2007 IndyCar Series Opener Party at IMS

The IndyCar Series had a big season Opener Party last night at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the race being held at Homestead, Florida. I was there too. It was a cool and fun time, with many cool and real Indy racers in attendance.

Heck, even my boss from work showed up. He is a Canadian from Canada. He bought me many cold beers. I bet he's gonna make many unreasonable requests of me at my job now.

What are your thoughts on this subject? Is is appropriate for a boss to buy his employee many cold beers? I guess I really don't have a problem with it. In fact, it could lead to a new era of cooperation and communication and efficiency between management and workers.

Yes. I believe a new age may have dawned here.

TrackForum is a cool racing intardwebs message board I frequent. You should check it out sometime if you feel like it.

http://www.trackforum.com/forums/index.php?

I met and became reacquainted with several TrackForum folks. They were nice to me too and didn't call me a dork or anything, and they offered me a place to sit after I had many cold beers and became tired and stuff. You ever get tired after having many cold beers? I do sometimes.

This is TrackForums's own AuntBarb and another guy who I think wanted to beat me up ala PJ Chesson-style, or something. He was probably mad at me for something I said here or on the intardnets somewhere.

He was a mean drunk, maybe, but after I flexed and showed him my bulging gunboats, I think he decided he had better things to do than to fight at the Opener Party. We got along famously after that, and I think we will become fast friends fairly soon.

That's what I think.

AuntBarb greeted me as if I was her long lost grandson. She is a warm and loving woman. There should be more people like her on the planet, then maybe there wouldn't be so much hate and stuff going around. She said she wanted a GomerNation smiley, so I gave her one here now!

The race itself was cool. Dan Wheldon won it going away pretty much. I will not call him Danny, like the guys on TV do, because it sounds silly, and I am all about not sounding silly. Sorta.

I am happy that IRL officials did not throw a phantom debris caution because Dan was running away from his fellow competitors and they wanted to bunch up the field for an exciting, pants-wetting, manufactured finish. There is something pure and cool about letting them race, even if the leader is blowing everybody's doors in.

That's how I see it anyways.

Mrs. Hospenthal made a wrong mistake entering pit road and spun and crashed her brand new AGR racing machine. She was mad and threw a stiff-legged tantrum afterwards when the TV crews wanted to interview her.

Earlier in the race, Mrs. Hospenthal nearly ran over and killed a guy in the pits. Maybe she thought she was on the interstate and felt she was gonna be late for work. I don't know. Who's to say for sure?

She'd better get a grip on her rage. I suspect anger management classes will be in her future before too long, because if she keeps making wrong mistakes and throws fits, Mike Andretti will probably start giving some thought to firing her.

Marco's car was running like a pig so he pulled into the pits and quit racing with the other shiny and fast Indy racers. He said he was scared out there on the racing circuit because of his car's ill handling. I find it hard to believe that a brave Indy racer like Marco would be afraid to drive his AGR machine under any conditions. Maybe he had a hot date, or something, and couldn't be bothered with sanctioned Indy competition. Today's youth can be impetuous sometimes, I guess.

Over time, Marco will grow older and more mature and he will learn about stick-to-it-tiveness and stuff. That's the kind of thing I teach my kids all the time. I tell them to finish what they start and do the best they can at whatever they are doing. I bet Mike and Mario will be having that same type of discussion with Marco very soon, and Marco will listen and probably win many Indy 500's.

Yes. I can see that scenario playing out in reality before too long.

This is what the Vigoda looked like outside the Pavillion where the party was being held.


So, those are some of my thoughts and observations on the Opener Party. A pleasant time was had by all.

Pretty much.