NASCAR: Danica succeeds even when she doesn’t

I find myself looking at the results.

It may not be Saturday night after the NASCAR Nationwide Series race. It might be Sunday, or Monday, or maybe even later in the week depending on how busy I am with my day job.

But I look at the results. Usually start in the lower half the top 10 and scroll down until I see the name.

“Danica Patrick.”

I never jumped on the Danica bandwagon. Always thought the attention she received was far greater than her talent commanded. Felt bad for better drivers who were lesser personalities.

Advertisement

Nothing fabricated about IndyCar’s championship

In a racing world where playoffs were created to ensure a close championship battle and maintain consumer interest, isn’t it ironic that the IndyCar Series may have the best championship of all?

Going into today’s final race of 2009 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Scott Dixon has the championship lead, teammate Dario Franchitti is five points off the pace, and Ryan Briscoe is eight points back. The series has averaged a new championship leader every other race this season.

There is nothing contrived about this battle for open wheel supremecy, nothing fabricated by artificial means or points. It will be decided in a 200-lap shootout on a 1.5-mile oval under the lights. One of those three men is going to win it, and he will earn it in the process.

Based on the whole season, not just a portion of it.

IRL: Tracy/Foyt pairing could be heaven and hell

This is what we’ve been waiting for.

Paul Tracy is driving for A.J. Foyt. Two men with take-no-prisoners attitudes.

This fusion of personalities may be what A.J. Foyt Enterprises has been waiting for. Darren Manning was surprisingly good on road courses last season for Foyt’s team. Vitor Meira may not match Manning on the road, but is a step up on ovals even if the team is a step behind everyone else.

Manning and Meira are extremely nice men.

Tracy is not.

IRL: No lack of drama with Tracy at Indy

Paul Tracy is back, and apparently, with a vengeance. It’s good to see PT spitting fire. The unofficial winner of the 2002 Indianapolis 500 — also known as the official loser — announced that he will be driving for KV Racing when that one-car team fields a second car at the Brickyard.

Short of Richard Petty driving in the 600-mile race at Charlotte, or Michael Schumacher making an appearance at Monaco, it is the most welcome sight of the Memorial Day Race Weekend.

With all due respect to Jimmy Spencer, Tracy is Mr. Excitement. Few drivers of any generation have created as much drama, whether it’s fighting with Alex Tagliani, drawing the ire of Sebastien Bourdais or choking his team owner — yep, it really happened — Tracy is passionate and doesn’t pull any punches.

Right or wrong, jackass or not, the 35-time winner and 2003 CART champion calls it the way he sees it.

“We’re not going to take the rookie orientation program,” he said at the IRL press conference in Long Beach.  “I don’t think they let past winners do that there.”

Ouch! He is the one guy Danica Patrick does not want to mess with.

NASCAR: Where is Carl Edwards’ head?

He is affable and handsome, although some might argue his teeth are too big and his smile Osmondesque.

He has a physique made for a fitness magazine, although that ESPN cover photo was kind of creepy.

He also has a lead foot that could give him a NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship.

But this dark side of Carl Edwards seems to be emerging.

Enormously talented and a man who appeared to be a PR flak’s dream, Edwards has found himself in the midst of controversy recently, and it’s largely his own doing. Like Danica Patrick in the Indy Racing League, Edwards seems to feel — or is at least acting — like the world owes him something.

Some might ask who made him king. Worse, they might ask who made him a prima donna.