142 replies to this topic

[lewisthegreat2]

We had a Daytona 500 thread (well, I had one, not sure if anyone else did ), so I suppose an Indy 500 thread is warranted.<br>

Edited by lewisthegreat2, 13 May 2011 - 10:42 PM.

[JHS]

I was pleased to hear that Hinch had done a deal to drive for the rest of the season, he's a really cool guy. His YouTube videos still make me smile. What do you think his chances are Eric?

[HandyNZL]

Here's a related (?) question....

Why a 7 car and an 07? Can't find a number between 1 and 99 that isn't taken by someone else? Just seems stupid.

Why is there not a 1 car in IRL? I can not recall their being one...ever....I might be wrong....

Edited by HandyNZL, 06 April 2011 - 09:08 AM.

[lewisthegreat2]

Updated the list in the original post.  Bertrand Baguette will drive the 30 for Rahal-Letterman-Lanigan.  RACB backing him as ever.  Also included the AFS 17 in the expect count; totally forgot about them.

JHS, on 06 April 2011 - 07:13 AM, said:

I was pleased to hear that Hinch had done a deal to drive for the rest of the season, he's a really cool guy. His YouTube videos still make me smile. What do you think his chances are Eric?

Hinchcliffe is, without a doubt, my favorite driver in INDYCAR, and I think he's huge for the sport if they choose to use him for their promotional stuff.  Perfect personality, and with the 18-34 demographic being their target, Hinchcliffe is their man.  The guy has a personality, but he also brings them out in all the other drivers; so many fans were introduced to the Atlantics and Indy Lights drivers through Hinchcliffe and his Internet presence.

His chances?  I'd like them to be high, but I'm cautiously optimistic.  Newman/Haas Racing have great equipment, and have qualified well at Indy the last few years, as well as scored good performances on ovals with Rahal and Servià in 2009.  However, they weren't a two-car effort last year, so that could be a bit of a strain, and there's a huge jump from Indy Lights to the big cars.  Hinchcliffe will learn a lot from Servià, too, so that can speed things up for him.  In short, I think Hinchcliffe has a very good shot at being Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year (but then again, Hildebrand and Kimball do, too), but I wouldn't be crowning him the winner without rain.

I don't think podiums are out of the question on a road/street track later in the year, though.

HandyNZL, on 06 April 2011 - 09:08 AM, said:

Here's a related (?) question....

Why a 7 car and an 07? Can't find a number between 1 and 99 that isn't taken by someone else? Just seems stupid.

Why is there not a 1 car in IRL? I can not recall their being one...ever....I might be wrong....

There's a 6 and an 06, too.  I don't like the oh-number much, either, but it happens.  Newman/Haas didn't want to use 06, but all the low numbers were taken (a lot more surprise Indy-only entries will be announced, so more numbers are taken than meets the eye), and I guess they aren't fans of high numbers.  SH Racing (perhaps their sponsor) wanted 7, which is taken, and so is 77, so 07 it was.  It's something that's been happening for a long time in American racing and I suppose it always will.

The number 1 is reserved for the championship winning team.  They just choose not to take it; numbers have more of a marketing/identity thing in American racing than F1, since they aren't assigned by championship (even moreso in NASCAR than F1, though).  Michael Andretti used the "1" in his Indy run in 2006 (the team had it from Wheldon's title in 2005), which is probably the most recent usage.  I think Dixon may have taken 1 in 2004 as well.

Edited by lewisthegreat2, 06 April 2011 - 07:15 PM.

[HandyNZL]

Dixon has always been 9 since moving to Ganassi....he never ran the 1.

Why "want" the number 7...Danica has had it for quite a few years now....so this other team just wanted it? That's just dumb....please go and tell them to change, Eric.  You're the President and you can do whatever you want.

[lewisthegreat2]

HandyNZL, on 07 April 2011 - 09:42 AM, said:

Dixon has always been 9 since moving to Ganassi....he never ran the 1.

Why "want" the number 7...Danica has had it for quite a few years now....so this other team just wanted it? That's just dumb....please go and tell them to change, Eric.  You're the President and you can do whatever you want.

He did in 2004...

http://en.wikipedia....nd_Driver_Chart

I'm sure it goes back to the identity/image thing.  Somehow, "7" means something to REDLINE Xtreme.  Maybe 7 more months until they go belly-up like every other energy drink start-up.  Who knows?

[HandyNZL]

Ha....eggs on me then....

For a car that has not "changed" it's changed quite a bit if you look at today's cars.

Cool stuff, mate...excuse me whilst I go extract my foot from my mouth

[lewisthegreat2]

HandyNZL, on 08 April 2011 - 05:37 AM, said:

Ha....eggs on me then....

For a car that has not "changed" it's changed quite a bit if you look at today's cars.

Cool stuff, mate...excuse me whilst I go extract my foot from my mouth

The reason it looks so different is that it's the Panoz G-FORCE chassis, not the Dallara IR5.  The better looking of the two, but also a bit unsafe, and not getting any updates from Panoz (who were, and still are, in financial trouble and, at the time, working on the DP01) to the point it disappeared.  The IR5, too, has changed since introduced in 2003, beyond just the road/street course configuration, so you're still right.

[HandyNZL]

I knew it was a Panoz..just meaning for a spec series car that their has been development...more so than say in GP2 etc which is just stagnant till a whole new car comes along.  (Like this year they have a new design).

Today's cars look quite sexy side on too...was thinking that watching St Pete's race...they just look more like a balanced car than F1 aesthetically....which one performs better is another matter

[lewisthegreat2]

Yeah, there's freedom in the car itself because INDYCAR was never intended to be a spec-series.  It just kind of happened.  Get up close with a Penske or Ganassi Dallara, and then check out an HVM one.  You'll find plenty of differences, as I'm sure you know.

I can't wait for Indy when we get to see the 2012 car with two different aerokits (one oval, one road/street).  That design we saw?  That was just to demonstrate how aerokits work; it looks nothing like the actual car.  Robin Miller claims it's "F1 in the front and Parnelli in the back."  I have a feeling it might be really cool, and with less reliance on wings for downforce, I think INDYCAR could be on the verge of the perfectly balanced formula in variety yet close competition as well as overtaking/quality racing.  Definitely one of the many exciting things about the 500 this year.

Edited by lewisthegreat2, 09 April 2011 - 12:37 AM.

[HandyNZL]

Did I read you wrong? They are running 2012 aerokits at the 500 this year? Or is there going to be a demo car there? It's your accent you see...too much Southern Drawl

[lewisthegreat2]

HandyNZL, on 09 April 2011 - 03:18 AM, said:

Did I read you wrong? They are running 2012 aerokits at the 500 this year? Or is there going to be a demo car there? It's your accent you see...too much Southern Drawl

I've grown up in the areas with the two worst accents in the U.S.: New Jersey and Boston.  Fortunately, I ended up with very, very little of each.

There will be two cars in the paddock for viewing.  They won't be running.

[HandyNZL]

See, you say you haven't got an accent, but I haven't understood a word from you in three years!

[lewisthegreat2]

HandyNZL, on 09 April 2011 - 05:01 PM, said:

See, you say you haven't got an accent, but I haven't understood a word from you in three years!

If only Google translator had an American to English (and vice versa) feature.  It would be for the best...

[lewisthegreat2]

Small update: Davey Hamilton's number is 11, not 21.

Bigger update: Highcroft Racing will field the #16 through Panther Racing for Simon Pagenaud.  Should be a good car, and Pagenaud's obviously a great driver, so we'll have to see how he can adapt to oval racing (especially Indy, which is one of the hardest ovals out there).

Bump Day is going to be pretty fun to watch; some good teams/drivers are going to get sent home.  With it being the last 500 for the current car, it makes little sense to not enter if you have a Dallara.

[HandyNZL]

Bump day will actually be bump day...yay!

[Grabthaw the Hammerslayer]

No. no, no Eric - surely the greatest spectacles in auto racing:

 omg-heikki-ugly.jpg   49.88K   0 downloads

[lewisthegreat2]

Classic Meanioni.  Good to see you.

Some pre-race festivities: http://www.autoguide...apolis-500.html

Soon to be confirmed: The driver of the Dragon #8.  It's someone returning to the sport after a bit of a hiatus.  I'm not 100% confirmed on this, but I'd say with confidence that the driver has won the Indianapolis 500 before (if it is who I have been led to believe it is).  I say that, of course, and not the name, because the only other guy I think it could be besides the guy I think it is has also won the 500.

Spoiler

I'd put it as likely for Buddy Rice and less likely as Sam Hornish, Jr.  I really doubt it's anyone else beyond those two.

Something they're working on: a 33-plane flyover to commemorate the 100th anniversary of this wonderful event.  If they do it, that's awesome, and I'll be so freaking jealous of everyone at the track.  Flyover's always one of the coolest parts of attending a race; and that's usually just one plane (or, at my local track, an occasional flock of geese ).

[lewisthegreat2]

The official entry list is out!  42 entries.  I'll update the OP in a minute, but here's the new stuff:

Dragon Racing are entered without a driver, as expected.  The driver announcement will be soon; really, really sure it's Buddy Rice now.

A mysterious #16 with no information.  This was supposed to be Simon Pagenaud, Highcroft, and Panther.  However, Panther have a second car, the 44, so I wonder what's going on with Pagenaud's ride.

Raphael Matos and AFS Racing are entered.  They'll be doing all the road/street races plus Indy.

Still no driver on the 19 car, but it will be there.

Conquest pull out a 36 car; again driver TBA.

The aforementioned second Panther with nothing confirmed but the number.

A second Sarah Fisher Racing car numbered 57.  They only have two cars, so fielding a two-car team would be tough; I doubt it's a garage-space move, so I assume they plan to try to qualify Ed's backup for a Bump Day special if Ed's already in the show.

China Racing and the #89.  No one saw that coming.  Ho-Pin Tung tested an INDYCAR (numbered 88) with FAZZT over the winter, and wants to run the 500, so I guess.  No insider has anything about this team yet, so we'll label it as suspicious.

Number change: Wheldon and Bryan Herta Autosport will use the 98 instead of the 29.  There's one team I associate the 98 with, so I wonder...

http://www.indianapo...S_EntryList.pdf

I'm sure we'll see someone else show up last-minute, and perhaps someone not make it, but 42...holy ****!

[HandyNZL]

Just like the good ol' days, Eric.  Maybe IRL has turned a corner? Racing is getting racier, and full fields in all races....it's cool.

Guess too it's like you say - the last hurrah of these cars at the Brickyard...if you got one....go enter it!

[lewisthegreat2]

Randy Bernard killed the IRL months ago.

It's official INDYCAR as the sanctioning body of the IZOD IndyCar Series and the Firestone Indy Lights.  INDYCAR and IICS work well for referring to the sport.

But yes, INDYCAR is the only thing in American motorsports on an upswing.  A lot of good stuff happening there and if they get the new car right, and if VERSUS takes off under the NBC Sports banner, well, the sport of open-wheel racing could get back to being a pretty BFD here.

[HandyNZL]

It will always be CART to me.....tra la la la lah....

Please remove the knot in your undies Eric....it's not impressing the girls

[lewisthegreat2]

Problem solved.

Also, Sam Hornish, Jr. will not race in the Indianapolis 500.  I am relieved.

[lewisthegreat2]

lewisthegreat2, on 14 April 2011 - 09:28 PM, said:

Number change: Wheldon and Bryan Herta Autosport will use the 98 instead of the 29.  There's one team I associate the 98 with, so I wonder...

I wondered correctly about CURB/Agajanian's involvement.

http://indycar.com/n...-historic-ties/

Unfortunately, the original livery was infinitely better than this one.  The sheer hideousness of the showcar they used (an old IRL-era car) doesn't help, but matching orange paint they got at Home Depot with the high-quality stuff the William Rast logo is in looks so sloppy.  I'd recommend an all-white car with the logo, design on the top of the sidepod, and numbers in the same shiny orange the logo is currently in, because currently, it looks poorly done.

Edited by lewisthegreat2, 16 April 2011 - 08:11 PM.

[HandyNZL]

Looks ok to me Eric (says the man with an orange race car )

Apart from the main sponsor logo - you can hardly read it as it blends with the white...they need a black outline.

That's my 2-cents worth.

[lewisthegreat2]

I like orange in moderation, but there's no flow, and it's a really ugly shade of orange when they have the high quality reflective stuff on some parts and cheap crap on the rest in terrible blotches of design-less manure.

(It bothers me because the William Rast cars are always so pretty, and this one isn't ).

[HandyNZL]

So should we rename this thread the Eric and Handy thread? Do you think any of the others will ever come in here? Do we smell or something?

[lewisthegreat2]

I predict that on race day, someone will not notice this, start an "Indy 500" thread about an hour after the race ends, and ask if anyone else watched.  It happens every year.

[HandyNZL]

You mean we're talking about a race in here? Oh....sorry...I'm in the wrong thread then......

Long Beach coverage just started.....yay

[Rainmaster]

lewisthegreat2, on 17 April 2011 - 04:46 PM, said:

I predict that on race day, someone will not notice this, start an "Indy 500" thread about an hour after the race ends, and ask if anyone else watched.  It happens every year.

Now I'm going to do that just to annoy you! Because I'm that kind of guy.

Uhh, I feel dirty just posting in this thread, better get out of here before someone sees me.