Patrick getting “The Call”?
UPDATE Another reader writes, There is a fair amount of talk around here (Indy) on Danica and the IRL allowing higher revs for her. She will probably get the pole, but the revs likely will be dropped for the race. Great PR move…people will actually watch the race, at least for the start. Name Withheld by Request 05/15/05 A reader writes, Dear AutoRacing1.com, After Katherine Legge's Toyota Atlantic win in Long Beach garnered Champ Car so much attention I have to believe that Danica Patrick will get "The Call" to win today's pole position in Indy. She could not even win a Toyota Atlantic race, why is she all of a sudden so fast? My theory is that she is either getting a special Honda engine or the IRL Timing and Scoring is putting out "special" times for her in true NASCAR style. This is 100% throttle racing so there is no way she is that much faster, over 1 MPH this morning. This is the IRL's latest hoax to get some media hype for the Indy 500, a race in desperate need of it. Someone should put a stopwatch on her during qualifying to see if her real times jive with what Timing and Scoring is putting out. Jeff Moore, Huntington Beach, CA Dear Jeff, Danica is a good driver, having learned well in Champ Car's Toyota Atlantic Series and from racing in England in Formula Ford. Her team also has a good setup for Indy because her teammate, Buddy Rice, won the pole and the race last year and Honda has the engine to beat. Is she getting "The Call"? We'll never know, but we should not take away from her big moment of glory with unproven conspiracy theories. AJ Foyt to the other 32 drivers – "You just got beat by a girl." Mark C.