OT: Racing 2014 (Spoiler Alert)

[DChaps]

The 2014 Racing Season is underway with the completion of the first round of the 2014 WRC Championship last weekend in Monte Carlo, and the unveiling of some of the new F1 2014 cars (uglier than ever IMO).

However, for me the 2014 racing season always starts with the 24 Hours of Daytona which just got underway at 2:00pm EDT today. I am most excited for this years 52nd running as it marks the start of the newly unified Tudor United Sportscar Championship (http://www.imsa.com). 67 cars, 4 classes, and the 2nd largest Daytona 24 field of all time.

http://www.imsa.com/camera/united-sport ... ce-central

The Rolex 24 at Daytona - TV Schedule (Saturday, Jan. 25-26):
2-4 p.m. ET on FOX
4-9 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 2
9 p.m.-7 a.m. ET on Speed: The Motors on FOX blog Rolex live stream: http://stream.speedtv.com/rolex24
7 a.m.-3 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1

Radio coverage on the MRN network
http://www.mrn.com/

Multiple on-board cameras:
http://stream.speedtv.com/rolex24

-Corvette #3 Car
-Mazda #70 Car
-Ford #01 Car
-Audi #48 Car

You can also stream the full race by using the FOX Sports Go Mobile App (unfortunately not available for Android yet):
https://itunes.apple.com/app/id711074743
http://msn.foxsports.com/other/page/FOX-Sports-Mobile

The Rolex 24 At Daytona also serves as the first of four races that comprise the Tequila Patrón North American Endurance Cup. Fifty-two hours of speed, skill, heartbreak, and triumph, the Tequila Patrón North American Endurance Cup is a unique competition within the TUDOR Championship consisting of the most prestigious endurance races in North America: The Rolex 24 At Daytona, Mobil1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh From Florida, Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen, and Petit Le Mans Powered by Mazda.

Classes and Spotter Guides available here:
http://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/TUDOR-Un ... asses.aspx

Live Race Notebook:
http://msn.foxsports.com/speed/sports-c ... -notebook/

[pk500]

I'm in Daytona, working the race as my debut in my new job. I've worked 16 Indianapolis 500s and Brickyard 400s, eight United States Grands Prix F1 races and six MotoGP races at Indy in my previous job. But the Rolex 24 is trippy as hell.

It's surreal to walk outside at 4 a.m. and see and hear cars racing balls' out. VERY cool. Love it!

[DChaps]

Really enjoyed the race this weekend. Watched it on TV, tablet, and listened on MRN radio so I was basically able to keep tabs off and on for the entire 24 hours. Super scary crash for Memo Gidley and Matteo Malucelli. Memo has always been one of my favorite drivers who never quite made it. I was amazed that they both survived, but that seemed like a career ending wreck like Franchitti's. Good luck with the new job Paul!

[F308GTB]

My DVR was being flaky for the race, Every 2.5 minutes it would freeze and I'd have to skip ahead a minute. Even happened on the last lap during the Ferrari and Audi duel. Grrr.

Was a terrible crash - one of the hazards of mixed class racing.

[pk500]

Was a terrible crash - one of the hazards of mixed class racing.

True. But the wreck had nothing to do with mixed-class racing. The Ferrari had lost all drive and was pulling off track. Gidley pulled from behind Krohn's prototype and directly into the path of the crippled GT car. That could have been a crippled DP car.

I wonder if Gidley's spotter warned him. No word about that on-site, as everyone was far too concerned about Memo's condition to start investigating cause.

[Dave]

I was so relieved to get the update on Memo, definitely feared for the worst in that crash. I saw a spotter mentioned that where the accident happened was at a very hard spot for him, in his previous experience spotting at the Rolex 24. Just one of those unfortunate deals, but hopefully Memo makes a full recovery and can return to the car. I still remember rooting like hell for him to win at Cleveland (90% sure it was Cleveland...) when he was filling in at Ganassi back in the CART days.

Overall, it was another fun Rolex 24. The last yellow screamed NASCAR and thankfully they overturned the penalty against Level 5 in the GTD category, but for the first event for the combined series I thought it was a huge success. The GTLM class should be a ton of fun this season and we'll see what happens with the Prototypes, Daytona was a tough first track for the LMP2 cars.

Glad it sounds like you had a great time, PK.

[pk500]

The variety of machinery this season is as good as it has been in years.

In prototypes, you have the boxy old GRAND-AM cars and the ALMS P2s, along with the Delta Wing. That car looks even more bad ass in person. Prototype Challenge has plenty of Orecas from ALMS and WEC/ELMS.

GTD and GTLM is loaded with Chevys, Audis, Porsches, Ferraris and Astons.

If you're tired of spec racing (and who the f*ck isn't?), then United SportsCar is your series this season and in the future.

[DChaps]

Agreed Paul, that is what makes this unification so exciting. I loved ALMS and attended Petit LeMans at Road Atlanta many times, but it was sad over the last few years seeing the numbers of teams and diversity decreasing. Only thing that still has me slightly confused (mainly because I have not taken the time to read up on it fully), is which of these teams and classes (if any) will be able to compete at 24 Hours of LeMans this year in the cars they are currently racing in United SportsCar? Thanks!

[Dave]

And on the other end of the spectrum, you have Brian France's devotion to delivering "game 7 moments" leading to the most idiotic Chase ever. Having a winner take all event to decide the championship for four drivers is mind numbingly stupid in my opinion. If you want the four drivers to decide it all in a single race, fine, put the four of them on a track alone and give them 100 laps to figure it out. But this? This is a joke.

[DChaps]

And on the other end of the spectrum, you have Brian France's devotion to delivering "game 7 moments" leading to the most idiotic Chase ever. Having a winner take all event to decide the championship for four drivers is mind numbingly stupid in my opinion. If you want the four drivers to decide it all in a single race, fine, put the four of them on a track alone and give them 100 laps to figure it out. But this? This is a joke.

Yeah, honestly it is hard to believe that this is going forward. So much room for "team orders" and controversy with a format like this. Not like Nascar doesn't already have that reputation anyway, but this just fans the flames. Interesting to note, they have a run-down of what the last three Chase Championships under the new format would be and Dale Earnhardt Jr. would have won the 2013 championship.

http://www.nascar.com/en_us/news-media/ ... ormat.html

[Rodster]

Conspiracy theorists emerge. Earnhardt Jr wins the Daytona 500.

[pk500]

Conspiracy theorists emerge. Earnhardt Jr wins the Daytona 500.

Negative. He has finished second at Daytona three of the last four years. Dude always has been strong on plate tracks. So has Hendrick Motorsports.

Plus no one should begrudge Junior. A very cool, down-to-Earth guy. My best friend is Danica's publicist, and he always says Dale Jr. is one of the coolest guys in the NASCAR garage area.

[DChaps]

Junior drove a smart race the entire 12 hour day. Awesome win for Dale and the team. He gets more grief than he deserves because of his name. Guess iRacing paid off for Junior after all, huh Kyle Petty?!

[GB_Simo]

To the undoubted delight of motorsport PR men all over central New York state, Jacques Villeneuve likes IndyCar racing again. It turns out, in fact, that he did so all along.

Thoughts? I don't doubt he'll give it a right good go come May, but can't help feeling that whatever effort and desire he invests will be offset by his not really being all that good any more.

[pk500]

To the undoubted delight of motorsport PR men all over central New York state, Jacques Villeneuve likes IndyCar racing again. It turns out, in fact, that he did so all along.

Thoughts? I don't doubt he'll give it a right good go come May, but can't help feeling that whatever effort and desire he invests will be offset by his not really being all that good any more.

It's good for me because the company for which I just started working in late January has Schmidt Peterson Motorsports as a client.

But I'll be in Lime Rock, Conn., working a sports car race on Memorial Day weekend, not at Indy. So I won't see JV and the rest of the Indianapolis 500 field in person, which is fine. But I will keep an eye on the race and the Month of May from afar even though I don't work for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway anymore.

[GB_Simo]

When I wrote that last post, I had in mind previous discussions around these parts about JV, his expressed thoughts on the 500 and his associated comments on USOWR in general. An hour or so later, I saw your Facebook post and smiled...

[pk500]

When I wrote that last post, I had in mind previous discussions around these parts about JV, his expressed thoughts on the 500 and his associated comments on USOWR in general. An hour or so later, I saw your Facebook post and smiled...

I hope the dude does well. Absence from the spotlight can create longing in a man. Plus I believe he's genuine in his desire to drive these cars.

[Dave]

Plus no one should begrudge Junior. A very cool, down-to-Earth guy. My best friend is Danica's publicist, and he always says Dale Jr. is one of the coolest guys in the NASCAR garage area.

It took me a long time to come around on Jr, but I find myself being amazed by the person he has become. I can't imagine what he's gone through over the last 13 years, but he's matured into a fascinating person. I was just reading through his Twitter feed and it is pretty impressive to see him genuinely respond to people and life in general. Five, six years ago I would have been cheering for someone to get around him during those last laps at Daytona, but not any longer. He comes across as one of the most genuine people in the garage and given his name and pedigree, that's one hell of an accomplishment.

OK, that's enough NASCAR. Let's get on with F1, IndyCar, and more Sports Cars soon. The real racing season is almost upon us.

[GB_Simo]

Plus I believe he's genuine in his desire to drive these cars.

Indeed. Can't fault him for that, nor indeed his desire to drive, full stop, which accounts for the World Rallycross gig he's signed up for too. I'd be interested to learn the identity of the last F1 world champion to drive anything around Lydden Hill in anger.

Speaking of F1 world champions, the boy Vettel's taking sandbagging to its limits. A Caterham with a Renault in the back has completed over 100 laps today. The Red Bull has completed none, unless the one it ended on the back of a low loader counts towards its mileage.

[F308GTB]

Thoughts on Australia free practice? Cars sound like crap, hate the new driver numbers, even though the cars are only a few seconds a lap slower than last year it seems really slow on TV, tires lasting much longer with marbles not developing, twitchy handling. Some definite minuses and pluses. Looking forward to qualifying.

[Rodster]

I like that the cars do seem to move around a little more but they do sound more like, shitty shitty bang bang. I bet Bernie's not too happy about the sound but he's got more important things on his plate, like trying to avoid jail time.

[DChaps]

12 Hours of Sebring

Race starts at 10:00am EDT this morning

8:30am - 10:00am Pre-race Coverage www.imsa.com
10:00am - 1pm Fox Sports 1 (Start)
1pm - 10:30pm - www.imsa.com

http://www.imsa.com/camera/united-sport ... ce-central

[XXXIV]

Watched the end of Australia qualifying after Dragons hockey...

f***in cool!

Hamilton getting that pole back from NEW Bull was sweet.

The multitudes Vettell bashers should be happy with his result.

I got to say not knowing is so much more fun.

Psyched to watch the race tonight after Dragons!

F1 is awesome!!!!!

[F308GTB]

A couple of takeaways from Australia

1) who would have put bets down that McLaren would be leading the constructor's point after the first race?
2) great driving by Bottas. Was really hoping for equally good things from Massa, but Koboyashi's kamikaze entry to turn 1 spoiled his day.
3) love-hate feeling for Red Bull. Hard not to applaud Ricciardo on a great drive and satisfaction watching Vettel retire
4) Car sound will take some getting used to. A few of the sound clips made the cars sound like they should have been racing at Sebring this weekend. Sounded more like sports cars.
5) Seems like a ton more passing than in years past, a good thing

[Jimmydeicide]

More passing because the cars are s*** and are having problems , i dunno F1 is losing me, i know its about car development and constructors as well but it seems all about the constructors these last few years and less about racing and driving talent. You could put a monkey in the car at the moment and you would get similar results.
Dunno where the racing gone is all im saying.