Every year at the Indianapolis Zoo, just before the Indy 500, they line up a bunch of turtles for the "Zoo-opolis 500."
Eight turtles named after drivers in the real race battle it out for a bowl of fruit.
This year’s winner? A turtle named Alex – for Alex Tagliani, the only Canadian in this year’s classic.
Is this an omen of an Indy 500 victory to come for "Tags?"
We’ll find out on Sunday.
You can watch this year’s 500, by the way, on TSN. Coverage starts at noon Sunday with the pre-race show, which includes all the hooplah. (I always tear up when Jim Nabors sings "Back Home In Indiana"). The green flag to officially start the 94th running of the "Greatest Spectacle In Racing" will fly at 1 p.m., or shortly thereafter.
Indy isn’t the only racing TSN has on tap this weekend because Formula One and NASCAR are also in action.
Qualifying for the F1 Grand Prix of Turkey can be seen Saturday morning on TSN at 6:55 a.m. The race itself, also on TSN, goes Sunday morning at 7:55 a.m. (Don’t forget to check out my podcast preview of this weekend's race with Canadian F1 expert Gerald Donaldson. It will be posted to wheels.ca no later than noon on Friday.)
The first NASCAR race of the weekend is the Nationwide Series Carquest Auto Parts 300, which will go to the post Saturday afternoon at 2 on TSN. Canadian Steve Arpin, of Fort Frances, Ont., is getting another crack at stardom driving Dale Earnhardt Jr’s No. 7 GoDaddy.com car. Qualifying for this race, incidentally, can be seen at 9:30 Saturday morning on TSN2.
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Coca-Cola 600 will be run later in the day on Sunday and be seen in its entirety on TSN2 starting with the pre-race show at 5 p.m. (with the green flag expected at or about 6 p.m.).
Oh, and the World of Outlaws sprint cars will be running at the Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway Friday night at 8 p.m. on the Speed channel.
TSN has more than 20 hours of racing action scheduled this weekend. Add the Outlaws Friday night and NASCAR Sprint Cup practice on Saturday, both on Speed, as well as Speed’s coverage of the Grand Am Rolex Sports Car Series race from Lime Rock at 2 p.m. Monday, and you’re looking at more than a complete day of motor sport on TV.
Get the hot dogs, popcorn, soft drinks and cold beer ready. And cross your fingers that it doesn’t rain.
Yeah, Jim Nabors' singing brings tears to my eyes, too. But I suspect it's for different reasons.
Tagliani may well resemble a turtle on Sunday, but not in the sense of winning anything.
Posted by: Bill Taylor | 05/28/2010 at 01:08 PM
The Fri. rained out WoO Race will run Sat.at 10PM on Speed.
This is my most enjoyable TV Racing weekend of the year!!
I know Indy isn't what it used to be!! but, what is :(
Off to the Beer Store to stock up. :)
Posted by: exCARTRace fan | 05/29/2010 at 08:34 AM