There's an awesome article in posted on IndyStar.com today called "Holding grudges an IndyCar tradition" By Phillip B. Wilson that literally made me tingly just now.
Danica: "This isn't miniature golf." Sarah: "We're not in a bowling league or anything."
Here's the thing: If you think some high-testosterone, chicken-at-221 mph shit doesn't go down on the track during every race, you're goofy.
Think about it. A couple dozen extremely competitive people, with freakish adrenalin habits, driving cruise missiles on wheels. Strapped in like friggin' test pilots, with "you could die today" hovering in the back of their minds. These people are so good at this that they can go two-wide through a corner four inches apart ... on purpose.
When you accept the possibility of death in order to do what you do, you get kinda hard to frighten. So there's always hip checking and "making it difficult" and "sending a message" going on out there. Nobody wants to kill anyone, to be sure, but nobody wants to take any shit either. You don't get to be an IndyCar driver without 1) balls/ovaries of steel and 2) an "back the (f-bomb) off" attitude.
Do you get pissed when someone cuts you off in traffic? Ah, yeah, you do. Imagine that happening at 221 in a way that causes the faces of your children to flash before you. Choooo choooo, all aboard the (string of expletives) rage train, it leaves the station at the drop of every green flag.
Check out Wilson's article. And notice that my idol growing up, Rick Mears, who preaches dispassion and almost android like cool on the track was fully willing to get the spear out if someone didn't show some respect.
Insert shudder here.
"Nobody wants to kill anyone, to be sure..."
Not true, Kyle Busch wanted to kill teammate Denny Hamlin after the All-Star Race Saturday night. :)
Posted by: rj | May 25, 2010 at 12:12 PM
Watched a clip last night, Chicagoland 2006(?) Hornish, Herta, Yasakawa, Dixon. Un-bricking-faleeveable.
Posted by: Andy Bernstein | May 25, 2010 at 01:48 PM
Chicagoland is always un-bricking-faleeveable. Chicagoland Freak Show. Dig up some four-wide Texas beauties from back in the day. Just makes sure you are sitting on a bunch of towels when you watch them.
Posted by: pressdog | May 25, 2010 at 01:52 PM
"Chicagoland is always un-bricking-faleeveable."
I guess. But I'd rather have beautiful scenery, beer gardens, volleyball games and a nice party atmosphere, then a kick-ass race.
Posted by: Andrew CraigList | May 25, 2010 at 04:31 PM