THE LINE

August 3, 2011

(Shawn Gritzmacher/IMS)

Paul Menard crosses the finish line for his first NASCAR Sprint Cup win.

(Chris Owens/IMS)
Jeff Gordon ran strong all day and is looking more and more like the Champion of old. He's a very strong contender for the 2011 Sprint Cup Championship.

(Chris Owens/IMS)

Indy is alive again. Just ask these photogenic fans at the "Beach Bash" smiling for the camera.

(Chris Jones/IMS)

Richard Childress and Paul Menard take it all in.

(Mike Young/IMS)

The track gets narrow at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, especially when you have a bunch of Sprint Cup cars lining up for a restart.

(Shawn Gritzmacher/IMS)
Greg Biffle talks to U.S. Women's soccer star Hope Solo before the Brickyard 400. She drove the Corvette pace car at the start of the race.

(Shawn Gritzmacher/IMS)
A close-up view of the base of the Brickyard 400 winner's trophy, with past winners listed.

(Ron McQueeney/IMS)
The infield "Beach Bash" does have a few rules...

(Chris Jones/IMS)
Kevin and DeLana Harvick before the start of the Brickyard 400.

(Dan Helrigel/IMS)
Paul Menard gets pit service from his Richard Childress Racing crew.

(Chris Jones/IMS)
Glory Days. Paul Menard will have other wins, but for everything it represents probably none bigger than his first at The Brickyard 400.

(Dan Helrigel/IMS)

The perfect end to a most memorable day for Paul Menard.

(Photo Copyright © 2011 by Nick Loudon & courtesy of Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.)
John Surtees before the start of the British Grand Prix in 1964. He would finish second driving the V8-engined Ferrari 158 Formula One car. He won two Grand Prix events and came in second three times in the 1964 season, winning the World Championship by one point over fellow British driver Graham Hill. Surtees, the only man to win world championships in both motorcycle racing and in Formula 1, will be reunited with two of his championship rides at the 61st annual Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance on Sunday, Aug. 21. “I attribute my success to the fact that I was able to relate to machinery quite well, whether it was two wheels or four wheels,” said Surtees, who won seven motorcycle world titles from 1956 to 1960, and the Formula 1 title in 1964. “I had my heart in exactly what I was doing, and I was totally emotionally involved in my activities.” Comparing the two types of racing, Surtees said, “As a motorcyclist you can probably have a greater effect on the machine than perhaps you do with a car. With a motorcycle, you have all these other factors, like the shifting of weight that can change the characteristics of how the vehicle is performing. You have a little more potential to control things with a bike than you do with a car.” While in California, Surtees will participate in a number of Pebble Beach Concours activities, including the pre-event news conference the morning of Saturday, Aug. 20.

Editor-in-Chief's Note: If you really must keep up on all of the latest F1 developments and the potential U.S. GP in Austin, Texas, go here. - PMD

Editor-in-Chief's Note: Check out Michelin's racing website - "Michelin Alley" - and get in on all of the behind-the-scenes buzz. Go here. - PMD

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