes his brow after climbing out of his car after practice.

Carb Day, and hot weather is upon us in Indy this week. The weather is hot and dry, very similar to what one expects in late ... read more by Len Ashburn

All 33 Starters Practiced On Carb Day @Indy

@Speed Photo by Glenn Smith

Pole sitter Helio Castroneves leads fastest of the day Tony Kanaan through turn one during Carb Day practice for the Indy 500.

Carburetion Day Pit Stop Competition @Indy

@Speed Photos & Words by Annie Miller Carr

"Spiderman" Helio Castroneves climbs the fence after his pit stop competition win. Castroneves also won the pole position for the Indianapolis 500 earlier in the month.

Spider Man 3 was recently released in movie theaters setting all sorts of records for opening week theatrical grosses. Helio Castroneves did his own Spider Man routine climbing the fences after his ... read more by Dave Carr

Helio Castroneves hugs his Penske teammate Sam Hornish Jr. after Castroneves's pit crew beat Hornish's during the annual pit stop competition.

Harvick Breaks Johnson's All Star Win Streak @Lowe's

@Speed Photo Ted Seminara

PJ Wooshes Out ... Kite Doesn't Fly ... @Indy

@Speed Photos & Words by Annie Miller Carr

Richie Hearn gets ready for his refresher test.

Richie Hearn climbed into his Hemelgarn/Racing Professionals car #91 at 10:15am and took the car out on the track for the first time this month for a refresher test. By 2:39pm, Hearn and his amazing crew, led by longtime chief mechanic Mark Bridges, had the car into the race with qualifying speed of 218.860mph! Hearn was even the first qualifier of the day, filling the 33-car field.

After qualifying, a relieved Phil Giebler thanks his crew for getting the car he wrecked yesterday fixed in time.

By 2pm, Mark Weida and the Playa Del Racing crew had Phil Giebler’s #31 machine repaired after Giebler crashed it on the final lap of a qualifying attempt late yesterday afternoon. Giebler put it in the show less than two hours later. Even though his qualifying laps today (219.637 average) were about two miles an hour slower than his abbreviated run Saturday, it didn’t matter to his exhausted but very happy crew. Giebler bumped Jimmy Kite’s #18 PDM car from the field.

Roberto Moreno was then “on the bubble.” But Moreno had been practicing faster than his qualifying speed of yesterday (216.229). The Chastain

A disappointed P.J. Jones is consoled by friend and fellow driver Jaques Lazier.

Motorsports team took a big gamble and withdrew car #77’s qualifying run and Moreno re-qualified the car at 220.299.

While Hearn, Giebler and Moreno were celebrating, others were frustrated. P.J. Jones and the Diversified Team Leader crew just couldn’t get the #40 “Whooshmobile” up to speed. The team ran out their engine mileage allotment from Honda. Jones and the team admitted they were too

“Bumped” Jimmy Kite gets a “good luck” hug from the legendary Linda Vaughn just before his unsuccessful attempt to get his car back into the 500 field.

slow and weren’t finding the right combination on the car. They decided to pack up and end their efforts.

Jimmy Kite made a last-ditch qualifying run just before the 6pm closing, but after one lap in the 214.7mph range his PDM crew waved him off.

Between qualification attempts, cars already in the race practiced. Dan Wheldon's top speed of 222.797 was just a tick faster than his Target-Chip

There will be no track activity until Carburetion Day on Friday.

And Then There Was One small spot ... @Indy

@Speed Photos & Words by Annie Miller Carr

Yasakawa (R) confers with team co-owner Robbie Buhl after he posted the fastest qualifying speed Saturday.

John Andretti poses for his official qualification photos.

Milka Duno seems to be saying “I did it!” after having trouble getting up to speed earlier in the week sparking rumors that she might be replaced.

Injured driver Stephan Gregoire (R) advises his replacement Roberto Moreno during practice. After he wrecked the car and broke one of his vertabrae on Thursday, Gregoire had to relinquish his ride. Moreno qualified the car late Saturday afternoon.

OK, Jacques, here it is.

After he saw that I put up a picture of his brother Buddy and Buddy’s wife Kara last week (see below) after Buddy qualified, Jacques made me promise I would put up him and his actress wife Angelique if he qualified today!

Search for Speed Ends @Indy

@Speed Photos & Words by Annie Miller Carr

Defending Indy 500 champion Sam Hornish Jr. heads into the pits.

Roger Yasakawa, one of the quickest non-qualified drivers today.

Sarah Fisher, one of Yasakawa’s teammates at Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, has had a steady month.

Scott Sharp’s team works on the Team Rahal- Letterman #8. The team struggled finding speed for qualifying, but improved in race trim.

Good News, Bad News & Ugly Rumors on Thursday @Indy

@Speed Photos & Words by Annie Miller Carr

The Good News: John Andretti finally climbed back into an Indy car. After his refresher course, John ran 67 laps in his #33 Panther Racing

John Andretti Back In A Car

machine with a fast lap of 216.737. But the NASCAR habits are hard to break. His cousin Michael told him that he was running too low a line on the track and John violated the pit road speed limit at least twice.

John Andretti is adjusting, but admitted the learning curve is large after so many years out of an open-wheel race car. “I just learned a lot of things today,” he said. “It's a lot to digest, and unfortunately the weather didn't want to cooperate today as much as I'd hoped.” “Old Blue Eyes” is shown waiting to take to the IMS oval after his 13-year absence.

Other quick non-qualifiers were Al Unser Jr. (217.590) in Foyt Racing’s #50 and Roger Yasakawa (217.230). Yasakawa, who, like John Andretti, had to take a refresher test, got up to speed quickly on his first day in the #24 Wellman Corbier/Dreyer and Reinbold third car.

Milka and Al Unser, Sr.

As for the qualified cars, the Target-Chip Ganassi team topped the charts as they had all last week before pole day’s downfall. Scott Dixon led the way at 219.985 and Dan Wheldon followed with a 219.773. The pair dueled for laps around the track, taking turns at giving each other tow. Darren Manning was a surprise third in the #14 Foyt machine at 219.116.

Milka Duno got some instruction from four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Al Unser Sr., one of the IndyCar Series driver coaches, after her practice laps today.

By 4:30pm, most teams, perhaps chased by the stiff wind, had exited pit lane. Quite a few had even packed up for the day and left the garage area. With little activity on track, it was time for the rumor mill to work overtime. A lot of talk revolved around Milka Duno. The Venezuelan rookie, who has little oval track experience, is having her difficulties acclimating and it is said she may step out of the #23

PDM team thrashing on Jimmy Kite’s #18

SAMMAX car. Citgo, who sponsors the car, is owned by the (anti-U.S., anti-free enterprise ... ed.) Venezuelan government. It is speculated that if Duno goes, so does the sponsor. Word spread late today that SAMMAX may withdraw. Others are saying that Duno will be replaced by Brazilian veteran Roberto Moreno and the sponsor will stay.

More last-minute deals are coming together. Richie Hearn in the second Hemelgarn/Racing Professionals entry is said to be sure thing and Greg Beck Motorsports is expected to run Alex Barron if more money is found. Barron has already driven two Indy car races for Beck this year.

Almost Like Old Times - Andretti, Jones @Indy

@Speed Photos & Words by Annie Miller Carr

Hendrick Dominates With NASCAR's Design @Darlington

@Speed Photos by Kevin Thorne

Sunday Qualifying Sees Two Thirds of the Field Set @Indy

@Speed Photos & Words by Annie Miller Carr

After the day’s allotment of 11 was filled, five bumps happened. Two drivers who were knocked out of the field made their way back in, but one was immediately bumped out again.

Scott Sharp, Jeff Simmons, Buddy Rice, Ed Carpenter and Kosuke Matsuura, all bumped out yesterday, re-qualified and stayed in the starting field today. Drivers who made their first qualifying attempts today who remained in were Sarah Fisher, A.J. Foyt IV, Vitor Meira, Davey Hamilton and Darren Manning. Sarah Fisher is shown at left being congratulated by her team owner, Robbie Buhl, after she qualified. Buhl, a former driver himself, was Fisher’s teammate a few years ago.

Marty Roth qualified today, but was bumped out later by Foyt. Jon Herb also made it in, but was bumped by Fisher. Buddy Lazier made the lineup, then was bumped by Rice. Al Unser Jr. qualified, but was bumped by Herb. Lazier later bumped his way back in, ousting Herb again.

Two-time Indy 500 winner Al Unser Jr. shook hands with his A.J. Foyt Racing teammate Darren Manning after the latter qualified. At the time, Unser was also in the starting 500 field. Later, Unser was bumped.

Buddy Lazier managed to qualify twice and then posed with his wife Kara for his official qualifying photo. Jon Herb, who has qualified and bumped twice, is still out of the field. So is Unser Jr.

Five of Sunday’s qualifiers have faster speeds than Saturday’s slowest qualifier, Michael Andretti.

The track is quiet until Wednesday when practice resumes. Qualifying begins again on Saturday.

Castroneves and Penske Hit Target @Indy

@Speed Photos & Words by Annie Miller Carr

Helio Castroneves claimed the top speed with the second-last qualifying run of the day, then withstood a valiant effort by Tony Kanaan to win the pole for the Indianapolis 500.

Castroneves piloted his #3 Team Penske Dallara/Honda around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval with a four-lap average of 225.817mph. Kanaan’s #11 Team 7-Eleven Andretti-Green entry was faster than Castroneves on three of his qualifying laps. But Kanaan’s fourth lap was way short, and Castroneves and his Penske crew erupted into jubilant celebration. With a thumbs up for the cheering fans, Castroneves headed for television interviews which, along with the team's celebration, lasted so long that the official qualifying photos had to be postponed until Sunday morning.

Kanaan’s (right) speed, 225.757, put him second and in the middle of the front row. Kanaan’s teammate Dario Franchitti, who ended up third and on the outside of row one, held the provisional pole at 225.191 until the last second duel between Castroneves and Kanaan.

Dario Franchitti and his actress wife, Ashley Judd, were all smiles when Franchitti was on the provisional pole. Franchitti was the quickest early but fell to third at the end of the day’s qualifying.

The Target-Chip Ganassi team of Dixon and Wheldon were relegated to the inside and outside of the second row respectively. Last year’s Indy 500 champion Sam Hornish Jr. Castroneves’ Penske teammate, is in the middle of row two.

In the third row are Ryan Briscoe, Danica Patrick and Marco Andretti, with Tomas Scheckter and Michael Andretti, the slowest of the 11 first day qualifiers, in a partial row four.

Team Ganassi On Top Of Speed Charts All Week @Indy

@Speed Photos & Words by Annie Miller Carr

“On our first run we had a bit of understeer and for our second one, we took some wing out, and it just went quicker,” said Dixon. He also admitted he got a little help on his hot lap: “We got a bit of a tow off of Sam (Hornish Jr.).

Wheldon was second quick, but a full half a second slower at 226.650. Andretti Green Racing claimed the next three spots with Tony Kanaan in third, Marco Andretti, fourth and Dario Franchitti in his best showing of the month in fifth (shown waving to fans while talking with Franchitti).

Where was Team Penske? Sam Hornish Jr. was sixth and Helio Castroneves a distant ninth.

The pole day weather forecast calls for sunny skies and a high of 76 degrees, a bit cooler than it has been in the past few days.

Thursday Was Dixon's Day To Speed @Indy

@Speed Photos & Words by Annie Miller Carr

Dixon’s mark, 226.473mph, bested Andretti- Green Racing’s Danica Patrick (right) by just a fraction (226.348). A chagrined Danica checks out the large screen readout of speeds just after she came within a whisker of being the fastest driver of the day. Wheldon, who was third quick, and Tomas Scheckter of Vision Racing were also over 226mph. All the top speeds were set during a frantic final 15 minutes of practice.

Finding even more speed will be the task tomorrow on “Fast Friday,” the final day of practice before qualifying begins on "Pole Day."

Earnhardt, Jr. Announced 2007 His Last Year @DEI

@Speed Photo by Ed Hill

Dale Earnhardt, Jr., and Vice President and General Manager of JR Motorsports, Kelley Earnhardt Elledge held a news conference to announce that Jr. will end his DEI driving carreer and move to another team in 2008.

Wheldon — Again — On a Rain-Shortened Day @Indy

@Speed Photos & Words by Annie Miller Carr

Wheldon’s early dominance has a lot of teams scratching their heads and knitting their brows--and a lot of pitsiders predicting the #10 car on the pole after Saturday’s qualifications.

But Team Penske may have something to say about that. Perplexed Team Penske drivers Helio Castroneves and Sam Hornish compared notes during “yellow light” time. Castroneves ended up second quick Wednesday at 225.820, allegedly in a race set-up. Wheldon claims his car was halfway between a qualifying and a race set-up.

Michael Andretti and son Marco, looking almost as concerned as Team Penske, huddle with Bryan Herta after practice. Marco was third fastest Wednesday.

Although Herta is not driving in the 500 this year, he is still with Andretti-Green Racing, test driving and piloting the team’s new sports car effort.

Heat and Speeds Climb @Indy

@Speed Photos & Words by Annie Miller Carr

Dan Wheldon, the 2005 Indy victor, led the pack at 225.074mph in his #10 Target-Chip Ganassi Dallara/Honda. Two-time winner Helio Castroneves’ #3 Marlboro-Penske was close on his heels…er…rear wing with a 224.996. Twenty-seven cars turned laps, with 19 of them over 220mph.

A.J. Foyt Jr., known for taking things into his own hands at the track, pounds on a mirror from Al Unser Jr.’s race car. Foyt surprised many when he tabbed Unser Jr., whose off-track escapades have made frequent headlines, as one of his drivers this year.

While other veterans were finding speed quickly, Al Unser Jr. struggled. The two-time Indy 500 champ’s 206.930 was slowest for the day.

Exclusive Club of Rookies Take to the Track @Indy

@Speed Photos & Words by Annie Miller Carr

The only two rookies entered in this year's race are Venezuelan distaff driver Milka Duno and Oxnard, California's Phil Giebler. Giebler was the slowest driver on the track Sunday--nearly 209.4 mph. But he improved considerably on Monday to over 217mph.

Duno (shown describing how her car handled during her last laps on Monday), whose previous racing experience was solely on road courses, racked up 153 laps on the IMS oval. Her fastest speed, set late Monday, was 215.949.

Even Michael Andretti, who hasn't driven an Indycar since finishing third in last year's 500, took the opportunity to practice. He posted the quickest lap of the month so far, 221.579, Monday afternoon.

Indy 500 veterans and Vision Racing teammates (L-R) Ed Carpenter, Tomas Scheckter and A.J. Foyt IV joke around during a lull in Monday's practice at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The three drivers were on hand to watch their fourth teammate, Davey Hamilton, during his driver's refresher test.

Tomorrow the rest of the veterans take to the track and practice begins in earnest for this year's race.

And Again, Jimmie Johnson @Richmond

@Speed Photo by Greg Gage

Cousin Carl, Just Cruzin', Pickin' & Grinnin' @Nashville

@Speed Photo by Kevin Thorne

Even In Retirement, DW Tears Up The Track @Bristol

@Speed Photos by Kevin Thorne

Wings, Wings, Wings, And More Wings @Bristol

@Speed Photos by Kevin Thorne

The Impala nameplate (but not the car) returned to Cup competition on a high note with Jeff Gordon winning the pole position for Sunday's Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Gordon put his NASCAR designed Impala SS on the pole with a 15:295 second lap, his fifth pole at Bristol. Speaking of NASCAR's design, Gordon said "I just didn't think we would run these kinds of speeds. I just definitely didn't think we would run a .29. That is impressive. We had it set up pretty loose to get through the middle and man it was. But off the corner it is just fantastic. You aren't going to be able to run a car that loose all day long in the race. But you are going to have to run it loose because these cars just don't turn in the middle like the old cars do. I think we are going to have to have a compromise of pretty loose on entry, we'll see. We didn't play around with race setups today at all and it paid off for us."

The Food City 500 is the first event to feature NASCAR's next generation of race cars and takes the green flag on Sunday, March 25 at 2:00 p.m.

Skinner, And Again Johnson & Burton @Atlanta

@Speed Photos by Kevin Thorne

Rick Hendricks' 150th, Johnson's Third Win @Vegas

@Speed Photos by Les Welch

A Slip, A Spin, And A Win @Vegas

@Speed Photos by Les Welch

Waltrip's Toyota Teething Troubles Continue @Vegas

@Speed Photos by Les Welch

NASCAR Motor Corp. Tests Its "COT" Model @Bristol

@Speed Photos by Kevin Thorne

Gordon on Cup Pole @Fontana

@Speed Photos by Gary Nastase & Ron Lewis

"It feels good to me just to get out from restrictor-plate racing [at Daytona] and have a car that has downforce and be able to drive it through the corners and work with the teams on the handling," said Gordon. It was a great come back after beig one of those who crashed on the last lap in the Daytona 500 and finished 10th.

Kasey Kahne's speed was 185.519 while Michael Walthrip's Toyota was unable to break into the field again this week.

Harvick Handed 500 Win @Daytona

@Speed Photos by Kevin Thorne

Not only was Martin the favorite to win on the basis of performance, not since Dale Earnhardt, Sr. won his his Daytona 500 had there been such a ground swell of positive feelings for a driver to win his first Daytona 500.

But it was not to be. Thanks to a wiggle of his own, a hard charging Harvick passed Martin on the outside seconds after a multi-car "big one" began. It took NASCAR almost 10 seconds to display the yellow flag. Not until Harvic and Martin had crossed the line did the yellow flag come out.

Harvick was declared the winner even though Martin had been in the lead when the crashing began and the yellow should have been displayed.

The 2007 Racing Season Opens "Wet'n Wild" @Daytona

@Speed Photos by Kevin Thorne

JJ - 2006 Cup Champion Crowned @Miami

@Speed Photo by Kevin Thorne

Kenseth Shines in the Night @Miami

@Speed Photos by Kevin Thorne

Meanwhile, for Kevin Harvick, it was just a matter of getting through the race to collect his series championship trophy. That spot had been decided a month ago. He wound up sixth in the race.

Martin Wins The Battle, Bodine The Truck War @Miami

@Speed Photos by Kevin Thorne

Bodine's truck started the race with a vibration that only got worse as the race went on. After a season of consistency, Bodine had to let any visions of a good finish go, blurred as they might be, to keep the truck together and finish the race. Luckily he had help in the form of Johnny Benson's bad luck which kept him from challenging for the championship points lead. Benson was collected in an accident but managed to stay on the lead lap and later had to pit under green for a cut tire that put him three laps down.

"We finally did it," Todd Bodine said. "We've been racing for a lot of years. I've got brothers racing, cousins, nephews, and it's the first time we've won something this special. I can't imagine what it means to me, to my family."

While Bodine was protecting his championship position, Mark Martin was battling to win his last truck race in a Jack Roush truck. In 2007 Martin will be driving a Wood Brothers truck for a minimum of five races, more depending on sponsorship.

Stewart Wins Cup & 2006 IROC @Atlanta

@Speed Photos by Kevin Thorne

Tony Stewart, who failed to qualify for the "Chase" after having won two previous Cup championships, can only race for wins. On Sunday at Atlanta he held off Jimmie Johnson for his fourth victory of the season and second win of the 2006 chase series. After the win, once again Stewart climbed the fence to the flag stand to capture the checker flag for the second time that day. Unlike the last time, he was able to get back to his car without venturing into the crowd. Stewart is having fun! Without any of the pressure those in the chase are feeling, Stewart is winning chase races where he couldn't "buy" a win last year.

Johnson didn't really mind the runner-up finish. It helped moved him to a much better position than where his chase started ... to within 26 points of current leader Matt Kenseth.

Earnhardt overcame the loss of a lap (because of a flat tire early in the race) and took the lead when he stayed on track while all the other drivers on the lead lap pitted during a late race caution. He may not have exactly wanted to say out while running third, but Stewart and Johnson both waited 'til the last possible moment to enter the pits and Earnhardt didn't, or couldn't, make the turn. In the end, Earnhardt and Kenseth dueled for third with Earnhardt winning the battle by just a few inches.

Atlanta scrambled the chase standings ... Hamlin moved from fourth to third, 65 points behind Kenseth, Earnhardt moved into a tie with Burton for fourth, 84 points back, Harvick slipped from second all the way to sixth, 121 points behind, while Gordon -- who survived getting hit it the rear by Jamie McMurray after slowing with a flat tire -- jumped from ninth to seventh but lost ground in the points, from 141 to 146. Martin, Kahne and Busch, all 201 or more points behind, were all but eliminated from contention

Saturday

Tony Stewart did win a championship this year ... that of the 2006 International Race Of Champions (IROC)! He earned the championship by finishing third in the Atlanta edition of the 2006 series just behind Matt Kenseth and ahead of Ryan Newman.

Winner of the IROC race, for the second consecutive year, was Martin Truex, Jr. He held off the hard charging three behind him to win the battle while Stewart was winning the war. "I didn’t know until I crossed the finish line that I had won,” Truex said. “It was one of the better races I’ve been a part of."

Stewart stayed out of the fray most of the race, choosing to lay back and preserve his championship hopes. Entering the race, four drivers – Stewart, Kenseth, Newman and Max Papis – had a mathematical chance of winning the title.

"I was playing defense, really, trying not to get into any situations that were going to cause us to have any problems," Stewart said. "I just needed to do what we did today and stay out of trouble and keep Matt (Kenseth) in sight. At the end there I thought we had a shot of running for it, they got a little wild and crazy up there. I was ready to go for it if we had a chance at the end, but (it was) one of those days where third was better than trying to run for the thing."

After the race, Stewart said he was just beginning to comprehend the honor of winning the IROC title. "To know that my heroes – Mark Martin, AJ Foyt – have won this and all the other champions that have won this title, it’s awesome to have this honor," Stewart said. "It’s not a championship where you’re racing 42 other guys every week, but when you’re racing 12 other champions from other series – there’s a reason they’ve won their championships – to be the guy that wins this four-race series, it’s incredible."


Mike Bliss finally got his first win of the season in his unspoonsored truck Saturday night. He did it by holding off a challenging Terry Cook for the final two laps. "After I got to 10 truck lengths (ahead of the pack) I started to breathe a little, and then they said a truck's coming up," Bliss said. "Yeah, I was concerned when I looked in the mirror and saw him coming. I just ran it wide open the last two laps, and it was kind of sliding around. I'm glad it wasn't two laps longer. I probably wouldn't be here."

Rookie Erik Darnell finished third, while David Reutimann and Rick Crawford rounded out the top-five. Local driver David Ragan, from Stockbridge, Ga., finished sixth.

Kahne Sweeps 2006 @Lowe's

@Speed Photos by Kevin Thorne

As for Burton, his response was "We're not going to take ourselves too seriously just yet. We will continue to put a good effort together. I think we're our biggest competition."

The hard luck award had to be split between Jeff Gordon, who lost an engine and scored an DNF, and Mark Martin, who was taken out by a late race crash when J.J. Yaley turned into him while attempting to head for the pits. Gordon sits in 10th, Martin dropped one spot to fourth.

Friday the 13^th @Lowe's

@Speed Photos by Kevin Thorne

When the flags settled, Dave Blaney had won his first Busch race after Mears lost the back end on his car and took out Edwards as they battled for the lead on lap 199. What followed was the final red flag of the night with for the clean up with a green, white, checker situation when the race was restarted.

Kevin Harvick finished high enough to wrap up the season championship.

Grand-Am Cup Crowns Season Series Champs @VIR

@Speed Photos by Les Welch

The victory was the second of the season for the Plumb brothers after winning at Barber Motorsports Park in July and their success helped Acura clinch its fifth Grand-Am Cup ST manufacturer championship in the last six years. Matt Plumb crossed the finish line 6.255 seconds ahead of Turner in the No. 97 BMW and the winners averaged 81.529 mph in the six-hour race. The No. 68 SpeedSource Mazda RX-8 of Ken Dobson and Scott Schlessinger finished third.

While the Acura team celebrated the VIR victory, they came up just short in trying to beat Turner BMW and its drivers for the ST driver and team championships. After a rare mechanical failure sidelined the No. 70 SpeedSource Mazda RX-8 of former series champion Sylvain Tremblay on the opening lap, the championships and ultimately the race came down to a two-team battle between the Turner BMW and the Fenton Acura outfits.

Salama led the opening lap of the race, Matt Plumb led the final lap and for the six hours in between the two teams were rarely separated on the race track. Each of the four drivers led at various points and in one nearly three-hour stretch between laps 46 and 109, the No. 95 BMW and the No. 27 Acura ran first and second, with each taking a turn up front. Matt Plumb took the lead for good when he passed Dobson for the lead with just under 45 minutes remaining, but when Turner also passed the Mazda 15 minutes before the finish for second place, any slim chance of the Plumbs taking the title were gone. Turner and Salama clinched the title with 285 points, eight points ahead of the Plumb brothers.

Grand-Am Cup Drivers Duel Elements @VIR

@Speed Photos by Kevin Thorne and Les Welch

The victory was the first in Grand-Am Cup for both Miller, Traver and the Florida-based BGB team that drove a smart and strategic race in cold and ultimately rainy conditions. The winners stayed in lead-pack contention throughout the six-hour race on the 3.27 mile VIR circuit but never looked back when Miller took the lead for the one and only time all day less than 45 minutes from the finish. Miller was trailing the race leading Automatic Racing BMW M3s of No. 90 Nick Longhi and No. 09 David Russell but slipped by for the lead when both BMWs pitted. Miller kept the Porsche up front for the rest of the race and crossed the finish line a comfortable 25.922 seconds ahead of Jeff Segal who co-drove with Longhi in the No. 09 BMW for Automatic's best finish of the season.

"This was a very challenging race, the longest race I have ever driven in and the first time I raced at night," Miller said. "Plus it rained at the end when we were racing in the dark and I saw cars go off everywhere. I radioed to the crew and said 'guys, it might be time to put rain tires on.' That worked out great and I can't thank BGB enough for giving us a great car and the perfect strategy."

Traver overcame his own challenges when he took over after Miller started the winning Porsche.

"I had a flat tire early on so I had to come in and get it changed but we stayed on the lead lap," Traver said. "The BGB team did a great job, the strategy for rain tires was great and Mikel did a great job in the rain. This win is kind of a monkey off our back. We have been there all season but things kept happening. Today's race was difficult and challenging like our whole year but to win in the final race, it was just amazing."

Bill Auberlen, who co-drove with Joey Hand and Chris Gleason, finished third in the No. 96 Turner Motorsport BMW M3 while their teammates Anders Hainer and Boris Said crossed the finish line in sixth place in the similar No. 97 Turner Motorsport BMW. The sixth-place showing was good enough for Hainer to clinch the 2007 Grand-Am Cup Series Driver Championship and give the No. 97 Turner machine the GS Team Championship. Hainer and Said co-drove to victory in the No. 97 BMW for the team's sole victory of the season one race ago in Salt Lake City and the race car finished no lower than sixth place in the year's final seven races. Joey Hand (Trois-Rivieres) and Nic Jönsson (Mid-Ohio) also drove the championship winning ride in spotlight appearances during the 2007 season.

Chase Competitors Set - Harvick Hot @Richmond

@Speed Photo by Kevin Thorne

Earnhardt, Jr. made it in this year, but "kicked to the curb" was current champ Tony Stewart. His only chance to repeat this year went up in smoke when "Smoke" was forced to a back up car because of a crash earlier in the weekend. He dropped three positions, to eleventh, while the beneficiary of his misfortune was Kasey Kahne who slipped into the bottom position.

Kevin Harvick passed Kyle Busch on the last lap to complete a sweep of the weeked @Richmond. Harvick could have "played it safe", needing only to finish 40^th or better to remain in the Chase. He didn't, and picked up both the Cup and Busch race wins.

Kenseth Goes Back For Seconds @Bristol

@Speed Photo by Kevin Thorne

• His second straight Bristol night race;
• His second Cup win in a row, having won Michigan last week, too; and
• His second NASCAR victory in as many nights, having won the Busch race.

"The last two weeks have been just unbelievable," said Kenseth. "If we can go into the Chase like this, we'll have a shot at the championship." NASCAR changed the championship winning format after Kenseth's 2003 championship and this is the first year since that he has been in contention.

Johnson Pulls One Out Of A Hat @Indy

@Speed Words & Photos by Annie Miller-Carr

Things didn’t get any easier for Johnson when he got there. It was a long pit stop—27 seconds—to fix the fender. Then his crew spilled fuel and, as Johnson left, the pit erupted in flames. Luckily, the fire was extinguished quickly and there were no injuries.

But the NEXTEL Cup points leader wasn’t about to sit back and just motor around the track. Johnson bonzaied back into contention and by lap 84 he was running seventh, lap 112 he was third, and five laps later he passed eventual runner-up Matt Kenseth for the lead. The yellow came out on lap 141 for debris on the track, and most of the cars, including the #48, pitted. But Kyle Busch, Ryan Newman and Joe Nemecheck decided to stay out. Struggling with an ill-handling car all day, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. was deep in the pack when crew cheif Tony Eury also elected not to pit. This savvy pit strategy set Earnhardt, Jr. up for the lead, but when the green flew, Johnson was on the attack again. On lap 151, Earnhardt, Jr. flew by Busch in turn two with Johnson closing fast. By the end of the lap, Johnson passed Earnhardt, Jr. and was out in front for good. Earnhardt, Jr. brought it home sixth and vaulted into 10th place in "The Chase."

After his win, Johnson admitted he was concerned about his chances following his early tire woes. “I was really nervous because I knew we had a fast race car, but I knew I had to come through traffic, and I knew it would be harder on the tires coming through traffic,” he said. “But Chad (Knaus, his crew chief) knew something that would help that left front survive. Two short runs after that and the tire pressures were right, and this baby was money after that.”

Johnson is the second driver to win the Daytona 500 and the Brickyard 400 in the same year. When asked about this feat, Johnson replied, “I’m speechless right now. I can’t thank this (the Rick Hendrick Lowe’s team) enough for what they’ve done. We overcame a left front flat tire to rally back. We drove all the way to the front. I never thought I would win at this racetrack (the Indianapolis Motor Speedway).”

It was car co-owner Hendrick’s fifth win at Indy—widening his lead as the winningest NASCAR owner at the IMS. Rounding out the top five were Kevin Harvick, Clint Bowyer and Mark Martin. Pole sitter Jeff Burton faded to 15th.

All Childress Front Row for Brickyard 400 @Indy

@Speed Words & Photos by Annie Miller-Carr

Burton was second out to qualify on Saturday morning and the rest of the field couldn’t best him as the temperature climbed. Kasey Kahne, who was last to qualify, made a valiant try in the heat of the day, but wound up fourth.

Burton’s shares the front row with Richard Childress Racing teammate, NEXTEL Cup rookie Clint Bowyer. NASCAR points leader Jimmy Johnson will start fifth and four-time Brickyard 400 winner Jeff Gordon begins the race in the eighth row. Tony Stewart, defending Brickyard 400 and NEXTEL Cup champion, is mired back in row 16. He's shown here discussing his ill handling car with Kasey Kahne.

Immediately after his qualification attempt, Burton literally dashed out the back gate of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway garage area and headed to O’Reilly Raceway Park in nearby Clermont to practice and qualify for Saturday night’s Busch Series race, the Kroger 200. Burton returned for the afternoon NEXTEL Cup practices.

Tire wear may be an issue during tomorrow’s race. Several teams had left front tires go down in the final practice sessions, and NASCAR officials may throw a yellow flag early in the race — around lap 15 - to check for tire problems.

Kurt Busch Fastest in Brickyard Practice @Indy

@Speed Words & Photos by Annie Miller-Carr

Busch credited his Penske crew for his success on Friday. “They have given me what every driver dreams of, a position to go for the pole on Pole Day. I hope I can deliver for the Miller Lite team tomorrow,” he said. “It feels good that we have done our homework and it has translated into a solid start so far this weekend. It's just real exciting to have a shot at the pole."

The Penske driver can be excused for doubting himself this weekend. He’s been distracted for the past couple of weeks -- he got married. But his car owner, Roger Penske, had no doubts at all. "I was cruising around in the garage area this morning, phone rang, and it was Roger, Busch related. “He was pumping me up on what this (Indianapolis) means to him, and he had already let me know this before the wedding. And now it is after the wedding, and he is still letting me know what it means to him.”

Busch and Penske better not get too confident. Conditions for qualifying won’t be nearly the same as they were Friday afternoon between 3:30-4:30pm, when Busch was quick. Qualifying starts at 10am Saturday. Busch is 25th in the qualifying order, but even by the time he takes to the track the temperature won’t be quite as hot.

Scott Riggs sits in the right rear wheel well as he helps his crew fix his damaged #10 Stanley Tools/Valvoline Dodge. Riggs brought on the yellow during Friday’s first practice session for the Brickyard 400 when he brushed Indianapolis Motor Speedway wall. You break it, you fix it!

Danica Patrick Not Going To NASCAR Says A-G @Indy

@Speed Words & Photos by Annie Miller-Carr

Michael Andretti, one of the three owners of AGR, said the team will continue to field four cars in the Indy Racing League. Three are confirmed, current drivers Tony Kanaan and Marco Andretti, plus Patrick. Dario Franchitti, who drives the remaining AGR car, may keep his ride or move with Herta to the team’s ALMS effort.

Patrick, the league’s 2005 Rookie of the Year, has struggled mid-pack this season. At the beginning of the year, Rahal-Letterman chose to use the Panoz chassis. Several races ago, the team switched to the more successful Dallara chassis, which is said to work better with the league’s Firestone tires. The team is trying to catch up and she has come home fourth the past two races. But the improvement didn’t deter her switch.

Contract details were not released, but Patrick is rumored to be making $3 million for next year.

Patrick will be joining the IRL’s most successful team. AGR drivers have stood atop the podium 22 times--half of them last year--since Michael Andretti, Kim Green and Kevin Savorie started the team in 2003. The team won back-to-back championships in 2005 with Kanaan and 2006 with Dan Wheldon, who jumped to Target-Chip Ganassi this year. Wheldon also won last year’s Indianapolis 500 and Marco Andretti came within a whisker of winning the May classic this year. But AGR hasn’t been up to par in 2006. Although the team has raced strong, they have finished behind Team Penske and Target-Chip Ganassi. Kanaan’s victory at Milwaukee was the team’s first this season.

Rahal-Letterman may return to the rival Champ Car series next year after two years in the IRL. Bobby Rahal’s talented teenage son, Graham, may be one of the drivers.

Ishimaru Crowned Emperor of IHBA @Augusta

@Speed Words & Photos by Kevin Thorne & Glenn Smith

But is was Top Fuel Hydro driver Andy Reynolds who stole the show. Reynolds, driving his Parental Discretion Advised Top Alcohol Hydro left the line in a normal fashion, but 200 feet down the course, the boat started to wiggle. The boat hopped from side to side before digging in and flipping high into the air. It landed with force enough to break the boat apart before slipping under the water. Reynolds quickly popped out of the capsule and surfaced near the partially submerged race boat. Safety workers quickly pulled Reynolds from the water and took him for the mandatory check up at the medical center. Andy was checked out and released.

Asphalt drag race motorcycle pilot Skip Ellis was piloting something a bit different on his week off. He's shown here making a pass down the liquid quarter mile in the modified division Pure Insanity boat, something some might say is just a bit more calm than his usual just under 200 mph ride.

Stewart Presents Victory Junction With Check @NHIS

@Speed Words & Photos by Contessa & Charlie

Pattie accepted the check with Kyle by her side. With her voice trembling, and clutching Tony's hand for support, Pattie expressed her gratitude to Tony and all others who have donated. Tony was one of the first drivers to get on board.

Tony was presented with a framed letter and drawing from one of the children. Kyle read the letter to the crowd.

Ferrari Finishes First (and Second) @Indy

@Speed Words & Photos by Annie Miller Carr

Ferrari dominated the United States Grand Prix weekend, as Schumacher's teammate Felipe Massa started alongside Schumacher in the front row and came in second. It was Massa's best finish since joining the team this past winter.

Schumacher's margin of victory was 7.984 seconds and gained six points on Alonso (both shown above) in the battle for the 2006 Formula 1 championship standings. Alonso, who finished fifth, still leads Schumacher by 19 points.

Turn 1 on the IMS road course has provided some of the most exciting moments on the tour. This year was no exception. Massa grabbed the lead from Schumacher going into the turn. Defending Formula 1 champion Fernando Alonso charged from his fifth place starting position to challenge Schumacher for second, but Schumacher pinched his rival down on the track going into turn 2 and Alonso backed off. Meanwhile, Juan Pablo Montoya ran into the back of his McLaren teammate, Kimi Raikkonen. Raikkonen in turn hit Jenson Button, sending Button into Nick Heidfield, who flipped and barrel-rolled though the sand. Even farther back in the pack, a second crash involved Christian Klein, Mark Webber, Franck Montagny and American Scott Speed. When the smoke cleared, all eight drivers had been eliminated.

On the restart on lap 9, Takuma Sato crashed into Tiago Montero in the same turn (right), causing the second full-course yellow.

After yet another restart, Massa held the lead until the first round of pit stops. Schumacher, running in second, pitted earlier than Massa. When Massa pitted, his pit stop was slower, and Schumacher was able to pass his teammate before Massa left the pits. Schumacher was never challenged and cruised to the checkered flag.

Stewart Wins - A Photo Essay @Daytona

@Speed Photos by Kevin Thorne, Penny Holder and Glenn Smith

Ferrari Fills Front Row @Indy

@Speed Words & Photos by Annie Miller Carr

Schumacher, who has won the race four times, now also has four USGP poles to his credit. The German’s quick lap was 1:10.832, besting his Italian teammate by nearly 0.6 of a second. This is the third time that Ferrari drivers have comprised the front row at Indianapolis. Schumacher is shown speeding through Turn 13 on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway roadcourse on his way to his fourth USGP pole.

Renault’s Giancarlo Fisichella will start third. Fisichella continues to have a much better weekend than his teammate, last year’s Formula 1 champion Fernando Alonso. Alonso has been the polesitter for the past five races, but only qualified fifth for Sunday’s race.

Another team that is struggling this weekend is the usually strong Team McLaren. McLaren drivers Kimi Raikonnen and Juan Pablo Montoya will start 9th and 11th respectively.

Alongside Fisichella in Row Two is 2002 USGP winner Rubens Barichello, Shumacher’s former teammate at Ferrari, who now races for Honda. Sharing Row Three with Alonzo will be 1997 Formula 1 champ and 1995 Indianapolis 500 victor, Canadian Jacques Villeneuve (above) in by far his best starting position of this season.

American Scott Speed qualified 13th.

Rahal Falters; Lloyd Wins Liberty Challenge @Indy

@Speed Words & Photos by Annie Miller Carr

Test Drivers On Top @Indy

@Speed Words & Photos by Annie Miller Carr

Fast time of the day was set by a test driver, Lucky Strike Honda Racing's Anthony Davidson of Britain, with a lap at 130.222 mph. Another test driver, Poland's Robert Kubica of BMW, was third.

Seven-time Formula 1 champion Michael Schumacher was second-quickest, but had the only big off-track excursion of the day. The German lost control of his Ferrari and spun in turn 4, ending up in the sand trap. Schumacher took exception to the way in which the course workers were removing his car from the "kitty litter." The tow truck lifted the rear of the car and the nose hit the sand. Schumacher scolded the course workers and then helped them by lifting the front of the car.

Spain's Fernando Alonzo (right), the 2005 Formula 1 champion and current points leader, struggled to find speed in his Renault and ended up a distant 10th on the time chart. His teammate, Italian Giancarlo Fisichella, fared much better--in fourth place.

Best performance of the day wasn't turned in by a Formula 1 driver. Seventeen-year-old Graham Rahal (shown passing his teammate), in his first appearance in the Indy Pro Series, qualified on the pole for Saturday's Liberty Challenge race. The Ohioan, who has already won in Formula Atlantics, toured the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course at 109.580 mph. Rahal, whose father is 1986 Indianapolis 500 winner Bobby Rahal, is driving a second entry this weekend for Kenn Hardley Racing.

Drivers Gear UP For The USGP @Indy

@Speed Words & Photos by Annie Miller Carr

Formula 1 drivers spent Thursday in a whirlwind of media interviews, press conferences and autograph sessions. Fans wandered about the Indianapolis Motor Speedway pits on the walkabout tour and stood for hours in front of the SpeedTV stage awaiting a glimpse of their favorite drivers. (Massa, left, waves after an interview; Jarno tosses a hat to the crowd.)

But the crowd on Thursday was barely half of what is was in the past several years--despite the presence of the first American driver in the series in 13 years. There may be a variety of reasons, World Cup and the projected 90-degree heat for the weekend among them. But the main factor is probably the fallout from the 2005 United States Grand Prix.

Last year’s debacle, when only six cars started the USGP at the IMS, caused what many consider the biggest uproar in the history of motorsports. The blame fell on Michelin Tire, one of the two rubber suppliers of the series, but the problem went deeper than that.

True, during the Friday practice sessions the then two Toyota drivers, Jarno Truli and Ralf Schumacher, crashed both their Michelin-shod cars. By Sunday morning, Michelin advised the teams that use their rubber not to race, and they didn’t. But two Bridgestone teams, Jordan and Minardi, also considered boycotting the race in what appeared to be a strategic revolt of the teams and other engine manufacturers against Scuderia Ferrari (the only team who would have been left to race), Bernie Ecclestone, the F-1 major domo, and the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), the overall sanctioning body of Formula 1. But, at the last minute, Jordan and Minardi capitulated, and all three Bridgestone teams ended up racing.

Williams drivers Mark Webber & Nico Rosberg.

Michelin ended up negotiating a settlement with Tony George and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, whereby fans who bought tickets in 2005 received refunds and free ducats for this year’s race. George, who was powerless to stop the chain of events at his own track last year, and Ecclestone are due to negotiate for future USGPs. The IMS’s contract to host Formula 1 expires this year. Ecclestone has said that attendance on Sunday will be an important consideration on whether the IMS will get the nod to host the series again.

Ecclestone is posturing—alluding to possible interest from a group in Las Vegas. Yet media sources in that city tell this reporter that Ecclestone’s claims are groundless. Ecclestone also says up to ten other cites around the globe are vying for a spot on the F-1 calendar.

So more is at stake for drivers, teams and sponsors this Sunday than the victor’s trophy. The future of F-1 in the U.S hangs in the balance. Sponsors want exposure in the giant American consumer market, but will that be enough to influence Ecclestone to have the series continue on American soil?

Hornish Runs Circles Around The Field @Richmond

@Speed Photos by Kevin Thorne

The race ended under caution after Hornish's teammate, Helio Castroneves, suffered a flat right rear tire. Vitor Meira dove under Dario Franchitti to claim the sixth runner-up finish of his IndyCar Series career.

Breaktrough Oval Win for Bourdais @Milwaukee

@Speed Photo by Kenn Heinlein

Bourdais won in convincing fashion, scoring his fourth straight Champ Car World Series victory, and his ninth series win in the last 11 races. Domination would be a word to describe the Frenchman’s recent successes, but not a term used to describe his luck on ovals. That is, until today.

Hornish Gets Big--But Not A Record--Check @Indy

@Speed Words & Photos by Annie Miller Carr

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