Scott Dixon won the Road Runner Turbo Indy 300 at Kansas Speedway this past weekend. He was joined in victory lane by his wife Emma and their super adorable baby daughter Poppy. Her red hair is so cute!

Anyway, you all know how much I love to compare drivers to celebrities and I couldn’t help but think that Scott bares a striking resemblance to the lead singer of one of my all time fave bands, Stephen Christian of Anberlin. Check out the comparison below. Don’t they look like they could be brothers? They were born in the same year just days apart. How freaky cool is that??

Scott Dixon (left) and Stephen Christian (right)

In other news…

– It’s time for a Richard Antinucci update. If you remember he’s that super hot racer that carries a dual Italian/US citizenship. I gushed about my sightings of him at last year’s Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma. He was in the IndyCar Series last year for five races and this year doesn’t seem to have a ride. Which boggles my mind considering that Milka Duno gets to cruise around as the resident safety hazard. Anyway, Richard is set to make his debut in the Italian Gran Turismo Championship. He’ll be driving an Audi R8 LMS for Audi Sport Italia in two events at Valleunga this Sunday and Magione in June.

– Check out this great article by Graham Rahal about his stint with Sarah Fisher Racing and his future in the IZOD IndyCar Series. I can’t believe he’s only 21. Racing sure does know how to make young guys grow up fast.

Scott Dixon and his wife Emma celebrate his victory with their daughter Poppy at the Road Runner Turbo Indy 300 at Kansas Speedway on Saturday, May 1, 2010.

Jay Howard is quite a character.

(left to right) Tony Kanaan, Michael Andretti and Marco Andretti.

Ryan Hunter-Reay

Ryan Briscoe won the pole for the Road Runner Turbo Indy 300 at Kansas Speedway.

E.J. Viso

Not long after I picked up my credentials, got to the media center, picked up the necessary schedules and general information I’d need for the day I had my first driver sighting.

Graham Rahal was in Victory Lane with his No. 02 McDonald’s Racing Team car for an interview with a local television station. The interview was being aired live and thinking quickly (for once) I called my mom and told her to tune her TV to channel 4. She could see me standing in the distance behind Graham and his interviewer. My mother told me to wave and I was like “Mother, I can’t wave, I’m supposed be a professional and I can’t wave at you.” It was so funny, she kept telling me to wave and I was like “No.” It would have been really obvious and I didn’t want to be “that guy.” I always think it’s cheesy when I see other people do it.

It must be noted that Graham is a cutie. He’s like 10-years-old but a cutie nevertheless. I kid, he’s actually 20, but still to me he’s an infant.

Anyway, Saturday was qualifying and practice for both the IndyCar and Indy Lights series. The crowd on hand wasn’t very large but then again I wasn’t expecting it to be. The paddock area behind the grandstands didn’t have all that much to offer in the way of activities. Although, dudes did have the opportunity to either impress women or embarrass themselves by attempting to do chin-ups at the US Marines booth. Some guys were awesome, while some others were, uh, not.

For the first IndyCar practice session I sat in the media center. I saw the crash that put drivers Will Power and Nelson Philippe in the hospital happen live and it was the scariest motorsports-related crash I’d ever seen. I knew that something very serious had to have happened to Will. It was like his car just disintegrated. While they both suffered multiple injuries I’m so glad they’re alive.

After practice all of the IndyCar and Indy Lights drivers sat at tables underneath the grandstands and signed autographs for fans. People were losing their minds over Danica Patrick and pretty much not anyone else. I mean obviously everyone was taking pictures of all the drivers and such but it was clear where Danica was stationed ’cause there was a big bubble of people surrounding her end of the tables.

To illustrate this point further I actually heard a man say out loud not 3 feet from Helio Castroneves, “What’s his name?” You’re acquitted of tax evasion charges, win “Dancing With The Stars” and the Indy 500 and still the man doesn’t know your name.

I think everyone remembers, or at least you should, my post about IndyCar rookie Richard Antinucci. I was very much looking forward to seeing him in-person and boy that guy did not disappoint.

I scoured the tables looking for Mr. Antinucci, my first glimpse of him for the day, and then all of a sudden there he was looking as hot as all get out. So look at this photo to the left and sing the song “All I Have To Do Is Dream” by the Everly Brothers and you will replicate my experience exactly. “Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam, dream, dream, dream. Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam, dream, dream, dream … “ *sigh*

I didn’t stay long as it is extremely awkward taking photos in that kind of environment. You are always in someone’s way. It’s pretty interesting though that basically everyone has a DSLR camera these days. I plan on getting one this year so I can step up my photography game. But I think I do alright with my handy, dandy point & shoot.

I ended the day earlier than I’d wanted to because I needed to get home in time to watch the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Bristol. I missed the end of qualifying but I got enough of Dario Franchitti on Sunday.

In my next post I’ll discuss some iRacing tidbits, clothing companies as sponsors and ponder reasons why Marco Andretti had a sour puss on the entire freaking weekend.

REMINDER: Don’t forget to ask Richard Petty (aka The King) a question!!

I would like to thank Helio for not looking at me like I was a crazy person for taking his photo.

Helio Castroneves on Saturday, August 22, 2009 at the Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma at Infineon Raceway (photo credit: The Fast and the Fabulous)

Graham Rahal waits to be interviewed by a local TV station on Saturday, August 22, 2009 at the Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma at Infineon Raceway (photo credit: The Fast and the Fabulous)

Ryan Briscoe rides down pit road before practice on Saturday, August 22, 2009 at the Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma at Infineon Raceway (photo credit: The Fast and the Fabulous)

Marco Andretti rides down pit road before practice on Saturday, August 22, 2009 at the Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma at Infineon Raceway (photo credit: The Fast and the Fabulous)

Justin Wilson chats with his team after practice on Saturday, August 22, 2009 at the Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma at Infineon Raceway (photo credit: The Fast and the Fabulous)

His name is Richard Antinucci and he’s a serious hottie.

I mentioned him in one of my posts about the Firestone Indy Lights drivers at Infineon last year. I know that liking a guy just because he’s ridiculously good looking is not what you’re supposed to do but you can’t deny that it catches your attention.

Besides, tomorrow is Richard’s debut in the IndyCar series with Team 3G and I really like the idea of getting to know a driver as he’s starting out in a new league. Get in on the ground floor, I say.

It doesn’t hurt that he’s 28 (same age as me, at least for next couple of months), was born in Italy, lives in San Diego and takes pictures like the one above.

Richard won the Watkins Glen race last year in the Indy Lights series, and finished the year second in the Championship. I’d say he has a good chance of posting a great finish tomorrow, even if he’s starting at the back of the field.

In regards to his qualifying attempt, Richard had this to say: “We definitely enjoyed this morning to be right there next to some of IndyCar marquee names, but sadly we were not able to confirm that kind of performance in qualifying. We’ve thought we could improve our free practice pace and therefore we went in a direction that, obviously, proved flat wrong as we wound up among those who barely improved their performance. Now we’re set to move a step back to what we know was working, possibly tomorrow we’ll dial in the car a little bit in the warm up session, and we’ll try our best to be ready for the race. I waited a lot of time for this opportunity to join the league and now I feel I have to start giving back something to the people who have put me in this position.”

So I’m jazzed about tomorrow’s IndyCar race, airing on ABC. Go Richard! hehe.

(photo credit: RichardAntinucci.net)

For qualifying I hunkered down with $8 chili cheese fries in the lunch tent. They were absolutely delicious, although it totally didn’t help my self-esteem when the Infineon Raceway umbrella girls had to walk in with their skimpy outfits and fatless bodies while I was eating them. I got over it though because I was hungry and their job is to hold up an umbrella, so whatever.

This weekend was my introduction to the Firestone IndyCar Lights series. You should see the guys in this league. Ladies, these guys are serious hotties. They’ve got more eligible bachelors than you can shake a stick at. Yes, yes, the racing is all fine and good. But these guys are really cute. Have you seen Arie Luyendyk Jr.?? Richard Antinucci? Dillon Battistini? Raphael Matos? Logan Gomez? Dude, you need to. Get yourself to an IndyCar Lights race tout de suite! There’s only one race left this season, so uh it’s Chicagoland or wait till next year.

Okay, I’m laying it on a little thick, but not really.

Right before the IndyCar Lights race ended the apparent head of security for IndyCar barked orders to everyone in the area of the winner’s circle. I think watching him might have been more entertaining than the race itself. I have never encountered someone in NASCAR who has the same level of responsibility as this guy seemed to have. From a little Google search I gleaned that this guy is known as Security Chief Charles. His reputation and ability to corral and move the drivers along to their next destination seems to be the stuff of legend. He is pretty intimidating I must say.

So I have one funny story to share, well it’s funny to me. Not so much bust out laughing funny, but more ha-ha funny. After IndyCar qualifying concluded and Helio Castroneves received his pole award he was ushered to the media center (by Security Chief Charles of course). On his way over, he was followed by a woman yelling “Helio! Helio! Will you sign my shirt?!!?!” To which Helio responded in a loud boisterous voice, his arm up stretched with one finger pointed, “Yes! I will!” and walked right into the media center.

That tickled me. You had to be there. He eventually came out after the media press conference was done and signed the woman’s shirt.

Logan Gomez walks to the garage after finishing fifth in the Carneros 100 on Saturday, August 23, 2008 at Infineon Raceway. (photo credit: The Fast and the Fabulous)

Raphael Matos speaks with the press after finishing second in the Carneros 100 on Saturday, August 23, 2008 at Infineon Raceway. (photo credit: The Fast and the Fabulous)

Richard Antinucci speaks to the press after finishing third in the Carneros 100 on Saturday, August 23, 2008 at Infineon Raceway. (photo credit: The Fast and the Fabulous)

Helio Castroneves heads into the media center on Saturday, August 23, 2008 at Infineon Raceway. (photo credit: The Fast and the Fabulous)

Helio Castroneves leaves signs autographs on Saturday, August 23, 2008 at Infineon Raceway. (photo credit: The Fast and the Fabulous)

Marco Andretti asks Danica Patrick’s husband a quick question after qualifying on Saturday, August 23, 2008 at Infineon Raceway. (photo credit: The Fast and the Fabulous)