Dave wrote:While I picked the wrong Penske driver, I must pat myself on the back for calling out Townsend Bell as a dark horse. Hell of a drive by T-Bell today.
Brilliant strategy by Penske to short-fill Briscoe to provide some cover for Helio late in the race. Once he kept Wheldon behind him after the last restart, it was game over.
And, I must add this:
Versus coverage >>> ABC coverage
The ABC coverage was good........when they actually covered the race. I swear, over half the telecast had commercials...it was unbearable. The split screen sucks. I would rather have a commercial break....UGH!
Dave, for a moment towards the end, when it briefly appeared that the Wheldon/Patrick/Bell battle might get back up to Helio, Bell looked as well placed as anyone. Great call.
I've not seen any of the Versus coverage, but it struck me that everyone involved in the calling of the race for ABC had developed a knack for talking a lot without saying anything. Piggy, I laughed during the final caution - "while they're cleaning up the track, we're going to squeeze in another commercial break..."
Everything from when Rod got me up and running on the broadcast, around about lap 120, was a story of potential battles that didn't develop due either to errors on the pit road or a yellow flag just as things were getting spicy. Hopefully Meira is OK after that lick he took, and the unborn Lloyd will enter the world safely after holding on until after Alex finished.
Not looking good for Lowe's tonight from what I can make out, but I'd like to be there anyway. When I come to do a big race in the USA, as I must one day, I'll be factoring in the presence of the Cholula All-You-Can-Eat Grandstands. They don't have those at Silverstone...
I hope they don't have as many seats squeezed into the row in that grandstand!
I read elsewhere that this is the second year in a row that the leaders didn't have to make a green flag stop at Indy. That sucks, the leaders only had to deal with traffic once today. With the IRL momentum-mobiles, the ability to slice through slower traffic helps separate the good from the mediocre.
Good point about the commercials, Piggy. Not only did the race lack flow, the broadcast did as well.
BTW, what was with the IRL officials trying to keep Helio in the car at the end of the race? Let the man celebrate!
Helio drove an outstanding race, no doubt. But Penske won this race in the pits. I don't think either Helio or Briscoe had a stop longer than nine seconds all day, perhaps the only one of the top finishers other than Wheldon to have no stops in the double-digit time range.
Wheldon had the drive of the day. Panther always sets up a solid race car at Indy, but that team isn't in the same class as Penske, AGR or Ganassi. Yet Wheldon finished second.
Take care,
PK
"You know why I love boxers? I love them because they face fear. And they face it alone." - Nick Charles
"First on the throttle, last on the brakes." - @MotoGP Twitter signature
A few more observations after 20 consecutive days at IMS:
-- People can criticize the man who signs my checks all they want, even if the blasts are unfounded. But the man's greatest contribution to racing is the SAFER Barrier, one of the most important advancements in racing safety of all time. That is Tony George's legacy, regardless of how FOX tries to insist that NASCAR developed the barrier. Sorry, TG and the IRL created it, funded it and developed it. I shudder to think of the condition of Tony Kanaan and Vitor Meira this morning without the SAFER Barrier.
-- Mario Moraes has incredible speed for a 20-year-old. He also has an incredible lack of racecraft, as he displayed on Lap 1 yesterday. If the kid ever can match his astonishing natural speed with racing wisdom, he will win this race someday. Sadly, yesterday was one of just many transgressions all month by Moraes. I don't think I heard another driver chastized more on the Race Control radio all month than Moraes.
-- Danica Patrick will win the "500" at least once. The kinder, gentler Danica is no act. I thought otherwise at the start of the month, guessing this was just some kind of charm offensive. But she really has chilled out, which helped her during the intense mental strain created by the Month of May. Plus she always has shown excellent racecraft at Indy, as she only has one finish outside of the top 10 -- last year after the pit tussle with Briscoe -- in her five starts at the Speedway. The chick can drive -- there should be no doubt left about that.
-- I would love to see Townsend Bell in a full-time ride. What a great drive yesterday. He was the least-heralded of the three KV Racing drivers, yet he produced a mature, composed drive to fourth. KV easily was the most improved team of the year at the Speedway. Moraes, PT and Bell were solid all month.
-- If you're not happy for Helio Castroneves this morning, then you don't have a soul or a pulse. It's astonishing to think that six weeks ago this guy appeared to be fitted for an orange jump suit. Helio's enthusiasm and ebullience is genuine -- it's no act. He's a super guy for whom the entire sports world should be happy.
Take care,
PK
Last edited by pk500 on Mon May 25, 2009 10:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"You know why I love boxers? I love them because they face fear. And they face it alone." - Nick Charles
"First on the throttle, last on the brakes." - @MotoGP Twitter signature
Dave wrote:World 600: Jeff Gordon. Who even counts as a dark horse in NASCAR? I guess I'll go with David Reutimann, he's been up front enough this year that some crazy finish could end up with him grabbing the win.
You will never see another prediction from me, there's no way I top that one!
Nice to see Reutimann win, but I really dislike the way it came about. Nothing like deciding not to pit, leading a few laps under yellow, and then taking home the trophy...
I agree with everything you said, PK, particularly the SAFER barrier comments. Tony George deserves credit for leading the way in the development of 'soft wall' technology, from the first efforts on the inside of turn 4's exit (that catapulted Luyendyk after an IROC impact) to the nearly-universally-adopted system in place today. I also shudder to think of Vitor's crash without it.
I would really like to see the IRL allow Honda to dial in a little extra power for next year, or to reduce the downforce (at least at Indy).
Well the line in the sand has been drawn by Max Mosley. He says if you don't like the new rules F-off go start your own Championship and that we can fill the grid in 2010 even if nine of the ten FOTA teams leave after this year.
We'll see who blinks first. My guess is that the FIA will win and FOTA will blink reluctantly.
My guess is that this is more aggressive posturing by Max. FIA and FOTA will hold another hush-hush, closed-door meeting, and both will compromise somewhere in the middle -- as they always have.
Max is a master of theater. But how much of his flair for the dramatic has become reality over the years?
Take care,
PK
"You know why I love boxers? I love them because they face fear. And they face it alone." - Nick Charles
"First on the throttle, last on the brakes." - @MotoGP Twitter signature
It's aggressive posturing from all involved, surely? One thing I'm not sure I've fully understood is how the FOTA teams can have 'conditionally' entered next year's championship. Surely either you've entered under the terms presented to you, or you haven't entered at all? With that in mind, any response other than the one Max has given (this being written with an admission that I've not actually read the story yet, only the headline) would have been a bit limp-wristed, and Max isn't renowned for that [insert cheap joke here].
Last night, while noting that the man owning the rights to the March name of Mosley's old team had submitted an entry, I wondered aloud whether anyone with the Brabham rights would resurrect Bernie's old outfit. Turns out they might, according to http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/75806
What's really bugging me today isn't that Jenson Button now joins Ascari, Fangio, Clark and Schumacher in winning 6 of a season's first 7 events, and that somehow the achievement seems less special now Jenson has to be tacked on to the end of that little parade of legends. It's that before the season started, I could have got 300/1 on Button winning the world championship this year. Rich beyond my wildest dreams, I'd have been...
Dave, mark down the time and date - Nelsinho's pass of Hamilton was mega. Shame he scared himself off the racetrack while ahead of poor Rubens, mind.
GB_Simo wrote:Dave, mark down the time and date - Nelsinho's pass of Hamilton was mega. Shame he scared himself off the racetrack while ahead of poor Rubens, mind.
I was thinking of you, Simo, when he made that pass
That McLaren is terrible. It's like they designed the car to show optimal performance when in reverse gear.
BTW, have you noticed that even when he's had to do the big laps Jenson's not made many off-road excursions so far?
I just wish Red Bull had fueled a bit heavier in qualifying. This was a very boring race at the front.
GB_Simo wrote:Dave, mark down the time and date - Nelsinho's pass of Hamilton was mega. Shame he scared himself off the racetrack while ahead of poor Rubens, mind.
It figures, the overtaking move of the year and I missed it. I was out of town and forgot that the stupid tape-delayed Fox coverage started with this race so the Tivo missed it.
I don't comment at your blog, but I do want to let you know that it has become about my only stop for F1 race weekend coverage.
GB_Simo wrote:Dave, mark down the time and date - Nelsinho's pass of Hamilton was mega. Shame he scared himself off the racetrack while ahead of poor Rubens, mind.
It figures, the overtaking move of the year and I missed it. I was out of town and forgot that the stupid tape-delayed Fox coverage started with this race so the Tivo missed it.
I don't comment at your blog, but I do want to let you know that it has become about my only stop for F1 race weekend coverage.
As others here have mentioned in the past the FIA has hurt F1 more than helped and it's starting to catch up with them. It's no wonder that FOTA is pondering starting it's own series.
After the implementation of KERS has it really improved the racing, not really? As Flavio said regarding the technology, it's a joke and money wasted when the FIA has been pushing for cost reductions in the sport. Other than Ferrari and McLaren most teams don't believe in it. BrawnGP is a perfect example of why KERS is not needed. They have run away with the championship without it.
After the much talked about radical looking cars I don't see that much excitement in the racing. Where's all the ease of passing? Most races are still won in the previous manner, either you have the superior car i.e. Brawn or you win it in the pits. I remember Adam mentioning that the cars should go back to the way they were which was being a bit wider. With the combination of slicks that should help the spectacle a bit more.
But look at all the money the teams have spent in KERS (as in those that decided to use it) and the redesign of the cars. What the FIA got was Schumacher circa 2001-2005 instead of 2007 and 2008 where the championship was decided at the very last race. And last years championship was decided on the very last lap.
FOTA never will start a series. It lacks the unity and the courage. Once Max makes an overture to reel in Ferrari, FOTA crumbles like a stale cookie.
Max has the teams by the nuts, and he knows it. He's negotiating -- or parrying, take your pick -- from strength. Mosley has won every showdown with the teams since he and Bernie beat Balestre. He's a master at the game, and no team principal in the paddock has the mental wherewithal or gusto to beat him at this game.
Take care,
PK
"You know why I love boxers? I love them because they face fear. And they face it alone." - Nick Charles
"First on the throttle, last on the brakes." - @MotoGP Twitter signature
PK, I've just been reminded that you missed the magical moment on the Istanbul gridwalk when Martin Brundle called David Coulthard "Crazy Dave."
Dave wrote:I don't comment at your blog, but I do want to let you know that it has become about my only stop for F1 race weekend coverage.
To know that I'm not talking to myself over there puts a big smile on my face. Thanks, mate.
pk500 wrote:FOTA never will start a series. It lacks the unity and the courage. Once Max makes an overture to reel in Ferrari, FOTA crumbles like a stale cookie.
Depending on who and what you believe, it sounds a lot like Ferrari are pretty much bound to entering the next couple of Formula One seasons whether they like it or not. The whole idea of the manufacturers and their united stand is a giggle to start with - I well remember the start of the season, when Toyota turned up with a double-deck diffuser and quickly acted upon a polite request from Ferrari, BMW and Renault to take it off. No, wait, hang on...
The way the manufacturers are talking, you'd almost think they imagine Max would be devastated if 2010 featured a grid full of privateers with Cosworth engines. Speaking of privateers, I noticed yesterday that a third famous name is lined up to return next year, now that the Litespeed F3 team have been granted permission to use the Team Lotus name. I was always under the impression that Colin Chapman's son Clive had to call his outfit Classic Team Lotus because David Hunt wouldn't grant him permission to use the name of his father's team, so I'm not sure what I make of that.
I really dig what Lewis Hamilton had to say to formula1.com about Silverstone:
Q: What makes Silverstone special? LH: The track itself is... it's just awesome - it's one of the biggest buzzes you get as a Formula 1 driver. You come across the start/finish line in seventh gear, on a good day in qualifying you can take Copse just about flat, just scrubbing off speed with the tyres as you go, then down into Maggotts and Becketts - just an incredible feeling as you throw the car into those corners. Your whole body feels the g-forces as you gradually slow the car down, scrub off the speed and come down through the gears before smoothing out the exit as much as you can onto the Hangar Straight. It's only when you get to Stowe that you actually touch the brakes. There's nowhere else in the world where you're off the brakes for as long as we are at Silverstone. And every lap feels incredible. It also goes without saying that the atmosphere the British fans create is out of this world, the support all British drivers receive at the track is phenomenal and I am looking forward to going back this year to see them again.
Smurfy wrote:There's nowhere else in the world where you're off the brakes for as long as we are at Silverstone.
Really? Not even at Spa, from the exit of La Source to Les Combes, especially now that cars go flat through Eau Rouge?
Surely an F1 driver must brake for Maggots and Becketts, and I think the Hangar Straight is shorter than the run from La Source to Les Combes. I also would inject the long straight between Turns 13 and 14 at Shanghai into the debate.
When the USGP was at Indy, every engineer said the cars were on full throttle for 22 seconds between the exit of Turn 12 and the entrance of Turn 1, the longest full-bore engine stretch in the series. Sadly, the USGP is gone.
Take care,
PK
"You know why I love boxers? I love them because they face fear. And they face it alone." - Nick Charles
"First on the throttle, last on the brakes." - @MotoGP Twitter signature
Smurfy wrote:I really dig what Lewis Hamilton had to say to formula1.com about Silverstone:
Q: What makes Silverstone special? LH: The track itself is... it's just awesome - it's one of the biggest buzzes you get as a Formula 1 driver. You come across the start/finish line in seventh gear, on a good day in qualifying you can take Copse just about flat, just scrubbing off speed with the tyres as you go, then down into Maggotts and Becketts - just an incredible feeling as you throw the car into those corners. Your whole body feels the g-forces as you gradually slow the car down, scrub off the speed and come down through the gears before smoothing out the exit as much as you can onto the Hangar Straight. It's only when you get to Stowe that you actually touch the brakes. There's nowhere else in the world where you're off the brakes for as long as we are at Silverstone. And every lap feels incredible. It also goes without saying that the atmosphere the British fans create is out of this world, the support all British drivers receive at the track is phenomenal and I am looking forward to going back this year to see them again.
Donington Park will now host an F1 race for the next 17 years according to Autosport. It looks as if Silverstone is out in the cold. Damon Hill, who obviously has a vested interest in having a race at Silverstone, has some interesting comments about F1 avoiding the same mistake as the IRL made:
Today's meeting between Mosley and the F1 teams should prove to be interesting. Although an alternate series seems far-fetched, it is getting late in the game, so we shall see who wins this game of chicken. I am sick and tired of Mosley and Bernie playing games and making too many changes to the sport year-to-year, not to mention the sheer greed and arrogance of Bernie. Yeah, yeah, I know Bernie has done some positive things for the sport, but on the whole he is doing more damage than good. I won't even get into my disdain for Max.
toonarmy wrote:
Today's meeting between Mosley and the F1 teams should prove to be interesting. Although an alternate series seems far-fetched, it is getting late in the game, so we shall see who wins this game of chicken. I am sick and tired of Mosley and Bernie playing games and making too many changes to the sport year-to-year, not to mention the sheer greed and arrogance of Bernie. Yeah, yeah, I know Bernie has done some positive things for the sport, but on the whole he is doing more damage than good. I won't even get into my disdain for Max.
The organisers of the Le Mans 24 Hours have thrown the door open for any of Formula 1's manufacturers to compete in the French classic - and they have even been offered the chance to help shape future regulations.
Several of the manufacturers have been linked to sportscar programmes if they go through with their threats not to enter Formula 1 next year.
Piero Ferrari, son of marque founder Enzo, has mentioned Le Mans as a potential avenue for the team, and Toyota is also believed to be interested in a return to the 24 Hours 10 years after its last appearance at the event with its GT-One car.
Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo will be the official starter of this year's race on Saturday, and former double world champion Fernando Alonso is also due to attend after admitting his interest in competing in the event in the future.
Smurfy wrote:There's nowhere else in the world where you're off the brakes for as long as we are at Silverstone.
Really? Not even at Spa, from the exit of La Source to Les Combes, especially now that cars go flat through Eau Rouge?
Surely an F1 driver must brake for Maggots and Becketts, and I think the Hangar Straight is shorter than the run from La Source to Les Combes. I also would inject the long straight between Turns 13 and 14 at Shanghai into the debate.
Haven't applied the stopwatch to this or anything, but Martin Brundle has said for the last couple of years that the first time an F1 driver brakes, at least in quali trim, is the entry to Stowe. Don't know if that holds true in race trim, but they don't brake at Copse, Maggots, Becketts or Chapel, or at least they didn't with the old aero rules.
Le Mans is a huge, great race. I can't wait for it this weekend.
But it's only one race, which never will be enough as a replacement for F1 to satisfy car manufacturers eager to market their products worldwide.
The average racing fan cares about Le Mans for about two weeks per year. The average racing fan cares about F1 for about 40 weeks per year. So which venue provides better exposure for a car manufacturer looking to market its vehicles through participation in motorsport?
And don't buy into the line that manufacturers go racing to improve the breed. That's a minor byproduct of why auto companies go racing. The primary reason was, is and always will be, "Win on Sunday, sell on Monday."
F1 provides 17 Sundays of racing per year, around the globe. Le Mans provides one, in France. Le Mans is a GLORIOUS event, but it never will be a suitable annual marketing replacement for F1.
Take care,
PK
"You know why I love boxers? I love them because they face fear. And they face it alone." - Nick Charles
"First on the throttle, last on the brakes." - @MotoGP Twitter signature
GB_Simo wrote:Haven't applied the stopwatch to this or anything, but Martin Brundle has said for the last couple of years that the first time an F1 driver brakes, at least in quali trim, is the entry to Stowe. Don't know if that holds true in race trim, but they don't brake at Copse, Maggots, Becketts or Chapel, or at least they didn't with the old aero rules.
That's crazy impressive, then. Driving flat through Maggots and Becketts is nuts!
Take care,
PK
"You know why I love boxers? I love them because they face fear. And they face it alone." - Nick Charles
"First on the throttle, last on the brakes." - @MotoGP Twitter signature
