Mario Turns 85!
Appropriately, on the opening weekend of the 2025 IndyCar season!
I knew who Mario was long before staying up for twenty-one of the twenty-four hours in 1967 listening to updates on WBZ-AM in Boston as Ford won its second of four straight victories at Les Vingt Quatre Heures du Mans. I decided Mario was a punk when he tossed his Mark IV into the barriers at the esses coming out of the pits too hot on cold, new brakes. Dan Gurney and AJ Foyt went on to victory circle in their Ford GT so things turned out alright but for years I held a grudge against the only driver ever to win the Indy 500, the Daytona 500 and the Formula One World Championship. Suffice it to say my opinion “matured” over the years and I feel nothing but deep affection for the greatest race car driver ever to risk life and limb in this silly pursuit we call motorsport. Happy 85th Mario!
I’ll bet I get more reactions to this edition of Pathfinder Doorhandle than I do from my 1.9 K Facebook “friends” and that’s as it should be. I’m guessing that if you’re a subscriber to this infrequent publication you’re probably a race fan and if so you should be a regular viewer of or listener to Off Track with Hinch and Rossi. Here’s a recent podcast of theirs discussing the new IndyCar broadcast partner. From my Facebook post:
So it begins. Fox becomes broadcast partner for the NTT IndyCar Series, starting today at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding. And not only will I be in attendance for the tenth straight year but I’ll also be introducing a friend to the sport ON THE GROUND, from Pioneer Park to Albert Witted Airport to right in front of the Dali Museum. One of my favorite race venues and towns. I only wish I'd bought that $94,000 studio condo in 2014 when I had the chance! Ah, well…
Today's challenge: working out the technique for using the DVR function on tv.youtube.com so that I can record tomorrow’s qualifying while I'm at work and Sunday's race so I can watch after returning home from the event. EDIT: fixed, I hope.
Fox has wisely chosen to feature the personalities involved in the sport and here are the three boothmates who’ll be presenting: two semi-retired drivers along with long-time F1 broadcaster, Will Buxton. Still employed IndyCar driver Alex Rossi, absent from this edition, is the other regular on OTWHAR.
Always an enjoyable podcast!
Watching Free Practice One on FS1 at the moment. I already miss the commercial-free practice and qualifying Peacock feeds for under nine bucks a month (which also included all other NBC content). Instead, I’m paying $89.99 for YouTube TV.
And just as I type this, the “broadcast” stopped a half hour in with a “thanks for watching blurb.” Oh, oh.
I think I’ll post this now.