Well, someone in my home state of Indiana won more than $400 million in the lottery, and it wasn't me. If I had won, you know what I'd do?
I'd build a few racetracks to expand the Verizon IndyCar Series. Granted, I'm not part of the scheduling process and am in no way condemning the current sites, but here's where I think it would be fun to run:
Short oval in Sioux Falls, South Dakota: I'd build a short oval in the Mount Rushmore State. The Great Plains has a strong fan base and heritage of short-track racing. The fans at Iowa Speedway are a highlight of the season for me, so I think it'd be fun to expand further into the region.
Road course near Tacoma, Washington: Seattle and Portland both have history with motorsports, so I'll meet 'em halfway. Besides, being able to road trip into Seattle or to see Mount St. Helens between sessions would meet my inquisitive needs.
Oval in the Ozarks: OK, so I'm starting to run out of money, but I've driven through Arkansas and Missouri and it's a gorgeous area. Besides, "Oval in the Ozarks” just sounds cool.
Back to Baltimore: I simply loved when we raced on the street course there. Yes, I know I'm naive to the business of it and perhaps biased due to my love of the Baltimore set for "The Wire," but the crowds were fantastic, the history of the city is vast and the backdrop of Camden Yards was amazing. I learned this much from "The Wire," with my lottery money, anything is possible.
Bracketology blueblood Butler
Villanova, Duke and Louisville are out of the NCAA tournament, so how's your bracket? I had Louisville in my Final Four, but was concerned how the Cards would match up against Michigan. The Wolverines’ ability to score outside seemed to negates Louisville's length. Michigan looks like a team of destiny. If I was a fan of the maize and blue, I'd be worried about one thing: a week off. I'd want to keep rolling.
The South Region is loaded. I live five minutes off the Butler campus and am still incredulous seeing the Bulldogs categorized with bluebloods UCLA, Kentucky and North Carolina. With all that history, no one plays in a more historic venue than the Dawgs. I learned a few years ago to never rule 'em out. But, man, Carolina is good.
Speaking of history and racing, I'm getting psyched for Long Beach. It's the most historic racing event on the West Coast and you can tell as soon as you walk the paddock. I'm excited to see some Twitter folks from the left coast. I'm talking to you, Chris Sheridan (@IndySoupdotcom). It's a tradition!
Veteran broadcaster Jake Query is a member of the Advance Auto Parts INDYCAR Radio Network team and will offer his musings Tuesdays on IndyCar.com.