Most importantly is the 2008 Monoco Grand Prix F1 race live from Monte Carlo at 6:30 AM CST. If you're not familiar with Formula 1, the Monoco GP is the Super Bowl of F1 races. It is one of the favorite tracks for both drivers and spectators alike.
Currently Kimi Raikonen leads the championship by 7 points with teammate Felipe Massa and young superstar Lewis Hamilton tied for second. Qualifying is generally more important than the race itself as F1 rewards superior engineering and car setup as much as driving talent. Practice was actually this morning because they don't allow the cars to run on Fridays.
Predictions? Ferrari and McLaren will qualify in the first two rows and there will be no lead changes for the entire race. I just hope Kimi and Massa will continue to challenge each other without taking one another out of any races. The real fight this weekend will be for 4th place between either BMW or Renault. And don't count Nico Rosberg out, he is frighteningly fast in his Williams this year.
Then Sunday afternoon is the 92nd Indianapolis 500. Honestly I haven't cared much for this race in the past few years with the exception of rooting for any of the Andretti/Green drivers. (Congats again, Dario!) Even with the recent merger of Champ Car and IRL this years race doesn't look to be too promising. The first couple rows are dominated by the top IRL teams as expected: Ganassi, Penske, and Andretti.
Graham Rahal is my rookie to watch this year. I've been a longtime fan of his father and can only imagine the pride he felt when his son won his first race earlier this year.
As always I will be rooting for Danica and supporting my client, Motorola. Regardless of what people say about her being a great female driver, I choose to take gender out of the equation. She is a fantastic driver regardless of her sex. In addition she's a fast leaner and acts more mature and professional than most drivers of her experience. OK, wait... maybe not when she's on the track. But certainly out of the car she is an educated brand ambassador for both her sponsors and the IRL. That being said I think she has a long way to go to be considered one of the greatest drivers in this sport.
Indy predictions? It's a long race. And because the IRL teams are so far ahead of the curve in car setup and experience, I really can't expect a Champ Car driver to come out on top. My pick... Penske.
