Did green silicone save the Indy Racing League?
"It's quite possible," said one relieved Indy Racing League official during the drunken party that broke out after Danica Patrick told reporters Saturday she's staying in the Indy Racing League. "My new favorite color is silicone green!" The official then resumed doing shots of of tequila and licking salt off a stripper's chest.
A procession of beer and hard liquor trucks headed toward the Infineon Raceway at Sonona, California shortly after Curt Cavin (@CurtCavin) tweeted Saturday that Danica would stay with AGR.
Cavin, who works for the Indy Star, was actually attending the race on his own cash after the Star decided they couldn't afford to send him.
But, as the owner of a festive green bracelet, Cavin apparently asked himself "What Would Danica Think?" and paid his own way to the track where he issued the Tweet Heard 'Round the World. Click here for a story on Danica's decision that the Star didn't have due to budget tightness.
The league started promoting the wearing of WWDT bracelets as an effort to get everyone to consider the impact of their decisions on Danica's decision whether or not to stay in the IRL. (See story here.)
An obscure, mercurial blogger then morphed the effort into a charity drive with the sale of green bracelets benefiting Racing for Kids, a charity championed by Dreyer and Reinbold co-owner Robbie Buhl. (Get yours for just $6 including shipping HERE.)
Officials feared the worst when Danica's current team, Andretti Green Racing, was stripped of its Big Three status for "crappy conduct unbecoming one of the few teams with a remote chance to win" earlier his year.
"Frankly, we thought it was over," said another barely coherent IndyCar official at the party. "We thought Danica Would Think '(f-bomb!) this shit. I'm out of here.' But then we introduced AGR's Mike Andretti to the power of the bracelet."
The league dispatched a case of bracelets to AGR and soon the team announced Mike Andretti was taking over sole leadership of the outfit.
It proved to be a turning point in the saga.
"We (Andretti and Danica) had some conversations not long ago about some of his thoughts and where he wants to go with things," Patrick told reporters at the track in 100% real quotes. "That meant a lot to me. If you want the same results, keep doing what you are doing. He didn't want to do that and that's a good thing. We really haven't shown that well this year and we want to get back on top where we should be."
The league also dispatched an emergency supply of bracelets to Danica's current sponsor, Boost Mobile, to help them consider What Would Danica Think of the size of check they were prepared to write.
"I spent the last week with the folks at Boost Mobile and sat next to the president -- we've talked a lot about when we get this deal done to come up with some cool, new concepts for next year," Patrick said in another 100% real quote. "Any time people are talking about the future it's implied that you're in it. Everybody seems pretty happy at Motorola and Boost Mobile. It has been a really good relationship."
(For more on Danica's decision, go HERE.)
"All I can say is thank God and the inventors of message-based braceletting," said a high-ranking IndyCar executive. "Because having Danica leave would be worse than watching your car explode into flames with all your pets inside it. Way worse than waking up to find rats gnawing on your toes or discovering the persistent sore on your hand is actually gangrene. All that would be preferable to the Worst Thing in the World, which would be losing Danica."
"We saved the world," screamed one Patron-engulfed IndyCar PR operative. "We're green-green-green for 2010, bitches!"
Danica did not address the braceletting effort directly, but those close to her said she was moved by the tens of people who played along by ordering their own bracelet.
"Anytime you can get 15 or so IndyCar fans to part with $6, that says a lot," said a close Danica advisor. "That's about 34% of IndyCar fans right there, so I'm sure the smattering of green made all the difference."
--
Join pressdog in a Festival of Green Braceleted Danica Appreciation at Chicagoland. Click below to get your tickets!
"The official then resumed doing shots of of tequila and licking salt off a stripper's chest."
You know what we call that down at the IndyCar offices?
"Tuesday." We call it "Tuesday."
Posted by: Roy Hobbson | August 25, 2009 at 09:12 AM