Wait a minute… maybe that title “I AM Petite” wasn’t such a good idea.

For all of the Indy fans who are starting to suffer from withdrawal, there is good news. Aside from the upcoming Surfers Paradise race, you will also want to catch the ALMS “Petit Le Mans” race on October 4th. It is a ten hour race full of crazy things like cars with fenders, guys jumping out of cars, super sneaky silent cars, and some kind of weird engine-turning-off-thing during pit stops.

But don’t let all of that scare you away. Here are some reasons why you will want to tune in:

- Kyle Busch, Ming the Merciless, and Ralph Macchio created this year’s theme song.

- Indycar Drivers are all up in this thing. Dixon will be driving for De Ferran, Marco and TK for AGR, and recently announced Helio and Briscoe for Penske.

- The full driver lineup hasn’t been announced yet, but there will be some past open wheel guys driving like Gil De Ferran, Scott Sharp, and Simon Pagenaud. Now add some big names in sports car racing like Allan McNish, Clint Field, and Mika Salo among many others (OK Void.. yes.. those are the only names I know.. and I had to look them up to spell them correctly.).

- They will be raising money for people suffering from “Living In Canada-itus”. (Oh common… it was a joke…)

- I am not going into detail on the classes in ALMS but it can be very cool to watch. Read about it on the ALMS web site. In normal ALMS races the diesel powered Audi-pair are the fastest cars on the track. But the lower class LMP2 class cars have been able to capitalize on a few weaknesses. Slower cars frequently win the race overall. One of the teams that has pulled it off is Penske, and he is running 3 cars. Also, Audi’s European nemesis “Peugeot” is fielding a diesel powered entry.

- If you only enjoy ovals you are in luck. Road Atlanta Super Speedway is actually an “Oval” track. In the past few years “Weepers” have eroded the perfectly round course, and now there are a few “natural” bends that drivers will need to maneuver around.

Do It! Don’t let the “Man” convince you that sports car racing is not “Polite” or “Good For Your Teeth”. I tell you.. I watched it, and it improved my ability to count things, helped me get a job as a “Online Forum Moderator”, and protected me from level 4 paralyzing spells.

Jason Peters wrote an outstanding article about what needs to happen before IndyCar can become popular again. At the moment things look good because of the unification and the Dana-fication of the series. But the momentum can only last so long if steps are not taken perpetuate the progress made so far. He makes several excellent points regarding leveraging sponsors and improving television coverage.

I agree with everything he says. But I feel there is one more thing that needs to happen. As fans we have a responsibility also. IndyCar fans should share the same passion that Nascar fans do. Try telling a Nascar fan that the Cup series is inferior to F1. They will rattle off things like car counts, tv ratings, constant passing. Be prepared to combat those things. I feel that part of the reason why Nascar has become the de facto racing series here in the US is because, as fans, we have allowed it to happen. Partly because we had no feet to stand on, and partly because we were angry about someone or something. But this is our chance. We have one series, a good product, personable drivers, and the Month Of May. We have little excuse to not back up our series now.

We don’t need to be irritating or closed minded. But we do need to stand our ground. Occasionally I watch the rolling wash tubs to see what is going on, and I know one other person who watches it because it is broadcast in high def. Nothing wrong with that, but if we are going to talk racing, I guarantee you that IndyCar will be discussed. And you will not tell me that a 45 car count is what determines “real racing”.

As fans we can also support the sponsors, fly the colors, make fun of the “I Am Mindy” chant (ok, that might not help), and participate in the online forums and blogs.

I for one look forward to the day when, as fans, we can just concentrate on the racing and not the success or failure of the series. But for the moment we need to play a bigger part.

(No.. TG is not holding me hostage… (yes he is.. help) )

Void’s last post made me realize that we need to keep the coverage on the site well rounded. So, I took it upon myself to start a new feature on SGN, called the Featured Team Of The Month.

Yesterday was day one of rookie orientation. Will Power was not only the first on the track, but also ended the day with a top speed of 220.694 mph. By comparison, last year Michael Andretti ran fastest on the first day with a speed of 219.871 mph. Not to bad for a guy new to ovals.

So, 10 of the 13 drivers passed the 4 phase test of skill and determination. And all of them lived. But it did take its toll on each driver. Lets examine exactly what horrors await an IndyCar rookie…

Test 1 (Test of Loyalty): Each driver is placed in a tiny room with no lighting. A series of questions are directed at the driver via a loud speaker. At some point in time, Gene Simmons will enter the room. Drivers tell us that everything gets hazy at this point, so no one is quite sure what happens.

Test 2 (Test of Strength and Speed): Each driver is forced to push AJ Foyt and his golf cart up a large hill. Upon arrival at the top, AJ will grab a wrench in a whiskey induced rage and chase the driver back down the hill.

Test 3: (Test of Courage): Each driver must stand several feet from Marty Roth’s pit stall while blindfolded. Any movement or soiling of oneself results in a failing grade.

Test 4: (The Final Test): This test is make it or break it for many of the rookies. Each rookie must complete 20 laps at full speed while blind folded. They can rely only on the instructions of their spotter, which is none other than Milka Duno.

Our hats off to the Rookies. We hope that one day, you will be able to forget the horrible memories.

Tony was back at IMS yesterday, looking to see some real racing action. They say he was there for his midget/sprint teams… but we all know the real reason. He has always been open to the idea of coming back. And not just for the 500.

“If I was going to come to Indianapolis again, I don’t want to come and show up and run the month of May.

If I’m going to do it, I need to start at Homestead, and I need to run all the races leading up to the month of May to really feel like I’m being fair to the team and fair to myself.”

I have always liked Tony, even though he drives for the dark side. He is one of the few drivers over there that doesn’t drink the Kool-Aid. And even with all of his complaining, it would be great to see him run again. So Tony… what if we…

We promise no Pop Off valves (until 2010…maybe…)