Sunshine, Shorline and Servia

So, I have to begin this week by asking, was I the only one confused following qualifying?

While the Versus announcers spent the entire final round of qualifying concerned only whether Power or Hunter-Reay would take pole, they also led us to believe that once Power entered the pits, the session was over. And even the hat (the position ticker that runs across the top of the television screen) disappeared which would leave us all to believe that none of the final six changed position. So naturally I assumed Servia qualified sixth since that was the last report viewers received. Imagine my surprise in the very last minute of televised qualifying coverage when the starting lineup announced Servia in fourth position!

Thanks Versus, for playing favorites again, rather than reporting the actual results as they’re happening…but as fellow blogger Pressdog would say, that’s none of our business anyway, right?

Onto the race, Oriol Servia in the #2 Telemundo Newman/Haas entry did a stellar job as usual keeping his nose clean and staying out of trouble. Newman/Haas was the winningest team from former visits to this legendary circuit, and Servia himself has extensive experience at this track. Prior to the race, Oriol remarked that it was about time to stir things up and add some Telemundo blue to the front of the field where IndyCar fans have become accustomed to seeing red (literally).

Servia's shining moment of the race and one which will undoubtedly receive endless television coverage for the remainder of the season has to be the double-wide restart with 19 laps to go. If you remember the season start at St. Petersburg, you might think you were watching a replay, as Servia was once again caught up in a multi-car incident, but cunningly avoids all contact, whips a 360 and effortlessly slots right back into the action, losing only three positions in the process! The Spaniard left no one doubting his extensive racing skills (and lightening quick reflexes) which allowed him to again bring home the #2 Telmundo Honda in one piece.

Not only did the team finish in sixth position, its third straight Top-10 of the season, but Newman/Haas teammate and rookie James "Hinch" Hinchcliffe finished in an impressive fourth place. With another consistent finish, Servia moved up in the championship standings another two slots and currently sits fourth in overall points, demonstrating that sometimes slow and steady really does win the race.

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

See No, Hear No, Speak No

Round two of the IndyCar World Series just wrapped up at Barber Motorsports Park just outside Birmingham, Alabama and the theme for this weekend seems to be one of Hear No Evil, See No Evil, Speak No Evil for Oriol Servia and the Newman/Haas Racing crew.

See No Evil
When questioned in the Versus pre-race show about his pit stop error at St. Petersburg, Servia good-humoredly responded that if nobody saw it, then it didn't really happen. Oriol was referring to his mistake mid-race when he pulled into the wrong pit which cost him quite a bit of time. Though he took full ownership, Servia remarked that his crew had not been in full uniform up until the race and that they were not the only crew in white firesuits. This weekend the team was clearly decked out in blue firesuits, matching the #2 Telemundo entry.

Hear No Evil
Oriol and the Newman/Haas team received significant televised coverage throughout the race as Servia found himself the subject of many intense on-track battles. However, despite pressure from both Danica Patrick and Tony Kanaan late in the race, Servia seemed to pay no attention and held his line all the way through to the checkered flag.

Speak No Evil
Demonstrating their strength early in the weekend, both driver and crew of the #2 Telemundo Honda left critics with nothing but the highest praise for this pairing. The team fought hard and it showed as they earned a spot in the Firestone Fast 6 during Saturday's qualifying. Then Servia charged hard throughout the entire race, running as high as third and eventually bringing the car home in 5th place for the team's second consecutive Top-10 finish.

Following this round, Servia moved up three positions in the IndyCar Championship standings and finds himself solidly in 6th place.

Be sure to tune in next weekend as the series makes its way to Long Beach, California for the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach.

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer