IRL
The field is set for the 88th running of the Indianapolis 500. The field was filled on a breezy, cloudy day that held really very little drama. Greg Ray was the fastest qualifier of the session while Robbie McGehee was slowest on the day and in the field. Jacques Lazier had turned some laps in Foyt’s 14T car on Friday and was well over the slowest speeds but the deal apparently fell through and he never took the track after Friday.

Brian Barnhart told the potential qualifiers that a “respectable” speed was all it took to get in. Speculation was that 210+ would be considered respectable. The fact that Lazier never got in the car smacks of politics to me. I really have to wonder if he would have made an attempt had Marty Roth been the slowest qualifier. I have said it before and I will say it again. If you raise the purse of the race to $25-30 million then you will have no problem getting 50 cars to attempt to qualify. As it stands, it just isn’t cost effective to run unless you have big sponsor money or you can get a top 5 finish.

FTRG was also in the paper yesterday talking about shortening the month. Again, if you raise the purse, that kind of problem goes away.

F1
Congrats to Jarno Trulli who won the Grand Prix de Monaco yesterday and in the process ended Michael Schumachers bid for his 6th consecutive win to start the season. Trulli, who started on the pole, lead all the way in this one. Down the stretch he was chased by Jensen Buttons, but his lead was never really in doubt.

Trulli was a wildly popular champion, but to be honest anyone NOT in a Ferrari would have been a welcome change of pace. The irony is that Schumacher pretty much did himself in that he was screwing around behind the safety car and locked up his brakes forcing Juan Montoya to hit him and send him into the guard rail. Schumacher took the low road and claimed the incident was Montoyas fault, but anyone who saw it knows otherwise.