Pit stops were especially crucial in this year’s 500. A good pit stop got Will Power ahead of Ed Carpenter right around the halfway mark. Carpenter and Power were so evenly matched, there wasn’t a good way of passing each other on track, and the good pit work by Penske gave Will the advantage he needed to get ahead.
Sebastien Bourdais really hasn’t had much luck on Indy’s oval. His best finish is 9th and most years he’s ended up in the wall. 2018 was unfortunately no different. Another crash at Indy severely dents Bourdais’ championship hopes, especially with Indy being a double points event.
Fortunately, unlike his last big shunt with Indy’s barriers, Bourdais walked away unharmed.
I’d like to talk about Danica for a moment. When she broke into the IndyCar scene 13 years ago, she was a genuine sensation. It’s easy to forget that her early career was full of successes: In her 2004 Atlantics season, she never once finished outside the Top 10. In 2005, she took three IndyCar poles as a rookie (this was also the year she became the first woman to lead the Indy 500). She also did win the Honda Indy 300 at Motegi in 2008 and took home 6 other top-3s in her career plus plenty of Top 10s. Yes, those stats aren’t exactly legendary, but her results alone are better than every other female who has competed in IndyCar combined. That’s definitely commendable in this sport, one of the few that pits men and women against each other in identical circumstances. While her legacy as a pure driver may not be one for the history books, the uptick in female motorsport drivers since Danica’s debut has been noticeable. Every racing driver in the world has someone who inspired them to get into racing. For the next generation of girls, Danica Patrick is one of those inspirations and for that alone, she has earned a place in the history books.
The rules of qualifying really hurt Alexander Rossi. He was quick on Bump Day, but with only one run allowed on Pole Day, a puncture ruined any shot of him qualifying up front. He had to start 32nd and had to carve his way through the field, finishing an impressive 4th. Imagine what he could have done starting from the sharp end of the field…
