OT: Racing 2009 (Spoiler Alert)

Rodster · Post by **Rodster** » Tue Aug 25, 2009 7:44 am

World rally driver Sebastien Loeb has reportedly made an approach to the new-for-2010 USF1 team. "Somebody representing Loeb called us but I won't give details of the conversation," sporting director Peter Windsor is quoted as telling the French sports daily L'Equipe. Windsor added: "He is an incredible talent and he would definitely make things interesting in F1. We are looking more on the American side but are going to take him seriously."

http://en.f1-live.com/f1/en/headlines/n ... 1638.shtml

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Tue Aug 25, 2009 9:33 am

Dave wrote:
GB_Simo wrote:I had to watch my recording of qualifying three times to be sure, but Martin Brundle definitely said, "I'd like to see little Piquet in that Ferrari, try him in a different environment..."

In his defence, it was very warm in Valencia the whole weekend.
You know, I almost made the comment that even friend of Petrolheadblog.com Nelson Piquet, Jr. would be an improvement over Badoer...

Is Alex Yoong in the house?

Take care,
PK

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Tue Aug 25, 2009 9:38 am

Reads to me like Loeb only wants to take a busman's holiday and run a few F1 races when the dates don't clash with WRC rounds. That would be incredibly stupid of USF1, as driver continuity is vital for any team, especially a new one.

There are other drivers whom USF1 could employ full time and gain almost as much publicity as Loeb.

I could see Loeb walking away from WRC if he had rolled the series again, as it appeared he would earlier this season. But Hirvonen and Ford have mounted a raging comeback, with Hirvonen holding a three-point lead over Loeb after nine rounds.

Loeb wanted a fight this season; he has one.

P.S.: I keep forgetting that Loeb is 35. He seems so much younger to me. I forgot he debuted in WRC at 28, not like the teen-age debutantes that infest every other series.

Take care,
PK

Naples39 · Post by **Naples39** » Tue Aug 25, 2009 10:24 am

pk500 wrote:Glad you're enjoying the series, Naples. As an employee of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, I'm curious about what has attracted you to the series and kept you in front of the set. Always looking for feedback from new fans. You can reply here or PM me. Thanks

No magic bullet for me, it's more that the time was right to pursue something I've long been curious about.

Since seeing IndyCar Racing 1 by Papyrus on PC at a friend's house I always thought it (the game and the sport) looked pretty cool. I guess I was 12 or 13 at the time. Of course growing up I didn't know a single soul who gave 2 shits about racing of any kind and I didn't know anything else about it so it was kind of hard to latch on. Then there was the big split in Indy Racing which really killed my curiosity for a long time.

I've always enjoyed sim-type racing games, and my wife's family is from the Charlotte area and are big NASCAR fans so that kept my racing interest simmering. You can see some good racing in NASCAR, but I can hardly stand the the 'good 'ol boy' overload in every NASCAR broadcast, the cars kind of handle like boats compared to open-wheelers, restrictor-plate racing is painfully boring to me, and mostly those races are just WAY too long. 4 hours? Yuck. (I would also like to punch Kyle Busch in the face, and Dale Jr. is the most un-charismatic superstar in the history of sports--the guy is a blank slate)

So here I am, with my HD tv and DVR, and July is kind of dead month for sports considering I don't watch baseball on TV anymore, so I started recording a few races. What kept me interested is that IRL seems to be getting their act together with a unified series, I like the mix of street/road and oval racing, and it seems that there are a number of quality drivers who seem like pretty good guys that are easy to root for. Oh, and I know it's cliched and kind of dumb to show driver's wives during a race, but Ashley Judd and Emma Dixon (not to mention Danica) are quite easy on the eyes.

As I mentioned previously, it would be nice if the field of bona fide competitors was a little deeper, and I hope IRL keeps pushing measures that will encourage side-by-side racing on the ovals and passing in general, but either way I do intend to see out this season and stick around for the start of next year too.

And no, I'm not embarrassed to say my interest was partially driven by an old video game, as I generally credit a semester abroad in Australia (with EPL tv broadcasts) and the utter brilliance of WE6 on PS2 with jumpstarting my interest in soccer, which is probably my 2nd favorite sport to watch today.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Tue Aug 25, 2009 10:50 am

Naples:

Thanks for the feedback, man.

No doubt video games can lead us into new sporting pastimes. I never heard of rally before I played the original Colin McRae Rally on the PSX in 1999, and I have become hooked on rally.

It's funny you mention Emma Dixon. Not only is she a beautiful girl, but she and Scott are acknowledged as two of the nicest, most normal people you'll meet. I'm sure Neckthai, who knows them well, can vouch for that, too.

Have you noticed how Scott always taps or waves to the TV pit reporter in thanks after an on-air interview? That's class.

Another Dixon story: A good friend of mine who now works in NASCAR was a junior PR staffer at IMS and the IndyCar Series earlier this decade. He was 23, fresh out of college, and got to know some drivers on the road at races. When he was home in Indy, he would see some younger, single drivers at bars. The ONLY driver who did more than wave, who actually motioned my buddy over to chat and have a drink, was -- you guessed it -- Scott Dixon.

It's VERY easy to root for Scott. Superb guy, and one hell of racer.

Glad you're enjoying the IndyCar Series! Spread the word!

Take care,
PK

Naples39 · Post by **Naples39** » Tue Aug 25, 2009 11:03 am

I do find myself pulling for Dixon the most, but Franchitti seems like a class act as well. There was a recent article on CNNSI, talking about how Dixon is in it for the long haul in IndyCar, having no interest in the oval-only world of NASCAR and has no F1 dreams, which is good to hear from a fan perspective.

Briscoe is fine but a little dull to me, and Helio rubs me as an over-polished phony sometimes.

Marco Andretti's shaving ad creeps me out, though I usually fast-forward through all the ads because I generally don't watch live.

Graham Rahal seems like a good kid, and Justin Wilson is a real predator on the road courses.

Danica is a looker but doesn't seem particularly fast.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Tue Aug 25, 2009 11:58 am

Naples39 wrote:I do find myself pulling for Dixon the most, but Franchitti seems like a class act as well. There was a recent article on CNNSI, talking about how Dixon is in it for the long haul in IndyCar, having no interest in the oval-only world of NASCAR and has no F1 dreams, which is good to hear from a fan perspective.

Briscoe is fine but a little dull to me, and Helio rubs me as an over-polished phony sometimes.

Marco Andretti's shaving ad creeps me out, though I usually fast-forward through all the ads because I generally don't watch live.

Graham Rahal seems like a good kid, and Justin Wilson is a real predator on the road courses.

Danica is a looker but doesn't seem particularly fast.

Franchitti: class act. Ashley Judd: loco.

You're spot-on with Briscoe. Helio is not a phony. That is his true personality. He is Roberto Benigni behind the wheel of a 230-mph race car. Happy to be alive every day, even before his trial.

Marco's ads should creep you out -- that's not even his voice in the ad! Graham is a fine kid, and Justin Wilson is a very nice guy who can flat-out drive.

Again, if Neckthai is still reading here, he can give you infinitely more skinny than I can on these folks. Neck is the unofficial King of the IRL Paddock!

Take care,
PK

Rodster · Post by **Rodster** » Sat Aug 29, 2009 7:56 am

Looks like Ducati was willing to part with our boy Nicky.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/78104

Rossi: Lorenzo wise to stay at Yamaha

"The Ducati offer was good from a financial point of view, but I was especially stimulated by the sporting aspect," he said. "However, I know Yamaha very well after these two years, it's a company that has kept all the promises it has made me. Especially Lin Jarvis pushed a lot for me to stay. Had the financial aspect been very important, for 2010 I would be wearing red."

Rodster · Post by **Rodster** » Sat Aug 29, 2009 8:45 am

It looks like Jenson is snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. Out in Q2 and qualifies in 13th while Rubens moves on to Q3. Nice to see Fisi in a Force India in Q3 as he was fourth in Q2.

Rodster · Post by **Rodster** » Sat Aug 29, 2009 9:02 am

Fisi on Pole

Smurfy · Post by **Smurfy** » Sat Aug 29, 2009 11:58 am

1. Giancarlo
2. Jarno
3. Nick

Mommy, I'm scared.

GB_Simo · Post by **GB_Simo** » Sat Aug 29, 2009 2:44 pm

Smurfy wrote:1. Giancarlo
2. Jarno
3. Nick

Mommy, I'm scared.

I need a few hours and a couple of beers to digest that before I write about it properly. It's not a fluke, either - Fisi was quick all through qualifying and, while not laden with fuel, isn't stupidly light either. Jarno would be my tip for a win if I trusted him to pay attention for 90 whole minutes, and it'll be interesting to see how well the Beemers can hang on at the front. Consider also that the cars that have looked best on a long run so far are starting 8th and 9th.

Should be worth watching, no?

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Sat Aug 29, 2009 6:49 pm

Let's see: First team in the order is nearly bankrupt. Second team might be leaving F1. Third team is leaving F1.

Looks like Bernie made "the call," NASCAR style.

Edwards fifth, Hayden sixth in MotoGP qualifying here at Indy. Rossi is pissed because he qualified third, behind pole sitter Pedrosa and, more importantly, his teammate Lorenzo.

Take care,
PK

Rodster · Post by **Rodster** » Sat Aug 29, 2009 7:18 pm

The more I think about it the more I feel FOTA should have gone thru with their threat to leave. Bernie has destroyed F1. He's pimping out the series to the highest track bidder whether they put butts in the stands or not.

Valencia is a joke of a track as well as Bahrain (love the track) but it's like Flavio likes to call it, an empty cathedral. I was reading today that Fisi eluded to that Force India may pull the plug on the series.

I wonder how Peter Windsor and the other new teams must be feeling right about now.

Dave · Post by **Dave** » Sat Aug 29, 2009 11:12 pm

This IndyCar race tonight...

Gangrel · Post by **Gangrel** » Sun Aug 30, 2009 12:31 am

yea, I only caught the last 12 laps, but I saw more excitment in that then i probably will in my DVR of the F1 race tomorrow morning.....

fletcher21 · Post by **fletcher21** » Sun Aug 30, 2009 6:42 pm

I watched the Moto Gp race from start to finish, since it was on Fox and I had a rare opportunity to watch it. I really wish I had the balls to buy a crotch rocket. It looks like so much fun. I am just curious, what cc are these bikes? I am going to guess in the 1000-1300cc range. Nice race. It was crazy to see the leader crash out on 2 occasions. The Repsol Honda guy drove his ass off to get back into it and finished 10th. Too bad for Rossi that he damaged his bike too badly to continue. Sounds like the remainder of the season will be pretty exciting! Hopefully one or more of the races will be on Fox, since I don't have Speed.

Rodster · Post by **Rodster** » Sun Aug 30, 2009 7:25 pm

Nicky...Nicky...Nicky !

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Sun Aug 30, 2009 7:37 pm

fletcher21 wrote:I am just curious, what cc are these bikes? I am going to guess in the 1000-1300cc range. Nice race. It was crazy to see the leader crash out on 2 occasions. The Repsol Honda guy drove his ass off to get back into it and finished 10th. Too bad for Rossi that he damaged his bike too badly to continue. Sounds like the remainder of the season will be pretty exciting! Hopefully one or more of the races will be on Fox, since I don't have Speed.

MotoGP bikes are 800cc.

No more races this season on FOX. All are on SPEED.

Take care,
PK

Rodster · Post by **Rodster** » Sun Aug 30, 2009 7:41 pm

I'm saying this because my buddy Adam hasn't read this yet. See what happens when there's a fire lit under Kimi's butt.

For the first time he's publicly hinted he may not be with Ferrari next year. As much as I love Felipe I think Ferrari should let Kimi and Alonso battle it out next year as Kimi will have the constant motivation of a double world championship driving the other car.

fletcher21 · Post by **fletcher21** » Sun Aug 30, 2009 9:30 pm

pk500 wrote:
fletcher21 wrote:I am just curious, what cc are these bikes? I am going to guess in the 1000-1300cc range. Nice race. It was crazy to see the leader crash out on 2 occasions. The Repsol Honda guy drove his ass off to get back into it and finished 10th. Too bad for Rossi that he damaged his bike too badly to continue. Sounds like the remainder of the season will be pretty exciting! Hopefully one or more of the races will be on Fox, since I don't have Speed.
MotoGP bikes are 800cc.

No more races this season on FOX. All are on SPEED.

Take care,
PK

Sucks for me, I guess. 800cc surprises me. I have a lot of friends who own bikes, and almost all of them own 1000cc or "liter bikes" Is it common for riders to crash in Moto Gp? Seemed really odd to see the leader of the race just lose it 2x in one race.

Rodster · Post by **Rodster** » Sun Aug 30, 2009 9:56 pm

fletcher21 wrote:Is it common for riders to crash in Moto Gp? Seemed really odd to see the leader of the race just lose it 2x in one race.

Yes it is. MotoGP bikes can be compared to F1 cars. They are very fast but very twitchy. In order to tame and get the maximum out of a MotoGP bike or F1 car you have to be on top of your game more so in MotoGP where the bikes are constantly on the edge because there are only two wheels.

Jorge Lorenzo crashed out violently several times last year. One of which was at Laguna where he was literally thrown off his bike and landed on his head. How he managed not to break his neck is beyond me. So yeah if you watch MotoGP racing, the bikes are quick, fast and very twitchy and you will see your fair share of wipeouts.

GB_Simo · Post by **GB_Simo** » Sun Aug 30, 2009 10:16 pm

Rod, Kimi wouldn't have won today without the safety car. Fisi had him on pace, but KERS won out when Kimi was gifted a second chance to attack the leader by the chaos at Les Combes. Naturally, after almost tipping Kimi to win on the blog then changing my mind, I'm claiming some credit for royally jinxing Jarno Trulli...

Fisi was awesome. Sometimes you watch him and wonder why he can only drive like that twice a year.

Interestingly, the FIA are investigating last year's Singapore race, won by Alonso when his teammate crashed and brought out the safety car at a very convenient moment. I wonder what friend of petrolheadblog.com Nelson Piquet Jr has been telling the ruling body.

Rodster · Post by **Rodster** » Sun Aug 30, 2009 10:29 pm

GB_Simo wrote:Rod, Kimi wouldn't have won today without the safety car. Fisi had him on pace, but KERS won out when Kimi was gifted a second chance to attack the leader by the chaos at Les Combes. Naturally, after almost tipping Kimi to win on the blog then changing my mind, I'm claiming some credit for royally jinxing Jarno Trulli...

Fisi was awesome. Sometimes you watch him and wonder why he can only drive like that twice a year.

Interestingly, the FIA are investigating last year's Singapore race, won by Alonso when his teammate crashed and brought out the safety car at a very convenient moment. I wonder what friend of petrolheadblog.com Nelson Piquet Jr has been telling the ruling body.

Yeah I know KERS did the job for Kimi but he stayed in front of Fisi twice in the pits and got the win so Kimi deserves some credit for not gifting the race to Fisi.

Man i'm not a Button fan but crap do I feel for the guy. What bad luck he has lost confidence, lost his form and on the verge of losing the lead in the championship. Martin Brundle made a great point. He said Jenson is not very good at being chased so he's tightening up a lot. When it's his turn to do the chasing and letting it all hang out with nothing to lose he will probably snatch the lead in the drivers title.

I read the article regarding Renault, holy crap if it turns out to be true then Renault and Flavio have got some real problems on their hands. They better hope Mosley isn't around or he'll hang both Flavio and Renault worse than what he did to Mclaren.

Naples39 · Post by **Naples39** » Mon Aug 31, 2009 12:36 pm

Dave wrote:This IndyCar race tonight...

The Penske and Ganassi cars were the class of the field, but the pack of cars running from 5th to about 15th was pretty crazy to see. Just a total mess of cars running 2 and 3-wide lap after lap.

Marco was a wild man running that high line all night, moving up and down the leaderboard more than anyone else. I thought he was done twice, then looked like he was going to steal a top-5, then lost several places in the sprint to the finish and ended up 12th I think.

Great finish up front too with major championship implications. I didn't think Briscoe would have enough to get by Dixon who was sitting on all those 'overtake assists', but I guess Briscoe simply had the fastest car all weekend.