The first race of the 2013 IndyCar season is now in the books – the record books, that is – and it was a race that set the bar pretty high on the old excitement level.
Canadian James Hinchcliffe won his first ever IndyCar race and compatriot Alex Tagliani wrestled his less-than-great car from a disappointing 17th place on the starting grid to a satisfying 10th place at the checker. For all of Canada, it was a day to jump in the air and high-five congratulations for two outstanding young racers.
Going back to last season, we saw the shape of things to come with the Championship going right down to the wire and races full of high-intensity competition. Teams were run with new levels of efficiency and with an attention to detail that hadn’t been seen for years.
The cars were all beautifully turned out and, like the drivers, were accessible for the fans to get up close and personal with. There’s nothing better than being able to get right beside exotic machinery, or to stand next to your hero and even get an autograph. In fact, the good people of IndyCar racing even mandate autographs this year with a one-hour session that all drivers must attend to allow the fans to be with their favourites – no body guards there, just a lot of smiles.
In pre-season testing this year, times were almost unbelievably close, usually with speeds faster than existing records and the qualifying at St. Petersburg showed this wasn’t a fluke. Yes, for the fourth straight year, Will Power grabbed the pole position (shall we re-name it St. Powersburg?), but the field of cars was very, very competitive.
Hinchtown voters were delighted with their mayor’s speed, taking him to third place on the grid, and Alex, even with his mysterious lack of speed, showed only positive vibes as he looked to move up the field. And these two attitudes lead me to the following story.
Once upon a time, drivers, owners and even some crews of INDY teams ( CART, IRL, USAC, etc.), were of the “holier than thou” attitude and treated fans with an attitude that bordered disdain. They were the chosen, the special ones and really didn’t want to be part of the crowd. Not nearly as bad as what we still have in Formula 1, but that attitude hurt the various series’ and actually helped NASCAR, who had the reputation of good ol’ boys who you could go up to and talk with at length about cars, moonshine, or whatever.
The new IndyCar series, however, is a much different story.
To a certain extent, I can sympathize with stars that have attitudes. Whether it’s Hollywood or sports, it’s all the same as adulation is piled on. You’re always the centre of attention, and you benefit from being able to get, see and do what others can only dream of, so it’s easy to get spoiled.
Retaining the rare ability to keep your head out of the clouds and both feet firmly on the ground has been the exception, not the norm. Look at the difference between Jerry Rice, the best receiver in NFL history, and Chad Ochocinco to see where ego can take you.
When I met Hinchcliffe for the first time last week, I was immediately impressed by his quiet, soft-spoken demeanour. As we talked, he wasn’t looking around to see who might be watching him; he was paying attention to our conversation and his natural humility came through.
Last year, Hinchcliffe was voted the most popular driver in the circuit, and it was very easy to see why. A very appealing young personality who was about to convincingly prove he was also a very fast and intelligent race driver.
Tagliani is also an impressive young man. A few years older than Hinchcliffe, Tagliani has always been fast in just about anything he drives, but hasn’t been blessed by the luck of being with the right team at the right time. Some might take that as an opportunity to whine or use as an excuse, but for Alex it’s almost like a catalyst as he just tries harder.
Tagliani’s reputation in the paddock as perhaps being the hardest working driver there is held for good reason and you never see him standing still or speaking without a smile on his face. Of course, maybe his gorgeous Australian wife is part of the reason.
Even into the ranks of the officials, this new attitude can be found. As fellow Sportsnet Insider Todd Lewis and I walked through the pits on the morning of race day, we were approached by Beaux Barfield, the race director for IndyCar, who asked if we’d like to spend time with him so that he could explain his logic on making decisions relating to possible on-track incidents.
The word shocked doesn’t even come close to telling of our reaction as neither of us had ever — EVER! — been approached by an official from any race organization with an offer of helping us with our jobs, and we willingly took him up on his offer right there and then. Beaux too, is one of the new breed, here for the love of the sport and a delight to work with.
As I left the track on Sunday night, I had mixed feelings. Excited for all of Canada, in much the same way as I felt watching our Olympics, but restless, knowing that I had to wait some time before our next race.
Mark my words: this IndyCar season is going to be great! I can’t wait for the next race.