It turns out that one of the most important moments in the USAC Silver Crown season was a conversation between two key individuals.
It turns out that one of the most important moments in the USAC Silver Crown season was a conversation between two key individuals.
With the end of auto racing at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, the one-mile tracks in Illinois have become even more precious. These are the perfect venues for these lumbering beasts. Well in advance, USAC race director Kirk Spridgeon and Track Enterprises head man Bob Sargent had agreed on a rain date that could be used if inclement weather forced a postponement at either the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield or Du Quoin State Fairgrounds.
It was good planning as the annual trip to Springfield fell to rain.
A mid-October date at the capitol city of the Land of Lincoln produced crisp weather rain the night before provided the possibility of a juicy race track. The excitement level was already high given that Logan Seavey and Kody Swanson entered the day in a dead tie for the title with only one race to follow.
Shane Cockrum took the win, a vindicating moment following his near-miss at Du Quoin when he ran out of gas only laps from the checkered flag.
Before that heart-sinking moment, Cockrum was on rails. He knew what he should have done. If he would have eased off the throttle in the late going, the race could have been his. He did not make that mistake in Springfield.
Cockrum deserved the lion‘s share of the ink as the winner, but alas that was not forthcoming. The attention in the post-race period centered on Kaylee Bryson.
Racing for the first time on a mile, the young Oklahoman took off like a rocket, scared the bejesus out of the veteran railbirds and from practice on she had her car right against the fence. She ran the kind of line that conjured up memories of Jack Hewitt and the rim-rider Chuck Gurney. It was nothing short of spectacular.
Bryson led the first 22 laps only to see C. J. Leary move to the front. Understand this. When these cars race down the straightaway and pass under the old, covered grandstand it is impossible to hear yourself think. Yet, when Bryson regained the lead from Leary, the crowd erupted and somehow that sound rose above the din of race cars at full song.
Most of you know the story now. Bryson finished fifth, but in the opinion of most she was the story of the race. She was in fact the first woman to lead, and by holding the point for more than 70 laps she established a new standard. All of this was noted in most post-race reports, albeit to the consternation of some. In one memorable social media post a fan wrote (in caps) that he detested this kind of rhetoric. The logic that followed was that she is a racer like everyone in the field, and her accomplishments should be noted as such. It is a difficult argument to refute and one that many women professionals would agree with.
That is all fine in the abstract but here is the stark reality. Logan Seavey hung it out on the rail at Port Royal to score a dramatic Silver Crown win and it barely moved the needle. Shane Cockrum can sympathize. Yet, for the next few days, Bryson was an internet sensation. For a series that must scramble for every scrap of attention it can get, it was what the doctor ordered.
I happened to moderate Danica Patrick‘s first press conference at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. She was present with team owner Bobby Rahal, and they announced their intentions to be at the Indy 500 the following year. To say she caused a sensation would be a vast understatement.
When Patrick took the lead late in the 2005 race, the roar around the monstrous oval was deafening. In those days I also managed the post-Indy 500 press conference. It was my job to try to direct attention to all the key parties we brought into the Economaki Press Center.
In the end I, felt horrible about what happened to second-place finisher Vitor Meira — Patrick‘s teammate. Meira, who is one of the nicest people I have ever met, was simply overshadowed and forgotten. I felt so horrible about it that I went out of my way to apologize to him. In typical fashion, he brushed it off.
For a racing series that was taking slings and arrows from all direction after the so-called split this was a needed shot of adrenaline. The coverage and attention could only be deemed Danica Mania. By the time the IndyCar trail visited Richmond (Va.) Raceway, the anticipation for the weekend was sky-high. The marquee outside of the race track had one simple message — Danica Races Here This Weekend.
Did IndyCar do everything in their power to capitalize on the moment? You bet they did. Did Danica seize the opportunities now in front or her? She most certainly did.
I am sure that Meira is doing well today and his able to put food on the table for his family. As for Patrick she has never been far from the limelight since that seminal pass at the Brickyard. She is now a brand and a phenomenally successful one. Let us be clear. Danica was a very competent IndyCar driver. She benefited from good equipment and was particularly good at Indianapolis.
However, if you put her record next to Vitor Meira, she comes in second. Does that mean she should have turned her back on endorsements and opportunities? Do not be silly.
This brings me back to the crucial point. You may detest the propensity for media types to highlight that Bryson is a woman. Fine. What people saw at Springfield was a talented professional race driver who showed absolute nerves of steel. Nobody that was there would ever question that. That assessment does not have a thing to do with gender.
Did the fact that she is a young woman get more people to sit up and take notice? The answer is a resounding yes. Accordingly, there is absolutely no way that USAC could fail to run with that storyline and leverage it for all its worth. Sure, there were some in IndyCar who resented Patric for a variety of reasons, but the bottom line is she was the best thing that happened to that series at that time. God knows the Silver Crown series could use a little love and care.
This same principal is also in play for Kaylee Bryson. Given the attention and notoriety that has found her, should she take that ball and run with it? Darn right she should.