Full Throttle

Two-time champion Helio Castroneves of Brazil and 2005 winner Dan Wheldon of England were among 32 drivers named Friday to 39 initial entries for the 92nd Indianapolis 500.

Hopefuls for the 33-car field in the May 25 race include three women, a total of 22 racers from outside of the United States and 12 newcomers thanks to the merger of the rival Champ-car and Indy-car leagues before the season began.

Castroneves, last year’s pole sitter, will try to become only the ninth racer to take three checkered flags at the famed 2.5-mile (4km) oval.

Americans Danica Patrick and Sarah Fisher (as car owner and driver) and Venezuela’s Milka Duno will try to become the first woman to win the 200-lap Brickyard classic.

Indy’s impressive rookie class will include Graham Rahal, the 19-year-old son of 1986 Indy 500 winner Bobby Rahal who became the youngest winner in Indy-car history last Sunday at a road-course event in Florida.

Rahal is the youngest entrant while 49-year-old Canadian Marty Roth is the eldest driver among the group.

Other Indy debutantes include Englishmen Alex Lloyd, Jay Howard and Justin Wilson; Australian Will Power, Japan’s Hideki Mutoh, Spain’s Oriol Servia, France’s Franck Perera, Venezuelan E.J. Viso, American Ryan Hunter-Reay and Brazilians Enrique Bernoldi and Mario Moraes.

The global contingent also includes Aussie Ryan Briscoe, New Zealand’s Scott Dixon, England’s Darren Manning, Italy’s Max Papis, South African Tomas Scheckter and Brazilians Tony Kanaan, Vitor Meira and Bruno Junqueira.

(NOTE: Inquiring minds, and a stupid blogger or two, want to know who’s driving the Team Penske, Dallara that carries the same number, 77 as Sam Hornish’s Sprint Cup ride? )

Technorati Tags: IndyCar, IRL, Danica Patrick, Indianapolis 500, Auto Racing, Motorsports, Full Throttle

All things considered it was a logical conclusion to make.

With the unification of the IRL and CCWS occurring so close to the opening of America’s open wheel season, in addition to the results at Homestead confirming what may have been obvious, it wasn’t so obvious when rubber met the road.

Or to be more precise, road course.

Second generation Lebanese (?), and former CCWS driver, Graham Rahal tossed the “conventional wisdom” into the wastebasket of failed thought precesses by winning the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.

In winning Rahal becomes the youngest driver to win an IndyCar Series race, the fourth to win in his debut, and a fete nearly matched in CCWS when he became the youngest ever podium finisher in series history by finishing 2nd in Houston a year ago.

Ironicly, the 19-year-old took the lead from his father’s car – the Rahal/LettermanRacing/TeamEthanol entry of Ryan Hunter-Reay - on lap 64 and led the rest of the way.

“It can’t get any sweeter than this, especially after crashing the car last week,” Rahal said. “Today was tough with the rain but we worked it out and pulled through. Hopefully, we will win a few more.”

Helio Castroneves finished second, followed by Tony Kanaan, Hunter-Reay, Ernesto Viso and Enrique Bernaldi.

More later…