A beautiful day in Edmonton drew a big crowd - for practice. (LAT photo) » More Photos

INDYCAR SERIES AMBASSADOR

If you win fans one at a time, then give IndyCar Series photographer Steve Snoddy credit for four new fans of the series in Edmonton. During a lull in the first practice session this afternoon he was walking past a corner station when a man called to the corner workers asking for a band-aid for his son who had apparently pinched a finger in the spectator fence. Before the corner workers could respond, Snoddy was on the spot with a band-aid for the little fan and then spent a few minutes talking with the man, his wife and their two children about the IndyCar Series.

EDMONTON’S RACE FANS

On the other hand, it’s not like racing lacks fans in Edmonton. It was three years ago that the inaugural Edmonton GP set a three day attendance record for a Canadian motorsport event – this despite a rainy first day that limited turnout to a mere 50,000 or so. Today’s turnout didn’t amount to 50,000 but it was most impressive for a THURSDAY. Still as one veteran of the IndyCar Series mused, “there are probably more people here today on a Thursday than on the practice and qualifying days for all the ovals in the series the past two years, except Indy.”

PERSONNEL JUGGLING

Derrick Walker and team manager Rob Edwards might consider second careers as jugglers based on their Edmonton act. Walker Racing was always going to be here of course, seeing as how they run a three car Atlantic Championship program for Kevin Lacroix and Greg and Leo Mansell. But adding a second program to the mix – a third Vision Racing IndyCar for Paul Tracy – required come creative juggling of the Atlantic squads along with the addition of some new people who had been largely shop-based this season as well as some new hires.

Edwards will be team manager for both efforts, while Brendon Cleave (who engineered Walker’s cars for the past five years, including Alex Tagliani’s Champ Car at Long Beach this year) will be Tracy’s race engineer. Don Oldenberg, Lacroix’s lead mechanic is chief mechanic on Tracy’s car while Keith Beck and Dan Hare, both shop-based this yedar, will handle the gearbox and bodywork/fabrication, respectively. Additionally, Randy Gibson (assistant race engineer), Travis Low (data acquisition), Ted Bitting (truckie) mechanics Eric Scheumann and Martin Nadeau have been brought on for the weekend.

As for race day, Walker will handle radio communications and pit strategy, while Cleave, Oldenberg and Beck – along with Craig Ramsey, a mechanic on Leo Mansell’s car – will change tires, Hare will reprise his long-running role as fueler, Anna Chatten, mechanic on Leo Mansell’s car will handle the air jack and Kent Boyer, Leo Mansell’s race engineer, will do fuel strategy. Finally, Chris Nesst will handle the pit board signaling and none other that Tove Walker (Derrick’s wife) will be in charge of communications to and from Nesst.