IRL has high hopes for Brazil race

Terry Angstadt, the president of IndyCar's commercial division, predicts grand things for this race as the five-year contract plays out. "It will be the second-greatest event on the schedule next to the Indy 500 in two years," he said. "It will be like Long Beach."

For maybe the first time since joining the Izod IndyCar Series in 2005, Danica Patrick will not be the focus of the crowd's attention in a race. That honor, according to Sao Paulo native Tony Kanaan, will go to series rookie Ana Beatriz and the other Brazilian drivers in today's inaugural Sao Paulo Indy 300. "This is not America where they clap for everyone, like me, Helio (Castroneves), Ryan Briscoe," Kanaan said. "They will cheer for seven drivers (the Brazilians) and seven drivers only. They don't like Danica. They don't like Dario (Franchitti). They don't like (Scott) Dixon. And, they won't like us (Brazilians) if we don't perform."

A crowd in excess of 50,000 is expected for IndyCar's first street circuit event in Brazil. The other Brazilian drivers are Castroneves, Vitor Meira, Rafa Matos, Mario Moraes and rookie Mario Romancini. Indy Star