What Didn't Chicagoland Have?

Well, last night I got to watch the Chicagoland Izod Indycar Series race from start to finish, and was I ever lucky I had an empty schedule for it. For the first time in a while, I did not have to work, play, drive, sleep, or anything of that nature that would make me miss part or all of a race.

I am not one to really enjoy the "foot to the floor" ovals as I feel they don't really take a whole lot of talent to drive, but one thing I will say is that they take balls (you girls have them too Sarah, Simona, Ana, Danica, and even Milka). That racing was definitely some of the closest we've seen all season, and I'd venture some of the closest of the last 3 or so years at Chicagoland. The number of cars on track was great to see and provided alot of excitement for the fans. A crowded track makes for a good oval race, and hopefully the people in charge will drop these silly regulations that only allow "x" amount of cars on tracks. Instead of simply changing them when more cars show up, just demolish the regulations instead, and avoid tracks that are short on pit stalls.

Chicagoland had the drama and storylines to go with the close competition. Will Power's lack of fuel (DOH!) and the point race tightening was definitely the main storyline of the final 20 laps or so, but what about Sarah Fisher running up front and getting Dollar General some good air time? How about seeing Marco Andretti smile for once after running a strong 3rd place finish after 200 good laps of racing? How about finding out Will Power can actually run ovals? Or what of KV Racing knocking 2/3 of their own team out of the race in the pits? Graham Rahal running top ten all day in his first 1.5 mile track since last season? Dan Wheldon putting the National Guard car on display in second place?

If you did not catch the race last night, you missed probably one of the most exciting races this season, and Kentucky seems to look about the same as 26 cars are looking to take the grid there.

I guess the only thing Chicagoland didn't have last night was, well, fans...

Nay-Nay Indycar

Today came news from Curt Cavin in his pit pass column that the IRL was going to require Simona de Silvestro to run both and Indycar test on an oval, as well as a few FIL races on an oval before she is allowed to run in the Izod Indycar Series on ovals.

Seriously Indycar? Your going to keep a world class talent off your race course in 2010 simply because she doesn't have the experience on ovals?

Perhaps you can recall a certain Mario Moraes who entered the Izod Indycar Series straight out of British Formula 3, a series that as far back as I can remember, has not run ovals.

How about E.J. Viso? Have you heard of him? A quick look at his statistics prove his first oval race was at Homestead in 2008.

Enrique Bernoldi of Conquest in 2008 had never run on an oval before Homestead in 2008.

Graham Rahal had a high finish of 10th on an oval in his first season in Izod Indycars, which also happened to be his first season racing on ovals. How'd that kid turn out?

She can't be worse then Stanton Barrett.

She can't be worse then Marty Roth.

And Milka Duno.......... I love the lady, but I understand she doesn't deserve to be on an IRL racetrack, and hey, she came in without an oval experience.

Now, I understand the majority of these drivers (if not all) joined the series in 2008 during the merger season, and the IRL had no real choice but to allow the new drivers sans oval experience to join with the CCWS teams. However, a precedent has been set.

So what is this all about then? Is the IRL afraid the Swiss Miss will be too much for their princess to handle? Maybe they are protecting Danica Patrick. Probably not, Danica can stand on her own two feet, and I think they know that now. In fact, having two women battling for position on track, a meaningful position on track that is, would be a great story line, and one I think the IRL would be stupid to pass up.

Do they feel de Silvestro is not adequately prepared to run ovals? Perhaps, and this is the most likely scenario. My only beef is that the IRL brass have previously allowed drivers with arguably less experience then Simona de Silvestro to run ovals (namely Mario Moraes and Milka Duno) who had only oval testing on their resume prior to running Homestead in 2008. Even then, Mario Moraes has turned into a hell of a shoe piloting his Dallara around both road courses and ovals.

But maybe, just maybe, the IRL brass is punishing de Silvestro and Team Stargate Worlds/US Racetronics for competing in a series outside of the IRL's new ladder system. Could they be sending a message to all Indycar aspiring drivers, telling them they need to run Firestone Indy Lights if they ever plan on running the Indianapolis 500?

The reasons could be one of the above, or maybe even a little bit of all three. Simona brings the best minor open wheel resume to the IRL when thinking about the women of Indycar. She is not the type of person, along with Shane Seneviratne and Team Stargate Worlds, that the IRL should be refusing.

Oh, and by the way, is the IRL really in the position right now to turn down cars to the grid? Yea, I didn't think so either.

Team Stargate Worlds to Indycar?

According to Autoracing1.com Simona de Silvestro will be testing with HVM this week at Sebring.

Team Stargate Worlds of the Atlantics Championship is apparently taking a look at running Izod Indycars in 2010 and is keeping a close eye on this test to see if Simona can handle the Dallara-Honda.

Team Stargate Worlds ran both Simona de Silvestro and Frankie Muniz in the Atlantic series in '09. Simona was leading the series until the final event where she was knocked out of the race by Marcus Niemela ('08 Atlantics Champion).

With Frankie Muniz' looking to move to up (as he thinks he is ready, but let's face it, he isn't) maybe he moves up to the ICS with Simona and helps fund a two car effort with Team Stargate Worlds in 2010.

Either way, if Simona enters the ICS in 2010 with either HVM beside Robert Doornbos, or with Team Stargate Worlds, it would be an added car and another beautiful female driver which can't hurt the series.

Edit: I've just gotten confirmation that HVM is testing Simona de Silvestro at Sebring on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week. Many people don't trust AR1 so take it from me instead.