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06-30-06, 10:26 PM
Not exactly sure what Gene Simmons expected this year but the majority of people with any skin in the Indy Racing League figured 2006 would be parity squared -- the most even season ever since all teams had Honda power and now a Dallara chassis.
Why it was going to be so even and so competitve that every race would probably be a photo finish between five or six cars.
Well, halfway through the 14-race schedule, it's been anything but equal as Team Penske and Target/Ganassi have humiliated the competition and turned the championship into a private party.
There have been 1,205 laps run so far in '06 and Sam Hornish Jr. (394), Dan Wheldon (345), Helio Castroneves (328) and Scott Dixon (56) have led 1,123 of them. They've combined to win all seven races. Castroneves, who leads the point standings, owns three wins while Hornish has two and Wheldon and Dixon one each.
As always, we take budget and experience into the grading curve, as well as how much I despise certain owners, but this mid-season report card was as easy as it is to look at Michael Andretti's new girlfriend.
So read on and take your punishment. NO WHINING. Save that for after the next race.
GRADE A
TEAM PENSKE: Hornish delivered Roger Penske's 14th Indy win in spectacular style and is in a great battle with Castroneves to try and finally deliver an IRL title for The Captain. Previous two years with Toyota made this team focus on mechnical grip and aerodynamics. It shows.
TARGET/GANASSI: With a little bit of luck, Wheldon would be in front of the pack with at least three wins but a cut tire at Indy and some bad pit strategy at Texas have left the '06 champ frustrated and in third place. He's proving to be Hornish's equal on ovals and don't count him out. Ditto for Dixon, whose rebirth is spelled H-O-N-D-A. Like Penske, Chip's boys have figured things out.
MARCO ANDRETTI: This precocious 19-year-old rookie nearly stole the Indy 500, was challening for the win at Watkins Glen, looked like a seasoned short-tracker at Richmond and in general has been everything his proud papa predicted.
GRADE B
PANTHER RACING: Vitor Meira is sick of finishing second but, considering this team had to go to Beneficial Finance in order to answer the bell, they've done a damn nice job. And this savvy little Brazilian will eventually make it into victory lane.
GRADE C-PLUS
FERNANDEZ RACING: Scott Sharp ran up front at Texas and Richmond, while teammate Kosuke Matsuura has been pleasantly competitive while keeping his nose surprisingly clean.
GRADE C
DREYER & REINBOLD: Ryan Briscoe's pinch-hit podium at Watkins Glen can't disguise the fact that Buddy Lazier is a backmarker.
FOYT RACING: A.J. is getting a new knee but competition is still a leg up on Super Tex, although Felipe Giaffone has run decent at times.
VISION RACING: Tomas Scheckter has helped Ed Carpenter but not his own career by moving to this team. Fast and frustrated, he probably longs for Panther.
GRADE D
RAHAL/LETTERMAN: No doubt that starting with Panoz chassis slowed progress but Buddy Rice has yet to regain his '04 form and Jeff Simmons just keeps crashing. No heroics yet from Danica Patrick like '05 but she drove quite well at Indy and has been most consistent of the three.
CHEEVER RACING: After a four-year layoff, Eddie Cheever came out of retirement. After seven races, he needs to quit again.
GRADE F
ANDRETTI/GREEN: No hugging or kissing in victory lane this year. Not much smiling to be honest because the most dominant team of 2004 and 2005 has pretty much been kicked to the side of the road. No wins, one pole and just a handful of leading laps. Tony Kanaan has been competitive (two podiums) while Dario Franchitti only looked strong at St. Pete and Richmond and Bryan Herta has struggled at all but a couple tracks.
INCOMPLETE
HEMELGARN RACING: Gee, remember that happy picture of Ron Hemelgarn, Carmello Anthony and Gene Simmons posing with rookie P.J. Chesson last April after announcing this dynamic new melding of racing, NBA star and rock legend? They closed the doors following Indy. Probably a blessing for Chesson.
THUMBS UP
TONY GEORGE: Used the Toyota buyout money to help field 13 of the 33 starters last May to keep that tradition alive.
HONDA: Didn't have a single engine failure during May and scored its 100th open wheel win last weekend.
MICHAEL ANDRETTI: Comes out of retirement, finishes third at Indianapolis and has now led more laps than four-time winner Rick Mears.
ROBIN MILLER: Predicted last March that Hornish would capture Indy, Castroneves the IRL championship and Penske and Ganassi would win EVERY race in 2006. Can you say 3-0?
THUMBS DOWN
RUSTY WALLACE: Called Indy the Daytona 500 with a couple laps to go and adds nothing to the IRL telecasts, including NASCAR fans. Have you seen the ratings?
GENE SIMMONS: I Am Mindy yet to crack the Top 40, TV ratings down and so is attendance. But KISS tour is doing well.
INDY STAR: Took some old news and concocted a story about IRL and Champ Car nearing a merger. It's simply not true right now and unification remains miles of details apart, although both sides have repeatedly said it will get done in time.
ROBIN MILLER: Predicted Marco Andretti wasn't ready for Indy cars. Nice call.
Why it was going to be so even and so competitve that every race would probably be a photo finish between five or six cars.
Well, halfway through the 14-race schedule, it's been anything but equal as Team Penske and Target/Ganassi have humiliated the competition and turned the championship into a private party.
There have been 1,205 laps run so far in '06 and Sam Hornish Jr. (394), Dan Wheldon (345), Helio Castroneves (328) and Scott Dixon (56) have led 1,123 of them. They've combined to win all seven races. Castroneves, who leads the point standings, owns three wins while Hornish has two and Wheldon and Dixon one each.
As always, we take budget and experience into the grading curve, as well as how much I despise certain owners, but this mid-season report card was as easy as it is to look at Michael Andretti's new girlfriend.
So read on and take your punishment. NO WHINING. Save that for after the next race.
GRADE A
TEAM PENSKE: Hornish delivered Roger Penske's 14th Indy win in spectacular style and is in a great battle with Castroneves to try and finally deliver an IRL title for The Captain. Previous two years with Toyota made this team focus on mechnical grip and aerodynamics. It shows.
TARGET/GANASSI: With a little bit of luck, Wheldon would be in front of the pack with at least three wins but a cut tire at Indy and some bad pit strategy at Texas have left the '06 champ frustrated and in third place. He's proving to be Hornish's equal on ovals and don't count him out. Ditto for Dixon, whose rebirth is spelled H-O-N-D-A. Like Penske, Chip's boys have figured things out.
MARCO ANDRETTI: This precocious 19-year-old rookie nearly stole the Indy 500, was challening for the win at Watkins Glen, looked like a seasoned short-tracker at Richmond and in general has been everything his proud papa predicted.
GRADE B
PANTHER RACING: Vitor Meira is sick of finishing second but, considering this team had to go to Beneficial Finance in order to answer the bell, they've done a damn nice job. And this savvy little Brazilian will eventually make it into victory lane.
GRADE C-PLUS
FERNANDEZ RACING: Scott Sharp ran up front at Texas and Richmond, while teammate Kosuke Matsuura has been pleasantly competitive while keeping his nose surprisingly clean.
GRADE C
DREYER & REINBOLD: Ryan Briscoe's pinch-hit podium at Watkins Glen can't disguise the fact that Buddy Lazier is a backmarker.
FOYT RACING: A.J. is getting a new knee but competition is still a leg up on Super Tex, although Felipe Giaffone has run decent at times.
VISION RACING: Tomas Scheckter has helped Ed Carpenter but not his own career by moving to this team. Fast and frustrated, he probably longs for Panther.
GRADE D
RAHAL/LETTERMAN: No doubt that starting with Panoz chassis slowed progress but Buddy Rice has yet to regain his '04 form and Jeff Simmons just keeps crashing. No heroics yet from Danica Patrick like '05 but she drove quite well at Indy and has been most consistent of the three.
CHEEVER RACING: After a four-year layoff, Eddie Cheever came out of retirement. After seven races, he needs to quit again.
GRADE F
ANDRETTI/GREEN: No hugging or kissing in victory lane this year. Not much smiling to be honest because the most dominant team of 2004 and 2005 has pretty much been kicked to the side of the road. No wins, one pole and just a handful of leading laps. Tony Kanaan has been competitive (two podiums) while Dario Franchitti only looked strong at St. Pete and Richmond and Bryan Herta has struggled at all but a couple tracks.
INCOMPLETE
HEMELGARN RACING: Gee, remember that happy picture of Ron Hemelgarn, Carmello Anthony and Gene Simmons posing with rookie P.J. Chesson last April after announcing this dynamic new melding of racing, NBA star and rock legend? They closed the doors following Indy. Probably a blessing for Chesson.
THUMBS UP
TONY GEORGE: Used the Toyota buyout money to help field 13 of the 33 starters last May to keep that tradition alive.
HONDA: Didn't have a single engine failure during May and scored its 100th open wheel win last weekend.
MICHAEL ANDRETTI: Comes out of retirement, finishes third at Indianapolis and has now led more laps than four-time winner Rick Mears.
ROBIN MILLER: Predicted last March that Hornish would capture Indy, Castroneves the IRL championship and Penske and Ganassi would win EVERY race in 2006. Can you say 3-0?
THUMBS DOWN
RUSTY WALLACE: Called Indy the Daytona 500 with a couple laps to go and adds nothing to the IRL telecasts, including NASCAR fans. Have you seen the ratings?
GENE SIMMONS: I Am Mindy yet to crack the Top 40, TV ratings down and so is attendance. But KISS tour is doing well.
INDY STAR: Took some old news and concocted a story about IRL and Champ Car nearing a merger. It's simply not true right now and unification remains miles of details apart, although both sides have repeatedly said it will get done in time.
ROBIN MILLER: Predicted Marco Andretti wasn't ready for Indy cars. Nice call.