In our final part of our look back, (in which we have passed 6 weeks of the long off-season!) Jason and Adrian round of the A to Z of the 2014 Indycar season looking at U through to Z. We hope you have enjoyed our slightly irreverent at times look back at some of the highlights and moments of the past season on and off the track.
U is for UFD
It is always great to have new sponsors getting involved with Indycar and existing ones upping their involvement.. keep it up... (see below)
V is for Verizon
Imagine for a moment if you will that Indycar is the unpopular boy at Motorsport School. He's spotty and he's a little out of shape but he's got great personality and people that know him really like him. During his time at school, all Indycar has really wanted is a good looking rich girl (Title Sponsor) to bring to the School Dance. Sure he's managed to court a few girls, Northern Lights, Pep Boys, IZOD but none of these girls have let Indycar get to the next level and most of the time, Indycar ends up dropping them off without so much as a goodnight kiss. Worse still, Indycar has to watch that Country Boy Nascar parade around with the gorgeous Sprint Girl and all her money. Sometimes it just got Indycar down. Then enter the alluring Miss Verizon. Like all good courtships, Indycar and Verizon got to know each other slowly, going on a few dates but the lovely Verizon got to know Indycar and in the Spring of 2014, found herself ready to commit. Indycar finally found the girlfriend it's always wanted. Indycar is now in a position to have Verizon spend lots of money on it, she can help clean up it's spotty appearance, get it in shape and help turn it into a much more popular boy at Motorsport school and better still, she can help let everyone else know just how awesome Indycar is. Simply put, Verizon is the best thing to happen to Indycar in a long, long time. Here's wishing them a long and happy relationship.
W is for Winners
2014 saw a record tying 11 Different winners throughout the Indycar season and it's a proud testament to the parity that exists in the series. The DW12 Chassis has helped even the playing field and with those 11 winners coming from 7 Different teams, 2014 really showed us that any team and driver combination were capable of winning on any weekend. Compare Indycar's results to those of Formula One (3 Different winners from 2 teams) and you get an idea of the level of competition and the depth of talent that Indycar boasts on a weekly basis. Simply put, if you found yourself in Victory Lane at an Indycar race this season, you earned it.
X is for Xerosere
(Bare with me on this one...) In essence the survival and continued presence despite the lack of water... give or take. What does this have to do with Indycar you may ask? Check out this blog post from Pressdog back in April to do with Indycar, growth, survival, TV ratings... and the lack of 'water'.
Y is for Young'uns
Any good sport or team is only as good as those who wait in the wings, those young men and women who will one day take up the reins and replace the current crop of athletes who lead the charge. As many problems as Indycar has had over the years, one of the recent things they have done right is it's ladder system. Indycar seems to know that it won't survive and thrive for years to come based on what Mario Andretti, AJ Foyt, Tony Kanaan or Helio Castroneves have done or are doing, it will be the teenagers and children strapping on helmets to race Karts and other cars further up the road to Indy ladder. A look down the ranks at some of the young guns who wait in the wings gives you a clue as to who you can expect to see one day competing for Indy 500 wins and Championships, names like Chaves, Piggott and even a younger generation of famous names like Brabham, Herta and Cindric are all climbing the ladder towards Indycar. The future is definitely bright where driving talent is concerned.
Z is for Zero Point Zero Six
The tiniest of margins, but one which brings the biggest of victories.