Upon Further Review: Can debate fuel Indy’s popularity?
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As the race drew to an end, I — along with most people watching the race — thought Paul Tracy had won. But in the winner’s circle, Helio Castroneves drank the milk of victory.
What could have been a clear-cut decision for Tracy dissolved into a confusing result that didn’t become official until 5-1/2 hours later.
On the 199th lap, a yellow flag came out around the time Tracy passed Castroneves in turn three. The controversy is over the precise moment the caution went into effect. Tracy claimed he was ahead when he first learned of the yellow; Castroneves said he let up on the throttle when he saw yellow, which allowed Tracy to pass.
Now if you were watching the race, and then saw all the replays on TV, it sure looked like Tracy had passed before the yellow came out.
A review lasting 5 hours and 40 minutes ensued, and league vice president of operations Brain Barnhart said there was no conclusive proof that Tracy had pulled ahead of Castroneves by the time the yellow flag came out.
According to officials, all the videotape replays and information from other drivers were inconclusive and not enough to overturn the race. But with all the different angles that have been shown on TV, how can they say there is not enough proof?
It is a debate over what happened in the blink of an eye. But with all the modern technology, we can see the truth. Frame-by frame footage was shown of what took place in turn three, and looked pretty conclusive to me.
Indy Racing League rules call for a hearing to be held within 30 days of the filing of the appeal, unless the parties involve agree to a delay. In 1981, it took four months for Bobby Unser to be declared the official winner in a disputed finish against Mario Andretti.
Some say there is a little conspiracy going on here. Had Tracy been allowed to stay in front, it would have been the third consecutive win for a driver and team from the rival Championship Auto Racing Teams.
More bragging rights for a series currently fighting for its life and one more year the IRL can’t promote the Indy 500 winner at the rest of its schedule.
So this may just be a little heat over IRL and CART. But the question is, should it be that hard to figure out who really won the race?
If I’m at bat and hit a ball over the fence for a home run and a ball rolls onto the field after I hit it, should that homer count? Sure it should.
No matter what is said or how many times they look at the videotape, somebody is not going to be satisfied. Maybe they should have taken a couple of days to interview all the drivers and look at all the video — then announce a winner on Thursday and let that be the end of it.
Instead, now we are going to have appeals, hearings and maybe even a lawsuit over this embarrassing moment.
With more fans enjoying NASCAR, this can only be a step in the wrong direction for the Indy cars. Winning a race shouldn’t be this difficult.
So the question is, will this be another crippling blow for the Indy cars, and finally push them out of business? Or will fans enjoy the controversy and let it add spice to a struggling sport?
Only time will tell.