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Is the Season Over?

© Thomas M. Sampson

The IndyCar Series is winding down for 2005, and some of the contenders say they're glad to see it. Rumors abounding regarding the way the male Indy Racing League drivers feel about their female competitor, Danica Patrick, have been given merit on more than one occasion. October hasn't come soon enough for some, including Patrick, and a good share of them are feeling that enough is enough already! Patrick has already won the Raybestos Rookie of the Year award, so the excitement is also gone with that angle. She only had two real contenders; Ryan Briscoe had the bad wreck a couple of weeks ago, which sidelined his chances of beating Patrick for the rookie title. Briscoe is 81 points down from Patrick and Tomas Enge is 76 down with just one race left. Fifty points are awarded for each event, you can figure out the math for yourselves.

This attitude of nonchalance is one that is often repeated when the championship has been decided a couple of races before the final event. The major excitement is gone, and some of those who didn't have as good a season as hoped for, are in the excuse making mode, and then some.

This season's IRL Champion, Dan Wheldon, has won an unprecedented six events, with one more event left in California. The 2005 Champion, Tony Kanaan, won two events as did Sam Hornish Jr. The remaining event may give us yet another double winner. Popular drivers with the fans, such as Helio Castroneves, Dario Franchitti, Scott Dixon, Tomas Scheckter, Bryan Herta, and Scott Sharp have each won one event.

With Wheldon sitting atop of the driver's points with an even 600, the number two man this year is Tony Kanaan, who is listed with 508. Sam Hornish Jr. is third with 482 points. IF Kanaan goes out early at California, and Hornish wins the event, he can overtake Kanaan for the bridesmaid honors. I Kanaan has a fair to middling event and crosses the finish line in one piece not more than two laps down, he's keep the second place spot. Dario Franchitti is listed in fourth with 448 points. It would really be a long shot for him to move up into third place. Helio Castroneves is in fifth with a 418, and faces competition from sixth and seventh place drivers, Scott Sharp and Scott Dixon, who are listed with 412 and 407 points. Vitor Meria, in eighth listed with a 387, is too far out of the hunt to make a difference.