Racing Of The United States Variety

[Massa 0]

Useless trivia:

Lee Frayer, Bert Dingley, and Robert Evans finished thirteenth in the first three Indianapolis 500s (1911-1913).

For each, it was the only time he would contest the 500.

[Massa 0]

A small project I've been working on in my free time (how big of a loser am I? ): calculating and compiling the median Indy 500 classification of every driver who has ever contested the race (which has been called the International 500-Mile Sweepstakes, the International 300-Mile Sweepstakes, the Liberty 500-Mile Sweepstakes, the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, and now the Indianapolis 500).

I'm only through 1922, but it's amazing how many drivers get forgotten from the early days. There were some statistically impressive drivers who I've never even heard of...and it was no less of a challenge then as it is now, perhaps even moreso...

I'm expecting the data to favor the modern runners only because of the reliability of equipment. They would have fewer bad finishes to suck up the good ones...but I don't know. It's mostly just for my own amusement than to conclude anything at all.

[Rainmaster 7]

A small project I've been working on in my free time (how big of a loser am I? ): calculating and compiling the median Indy 500 classification of every driver who has ever contested the race (which has been called the International 500-Mile Sweepstakes, the International 300-Mile Sweepstakes, the Liberty 500-Mile Sweepstakes, the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, and now the Indianapolis 500).

I'm only through 1922, but it's amazing how many drivers get forgotten from the early days. There were some statistically impressive drivers who I've never even heard of...and it was no less of a challenge then as it is now, perhaps even moreso...

I'm expecting the data to favor the modern runners only because of the reliability of equipment. They would have fewer bad finishes to suck up the good ones...but I don't know. It's mostly just for my own amusement than to conclude anything at all.

Eric you fool! You can find all of that information on www.medianIndy500classificationofeverydriverwhohasevercontestedtherace(whichhasbeencalledtheInternational500-Mile SweepstakestheInternational300-MileSweepstakestheLiberty500-MileSweepstakestheIndianapolis500-MileRaceandnowtheIndianapolis500).com

[BradSpeedMan 6]

Eric you fool! You can find all of that information on www.medianIndy500classificationofeverydriverwhohasevercontestedtherace(whichhasbeencalledtheInternational500-Mile SweepstakestheInternational300-MileSweepstakestheLiberty500-MileSweepstakestheIndianapolis500-MileRaceandnowtheIndianapolis500).com

trust Eric to miss that one

[BradSpeedMan 6]

Ford tweaked the 2013 Fusion Cup car. The grille bars are no longer a sticker...they're actually real. That's pretty cool.

This is the 2013 Fusion production car, for comparison.

looks a monster, hopefully it will go as fast as it looks

[Massa 0]

No, George, the reason I don't have to do it is that there is zero demand for this, even among Indy 500 enthusiasts.

Texas declined IndyCar. If they don't add a sixteenth race, they lose their IZOD money for the year. Bernard's a lot of talk, isn't he? "18 races in 2012"...we have 15. "20 races in 2013"...no way. "China in 2012"...same as China in 2007 or Korea in 2005-06 for Champ Car. "Aerokits"...nope. "50/50 oval/road course split"...haven't seen any progress toward that. "We have a Plan B for China"...well, it seems to me if you're scrambling and getting declined, you never actually had a Plan B...

It looks to me like we've gone absolutely nowhere since 2007. I've seen Champ Car look a lot like this and a few months later it was gone.

Somewhere in all of that, there's an Indy race in about an hour.

[Massa 0]

Don't expect the Indy race in Milwaukee to happen today. Track is soaked and it's still raining. So much for my plan to watch.

[Massa 0]

So the race did happen and it was sort of okay because Servià finished fourth and Tagliani did alright. His moves on the outside were CRAZY. So was Wilson's before he let go.

Power and Franchitti are doing everything they can to let Hinchcliffe win the title with zero race victories.

The race started on ABC, moved to ESPN News for Nationwide on ABC, went commercial-free because it was on ESPN News (I've never seen ad free racing before ), then the Nationwide on ABC got cut off by my local affiliate at 5 PM so I had nothing to go to during commercials of Le Mans on SPEED which I am now taking a break from.

Why we can't just race on Sunday afternoons like we did when I was a kid...though I think I was actually watching Thursday Night Thunder as a kid but it may have been Friday or Saturday by the time I was born...whatever...

[HandyNZL 1]

Move to NZ...get it all live and no ads...except Le Mans - its not covered

[Massa 0]

I like the ads...they build suspense.

[HandyNZL 1]

Indycar has admitted they stuffed up with the penalty on Dixon. They penalised him for the waved off restart as they "looked at the wrong restart". Chumps.

Dixon had a shot at the win today. Instead, he gets 11th and drops to third overall...

[Massa 0]

I've had it with Beaux Barfield as race control.

He ****s up every weekend.

Indy he admits to holding a yellow for extra laps to avoid cars running out of fuel.

Detroit he admits he should have made them put on wet tires before restarting.

Texas they admit (not necessarily Beaux) that they didn't catch illegal parts on Wilson's car.

Milwaukee he admits he screwed up the restart.

You know I'm not Dixon guy, but they really ****ed him over. The whole thing was odd to begin with, because Indy has no rules on restarts. See the 500? The restarts were half the fun. As soon as you're told "green," you do what you want, that's how IndyCar has always been, no rules on restarts. So enforcing it on any restart was weird...and then to find out they enforced it on a restart that was waved off...

...sometimes I don't feel so bad that the sport's on its last legs. It certainly isn't there because it's a victim...

[Massa 0]

Leave Kurt alone!!!

James Finch was going to fire Kurt Busch.

Guess who saved his job?

The crew members. The guys who have to listen to mean bad mentally ill Kurt say bad words. They told Finch they liked working with Kurt and having him has their driver. The absolute irony of how a biased media (recall that Jimmy Spencer, the guy behind "Kurt Busch Radio Sweetheart," had an on-going feud with Kurt starting in March 2002 and going until August 2003 when Spencer punched Busch in the face and broke his nose) portrays Kurt Busch and how his team actually feels about him.

And from Jayski.com:

#51-Kurt Busch's troubles with the media continued on Saturday at Michigan International Speedway. Busch had a brief, heated exchange with ESPN reporter Marty Smith after Saturday's Nationwide Series race at MIS, a week after serving a one-week suspension for making threatening comments to Sporting News reporter Bob Pockrass after the Dover Nationwide Series race. Busch, on orders from Sprint Cup team owner James Finch, avoided talking to reporters upon arriving at MIS on Thursday. But when he finished third in the race won by Joey Logano on Saturday, he had to make a mandatory appearance in the media center. As he waited to be interviewed, an MRN Radio pit reporter said on the live broadcast that Busch left the top-five area without interviewing. Busch was told of the comment and replied, "That's what everybody says, don't they." Busch then left the room to cool off. Several reporters, including Smith, with a camera crew, followed. Busch then told Smith to come over with his camera. When Smith got there, Busch said he wasn't doing interviews there, adding, "You ever hear of sarcasm?" That led to a brief exchange during which Busch said, "You don't know how long I've been working on this."(see full post at ESPN.com)(6-17-2012)

Sorry, Marty Smith, but that's just...you asked for it. "Let's follow a driver with a history of being candid out of a room with a camera." What do you expect? You can't complain to NASCAR that Kurt's being mean and bad and horrible to you when you're provoking it. There are good journalists in racing, but they're very much outnumbered by those who are there for the buffets.

And NASCAR, since you suspended Kurt Busch, I hope you suspended Tony Stewart in 2011, too, denying him the championship he won, since he wasn't exactly nice to the reporters in this video:

Never mind the fact he physically assaulted one in 2001 or 2002...

[Massa 0]

But that's all negative so here's something good: the next three ALMS races are LIVE on U.S. television for once. ESPN2 with Lime Rock on July 7 to start off that little string for them. Good stuff.

And you have a NASCAR road course double-header next weekend. Nationwide at Road America (with Grand-Am) featuring two-time Elkhart Lake CART winner Jacques Villeneuve driving for Roger Penske and, as ever, Danica Patrick, who last raced at Road America in 2004, finishing fourth in the Atlantic Championship race there. Sunday has Sprint Cup at Sonoma Raceway, where Marcos Ambrose looks for a critical win (and he might be carrying some momentum into that one; he starts from the pole this afternoon) having taken Watkins Glen in 2011. A sweep of the two road races would make Ambrose a clear candidate for one of the wild card spots in the Chase. You also have Jeff Gordon, once-dominant at the road races, looking to get his season going again, and an extensive list of experienced road racers in the field that includes new Le Mans 24 Hour veteran Brian Vickers and a few Rolex 24 champions (Casey Mears, A.J. Allmendinger, Juan Pablo Montoya, Robby Gordon if he enters...I'm definitely forgetting someone) while sports car racing is still fresh on everyone's minds.

Michigan race is this afternoon...I will evaluate my interest in it later today.

[Massa 0]

I'll do the unthinkable...and share a Marty Smith article...about Kurt Busch...

http://espn.go.com/r...-phoenix-racing

Intrigued as to exactly why they voted that way, I sought those Phoenix Racing crewmen out for answers. What I got was an eye-opening explanation of the value of elite talent in NASCAR racing, from a group of gritty, no-nonsense racers who aren't apt to care about being cussed or chided -- and are oddly inspired by it.

The No. 51 crew painted a completely different picture of Busch than that which we see during the tirades and the meltdowns and the tantrums. They discussed a guy who is willing to get his hands dirty right alongside them, who rides with them to testing sessions, and who buys them beers at the bar.

But...but...but...TV said Kurt's a crybaby...but...but...but...you mean when coaches swear at players...it's just like a driver swearing at his crew...but...but...but...

"He's a cool guy who dies to win every lap," [car chief Lee] Dodson said. "He's all passion, really. That's what we see -- the passion. Does he get mad? Yes. But we can handle that. He's really old-school."

But...but...but...that idiot Massa said...hey maybe Kurt's just passionate and loves winning and hates losing...he must have been wrong...all wrong...

Marty Smith, you get a pass for the weekend. That was a good article. You aren't the sharpest tool when it comes to soliciting drivers for interviews apparently, but, good job. It's great to see some recognition that the small team, the team that has to drive back for spare parts, the people who are actually impacted by Kurt (media and fans aren't)...really like having him around.

[Massa 0]

Ralph won today.

Will he ever win again?

[Massa 0]

In things only I care about, FOX is trying to negotiate an early extension with NASCAR before NBC has a chance to make a bid that will drive up the price.

I don't like this.

FOX coverage is awful.

NBC's coverage of every sport is really, really great. I'd love to see NASCAR on NBC and NBCSN. I'd hate to have to see more years of NASCAR on FOX and perhaps the new FS1 channel.

[Massa 0]

These videos are cute. You know the IndyCar community is lucky because in twenty years or so, we're going to get James Hinchcliffe and Josef Newgarden doing the commentary on TV and it will be pretty good, I suspect (I hope Dario Franchitti goes into TV after he retires, too).

[JHS18 0]

"Who's your favourite driver?"

"Uhhh...I don't know."

And there's Indycar's problems summed up in two sentences.

No, I joke, thanks for sharing that, it was pretty funny. I have to admit, I've grown to like Newgarden quite a bit.

[Massa 0]

Well, IndyCar has it's shot at the big time this weekend in Iowa...they are the support series for the real American open-wheel: USAC Silver Crown and the USAC National Midget Championship.

IndyCar, in USAC's style, will be doing heat races to determine the starting lineup this weekend...

...but they won't be televised live. They'll be shown before the actual race for people who want to watch seven million consecutive hours of IndyCar racing. Those people are, admittedly, not me, because it's ROAD RACING WEEKEND IN AMERICA with USAC on YouTube and F1 on FOX and I can only take IndyCar in small doses before I just get really down about everything.

[Massa 0]

What do you say we try something a little different?

First you'll see a finish that was .0000000x seconds at the line.

Then you'll see Alexis DeJoria, daughter of Paul DeJoria, the man behind Paul Mitchell hair products and Tequila Patrón, now a key investor in the Circuit of the Americas USGP track.

And finally you'll see Schumacher looking to end a losing streak, which I guess you see every few weeks in F1.

All while getting chills from the voices of Paul Page and pit reporter Gary Gerould, two guys who really ought to just be on every auto racing broadcast ever.

But at least watch the Pro Stock final because wow...

[Massa 0]

True story: the Michigan NASCAR race was the least-watched of the entire season so far. Earnhardt winning is bad for the sport.

(Of course it was also the least-watched non-rainout race last season, too, and increased in viewership by 15% this year, but don't let that get in the way).

[Massa 0]

Other TV ratings:

IndyCar Texas on NBCSN drew 384,000 viewers. They used to have about that many people there for the Indy 500 in person.

I think that's a .24 rating.

Milwaukee on ABC (one hour) drew a 1.0 rating (1,600,000 viewers or so). The subsequent Nationwide race on ABC drew a 1.6 (2,560,000 viewers).

NASCAR on TNT drew a 3.1 (4,960,000 viewers).

The previous weekend, Formula One on FOX (Montréal) drew a 1.2 (1,920,000 viewers).

IndyCar is just screwed. There is really nothing else to say there. You go on cable and get viewership on par with things like the Rolex 24 and Formula One in Asia (at 3 AM). You go on network and you're once more outdrawn by F1 (a series with no American drivers or teams), and, even better, as soon as your broadcast ends, the channel gains nearly 1,000,000 more viewers for a support series race that wasn't even aired in certain parts of the country (my region, for example, did not get the Nationwide race).

Just let the series go.

[JHS18 0]

Hahah, wow, that's...shocking to say the least.

Me being the uneducated fool I am when it comes to American racing, you look at the packed grand stands at somewhere like the Indy 500 and think how hard can it be to build on that momentum for the rest of ths eason? Obviously very.

[HandyNZL 1]

Flipside - could the Indy 500 be sustainable as a one off race outside of a series? Does it need the series to survive in other words? I think quite possibly, yes (it needs a series around it). There is too little money to make too large an investment to make race cars solely for one race a year these days.

What say you Eric?