From the moment he announced his intention to compete in the IndyCar series Stanton Barrett has been labeled a punchline by virtue of the fact that (a) he's coming to IndyCar racing well past his 30th birthday and (b) the majority of his racing experience exists in something other than open-wheel cars. I think we can all agree it's rarely a good thing when you find striking similarities between yourself and Marty Roth or Milka Duno.

The fact that his day job often involves smashing up cars for movies only compounds the near certainty of being labeled a joke, but no amount of mockery has stopped Stuntman Stanton yet. Yes, he's struggled to keep pace in his rookie year, but he also has finished every race and stands 18th in the points ahead of guys like Mario Moraes and EJ Viso.

However, it looks like he soon may be stopped by a lack of sponsorship. It seems the which had preciously graced his sidepods has pulled their sponsorship and their sweet livery out of the IndyCar series, leaving the rookie without proper funding before the most important race of the year. I know - you're all shocked that sponsorship problems can still exist in racing.

Now, in prior years it wouldn't have been unheard of to see a guy like Tony George reach into his pockets to keep a team afloat. This kind of helping hand has been spoken under the breath for any number of reasons: sometimes it would be out of loyalty to the driver's family, sometimes to help a team make ti through a full seaons, sometimes maybe even to ensure a little extra competition on "Bump Day".

But these are different times, where the economy is craptacular and the field is otherwise filled with enough teams so as to make handouts to the struggling unnecessary. But oddly enough, the IRL has still decided to give Stanton a helping hand, albeit one that isn't holding a bankroll of cash.

They've given him free airtime on their Twitter account.

Now, I understand a lot of you might be getting annoyed at the sudden level of twitter awareness being discussed here and elsewhere, but the fact is millions of people are using it to communicate. Right now the IndyCarNation twitter account has over 2300 followers, which may not seem like a lot until you realize that's usually a pretty active base of people.

While it is likely that number includes a few clowns sitting in their mother's basement, there are also many people within racing who are following that particular account. So by allowing Stanton to give innumerable updates in 140 characters or less, what Mr George and the IRL have done is not just give Stanton the opportunity to broadcast to anyone who cares to listen, but also essentially allowed him to interview for a job over the span of several days in a manner of networking like never before.

Think about this: Stanton and Team 3G are still making calls to potential sponsors, but now he's got other people following him who might also know potential sponsors and be making calls, emails or "tweets" on his behalf. Add to that the fact that those potential sponsors can follow along and get a close look at how busy he's keeping, how much he and the team are working on the car, and how they're controlling costs, and you've got a lot more information than could ever be contained in a single phone call. Plus, you've got it for anyone who wants to know all at once.

It remains to be seen if all of this "twittering" results in sponsorship arrangements for the Team 3G entry, but if nothing else we may be seeing a glimpse into the future of how the IRL will assist struggling drivers who are looking for the dollars it takes to run at Indy. The amazing thing is that it doesn't cost the league a single cent.

(Photo: TrackSide Online)

This just in, for all of you still on the fence about twitter. It involves the word "FREE".

Beginning this May 2009, fans can follow IndyCar driver and team owner Sarah Fisher, of Sarah Fisher Racing (SFR), on Twitter as she attempts to qualify for her eighth Indianapolis 500. Along with updating fans throughout the month of May via "tweets", Fisher will at some point during the month of May giveaway a free 2-seater ride courtesy of the Indy Racing Experience in a real IndyCar at blistering speeds of nearly 180 miles per hour.

"Someone asked me the other day what Twitter was, and I said 'Follow me and find out!'" said Fisher, who begins practice in her Dollar General Dallara today for the Indianapolis 500. "I'm really new to this 'Twitter' thing, but it's really exciting with how quickly it's taken off. I've always believed in giving back and, especially now, after last May. With that, we'll be updating you on the race team and how practice, appearances and the month are going, via Twitter. We'll also giveaway that 2-seater ride to one lucky fan, so keep following."

Fans can follow Fisher for free via her Twitter account, SarahFisher67, where Fisher will offer an Indy Racing Experience 2-seater ride redemption coupon sometime during the month of May. In addition to the hallmark 2-seater ride opportunity, fans will be given an inside track to the inner workings of SFR, being an owner/driver and getting updates from pit lane in real time.

(MORE at SarahFisher.com)

Our buddy pressdog has a great list of others IndyCar types on twitter. If you want to have your time sucked up like a vaccuum, we encourage you to join us.

"I think I always felt in the past like I had to prove to people that I cared and that I wasn't happy being fifth or 12th or something by being mad. It just doesn't really pay off, and it turns people off. It's a lot easier and a lot more fun to be relaxed. It's all bunnies and rainbows around here (laughter)." - Danica Patrick, chatting via teleconference with pressdog. For real.

Bunnies and rainbows, friends. Bunnies and rainbows.

Robin Miller. Bob Varsha. No further explanation required.

"That was definitely the reaction I got in the beginning: 'Uh oh, he’s gonna hurt himself,' or, 'He’ll do it for a year and then it’ll be over.' But once I started beating people, slowly I started building more and more respect from the other drivers. [Sometimes] people will say, 'Why are you racing? You haven’t done well.' But I’ve done really well if you knew what I was doing. But people just don’t fully understand it. So, people in the racing world for sure know that I’m for real and know that I can keep coming, and eventually—maybe even this year—win races. That’s in a sense why I would want to go the path of the IRL. You know Danica Patrick, you know Helio Castroneves—I want people to see me racing up there in the Indy 500 and be like, 'Oh my God, like woah, that Malcolm kid actually can drive!'" - Atlantics driver Frankie Muniz, tacitly acknowledging that no matter what happens in his racing career he'll always be "that Malcolm kid".

Just saw this pic from @alex_lloyd, showing what is likely to be his entry at Indy. You'll definitely be able to notice this car on the track.



In other Gasoline Alley news, Conquest Racing confirmed their driver and sponsor.

Conquest Racing and Rubicon Sports Agency announce the signing of The Children's Museum of Indianapolis as a major associate sponsor for the 2009 Indianapolis 500 with the upcoming King Tut exhibition "Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs" as the focal point of the partnership.

The #34 Conquest Racing entry, driven by Alex Tagliani, will wear King Tut exhibition branding on the engine cover, nose cone and front wings of the car for the month of May. The car will be unveiled at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Tuesday at noon. Additionally, a 25-foot statue of the ancient Egyptian god Anubis will be on display in the outside lot at the Speedway Museum during race week, paving the way for the blockbuster exhibition coming to Indianapolis in June.

Not pics yet available showing what the King Tut car will look like, but it's a safe bet it will pale in comparison to Alex's stunning wife Bronte.

When the intrepid Curt Cavin speaks, people listen, and more than a few ears perked up in response to Cavin's analysis of the field for the 93rd running of the Indianapolis 500.

Here is what Cavin said last Thursday during the Trackside show.

"Well, the reality is there's about five guys. Two at Ganassi, so you've got...you got about five favorites. Let's just list them. Dario and Dixon. You've got Kanaan, Castroneves, and Briscoe. Honestly, who could win...

Wheldon, you would say 'Yeah, I think he could win the race', but you can't put him above those five. If you were just based on raw speed and the race going according to plan, which it never does.

But, normally you don't have five guys at that tip-top level. You've got five of them now that..he's got to flat out beat, because, they're not all five gonna fall out. So there's five, and then kind of a second tier in my opinion is Wheldon, and after that he may be the only one in that..."

Although I don't agree entirely with Cavin, I didn't think this was any earth-shattering news. It's a logical opinion because these are going to be the favorites for pretty much every race this year. However, our good buddy pressdog called this a "Month of May Buzz Kill". And while one man's opinion of another man's opinion doesn't necessarily demand a response from me, I've got to try to refute this doom and gloom.

As you may or may not have heard, this year my family will be staying back in Arizona for The 500, and as a consequence I have taken the daring step of sharing lodging for the race weekend with the p-dog. That's right - it will be the Bargain Basement Blogger Budget Special, and if you really want to know I might be able to find out the eagerly anticipated Beer of the Race in advance.

But that's all for later, because right now I'm concerned with picking up the spirits (which will later involve picking up the tab for spirits) of my soon-to-be roomie. In recent years I've attended the race with my kids, who could care less about the generally accepted prospects for their favorite drivers because they just love the speedway, the crowd, the race, and the opportunity to cheer up close and in person. And they LOVE track fries.

So yes, I'm expecting equal enthusiasm from pressdog. My goal, difficult as it may be, is to get him just as fired up for the race as P1 and P2 would be, but I know I can't do this by arguing. So instead I'm going to try a different approach by showing that Cavin's "buzz kill" prediction may not be the most accurate. Curt's certainly entitled to his well-thought opinion, but I'm not obligated to buy that this race comes down to just these five.

It's pop quiz time, friends. Get your inner Donald Davidson ready.

Question 1 What driver has led the most laps at Indianapolis over the last three years?

Question 2 Which drivers have led laps in each of the last three 500s?

Question 3 Who has led more laps at Indianapolis in the last three years: Ryan Briscoe, Jacques Lazier, Mario Moraes, or Michael Andretti?

Go ahead. Take your time. Google the answer if you must. It's all about learning here, and it doesn't matter how you do it.

...Done yet? No? Still on hold for "Talk of Gasoline Alley"? I see.

...Alright people, I don't have all day. Here are the answers.


Answer 1 Dan Wheldon, who has led 178 combined laps in the last three years. Bear in mind that doesn't even count 2005 when he WON the race, which I realize might come as a shock to Danica Patrick fans who mistakenly believe she was victorious that year. Also, well behind Dan on that list of lap leaders is Scott Dixon with 132 and Tony Kanaan with 107.

It's true Wheldon no longer drives for one of the Big Three, but last year Vitor Meira and Panther Racing finished second with a car that was obviously equal to winner Scott Dixon's. While Panther hasn't won a race sine Tomas Scheckter was their driver, this is Wheldon and this is Indy and for this race only Dan's chances are literally as good as any other driver's.

Answer 2 Scott Dixon, Tony Kanaan, and Marco Andretti.

It's possible Marco Andretti isn't considered in that top tier because he's only won one race in 51 IndyCar starts. It's more likely, however, that it's because his surname is 'Andretti'. Everyone knows about the family's hard luck at Indy (I think the Andretti family is now 0-for-the-last-73 entries collectively), but there are other very good drivers - some included in Cavin's list - who also are winless at The 500.

Marco has led 454 laps in his career, which is roughly NINE for every race he's entered. The law of averages says at some point those laps led will come at the end of a race, and given that he's been at or near the front of the field near the end of all three of his prior Indy 500s, he seems an obvious pick for that top tier. You just have to look past the name.

Answer 3 Michael Andretti (4), Mario Moraes (3), Jacques Lazier (2), Ryan Briscoe (0).

This is a bit of a loaded question because Briscoe didn't race in '06 or '07 (EDIT: Good catch, Kohl. Forgot about the Luczo-Dragon run for Briscoe in '07.), though on the other hand none of these guys has actually driven in all three of the last three 500s. However, I bring this up to show that it doesn't make much sense to me to count the Briscoe Inferno in the top tier and not his teammate Will Power. Perhaps there's a belief that Briscoe is superior because he has more experience racing on ovals larger than mile, but even with all of that experience he has as many wins on them as Power. Zero.

I can only presume Will Power is still viewed by many as the dreaded "road course specialist", but Roger Penske must have seen something in the guy to hire him as his 2009 contingency driver. Like maybe that in 2008 Power finished 1st or 2nd among "transition" drivers at Milwaukee, Texas, Iowa, Nashville, Chicagoland and most importantly Indianapolis. Or maybe his gradual improvement in those races, which chronologically were: Indy 13th, Milwaukee 14th, Texas 13th, Iowa 9th, Nashville 11th, Chicagoland 5th. If he's good enough for The Captain, then he's good enough to consider him in the top tier.

Not that I've bothered to select a top tier, mind you. I'm not in the prognostication business, other than to predict that since I'll be attending the race will probably be affected by rain. It seems your humble host always brings the precipitation, and as you know crazy results can happen at the Greatest Spectacle in Raining. In fact...

What does this one say?



Photo:IndyCar.com/Chris Jones

While Curt Cavin's phone gently tweets from the airport for the presumed conclusion of the AGR viral marketing campaign, this press release just starter showing on the wires.

Danica Patrick’s Andretti Green Racing IndyCar Reveals New Look with the Announcement of Boost Mobile Sponsorship

INDIANAPOLIS - (Business Wire) Boost Mobile, the prepaid division of Sprint Nextel (NYSE:S) that redefines value for prepaid wireless consumers, and Motorola, Inc. (NYSE:MOT) today unleashed the new paint scheme for Danica Patrick’s lucky #7 car with the announcement of a Boost Mobile sponsorship. Patrick unveiled the new IndyCar design today by driving it down the tarmac at the Indianapolis International Airport. For the remainder of the 2009 IndyCar Series season, Patrick will sport a jet-black Boost Mobile/Motorola/Andretti Green IndyCar with eye-catching, electric orange accents.

“Danica Patrick is the perfect representation of the Boost Mobile brand as she is unconventional, has edge and attacks the competition like Boost attacks the prepaid wireless market,” said Matt Carter, president, Boost Mobile. “Boost Mobile has a long history with Motorola and is excited about the opportunity to work with Danica and Andretti Green Racing to broaden the Boost brand and appeal to Danica fans everywhere.”

“Solid and generous support from sponsors like Boost Mobile and Motorola keep me on the fast track to victory,” said Danica Patrick. “Boost Mobile’s signature live-on-the-edge spirit is definitely in tune with my competitive fire – and it will help take Andretti Green Racing up a few notches with a new attitude.”

(MORE from Earth Times)

Meanwhile, the intrepid one tells us "Car is black with orange. Same style as before, different colors." The livery of My Name Is IRL? Color me flattered!

Pics will be posted as soon as they become available.

UPDATE: Well, it's about as clear as the Zapruder film, but here's the first pic of the new paint scheme. Thanks to reader Joe for the pic.



ANOTHER UPDATE: And just like that a clearer pic surfaces. (Thanks, Ansen.)



(I don't know who to credit for the first photo but the second is from IndyStar)

And here's another. And another. And a whole bunch more.

"If it's meant for me to win it, I will...I don't want to put extra pressure on myself. It's so difficult to win a race, and even more difficult to win one that you pick. Indy doesn't owe me (anything). I'll just do my best." - Tony Kanaan, on the giant monkey on his back from not winning The Indianapolis 500, despite being the only driver ever to lead The Race in each of his first seven attempts.

(Note: Kanaan's 214 laps led are not only more laps led than two-time winner Helio Castroneves (162), it's also more than teammates Scott Dixon (147) and Dario Franchitti (50) combined.)