The 2011 IndyCar series ends Sunday with the world championships at Las Vegas International Speedway. The race will decide whether Dario Franchitti can hold off Will Power, who is just 18 points behind in the standings. But the final IndyCar race of the season has another compelling storyline. IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard, a man who understands marketing, is having a $5 million contest. If the 2011 Indianapolis 500 winner Dan Wheldon, who will have to start from the last qualifying spot in the field, can win Sunday’s race, he will split a $5 million prize with some lucky fan. Thus far, more than 100,000 people have entered the contest at the IndyCar website.
“I thought that this was a brilliant challenge, and as a driver I have won my share of races coming from back in the pack,” Wheldon said. “But the real challenge in coming from last to first is that this is a very talented field, and they also want to win the race. That said, my real concern is that I only have 300 miles in which to make up that room from 30th place to first.”
The contest is a genius move by Bernard to get the casual fan involved in watching the final race of the season.
Wheldon has 16 career wins, two of them the Indy 500, and was the 2005 IndyCar series champion.
He will be driving for the race team of Sam Schmidt Motorsports and Bryan Herta Autosport and is a free agent in 2012.
“Two weeks ago, we ran the car in Kansas and finished in 14th, but it felt good,” he said. “The crew and I really began to get the feel for how fast we can go so we really do have a car that is capable of winning Sunday. As for next year, I have a number of options that are quite exciting. I hope to announce where I will be soon, but for now my focus is on winning on Sunday.”
Examiner columnist Jim Williams is a seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV producer, director and writer. Check out his blog, Watch this!, on washingtonexaminer.com.
