First, and foremost of course, it’s sad for the people, including their fabulous media relations spokesperson Pat Caporali.

(A quick aside about Pat, you won’t find a better team PR person, or person in general, than Pat, I hope she lands on her feet, and quickly, because she’s an asset to any project she’s a part of).

It’s also sad for the car count, which, depending on what “Silly Season” list you subscribe to, is either set in the mid-20’s, or in a bit of trouble and stuck in the “teens”.

But tonight, perhaps the most surprising, and ultimately sad thing is, it’s apparently the end of a vision, literally.

Whether you agree with with Tony George’s decision to start the Indy Racing League/IndyCar Series all those years ago, or not, he’s been a pivotal figure in the sport.

There’s no middle ground when you ask a true IndyCar fan about Tony George, either they love him, or they don’t.

He spent the better part of the last decade and a half, trying to either

A: Start a grass roots, oval-based, racing series that would feature American drivers

or

B: Gain total control over the future and direction of IndyCar racing from those who were in charge of CART.

At some level, he succeeded on both A and B, and at the same time, failed as well.

There is plenty of blame to go around on all sides for what happened all those years ago, and it doesn’t need to be re-hashed again today.

Whether you agree or disagree with Tony George, one thing has always been clear to me, he loves the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and he loves IndyCar racing.

Tony George spent 15 years as the most polarizing figure in what many believed was an unnecessary war for control of my favorite sport.

It seems that now, his only involvement in the future of that sport will be from the sidelines.

It’s strange to see the one that “won” the war is now on the sideline with those who lost.

Auto racing historian, writer, thrill seeker, and all-around good guy Crocky Wright has passed away.

Crocky was a true character, I got to spend a few hours with him at a collectibles show earlier this year, and I truly enjoyed it.

He liked to relay the story of being fired from his job as a tour bus driver at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, because he liked to take the buses around the turns a little too fast.

Crocky liked to say he was the only person ever fired for driving too fast at IMS.

He was an author who penned extensive histories of eastern U.S. racing, including a book about former Speedway ace Johnny Thomson and a history of the Nutley Velodrome.

Another book, Fate Guides My Destiny, was very well received.

He drove in thrill shows and performed stunts way past most people’s “retirement” age.

But perhaps he’s best known for his tireless promotion of a driver from Indiana.

From the time he first laid eyes on Tony Stewart, he knew Smoke would be a star, and Crocky let everyone know it.

The two became very close friends, and I know Tony will miss his biggest fan.

RIP Crocky

Perhaps the smartest IndyCar owner has done just that, as Team Penske finally confirmed the widely-rumored move on Thursday.

Will Power is many things, an extremely talented driver, a genuinely good guy, and now, he’s a clear-cut championship contender.

Last year Power showed some comfort on ovals, finishing in the top 5 at the Indianapolis 500, and his wheel-to-wheel battle with Ed Carpenter in the middle stages of the Kentucky race was fun to watch.

Power dominated in Edmonton, grabbing an “official” IndyCar win to go with 3 Champ Car wins.

Power’s season ended abruptly when he was involved in a serious crash at Infineon Raceway.

The crash broke his back, but not his competitive drive, like any good driver, Power is already preparing to return to the cockpit in 2010.

Dario Franchitti is a deserving champion, but Franchitti and Scott Dixon just got another big-time rival for the title.

Congratulations Will.

Greg Moore was one of a kind. He was truly the future of racing.

I didn’t see his fatal crash at California Speedway live on TV, and I’m glad I didn’t.

I missed the start of the race, and happened to tune in just as Paul Page was saying “they’re lowering the flags to half-staff for Greg Moore”.

I immediately teared up.

My now ex-wife said, “why are you crying, it’s not like you just lost a friend”.

But I had.

Greg Moore made EVERYONE he met feel like they were his friend.

I met Greg about a dozen times at Mid-Ohio, and Michigan, and Belle Isle. Each time I saw him, he greeted me as if I was a pal from his old neighborhood in Maple Ridge, British Columbia.

He was exceptionally talented, and was always willing to visit with his fans.

Imagine how IndyCar racing could have changed had Greg sat out on October 31, 1999.

He had been injured in a paddock accident before the race, there was no reason he needed to race.

Except, he was a racer, and there was a race to be run.

So Greg Moore took his taped up hand, and told his friends, “see you at the front”, and headed that way.

Greg’s death robbed us of seeing what he would do driving for Roger Penske in 2000.

Would Greg’s face be on the Borg Warner Trophy 3 times now? Would we even know Helio Castroneves?

Unfortunately we’ll never know.

But this is what I do know.

There has NEVER been a nicer star driver in racing history. Greg as far as fan friendly, ranks right there with Rick Mears, Alex Zanardi and others, but nobody was MORE friendly then Greg.

Today, please take a moment to think of Greg’s friends, Dario Franchitti, Max Papis, and Jimmy Vasser, three of many who keep Greg’s memory alive.

Today, please take a moment to remember Greg Moore.

Think about what would have been, and remember what was.

I know Indianapolis is in “all Colts, all the time” mode, and the way the team is playing, it’s no wonder.

But the news that several IndyCar stars are testing at the Brickyard Tuesday and Wednesday, was definitely exactly what I needed to hear, especially with the recent arrival of Fall.

The test is significant for a couple of reasons, first, the return to the cockpit of Vitor Meira.

Meira, one of the true nice guys in racing, was seriously injured at the Speedway during this year’s Indianapolis 500.

Meira is one of  three drivers who will be “testing a proposed rear-wing configuration for the 2010 Indianapolis 500″, according to the Speedway’s fine media relations staff. Meira will be joined on that project by Tomas Scheckter and Marco Andretti.

This wing configuration could lead to some really interesting racing if the Gasoline Alley “railbirds” are correct.

Two Indianapolis 500 winners are also a part of the test, three-time champ Helio Castroneves, and 2007 winner, Dario Franchitti will also be at the Brickyard running laps this week, but they are testing tires for Firestone.

You have to hand it to Firestone. Michelin and Goodyear have had plenty of problems at the Brickyard, but Firestone keeps sailing along every May, with no signs of a “tiregate” as we’ve seen in other races at the track.

A quick note about last weekend’s soggy Petit Le Mans. I was glad to see Indianapolis 500 veteran Scott Sharp “got away with one”. If you haven’t seen the video, look it up, Sharpie had a BIG ONE, but luckily came out unhurt. The talented Highcroft team built a new car from scratch for the race, showing again why they’re championship caliber.

It’s provided me countless thrills along the way, and allowed me to meet some of my heroes, and make some friends.

It’s also provided some tears.

May 1st, 1994 was one of those days.

So was October 31st, 1999.

And for a couple of minutes, I thought this past Saturday would be one of those days.

If you didn’t see it, Will Power and Nelson Philippe were both injured in a savage crash at Infineon Raceway in California.

Thanks to advances in safety, and a little luck, both escaped with their lives, although both suffered some serious injuries.

I’ve only briefly met Nelson Philippe.

I’ve met Will Power several times, although it would certainly be presumptuous for me to call him a friend, he is a person I have enjoyed talking to.

Will Power is a very interesting person, when you meet him, you wouldn’t immediately think he’s a world famous race driver. Will is very shy when he meets people, and only opens up after he’s talked with you a little bit.

But the neat part about Will is, he genuinely enjoys his fans. I’ve seen him react with real happiness when he’s received gifts from fans. Some drivers put on a show when they meet fans, only pretending to have a passing interest in them.

Not Will Power.

Will was having a breakout season for Team Penske. If you’re a regular reader of this space, you know I have beat the drum for a full-time ride for Will, for oh, since my first blog.

He’s now facing a long recovery, but hopefully not an uncertain future in racing, because he’s a true talent that makes any series better.

So in my own way, I am sending good thoughts and well wishes to Will and Nelson. I hope both recover very quickly from their injuries, and I look forward to seeing them back in my favorite sport as soon as possible.

—-First, Kentucky. A great race, which, nothing against Ryan Briscoe, would have been even better with an Ed Carpenter victory. Carpenter takes a lot of heat as Tony George’s step-son, but he’s improved on the ovals each year, and last week showed he’s a threat to win.  He’s still a work in progress on the road courses, (which he would admit), but he put on a heck of a show with Briscoe under the lights. A Carpenter win would have been quite a story, but as it was, it was a GREAT race.

—-Speaking of Briscoe, it wasn’t that long that the Aussie had a “dangerous” label by some people on popular internet racing forums. Many wondered how Roger Penske could hire that “dangerous” guy. Now, some are asking, despite Helio Castroneves’ presence on the team, is Ryan Briscoe the “leader” at Penske Racing? Briscoe has been VERY consistent in 2009, and it might just make him a champion.

—-One of the best sights I’ve seen all year happened at Kentucky. While waiting during the Friday “weeper” delay, I saw Vitor Meira driving Ryan Hunter-Reay back to the Foyt hauler. Not many drivers would drive their “replacement” around on a scooter, but that’s the kind of guy Vitor Meira is. Vitor is, and always has been, a class act. Get well soon Vitor.

—-I have loved Mid-Ohio since I was a kid. Since I grew up in Toledo, it’s sort of my home track. Of course, Toledo Speedway was truly my home track, and while I always enjoyed watching Terry and Jerry Cook, Joy Fair, and others, Mid-Ohio has always been special to me. This weekend was another great event at a track that knows how to do things right, the fan events, such as the popular Friday autograph session went off without a hitch. And the schedule is always jam packed with racing, there are essentially cars on the track all weekend. Mid-Ohio is well worth your time.

—-Speaking of the autograph session, I am always interested to see what people bring.  Some, like legendary collectors Jim Vogel, Ed Mattson, and Kevin McAtee bring photos for the drivers to sign. Some have the drivers sign T-Shirts, (which I’ve really never understood), and some have the drivers scroll their names on unique items. One collector has had Tony Kanaan sign an empty McDonalds fry container, or a used Snickers wrapper. I guess there’s some connection between TK and McDonalds since he drove with the McD’s sponsorship in CART, but you never know what you’re going to see in the autograph world.

—-The silly season has started early it seems. Robert Doornbos has left Newman-Haas-Lanigan racing, and re-joined HVM. It was pretty obvious this was going to happen at Kentucky. Bobby D seemed extremely glum at the oval. Talking to some people connected with the team, this is just one of those partnerships that just didn’t seem to work out.

—-There’s a great level of anticipation about the apparent arrival of Gil de Ferran’s team, de Ferran Motorsports. Earlier this year, Gil appeared on SportsLocker and revealed his interest in the series. Now he’s moving closer to bringing a two-car team to the series in 2010. Gil is one of the nicest guys in racing, and everybody I talked to at Mid-Ohio was very excited about this team.There are plenty of drivers getting resumes together for this team.

—-Will Power is a deserving champion. One of the nicest guys in racing got his first IndyCar Series win last weekend at Edmonton. Power has shown repeatedly this year why he should have a full-time ride in the IndyCar Series. Sunday, he cemented it with a solid drive and a checkered flag. Power is a threat to win any road course event, and turned a lot of heads at the Speedway this past May. Congratulations Will, nice job mate!

—-Speaking of the Brickyard, Juan Pablo Montoya winning would have made for a great story. JPM was DOMINATING the 400 last Sunday, even more than he did when he ran away with the 500 in 2000. But you can’t speed in the pits. Montoya is one of the greatest drivers in the world, but he made the cardinal mistake. YOU CAN’T BEAT YOURSELF, when you have the dominant car. And you can’t throw away a chance at immortality, see, Goodyear, Scott, 1995.

—-Speaking of things related to the Brickyard, I can’t be the only person surprised by the timing of Tony George’s statement. An hour before the second-biggest event of the year at the track he used to be the CEO of????  I fear this Hoosier Family Feud is going to get worse before it gets better. I hope my beloved Brickyard isn’t a casualty.

—-Tony Kanaan has had a horrible year, from his crash at the Brickyard in May, to nearly being barbecued in Edmonton. But TK is still TK, after his pit fire he sent out several “tweets” making light of what could have been a much more dangerous situation. I’ve said it for years. Tony Kanaan is a credit to the IndyCar Series. If you’re a new fan to the sport, looking for a driver to support, this may be your guy. TK is EVERYTHING that is right with racing.

—-Push to pass is coming to the IndyCar Series. While I have never liked “gimmicky” racing, I give credit to the ICS for at least trying something, anything, to make the racing better, we’ll see if it works.

Finally, in 1982, I was allowed to accompany my dad, uncles, and cousins on their annual trip to time trials.

I saw speed records fall, and got to hang out in the infield with several thousand people.

I also was there to see a driver die.

His name was Gordon Smiley, and he was killed in one of the worst accidents in Indianapolis Motor Speedway history.

The next day, the Indianapolis newspaper had a photo sequence of Smiley’s accident, under the banner, “With Speed, Death Is Always Near”.

That made a big impression on me, especially as a little kid.

I always have wondered what it was like to be a racing fan in the 1950’s and 60’s, and extremely gruesome time in my favorite sport, where drivers were losing their lives almost on a weekly basis.

In fact, on one particularly dark day 58 years ago this month, THREE different Indianapolis 500 drivers were killed on the same day.

Cecil Green, Bill Mackey, and Walt Brown, all were killed on what has appropriately been named “Black Sunday”.

Imagine three Indy 500 drivers dying on the same day in this era. Luckily with safety advances, we don’t have to deal with this aspect of the sport much anymore.

But despite the advances, the sport will always be dangerous.

And Sunday, just like when we lost the wonderful Adam Petty, the dark side of auto racing has stolen another son of a famous father.

18-year old Henry Surtees was killed in a Formula 2 race at famous Brands Hatch in England.

Surtees was the son of the great John Surtees, the only man to win world titles on two wheels, and four.

The 1964 World Champion’s son died in a crash not of his making. Jack Clarke lost control and hit a barrier, losing a wheel, which hit Surtees in the head, knocking  him unconscious.

We’re lucky that this sort of thing doesn’t happen much any more, but the tragic loss of Henry Surtees should remind every racing fan just what these drivers risk in their quest for speed.

My condolences to the Surtees family, on a life cut so short.

It was Coyne’s first win in his 25 year career as a driver and owner in the various American Open Wheel racing series.

For Wilson, it was redemption, despite winning last year at Detroit, he found himself out of a job when Newman Haas Lanigan racing added Robert Doornbos to the fold.

For Coyne, it was also redemption. After years of toiling around the back of the grid with a driver lineup that at times was less than stellar, Coyne’s outfit has really stepped up their game in 2009.

If a few years ago I would have told you, that the team that stopped the dominance of Target Chip Ganassi Racing and Team Penske would be Dale Coyne Racing, you might have laughed at me.

I know it’s only one win, but it’s a big one for Dale Coyne. It’s a victory, and redemption.