IRL SHOULD SKIP VEGAS

Discussions have been held between Speedway Motorsports Inc., which owns Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and the Indy Racing League about the IndyCar series returning to Las Vegas.
    Even though there is only one open-wheel series in the country now, I just don’t see how a return of the IRL would be successful on the 1.5-mile tri-oval at LVMS.
    A crowd of 40,000 — more than twice what attended the last IRL race at the speedway in 2000 — would not be a moneymaker. And 40,000 would only fill one-third of the speedway’s grandstands.
    The IRL is holding its season banquet at the Palms on Nov. 5, and marrying that to a race here makes sense.
    But the race should be a street race somewhere near the Strip.
   
INDY CAT FIGHT
    Danica Patrick did it again, but this time she didn’t lose her temper and she wasn’t the aggressor. Really.
    The poster girl for the IndyCar Series was not pleased with Milka Duno during Saturday’s practice. Duno was running slower and was reluctant to move over for Patrick.
    Patrick walked to Duno’s pit area where the pit wall separated the two.
    Duno twice responded to Patrick’s comments by tossing a towel at her. Patrick retorted with some vulgarity. It seemed at least one F-bomb was bleeped.
    Patrick finally walked away.
    Patrick has confronted fellow drivers Dan Wheldon and Ryan Briscoe this year, but at least Duno is female and about Patrick’s height.
    Patrick finished 12th and Duno 22nd in the 26-car field Sunday in the race at Lexington, Ohio.
    Maybe the series should return to Las Vegas and promote the race with the two women featured in an Ultimate Fighting Championship bout.
    The IRL brass will go for it considering they broke away from racing Sunday to show the taped footage of the catfight.

POOR CROWD FOR F1
    Formula One grandstands at Hockenheim, Germany, for Sunday’s German Grand Prix seemed little more than half full.
    The international series with its ultimate racing machines is follow-the-leader racing. Usually.
    I watched about half the race. I like to see some passing.
    I clicked to the Home and Garden channel late in the race. My luck. That’s when the parade turned into a race with British driver Lewis Hamilton passing six cars to earn the win.
    Hamilton was leading before pitting for fuel with 17 laps left and fell to seventh. When he got back on the circuit he passed six cars for the win.
    I didn’t know you were allowed to pass six cars in 17 laps in F1.
    I’ll try to watch the entire F1 race the next time.