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Carpenter and Newgarden Have Mirror-Image Indy 500s

For Ed Carpenter and Josef Newgarden, it was the tale of two Indy 500s — one a mirror image of the other — and the story of how peaking at the right time is critical to winning the most famous race in the world.

Newgarden and his team, Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing, started May practice for Indy strong only to run into issues too late to overcome them before the race. Owner/driver Ed Carpenter’s story was just the opposite — a slow start that led to a strong finish.

Uncle pressdog's Fireside Chat -- Shit Storm Edition

Oh my God. Dude. What happened to you? You got globs of shit in your hair. Haven't seen that in a while. You must have been reading about this "rebellion" shit storm from the owners etc. etc.

Come on in. I just poured out a Coors heavy (the Banquet beer) proving I can still connect with the $12 twelve pack people. It is goooood. Sit. DRINK, ye BASTARD.

OK, let me talk to you directly here. I been in the business. Nine years as a real-life, doing-it-for-a-living newspaper reporter. Here's what I think about this huge shit sandwich ...

Transcript: Kasey Kahne Meets the Media

Interview from 5/29/12. Transcript courtesy of NASCAR PR ...

THE MODERATOR:  Good afternoon, everyone.  Welcome to today's NASCAR teleconference.  Today we are joined by Kasey Kahne, driver of the No. 5 hendrickcars.com Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports.

Kahne won last Sunday's Coca Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in his 300th NASCAR Sprint Cup series start.  Marked his 13th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win in his first 400 motorsports.  Kahne has made 16 starts at Dover International Speedway posting one top 5 and four top 10s.

Kasey, after celebrating Hendrick Motorsports 200 wins last week with the other drivers who have won for the organization, how does it feel to post one number 201 and get your first one for the team?

Danica Patrick on the Cover of ESPN The Magazine's Women in Sports Edition Due Out June 1

From ESPN PR ...

ESPN The Magazine: Women in Sports; “Defining Danica” Patrick

After a successful run in IndyCar, Danica Patrick began transitioning to NASCAR in 2010 and had a rocky start. She wants to win, but she’s also out to gain some credibility. A lot of haters think she’s only where she is because of how she looks. Is that unfair? Or is it part of racing—perhaps the only sport where connections and money can get you a spot in the competition?

In ESPN The Magazine’s first-ever “Women in Sports” issue, on newsstands Friday, June 1, Patrick discusses her switch to NASCAR, her fatigue with the “women driver” storyline and why she does those risqué ads.

Trackside Big Indy 500 Recap Show Tonight

"Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee" returns to its weekly Tuesday night slot from 7-9 pm eastern tonight on 1070 The Fan (WFNI-AM) in Indianapolis and via the internet at www.1070TheFan.com and through the 1070 The Fan app on mobile phones.

The researchers and production staff have dug deep exploring potential topics and content for tonight and have decided to recap the 96th Indianapolis 500.

Donald Davidson will also join the show for a bit to update some historical notes concerning this year's 500.

Questions and comments are encouraged at [email protected] or via Twitter at @KevinLee23. A podcast will be available at www.1070TheFan.com/Trackside or via iTunes.

ABC Ratings for Indy 500 Improve in National Numbers, Up 7.7% from 2011

IndyCar PR reported the "fast national" rating for the Indy 500 on ABC was 4.34 (6,857,100 viewers), up 7.7% from the 4.03 rating for the race in 2011. The number makes the 2012 race the highest rated Indy 500 since 2008.

The fast national number is a service provided by Nielsen ratings that delivers a more accelerated reading of final ratings. Final ratings, expected Thursday, are not expected to change from the fast national number.

The national rating was also an improvement from the 2012 race's overnight rating numbers, which were down slightly from 2011.

The 2012 numbers represent the second consecutive ratings increase for the Indy 500. The 2011 Indy 500's 4.0 final rating equated to 6.711 million viewers, up 11% in ratings and 16% in viewership from 2010. The 2010 rating, however, was the second-lowest TV rating for the 500 since 1972, according to Sports Media Watch.

Overnight ratings for the pre-race show this year were up 46%, getting a 1.9 this year compared to a 1.3 last year.

Danica Interview .. Prelude to Her ESPN The Magazine Cover Story

Coming soon to the cover of ESPN The Magazine: DANICA. For now, here's a good 3-minute interview with her. It's a pretty good glimpse of her overall personality, IMO.

Uncle pressdog's Fireside Chat -- Indy 500 Post Race Edition

Word, homeys. Happy Memorial Day. Come on in and DRINK, ye BASTARDS. Not doing much today. Actually working a little bit due to my self employed-ness. Wrote a video script this morning. It's a living.

Won't keep ya long. I'm sure there is napping to do.

Hey, how 'bout that Indy 500? -- Indy 500 is over and pretty much it's a Festival of Universal Love among the cadre of hard-cores I follow on Twitter and elsewhere. First of all, everyone (including me) is alternately weeping copious tears of joy and pissing their pants with glee over the quality of the racing at Indy.

The last few years have been road ovals with very little overtaking and fuel mileage endings. This year was a relative festival of inhalation. In fact, the leader was often pretty screwed since the aerodynamics of the car new punch a big-ass hole in the air letting the car behind go faster than the car in front.

Indy 500 Draws Overnight TV Rating of 4.1

ABC/ESPN PR reports that the Indy 500 on ABC drew an overnight TV rating of 4.1, down 4.8% from the 4.3 overnight the race drew in 2011. Last year's race ended up with a 4.0 final rating.

Overnight ratings are a quick measure of key metro viewing areas. Final ratings include all viewing areas. Final ratings are expected later this week.

The 2011 race was the most-viewed Indy 500 since 2008. Its 4.0 final rating equated to 6.711 million viewers, up 11% in ratings and 16% in viewership from 2010. The 2010 rating was also the second-lowest TV rating for the 500 since 1972, according to Sports Media Watch. For more, including Indy 500 ratings compared to NASCAR Coke 600 ratings from 2002 to 2011, go HERE.

Overnight ratings for the pre-race show this year were up 46%, getting a 1.9 this year compared to a 1.3 last year. 

Monaco F1 Notes Cancelled by Nap

I watched the F1 race from Monaco live but abandoned my note-taking efforts after drifting off to sleep twice. I never enjoy Monaco (or Valencia) and usually don't watch for that reason, but gave it a try for the first time in three years. Mistake. This doesn't bode well for my viewership for Valencia either.

Rather than just rag on about how boring I found it (as I did, regrettably, on Twitter), I'm going with the "if you can't say anything nice don't say anything at all" deal.

I think the upshot is this: since changing the track appreciably in Monaco is out of the question, the continuing evolution of today's cars have made overtaking on the track at speed virtually impossible. So the race broadcast becomes a discussion of the history, sights and beauty of Monoco.

Discuss ...