SOMETHING IN THE AIR; RYAN HUNTER-REAY SURVIVES A WILD WATKINS GLEN RACE.

Byline: CURT CAVIN

If labels are true, the IndyCar Series now has a menace, a lunatic and a new race winner.

The race at Watkins Glen International was messy, silly and, in the case of winner Ryan Hunter-Reay, gratifying.

There were three accidents during a single caution period, including a rookie mistake by the Indianapolis 500 winner that effectively eliminated the two fastest cars in the Camping World Indy Grand Prix.

But that was not the extent of the nonsense. Danica Patrick was trying to leave pit road with a head of steam when her spinning hot tires broke free from under her, sending her sliding. In what can only be called a miracle, Scott Dixon's Ganassi Racing crew was nearly finished cleaning up from his stop when Patrick's car approached. The second stroke of luck was that they had a splitsecond of warning as some members saw her heading their way out of control. They scrambled to safety as she struck Ganassi equipment.

"Sorry about that,'' she said after promptly walking to their area after the race.

One member of Dixon's crew told her that her tire marks could be traced to the painted yellow line on pit road, but Andretti Green Racing teammate Tony Kanaan thought that was an easy out.