Dale Earnhardt Jr. wants to drive in the Indy 500

Hendrick Motor sports driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. was in Indianapolis on Thursday to promote the upcoming All-State 400 at the Brickyard and was supposed to receive a two-seater from fellow National Guard sponsored driver Dan Wheldon of the IndyCar Series. Rain washed out the two seater ride that Earnhardt Jr was supposed to get from Wheldon, but he did get a 10 minute driving lesson from Wheldon. Quoted as saying “he picked his brains as hard as I could”, Earnhardt Jr. also had some other interesting things to say in refence to the Indy 500.

Earnhardt Jr. dropped the bombshell that could send ripple effects throughout NASCAR and possibly have IndyCar fans playing the “what if” game. Earnhardt Jr. was quoted as saying “definitely interests me” in reference to driving in the Indy 500. He also went on to say that many NASCAR drivers would try Indy if the schedules could be resolved.

Can you imagine the post popular driver in NASCAR, driving in the most famous race in the world? Earnhardt Jr. single handily could bring the Indy 500 back to its heydays of attendance every time he set foot in IMS. Earnhardt Jr. comments also raise interesting thoughts to how would the other NASCAR drivers hold up in IndyCars.

Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch, Jeff Gordon, Carl Edwards, Ryan Newman, Kasey Kahne, Tony Stewart, all would be names that would grab fans, national media attention, jumpstart the series, and answer the ultimate question of who are the top drivers in North America.

Wheldon to pair with Earnhardt Jr. at Indy

Dan Wheldon has brought one of NASCAR's biggest stars to the IndyCar Series... for a couple of hours. Two of the National Guard’s biggest racing stars will be sharing a ride in an IndyCar this Thursday when Panther Racing driver, and former Indianapolis 500 winner, Dan Wheldon will give NASCAR Sprint Cup star Dale Earnhardt Jr. a ride in the Indy Racing Experience two-seater at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Both drivers will be on hand for photos and interviews following the event, which begins at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday. Earnhardt Jr. is in Indianapolis to promote the upcoming July 26th Allstate 400 at the Brickyard and Wheldon is traveling to Canada immediately after Thursday’s event for the Honda Indy Toronto IndyCar Series race, which will be held on Sunday.

The Indy Racing Experience two-seater will be in the same No. 4 National Guard livery as Wheldon drives full-time in the IndyCar Series. The event also included Earnhardt’s Hendrick Motorsports’ teammate Jeff Gordon, who is also sponsored by the National Guard.

Earnhardt will also turn laps in the historic No. 16 Noc-Out Hose Clamp Special that Mauri Rose and Floyd David co-drove to victory in the 1941 Indianapolis 500. Earnhardt currently ranks 21st in the Sprint Cup standings and has collected one Top Five and three Top Ten finishes this season. He will be making his tenth career start in the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard this year, and has previously recorded a best result of sixth at the race in 2006. In nine previous starts, Earnhardt Jr. has led a total of 54 laps at Indianapolis.

The Honda Indy Toronto will be broadcast live in ABC at 1 p.m.

7/09 :: He'll rock 'n' roll all night

Gene Simmons, co-founded KISS more than 35 years ago, will be the grand marshal of the Honda Indy Toronto this weekend..          

Simmons has been the mastermind behind many modern advancements in merchandising/licensing, including some of the larger licensing/merchandise deals for KISS (more than 2,500 licenses currently in effect around the globe), production of television shows and a series of KISS and Simmons-themed comic books sold around the world. 

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"Gene Simmons is one of the most recognizable figures and groundbreaking businessmen in the world and we are pleased to have him be a big part of the 2009 Honda Indy Toronto," said Kevin Savoree, president of Andretti Green Toronto, promoters of the race.  "We have had the pleasure of working with Gene and his team on several occasions and we know his unique, high-energy personality will be a great addition to the festivities at this year's event."

7/09 :: Inside track

7/08 :: The survey says ...

Round up 20-plus IndyCar Series drivers for an informal and anonymous survey at the midpoint of the season and naturally you'll receive nearly as many responses to each question.

There was a sole exception: Will the championship chase go down to the wire? The answer was a unanimous and resounding "Yes," which only makes sense. With a tight points race through nine of the 17 events and the past three driver titles being decided in the season finale, all indications point to a showdown Oct. 10 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Listen in: Scott Dixon analysis | Ryan Briscoe analysis | Also: Midpoint outlook

"Without a doubt; it has been too competitive for it not to be," said Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing's Graham Rahal, who's among the six pole winners this season.

Reigning series champion Scott Dixon of Target Chip Ganassi Racing claimed front-runner status with a third-place finish at Watkins Glen on July 5 - 19 points clear of teammate Dario Franchitti and Team Penske's Ryan Briscoe heading to the Honda Indy Toronto on July 12.

Look ahead: How top 5 have fared
 at Homestead-Miami Speedway

While tenuous, it's the largest points differential of the season between 1-2 (after seven of the nine races it had been 10 or less). Team Penske's Helio Castroneves, a two-time winner, and Andretti Green Racing's Danica Patrick are within 75 points. A victory earns 50 points, with 40 for second, 35, 32, etc. Four different drivers have held the top spot, with only Briscoe maintaining it after two consecutive races.

"For me, it's exciting to be in this title hunt," said Briscoe, who has a victory and four runner-up finishes including to Justin Wilson at The Glen. "It's going to be a tough one. It's going to go right down to the wire, but it's great. We're racing with a bunch of very good drivers and it's a lot of fun.

"All of us are sort of looking at the championship so far and saying, 'Man, if that didn't happen here if that didn't happen there, I could have had a big lead in the championship at the moment.' But it is very close. Scott's got a bit of a lead at the moment, but it's pretty small for where we are in the championship."

The remainder of the schedule is split down the middle into street/road courses and 1.5-mile ovals. There were five different winners in the first half, which comprised three street/road circuits, two 1.5-mile ovals, the Indianapolis 500 on the 2.5-mile oval and three races on ovals one mile or less.

"What makes the IndyCar championship so special is the fact that its champion needs to be at the front with the diversity of the schedule," Target Chip Ganassi Racing managing director Mike Hull said.

Six drivers who led at the season's midpoint have gone on to claim the title, including Dixon and Franchitti the past two years. Dixon held off Helio Castroneves' charge to win by 17 points and Franchitti, driving for Andretti Green Racing in 2007, edged Dixon by 13 points in a championship chase that went down to the final lap.

In 2006, Castroneves was the midseason leader by five over Sam Hornish Jr. and 35 over Dan Wheldon. Hornish and Wheldon wound up tied in points after the finale, with Hornish claiming his third series title based on a tiebreaker (four wins to Wheldon's two). Castroneves finished two points back.

The complete questionnaire with leading vote-getters:

• Team/Driver that have surprised you the most: Mario Moraes / KV Racing Technology

• Team/driver that have disappointed you to date: Tony Kanaan / Andretti Green Racing

• Pick to win the championship out of the current top five: Scott Dixon

• Who will surprise during the second half of the season: Justin Wilson

• Darkhorse to win the title: None

• Next first-time winner: Hideki Mutoh

• Predict a championship chase involving few or many: Four

• Will the championship go down to the wire at Homestead-Miami Speedway: Yes

7/08 :: Q&A with Andretti

Remember those Remington electric shaver commercials in which Victor Kiam said, "I liked it so much, I bought the company?" The same principle applies to Michael Andretti and the Toronto Indy car race.

Andretti won the Molson Indy Toronto seven times between 1989 and 2001, including a run of six starts between 1989 and 1995 that produced five victories and a runner-up finish (he did not compete in 1993).

As part of last year's unification of open-wheel racing, Andretti and his partners at Andretti Green Promotions acquired the rights to stage the Toronto race, which was renamed the Honda Indy Toronto. The popular event, which has been staged every year but one since 1986 on a 1.7-mile street course that winds its way through Exhibition Place, will be held July 12.

Since 2005, AGP has staged and promoted the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, which in a few short years has emerged as one of the most popular events on the IndyCar Series schedule. Andretti recently took a few minutes to discuss with indycar.com his record as a driver in the Toronto race as well as his hopes for the future of the event.

Q: What prompted you and your company to pursue the opportunity to operate an IndyCar Series race in Toronto.

A: Obviously, having so much success there I have great memories. It was always such a great event and I love Toronto. To me, it was a shame that we were going to be losing it. When I heard that, the first thing I said was 'We've got to go do our homework and see if we feel like we can make it successful and not lose our shirts.' We did it, and we think if we use the model that we used at St. Pete it should be all right. So far, it has been beyond our expectations. I'm pretty excited about it.

Q: From a driver's perspective, what makes the Toronto layout stand out as one of the world's great street courses.

A: For one thing, you can pass there. On the back straightaway, even if the guy in front tries to block on the entry to Turn 3, you can get them on the outside on the exit. Also I think it's a fun track from a rhythm standpoint. You really get into a good rhythm there. I always had fun, and I think every driver who has been there really likes it. There was talk about whether we should change the track, and I was like, 'Hell no! Why should we change it if it's not broke?'

Q: With seven wins at Toronto over the years, the memories must somewhat blend together. But do any of the victories stand out.

A: I would say the one that was probably the last one, in 2001. I fell to the back and almost lost a lap, but fought my tail off the whole race. We kept doing the right things and got the car really quick in the end and I passed a lot of cars. That was a lot of fun.

Q: Canadian fans have a tremendous amount of support for open-wheel racing. Why do you think that is the case.

A: I think they just really follow racing, including Formula 1. They're more into open-wheel and road racing than stock cars. That's just the type of fan that they are. It goes back to Formula 1, which has a long history there. They just relate to our form of racing a lot more than stock cars.

7/07 :: Public events kick off race week

Jot this down and stop in: Busy Young Dundas Square in downtown Toronto plays host to a kickoff event for the Honda Indy Toronto race weekend.

Wednesday, July 8: Pop into the kickoff party from 4-8 p.m., featuring an autograph session with IndyCar Series drivers Justin Wilson, Robert Doornbos, Alex Tagliani and Firestone Indy Lights driver and Toronto native James Hinchcliffe.

Also, contestants will give it their best shot at delivering the most famous words in motorsports: "Drivers, start your engines." The winner will have the opportunity to give the command for the Firestone Indy Lights race on July 11.

There are numerous opportunities to get autographs/photos of IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights drivers during the event weekend, including the official IndyCar Series autograph session from 4:30-5:30 p.m. July 11 in the Direct Energy Centre. From 4:30-5:30 p.m. July 10, also in the Direct Energy Centre, Firestone Indy Lights drivers will meet and greet spectators.

Additionally, Wilson -- who won the race at Watkins Glen International on July 5 -- Justin will be at the grand opening of Leon's Roundhouse (255 Bremner Blvd. in Toronto) from 3-4 p.m. July 9 to greet customers. Tagliani will sign autographs at Sears (290 Yonge St. in Toronto) from noon-1:30 p.m. July 9.

Click it: Get Honda Indy Toronto tickets and information HERE.

On July 7, Scarborough, Ontario, native Paul Tracy introduced a screening of "Le Mans" starring Steve McQueen at the Young Dundas Square City Cinema.

July 7: On Marco Andretti and Dale Coyne

July 5: Live from Watkins Glen

July 4: Live from Watkins Glen

July 3: Live from Horseheads, N.Y.

July 2: On the subject at hand