A rematch is on tap for Sunday afternoon in Edmonton, Alberta, but it won’t be in a boxing ring. It won’t be in a UFC octagon either.
No, this matter will be settled on the runways of the Edmonton City Center Airport, home of this weekend’s round of the IZOD IndyCar Series.
Five days ago, the streets of Toronto’s Exhibition Place saw a rough-and-tumble affair that was more like a football game, according to what one driver said afterward. Indeed, multiple crashes and run-ins marred the 85-lap Honda Indy Toronto – even though those didn’t stop the affair from being rather entertaining.
Regardless of what happens, the anger stemming from Toronto has certainly livened things up a bit. Some may wonder why all of this animosity was carried out online through 140-character missives — and they could have a point; after all, wouldn’t the series have gotten a spike of publicity if the Scheckter-Tagliani and Rahal-Briscoe feuds were caught on TV cameras instead?
However, for the most part, on-track disagreements don’t always explode like they did Sunday. There are certainly exceptions to this rule – for example, the pit-road fight that ensued after an argument between Sam Hornish Jr. and Tony Kanaan at Watkins Glen in 2007 – but really, IndyCar lacks the extra juice of real, honest-to-goodness feuds between its racers.
That’s why these current developments have been refreshing, even if they eventually landed on Twitter and not on television. While there’s a line that must be drawn for such things, would the sport really be worse off if a little more hell was raised this weekend in Edmonton?
There could be a lot of opportunities for battles to boil over at City Center Airport. But any way you slice it, it’s more attention for IndyCar – something the series desperately needs.
Stabilizing Edmonton?
As part of Northlands’ current three-year deal to promote the Honda Indy Edmonton, the city has had to cover the losses. So far, that hit, after two seasons, has grown to a whopping $9.2 million. But it appears that taxpayers in Edmonton may not be on the hook for much longer.
According to the Edmonton Journal, the city council has authorized negotiations with Montreal-based Octane Racing Group, the current promoters of Formula One’s Canadian Grand Prix, in hopes of creating a new three-year sponsorship arrangement that would keep Edmonton on the IndyCar schedule through the 2013 campaign and make Octane the new promoter of the event.
Conway continues toward recovery
Dreyer and Reinbold’s Mike Conway, still recovering from injuries suffered in a devastating last-lap crash at the Indianapolis 500, is starting to incorporate laps on a driving simulator as part of his regimen. He’s also recently had a back brace and a cast on his left leg removed.
Earlier this month, team co-owner Robbie Buhl said that if Conway’s rehabilitation comes along enough, the Englishman may be back in a third Dreyer and Reinbold machine at Infineon Raceway on Aug. 22. American pilot J.R. Hildebrand is scheduled to drive for the team at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course (Aug. 8) and at Infineon alongside Justin Wilson.
Conway said in an IndyCar release that it was great to be back in a cockpit.
"It's the first time I put weight on (the foot), so I was surprised at how well I could hit the brakes,” he said. “I am pleased to say that I have feeling in my foot and it felt good."
