Davey Hamilton in an 11 car?
Yeah, maybe if it were 2011. But Tony Kanaan is in the 11 this year, and Davey's retired!
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Racing Of The United States Variety
Started by
Pucky the Whale
, Feb 25 2010 02:15 AM
1007 replies to this topic
#541
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Posted 05 March 2012 - 10:48 PM
Shows you how closely I've been paying attention...
Davey Hamilton in an 11 car?
Yeah, maybe if it were 2011. But Tony Kanaan is in the 11 this year, and Davey's retired!
Davey Hamilton in an 11 car?
Yeah, maybe if it were 2011. But Tony Kanaan is in the 11 this year, and Davey's retired!
Eric
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Posted 06 March 2012 - 09:24 AM
I watched the 1-hour highlight package of Phoenix (having seen the last three laps of the highlight package of the Nationwide race), and, well, hrrmmmm...
Maybe it was the packaging, but for most of it, they were running, then there was a yellow, then the highlights picked up about 30-50 laps later, during what would have been ad breaks, so it was several laps and zero commentary with one fixed curb-camera, and one camera on someone's roof.
The race itself just seemed flat. So I ended up muting it, and watching Top Gear on the computer
Maybe it was the packaging, but for most of it, they were running, then there was a yellow, then the highlights picked up about 30-50 laps later, during what would have been ad breaks, so it was several laps and zero commentary with one fixed curb-camera, and one camera on someone's roof.
The race itself just seemed flat. So I ended up muting it, and watching Top Gear on the computer
#543
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Posted 06 March 2012 - 09:27 AM
Massa, on 05 March 2012 - 08:47 PM, said:
Pagenaud was out today in Hewlett-Packard colors, which means Davey Hamilton is around...
...and sure enough, Sam Schmidt Motorsports is now Schmidt-Hamilton.
Second car, the 11, also with hp backing, will run at some point in the year. Indy-only with Hamilton?
Some DW12s from the other end...
Good gallery from Firestone:
Lotus/Dragon stuff is a "contract issue," but that issue may be between Lotus and Judd, and not the team. IndyCar mandates a supplier supplies at least 20% of the field, which Lotus isn't doing (five out of twenty-six). But I don't see what enforcement that rule can have...they aren't exactly going to say the five Lotus cars can't race and go with a twenty-one car Chevrolet/Honda field. So I doubt that will even come up at all.
...and sure enough, Sam Schmidt Motorsports is now Schmidt-Hamilton.
Second car, the 11, also with hp backing, will run at some point in the year. Indy-only with Hamilton?
Some DW12s from the other end...
Good gallery from Firestone:
Lotus/Dragon stuff is a "contract issue," but that issue may be between Lotus and Judd, and not the team. IndyCar mandates a supplier supplies at least 20% of the field, which Lotus isn't doing (five out of twenty-six). But I don't see what enforcement that rule can have...they aren't exactly going to say the five Lotus cars can't race and go with a twenty-one car Chevrolet/Honda field. So I doubt that will even come up at all.
The car's look OK side on, and from the rear, but the front 3/4 angles make them look big and bulky and, eek!
It certainly looks like livery plays a big part in what the cars "look" like. Will be interesting to see them from multiple angles once on the idiot box. Things can look different when moving.
#544
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Posted 06 March 2012 - 06:40 PM
Jimmer: if you like that livery, the guy who did is Mike Peters. Some of his other stuff here: http://petersmotorsp....com/?page_id=4
Craig: Agreed that the angle makes all the difference. I've seen it moving on TV (flipping channels during intermission of a hockey game on the day of the Super Bowl; Graham Rahal was driving it through the streets of Indianapolis). It was the worst thing I've ever seen on TV and I tried to forget it happened. At least the engines sound better this year.
Pocono Raceway will add a catchfence in turn one. They've recently moved walls and paved the infield. The track was also passed down to the next generation, and Dr. Joe Mattioli, the founder, sadly passed away. Dr. Mattioli was a big opponent of IndyCar racing at his track, which they used to do back in the 1980s. The new management, and these track changes, and Randy Bernard's interest in ovals, and Bernard's declaring that they will have twenty races in 2013...it all seems to be headed somewhere.
If they can make it safe, Pocono is the kind of track where an IndyCar race might be pretty fun to watch. It's so fast, but you can't run it flat. Three different length straightaways, three different banked/sized/everything corners. It's a triangle, and all left turns so they call it an oval, but it doesn't drive like one.
Plus I've been there many times and know the secret second way in and out...
...but I just don't see the value of traveling down there for a series I only like one or two weekends of the year. Too expensive and the 200,000 seats will sure like empty with a typical Indy crowd around 30,000, which is why I question them even doing it.
Anyway, it'd be a cool race, if they decide to do it.
Craig: Agreed that the angle makes all the difference. I've seen it moving on TV (flipping channels during intermission of a hockey game on the day of the Super Bowl; Graham Rahal was driving it through the streets of Indianapolis). It was the worst thing I've ever seen on TV and I tried to forget it happened. At least the engines sound better this year.
Pocono Raceway will add a catchfence in turn one. They've recently moved walls and paved the infield. The track was also passed down to the next generation, and Dr. Joe Mattioli, the founder, sadly passed away. Dr. Mattioli was a big opponent of IndyCar racing at his track, which they used to do back in the 1980s. The new management, and these track changes, and Randy Bernard's interest in ovals, and Bernard's declaring that they will have twenty races in 2013...it all seems to be headed somewhere.
If they can make it safe, Pocono is the kind of track where an IndyCar race might be pretty fun to watch. It's so fast, but you can't run it flat. Three different length straightaways, three different banked/sized/everything corners. It's a triangle, and all left turns so they call it an oval, but it doesn't drive like one.
Plus I've been there many times and know the secret second way in and out...
...but I just don't see the value of traveling down there for a series I only like one or two weekends of the year. Too expensive and the 200,000 seats will sure like empty with a typical Indy crowd around 30,000, which is why I question them even doing it.
Anyway, it'd be a cool race, if they decide to do it.
Eric
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Posted 06 March 2012 - 06:51 PM
Massa, on 06 March 2012 - 06:40 PM, said:
Jimmer: if you like that livery, the guy who did is Mike Peters. Some of his other stuff here: http://petersmotorsp....com/?page_id=4
Thanks for that - he's got some cool stuff on there.
I think a lot of teams forget in their desperation to please sponsors that livery designs can look nice.
Far too often sponsors ruin a car's look or livery - point in question Plato's MG
Edited by JHS18, 06 March 2012 - 06:52 PM.
#546
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Posted 06 March 2012 - 09:51 PM
The sponsors set the guidelines (colors, certain patterns, logo positioning, logo visibility, logo size...), and the sanctioning body sets the rest (number size, placement of mandatory decals...). Not much room for the designer's vision, which is why you don't always get pretty liveries.
Eric
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Posted 07 March 2012 - 09:07 AM
Massa, on 06 March 2012 - 06:40 PM, said:
Jimmer: if you like that livery, the guy who did is Mike Peters. Some of his other stuff here: http://petersmotorsp....com/?page_id=4
Craig: Agreed that the angle makes all the difference. I've seen it moving on TV (flipping channels during intermission of a hockey game on the day of the Super Bowl; Graham Rahal was driving it through the streets of Indianapolis). It was the worst thing I've ever seen on TV and I tried to forget it happened. At least the engines sound better this year.
blah blah blah ....... see the value of traveling down there for a series I only like one or two weekends of the year. Too expensive and the 200,000 seats will sure like empty with a typical Indy crowd around 30,000, which is why I question them even doing it.
Anyway, it'd be a cool race, if they decide to do it.
Craig: Agreed that the angle makes all the difference. I've seen it moving on TV (flipping channels during intermission of a hockey game on the day of the Super Bowl; Graham Rahal was driving it through the streets of Indianapolis). It was the worst thing I've ever seen on TV and I tried to forget it happened. At least the engines sound better this year.
blah blah blah ....... see the value of traveling down there for a series I only like one or two weekends of the year. Too expensive and the 200,000 seats will sure like empty with a typical Indy crowd around 30,000, which is why I question them even doing it.
Anyway, it'd be a cool race, if they decide to do it.
Really? Damn....
Well, just two weeks to wait and then I can see for myself
:s
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Posted 08 March 2012 - 08:28 PM
Got hold of 2011 TV numbers (finally...I love this kind of stuff and only NASCAR reports it every week...the rest get very selective with what they share).
Here's a list for you. It includes: the highest rated race per series, and a normal rating for the series (not a real average or median, just an educated estimate of what those figures are around). IndyCar has an exception; I included the Las Vegas coverage of Dan Wheldon's passing, but as that wasn't an actual race, I also included the Indy 500 as their highest. Furthermore, because of the huge disparity between ABC and VERSUS ratings, I separated the two. Other multiple network series (i.e. Sprint Cup) did not have a large enough gap to justify this, while F1 has so few races on FOX that it does not really change the standard race. Single-event data was not disclosed for the NHRA. V8 Supercars broadcasts on SPEED were not included but were reported to have doubled. Plus no one is even going to read this or care or know what rating numbers mean in terms of viewership I'm just really bored, not going to lie, spring break sucks when it doesn't align with your high school friends' spring breaks at other colleges.
I think you can figure out the color coding.
1. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Daytona 500 (8.7 - FOX)
2. IZOD IndyCar Series Las Vegas coverage (4.2 - ABC) (no precedent)
3. IZOD IndyCar Series Indianapolis 500 (4.0 - ABC)
4. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series standard race (3.7 - ESPN/ABC, FOX, and TNT)
5. NASCAR Nationwide Series DRIVE4COPD.com 300 (2.4 - ESPN)
6. NASCAR Camping World Truck Series NextEra Energy Resources 250 (1.5 - SPEED)
7. NASCAR Nationwide Series standard race (1.2 - ESPN/ESPN2/ABC)
8. Formula One European Grand Prix (0.9 - FOX)
9. IZOD IndyCar Series standard network race (0.8 - ABC)
10. NASCAR Camping World Truck Series standard race (0.8 - SPEED)
11. American Le Mans Series Road America (next-day highlights) (0.7 - ABC)
12. NHRA Drag Racing standard event (0.5 - ESPN2/ESPN)
13. Formula One standard race (0.4 - SPEED)
14. IZOD IndyCar Series standard cable race (0.3 - VERSUS) (they say...I'd call it stable)
14. Grand-American Rolex Sports Car Series Rolex 24 (0.3 - SPEED)
16. American Le Mans Series standard race (next-day highlights) (0.2 - ABC/ESPN/ESPN2)
17. Grand-American Rolex Sports Car Series standard race (0.2 - SPEED)
NHRA takes the biggest losses; they were the number two behind Sprint Cup about a decade ago. I figure as car culture didn't get passed on to the new generation, who don't see cars as status symbols and projects and pieces of an identity, but rather as appliances, drag racing takes the biggest fall because it's all about guys working on their cars. As older fans either grow disenchanted with the sport getting away from the old days, or sadly become victims of biology, there really isn't a new generation to replace them beyond a niche.
Though other than Daytona, all of racing is a niche, just on varying levels size-wise.
Here's a list for you. It includes: the highest rated race per series, and a normal rating for the series (not a real average or median, just an educated estimate of what those figures are around). IndyCar has an exception; I included the Las Vegas coverage of Dan Wheldon's passing, but as that wasn't an actual race, I also included the Indy 500 as their highest. Furthermore, because of the huge disparity between ABC and VERSUS ratings, I separated the two. Other multiple network series (i.e. Sprint Cup) did not have a large enough gap to justify this, while F1 has so few races on FOX that it does not really change the standard race. Single-event data was not disclosed for the NHRA. V8 Supercars broadcasts on SPEED were not included but were reported to have doubled. Plus no one is even going to read this or care or know what rating numbers mean in terms of viewership I'm just really bored, not going to lie, spring break sucks when it doesn't align with your high school friends' spring breaks at other colleges.
I think you can figure out the color coding.
1. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Daytona 500 (8.7 - FOX)
2. IZOD IndyCar Series Las Vegas coverage (4.2 - ABC) (no precedent)
3. IZOD IndyCar Series Indianapolis 500 (4.0 - ABC)
4. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series standard race (3.7 - ESPN/ABC, FOX, and TNT)
5. NASCAR Nationwide Series DRIVE4COPD.com 300 (2.4 - ESPN)
6. NASCAR Camping World Truck Series NextEra Energy Resources 250 (1.5 - SPEED)
7. NASCAR Nationwide Series standard race (1.2 - ESPN/ESPN2/ABC)
8. Formula One European Grand Prix (0.9 - FOX)
9. IZOD IndyCar Series standard network race (0.8 - ABC)
10. NASCAR Camping World Truck Series standard race (0.8 - SPEED)
11. American Le Mans Series Road America (next-day highlights) (0.7 - ABC)
12. NHRA Drag Racing standard event (0.5 - ESPN2/ESPN)
13. Formula One standard race (0.4 - SPEED)
14. IZOD IndyCar Series standard cable race (0.3 - VERSUS) (they say...I'd call it stable)
14. Grand-American Rolex Sports Car Series Rolex 24 (0.3 - SPEED)
16. American Le Mans Series standard race (next-day highlights) (0.2 - ABC/ESPN/ESPN2)
17. Grand-American Rolex Sports Car Series standard race (0.2 - SPEED)
NHRA takes the biggest losses; they were the number two behind Sprint Cup about a decade ago. I figure as car culture didn't get passed on to the new generation, who don't see cars as status symbols and projects and pieces of an identity, but rather as appliances, drag racing takes the biggest fall because it's all about guys working on their cars. As older fans either grow disenchanted with the sport getting away from the old days, or sadly become victims of biology, there really isn't a new generation to replace them beyond a niche.
Though other than Daytona, all of racing is a niche, just on varying levels size-wise.
Eric
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Posted 08 March 2012 - 08:51 PM
This is really, really embarrassing.
The safety crew for a professional racing test is an overweight, middle-aged man in a long-sleeve t-shirt and jeans who jogs at the speed of and doesn't even know how to properly carry an extinguisher (it's both harder to dangle it at your side like that, plus you run the risk of it clocking you in the leg and knocking you over).
You'd think, after the disaster that was Simona's Texas fire in 2010, and after losing a driver, safety would maybe, somehow, someway cross someone's mind somewhere in Indianapolis.
Guess not.
Other notes: Beatriz did a seat-fitting at Andretti and has a deal with Chevrolet to run some kind of schedule, though Saavedra will run Indy with AA in an AFS-backed car #25. Jay Penske and Dragon Racing have only paid Lotus for one engine; Legge's, none for Bourdais yet. Lotus have no spare engines; you blow one up, goodbye. Management is currently debating whether or not to pull out of a lot of the racing series they just bought; on the F1 side, Genii Capital has looked into buying in just to keep the Lotus name on their team alive and well.
The safety crew for a professional racing test is an overweight, middle-aged man in a long-sleeve t-shirt and jeans who jogs at the speed of and doesn't even know how to properly carry an extinguisher (it's both harder to dangle it at your side like that, plus you run the risk of it clocking you in the leg and knocking you over).
You'd think, after the disaster that was Simona's Texas fire in 2010, and after losing a driver, safety would maybe, somehow, someway cross someone's mind somewhere in Indianapolis.
Guess not.
Other notes: Beatriz did a seat-fitting at Andretti and has a deal with Chevrolet to run some kind of schedule, though Saavedra will run Indy with AA in an AFS-backed car #25. Jay Penske and Dragon Racing have only paid Lotus for one engine; Legge's, none for Bourdais yet. Lotus have no spare engines; you blow one up, goodbye. Management is currently debating whether or not to pull out of a lot of the racing series they just bought; on the F1 side, Genii Capital has looked into buying in just to keep the Lotus name on their team alive and well.
Eric
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Posted 08 March 2012 - 09:01 PM
Viso wrecked; he has a new CITGO livery...but no livery comes close to this:
Wish Tag and Herta had a real engine...
Blue for Barrichello, seems to be a popular color this year.
Wish Tag and Herta had a real engine...
Blue for Barrichello, seems to be a popular color this year.
Eric
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Posted 09 March 2012 - 05:43 AM
Maybe it's the extended sidepods and the nose is a nice arc down to the wing, but these cars seem very long.
I'm getting more excited about this series starting than the F1 season to be honest....these are new cars, and that for me is what gets me going...so 2013 should be a stunner for me in F1!!
Woohoo....go Rubes...go TK....go Will....go Scotty....
I'm getting more excited about this series starting than the F1 season to be honest....these are new cars, and that for me is what gets me going...so 2013 should be a stunner for me in F1!!
Woohoo....go Rubes...go TK....go Will....go Scotty....
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Posted 09 March 2012 - 05:47 AM
Actually, I'm going to make a prediction....Rubes takes more than one win this season. Judging from TK's comments back when Rubes just "tested/had a feel", he's got a better approach to making the cars work....and that, my friend, in a debut season for a car will make a marked difference. Especially if you bear in mind that some of the newer guys that joined IRL in the last few years have never really had to set up the cars...they were already at the zenith of their evolution and the teams knew them inside and out and probably never needed that much feedback from the driver....but now they will, so are the younger guys up to it?
#553
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Posted 09 March 2012 - 05:15 PM
The cars look really, really huge in pictures when they're at the shop being worked on by people. I can only assume they actually are at least sort of huge.
I think Honda have been catching up to Chevrolet now. That's pleasant, though I did want to see Ganassi get absolutely buried this year. I like Chip and Kimball, but man, those other three...augh. Then again, I really don't like the Andretti drivers, so I need Chevrolet to be bad, too. Hell, all my favorites minus Power are driving for Lotus! Argh.
I'm still pretty "meh" about the season. I have no reasons. F1 and ALMS are grabbing my attention, IndyCar and NASCAR just aren't. But all it will take is a good race or two to get me excited again. As long as they're running 500 miles at Indy, I'll at least tune in for something.
I'll predict that Franchitti doesn't win the title, and neither does Power. Kanaan starts having fun again now that Barrichello is around, like the old Andretti Green days, and he brings the fight to his main rival, the re-energized Ryan Briscoe who likes these new cars.
Castroneves wins a race again.
Andretti has a career year, though that's not exactly setting the bar too high for himself.
De Silvestro gets punished for her loyalty to a backmarking team. Nice person and all, but damn, you gotta take the opportunities when they come up. KV and Andretti both welcomed her Entergy backing and while it's honorable to not leave HVM to fold, I just can't see how you be successful in this game turning down rides at the best of the rest teams, and turning down tests at Sauber and Renault a few years ago, and all that. You never bite and people stop offering. Maybe she hates pressure, or really, really, really wants to win on her own terms. Oh well, I can't complain, because as soon as she starts winning races, she jumps the shark and I stop caring.
Carpenter will regret starting a team. There are four ovals. It's just a bad idea.
Barrichello won't win a race. Because I have to take the other side.
ABC's coverage of the Indy 500 will be hours of talking to drivers' wives about the danger of the sport (probably re-air the terribly uncomfortable interview with Paul Dana's wife from the race a few years ago). They will use Wheldon's passing to sell the race as exciting. The only other storyline they'll focus on is how the race is "wide open" now that Danica is gone. Maybe she'll even make a guest appearance in the commentary box before going off to Charlotte to run the Cup race...
...but cynicism aside, the 500 will be fun and exciting and you'll get a whole two weeks of me not complaining.
I think Honda have been catching up to Chevrolet now. That's pleasant, though I did want to see Ganassi get absolutely buried this year. I like Chip and Kimball, but man, those other three...augh. Then again, I really don't like the Andretti drivers, so I need Chevrolet to be bad, too. Hell, all my favorites minus Power are driving for Lotus! Argh.
I'm still pretty "meh" about the season. I have no reasons. F1 and ALMS are grabbing my attention, IndyCar and NASCAR just aren't. But all it will take is a good race or two to get me excited again. As long as they're running 500 miles at Indy, I'll at least tune in for something.
I'll predict that Franchitti doesn't win the title, and neither does Power. Kanaan starts having fun again now that Barrichello is around, like the old Andretti Green days, and he brings the fight to his main rival, the re-energized Ryan Briscoe who likes these new cars.
Castroneves wins a race again.
Andretti has a career year, though that's not exactly setting the bar too high for himself.
De Silvestro gets punished for her loyalty to a backmarking team. Nice person and all, but damn, you gotta take the opportunities when they come up. KV and Andretti both welcomed her Entergy backing and while it's honorable to not leave HVM to fold, I just can't see how you be successful in this game turning down rides at the best of the rest teams, and turning down tests at Sauber and Renault a few years ago, and all that. You never bite and people stop offering. Maybe she hates pressure, or really, really, really wants to win on her own terms. Oh well, I can't complain, because as soon as she starts winning races, she jumps the shark and I stop caring.
Carpenter will regret starting a team. There are four ovals. It's just a bad idea.
Barrichello won't win a race. Because I have to take the other side.
ABC's coverage of the Indy 500 will be hours of talking to drivers' wives about the danger of the sport (probably re-air the terribly uncomfortable interview with Paul Dana's wife from the race a few years ago). They will use Wheldon's passing to sell the race as exciting. The only other storyline they'll focus on is how the race is "wide open" now that Danica is gone. Maybe she'll even make a guest appearance in the commentary box before going off to Charlotte to run the Cup race...
...but cynicism aside, the 500 will be fun and exciting and you'll get a whole two weeks of me not complaining.
Eric
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Posted 09 March 2012 - 07:49 PM
You? Complain? Noooooooooo!!!!!
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Posted 10 March 2012 - 04:58 PM
Rednecks really like filling their yards with former cars that are now junk. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. is no exception.
http://www.usatoday....yard/53448486/1
A replica of a Western town and a bunch of torn up racecars. You know, there are all sorts of things written about him not being married...Junior being depressed, Junior being lonely, Junior's sexuality, Junior this, Junior that...but I just think he's single because of what's in his freaking lawn.
http://www.usatoday....yard/53448486/1
A replica of a Western town and a bunch of torn up racecars. You know, there are all sorts of things written about him not being married...Junior being depressed, Junior being lonely, Junior's sexuality, Junior this, Junior that...but I just think he's single because of what's in his freaking lawn.
Eric
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Posted 10 March 2012 - 07:35 PM
Dodge would like to stay in NASCAR with Robby Gordon Motorsports, who have now failed to qualify for Las Vegas. They will meet with Tommy Baldwin Racing, Michael Waltrip Racing, and BK Racing this month. Chip Ganassi has invited them, too. None of those teams are exactly powerhouses, and the big problem is that there is no one to build competitive Dodge engines (Penske did that for them; Arrington and Ernie Elliott build Dodge engines that absolutely suck). Ganassi co-owner Teresa Earnhardt has her name on Earnhardt-Childress engines, but obviously, those will stay with Chevrolet (Childress will just do it on his own if Earnhardt leaves).
It'd be nice in a dream world to see small teams like RGM, TBR, and BKR get factory Dodge support and move up the field...but it'll end up more like Bryan Herta Autosport, HVM Racing, and Dreyer & Reinbold becoming Lotus factory teams and going nowhere...
It'd be nice in a dream world to see small teams like RGM, TBR, and BKR get factory Dodge support and move up the field...but it'll end up more like Bryan Herta Autosport, HVM Racing, and Dreyer & Reinbold becoming Lotus factory teams and going nowhere...
Eric
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Posted 10 March 2012 - 07:46 PM
...which leads into one last update on the 2012 IndyCar grid.
Team Penske (Chevrolet)
2. Ryan Briscoe (IZOD et al)
3. Hélio Castroneves (Shell V-Power et al)
12. Will Power (Verizon Wireless)
Panther Racing (Chevrolet)
4. J.R. Hildebrand (National Guard)
Second car always possible at Indy.
KV Racing Technology (Chevrolet)
5. E.J. Viso (CITGO)
8. Rubens Barrichello (BMC)
11. Tony Kanaan (GEICO, Mouser, Itaipava)
Dragon Racing (Lotus)
6. Katherine Legge (TrueCar)
7. Sébastien Bourdais (???)
Haven't paid for Bourdais' engine yet.
Chip Ganassi Racing (Honda)
9. Scott Dixon (Target)
10. Dario Franchitti (Target)
38. Graham Rahal (Service Central)
83. Charlie Kimball (Novo Nordisk)
A.J. Foyt Enterprises (Honda)
14. Mike Conway (ABC Supply Co.)
Usually has a second car at Indy
RLL Racing (Honda)
15. Takuma Sato (Mi-Jack)
Second car with Luca Filippi (30) will start at Indy and continue for the remainder of the season.
Dale Coyne Racing (Honda)
18. Justin Wilson (Sonny's BBQ)
19. James Jakes (Boy Scouts)
Neither car has an actual sponsor; Jakes brings some family money (Acorn Stairlifts).
Ed Carpenter Racing (Chevrolet)
20. Ed Carpenter (Fuzzy's Ultra Premium Vodka)
Dreyer & Reinbold Racing (Lotus)
22. Oriol Servià (Lotus Cars)
May field a second at Indy.
Andretti Autosport (Chevrolet)
26. Marco Andretti (RC Cola)
27. James Hinchcliffe (GoDaddy.com)
28. Ryan Hunter-Reay (Sun Drop)
Will field 25 car for Sebastián Saavedra at Indy (AFS backing). Also testing Ana Beatriz, maybe for São Paulo?
Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing (Honda)
67. Josef Newgarden (???)
Schmidt Hamilton Racing (Honda)
77. Simon Pagenaud (hp)
Maybe a second at Indy; no longer partnered with AFS Racing.
HVM Racing (Lotus)
78. Simona de Silvestro (Entergy)
Could field Jean Alesi at Indy if D&RR doesn't.
Bryan Herta Autosport (Lotus)
98. Alex Tagliani (Barracuda Networks)
26 full-time. 30-32 possibilities for the Indy 500 so far. I'm sure they'll make 33 happen, but I wouldn't expect bumping in qualifying.
Team Penske (Chevrolet)
2. Ryan Briscoe (IZOD et al)
3. Hélio Castroneves (Shell V-Power et al)
12. Will Power (Verizon Wireless)
Panther Racing (Chevrolet)
4. J.R. Hildebrand (National Guard)
Second car always possible at Indy.
KV Racing Technology (Chevrolet)
5. E.J. Viso (CITGO)
8. Rubens Barrichello (BMC)
11. Tony Kanaan (GEICO, Mouser, Itaipava)
Dragon Racing (Lotus)
6. Katherine Legge (TrueCar)
7. Sébastien Bourdais (???)
Haven't paid for Bourdais' engine yet.
Chip Ganassi Racing (Honda)
9. Scott Dixon (Target)
10. Dario Franchitti (Target)
38. Graham Rahal (Service Central)
83. Charlie Kimball (Novo Nordisk)
A.J. Foyt Enterprises (Honda)
14. Mike Conway (ABC Supply Co.)
Usually has a second car at Indy
RLL Racing (Honda)
15. Takuma Sato (Mi-Jack)
Second car with Luca Filippi (30) will start at Indy and continue for the remainder of the season.
Dale Coyne Racing (Honda)
18. Justin Wilson (Sonny's BBQ)
19. James Jakes (Boy Scouts)
Neither car has an actual sponsor; Jakes brings some family money (Acorn Stairlifts).
Ed Carpenter Racing (Chevrolet)
20. Ed Carpenter (Fuzzy's Ultra Premium Vodka)
Dreyer & Reinbold Racing (Lotus)
22. Oriol Servià (Lotus Cars)
May field a second at Indy.
Andretti Autosport (Chevrolet)
26. Marco Andretti (RC Cola)
27. James Hinchcliffe (GoDaddy.com)
28. Ryan Hunter-Reay (Sun Drop)
Will field 25 car for Sebastián Saavedra at Indy (AFS backing). Also testing Ana Beatriz, maybe for São Paulo?
Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing (Honda)
67. Josef Newgarden (???)
Schmidt Hamilton Racing (Honda)
77. Simon Pagenaud (hp)
Maybe a second at Indy; no longer partnered with AFS Racing.
HVM Racing (Lotus)
78. Simona de Silvestro (Entergy)
Could field Jean Alesi at Indy if D&RR doesn't.
Bryan Herta Autosport (Lotus)
98. Alex Tagliani (Barracuda Networks)
26 full-time. 30-32 possibilities for the Indy 500 so far. I'm sure they'll make 33 happen, but I wouldn't expect bumping in qualifying.
Eric
#558
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Posted 12 March 2012 - 01:37 AM
This is a Dodge. Dodge has no teams for 2013. But they have that hideous white nonsense around the grille area.
You're thinking, hey, that looks cool.
Yeah, what's so bad about it?
That. That is what is so bad. They'll need to only show the Dodge from the gopher cam if they want it to look nice.
This is the back. It is boxy.
Anyway, good for NASCAR. It has lines pretty similar to the real Charger, just like the Fusion mimics the real Fusion. And they both look really, really different from each other, just like the road-going cars.
It's just too bad that none of the cars that race in NASCAR look good as street cars.
You're thinking, hey, that looks cool.
Yeah, what's so bad about it?
That. That is what is so bad. They'll need to only show the Dodge from the gopher cam if they want it to look nice.
This is the back. It is boxy.
Anyway, good for NASCAR. It has lines pretty similar to the real Charger, just like the Fusion mimics the real Fusion. And they both look really, really different from each other, just like the road-going cars.
It's just too bad that none of the cars that race in NASCAR look good as street cars.
Eric
#559
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Posted 13 March 2012 - 04:34 PM
A few weeks back I mentioned it'd be a Nissan...today it is finally a Nissan...
At speed, nothing too tricky yet:
I still love this project. Maybe it will fail, but that's part of it, right? They're running with a big idea that people are biased against from the start just for that off-chance something from the DeltaWing is going to stick in future cars. I just haven't ever really seen that in my lifetime, and especially not as an American project, odd when you would think the American attitude would really lend itself well to projects like this. Maybe that attitude's only fictitious, but anyway...
I think it's cool. I'm glad it found a home. It wouldn't have been right as an IndyCar. Side impact on an oval looks sketchy at best. An entire series of DeltaWing would have been tough, too, because they are still changing and adapting the car as they go and they wouldn't be able to do that with a full series. It makes sense at Le Mans, and maybe we'll see it adapted into an IndyCar, or some other car, later.
At speed, nothing too tricky yet:
I still love this project. Maybe it will fail, but that's part of it, right? They're running with a big idea that people are biased against from the start just for that off-chance something from the DeltaWing is going to stick in future cars. I just haven't ever really seen that in my lifetime, and especially not as an American project, odd when you would think the American attitude would really lend itself well to projects like this. Maybe that attitude's only fictitious, but anyway...
I think it's cool. I'm glad it found a home. It wouldn't have been right as an IndyCar. Side impact on an oval looks sketchy at best. An entire series of DeltaWing would have been tough, too, because they are still changing and adapting the car as they go and they wouldn't be able to do that with a full series. It makes sense at Le Mans, and maybe we'll see it adapted into an IndyCar, or some other car, later.
Eric
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Posted 13 March 2012 - 06:00 PM
Chevrolet and Honda teams will be testing at Barber and Homestead this week.
Every Lotus engine (all five units; no spares yet) is back in England getting rebuilt, so they will not be participating. Tagliani said he was 6.5 mph slower than the Ganassi cars in a straight line at the Sebring test. De Silvestro, ever the positive one, indicated that the engine is reliable, though I don't think reliability is a big issue right now for any of the three.
I have a feeling that a company that sells 2,000 road cars deciding to sponsor/supply/own 2,000 racing cars across the world has been a really bad decision. But at least they have five cars out there on the grid with something behind the driver. Maybe they'll make progress.
Every Lotus engine (all five units; no spares yet) is back in England getting rebuilt, so they will not be participating. Tagliani said he was 6.5 mph slower than the Ganassi cars in a straight line at the Sebring test. De Silvestro, ever the positive one, indicated that the engine is reliable, though I don't think reliability is a big issue right now for any of the three.
I have a feeling that a company that sells 2,000 road cars deciding to sponsor/supply/own 2,000 racing cars across the world has been a really bad decision. But at least they have five cars out there on the grid with something behind the driver. Maybe they'll make progress.
Eric
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Posted 14 March 2012 - 07:46 AM
Delta Wing
I too am quite interested in it, for most of the reasons you are. Will it truly handle the way they claim? The balance sweet spot is so fine (according to them), so what happens if it's a tad too far back? And all the downforce is created from under the car...so what happens if they suffer lift at the front? Surely will be some questions answered over time, and the whole thing is quite novel, so we shall see.
Under braking Dario sinks in the seat, so one assumes he was going at a reasonable pace to be forced down in the belts, and it was handling the corners quite well....infact, where was the over/understeer?
I look forward to their Le Mans challenge, and it will be the story of the race, whatever happens.
I too am quite interested in it, for most of the reasons you are. Will it truly handle the way they claim? The balance sweet spot is so fine (according to them), so what happens if it's a tad too far back? And all the downforce is created from under the car...so what happens if they suffer lift at the front? Surely will be some questions answered over time, and the whole thing is quite novel, so we shall see.
Under braking Dario sinks in the seat, so one assumes he was going at a reasonable pace to be forced down in the belts, and it was handling the corners quite well....infact, where was the over/understeer?
I look forward to their Le Mans challenge, and it will be the story of the race, whatever happens.
#562
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Posted 14 March 2012 - 06:39 PM
Craig - I believe it is Marino driving, but Eric will probably say who is right.
It'll certainly be an interesting project to watch anyway at Le Mans, should add some interest to see how they're doing if Audi begins to walk it, which they probably will.
I'm interested to note how quick they think it'll be. I know it is in the Garage 56 thing so isn't in a prescribed class, but where should its pace be around? LMP2 pace I'd guess?
It'll certainly be an interesting project to watch anyway at Le Mans, should add some interest to see how they're doing if Audi begins to walk it, which they probably will.
I'm interested to note how quick they think it'll be. I know it is in the Garage 56 thing so isn't in a prescribed class, but where should its pace be around? LMP2 pace I'd guess?
#563
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Posted 14 March 2012 - 07:32 PM
Yeah, Marino Franchitti and Érik Comas are currently the drivers involved with the project. Could have been Dario had it all unfolded differently, since this was Chip Ganassi's project at one point...
I honestly don't know what pace they are targeting with the LMP version of the DeltaWing. The IndyCar DeltaWing concept was, in theory, supposed to take 300 hp and turn identical times on road courses as the 2011 Dallara (as well as slightly faster at Indy). Whether or not it would have done that, I don't know, but when IndyCar share a weekend with ALMS, the IndyCar is slightly faster than an LMP1 (this includes the days when Audi's diesels ran ALMS). So in theory, the IndyCar DeltaWing concept, if it could do what it was supposed to, would be at least at LMP1 pace...
...but the LMP DeltaWing, in reality, in its first run, in a 24 hour race as opposed to a qualifying lap, I have no idea what they expect, or what we should expect. Obviously I don't think it's going to win the race overall, but I'll predict a class win.
If it goes the full 24 hours, I expect a lot less fuel stops than anything else, but that's about all I can figure.
I honestly don't know what pace they are targeting with the LMP version of the DeltaWing. The IndyCar DeltaWing concept was, in theory, supposed to take 300 hp and turn identical times on road courses as the 2011 Dallara (as well as slightly faster at Indy). Whether or not it would have done that, I don't know, but when IndyCar share a weekend with ALMS, the IndyCar is slightly faster than an LMP1 (this includes the days when Audi's diesels ran ALMS). So in theory, the IndyCar DeltaWing concept, if it could do what it was supposed to, would be at least at LMP1 pace...
...but the LMP DeltaWing, in reality, in its first run, in a 24 hour race as opposed to a qualifying lap, I have no idea what they expect, or what we should expect. Obviously I don't think it's going to win the race overall, but I'll predict a class win.
If it goes the full 24 hours, I expect a lot less fuel stops than anything else, but that's about all I can figure.
Eric
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Posted 14 March 2012 - 07:48 PM
New, relaxed Kurt Busch is not very happy. He's wrecked more racecars than the team actually has. One correction, it is Kurt saying the "AIR GUN AIR GUN AIR GUN" thing, not Nick Harrison, which you could probably tell by the voice anyway. Obviously there's language, censored out, but still there.
But then again, as much as we pick on Kurt, radio chatter is radio chatter. Find me one driver or one crew chief or one spotter who doesn't swear on the radio in NASCAR; you won't be able to. Do they all whine like Kurt about "waaah this black cloud?" No, they don't, most of them don't, because it's really hard to motivate a team, especially a small team that gets the opportunity to have championship-winning driver with them, when you're just *****ing about your luck and it's never "we'll get them next week, thanks guys, we had a good run, I'm sorry."
But then again, as much as we pick on Kurt, radio chatter is radio chatter. Find me one driver or one crew chief or one spotter who doesn't swear on the radio in NASCAR; you won't be able to. Do they all whine like Kurt about "waaah this black cloud?" No, they don't, most of them don't, because it's really hard to motivate a team, especially a small team that gets the opportunity to have championship-winning driver with them, when you're just *****ing about your luck and it's never "we'll get them next week, thanks guys, we had a good run, I'm sorry."
Eric
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Posted 14 March 2012 - 11:56 PM
Former Truck and ARCA driver Mario Gosselin arrested for soliciting prostitution online. Maybe he'll find a second career in IndyCar, like Tomas Scheckter did.
http://www.theledger...ne-Sex-Ad-Sting
http://www.theledger...ne-Sex-Ad-Sting
Eric
#566
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Posted 15 March 2012 - 12:45 PM
Massa, on 14 March 2012 - 07:48 PM, said:
New, relaxed Kurt Busch is not very happy. He's wrecked more racecars than the team actually has. One correction, it is Kurt saying the "AIR GUN AIR GUN AIR GUN" thing, not Nick Harrison, which you could probably tell by the voice anyway. Obviously there's language, censored out, but still there.
But then again, as much as we pick on Kurt, radio chatter is radio chatter. Find me one driver or one crew chief or one spotter who doesn't swear on the radio in NASCAR; you won't be able to. Do they all whine like Kurt about "waaah this black cloud?" No, they don't, most of them don't, because it's really hard to motivate a team, especially a small team that gets the opportunity to have championship-winning driver with them, when you're just *****ing about your luck and it's never "we'll get them next week, thanks guys, we had a good run, I'm sorry."
But then again, as much as we pick on Kurt, radio chatter is radio chatter. Find me one driver or one crew chief or one spotter who doesn't swear on the radio in NASCAR; you won't be able to. Do they all whine like Kurt about "waaah this black cloud?" No, they don't, most of them don't, because it's really hard to motivate a team, especially a small team that gets the opportunity to have championship-winning driver with them, when you're just *****ing about your luck and it's never "we'll get them next week, thanks guys, we had a good run, I'm sorry."
Kurt Busch is one of the most dislikable guys in NASCAR.
And that's saying a lot.
j/k
#567
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Posted 16 March 2012 - 07:11 AM
I think we need a Delta Wing thread...all in favour say aye!
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Posted 16 March 2012 - 06:06 PM
Yeah, I'd like a DeltaWing thread.
Part of me still says disband this thread and just create separate topics for things that are interesting (big races, things like the DeltaWing). I just can't be ***ed to run series-specific NASCAR or IndyCar threads or anything like that, so it probably makes more sense to just make fewer American racing posts and discriminate toward things that may have more appeal to a wider audience, and do those in their own little threads (like a DeltaWing thread which I encourage you to start, and the Sebring thread I'm doing now, the Daytona thread I did which then spawned Montoya fire threads, etc).
Part of me still says disband this thread and just create separate topics for things that are interesting (big races, things like the DeltaWing). I just can't be ***ed to run series-specific NASCAR or IndyCar threads or anything like that, so it probably makes more sense to just make fewer American racing posts and discriminate toward things that may have more appeal to a wider audience, and do those in their own little threads (like a DeltaWing thread which I encourage you to start, and the Sebring thread I'm doing now, the Daytona thread I did which then spawned Montoya fire threads, etc).
Eric
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Posted 21 March 2012 - 07:06 PM
...but this thread has a use, when I just want to post pointless crap.
Bobby Labonte Tebows. Tim Tebow himself was praying for a trade to a Florida team, but got sent to the New York Jets, who already signed Mark Sanchez for another three years. As someone who knows very little about the NFL, let me give you my opinions on this move. It's a weird one. Maybe NY can use Tebow as a runningback or a TE or something. I just don't see the difference between Tebow not playing in Denver and not playing in New York. End of the day, he did something weird and it caught defenses by surprise. This year, they all know the book on Timmy and you have a QB doing all that running around, his career will last five years before he's too battered to be effective. Instead it only lasted part of one. Poor kid.
Bobby Labonte Tebows. Tim Tebow himself was praying for a trade to a Florida team, but got sent to the New York Jets, who already signed Mark Sanchez for another three years. As someone who knows very little about the NFL, let me give you my opinions on this move. It's a weird one. Maybe NY can use Tebow as a runningback or a TE or something. I just don't see the difference between Tebow not playing in Denver and not playing in New York. End of the day, he did something weird and it caught defenses by surprise. This year, they all know the book on Timmy and you have a QB doing all that running around, his career will last five years before he's too battered to be effective. Instead it only lasted part of one. Poor kid.
Eric
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Posted 21 March 2012 - 07:15 PM
A few posts up, we had a video of Kurt Busch cussing on the radio (gosh, the horror, a racing driver cussing on the radio! That's never happened before). And whining, which some guys do, some guys don't do. I did the old Kurt Busch "m-f, m-f" today on the highway. I'm trying to get over to the right lane to get to my exit. I speed up to get some distance between the car in the right lane so I can blend in, and she speeds up and stays alongside me. So I slow down to just let her illegally pass me right and I'll blend in behind her, no worries. Except she slows down to and stays right alongside me. Of course she didn't notice I was trying to get in; she was staring down at her lap texting. What a dumb piece of ****. I got to jack all the traffic up behind me slowing down to 55 just to get in behind that turd. When I start to put distance on you and put my signal on, you don't speed up and take the gap, and then slow down when I slow down...unless you don't notice any of that because you want to make sure you die "talking" to your best friend, with texting being as bad for reaction time than being absolutely wasted is...so I yelled Kurt Busch's favorite word his favorite number of times (two in succession) for no one to hear and carried on being driving angry isn't very safe either.
This all relates to racing because they did part of the Red Bull American Driver Search a few miles from where I go to school, which is where I was driving to when this ignorant, reckless, self-absorbed, irresponsible little child decided her conversation was more important than everyone else on the road's lives.
I think I need to just go Tebow or something.
This all relates to racing because they did part of the Red Bull American Driver Search a few miles from where I go to school, which is where I was driving to when this ignorant, reckless, self-absorbed, irresponsible little child decided her conversation was more important than everyone else on the road's lives.
I think I need to just go Tebow or something.
Eric
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