photo by Bob Jennings

"The 500. The 500. The greatest race in the world. From the opening bomb till the race is done, it's thrill after thrill after thrill." - Joe Jordan

The 87th "Indianapolis 500" was like a more traditional version of the "greatest spectacle in racing," with a personality not unlike one of those races in May, back in the glory days of Rodger Ward, Jim Rathmann, A.J. Foyt, Parnelli Jones, Bobby Unser, Mario Andretti, Al Unser and Johnny Rutherford. 

There wasn't a spectacular finish with fractions of a second determining the victory like Gordon Johncock versus Rick Mears in 1982 or Al Unser Jr. versus Scott Goodyear in 1992, when the difference at the flag was a couple feet. There wasn't the continuous wheel to wheel combat we have become accustomed to in recent years in Indy Racing League competition. There wasn't high drama near the end of the contest (Emerson Fittipaldi versus Little Al in the 1989 "500") or post race controversy like Bobby Unser's penalty in 1981. But the finish was third closest and the nearest "one-two-three" (less than the distance between Bobby Rahal, Kevin Cogan and Rick Mears in 1986) result in race history. Throughout the 500 miles, there were examples of superior race craft, one of which proved decisive in the end. 

Unlike the controversy surrounding the finish of the 86th "Indianapolis 500," when the race winner was uncertain until more than one month later, after Tony George upheld Brian Barnhart's decision to call the finish in favor of Helio Castroneves over Paul Tracy, the defining moment of the 87th classic was more subtle. On lap 170, Gil de Ferran maneuvered Helio Castroneves behind the slower car of A.J. Foyt IV to take the lead for the first time in the contest. From then on, the quiet Brazilian controlled the pace and beat his fellow Brazilian and more celebrated and flamboyant Marlboro Team Penske teammate to the checkered flag by .299 seconds.

de Ferran's long anticipated "Indianapolis 500" victory was one of the more deserved wins in recent years in the "greatest spectacle in racing." Roger Penske solidified his vice grip on the "500." Gil's win brought "the Captain" victory number thirteen. It was the first time however, that Penske's cars have won at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in May, three years in succession. That accomplishment occurred once previously when owner Lou Moore's Blue Crown Specials won in 1947 and 1948 with Mauri Rose and in 1949 with Bill Holland. 

My original intention was to do an "Indianapolis 500" pre race forecast like I did for last year's 86th running.  But I ran out of time. I was still working on that piece as late as 2 1/2 hours before the start of this year's "500." Like most everyone, I lead a busy life filled with family, work and my routine now includes a class at a local university campus, to learn one of the newer computer languages. As the "500" developed at the Speedway, I made the transition from unfinished pre-race commentary to post-race reflection in my mind and wiped away self imposed obligations, which gave me a strange sense of freedom. I guess that says where bits and pieces of this "composition" originated.

Watching Tomas Scheckter lead the "500" for a race high 63 laps reminded me of last year's event, when he led for 85 laps and looked set to win until his crash on lap 173. It was the high point of this year's "500" for me. I really thought it was the 22 year old South African's race to win at half distance.

In my mind, I started composing pieces for this website like "the new Vukovich" and things like that in reaction to Scheckter's sensational pass on Helio Castroneves for second on lap 67. A few moments later when Tomas made his move past Michael Andretti for the lead on lap 68, the ideas really began bouncing around in my head. 

I even did a celebratory dance (sort of an uncoordinated Irish jig) for my wife on the "non-alcoholic, family" spectator mounds at the south end of the backstretch about lap 120 when Tomas was flying by at 228 mph and pulling away from second place Helio at a rapid rate. My exuberance might explain why there were police officers standing around us most of the race, looking at me suspiciously. Maybe they thought I was drunk but it wasn't until after the race, as we walked back to my car, that the wife and I shared a "biggie" can of Fosters lager, which was the only liquor of the day.     

As Tomas ran away from Castroneves during the middle section of the race, I was in race fan's heaven, watching what I hoped would be a "Bill Vukovich like" run to victory by young Scheckter, who is certainly one of my contemporary favorites, like his father was 25 years ago. 

A Scheckter win in the "Indianapolis 500" wasn't in the books this time however and the car 10 Target Chip Ganassi Racing G Force - Toyota didn't have enough to beat Marlboro Team Penske at the end. But I was energized by the kid's performance and I'll wear my Tomas Scheckter tee shirt and put his photo on the current home page of Bob Jennings' World O' Racing to celebrate the young South African's pure speed at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. "Indianapolis 500" victory is coming to Tomas Scheckter and it won't be long before that happens I predict. 

Of course an "Indianapolis 500" win for Scheckter is always dependent on his having a ride with one of the top Indy car teams. With the tempestuous South African, tearing up race cars is always a challenge to any future considerations. Tomas crashed in six events during the 2002 IRL season. So far during 2003, he crashed out of races in Phoenix and Japan and also crashed one of Chip Ganassi's Target G Force - Toyotas at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway during testing in April and in testing at Richmond International Raceway on Friday May 30. 

One can wonder when Chip Ganassi will begin complaining about Tomas' crashes like Eddie Cheever did during the 2002 season. My perception is the South African needs a big victory soon to please Chip Ganassi.  

Speaking of good things coming to Tomas Scheckter, did you catch that gorgeous lady watching in admiration while the 22 year old fourth place "500" finisher was at the podium during the local telecast of the race victory celebration on Monday May 26? I had the impression the attractive (an understatement to say the least) miss (talk about the late Tammy Wynette's twins) was Scheckter's date for the evening. If so, perhaps it can be assumed "Jody's boy" has talents that transcend racing. 

In my opinion, Scheckter's "friend" qualified on "pole position" for the evening, as my late mentor and friend Guy Nadeau used to say when determining who the best looking female we had seen in an evening of traveling bars on Rush and Division Streets in Chicago during the late 1970s.

This was the first time my wife and I watched the "Indianapolis 500" together and we had a good time on the spectator mounds at the south end of the backstretch. In fact it was probably the best time we had in a long while. Perhaps that was the most rewarding part of the day for me. Hopefully watching the "500" with her will help make it easier for my lady to share my passion for racing. Sharing the "500" and spending a nice day with Mrs. Jennings somewhat compensates for the disappointing photos I'm now reviewing from my 48th "500" race day, but that's another story. 

It's been a particularly challenging May for the IMS management. Prior to the 87th "Indianapolis 500," I went to the Speedway six times to watch "500" practice, pole day qualifications and the final two hour practice period known as "carb day." The crowds were small at the Speedway each time, in what has been a continuing trend over the past few years. But unlike recent Mays when the turnout for practice and qualifications was low but the "500" was a sellout, there were seats available for the race from the IMS ticket office on race day this time. 

In a recent article on the ESPN racing website, Robin Miller (dirt bag that he is) wrote there were probably 10,000 to 12,000 empty seats and that may be accurate. Actually 12,000 empty seats out of more than 250,000 isn't too bad given the economic problems that seem to endlessly drag on. 

I did see patches of empty seats at the north end of the Speedway from an overhead shot. However that shot was taken during Dan Wheldon's crash, which occurred late in the race on lap 186. Perhaps the people occupying some of those empty seats might've left the race early because they already surmised a Penske car was going to win by that time and still aren't fond of "the Captain." Whatever the reasons, I find it disturbing to see easily visible empty seats anywhere at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway when the "500" is being run.   

At the same time, it appeared there was a last minute resurgence in interest in the 87th "Indianapolis 500" because there were numerous traffic jams near the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on race day and the crowd watching the race from the infield was heavier than it has been in years. Perhaps that says people wanted to go to the race but couldn't afford to pay big prices to watch. I know I couldn't afford it this year to pay a lot of money for good seats for the "500," not that I want to sit in the grandstands anyway. 

The only crowd estimate at the Speedway, for "500" race day, I have read about so far was 300,000, reported by Curt Cavin in The Indianapolis Star. 300,000 people is still the largest crowd for any event anywhere in the world, let alone for a racing event. By comparison, the "Daytona 500" draws something like 150,000 to 175,000. Next to the "Brickyard 400," which has yet to sell out for this year's event, which will be run in approximately two months, the Winston Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway annually brings in NASCAR's second highest number of people (after the "Brickyard 400"), somewhere in the 210,000 range.   

Still there were obvious signs the "Indianapolis 500" isn't the attraction it used to be and a lot of people were talking about it during last month's activities, public and private. I heard various reasons given for the drop in popularity for the race. 

The lousy economy, especially in Indiana, is a big reason I'm sure. Times are worse than I have seen in my 56 years. Jobs are scarce and money is tight across the country but it seems to show even more in my state. Indiana leads the nation in bankruptcies and home foreclosures. 

A place where I used to take comfort, with its predictable but intriguing mixture of rural farmlands and the promise of a growing urban giant in Indianapolis, traditions of auto racing and basketball, beautiful heartland spring time and autumn seasons and memories of growing up, is now a stagnant source of disappointment to me.       

What was once a vibrant, growing metropolitan Indianapolis community in the early to mid 1980s, has become a place that has essentially "hit the wall" in terms of opportunity and growth. When I used to hear longtime WIBC radio newscaster Fred Heckman refer to "my town Indy," I felt pride and a desire to play a part in the city of my birth. Today I feel very vulnerable to the changing movement in the local environment, a direction which points downward for a majority of people.

Nearly five years ago when I returned home to live and work, I felt excitement and anticipation to be back in the familiar surroundings of my birth and childhood after spending a total of 22 adult years away from home. That previous sense of pride and anticipation is replaced today with concern and anxiety.  

We Hoosiers are the victims of very poor government at the state level. Thanks to governors Robert Orr (Republican), Evan Bayh (Democrat) and Frank O'Bannon (Democrat) and all the self serving legislators (both Republicans and Democrats) over the years for letting Indiana fall into the mess it's in. We lost our big home town banking institutions a number of insurance firms  and numerous manufacturing operations to other states, due in a large part to public mismanagement. What a bunch of political "misfits' we people of Indiana have had to endure. It makes me want to vomit!

In the case of Conseco, personal greed and ego on the part of Steve Hilbert, Gary Wendt and those who followed in the lead roles, brought down what was once a growing and dynamic financial corporation which enhanced life in metro Indianapolis in a big way. As much as any other consideration, the emergence of Conseco was a reason for the parallel emergence of the home town of my youth, Carmel, Indiana, from a semi-rural crossroads (but sprawling) village sitting on the north central edge of Indianapolis into a model community for all of Indiana.

Our political leaders at every level, from the people in Washington to city councils, in the smallest rural community, just don't get it. Special interests run the show and it's not a good time to be a little guy. That times are so difficult for so many people had to play a big part in the drop in interest at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway last month.  

Can the public believe anyone today? The corporate sector often seems to be as corrupt as the political arena. Shame on all of you at Enron, WorldCom, Tyco, ImClone and you too Martha Stewart. My question is when are some of the Enron crooks like Ken Lay, Andy Fastow and Wendy Gramm going to jail? They should seize property and give the money to those who lost their retirement savings. I wonder if the Bush Administration is prosecuting the Enron cases as vigorously as it should? Former Texas Senator Phil Gramm (Wendy's husband), you are as big a turd as Bill Clinton!

If the private fan has been hit hard enough to influence whether he or she spends money on the "Indianapolis 500," the corporate community has lessened the amount of money it spends in May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway too, especially in these tough economic times. I was surprised to read last month that Eli Lilly, the largest corporate presence in the Indianapolis area, hasn't spent money on the "Indianapolis 500" since 1999. Lilly prefers to spend its racing money on CART. Go figure! What that translates into is the purchase (or not) of large blocks of tickets to the "500" and the rental of hospitality suites.  

It's more than the economy however. Some people still point to the split in open wheel racing in 1996 as a big reason for a decline in interest in the "Indianapolis 500." I discount that for the primary reason that nearly all the major players in CART not only returned to the "Indianapolis 500" but also moved to the Indy Racing League. Carl Haas, Pat Patrick, Gerry Forsythe and Paul Tracy held out, but nearly every other anyone who is anybody in major league open wheel Indy car style racing competition was on the starting grid  for 87th "500." 

I was impressed by the 68,000 people who attended the CART race in mid May at the Eurospeedway in Germany. No doubt, there are road racing fans who became interested in Indy car racing because of CART's focus away from ovals and were turned off by the break with CART at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1996. But there are many times more grass roots racing fans who turned away from the Indy cars for NASCAR because of the very same developments that drew the support from those who turned to CART. Those facts are indisputable. 

My opinion is the CART - IRL split plays a smaller part in this equation than the fact that NASCAR has become the racing series of choice for so many who used to be Indy car fans. Earl and Edna in Brownsburg, Indiana or the guy in Albion, Michigan, who used to make the first day of "Indianapolis 500" qualifications and the race itself an annual tradition with his buddies, is more likely following the weekly adventures of Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Kurt Busch, Rusty Wallace or Jimmie Johnson these days than how Helio, Gil, the other boys from Brazil, Sarah, Sam, Little Al  and the other players do in May at the Speedway.

Why is that? It can't be said that the guys (and gal) who raced in the 87th "500" aren't mostly terrific racers. This was a good group, perhaps one of the very best to assemble for "Indy." So what's the problem?

It's called personality. For whatever reason, mainstream America doesn't dig our current Indy car heroes. They don't identify with them. I was watching the Dave Despain late night call in program Wind Tunnel on the Speed Channel (good show) on Friday May 23. Despain, who's entertaining in a "nerdy" way, has been on the racing scene in a variety of media slots for a long time. During one segment, when he was discussing the "Indianapolis 500" and open wheel racing with Derek Daly, Despain made a couple references to the World Wrestling Federation "WWF" personality NASCAR has developed, with good guys, bad guys and the like.

I think that's an accurate characterization and quite likely why NASCAR has prospered and Indy car racing is struggling. I have been following this sport since 1955 in a very intense manner. Honestly, I have never seen better racing any where at any time than what I saw in the Indy Racing League last season. It's been widely acknowledged by many throughout the sport, the IRL formula for Indy cars works like no other in the history of the sport to make an entertaining show. 

However that doesn't seem to matter because NASCAR fans watch to see how their favorites are doing each weekend. A NASCAR race can be crap but that doesn't matter as long as the guy who buys the ticket gets to see the racer he identifies with in the event, win or lose.

There can be sleek aerodynamic missiles racing wheel to wheel for hours at 220 mph and a lot of people don't care. At the same time, you have race cars that are shaped like cereal or laundry    detergent boxes and look like billboards on wheels, racing fifty mph slower and the fans come to the races by the hundreds of thousands and hundreds of millions more watch on TV every weekend for 36 weekends each year. Why? Because they have heroes in the latter and little personal identification with the competitors in the former.  

On the Despain Wind Tunnel telecast, Derek Daly made an interesting comment which underlines the point I'm trying to make. Daly said the biggest challenge for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indy Racing League is to give fans an emotional and "compulsive" reason to return to the 2.5 mile oval in May. Derek Daly is correct in his assessment.  

For the grass roots American racing fan, it might be a turnoff that the highest placed American driver in the 87th "Indianapolis 500" was sixth place finisher Alex Barron. Drivers from Brazil swept the first three places. A South African finished fourth and a driver from Japan, who can barely speak English, was the fifth place driver. Each and every one of the top five in the "500," Gil de Ferran, Helio Castroneves, Tony Kanaan, Tomas Scheckter and Tora Takagi are outstanding racing talents. But are they drivers that Earl and Edna in Brownsburg, Indiana or the guy in Albion, Michigan, who used to make the first day of "Indianapolis 500" qualifications and the race itself an annual tradition with his buddies, feel a compulsion to watch race?  

As the 87th "500" progressed into it's final twenty laps, I saw people around me on the spectator mounds packing up to leave and there was a steady stream of cars passing by on the access road, that runs between the golf course and the backstretch, to exit the Speedway.

Obviously those people wanted to beat the crowd out of the Speedway. But it still seemed odd to me that people who had taken the trouble and expense to come to the race would leave before it had been decided. I could understand why they might do this in May 2000 when Juan Montoya led 170 laps and thoroughly dominated the race. But this time, there was Helio Castroneves in a strong position to win for an unprecedented third straight time and the first six or seven cars were running within car lengths of one another, each with an obvious opportunity for victory. 

Another possible reason for small crowds throughout May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, that has even been mentioned by Tony George, is that May is no longer the only time fans can come to the track to watch race cars. They can come in August for the "Brickyard 400" and again in September for Formula One. 

That notion makes sense. I have always known that a large number of people who visited the Indianapolis Motor Speedway each May were casual racing fans, probably more curious about what was going on than what was happening on the race track. In current times, if people can't get out to the track in May, they can now go to the Speedway in August or September when the weather is probably going to be better anyway.    

I received the following interesting e-mail recently, which might shed some light on why one group of fans have turned away from the "Indianapolis 500" in recent years. This viewpoint has nothing to do with the piss poor economy, the Indy car split with CART, the rise of NASCAR or who the "500" drivers are:

I enjoy the colorful use of words and phrases in this viewpoint. 

My perception is the writer misses the days of innovation at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, when Andy Granatelli showed up with his STP turbines in the late 1960s, Smoky Yunick brought the side car in 1964 or the annual appearances of the legendary Novis perhaps. Taking a unique approach to the "Indianapolis 500" and creating an entirely original type of race car is one of the traditions that built the race. Unfortunately, the innovative aspect of competition at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is probably one component in the mix of problems that can't be addressed. The economic realities of life in the year 2003 sadly but likely precludes the return of the times which generated emotions expressed in such an entertaining way by M. Geer. 

Ironically, and this may be the most relevant reason for less popularity for the "Indianapolis 500," times change and so do people. My generation, the post war baby boomers, who were the group which supported the "500" during its most significant period of growth from the end of the roadster era in the late 1950s, through the Jim Clark, Lotus - Ford - rear engine revolution era of the 1960s, to the days of A.J., the Unser brothers, Mario, Lone Star JR, Gordy Johncock, Rocket Rick and Emmo, have gotten older. It's a hassle to go to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and we don't have the energy like we used to. So we stay home and watch on TV. I stayed home on "500" bump day and watched on television and I'm a fanatic.

The young people today, who in earlier times would've partied, gotten drunk or had sex (or all three) in the "snakepit," have different ideas about what's fun and there is no "snakepit" any more. I saw one young fellow wearing a black tee shirt with the phrase "show me your ---" on race day at the Speedway. But I didn't see any "girls gone wild" granting his wish. It's a different culture with different priorities. Members of the new youth culture can race a virtual "Indy 500" themselves on Sony Playstation 2. Why should they go to watch other "dudes" they care nothing about, race on the track?

That said.

During the continuous TV coverage of "500" qualifications on ABC, ESPN and ESPN2 on "bump day," Bob Jenkins gave a passionate statement regarding the negative comments surrounding the 87th running of the race. Jenkins reminded us there would still be the largest crowd in racing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 25 and the "500" remains the most famous racing event in the world, even with recent problems.

I agree with Jenkins. The "Indianapolis 500" is still racing's biggest and most famous show. Regardless of whether the "Daytona 500" has richer prize money, Formula One is more expensive and exclusive and despite the fact the "500" failed to sell out prior to May for the first time since the early 1980s, there is no place in the world where racing history can be made easier than the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on the day of the "Indianapolis 500." There is no theater with more drama than the Speedway on "500" race day. 

There is no place where memories can be created easier than the "Indianapolis 500." 

I can reach back into the recesses of my mind and pull out memories of the "Indianapolis 500" that start my heart beating at race day speeds even though they might date nearly 50 years. Here's a specific example. After work Friday May 30, I met my buddy Bill Correll at Max & Erma's at Meridian Street and Carmel Drive. 

Along the wall, behind the bar at this Max & Erma's is a mural size photo of Al Unser in the Johnny Lightning Special, taken the morning following Big Al's second consecutive "Indianapolis 500" win in May 1971. Whenever I look at that photo, a flood of wonderful memories come rushing into my mind. Of course the Big Al's win in the 1971 race was one of my finer racing moments but regardless, only the "Indianapolis 500" can do this for me.

There was a somewhat easy to follow pattern to the 87th "500." Helio Castroneves jumped into the lead at the start of the "500" from pole position with Tony Kanaan in chase. Yellow flags dictated the ebb and flow of the "500" during the early laps. A blown engine in Billy Boat's Pedigo Panther Racing Dallara - Chevrolet, on lap nine, prompted three of the four entries from Andretti Green Racing to pit out of sequence, as Tony Kanaan, Robby Gordon and Michael Andretti came in for tires and fuel.

Seven laps later Sarah Fisher blew another Chevy engine, sending car 23 into the wall in turn three and bringing out another yellow. The following lap most of the other leaders, with the exception of Scott Dixon, came to the pits. That allowed the young New Zealand driver to assume first place until Andretti passed Scott on lap 31.

For a time, Tom Carnegie reminded us over the Speedway public address this was Michael Andretti's final race as a driver and last opportunity to win the "Indianapolis 500," as the Team 7-Eleven Dallara - Honda ran in first place. Andretti remained in front until he pitted on lap 50, which handed the lead to Michael's "premier" employee Kanaan.

During the pit stop cycle, Tomas Scheckter moved into first and remained there until he stopped on lap 58, which enabled Andretti to resume his earlier run at the front. However by this point in the race, the South African in the number 10 Target Chip Ganassi G Force - Toyota became the man to beat for a lot of laps anyway. 

On a lap 67 restart, after a crash involving Richie Hearn and Jaques Lazier, Michael Andretti led into the first turn. In turn three, Tomas moved inside Castroneves to grab second. By the time Andretti crossed the line, he had 1.0413 seconds on Scheckter. But car 10 was flying and he buzzed past Andretti for the lead going into turn one. 

Seeing Scheckter's assault on Andretti, later on TV, brought back memories of the start of the 1992 "Indianapolis 500," when Michael and his dad put a similar move on Eddie Cheever.

Pole sitter Roberto Guerrero hit the wall on the pace lap and when the 1992 race actually started, Cheever was bringing the field down for the start from his second position on the grid at a relatively slow but orderly pace. When the green flag dropped, Papa Mario moved inside of Cheever's Target Scotch Video Chip Ganassi Lola - Ford, with his white and black K Mart/Texaco Newman Haas Lola - Ford, while son Michael went around the outside of Cheever, in his own K Mart/Texaco Newman Haas Lola - Ford.    

The Andrettis, father and son, flew by a surprised Cheever like Eddie was standing still. By the time the three cars hit the south chute, Michael had a decisive advantage with his father following. In this year's race, eleven years later, it was like a role reversal. Michael Andretti was almost as docile when Tomas Scheckter flew by in 2003 as Eddie Cheever had been for Michael in the 1992 "500."     

Within a couple laps of the exchange of the lead from Andretti to Scheckter, Castroneves moved past Michael and back into second place. It was during this segment of the race in which I jumped into a realm of elation watching Tomas pull away from the two time defending "Indianapolis 500" champion. With nearly each successive lap, Helio fell further away from Scheckter and I was proclaiming to my wife and all who could hear that if Scheckter didn't experience problems, the race was his.

The Target Ganassi number 10 made its third (of five) pit stop on lap 95, allowing Castroneves to move back into first place. About the same time, Andretti limped to the pits and the 7-Eleven Dallara - Honda number 7 was through for the day. I guess you can't beat that "old" Andretti bad luck at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

When Castroneves stopped on lap 100, Jimmy Vasser, the lone CART representative in the 87th "Indianapolis 500," assumed the lead for a single circuit in the number 19 Argent Dallara - Honda from Team Rahal. 

Vasser didn't arrive at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway until after the first week of qualifications because he was racing in the CART event in Germany. I liked the look of Jimmy's race car, which was painted in regal dark metallic blue and white colors. In my opinion, it was among the nicest looking cars at the Speedway this May. 

Vasser was one of the drivers who made an early out of sequence pit stop on lap ten, during the caution period resulting from Billy Boat's blown engine. That enabled the 1996 CART champion to move up among the front runners and he did a good job of parlaying pit stop cycles into track position.

Once the mid race pit sequence completed, Tomas Scheckter was back in first place and looking once again like he had things under control. There was another yellow on lap 104, when Vasser's "classic" dark blue and white car 19 (I didn't think Bobby Rahal had such good taste) began smoking on the backstretch with a failing gearbox. When the green flag waved on lap 109, Scheckter resumed his pace with Castroneves giving chase. 

As the race moved into its second half, the order of the leaders was Scheckter, Castroneves, Gil de Ferran, Tony Kanaan, Dan Wheldon, Tora Takagi, Alex Barron, Tony Renna, Scott Sharp and Robby Gordon. Although there was about 1.5 seconds between the top four cars, Tomas was still looking like a solid bet to win.

The yellow flag came back out on lap 127 (the sixth caution period of nine during the race) when Airton Dare crashed in turn two. On lap 128, the leaders came to the pits together. This was the unfortunate moment when the 87th "Indianapolis 500" fell out of Tomas Scheckter's grasp. 

Nearly two weeks after the "500" was run, I still haven't determined what happened to Scheckter's car during the final 75 laps of the race. Castroneves beat the Target Ganassi car 10 out of the pits and after that, the South African was unable to recapture his earlier pace. 

While I was watching the ABC telecast later on race night, I discovered the engine cover was coming loose on the number 10 car during the mid point of the "500," when Scheckter was running so quickly and pulling away from Helio. But it doesn't appear that was a problem for Tomas in the final third of the race. So what happened?

Whatever happened to Scheckter's car, what had looked like a "world beater" racing machine a few laps earlier, became just another car within a short time. The green flag waved again on lap 134 with Castroneves leading Tomas into turn one. But de Ferran made a "bravo" pass on the outside in the southwest corner to pass car 10 and move into second place. By the time they got to turn three, on the same lap, Kanaan went inside Scheckter to grab third place.

Tomas remained close to the three cars running in front of him. On lap 136, the top six drivers ran within 1.6 seconds of each other. That's about as good as it got for Scheckter for the rest of the race however. Tomas led for one more lap (lap 167) during the final pit stop cycle, but at times he had to fight off the challenges from Takagi to maintain fourth position.

So in the crucial stages of the 87th "Indianapolis 500," when it counted, the race was there for Roger Penske to reach out and grab and grab "the Captain" did. The only question was whether Helio Castroneves would win a historic unprecedented third consecutive "500" or Gil de Ferran, the unacknowledged Marlboro Team Penske team leader, who had stood graciously in his younger Marlboro Team Penske teammate's shadow for two years, would claim his first victory in the big race.

My wife, who didn't pay a lot of attention to the pre-race activity at the Speedway in May, but knew about Castroneves' bid for three straight wins, informed me Helio was going to win, as the race progressed into it's final phase. It looked that way to me too. de Ferran continued his chase but Helio managed to maintain something like a half second advantage on de Ferran for the next several laps. 

It wouldn't have bothered me if Helio Castroneves had become the first driver to score wins in three consecutive runnings of the "Indianapolis 500." Castroneves is a neat guy, full of joy and good for the "Indianapolis 500." You can't argue that his record is the best all time, percentage wise anyway, in the "500." Helio's courage in grabbing the pole for the "Indianapolis 500" on a cold, windy and treacherous Sunday May 11, more or less made him look deserving in my eyes. Going into the 87th "500",  Castroneves looked like the best bet to win in a very talented field of competitors to me.    

But going against Gil de Ferran as a potential winner would've been tough too!    

I remember five years ago when Gil de Ferran turned me off as much as anyone in racing. de Ferran was driving the Valvoline cars for Derrick Walker back then and I thought he was the original "klutz." When de Ferran plowed into the back of Christian Fittipaldi at the Surfers Paradise (maybe it was Long Beach. Who cares? CART was so much crap in my mind by then) early in the 1997 season, I thought the guy was an absolute idiot.

My opinion has changed in the years since however. The turning point came late in the 2001 CART season, when de Ferran caught and passed Kenny Brack in the final corner on the final lap to win the race at the oval in Rockingham, England.

Now de Ferran is one of the top Indy Racing League guys, so I'm all for him. Ain't I a hypocrite? Seriously though, when Gil put Helio behind the slower car driven by A.J. Foyt IV on lap 170, to take the lead for the first time in the 87th "Indianapolis 500," I felt like justice was being served in a sense. It wasn't unlike the feeling I had when A.J. Foyt became the first four time winner of the race or when Tom Sneva won in 1983. 

It was something you expected to happen sooner or later. You have to give de Ferran credit too. He held off a pesky Castroneves over the final thirty laps and Helio was all over de Ferran too. That period included having to contend with three restarts, on lap 175 (Robby Gordon tow in), lap 186 (Scott Sharp crash in turn one) and lap 194 (Dan Wheldon's crash and Scott Dixon's spin). 

From my vantage point, at the south end of the backstretch, it appeared that Castroneves was moving inside de Ferran, heading into turn three on lap 199. Gil was equal to the task of holding off not only Helio, but also Kanaan, Scheckter and Takagi, who were all running in a close single file formation to the checkered flag. I hoped Scheckter could get the jump during the three final restarts but it didn't happen. Neither Tomas nor Tony Kanaan's Honda had anything for the Brazilian duo from Marlboro Team Penske in the final laps on May 25.

So de Ferran's victory in the 87th "Indianapolis 500" can be classified as one of those "strongest car wins" category, which seems to happen only about forty percent of the time. Castroneves' win last May falls into the "race of opportunity" class, but Helio's first "500" win in 2001 was of a similar nature to de Ferran's triumph this year.

de Ferran expressed more emotion after winning than I expected. Gil said the Indianapolis victory means more than both of his CART championships. The win had to be almost as much a relief as it was a reason to celebrate for the Brazilian racer. Think about it. de Ferran stood by while Castroneves won twice in his first two attempts and then highlighted this May with a run for pole position on a cold, windy Sunday May 11. But Gil handled all thee situations with grace and style.

Speaking of style, how about Castroneves climbing the fence with de Ferran to celebrate Gil's victory? Helio had to hurt after watching an opportunity to become the first man to "three peat" at "Indy" go away. But he hid his disappointment well and shared in the de Ferran celebration being as gracious as Gil was in 2001 and 2002.

Roger Penske - king of Indy! What in the world is it about Roger Penske which damn near guarantees victory in the "Indianapolis 500" each year? It doesn't matter whether it's the 1980s, the 1990s or the 21st century, Penske wins in Indianapolis in May.               

There have been other guys who appeared to have a lock on the "Indianapolis 500" throughout the 87 runnings of the "greatest spectacle in racing." Before my time, during the early years of the "Indianapolis 500," Harry Miller was a "king maker" at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. In the 1920s Miller battled the Duesenberg brothers on an almost annual basis in May. 

In the years preceding and following World War II, Lou Moore seemed to possess the secrets of mastery in the "500." Moore's Noc Out Hose Clamp Special Wetteroth - Offy number 16 started seventeenth in the 1941 "Indianapolis 500" with Floyd Davis driving. But Mauri Rose brought the same car to the checkered flag in first position. Then in three consecutive years, from 1947 through 1949, the legendary Blue Crown Spark Plug Specials won the "500" for Lou Moore, with Rose winning the first two years and Bill Holland winning the 1949 race.  

The late Bill Vukovich probably better understood how to win the "Indianapolis 500" than any other driver in the history of the race. Vukovich led 150 laps in his second "500" appearance in 1952 and was leading the race when the steering failed on Howard Keck's Fuel Injection Special number 26 and the car hit the wall with only nine laps remaining in the event. With the same KK500A he had driven the previous year, now painted an almost olive shade of gray paint instead of the blue from the 1952 race and the number 26, from the year before, being replaced with number 14, Vuky led 195 laps in the 1953 "500" on the way to one of the most dominating victories in the history of the event.

For 1954, Keck's Fuel Injection Special was repainted in a lighter "mouse" gray shade and Vukovich only qualified 19th. The "Mad Russian," as the Fresno, California driver was called, was not to be denied however and he led ninety laps on the way to a second consecutive Indianapolis win.

More than likely, "Vuky" would've won the 1955 "Indianapolis 500" in Lindsey Hopkins' KK500C - Offy number 4. Vukovich was running in front on lap 57, having led fifty laps already, when he encountered a three car melee at the south end of the backstretch. The metallic blue Hopkins Special went end over end so many times there's never been an accurate count of how many times the car flipped. Vukovich ended up outside the track with much of his head missing and his story over, except in the history  books.

Bob Sweikert won the 1955 "500" that claimed Bill Vukovich, driving the John Zink Special number 6 KK500C prepared by A.J. Watson of Glendale, California. The next May, Watson returned with a new John Zink Special, which he built himself. Pat Flaherty qualified on pole position for the 1956 "500" and then took the car to victory in convincing fashion.

After the 1957 and 1958 races, in which George Salih's "lay down Offy" Epperly roadster won with Sam Hanks and Jimmy Bryan respectively, A.J. Watson resumed his dominance at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Watson left the John Zink team after the 1958 season to run the new Leader Card Racers operation formed by Milwaukee sportsman Bob Wilke. Rodger Ward was the driver and won the 1959 "500." But A.J. Watson also built other versions of his beautiful front engine roadsters for sale to other Indy car racing owners. Jim Rathmann finished second to Ward in the 1959 race, in another Watson creation.

The following year, Jim Rathmann won the "500" in a customer Watson car, beating Rodger Ward in the "house" Leader Card 500 Roadster which was also built and prepared by A.J. Watson. Ward came back to win for Watson and Wilke in the 1962 "500." To punctuate the dominance of A.J. Watson at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Parnelli Jones and A.J. Foyt won the "500" in 1963 and 1964, in heavily modified cars, but they were still originally built by Watson.  

George Bignotti came to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1954 or 1955. By 1961, he had his first "Indianapolis 500" victory, when A.J. Foyt won in an A.J. Watson copy Bowes Seal Fast Special built by veteran Indy car mechanic Floyd Trevis. Three years later, Bignotti had another "500" win with Foyt. 

Foyt and Bignotti broke up midway through the 1965 season. Bignotti went to work for John Mecom, preparing three new Lolas for the 1966 "500," to be driven by Rodger Ward and Formula One stars Jackie Stewart and Graham Hill. Hill was a surprise and opportunistic winner but nevertheless victorious for Bignotti in the "Indianapolis 500."

George Bignotti began racing with Al Unser in the Indy car races following the 1966 "Indianapolis 500." For 1969, Bignotti took the younger Unser brother to the new Vel's Parnelli Jones Racing team. By the end of that season, Unser was nearly unbeatable in a 1968 four wheel drive Lola, powered by a turbocharged Indy Ford V8 engine and prepared by Bignotti. For the 1970 season, Bignotti built copies of the 1968 Lola to conform to the ban on four wheel drive for Parnelli, Miletich and Unser. These cars were the Johnny Lightning 500 PJ Colt - turbo Fords. 

Al Unser won the 1970 "Indianapolis 500," with the Johnny Lightning car leading all but ten laps of the race. Al won nine other races during the 1970 Indy car season and was the 1970 USAC series champion. An enhanced version of the 1970 Bignotti built Johnny Lightning Colt - Ford won the "500" again in 1971, with Al at the wheel.

After the 1972 season, Bignotti left Vel's Parnelli Jones Racing for Pat Patrick's team and its stable of red STP Eagle - Offies. Johncock won the 1973 "500" in one of the Bignotti prepared Patrick Racing STP Eagles. Bignotti continued with Patrick Racing through the 1980 season, running Wildcat racers of his own construction. Johncock won the 1976 Indy car title for Patrick and Bignotti. By 1975, Bignotti's cars at Patrick Racing were even racing with a "home grown" version of the four cylinder Offy called the DGS (Drake Goosen Sparks) engine and doing so competitively. 

In 1981, Bignotti joined with Chicago racing enthusiast Dan Cotter to enter March - Cosworths for Tom Sneva. Texaco came on board for 1982 and in 1983, George Bignotti earned his seventh career "Indianapolis 500" win with Sneva driving. Who did Bignotti beat in his final "500" victory? It was Roger Penske, who ran the second and third place cars driven by Al Unser and Rick Mears.  

None of the racing geniuses I referred to, not Harry Miller, nor Lou Moore, nor Bill Vukovich, nor A.J. Watson, nor George Bignotti, nor for that matter the great multiple champion (three or four wins) drivers of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Louis Meyer, Wilbur Shaw, Mauri Rose, A.J. Foyt, Bobby Unser, Al Unser, Johnny Rutherford or Rick Mears, came close to matching Roger Penske's level of success in the "Indianapolis 500." 

Thirteen wins since Penske made his competitive debut in 1969 is a phenomenal record of achievement, especially when you consider "the Captain" didn't race in the "500" from 1995 through 2000. Mark Donohue (1972), Rick Mears (1979), Bobby Unser (1981), Rick Mears (1984), Danny Sullivan (1985), Al Unser (1987), Rick Mears (1988), Rick Mears (1991), Emerson Fittipaldi (1993), Al Unser Jr. (1994), Helio Castroneves (2001), Helio Castroneves (2002) and Gil de Ferran (2003) were all benefactors of the Penske search for perfection at Indianapolis.

That puts Roger Penske's success in the "Indianapolis 500" in the same class as the New York Yankees, Boston Celtics, Montreal Canadiens and John Wooden's UCLA Bruins sports dynasties. In a sport that changes so quickly as racing, that Penske has acquired the method for winning the "500" so completely seems nearly incomprehensible to me. 

One of the really intriguing things about the one - two finish by de Ferran and Castroneves is they were racing cars from different chassis makers. To underline how strong Marlboro Team Penske is, "the Captain" allowed each driver to choose whether he wanted to race a G Force or the team's original choice for the 2003 season, the Dallara. After spending much of the first week of practice with both drivers practicing with each chassis, de Ferran opted for the G Force while Castroneves decided to remain with the usual Dallara.  

I think that part of the story says a lot about the strength and resiliency of the racing operation Roger Penske has put together. Yes, I know A.J. Foyt also ran both chassis types in the 87th "500." 

At 66, Penske doesn't show any sign of slowing down in his quest for more success in the "Indianapolis 500." There must be a burning desire to succeed that is so intense because Penske refuses to be beaten in May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Speaking of success in the "Indianapolis 500," the other big winner was Toyota. Although rival Japanese automaker Honda showed signs of being competitive, Toyota kicked ass on race day. Toyota took seven places among the top ten finishers on May 25, with their engines powering the cars finishing first (de Ferran), second (Castroneves), fourth (Scheckter), fifth (Takagi), sixth (Barron), seventh (Tony Renna), and ninth (Al Unser Jr.) place cars.     

Toyota's near sweep of the top positions in the 87th "Indianapolis 500" reminded me of the results in the 1965 race when cars powered by the Ford DOHC V8 engine took first, second, third, fourth, seventh, eighth and ninth positions. The difference in this comparison is that Ford Motor Company was in its third continuous year of Indianapolis competition in 1965 while this was Toyota's debut  appearance in the "500."                   

At least the Honda powered cars were fast, for the most part. Of the ten Chevrolet powered cars in the "500" field, the highest finisher was eleventh place Buddy Rice. It's difficult to understand how General Motors and Chevy could be so bad. Herb Fishel, Joe Negri and the guys at General Motors were caught off guard and left behind at the gate by their Japanese counterparts at Toyota and Honda and I find that troubling, negligent and embarrassing.

General Motors has been involved in the Indy Racing League in a direct manner since the series adopted the production based formula for the 1997 season. No group of people should know more about how to make horsepower in IRL competition than the people at GM. Obviously Chevrolet had its eyes closed, so to speak, when designing their new power package and how capable their Japanese competitors were going to be.

To compound the problems for the Chevy powered cars in the 87th "Indianapolis 500," not only were they lacking in horsepower, but the fuel efficiency for Toyota and Honda powered cars was far superior. To illustrate my point, look at the pit stop summaries for those cars running at the finish of 500 miles.

So the Toyotas and Hondas weren't just far superior in speed and performance, the design functions like fuel management were way ahead of those produced by the world's leading auto manufacturer General Motors. But the story told by statistics for the 87th "Indianapolis 500" don't stop there. Look at the cars that fell out of the race due to mechanical failure and the reasons why.

Not one Toyota or Honda V8 engine failed while five Chevrolet powered cars experienced engine failure. Although most of the Chevy teams were diplomatic in their disappointment, John Menard expressed open disgust, calling Chevrolet "brand x." 

Within the past few days, the Menard team and Red Bull Team Cheever have dissolved their cooperative engine and technology sharing program. My guess is John Menard will try to work a deal with one of the Japanese suppliers before too many races just as he replaced Jaques Lazier with Vitor Meira, as driver of the number Menards/Johns Manville entries for the rest of the 2003 season.

This entire Chevrolet debacle has led to some interesting developments. Reportedly the 2003 Chevrolet engine package is about to be scrapped in favor of the 3.5 liter V8 built by Cosworth in 2002. At the time of the construction of the IRL spec Cosworth V8, CART had decided to adopt Indy Racing League engine specs in an attempt to stabilize technical regulations between the two series.

Of course, in the meantime, Chris Pook changed direction and decided to retain the old style turbocharged package, with Ford Cosworth the exclusive power supplier to the CART series. But I find it extremely ironic that an engine designed and built to be a Ford is slated to become a Chevrolet instead. Perhaps this situation is more embarrassing to General Motor than the poor quality of their original creation. 

The night before the 87th "Indianapolis 500," I had the annual "500" race party on Indianapolis radio station AM 1070 playing while I worked on my "still born" pre-race forecast. This year the radio broadcast of the 1955 and 1994 races were featured. Of course it was the radio broadcast of the 1955 "500" that sparked my love affair with the "greatest spectacle in racing." Although I had heard the words before, listening to Sid Collins' report of Bill Vukovich's death always leaves a chilling impression.

The following day, I watched the "Indianapolis 500" from the south end of the backstretch, very close to the spot where Vukovich was killed in the 1955 race. This was my first time to watch the "500" on the backstretch in my 48 years of attending the race. It was cool (about 60 to 65 degrees) at the Speedway on race day with the skies mostly overcast until the latter stages of the race, not unlike the same weather which occurred on May 30, 1955.

Fortunately, despite accidents by Sarah Fisher, Airton Dare, Scott Sharp and the spectacular flip by Dan Wheldon in turn four on lap 187, no drivers were hurt in this year's "500."

Watching the race from the backstretch provided an interesting perspective on the "Indianapolis 500." My race day photos have been disappointing and as I develop the ten rolls of film I shot, I'm still hoping for a couple prize photos. But the spectator mounds are too far back from the track to get good close ups. I used a 300 mm telephoto lens and even that failed to give me the images I was hoping for before May 2003 got underway. However being on the backstretch was still a new experience and one I found interesting despite my photographic disappointments.            

With all the negatives circulating about the 87th "Indianapolis 500" prior to the race, I thought the day came off pretty well and I left the Speedway in my usual swirl of excitement. I wouldn't classify this "500" as one of my all time favorites. That designation is only bestowed by yours truly in years when my favorite driver wins the race like 1965 (Jim Clark), 1970 (Al Unser), 1971 (Al Unser), 1978 (Al Unser), 1987 (Al Unser), 1992 (Al Unser Jr.) and 1994 (Al Unser Jr.). 

But this year's event likely falls into that group of what I like to call "near favorite" races when one of my favorites has a good race, leads a number of laps and at least has an opportunity to win. 

Examples of my "near favorite" editions of the "500" were 1963, when Jim Clark led 28 laps and finished second to Parnelli Jones, 1979 when Al Unser had the field covered in the Pennzoil Chaparral before the car broke near the halfway point of the race and 1993, when Nigel Mansell came to the "500" and came within 16 laps of winning. 

Actually the three most recent runnings of the "500" can be classified as "near favorites." In 2001, Tony Stewart was leading the race at the three quarter mark and I had that winning feeling for a few laps. During last year's "500," I was enjoying the hell out of Tomas Scheckter's rookie charge to victory before the crash on lap 173. This time, there was Tomas' race high 63 laps in first place to be excited about.

There have been unsettling times for the "Indianapolis 500" before. After the three days of rain and fatalities during the 1973 "500," a lot of people were down on the race. My anxiety about the future of the 1996 "500" was so high, I stayed away from Indianapolis throughout May and even missed the opening three laps of the race. But that also turned out to be one of my most memorable "500" race days of all time. Not only did I realize the "Indianapolis 500" could survive without CART, but I discovered Tony Stewart and more importantly the Indy Racing League. 

Perhaps this is a new era for the "Indianapolis 500" and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is going to have to make an effort to bring fans back to the track for practice and qualifications and ensure all the tickets are sold before race day. I believe it can be done, but there are some challenges ahead and some beyond the control of Tony George and his associates like the general economy. 

There could be changes in the pre-race schedule and routine for the 88th "500" in effort to revamp the overall product, like a cutback in on track activity preceding the "500" as happened in 1999 and 2000. I hope that doesn't happen but I can see where it might be a possible move by IMS officials in various attempts to rekindle some of the lost passion and cut some of the costs.  

For me however, the passion burns as hot for the "Indianapolis 500" as ever. I had my usual "post race blues," two days after the "500." This occurs when I realize the "500" is over for another year, even though it still feels like race time. While I'm lamenting the passing of another "500," still savoring my Speedway photos and pondering everything that happened, my mind is already focusing on the possibilities for the following May.

In the year 2005, I'll attend the "Indianapolis 500" for the fiftieth time. That represents a big milestone and hopefully the 89th "500" will turn out to be one of those extra special times. But then any May at the Speedway is extra special. 

This seems to happen all the time. I'm typing my final words with the Indy Racing League event at Texas Motor Speedway less than two hours away. I feel good about the prospects tonight for both my favorites, Al Unser Jr. and Tomas Scheckter. I can foresee situations where either could win. Hopefully my positive feelings will turn out to be accurate.

The 500. The 500. The biggest and best of them all. And until that checkered flag unfurls, it's the greatest, greatest, greatest, greatest, greatest race in the world."  - Joe Jordan