Since I don't have a clue about marketing, I'm trying to figure out just why certain entities jump on board to sponsor these racing teams. One of the big-name partners of Dale Coyne Racing is The Boy Scouts of America. I was a Boy Scout (for about a month until I found out they didn't go camping with the Girl Scouts), but I don't remember there being a merit badge for open-wheel racing.

Totally understand why the National Guard is a sponsor for J.R. Hildebrand. It's probably a great recruiting tool. I hear the speed limits in Iraq are seldom enforced.

If you pay attention to this kind of thing, you'll notice that Honda is named on just about every car and every driver. That's because every engine in the race is built by Honda, but that's won't be the case next year, when the Indy Car engines will be supplied by Honda, Chevrolet and Lotus.

Here's another random cellphone photo, showing James Jakes being pushed out of the paddock in preparation for the big race.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 2:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Baltimore Grand Prix
        

Obviously, I already have an affinity for Australian Indy car driver Will Power, who qualified first for tomorrow's Grand Prix and clearly deserves a place in my Odd Name Hall of Fame. He won the pole for the seventh time this year, so he's certainly no stranger to open-wheel race fans and he should have been honored sooner.

He's no Dick Trickle, of course. In fact, he's not really even Will Power. Outside the United States, he's usually identified as William Power, but everybody calls him Will over here, and it sounded pretty good as the track announcer called his final lap on Saturday. He nipped Graham Rahal to win the Firestone Fast Six.

While we're on the subject of strange names, which obviously is very dear to my heart, Power's hometown is Toowoomba, Australia, which also is quite a mouthful.

Associated Press photo

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 3:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Baltimore Grand Prix
        

Clearly, I have stepped outside the box to cover the Baltimore Grand Prix and I'm pretty stoked to see some open-wheel. OK, who am I kidding. I'm pretty stoked to see Danica Patrick, since I've always liked fast women.

The weather didn't completely cooperate during the Indy Lights qualifying this morning. There was a brief rainstorm that gave the event that spongy Baltimore feel we all love so much and a threat of lightning that prompted race officials to close some raised walkways, but the qualifying went on as scheduled.

It was pretty cool watching the Lights cars speed down Pratt Street, so I've included this cheesy cell phone photo to give you a taste of what it's like for the fans lining the track.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 11:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Baltimore Grand Prix