Indy 500 Ray Harroun won the inaugural 500-mile race in 1911. It took him 6 hours, 42 minutes. His car, the Marmon Wasp, had what is believed to be the first rear-view mirror. He averaged 75 miles an hour. Yes. I know. Drivers today hit 80 on the interstate while using the rear-view mirror to apply makeup. But this was a hundred years ago, remember. The tradition of drinking milk after the race began in 1936 with winner Louis Meyer.
The hot rumor in both Charlotte and Indianapolis this week is that Danica Patrick is running in her last Indy 500 as a fulltime open-wheel driver, and that she’ll make the jump to NASCAR once and for all in 2012. Is it true? Perhaps, perhaps not, but here’s a clue: Patrick learned about this particular rumor from television. I don’t suppose that, by “television,” she means “reading TrogloPundit.
The buildup for Sunday's 100th anniversary Indianapolis 500 has been worthy of the historic occasion, and the stage is set for a classic event. By a consensus of observers and fans, the entry list for this year's race is the most impressive in years. Two days of qualifying provided plenty of drama, and some post-qualifying finagling to get a non-qualified driver into the field has stirred some controversy.
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