Indy 500: Back to the Future
Why am I enjoying the ’18 Indy 500, so much?
BUMP DAY seems to have reenergized me, in a way I wasn’t prepared for. As Hinchcliffe sat in his car, clock winding down to zero, I looked in disbelief to my right, and to my left. No one was in the room with me, but it felt like I was sitting in a room full of fans, reacting in the exact same way.
To describe that feeling, I invoke the words of Obi-Wan Kenobi, “I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. I fear something terrible has happened.”
It was more the first part of that quote, rather than the latter, and while I didn’t exactly enjoy that feeling, I thoroughly enjoyed what it meant for IndyCar fans, like myself. It meant I was witnessing something I’d never experienced before: bumping at the Indianapolis 500. For most it was back to the past, but for me, it was back to the future.
I read a few comments by IndyCar fans, ruing the call to return to bumping, citing a future of frightened sponsors, and a mass exit of eyeballs on the 500, due to Hinch and his popularity. While I feel differently than those fans/pundits, I’m not going to discount those comments. Instead, I’m going to share my optimistic perspective on a seemingly negative occurrence. Here goes.
Mark Miles and Jay Frye have restored/enhanced many of the core elements that make IndyCar, IndyCar; another movie quote comes to mind:
I admit, when I first began following IndyCar, I was coming from a Formula 1 background, and constantly pushing for IndyCar to be more like F1. I wanted IndyCars to look more like F1 cars. I wanted podium ceremonies to be more elaborate, and for broadcasts to actually show them. I wanted standing starts, instead of rolling starts. I wanted IndyCar races on F1-style tracks. I wanted the Indy 500 to just be another race, because the championship was more important, to me; it still is, but, I’ve adjusted a bit.
Nonetheless, I’ve since repented of most of those thoughts. Why? Because IndyCar is IndyCar, and Formula 1 is Formula 1. They are different, and thank God for that. Who wants all open-wheel racing series to be homogenized? Not me. And thank God, Mark Miles and Jay Frye seem to understand that, as well.
They are building IndyCar for current and future IndyCar fans, remaining true, for the most part, to the core of pure motorsport/competition. The evidence for this lies in the following:
1. The ’18 aero kit which reflects IndyCar’s past and embraces its future, and is firmly planted in its present. The aero kit also places more emphasis on a driver’s skill, as opposed to an engineers adjustments to the car.
2. Standing behind Bump Day and the significance it lends to the Indianapolis 500. It’s finally an accomplishment to qualify for the 500, as evidenced by the relief in the voices of qualified drivers, owners and team members.
3. Remaining at race tracks that reflect the heartland of America, instead of running off to F1 tracks in Austin, Europe, and farflung tracks across the globe.
4. Listening to and embracing fans’ concerns/preferences, on and off the track.
It instills confidence in me when a racing series knows who/what it is, and can outwardly reflect that to drivers, potential drivers, team owners, sponsors, fans, and potential fans. Having that type of confidence makes every up and every down more enjoyable.
For me, Bump Day, and the days that followed, reinforced that point, and I can’t wait for the actual race on Sunday!
