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In Sports
Saturday Scorecard: A trip to the races
Dario Franchitti won the Indy 500 championship...
By Drew Olson RSS Feed
Senior Editor

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More articles by Drew Olson

Published June 2, 2007 at 5:38 a.m.
Tags: dario franchitti, saturday scorecard, sam hornish, jr., milwaukee mile, derrick turnbow, milwaukee racing, admirals song, packers, brewers


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Welcome to the Speedweek edition of Saturday Scorecard, where the roar of racing engines drowns out the clicking of camera shutters as Milwaukee Mile photographers shoot pictures of Mrs. Dario Franchitti (aka Ashley Judd).

On to the notes...

Whirlwind tour: Between photo shoots and travel obligations, Indy 500 champ Franchitti didn't get a lot of sleep following his victory at the Brickyard on Sunday.

"It's really been a crazy week and I haven't really had time to sit down and just think about what it means to me to win the Indy 500,'' he told reporters Friday at the Mile, site of Sunday's ABC Supply / AJ Foyt 225 presented by Time Warner Cable. "It might be months before I really get to fully digest it.''

It has been 11 years since the Indy Racing League visited Milwaukee following the Indy 500 and Franchitti will try to become the ninth man overall and the first since Al Unser Jr. (1994) to follow a victory at Indianapolis by winning the race in Milwaukee. (Juan Pablo Montoya did the double-dip in 2000, but the Milwaukee race was a CART Champ Car event).

"They are such different tracks, such different things required,'' Franchitti said. ``And with the competition level in this series, at any time, really, it's difficult to win back-to-back. To win the double (Indy and Milwaukee) would be a real accomplishment.''

Local tie: Sam Hornish, Jr., who won the Indianapolis 500 and series championship a year ago, has special feelings about the Milwaukee Mile. His mother, Jo Ellen, grew up in Milwaukee. One of her first dates with Hornish's father was at the Milwaukee Mile.

"We took a lot of childhood vacations to see my Grandma," said Hornish, who grew up in Defiance, Ohio. "We saw some races at the Mile. We also came there at other times of the year to go to the State Fair. We visited at times around Christmas."

Hornisch has finished has three top-three finishes at the Mile. "It's one of my favorite tracks," he said.

Rising star: Keep an eye on Oconomowoc native Bobby Wilson, who will race the No. 1 car in the Indy Pro Series race this evening. Wilson, a 25-year-old who came up from the karting circuit, was confident, charismatic and talented enough to replace 2006 champ Wade Cunningham on the Brian Stewart Racing Team.

Redemption song: The Brewers' 8-5 victory over Florida Friday night at Miller Park featured contributions from players who had been struggling. Tony Graffanino, who hit .169 in May, belted a go-ahead double in the fourth. Kevin Mench, who like Graffanino hadn't driven in a run since May 1, ripped a three-run double in the eighth. Ryan Braun, who was 2 for 19 entering the game, hit a homer, a double and a single.

And Derrick Turnbow, who incurs the wrath of fans with each sub-par outing, threw a scoreless inning. "We wouldn't be where we are without him," Brewers pitching coach Mike Maddux said Friday, referring to Turnbow.

Family feud: A lot of Brewers fans want to see their team beat up on the Cubs next week. That might be hard to do if the Cubs don't stop fighting each other. The dustup between Carlos Zambrano and Michael Barrett on Friday at Wrigley Field was an embarrassing reminder that Cubs management isn't getting much return on its $300 million winter shopping spree. Frustration is rising in the clubhouse and Zambrano, an impending free agent, might just find himself on the trading block a month from now.

Waiting game: How much longer can the Brewers wait before promoting pitching prospect Yovanni Gallardo from Class AAA Nashville? The 21-year-old right-hander struck out 11 batters in seven scoreless innings in the Sounds' 6-2 victory over Las Vegas on Friday night. Gallardo is 8-1 and his earned run average through 11 starts is 2.14. Oh, and he also had two hits, including a double, to raise his batting average to .273 (6 for 22).  Page 1 of 2 (view all on one page)

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