We come to the end of another year, suffused with IndyCar and NASCAR goings-on. During 2011, six new Women of pressdog® were anointed, bring the total to 20. I had the high of Ed Carpenter winning for Sarah Fisher Racing and the low of Dan Wheldon’s death at Las Vegas. In between were recurring diatribes, assorted whining and rantings, occasional praise, many volumes of race notes and assorted farcical moments.
Based on a perusal of postings, here’s what stands out in my mind for the year ...
Kicked it right off ambitiously with a FIVE-part, zillion-word epic TOME on the rise of Twitter in IndyCar. Part 1 is HERE, and parts 2 through 5 are linked therefrom.
Katherine Legge, who famously staked out Kevin Kalkhoven’s office to get a chance in Champ Car then tumbled into the catch fence at Road America and spent several years driving Audi’s for DTM, was back in America in January and looking for a ride. She took time out to become the 15th Woman of pressdog®.
If you think think the Izod Trophy Girl is just a peace of hot-looking decoration (and she’s even hotter in person), then you’ve never actually met Cameron Haven. This articulate beauty and Jack Arute (speaking of articulate beauty) talk about their experiences visiting overseas troops on the Indy 500 Centennial Tour.
FEBRUARY
I celebrated my birthday by posting about the work of fellow Christians IndyCar Ministries and their ministry of just hanging out.
IndyCar is trying to reconnect with USAC and its fans and, much-decorated veteran Brian Clausen is the chosen one.
Speaking of USAC, USAC veteran and Woman of pressdog® Shannon McIntosh gets a full-time ride in USF2000.
Cue the conspiracy theories! Alert Robin Miller. EVERYONE GO INTO A GRAND MAL FROTH. Tony George appointed to IMS board, people lose their shit in large numbers.
Looking for something, anything to bring viewers/interest, Randy Bernard tosses out a $5 million dollar gimmick ...
... which causes IndyCar Overrun by Insurance Salespersons.
MARCH
Spring FEVER causes the Lucky Dog Briefly Considered.
Meanwhile, COMCAST shows signs of playing for keeps as a new sheriff comes to Versus Town.
This causes me to become deep and talk about five questions to ponder, re: Comcastification of Versus and NBC.
After Randy Bernard launches five or so trial balloons, IndyCar HQ is briefly overrun by hot air balloon enthusiasts.
Dan Wheldon talks about how he’s mellow and not frothed up about finding a ride.
Much festive dancing at pressdog World Headquarters with news that Sarah Fisher and her husband, Andy O’Gara are expecting a little quarter midget driver!
APRIL
Responding to imagined demand, Woman of pressdog® shirts become available for purchase.
The Dallara building manger talks about setting himself on fire as he gives me a building update.
Another in the recurring diatribe to please, please, please consider fans as customers.
Non-human interview #1 The Firehawk. Does anyone else smell cinnamon and habaneras?
An IndyCar weekly show is announced. We are briefly filled with hope and excitement. But then it was cancelled after a few episodes.
Personality breaks out in IndyCar as Dreyer & Reinbold unveil Helio’s Hit List. Personally quickly dissipates, however.
MAY
The festival of holograms and faux Droid voting during the selection of Dallara to build the 2012 IndyCar is a little bit weirder now that multiple aerokits will be NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS in 2012.
Fans get their first look at … A NEW CAR
The rapture didn’t show up as promised on Indy 500 pole day, but Alex and Simona did.
In some awesome drama that I personally witnessed, Women of pressdog® Danica and Pippa stick their cars in the field on bump day. I watched Danica’s drive from one of the high-dollar seats inside turn four. One of the God-damndest runs I’ve ever seen. Steel Ovaries.
The buzz of a bump weekend trip to Indy is crushed by the news that Andretti Autosport bought a spot for Ryan Hunter-Reay. I institute an indefinite boycott of further qualification weekend travel as rage pours out.
John Andretti talks about his new role: Father of the Driver.
Jamie Little and her Man-Killing Ponytail is Woman of pressdog® #16.
In a rare guest blog, Lauren George (herself a Woman of pressdog®) prophesies her brother Ed Carpenter winning for Sarah Fisher Racing.
JUNE
In the continuing saga of will she or won’t she (actually WHEN will she?) GoDaddy predicts Danica Patrick will bolt to NASCAR.
Pippa Mann has serious writing skills. Here she talks about her painful Indy 500 drive.
Non-human interview #2 on the year: Pork Chop Speaks.
The Very Human Larry Foyt talks about growing into his role as team boss for AJ Foyt Racing.
JULY
Danica makes me beer spew by channeling her inner Ricky Bobby during a NASCAR Nationwide race.
During an interview in the Iowa Speedway Media Center, Mike Conway raises his eyebrows SEVERAL TIMES, admits having the pulse rate of a hibernating reptile.
Nicole Briscoe is saucy. She’s got schwerve. She’s also Woman of pressdog® #17.
In a Festival of Disgust over the ridiculous driving at Toronto, I cancel race notes setting off some spirited comments.
Cornering the Iowa Speedway president during an ARCA weekend at the track, he expresses undying support for IndyCar. Very soon after he resigns and a new guy is appointed. Awesome!
Woman of pressdog® Maryeve is so hot she makes purple-haired women pant.
IndyCar issues a series of secret penalties, causing me to decry NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS penalties as BULLSHIT.
AUGUST
I talk to Ed Carpenter on the phone and he’s ready to get his twisty on.
The continuing saga about what Comcast buying NBC will do for IndyCar gets some new info thanks to Curty Cavin.
Using my own personal money, I buy a ticket to the Knoxville Nationals and watch Donnie Schatz win -- then interview him while drinking free Knoxville media center beer. Yeah, none of that sucks.
Zach Veach looks 12, drives like he’s 25 and talks about choosing race cars over a tractor pulling vehicle.
Danica makes it official and punches out of IndyCar. Haters would later comment on her “orange hooker shoes.” I limited myself to a transcript.
SEPTEMBER
Non-human interview #3. The Twitter Sensation … @TheOrangeCone
The first idea for a $5 Million Challenge didn’t fly. No takers. Wait, never mind, it’s the Go Daddy challenge instead.
Twitter aas all the attributes of a Snarky Junior High School!
Based on imagined demand, pressdog® DRINK, ye BASTARDS drinkware becomes available for purchase.
The 2012 IndyCar comes to Iowa Speedway for testing and I take upwards of a billion photos of it.
My last interview with Dan Wheldon was an in-person throw down at Iowa Speedway. Someday I’ll listen to the tape again.
My take on why nobody wants to buy a ticket to watch IndyCar race on ovals any more.
First photo of Sarah and Zoey!
OCTOBER
Ed Carpenter brings tears to my eyes by winning at Kentucky.
Versus and IndyCar bring tears to my eyes by only attracting a TV audience of 188,000 to see Ed win at Kentucky.
Maryeve Dufault is at Kansas Speedway at the same time as me, so of course I’m IN for an interview wherein she talks about her season so far.
I make my first trip EVER to a NASCAR Nationwide race at fabulous Kansas Speedway. Here are observations from an open-wheel boy in NASCAR land.
IndyCar’s Vegas is seriously rolling the dice on Vegas. My take on the all-or-nothing approach to promotion.
A festival from chagrin from me as promoters seem to be overlooking the fact that Ed Carpenter could win at Vegas.
Dan Wheldon. Rest in Peace. Here’s my weak attempt at a memorial.
I urge IndyCar to conduct a thorough investigation of the crash, which they did (and would have without my urging, I am sure).
While everyone is pillorying three-wide “pack racing,” I confess my love for same. Usually how it goes.
The Associated Press’s NASCAR writer Jenna Fryer takes an interest in IndyCar and becomes the 18th Woman of pressdog®.
NOVEMBER
Twitter is fun. Twitter delivers lots of info and creates community for like-minded people. Twitter also harshes me now and then.
Sarah Fisher is team principal of the year!
Terry Angstadt resigns, Brian Barnhart changes roles and Bernard moves to get his people in place.
DECEMBER
Danica Power. She’s ranked third on a survey of favorite female athletes and ends the year as the most searched person on Yahoo.
Sarah Fisher announces a new partner and a new driver.
Pippa Mann keeps on plugging away, hoping for a full-time ride in 2012.
TrueCar.com freaks out and sponsors a bunch of women in racing, including Ashley Freiberg in Star Mazda. Ashley and her U-Haul-full-o-Barber Trophies becomes Woman of pressdog® #19.
IndyCar releases its findings in the Wheldon crash …
… and does a great job of handling the investigation and releasing full reports to the public.
TrueCar.com beneficiary Shea Holbrook becomes Woman of pressdog® #20, even though I had to wave the normal rule requiring some connection to open-wheel racing. Shea’s extreme schwerve causes me to have Barnhart-like discretion.
The new, low-oval schedule sets off a festival of despondency.
Thanks for the laughs, I had a great ride!
Lets do most of it again in 2012.
Posted by: S0CSeven | December 28, 2011 at 10:14 AM
Just read through your list, haven't any time (right now) to go re-read the actual posts...but I can say from memory that your memorial to Dan Wheldon was most certainly NOT weak. It touched the very essence of why he was so popular and why it was so extremely devastating to all of the racing community when he died.
Humility prevents you from taking the credit you deserve. But from my perspective it was still the best tribute I had read in the wake of that tragic day.
Posted by: Mike R | December 29, 2011 at 01:00 PM
Great year for you, Pdog. Looking forward to re-reading your race reports as they always got my week started off with a laugh.
Posted by: Mike (15daysinmay) | December 30, 2011 at 12:55 PM
I'm a little bummed about you not putting the death of versus.com and the birth of the shitty ap feed excuse of a website called nbcsports. I mean we lost some good writers to that. Hobbson..mynameisirl.
Posted by: Youknowwho | January 01, 2012 at 12:52 PM