Star of the day

 Last night was Oscar night, which compels the Blob to make at least a couple obligatory (and possibly gratuitous) comments.

One, the powered-down awards show for once didn't last 47 hours. So that was good. 

Two, the late Chadwick Boseman got screwed, apparently because the Academy figured too many people of color were winning awards, so they threw a bone to the customary Old White Guy (Anthony Hopkins, 83).

Three, because people of color and previously ignored nationalities did win so many awards, the Blob fully expects a backlash from the usual quarters -- something along the lines of WHY AREN'T WHITE PEOPLE ALLOWED TO WIN OSCARS ANYMORE.

But enough about that. Let's talk about the real star of Sunday. 

You probably didn't watch the IndyCar race yesterday, because, let's face it, hardly anyone watches an IndyCar race unless it's the Indianapolis 500. Besides, the usual NASCAR wreckfest was going on at Talladega at the same time, and NASCAR still commands the fattest slice of the American auto racing market.

(This is because there aren't enough discerning motorsports viewers in America, in the Blob's opinion. But my arm's grown weary from banging that particular drum.)

In any event, for the second straight week, a young'un put on a show. This time it was 21-year-old Colton Herta, who won the pole and then led 97 of the 100 laps down there on the streets of St. Petersburg, Fla.

It was an historically dominant performance made more so by the fact Herta had to survive two restarts in the last 22 laps, both with Josef Newgarden nipping at his heels. Newgarden, seasoned veteran and two-time IndyCar champion, was even out there on reds, softer tires that presumably were a smidge quicker than the blacks upon which Herta was riding.

Yet Herta never blinked. On both restarts he simply drove away from Newgarden, eventually winning by 2.49 seconds.

This was Herta's fourth victory in just 34 starts for Andretti Autosport, and, again, he's still only 21. Which suggests we might be looking at the next great IndyCar racer -- a Scott Dixon in embryo, if you will.

That's not the Blob indulging in its usual overreaction, by the way. That's no less an authority than Mario Andretti saying that.

"Look at what he's done in the last two years," Andretti told Nathan Brown of the Indianapolis Star. "He's the most complete race driver as anyone I've ever known at this stage of his career. Every race he's won, he's won with speed, not strategy, not fuel mileage ...

"I love seeing how complete he is, and the future he has? I'll tell you what, you only find one of those every 35 years."

That's some high praise indeed. And from on high, no less.

Now all the kid's gotta do is live up to it.