Aleshin Crash Overshadows IndyCar Finale

((HT: IndyCar Series/IMS Radio Network))

This is flat out scary from Friday night's practice at the Fontana Speedway in the concluding race of the 2014 IndyCar season involving Mikhail Aleshin and the low groove.


Aleshin was listed in serious but stable condition with a with a concussion, fractured ribs, a broken right clavicle and chest injuries. Qualifying had been frozen at the time of the wreck and Aleshin, actually, had the 8th fastest time on the grid for the season finale.

Sadly, Fontana has had a lot of wrecks in the track's IndyCar history including racers like Will Power, AJ Allmendinger, Scott Dixon, Tony Kanaan, and Takuma Sato. Greg Moore passed during the 1999 race at Fontana from injuries he received in his crash.

IndyCar Toronto Goes Twice On Sunday

((HT: NBCSN))

The rain came plowing through the streets of Toronto yesterday and the IndyCar series was supposed to have two points races over a weekend. The whole weekend got condensed after two false starts and matching red flags.

How bad did it get...??? The pace car didn't even escape...


And in the second restart, Will Power ended up backwards...


The races were supposed to go two hours or 85 laps each.
The weather has moved everything to 65 laps and 90 minutes each Sunday.

But the cars didn't even get out of Lap 1 before wrecking everyone from 10th on back as rookie Luca Filippi got into Simon Pagenaud. The first race was red flagged Sunday as well while they cleaned up Turn 10.

ICYMI: Jim Nabors Does "Back Home Again in Indiana" for the Last Time

For those who've lost track of the Indianapolis 500, there's a lot of things that have changed since it's heyday in the 1970's and 80's.

Indy Car racing has become pretty much a niche' sport, relegated to the second tier after losing the marketing war to NASCAR.

The 500 itself, it still is a big deal to those in and from Indiana. For the rest of us, it's mostly a curiosity. But hardly the must watch event featuring the Unser's, Andretti's and others from a time long gone by.

But one thing has not changed. At least not since 1972. The constant: Jim Nabors (see Gomer Pyle) singing "Back Home Again in Indiana".

Nabors has performed it 37 times. Number 38 was Sunday May 25th.

There will be no Number 39.

Nabors, who is now 83-years old, is not from Indiana and there are conflicting stories as to how he ended up doing it.

But it is and has been a tradition, one that will never again be quite the same...