The 2024 running motorsports thread

I realize few people care about auto racing, and fewer still care about IndyCar and the Indianapolis 500 now. But today was another of those amazing highest of highs and lowest of lows days that the Speedway is known for.

And it's time trials, not qualifying. I'll die on that hill, particularly since Indianapolis has no natural hills to die upon.

Marcus Ericsson, who won the race two years ago and finished second last year, had to pull off a last-minute thrash just to make the show -- after he miscalculated the number of laps in his first run of the afternoon and lifted off the throttle on lap four. Teenager Nolan Siegel, knowing it was either put it in the show or put it in the fence on a desperate last-minute effort, walling it on lap two.

Graham Rahal, going through the gut-wrenching emotions of Bump Day for the second consecutive year, only making it into the field with Siegel's crash.

The iconic No. 14 making the final six with 89-year-old A.J. Foyt in attendance, Super Tex's team once again battling for the front of the grid among the Arrow McLarens and Penskes of the sport.

Then Alexander Rossi sticking up a stout 233 mph average, only to see all three Penske cars easily post front-row times, including Scott McLaughlin's incredible 234.220 mph AVERAGE. That's the fastest pole speed in the 108-year history of the 500-Mile Race. (Only Arie Luyendyk's second day time trial in 1996 is quicker.)

I'll be at the Speedway one week from today, sitting in A Stand, Section 1, Row E because it's still the biggest day on my calendar every year.

Back home again in Indiana, indeed.

 

And Kyle Larson suddenly is the first guy trying to run the double who actually has a shot at winning both halves of the double.

 

Kyle Busch with the old-school payback on lap 1.

Followed by Stenhouse parking his wrecked car in Busch's pit stall.

 

The refurbishment of Wilkesboro is amazing. It tickles me to have them racing there again. The crowd looks good.
I question the logic and sanity of having a race that will end after 10 p.m. on Sunday night. It should have been this afternoon or last night. I've been to many a Sunday afternoon race at that track and gotten home for bed and school Monday morning.

 

Irony was completing four-lane U.S. 421 to Wilkesboro about the time NASCAR moved the track's race dates. I never covered a race there but was told the traffic on the two-lane chicken farm country roads was horrendous. I think Lee Montgomery wouldn't get back to Raleigh until the wee hours of the morning.

 

I was a kid, so I don't have the slightest recollection of the traffic. I do have fond memories of fried chicken and laughing uncontrollably when Elmo Langley wrecked the pace car.

 

Race seemed kinda boring, but Stenhouse sure took care of that after the checkered flag.

 

There will be some fines and suspensions for that. Stenhouse should get the worst of it financially. The crew member who went after Busch after they had already separated likely won't be a the track next weekend. Stenhouse senior might want to buy a ticket if they can't come up with a justifiable reason for him to be in the pits. They probably have to issue some kind of penalty to Busch, but in this case, I'd make it token at best. The look on Andy Petree's face is awesome.