So as last weekend demonstrated, the Milwaukee Mile has
become the resurrected phoenix, rising from the flames that the 2011 race
promoters left behind. And Andretti
Sports Marketing has been the hand reaching from the sky making it all
happen. As with any new promoter, you
are certain to have stumbling blocks along the way, but all in all, I have to
give ASM big kudos for even attempting the feat.
Yet there are definitely improvements that need to be made
before next year’s event (Michael Andretti himself announced prior to the race
that they would be back promoting the race again over the same weekend next
year). First off, while the ticket
prices were more affordable than years past, the add-ons were not. There was much confusion at the track
surrounding credentials and what exactly was needed if you wanted access beyond
a grandstand seat. And the lines already
Friday at the ticket office reflected the disorganization, as it took six fans
a half hour to purchase their passes as I sat and watched. I can’t imagine the chaos that ensued on race
day.
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| Milwaukee Indyfest |
Fans wishing to access the paddock on Friday were required
to buy a general admission pass for the infield. That general admission pass apparently
granted access to all the carnival rides and snake pit area. I think I walked past the area once just to
check it out and then continued on.
After all, I was there for the racing, not all this other stuff. And while the rides were probably a nice perk
for those who chose to bring their children, it wasn’t openly advertised that
the rides were free. Yes, it stated that
general admission included the rides, but a number of fans (myself included)
assumed that meant access to the
rides was included and should you choose to pay an additional $5, you can
actually ride the ferris wheel, the bumper cars and the zip line. And while I realize these amenities may have
helped promote the event and potentially draw in an audience other than the
diehard race fans, I didn’t appreciate having to spend money for access I
wasn’t going to use. I was there solely for
the racing. So let’s get on with it.
I did, however, agree with the choice this year to host the
race weekend from Friday to Saturday, freeing up Father’s Day for family
time. I believe that was one of the
reasons for the low attendance last year.
While some dads would love to spend a day at the track, many families
already had conflicting plans. We’ll see
once the final attendance numbers come in if that is a wise choice carrying
over to next year as well.
Friday found the paddock rather vacant as is typically the
case earlier in the weekend. Yet
temperatures were hot which I’m sure kept some casual fans away. With the race weekend being condensed to only
two days, teams were extra busy and drivers were less accessible unless you
chose to stick around well beyond dinnertime to attend the autograph session
(which I did not). Yet I realize the
teams are there to work while the rest of us are there to play.
Oriol and Panther/DRR struggled a bit with setup in Friday’s
sessions, altering tire camber and changing springs. When it came time for qualifying, the guys couldn’t
find the speed to climb higher than 22nd on the starting grid. But due to penalties imposed on seven drivers
in the field, Servia would start the race in 20th position.
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| Servia in weekend practice |
Race day brought with it the threat of rain, for the second year in a row, scaring off much of the walk-up attendance we may have otherwise seen at The Mile. I was able to attend Coffee with the Champions, a brief discussion in the IndyCar Fan Zone with current and former IndyCar personnel Dario Franchitti, Johnny Rutherford (JR), Arie Luyendyk, Rick Mears and Roger Penske. However, I wasn’t expecting it to start early and almost missed it altogether. Afterward, I happened to catch sessions with Ed Carpenter and J.R. Hildebrand, though I didn’t see these advertised anywhere so it was just dumb luck that I happened to be in the right place at the right time. Event after asking around Friday, staffers didn’t seem to know whether there would be any driver appearances over the weekend. (I know, at this point some would argue that it would be very simple to just check the #MKE_Indyfest twitter feed for information, and they’d be right…except I’m still living in the stone age with a phone that barely rings and gets used more as a backup camera than anything else.)
So the rain which had been threatening all morning held off
until about 30 minutes prior to race time.
Then the skies opened and fans fled for cover under the grandstands,
where we spent the next hour or so praying to the sun gods to shine upon us and
dry the track quickly (yes, while everyone else in the state was praying for
rain, we were all praying for it to stop).
Our prayers were answered, and after an hour and a half delay, those in
attendance (which appeared to be a very humble increase over the previous year)
climbed back up to their seats and awaited the call to start engines. The traditional Harley-Davidson parade,
national anthem and flyover had actually been conducted in the pouring rain, so
those were out of the way and we were ready to go racing!
The rain left the track green and devoid of rubber, which
would play heavily into race strategy as tires would be quicker to fall off
(wear down), though it also made way for more lines to run on the racing
surface, allowing for a few passes on the high line.
Servia found himself in a similar place to years past for
the first half of the race or so, when he seems to be able to claim some clean
real estate on track and runs the race “solo” for a while. The team actually fell back a few positions
on the start and it took a bit for Oriol to begin his climb through the
field. But once he started, he didn’t
look back. And by the midpoint of the
race, Servia had already gained 10 positions.
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| Running five wide down the front straight |
The second part of the race found the DRR squad running in heavier traffic, with Tony Kanaan chomping at their bit. Servia leans out of the cockpit, and points at his bumper sticker: “If you can read this, you’re following too closely. Get off my wing!” The “ghost driver,” as he has dubbed himself for climbing through the field while evading any sort of televised coverage, continued to push forward. Fifth…fourth…up to a potential podium position. And then came Hinch. James Hinchcliffe was hustling the #22 Charter entry for a number of laps before making the move that would snatch the podium out from under the Spaniard. Servia and the DRR crew would finish in fourth, just one position shy of a visit to victory circle.
While watching the race live at the track is always exciting
(and quite a handful, trying to keep track of who’s running on the lead lap and
who has been passed), I’m reminded after viewing the televised coverage how
uneventful it can be to watch from the couch.
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| Final restart |
Oriol admit in a pre-race interview that the team’s transition from the Lotus to Chevy engine has been almost effortless, and he remarked, “Now we feel like we have a shot at winning like everyone else.” I’d say given his three top-five results in four races since making the switch, he’s not far off! Servia climbs back up to 10th in the championship standings after slipping following his Texas DNF, and currently has accumulated 173 points.
So, will the fans return to The Mile next year? I will!
While there are still kinks to be worked out, the Andretti Marketing
folks tried to make it a welcoming event for the fans and I heard several
positive remarks over the course of the weekend about staff in Andretti shirts
going out of their way to be helpful. That’s
the kind of customer service that will keep the fans coming back for more, year
after year.
I’d like to offer a big shout out to my fellow members of
the Servia Squad too, who gather every year at The Mile. You guys helped contribute to a great
weekend!
Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer