An Electrifying End

Watching the Indy Car season finale at Fontana last night was like a dream.  It probably had a lot to do with my sleep deprivation--over here on the east coast, it was around midnight before we saw the checkered flag.  But how about that finish?  It was nothing less than dramatic.  Fontana was the kind of season finale Randy Bernard probably fantasizes about.

Yes, when Will Power spun well before the halfway point, things were not looking good.  Who wants the championship to be decided so soon?  But he went back out.  In a car held together with duct tape.  Duct tape is good for a lot of things, but I don't know if I trust it that much.  That was proof that Will Power is a real race car driver.     

For a good bit of the race, Ryan Hunter-Reay seemed to be stuck exactly one position behind the one he needed to win the championship.  Oh, the irony!  But I think he was just being smart--this was a five hundred mile race, and there was no reason to push it until the end.  

Oh gosh, five hundred miles of stress.  Don't races feel like work?  (In a good way, of course.)

There were layers of drama, really.  You think it's all decided, since RHR is running fine in fifth, but then here's Tony Kanaan, who's looking for the oval championship.  Tony Kanaan is the guy who just won't give up.  My heart broke when he hit the wall. 

So here he is, Ryan Hunter-Reay, the champion.  I'm happy for him.  And I'm devastated for Will Power.  I wanted to cry when Will crashed.  But I would have cried if anything had happened to Ryan.  In the end, they're both race car drivers, and they both wanted the same thing.  All I wanted was to see a good show, and I did. 

The highlight of the night?  Will Power congratulating Ryan Hunter-Reay.  If there's one thing I adore, it's good sportsmanship.  The only problem with the entire affair was that it ended the Indy Car season.  I miss my race cars already, and believe me, I am counting the hours until they go racing again.