Well, the Brickyard's there to crucify anyone who will not learn.
I climbed a mountain to qualify, I went flat through the turns...
But I was down in the might-have-beens, and an old pal good as died
And I sat down in Gasoline Alley and I cried.
-Mark Knopfler, "Speedway at Nazareth"
The last 20 years at Indianapolis, there have been few months of any intrigue. Largely identical cars, a largely set field of drivers, and a remarkable safety record that seemed to take the edge off of the month.