I can't count the number of people I've encountered who bemoan web service performance, typically attributing the problem to the use of SOAP over HTTP.

 

Google search results are returned to the user using essentially the same transport mechanism (HTML over HTTP).

 

Yet I have never run in to anyone saying, "Google searches are so slow!  It's all that damn HTML markup overhead and HTTP headers"

 

Hmm...

Just to set the record straight:  I am neither a Danica basher, nor a Danica lover.  I think she's a very good driver, not as good as the best in the IRL, but certainly much better than guys like AJ Foyt IV, Marty Roth or "Special" Ed.  So, to me, it was just a matter of time before a bit of luck on her part and a bit of misfortune for the competition spelled a victory for her.  Which seems to be exactly what happened last weekend.

 

Now, I don't watch the IRL races because I personally believe that a race car should be beautiful to look at and listen to, and the current Dallara is 1) possibly the ugliest open-wheel car ever and 2) sounds like half-ass ARCA wannabe.  But during the Long Beach race broadcast, they showed a clip of her pass on Helio.

 

I couldn't believe it.  Helio just moved over and let her through...  I mean, no attempt at all to defend his position, he just got out of the way and, judging by how fast she went by him, let off the gas.

 

Hmm...  My personal take is that he wanted to make it absolutely, positively, crystal clear to everyone watching that he let her by.

 

Then, in an interview with him after the race, my wife picked up on an interesting comment he made:  "She won fair and square".  Gosh, why would he have to say that?  I mean, unless he was concerned that people might think something fishy was going on?

 

Something did seem a bit fishy to me.  That wasn't quite the same Helio I remember on the pole for Hogan Racing at Milwaukee, trying his heart out as the car failed underneath him.  Yes, he was low on fuel.  But to not make any attempt whatsoever to hold his leading position?  Am I watching open-wheel racing or a friendly game of Checkers in the park???

 

During the Long Beach race, Scott Goodyear commented about Graham Rahal and Danica winning the last two IRL races: "They [the IRL] couldn't have written a better script."  No, they couldn't have.  And he said "script", not me.

 

Then I thought back to the race prior to Motegi...  Normally I'm not much of a conspiricy guy, but wow, what were the chances that a young, American 2nd generation driver would win in his first race ever in the IRL?  Especially with a team with no experience with the Dallaras, heck, not even enough time to paint their car.  There's no doubt that Graham's a fantastic driver with a great future, but he wasn't able to win last year (although he came mighty close at times) in a series where Newman/Haas/Lanigan was certainly the class of the field.  Now, in a completely different car, against muiltiple first-rate teams with years of experience with the Dallara, he pulls off his first win? 

 

Possible?  Obviously.  Likely?  Not very.  Convenient for the IRL?  Absoutely!

 

I mean, what could possibly be better than a win by a young American driver with a famous name, no less from the competing series that just merged into the IRL?

 

The answer:  A win for Danica.

 

Hey, hey, guess what?

 

I'm not calling BS quite yet, but I will say this:  The absolute next best thing possible for the IRL would be a win by Marco.  Then the speedway could bill the next Indy 500 as the battle between the three American young guns, two with famous names and the third the first female to win a major open-wheel race.  It has to be mighty, mighty tempting for the IRL:  going into Indy, a more perfect scenario couldn't be imaged.

 

Other than that, perhaps, the ruse is revealed.