What does Tomas Scheckter have to do to win a race?

March 24, 2002 - California Speedway: Tomas Scheckter leads 28 laps and is in contention for victory, in the Red Bull Cheever Dallara - Infiniti, when an accident takes the rookie driver out of his third career Indy car race, on lap 163 of 200.

May 26, 2002 - Indianapolis Motor Speedway: Tomas Scheckter leads a race high 85 laps, in the Red Bull Cheever Dallara - Infiniti, and appears on his way to victory in the 86th "Indianapolis 500," when he pushes into the fourth turn wall on lap 173.

June 8, 2002 - Texas Motor Speedway: Tomas Scheckter qualifies on pole position in the Red Bull Cheever Dallara - Infiniti and leads 107 of 200 laps, running in front, when a clutch failure ends his race after 159 laps.

July 7, 2002 - Kansas Speedway: Tomas Scheckter puts the Red Bull Cheever Dallara - Infiniti on pole position and leads 101 laps. Scheckter is leading, when an accident on lap 190 (of 200), costs the rookie driver victory.

June 28, 2002 - Michigan International Speedway: Tomas Scheckter takes his third pole position of the 2002 season, in the Red Bull Cheever Dallara - Infiniti. Scheckter leads 122 laps and overcomes a late race pit stop, to pass twelve cars in the final twenty laps, and win his first Indy car victory.

April 13, 2003 - Twin Ring Motegi: Tomas Scheckter leads 36 (of 200) laps, in the Target Chip Ganassi G Force - Toyota, before an accident ends his race on lap 168.

May 25, 2003 - Indianapolis Motor Speedway: Tomas Scheckter leads a race high 63 laps, in the Target Chip Ganassi G Force - Toyota, on the way to a fourth place finish, in the 87th "Indianapolis 500."

June 7, 2003 - Texas Motor Speedway: This was too good to be true for me. Tomas Scheckter qualifies for his fourth career Indy car pole position, in the Target Chip Ganassi G Force - Toyota. In the race, Scheckter holds off Al Unser Jr., for most of the first three quarters of the race and leads 145 laps, before experiencing an accident on lap 173, which hands the race to Unser, who wins his third career Indy Racing League victory. To be accurate however, it should be noted that Little Al raced side by side with Scheckter for much of the Texas race and maintained the lead, after Tomas retired. Unser held off a last lap challenge by Tony Kanaan to take the Texas victory.

June 15, 2003 - Pikes Peak International Raceway: Tomas Scheckter leads sixteen laps in the Target Chip Ganassi G Force - Toyota, before finishing eighth.

July 6, 2003 - Kansas Speedway: Tomas Scheckter leads a single lap and finishes ninth, in the Target Chip Ganassi G Force - Toyota.

July 27, 2003 - Michigan International Speedway: Tomas Scheckter qualifies for his fifth career Indy car pole position, in the Target Chip Ganassi G Force - Toyota, then leads 42 laps on the way to a third place finish.

September 7, 2003 - Chicagoland Speedway: Tomas Scheckter leads 76 laps, in the Target Chip Ganassi G Force - Toyota, on the way to a fifth place finish.

September 21, 2003 - California Speedway: Tomas Scheckter finishes fifth, in the Target Chip Ganassi G Force - Toyota, after leading 112 (of 200) laps.

February 29, 2004 - Homestead-Miami Speedway: Tomas Scheckter leads 22 laps, in his debut in the Pennzoil Panther Dallara - Chevrolet, on the way to a fifth place finish.

March 24, 2004 - Phoenix International Raceway: Tomas Scheckter leads a single lap, before an accident on lap 180 (of 200) takes the Pennzoil Panther Dallara - Chevy out of the race.

August 15, 2004 - Kentucky Speedway: Tomas Scheckter charges to the lead for nine laps and is running in front when a fuel fire, during a pit stop on lap 137, eliminates the opportunity for a win in the Pennzoil Panther Dallara - Chevy.

March 6, 2005 - Homestead-Miami Speedway: Tomas Scheckter qualifies for his sixth career Indy car pole position, in the Pennzoil Panther Dallara - Chevrolet. In the race, Scheckter leads thirteen laps, before an accident, on lap 158, takes Tomas out of the race.

April 30, 2005 - Twin Ring Motegi: Tomas Scheckter comes out of the pits, in third place, and overhauls Tony Kanaan and Dan Wheldon to take the lead on lap 151. Scheckter pulls away from the field, but runs out of fuel on at the start of lap 199 (of 200), to lose certain victory, in the Pennzoil Panther Dallara - Chevrolet.

June 11, 2005 - Texas Motor Speedway: Tomas Scheckter earns his seventh career Indy car pole position, in the Pennzoil Panther Platinum Dallara - Chevrolet. In the race, Tomas leads a total 119 of 200 laps and passes for the lead four times, on the way to his second career Indy car victory.

July 3, 2005 - Kansas Speedway: Tomas Scheckter leads 63 (of 200) laps, in the Pennzoil Panther Platinum Dallara - Chevrolet, and finishes in fifth place.

July 16, 2005 - Nashville Superspeedway: Tomas Scheckter starts from pole position for the eighth time in the Indy Racing League. Tomas leads three laps, before an engine failure eliminates the Pennzoil Panther Platinum Dallara - Chevrolet on lap 160 (of 200).

John Barnes discusses the setup of the Pennzoil Platinum Dallara - Chevrolet with Tomas Scheckter, in the pits at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, on May 11, 2005.

IRL Bombardier Learjet 500K Scheckter grabs spotlight Pole winner drives smart; Patrick is 13th

by Steve Ballard

steve.ballard@indystar.com

FORT WORTH, Texas -- No one ever has accused Tomas Scheckter of lacking talent. Patience, however, has been another matter.

But if his performance Saturday night in the Bombardier Learjet 500K at Texas Motor Speedway is any indication, the South African might finally be close to having the full package.

A crowd of 102,000 came to see if Danica Patrick could make history by becoming the first woman to win a major race or if Indy 500 champion Dan Wheldon could win for the fourth time in a row and fifth time in six races. But neither was a factor as Scheckter stole the show.

Knowing he had the fastest car in the field, Scheckter drove a smart and determined race while avoiding the pratfalls that have dogged him in the past to notch the second win of his four-year Indy Racing League career.

"This is what I really needed. The whole team needed it," said Scheckter, who started from the pole and led 119 of 200 laps on the 11/2-mile oval. "I wasn't believing in myself. But the team stuck behind me and allowed me to get my confidence back. I hope we are a threat every race after this.

"I'd like to have matured a little quicker, especially with how many races have slipped away. I knew it was time. I knew we had everything and even if I had to drop to the back of the field, I could get through. I just had to let the car do the work."

That car, a Chevrolet-powered Dallara prepared by Panther Racing, allowed Scheckter to do just about whatever he wanted whenever he wanted. He had to pass many of the same cars several times after losing ground on pit stops and did so with relative ease.

"When I needed to go, I went," he said after beating runner-up Sam Hornish Jr. by 0.534 seconds, the 10th-closest margin in IRL history. Four of those 10 have come at Texas.

Wheldon wound up sixth, behind Tony Kanaan, Scott Sharp and Helio Castroneves, and Patrick placed 13th after starting third. But she stayed out of trouble, completed every lap and picked up valuable experience.

"I'm still figuring stuff out. Yeah, I'm disappointed, but I'm not an idiot. I know it takes time to learn things," she said.

"It's never a plan to go backwards. You always want to go forward," she said. "I just had a car that I really couldn't dial in quickly enough with the experience I've had. But every day is a step forward for me and every race is a step forward."

Scheckter's margin of victory didn't truly reflect his dominance. Even Hornish realized early on the best he could realistically hope for was second place, and he communicated to Scheckter through their spotters that he was willing to follow.

"I radioed my spotter, 'Tell him I'll stay with him wherever he goes,'" the Team Penske driver said. "I knew if I could stay with him, I would finish well."

Scheckter had some catching up to do after he pitted for the final time with 29 laps to go, and Hornish helped him do it. Working in tandem, they went past Sharp on lap 189 and Kanaan two laps later.

"I thought maybe I would get a chance at snookering him right there at the end," Hornish said, "but it didn't work out."

Scheckter appreciated the help, not that he needed it.

"I got a lot of horsepower from Chevy but got some extra from Sam," Scheckter said. "He made my night a little easier."

Buddy Rice's return after missing the Indy 500 with an injury lasted just 25 laps because of a gearbox failure. He avoided finishing last among the 22 starters only because Jimmy Kite was knocked out of the race when he spun into the wall on lap seven.

After spending much of their weekend being queried about Patrick, her two teammates and Wheldon wore their answers to the prerace drivers' meeting. All in good fun, of course.

Wheldon sported a T-shirt that read, "Actually won the Indy 500." Rice's shirt read, "Danica's teammate," and Vitor Meira's read, appropriately enough, "Danica's other teammate."

But if Patrick owned the headlines going into the race, Scheckter earned them coming out.

"It's been tough. We've definitely had a lot of downs. You begin to doubt everything," he said. "We want to do this again and again. We can do it. We've got the car and we've got the team."

And, it would seem, the driver, as well.

appeared in The Indianapolis Star on June 12, 2005

Scheckter Closes the Deal in Texas

Written by: Jeff Olson

Fort Worth, Texas 6/11/2005

This one couldn’t have come at a better time for Tomas Scheckter. In the final year of his contract, with his team’s engine manufacturer hinting that maybe it might not leave after all, Scheckter scored his first win in nearly three years.

By holding off Sam Hornish Jr. by 0.0534 second -- the 10th-closest finish in IRL history -- to win the Bombardier Learjet 500 on Saturday night at Texas Motor Speedway, Scheckter ended a stretch in which he hadn’t won in 38 races but had led 583 laps. Not only had Scheckter developed a reputation for being fast but flighty, he’d also lost confidence in his ability.

"This is what I really needed," Scheckter said. "I needed it for my morale. I have to thank the team for sticking with me. There was a time when I wasn’t believing in myself. John (Barnes) and Doug (Boles) and everybody on the team stuck behind me and allowed me to get my confidence back up. Certainly after this we’ll be taking a different attitude into races."

Only two months ago, Scheckter appeared to be on the verge of winning at Twin Ring Motegi when the No. 4 Pennzoil Panther Racing Dallara-Chevrolet ran out of fuel with two laps remaining. The dry tank left team members near tears; Saturday’s end-of-frustration victory had the same effect.

"We feel like every race we go to, we can win," said John Barnes, co-owner of Panther Racing. "If you ask anyone who watches racing week-in and week-out who they think the most exciting guy to watch is, they’ll say him. If they’re not paying to see him race, they damn sure will be soon."

He gave them quite a show Saturday. With 10 laps remaining, Scheckter slipped past Scott Sharp for second place, then quickly moved along the outside of Tony Kanaan and took the lead on the 192nd lap of the 200-lap race. Hornish followed Scheckter past Kanaan, and the race to the finish was on.

"I got some extra help from Sam," Scheckter said. "Toward the end, I was behind him. We both like to run high. I was trying high and wasn’t making any ground, so I dived to the inside and managed to get by Sam. Then Sam helped me past Scott and then past Tony. It just made my life a little easier."

The irony of the deal wasn’t lost on Hornish, who left Panther for Marlboro Team Penske after the 2003 season, or on Scheckter, who replaced Hornish.

"We didn’t have enough power on our own, so we kept radioing the No. 4 car to tell them we’ll go wherever they go," Hornish said. "We knew they were fast. It’s really tough to pass here on your own because you have to go on the high side. You need to have someone to push you."

Scheckter said the deal to run together was part of the plan throughout the night, mostly because the two cars worked well on the high side. While Hornish noted that his car was fastest when it run just off the right side of Scheckter’s rear wing, Scheckter also noticed that his car was fast when Hornish was pushing him.

"We were working deals all night," Scheckter said. "That last run, I just got by him. Then he helped me. It was good. We worked together the whole time, and he really did give me a bit of a boost."

Kanaan struggled with his car during the late laps but managed to hold off Scott Sharp for the podium finish. Following Sharp was Helio Castroneves in fifth and Dan Wheldon in sixth. Hornish’s second and Kanaan’s third helped to tighten the IRL IndyCar Series points race. Wheldon, who won four of the first five races this season, now leads Kanaan by 65 points. Hornish is third, 76 points behind.

"We didn’t quite have the speed to win it tonight," Kanaan said. "Scheckter deserved to win. He had the best car all weekend, and he drove a smart race. You have to know how to lose, if there is any good way. We did the best we could."

So, too, did Scheckter, but he did the best with a better car. He also stayed clear of the banzai moves that had become a part of his character since his last win on July 28, 2002, at Michigan International Speedway. Instead, this time Scheckter was calm, patient, and easy on the equipment. He showed, as his Panther teammates duly noted, that he’s become a mature racer.

"I would have liked to have matured a lot quicker, especially when you look at how many races have slipped away," Scheckter said. "Whether it would have helped me win more races or not, I’m not positive. When you’re at the end of the race, you still need to be very strong. If you push at the beginning, you still have to be there at the end. I just relaxed tonight. When I needed to go, I went."

While many of his problems since joining Panther in 2004 haven’t been Scheckter’s fault, the team has seen -- and helped -- his maturation process. They noticed a laidback approach at Twin Ring Motegi, and knew they had a different driver.

"He’s gotten a lot more patient the last three races," Panther co-owner Doug Boles said. "On the radio tonight, he just asked us if it was time to go yet. That patience is just going to mean a lot more victories for the No. 4 car."

An estimated 102,000 fans attended Saturday's race, making it the largest non-Indianapolis draw in IRL history. The season continues June 25 at Richmond International Raceway.

Bombardier Learjet 500k results (1.5mi oval):

1) Tomas Scheckter, Dallara-Chevrolet, 213.847
2) Sam Hornish Jr., Dallara-Toyota, 200, +0.0534sec
3) Tony Kanaan, Dallara-Honda, 200, +0.5018
4) Scott Sharp, Panoz-Honda, 200, +0.5958
5) Helio Castroneves, Dallara-Toyota, 200, +0.8255
6) Dan Wheldon, Dallara-Honda, 200, +13.1410
7) Kosuke Matsuura, Panoz-Honda, 200, +13.1715
8) Dario Franchitti, Dallara-Honda, 200, +13.2369
9) Vitor Meira, Panoz-Honda, 200, +13.3111
10) Bryan Herta, Dallara-Honda, 200, +13.3798
11) Scott Dixon, Panoz-Toyota, 200, +13.8086
12) Ryan Briscoe, Panoz-Toyota, 200, +23.3099
13) Danica Patrick, Panoz-Honda, 200, +23.3791
14) Alex Barron, Dallara-Toyota, 199
15) Roger Yasukawa, Dallara-Honda, 199
16) Patrick Carpentier, Dallara-Toyota, 199
17) Darren Manning, Panoz-Toyota, 199
18) A.J. Foyt IV, Dallara-Toyota, 198
19) Tomas Enge, Dallara-Chevrolet, 194
20) Ed Carpenter, Dallara-Toyota, 63, Accident
21) Buddy Rice, Panoz-Honda, 25
22) Jimmy Kite, Dallara-Toyota, 6, Accident

appeared on the Speed TV website on June 11, 2005

Tomas Scheckter is IRL's Mr. Excitement

written by: Robin Miller

A crasher. Impatient. An emotional berserk inside his helmet. Immature at any speed.

Tomas Scheckter has been guilty all of those charges during his four years in the Indy Racing League and because of that, some people don't rate him very highly.

But he's also one of the few drivers in American motorsports worth the price of admission every time he straps on his helmet.

And there's also quite a bit of evidence that Scheckter is starting to smooth out and tap that unbridled potential.

Saturday night's victory here at Texas Motor Speedway seemed a good example of why this kid cannot be dismissed as a bust or a guy who's never going to reach his potential.

The 24-year-old second generation gasser from South Africa conquered the IRL's high-banked king, Sam Hornish, and defending Indy-car champ Tony Kanaan with a nice mix of aggression and smarts to win for only the second time in 50 starts.

True, he had the fastest car all weekend, started from the pole and led 119 laps in the Pennzoil Dallara/Chevrolet.

Yet the impressive thing was how he didn't panic or force the issue when he fell back to fourth or fifth after the last couple pit stops. He steadily stalked his competition and worked the outside groove until he re-claimed the top spot with nine laps left. Then, with Hornish hugging his rear wing, Scheckter put his car on the bottom of the track and went back to the top of the scoreboard.

Twenty-four hours after predicting a win on SPEED News, he delivered.

"I needed it, our team needed it and Chevrolet needed it," he said afterwards. "I had a very positive attitude going in, despite all the things we've had happen to use the last couple years, and I knew even when I dropped back a little I could get back to the front.

"I was very calm and I just knew it was time."

To think Scheckter has led 1,124 laps in his career and only made it to victory lane twice should illustrate the pathos of these past four seasons. He had the Indianapolis 500 in his hip pocket as a rookie before driving out of the groove and into the wall.

Unforced errors have probably cost him at least a half dozen wins but those were more frequent in his first two years. The past 18 months he's been plagued by just about every bad thing that can happen to a race driver.

He's been drilled in the back while slowing for a wreck, punctured a tire while leading, had the gearbox seize up while comfortably in front and been collected three times this year alone by other cars careering into him. He ran out of fuel two laps from taking the checkered flag at Motegi.

"We've definitely had a lot of downs and my confidence suffered, for sure," said the young man with 27 DNFs. "Our whole team morale was down and I appreciate my team sticking with me.

"I would have liked to matured a little bit quicker and I realize a lot of races have slipped away. A lot of times lately it hasn't been my fault but that doesn't make it any easier to accept. That's why tonight's win was soooo important."

Tough to say what the future holds for Jody's kid. His win was the first for Chevrolet since 2003 and General Motors is getting out of the IRL at the end of this year. Pennzoil is reportedly in its last year with Panther Racing so this team could be a large question mark.

But there is no question that Scheckter is real good for open wheel racing. Like Paul Tracy, Sammy Swindell, Jac Haudenschild, Leland McSpadden and the late Jan Opperman, you can't take your eyes off him.

He's either near the front or heading there. He makes it exciting. Always.

This column appeared on the Speed TV website on June 12, 2005

Tomas Scheckter poses in the winners circle with Ben Green, at Texas Motor Speedway, on June 11, 2005, after Tomas won the "Bombardier Learjet 500k." After listening to a replay of Mike King's interview with Ben Green in Texas, during a recent broadcast of the "Indy Racing Weekly" radio program, I can understand dad David Green's pride. Receiving mail from folks like Mr. Green and his good friend Phil Lakin, with whom I have been corresponding for a few years now, is one of the most enjoyable results of working on this website. I thank Ben and David Green for allowing me to post these excellent images.

Tomas Scheckter and the Pennzoil Panther crew celebrate in the winner's circle at Texas Motor Speedway.

As you can see from the timing of the posting of this effort, I am running behind again. My life always seems like I am behind and what is more frustrating, I am losing the race. But what the hell! Hold on - while I sip my "Turkey 101." I need a beer to go with this "Turkey." Tonight I'll have another "Turkey" (along with a beer) over at Jimmy Bs. I haven't been there for more than a week, since I bought the fifth of Wild Turkey 101 I just finished, along with a six pack of Berghoff's dark lager, which I polished off several days ago. Before that however, I need a two hour nap. There's nothing like living like a king on Saturday afternoon, sitting at my emachines desktop, doing the bob jennings' WORLD O' RACING thing.

However I long to be driving north on Interstate 69 tomorrow morning, on the way to Michigan International Speedway, going to the "Firestone Indy 400." That is going to be a terrific race!

I went to the Milwaukee Mile last Sunday, roasted under a 103 degree temperature sun - and I'm not talking heat index either, and fired off more than 600 digital images with my Nikon D70 (I also shot two rolls of film), standing behind the four foot high fence, during the "A.B.C. Supply Co./A.J. Foyt 225." That was an experience, to say the least. After the race finished, with Sam Hornish taking the all time series best fourteenth Indy Racing League victory of his career, I wondered if I was going to make it across the Milwaukee Mile infield, and into some shade.

I didn't feel dizzy or nauseous, nor did I feel any pain, after enduring scorching heat for more than two hours. But I did feel some pressure on my chest and I was extremely weak, to the point I wasn't sure I could walk to the other side of the track, at Wisconsin State Fair Park. When I finally got there, I consumed three or four bottles water and beer and cooled off in the shade. I had a couple brats too, although there weren't up to my usual standards.

That was one terribly hot day and although I thoroughly enjoyed the Milwaukee race, I hope the temperatures are less dangerous at the remaining races I will attend this summer. I would rank Milwaukee 2005 as the third hottest race I ever attended, after Phoenix 1993 and Cleveland 1983.

One of those remaining races was supposed to be the Indy car race in Michigan. But I can't afford to go. For the second year in a row, I had to drop one event from my ambitious effort to attend four racing events, four weeks in succession. Milwaukee, Michigan, the "Brickyard 400" and the Indy Racing League show at Kentucky Speedway occur on four consecutive weekends and that's too much for my budget this year. I should be able to get to both the "Brickyard 400" and Kentucky, but in order to do that, I have to forego Michigan tomorrow.

Maybe next year, things will work out and I can go back to MIS, because the IRL races up there have been spectacular and tomorrow's 400 miler promises to be another of those.

Second place finisher Dario Franchitti, race winner Sam Hornish, Ed Carpenter and third place Tomas Scheckter take the slow down lap, after the finish of "A.B.C. Supply Co./A.J. Foyt 225," on July 24, 2005, at the Milwaukee Mile.

Pretty nice huh? I would have shot a lot more photos of this beauty queen, last Sunday at the Milwaukee Mile, but she was the only female, in this group of - like - six biker looking guys, each of whom could have kicked my ass. So I opted for discretion as being the better part of valor. Each time I look at this photo, I think about a nice woman who used to live across the street from me. If you read this, hi "N-L." I still think it would have been fun to get together some time.

I love the Milwaukee infield! It's one of the all time best spectator photo locations in the U.S., up there with the grandstand E penthouse, overlooking turn one at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The lineup for Michigan has some surprises. One of those surprises, for me anyway, is that Bryan Herta qualified for pole position, at 219.141 mph. Actually that should not be a surprise, since Herta qualified on pole at Phoenix and St. Petersburg already this season. Still, it does surprise me, just like I'm surprised that Andretti Green teammates Dan Wheldon and Tony Kanaan start eleventh and fourteenth, respectively, on the grid, for tomorrow's race.

The second row, at Michigan, is comprised of two drivers who have endured very disappointing times this year. 2004 "Indianapolis 500" winner Buddy Rice and 2003 Indy Racing League champion Scott Dixon have both been buried deep in slumps so far in 2005. Rice missed the opportunity to defend his "Indy" victory because he was hurt in a practice crash at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Since he returned to action, at Texas Motor Speedway on June 11, the only positive thing for Buddy has been a front row qualifying run at Kansas Speedway. It seems like Dixon has not been anywhere near the level he performed at two years ago, since he crashed at the entrance to the pits during the 2004 IRL season opener, at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Reportedly Scott's ride with Target Chip Ganassi was in jeopardy last weekend in Milwaukee.

Another surprise is that both drivers for Marlboro Team Penske are so far down on the grid at MIS. Sam Hornish starts thirteenth, after his overpowering win last Sunday, at Milwaukee. Helio Castroneves is even farther back, in sixteenth.

Among the top ten qualifiers, in Michigan, are six Honda powered cars, all three Chevy cars and Dixon's lone Toyota entry.

What I'm most excited about is that my guy Tomas Scheckter qualified second fastest, at 219.100 mph. I feel pretty good about Scheckter's chances tomorrow. I'm probably more optimistic that Tomas can win since he actually did win, on June 11, in Texas.

As you might have guessed by now, this offering is supposed to be a celebration of the Scheckter victory at Texas last month. The Texas race was a glorious performance by Tomas, perhaps his finest race yet. It showcased not only the South African's natural talent and speed, the "Bombardier Learjet 500k" displayed Scheckter's new found race craft as well.

The silver Pennzoil Platinum Dallara - Chevy number 4 was so fast in Texas, it reminded me of the Red Bull Cheever Dallara - Infiniti number 52 that Tomas Scheckter raced in 2002.

Almost from the start of the racing weekend, in early June, at Texas Motor Speedway, there was this good feeling about the chances for Scheckter, the Panther team and the Chevy Cosworth V8 engine. Those good feelings translated to strong performances in the pre race activities at the 1 1/2 mile high banked oval. The Pennzoil Platinum car was third fastest during the first practice session. Tomas was quickest in the second session, third fastest in practice session three and second in the final practice before the Texas race.

Panther entries filled the front row, during qualifying, with Scheckter (213.847) barely beating teammate Tomas Enge (212.861) for pole position.

If his pit crew had been quicker during stops, in Texas, Tomas surely would have led many more than 119 laps. Slow work in the pits seems to be the only weak part of the Panther program right now. The calm approach Scheckter took each time he had to move back to the front was the best part of the race in Texas for me.

Four times Scheckter had to power the silver car 4 past the leaders and each time, Tomas pulled off the move to perfection.

Often, it's difficult for me to sit still while I'm watching a race on TV. Obviously I have a hard time sitting still when I attend races too, judging by the number of images I shoot with my Nikon D70. When I watch on television, I keep notes sometimes. Have you ever known anyone so compulsive? The following are the notes I took, while watching the Scheckter victory at TMS.

The Texas victory has created a turnaround in fortunes for Tomas Scheckter and the Panther team.

At Richmond International Raceway on June 25, Scheckter only qualified nineteenth, but had a steady drive, passing Dan Wheldon on the final lap of the race, to finish fourth.

At Kansas Speedway on July 3, Tomas led 63 laps. While watching the Kansas race on TV, I thought he had a good shot at winning. The Pennzoil Platinum number 4 was leading the race when Scheckter made his final pit stop on lap 188. However slow pit work by the Panther team eliminated any chance of victory, in Kansas, and Tomas finished fifth.

Scheckter started the Nashville race from pole position and led three laps, but an engine failure after 160 laps put him out of the contest.

Last Sunday, Tomas started the race third and finished in the same position at the Milwaukee Mile.

The Milwaukee race appeared to be a situation where the handling on the traditional yellow Pennzoil car 4 went from good to bad to good. For most of the race, Scheckter ran in positions fourth through seventh. In the final laps however, Tomas found a burst of speed and put on a charge. He was challenging second place Dario Franchitti, when the checkered flag dropped at the end of lap 225.

Scott Goodyear had three Indy Racing League victories in Pennzoil Panther entries. Sam Hornish delivered eleven wins for the team. So finally winning a race for Panther had to be a source of relief for Tomas Scheckter. I will honestly be surprised if the South African doesn't score another win this season, in the seven races that remain on the 2005 IRL schedule.

Throughout this month, there have been questions in the media about the future of Panther Racing beyond 2005. Stories circulated that Panther was considering a switch to Champ Car and John Barnes confirmed there were discussions with the other series. On July 25 however, the team confirmed it would continue full time in the IRL next year. Barnes said that if General Motors cannot be convinced to reverse their decision to leave Indy car racing after this season, the Panther team will switch to Honda power in 2006.

Beginning during the Texas race weekend in early June, there have been reports and rumors that GM might reconsider its decision to leave Indy car racing. Last Sunday, Curt Cavin reported in The Indianapolis Star that Roger Penske was considering a switch from Toyota to Chevrolet or Honda power for the 2006 Indy car season. Why would Roger Penske consider switching to Chevy power if General Motors is leaving the IRL?

The Scheckter win in Texas is certainly my personal highlight of the 2005 season so far. The victory represented a perfect drive for Tomas and I am very proud of my Indy car guy.

If you go through all the content on this website, you will find three racing personalities presented most often. They are Tony Stewart, Al Unser Jr. and Tomas Scheckter.

I feel like the Indianapolis Motor Speedway owes Tomas Scheckter a win (figuratively speaking of course) and he has a number of Indy car victories coming, after losing so many of them.