The Indy Racing League went on a blind date this past weekend. Like so many blind dates, the match was an ugly one.

Sunday's Firestone 225 was a far cry from the heart-stopping hairbreadth action that many IRL events produce. A record 116 laps of the scheduled 225 were run under caution. The longest green-flag run was just 33 laps. Weather went from 90's on Friday to hail on Sunday.

All parties made the best of the hand that was dealt. It may have been ugly but the end result was a study in tactics and strategies.

Gil de Ferran edged closer to IRL points leader Sam Hornish Jr. Hornish's Pennzoil Panther team kept their streak of "running at the finish" in tact despite a 49-lap deficit.

"We're 23 and 0," said Panther team manger Kevin "Rocket" Blanch following the race. "They may think we are going to go away but we aren't."

De Ferran had the win within his grasp. The Marlboro Team Penske driver cruised along under caution, logging more than 68 laps under the yellow while the IRL waited for rain to subside and accident cleanup. When it came down to the last 19 laps, Roger Penske urged Gil to conserve fuel. He did, but not enough.

His 35 gallon fuel cell ran dry on the last lap, giving Scott Sharp his first win of the 2002 season and de Ferran a third-place finish.

"It was the only call to make," explained de Ferran. "At one point the sky looked pretty dark, so the race could have been rained out at any moment then. I think with this sort of situation, you've got to stretch it for as long as you can because that was certainly a possibility."

Sharp's Delphi team gambled and won. Roger Penske gambled and lost. Its a basic precept of racing.

Mo Nunn used a "short pit" tactic to help last year's IRL rookie of the year Felipe Giaffone to a solid second-place finish. The Brazilian karter who grew up with a poster of Eddie Cheever Jr. hanging in his bedroom made one stab at Sharp, who at the time was running second to de Ferran and then settled in for the last 14 laps of the race.

"Right after that my car started to push more than before," explained Giaffone. "I took the chance, and I knew that would be it."

Sarah Fisher returned to the IRL and earned a fourth-place finish. While few would say it out loud, many felt that Fisher needed a good run to bolster both her confidence and her reputation. After the 21-year-old posted a podium finish in Miami last year, her season spiraled downward.

2002 started with her missing from the series while still contracted to Walker Racing. Her substitution for Robbie Buhl led many to believe that given a good car, Fisher can succeed in the IRL. The key is getting a good car. Walker's stuff last year suffered from financial starvation.

Anthony Lazzaro and Alex Barron turned their seasons around. Both posted their best performances of the season and gave their teams some much needed momentum for the Month of May in Indianapolis.

In less than 10 days, Indy's Gasoline Alley opens for cars, Practice begins for the Greatest Spectacle in Racing. By the time qualifications start on Pole Day, May 13th, the Nazareth experience will be a fading memory.

There are no blind dates in Indy. Everyone knows that the Indianapolis 500 is a beautiful thing.