Michael Schumacher called canceling his much-anticipated Formula One comeback a “really sad moment.“ He had wanted to help the Ferrari team by replacing injured driver Felipe Massa but was unable to do so because of lingering pain from a motorcycle crash six months ago. “Probably one of the toughest that I’ve faced in my career, although I’m retired for the moment,“ Schumacher said. “I felt alive again and now I had to cancel all this.“

After weeks of negotiations, International Speedway Corp. officials announced yesterday that the Indy Racing League event won’t return next year to Richmond International Raceway.

Scott Dixon can thank Helio Castroneves for his good fortune—and his second SunTrust Indy Challenge victory last night at Richmond International Raceway. Dixon, whose 19th career Indy Racing League win ties him with Sam Hornish Jr. for the most, led the final 161 laps for his first victory at RIR since 2003. Dixon took the checkered flag nearly a half-second ahead of his Chip Ganassi Racing teammate, pole-sitter Dario Franchitti.

Dario Franchitti was determined to prove he could challenge NASCAR’s elite after winning both the 2007 Indianapolis 500 and the Indy Racing League championship. Instead, he struggled mightily during an awkward transition from open-wheel to stock-car racing. He wasn’t exactly a fish out of water, but the Scotsman swam upstream most every weekend.

You wouldn’t want to challenge Danica Patrick in IndyCar, but can she handle a remote-controlled miniature racer?

Scott Dixon, the reigning IndyCar Series champion, hails from Auckland, New Zealand. Based in Indianapolis, but with its drivers spanning the globe, the IndyCar series is faced with a quandary. With the vast majority of races contested in America, are prominent American drivers—in contention for wins and in league promotion efforts—important?

The IndyCar Series plans to start its 2010 season in Brazil. Paperwork was submitted on Wednesday to Brazilian officials for one race in March in Ribeirao Preto, Brazil, a municipality and city in the state of Sao Paulo in southeastern Brazil. Terry Angstadt, the IRL’s president, commercial division, told the Times-Dispatch yesterday he’s “90 percent” certain that race will take place.

INDIANAPOLIS—Pumping his fist as he took the checkered flag and breaking down in tears when he was done, Helio Castroneves capped a perfect month of May with the biggest win of all yesterday at the Indianapolis 500. Castroneves became the ninth driver to win the historic race three times, and his timing couldn’t have been better.

Everything seems to favor Scott Dixon in his bid to win a second straight IRL IndyCar Series championship. Helio Castroneves, the 2008 runner-up who pushed Dixon to last season’s final checkered flag, will miss at least the first few races of 2009 while defending himself against federal tax-evasion charges. And 2007 series champion Dario Franchitti, Dixon’s new teammate at Target Chip Ganassi Racing and considered by many his major challenger, may take a while to shake off the rust after a failed bid to transition to NASCAR last year.