Driver of the Race - 2007 Indy 500

[JohnSSC]

Mods, a poll would be great here!

Lots of good drives and some really good stories: A win (finally!) for Dario, Hamilton finishes 9th, Castroneves' struggles, Marco and Danica looking pretty racey out there along with Scheckter until Hornish ran him down to the apron...

My pick? Davey Hamilton, with a big Honorable Mention to Dario. Why Davey? Because he persevered. When everyone said he couldn't, wouldn't or shouldn't; he did. If he never gets another ride he should look at this drive as a "win." He embodies what it means to those of us who have dust from the dirt tracks in our lungs and the sound of sprinters in our ears: his goal was to drive at Indy. Did he ever!

Great race and strategy by Dario and his team. You can't say he lucked into this as he showed he had the raw speed on the day as well.

Best, last 50 laps I have seen in some time, even with the rain complicating things.

[Racer_kyle]

Kudos to TK for keeping it going during that spin mind you! "masterful" as the commentator kept reminding us! Also well done to Helio for getting back to the front.
I think had the race gone on longer we would have seen some amazing charges from Danica, Hornish, Wheldon etc.


Driver of the race for me was Dario. His strategy worked beautifully and they read the weather perfectly.

[JohnSSC]

Dario's group definitely made lemonade from the lemons, didn't they?

One of these years, TK is going to get the win - but then again, Michael has had some great drives over the years and has not won it either. From the way the other AG drivers were talking post-race, it looks like Michael is hanging it up for good this year.

I am sad that he could not win the 500 before he retired, but glad that he is retiring before the Speedway forces him to: the track has this way of biting you...

[Adam43]

Originally Posted by JohnSSC

Mods, a poll would be great here!

Done, added all the obvious (and many more!).

[JohnSSC]

Thank you, Adam!

[deejay]

Does anyone have stats on who led most laps?

I'm guessing it's in this order:

TK
Dario
Helio
Dixon
Marco

Anyone else lead? I think that's a pretty fair order for driver of the day amongst the regular drivers (excluding Marco who has to be struck off for his crash - but he did make some bold passes as well).

I voted for Davey Hamilton though, as that was a pretty remarkable effort.

[deejay]

There were also a couple of prominent no shows. Hornish, who is really just continuing on his mediocre year.

Most surprising was Wheldon though, who was nowhere all race.

I guess if it had gone to 200 laps those guys might well have come into the reckoning, but considering the conditions it wasn't a smart strategy to "hang back", so I'm picking they were just slow.

[Tim Northcutt]

Hamilton & Alex barron both moved up 11 spots from their place on the starting grid...Hamilton really had a gret run and the team's strategy put him in the top 10...

Two guys who drove hard, fast and well, but it wasn't reflected inthe final results were Jacques Lazier (from 29th to the top five...even led two laps during pit stop cycles before he crashed out while in the top 10) and Buddy Rice (was in 3rd place at the 60 lap mark and would've had a decent finish if he wouldn't have gotten tangled with Marco and Wheldon on the Bad crash lap)

[drdisque]

Hamilton should've definitely won the Scott Brayton Award (driver who shows the most tenacity during the month of may, exemplifying the spirit of Scott Brayton). Kanaan won it though. I think it was just sympathy for Kanaan because he didn't win.

[JohnSSC]

Wheldon was interviewed saying the car really did not come right until late in the race.

Lots of what ifs and might-have-beens in this one!

[GTRMagic]

Potsie Webber.. oops, no wait..

Ryan Briscoe.... 5th is great

[climb]

My vote to Hamilton: a comeback after so many years, and a top 10 finish, what a helluva race!

[Mystery]

I picked Dario but could have made a nearly as good case for Briscoe and Hamilton. Danica had her obligatory one good race of the year, but again it was a very good one. She really needs to find the pace elsewhere though.

[el_cat]

I also went for Hamilton. For any driver to be out of oval racing for so long and come back to run consistantly and get a good result would be admirable, but for Davey to do it after all he's been through is all the more admirable. Part of me what like to see him run the remainder of the oval races, but the other part thinks his point is proved

[JohnSSC]

I think the point is proved as well, not to mention that he may not be physically able to do a full season.

Maybe he could do a Jim Crawford and run a few races just to keep sharp with the focus on the 500.

[mac]

For a guy who apparently can't cut it on ovals, Ryan Briscoe was awesome all race on the baddest oval of all.

[drdisque]

That's the interesting thing about Indy.

Each corner drives a little differently and in many ways it's like an extremely fast road course with 4 left hand turns and I think that is why so many road course specialists have done so well there.

[ensign14]

Originally Posted by JohnSSC

My pick? Davey Hamilton, with a big Honorable Mention to Dario. Why Davey? Because he persevered. When everyone said he couldn't, wouldn't or shouldn't; he did. If he never gets another ride he should look at this drive as a "win." He embodies what it means to those of us who have dust from the dirt tracks in our lungs and the sound of sprinters in our ears: his goal was to drive at Indy. Did he ever!

Precisely.

[JohnSSC]

Good point, drdisque - I had not thought of it that way...

Thanks, ensign14.

[ensign14]

Originally Posted by drdisque

Each corner drives a little differently and in many ways it's like an extremely fast road course with 4 left hand turns and I think that is why so many road course specialists have done so well there.

Heh, I asked the question on trackforum whether Indy was an oval for the same reasons.