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Uncle pressdog’s Fireside Chat — Double D (Detroit and Dover) Edition

Last day of May! Crazy. We got Indy and the Coke 600 Presented by Falling Camera Cables in the rear view, so let’s slurp some coffee and chat about some stuff ..

J.R. Hildebrand and Panther -- Word came out yesterday that J.R. Hildebrand essentially got “let go” by Panther Racing. He’ll be replaced for the rest of the season by Ryan Briscoe. From what I can read, Hildebrand had a “contract” with Panther until the end of this season.

But, as we’ve learned, “contracts” with drivers in motor sports either 1) have a ton of escape clauses or 2) are ignored at some point by some or all of the parties involved, because this isn’t the first time that a driver who allegedly had a contract through a certain date is shown the door. Cough, cough ... Katherine Legge ... cough.

Ashley Freiberg Lands in S.I. "Faces in the Crowd" Section

Ashely Freiberg is getting some ink in SI. See my bracing interview with Woman of pressdog® Ashley here.

News release below ...

SPORTS ILLUSTRATED MAGAZINE NAMES FREIBERG A FACE IN THE CROWD; FEATURED IN JUNE 3 ISSUE

EFFORT Racing Driver Ashley Freiberg Turns Heads at the TIME, Inc. Publication

SI cover NEW YORK, NY (May 29, 2013) - Sports Illustrated magazine, the most respected voice in sports journalism with a weekly audience of nearly 21 million adults, will highlight IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge by Yokohama's lone female driver Ashley Freiberg, the current series points leader. Freiberg will be showcased as part of the publication's "Faces in the Crowd" feature in the June 3, 2013 issue, on newsstands now.

Erin Crocker Returns to Racing in Lucas Oil National Midget Series

Erin Crocker works it for her new sponsor, WIX Filters.

Kill the fatted calf! Heavily decorated sprint car driver Erin Crocker will return to racing in 2013 and participate in teh 2014 Chili Bowl.

Erin is a Woman of pressdog®. Read my two-part interview with her in 2012 here. Read about her return to the Knoxville Nationals that same year here. News release with Q&A from WIX PR below ...

WIX® Filters Sponsors Erin Crocker in POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget Series

Gastonia, NC, Saturday, 25 May 2013

Crocker Returns to Racing with WIX Paint Scheme in Seven Races in 2013 and 2014 Chili Bowl Nationals

WIX® Filters, a member of the Affinia Group family of brands, will sponsor Erin Crocker, the first woman to win a World of Outlaw feature event in 2004, in seven POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget Series races in 2013 as well as the 2014 Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals.

Uncle pressdog’s Fireside Chat — Indianapolis 500 in the Rear View Edition

Not sure if this will get me in trouble or not, but since we’re all tight and I'm candid at all (OK, most of the) times, I’ll proceed anyway. So grab some dark roast and let’s discuss some final thoughts on the 2013 Indianapolis 500 Mile Race.

Festival of Positive Vibes — If Indy wanted to put on a race that “fired up the base” to use the political terminology, they were wildly successful.

Not only was there 99.9% effusive praise for the event among the hard-core bloggers I know and the regular fans I talked to after, there was also knives at the ready to deal with anyone who suggested it wasn’t anything short of a religious experience. The Cadre was P-U-M-P-E-D, pumped.

2013 Indy 500 Ratings Down from 2012 Numbers

From ESPN PR ...

ABC’s live telecast of the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, May 26, earned a 3.7 rating, averaging 5,734,515 viewers, according to Nielsen Fast National data.

After two consecutive years of ratings growth, the rating was down from a 4.3 for last year’s event but higher than the 3.6 rating for the race in 2010. The 2011 race had a 4.0 rating.

Indianapolis led all metered markets with a 9.3 rating, followed by Dayton, Ohio, with 8.6 and Louisville with 8.3. Oklahoma City (7.5) and Cincinnati (6.8) were fourth and fifth nationally.

Rounding out the top 10 markets were Ft. Myers/Naples, Fla., Sacramento, Nashville, Portland, Ore., and Columbus.

The rating peaked at a 5.0 between 2:30 and 3 p.m. ET.

Deluxe Notes Taken from the 2013 Indianapolis 500

Tony Kanaan celebrates kissing the bricks at Indy.

Notes taken trackside and during the ABC broadcast of the 2013 Indianapolis 500 Mile Race on May 26, 2013

Welcome to Indianapolis where every Memorial Day the town goes into a grand mal froth over the Indy 500, with the froth intensifying as you approach Indianapolis Motor Speedway. If you've never been to Indy, it's worth a trip just for the atmosphere and spectacle. Tickets are still relatively cheap as Super Bowl-ish level events go, and places to stay are more reasonable than in the good old days, so plan a little jaunt to Indy over Memorial Day soon.

If you're just into being there for race day, you can travel on Saturday and the Memorial Day holiday and not miss a ton. The preceding paragraphs brought to you by the Greater Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce. Kidding.

Observations from Indianapolis

It’s 5:23 a.m. here in Indianapolis and I’m about to depart the luxurious EconoLodge for the seven-hour trip back to pressdog WORLD Headquarters in tony West Des Moines, Iowa. I hope to do some race notes later after I get home and watch the ABC coverage, but first, some highlights (above) and random thoughts (below).

Uncle pressdog’s Trackside Chat — Indianapolis Motor Speedway Edition

The relentless Pippa Mann gives a garage tour.

LIVE, from IMS it’s … just me. Chillaxing in a mostly empty media center. Capturing the magic of Saturday at IMS. Pop a cold one, DRINK, ye BASTARDS and let’s talk about all things racing here at Indy.

Let’s kick it old school with a “dateline.” ….. INDIANAPOLIS — ... er wait, SPEEDWAY, IN --

Doing laps at IMS — I’m talking about me, coming into the track, to the Festival of Waving Yellow Shirts. Pretty much every time I come into IMS, they wave me right out again. Huh? I guess the figure I’m leaving rather than arriving and wave me toward the exit. So I have to U-turn and come back. Dude.

Members of the IndyCar Competition Committee Finalized

News release from IndyCar below...

INDYCAR OPENS WAY FOR INNOVATION IN SPEED, SAFETY

Members of new INDYCAR Competition Committee finalized

INDIANAPOLIS, Thursday, May 23, 2013 -- INDYCAR will open the door to increased technical innovation in its cars and continue its longstanding effort to improve safety in open-wheel racing, Hulman & Co. CEO Mark Miles and incoming INDYCAR President of Operations and Competition Derrick Walker announced May 23.

Walker will be responsible for identifying specific technology improvements and guiding their implementation, with the goal of managed increases in speed.

Cyndie Allemann Competes in 24 Hours of the Nürburgring

Cyndie Allemann at Nurburgring

Woman of pressdog® Cyndie Allemann has now raced at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Le Mans and the Nürburgring Nordschleife. Read all about her adventures in Germany on Cyndie's site HERE and follow her on Twitter @CyndieAllemann. Read my interview with Cyndie HERE.