The IndyCar Finale at Sonoma and Everything Old is New Again
The IndyCar gang gathered at Sonoma in Northern California for the final race of the season. Earlier in the week the drivers drove their cars across the Golden Gate Bridge to salute the memory of Justin Wilson. The GoPro Grand Prix awarded double points to all contenders. At the Sonoma Raceway during qualifying, Will Power grabbed the pole for the GoPro GP which was his sixth pole of the season. Penske cars took 14 poles in 16 races. Graham Rahal hoped to make up lost ground after a disastrous run at the Pocono 500 and take the championship from Juan Pablo Montoya. Kiwi Scott Dixon in third place in the points held similar hopes. Once the race started Power quickly faded and Dixon took the lead. The Ganassi Racing driver wouldn’t be denied, and Montoya tangled with his teammate Power on lap 39. Power was out but Montoya was able to continue. Newgarden had a really nice run going until a disastrous pit stop took him out of contention. Graham Rahal had the same bad luck at Sonoma that he had at Pocono. Hampered with an ill-handling car, Rahal had another French driver, this time Sebastian Bourdais, bump him. Bourdais got a drive-through penalty and Rahal continued in the race, but he finished eighteenth and out of contention for the championship. Montoya worked his way back up to sixth place where the points he would be awarded kept him tied with Dixon’s point total if Dixon won. Dixon took the championship based on his three victories to Montoya’s two.
During the last fourth of the race, Montoya tried desperately to catch fifth place Ryan Briscoe, but Briscoe was able to hold him off. Dixon won his fourth IndyCar Championship for Ganassi Racing — it looks like the New Zealander has become an old hand at late season championship runs. Rahal dropped to fourth in the final standing but his Steak n’ Shake #15 Dallara Honda became the most recognizable car on the track. Montoya was at the top points leader board all season long until the last race. But that’s what makes the series exciting. Ryan Hunter-Reay finished second, completing a late season run that brought him to sixth place in the final standings after being an also-ran for much of the season. Russian driver Mikhail Aleshin competed in his first and only race of the season after a devastating crash at Fontana last year nearly took his life; he drove to a very credible tenth place finish.
The 2015 IndyCar was certainly an exciting one with nine different drivers winning races and the champion being decided in the second half of the last race of the season. Drivers such as Graham Rahal, Josef Newgarden, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Sebastian Bourdais, Charlie Kimball, and Sage Kareem provided plenty of racing excitement for fans. Team Penske dominated qualifying but got passed in the championship race. Penske cars finished one-two at Indy so they continue to dominate the Brickyard. It bodes well for the 2016 Indycar season.
Colts Win a Preseason Game
The Colts snapped a seven game preseason losing streak dating back to 2013 with a 24-14 win over the St. Louis Rams. Andrew Luck threw his first TD pass of the preseason, finding Andre Johnson on a 32 yard strike in the first quarter. The Colts had opened by scoring with a 42 yard field goal by ace kicker Adam Vinatieri. Pat McAfee kicked successfully and executed an on side kick on the ensuing kickoff and Colts rookie Clayton Gaithers recovered, leading the Luck TD pass. Rookie free agent runningback Tyler Varga got most of the carries in the second half and scored on a one yard TD run in the fourth quarter. Varga attended Yale University and was born in Sweden. He has impressed Colts coaches with his tough inside power running and he may very well make the team. Vinatieri kicked a 55 yard field goal. Vinatieri is the league’s senior player and at age 42 he still has “The Leg.”
The Colts had their first roster cut down Monday. The only player of note to be released was offensive guard Donald Thomas. Thomas was signed from New England in the 2013 off-season. It was hoped that he would take the left guard position. Unfortunately, due to injuries, he was never been able to play a down of football in either 2013 or 14. His release was not a surprise.
Reggie Wayne is wearing Patriot blue for the 2015 season. The 36-year-old former Colts wideout says he feels like a “rookie” again and is ready to make a contribution to the New England offense. Reggie said he still wanted to play and wasn’t ready to become a TV color commentator. Reggie is a surefire bet for the Hall of Fame and will always be a Colt in his heart. He still lives in Indy with his family.
It’s worth noting that former Colt runningback Trent Richardson has been released by the Oakland Raiders which ends his comeback bid. It’s possible that he could be picked up by another team desperate for a runner during the course of the season, but Oakland was his third and probably final shot. Richardson will always be the albatross around Colts GM Ryan Grigson’s neck. The trade that Grigson made to bring Richardson to the Colts for our 2014 number one draft pick is considered to be one of the all-time worst trades made in NFL history.
Deflategate will be decided by a Federal judge. Don’t be surprised if Tom Brady’s four game suspension is totally lifted. It’s time to move on anyway.
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