Eventually, I ducked into Jennifer Azzi’s press conference. As I wrote a few days before the weekend started Azzi was on hand as the race’s Grand Marshal. It was cool to see her and I must admit that I totally missed my opportunity to introduce myself and tell her what an inspiration she’d been to me as a kid. I’m shy, OK. And I have to work up what I’m going to say in my mind before I actually do it and make sure it’s not lame. There never was a perfect time, but whatever, she’s on Twitter and I plan on saying something to her at some point over there.

So let’s talk about Marco Andretti. I don’t know what was up his butt that particular weekend but he was driving around on his scooter with a scowl the entire time. He’s rumored to be dating a Playboy Playmate so you’d think he’d be a little happier but who knows. Maybe he’s irked that he’s not contending for the Championship? His year has been pretty lame, he hasn’t finished better than 4th so far. Or perhaps it’s the fact that his ex-girlfriend is supposedly dating Graham Rahal. Hmm?? I don’t care who you are or what you do that’s gotta be kinda awkward right?

Oh! I forgot to mention that on Saturday I attended a press conference for iRacing.com Motorsports Simulations. They were talking up their agreement with the IRL, Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Dallara in creating a virtual Indy 500 where regular people like you and me can drive the infamous racetrack online. Justin Wilson was on hand to extol the amazing realness that is iRacing.com and I couldn’t get over how tall he was. When I walked into the press conference room was standing in front of the doorway right as you walk in and I couldn’t get over the fact that I had to look up at him and he’s a race car driver.

Anywho, I have to say that the iRacing.com simulation is really, really cool. Online sim racing has come a long way, baby. It’s super duper realistic. As the representative from Dallara Automobili said in the press conference, “This is not a video game. Forget. This is simulation.” I wish you could have heard him say that with his Italian accent, it was pure awesomeness. Basically, iRacing.com is no joke.

So back to Sunday, I watched the start of the Indy Lights race from the pits, or as I like to call them, The Coffee Bars. That’s what they look like to me. Plus there’s just so much more openness at IRL races. I felt like I could go pretty much anywhere. During the Indy Lights race people were standing in empty pits, even sitting on the pit road wall, which is impossible to do at a NASCAR race. I didn’t go that far, I love my fave spot at the back of pit road sitting on the little wall up against the grandstands right in front of the start/finish line.

And now it’s time to reflect on why I think it’s so important that more clothing companies like William Rast and Izod get involved in racing. William Rast, a clothing company started by Justin Timberlake and his BFF, Trace Ayala, sponsored the No. 20 Vision Racing team driven by Ed Carpenter. Their merch was like fifty times cooler than anyone elses because their brand and logo was made for clothing. I’d wear one of their hats in a heartbeat ’cause it doesn’t look like your typical racing gear. Izod is a sponsor of the entire IRL and as such you’ve got IRL employees running around in Izod all day looking “classy.” There’s a quality that sticks with you when you see that.

SO it is my fervent hope that more clothing companies will get in the act of sponsoring teams in both IndyCar and NASCAR. Plus, it’s stuff that the drivers and their families could wear in their off-time as well. Couldn’t you see Jimmie and Chandra Johnson rocking Lucky Brand Jeans together? It’d be supercute.

For the IndyCar pre-race festivities I walked out on to the track to watch driver introductions from the start/finish line area with other fans. As it happened I was using the same route as the drivers were to get to the stage area. I got a shot of Hideki Mutoh and Franck Montagny as they walked together behind me. Walking and taking pictures isn’t my specialty, and as such I didn’t realize that Dan Wheldon had been walking beside me for awhile. I was so annoyed I didn’t get a shot of him.

The IndyCar race itself was snoozeville. It started off great, with a melee in the first lap, but after that and until close to the end it was boring as all heck. I hoped that Helio Castroneves‘ bad luck would cause the field to bunch up and maybe give Ryan Briscoe and Hideki the chance to swipe the win from Dario Franchitti, who led the entire race, but it was not to be.

The top three drivers had to come into the media center to do a post-race press conference with the media and it was my first time experiencing Ryan Briscoe. He’s such a cool dude. He just had this relaxed air about him, like he wasn’t cocky or jerky, but just normal. I’m sure you’re saying to yourself “so what?” but that’s not a given with drivers, especially given the fact that he took over the Championship points lead that day.

I really like Dario so it was great to see him win. However I was disappointed his wife, Actress Ashley Judd, was not on hand as it would have been cool to see her reaction. Dario, was another cool cucumber, but I’m thinking some of that might have been the winner’s goblet of wine that he carried into the press conference. As he sat down he jokingly attempted to take another swig of the red wine left in the glass.

My fave moment was when Dario made a veiled jab at Milka Duno’s permanent lame duck status. Someone asked him if there was a ever time during the race that he thought Ryan Briscoe would get past him. Dario said, “The only time was when the 23 car was cruising around in turn eight. The speed differential was such, a flat chicane there, the speed differential must have been 40 miles an hour. So I had to back off and time the pass so Ryan wouldn’t get a run on me. If I’d have gone steaming up there, he would have got running past me. That was the one real worrying point.”

You had to hear his tone when he said “when the 23 car was cruising around.” It was priceless, and I’m pretty sure a few people chuckled.

Tony Kanaan gets a ride back to the garage after the race on Sunday, August 23, 2009 at the Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma at Infineon Raceway (photo credit: The Fast and the Fabulous)

Ryan Briscoe speaks with the media on Sunday, August 23, 2009 at the Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma at Infineon Raceway (photo credit: The Fast and the Fabulous)

Hideki Mutoh and Franck Montagny walk to the stage for driver introductions on Sunday, August 23, 2009 at the Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma at Infineon Raceway (photo credit: The Fast and the Fabulous)

Helio Castroneves walks back to the garage with his girlfriend, Adriana Henao, after the race on Sunday, August 23, 2009 at the Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma at Infineon Raceway (photo credit: The Fast and the Fabulous)

It should be noted that I did not Photoshop Dan’s teeth.

Dan Wheldon chats with fans on Sunday, August 23, 2009 at the Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma at Infineon Raceway (photo credit: The Fast and the Fabulous)

Dario Franchitti drives into Victory Lane on Sunday, August 23, 2009 at the Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma at Infineon Raceway (photo credit: The Fast and the Fabulous)

Dario Franchitti chats with the media on Sunday, August 23, 2009 at the Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma at Infineon Raceway (photo credit: The Fast and the Fabulous)

Anyway, back to the track. It was firefighter appreciation day and as I walked into the paddock area the first thing I saw was this old timey fire truck with the cutest and smartest Dalmatian dog sitting on top of it. I couldn’t believe how obedient he was! He just sat there in the seat and didn’t freak out or bark at the people gathered around staring at him. There was another dog, whose breed I couldn’t tell you, that was barking a lot but the cute Dalmatian could not and would not be baited into barking back.

And then there were these big creamy-colored horses to pull the old timey fire truck. They were huge, but absolutely beautiful. They had a special moment during the pre-race festivities when they pulled the truck down the track and in front of the grandstands.

So I guess IndyCar has this reputation for being more upscale than NASCAR in terms of its fans and such. They’ve got Cristal and Izod for sponsors after all. Well I’m here to tell you that it’s all a bunch of hooey. Why is it that I saw more boobs during this race weekend than I ever have at any NASCAR race I’ve been to? And when I say that I saw boobs I’m not saying that women were flashing them, of course they weren’t but let’s just say they were on display. And why is it that I saw more fans wearing NASCAR gear than anything else? The Dale Earnhardt Jr. fans were out in full effect. Instead of trying to act all hoity-toity I think they should try to soak up some of the NASCAR marketing tactics and get some more butts in the seats.

Oh, speaking of butts in the seats, that’s exactly where they stayed when it came time to try and break the record for the most people doing the twist dance. Yea, that whole idea crashed and burned the minute the music started up. A group of people did dance but mostly everyone just watched. To make something like that work you really have to have a group that’s invested in its success ya know?

So I was totally right when I said that George Lucas would probably make an appearance at the race because Marco Andretti’s car was running the special Blockbuster/STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS paint scheme. George hung out with Marco during the pre-race festivities and then in his pit during the race. Marco’s race suit was made to look like a storm trooper uniform. I’m not a big fan of the whole codpiece detailing.

In the end, Helio Castroneves won the race, his first of the season and Dan Wheldon and Tony Kanaan were mathematically eliminated from the field running for the Championship with only two races left on the year. This win was a sweet one for the Team Penske guys after having their primary cars go up in smoke (literally) earlier in the week. It’s amazing they were able to come back and finish first with Helio’s Penske teammate Ryan Briscoe coming in second. Briscoe has the most awesome accent by the way. I gotta get to Australia.

Danica Patrick walks to the garage after the PEAK Antifreeze & Motor Oil Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma County on Sunday, August 24, 2008 at Infineon Raceway. (photo credit: The Fast and the Fabulous)

Marco Andretti gets ready for a warm-up session on Sunday, August 24, 2008 at Infineon Raceway. (photo credit: The Fast and the Fabulous)

Ryan Briscoe chats with someone on pit road on Sunday, August 24, 2008 at Infineon Raceway. (photo credit: The Fast and the Fabulous)

Fans gathered around victory lane to watch the first through third place finishers receive their trophies on Sunday, August 24, 2008 at Infineon Raceway. (photo credit: The Fast and the Fabulous)

I thought this guy looked a lot like paparazzo/ex-Britney Spears boyfriend Adnan Ghalib only cuter, but I figured he was probably just a guy from William Rast. WR is the clothing company started by Justin Timberlake and his best friend Trace Ayala. The company was the sponsor of Townsend Bell’s car.

Some dude on pit road on Sunday, August 24, 2008 at Infineon Raceway. (photo credit: The Fast and the Fabulous)

So the really big deal was the press conference set up to unveil Firestone’s new “Magic Circle.” They’re the tires they created specifically for the top drivers who are still in the hunt for the IndyCar Championship. The tires have a white wall on the outside so that they can be easily spotted in the field during a race. Just another way the fans can keep track of the Championship contenders. Before Sunday’s race there were 4 drivers mathematically still in the hunt — Tony Kanaan, Dan Wheldon, Scott Dixon and Helio Castroneves.

So I decided to stand outside of Victory Lane where the media had gathered for the announcement. I just wanted to try and get good shots of the drivers as they made their way over. What I didn’t know was that I managed to situate myself in the precise spot they were all going to stop their little motorcycles and scooters. Scott Dixon was the first guy to roll onto the scene right behind me. I find him to be incredibly cute and I can’t believe we’re the exact same age; he always strikes me as being a lot older. Then there was Helio who as far as I’m concerned seems to be totally over the whole Dancing with the Stars hubbub. Everyone loves to bring it up with him but he never goes into it and I can understand why. It’s been forever ago and he’s a race car driver, and that’s what he’s really about.

Finally Scott Wheldon rode up with his wife Susie on the back of his Target scooter/bike thingy. Instead of going around all the bikes where there was more room to walk, he had to walk on the inside of them causing me to try and squeeze myself against the Victory Lane fence. I think my bag hit him, but that’s what he gets.

Scott Dixon’s scooter on Friday, August 22, 2008 at Infineon Raceway. (photo credit: The Fast and the Fabulous)

Dan Wheldon and his wife Susie roll in for the ‘Magic Circles’ media event on Friday, August 22, 2008 at Infineon Raceway. (photo credit: The Fast and the Fabulous)

Helio Castroneves arrives at the ‘Magic Circles’ media event on Friday, August 22, 2008 at Infineon Raceway. (photo credit: The Fast and the Fabulous)

Scott Dixon walks in to the ‘Magic Circles’ media event on Friday, August 22, 2008 at Infineon Raceway. (photo credit: The Fast and the Fabulous)

Scott Dixon and Tony Kanaan pose for photographers during the ‘Magic Circles’ unveiling on Friday, August 22, 2008 at Infineon Raceway. (photo credit: The Fast and the Fabulous)

No outfit is complete without pockets!

Dan Wheldon speaks to the media on Friday, August 22, 2008 at Infineon Raceway. (photo credit: The Fast and the Fabulous)

I’m not going to go into the whole Jeff Gordon-breaking-Dale Earnhardt Sr.’s-career-wins-record-fans-go-crazy debacle, except to say that I agree with tallglassofmilk in that if the Talladega fans can’t behave themselves ‘Dega should lose it’s second race. They should hand it over to Infineon, us Northern California NASCAR fans know not to throw things when we’re mad. We’d just make shirts that say things like “Anybody But Gordon” and call it day.

I’m still annoyed/upset about Casey Mears’ crash in the middle of the race. I thought he was going to make it this time and finally win one but alas it was not meant to be. He was so pissed when he jumped out of his car, seeing that emotion reminds you how much this means to these guys. It’s not just another day at the office. They go out there every race with the intention to win.

It was so very cool to see no-name drivers race upfront this weekend. Guys like Sterling Marlin, Kenny Wallace, David Ragan, Regan Smith, and David Stremme all led laps at Talladega. Congrats to them, I want to see more of that. Words cannot express how sick I am of seeing Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon winning these races.

The rest of my Sunday was filled with more racing coverage. After the NASCAR Nexel Cup race I caught the end of the IndyCar race in Kansas. Dan Wheldon was the winner and apparently there was some pit road debacle involving teammates Danica Patrick and Tony Kanaan. Tony took a page from the Tony Stewart PR handbook and left the race track without commenting on the events of pit road (Danica hit his car on her way out of the pits which ultimately caused Tony to fall 8 laps down, finishing 15th for the day).

Now everyone’s attention will turn to the Indianapolis 500, the race is on May 27th but the media hype is already beginning. Oh yay, a whole month of talking about the same things over and over and over again.

In other news…

Ashley Force went up against John Force for the first time in her burgeoning Funny Car career. She beat her dad in the first round at Atlanta Dragway.

The marquee match of the day was in round one when Ashley Force beat her famous father, John, by a 4.779 to 5.783 margin in the first father-daughter Pro-level race in NHRA history.

“Today I’m a proud father,” John said. “I’ve dreamed of this day for a long time, and it makes me emotional to think it finally came true. She’s a great young driver and she’s probably gonna whip me a bunch, but I’m okay with it because she’s my baby.”

Ashley went on to win her second round match-up but lost in the semifinals to Mike Ashley. All in all still a great day for women in the NHRA, it won’t be long until she’s a Funny Car winner.

Jeff Gordon is saluted by Dale Earnhardt Jr. after winning the Aaron’s 499 at Talladega Superspeedway. (Photo Credit: Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

Fans throw beer cans onto the track as Jeff Gordon, driver of the #24 Dupont Chevrolet, takes the Sunoco checkered flag to win the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series Aaron’s 499 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 29, 2007 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

Jeff Gordon, driver of the #24 DuPont Chevrolet, poses for a photo with his wife, model Ingrid Vandebosch, in victory lane after after Gordon won the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series Aaron’s 499 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 29, 2007 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images for NASCAR)