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  1. #1
    Very Senior Member Gawain of Orkeny's Avatar
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    Default Woman almost wins Indy 500

    Patrick drives home a point
    Fourth-place finish best by a woman; Wheldon wins

    Tarik El-Bashir, Washington Post

    Monday, May 30, 2005




    Indianapolis -- Ten laps remained in the Indianapolis 500 when Patrick passed race leader Dan Wheldon. Earlier Sunday, Patrick had become the first woman to lead the race -- now she had her sights set on winning it.

    More than 300,000 fans stood and screamed, sensing they were 25 miles from witnessing history.

    But Patrick's fuel-starved racecar began to slow slightly, and Wheldon retook the lead on Lap 194 of 200. He held on to win a race that will be remembered at least as much for the woman who didn't win as the man who did.

    Patrick, a 23-year-old rookie, wound up fourth, the best finish ever for a woman. (The previous best was Janet Guthrie's ninth-place finish in 1978.) Patrick had dialed back her car's fuel consumption -- which costs horsepower -- in the final laps to make sure she had enough to finish.

    "If I could have run full fuel, we'll never know," Patrick said. "I'd like to think we could have won it."

    Instead, after a race that featured 27 lead changes -- the second most in its history -- Wheldon collected his fourth victory in five Indy Racing League races this season. The win gave team owner Michael Andretti what he had come so close to but never quite pulled off as a driver: a trip to Victory Lane at the Brickyard and the obligatory sip from the milk jug.

    "No more curse," said Andretti, whose family had been plagued by bad luck here since his father, Mario, won the race in 1969. "This place had been tough on me personally. But I just always had the feeling that one day I would have some good memories here."

    Vitor Meira, Patrick's Rahal Letterman teammate, finished second and Bryan Herta was third. Wheldon, who started 16th, took the checkered flag under caution after Sebastien Bourdais smacked the outside retaining wall with two laps remaining.

    "I'm certainly satisfied in the fact that I've won the Indianapolis 500 in my career," an emotional Wheldon said. "I mean, it's a kid coming from England. You know what the race is like watching it on TV and reading about it in magazines.

    "And then I came over and watched Kenny Brack win (in 1999). It just opened my eyes to the magnitude of the event and how much I wanted to be here."

    Despite the performance of the 26-year-old from Emberton, England, Patrick (who started fourth) was the story before, during and after the race.

    Her runs during qualifying and practice had indicated she had the car and talent to win. She backed it up Sunday, becoming the first woman to lead the 500 on Lap 57. She led three times for a total of 19 laps, but stalled her engine in the pits on Lap 79 and fell back to 16th.

    Patrick worked her way back up to eighth, then made a rookie mistake: She spun under caution on Lap 155 and smacked into fellow rookie Tomas Enge, destroying her front wing and bringing out the yellow flag.

    Patrick ducked her Panoz-Honda into the pits for a new wing and stayed on the lead lap. She came in again four laps later, still under caution, and took on a full tank of fuel. She came out of the pits in 11th place.

    But when the leaders pitted on Lap 172, Patrick stayed out, giving her the lead again. Patrick's team owner, Bobby Rahal, gambled his driver had enough fuel to finish. And she did -- but only by the slightest margin.

    Wheldon, in a Dallara-Honda, passed Patrick on Lap 186 before the caution flag came out again. When racing resumed on Lap 190, Patrick zipped past Wheldon.

    "Wow, what a day for me," Patrick said. "A stall in the pits and a spin and then I was leading the race at the end. We really had to dial back the fuel just to make it to the end. So I was just trying to hang on as long as possible."

    She couldn't hold off Wheldon with seven laps left, not with a car that was running on fumes.

    "Unfortunately, you're a sitting duck when you start restarts in the lead here," Wheldon said of Patrick's pass with 10 to go. "I knew I could pass her, but it was just a matter of timing. And having done it once, she was obviously aware of where I was good and where I was not. So she made it a little bit more difficult."

    The heartbreak continued at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for Penske driver Sam Hornish Jr. The 2001 and 2002 IRL series champion led the most laps (77) but crashed out of the race on Lap 147. Hornish was uninjured.

    Bruno Junqueira, another early challenger, was sixth when he got tangled with a lapped car on Lap 78. Junqueira sustained a concussion and two back fractures, which will require surgery.

    Asked afterward if her performance had proven a point for women, Patrick said: "I made a hell of a point for anybody, are you kidding me? I came from the back twice. It was frustrating to be leading the race with so few laps remaining and not be able to finish hard and just hang out up front and win the thing. But I also knew something had to give."
    Congrats to Danica, a really amazing drive. I never thought Id root for a woman.



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  2. #2
    Very Senior Member Gawain of Orkeny's Avatar
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    Default Re: Woman almost wins Indy 500

    I should have named the thread Brit wins Indy 500 for the first time in 40 years. Maybe someone would have replied. Again if not for running low on gas and have to turn down the power she probably would have won. This is big news. Indy is dying and she brings new interest to the race and the series. Its a shame Indy split from CART.
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  3. #3
    Tree Killer Senior Member Beirut's Avatar
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    Default Re: Woman almost wins Indy 500

    In the words of Eric Cartman...

    "Get your bitch ass back in the kitchen and bake me a pie!"
    Unto each good man a good dog

  4. #4
    Member Member ah_dut's Avatar
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    Default Re: Woman almost wins Indy 500

    Quote Originally Posted by Beirut
    In the words of Eric Cartman...

    "Get your bitch ass back in the kitchen and bake me a pie!"
    Yes, great idea Beirut...I would have thought you'd have liked your women in another room

  5. #5
    Medical Welshman in London. Senior Member Big King Sanctaphrax's Avatar
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    Default Re: Woman almost wins Indy 500

    Wahow! She's a babe! Shwiing!
    Co-Lord of BKS and Beirut's Kingdom of Peace and Love.

    "Handsome features, rugged exteriors, intellectual chick magnets, we're pretty much twins."-Beirut

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  6. #6
    Naughty Little Hippy Senior Member Tachikaze's Avatar
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    Default Re: Woman almost wins Indy 500

    I was rooting for her, too.


    Screw luxury; resist convenience.

  7. #7
    The Puppet King Senior Member AggonyKing's Avatar
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    Default Re: Woman almost wins Indy 500

    to bad she was running out of fuel, or else she could have won

    "Cuiusvis hominis est errare; nullius nisi insipientis in errore perseverare."
    Any man can make a mistake; only a fool keeps making the same one.

  8. #8
    Very Senior Member Gawain of Orkeny's Avatar
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    Default Re: Woman almost wins Indy 500

    maybe not.. but certainly a woman could be a short-range place kicker (PATs and short FGs) in the nfl. roster considerations would probably prevent that, however.
    Well I see you do know a bit Yup they cant afford to carry a placekicker just for short yardage. Besides if the other kickers good at long range do you think he would be worse when he is closer?

    yawn.. haha, ok boss. anyway i meant to say 'from the 40 yard line'.
    Now its not my fault you mis spoke . I doubt there are many if any women who could kick a FG from there. There was a big stink a few months ago about a girl who tried to make it as a place kicker for some college team. Of course it wound up in a sex scandal. She couldnt do the job and was just there because of PC. Believe me if there were a girl that could kick the ball better than their kicker any NFL team would grab her in a heart beat. Plus how many times have you seen the wimp of a kicker as you call him make the saving tackle to prevent a TD return on a kick off? She wouldnt last 2 weeks.
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  9. #9
    Junior Patron Member dessa14's Avatar
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    Default Re: Woman almost wins Indy 500

    hahahaha, big words from sexist boy up here, ive seen chicks beat the shit out guys regulary, i know a chick soccer player who is just as good as any of the guys she plays with, trust me i know chicks that if taught how to kick, they would kick the best field goals in the world, they have enough muscle to kick world records.
    don't be so hasty at saying the chick was crap, footy players always get in trouble for reasons, because they're unsophisticated simple minded idiots, you see it in the rugby league here in australia, you don't see it in the union though....
    thanks,
    dizzy
    {LORE}
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  10. #10
    boy of DESTINY Senior Member Big_John's Avatar
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    Default Re: Woman almost wins Indy 500

    Quote Originally Posted by Gawain of Orkeny
    There was a big stink a few months ago about a girl who tried to make it as a place kicker for some college team. Of course it wound up in a sex scandal. She couldnt do the job and was just there because of PC.
    you're talking about katie hnida. she claims she was raped at u. colorado.. which, considering the school's program, is probably more likely than not. she transferred to new mexico and kicked some PATs, iirc. it was more PR than PC, though, she was a local heroine in high school (in colorado). plus gary barnett probably thought a hot girl on his team would distract people from his foibles lol.

    hnida

    Plus how many times have you seen the wimp of a kicker as you call him make the saving tackle to prevent a TD return on a kick off? She wouldnt last 2 weeks.
    lol, when did i ever call kickers wimps? but, if i had to, i'd much rather call a kicker or punter a wimp to his face than a nose tackle, know what i mean?

    oh btw, i personally think cyclists, soccer players and speed skaters have stronger legs than kickers. though, who knows?


    Quote Originally Posted by dessa14
    hahahaha, big words from sexist boy up here, ive seen chicks beat the shit out guys regulary, i know a chick soccer player who is just as good as any of the guys she plays with, trust me i know chicks that if taught how to kick, they would kick the best field goals in the world, they have enough muscle to kick world records.
    don't be so hasty at saying the chick was crap, footy players always get in trouble for reasons, because they're unsophisticated simple minded idiots, you see it in the rugby league here in australia, you don't see it in the union though....
    thanks,
    dizzy
    "chicks" huh.. lol. anyway, i've heard that the bone/muscle structure of the male pelvis vs the female pelvis tends to allow men to run faster and kick harder than women. just what i've heard. btw, i'd like to see your friend enter a pro soccer league. i'm thinking bundesliga, the premiership, serie a... let me know when she's in there. wish her luck for me.
    Last edited by Big_John; 06-01-2005 at 02:41.
    now i'm here, and history is vindicated.

  11. #11
    Very Senior Member Gawain of Orkeny's Avatar
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    Default Re: Woman almost wins Indy 500

    lol, when did i ever call kickers wimps?
    You didnt. You infered it
    Last edited by Gawain of Orkeny; 06-01-2005 at 02:34.
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  12. #12
    Junior Patron Member dessa14's Avatar
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    Default Re: Woman almost wins Indy 500

    well she plays as good as my other friend who is on a premierleague teams shortlist for young foriegn players.
    thanks,
    dizzy
    {LORE}
    "It is not the well-being of individuals that makes cities great, but the well-being of the community"- Niccolò Machiavelli.

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