Racing Of The United States Variety

[lewisthegreat2 0]

66 races without a win...dry spell ends in the dessert, Jeff Gordon wins in Phoenix. The student a week earlier, the mentor this one. Cool, cool. Nice guys winning two weeks in a row. That's why I like NASCAR more than F1; I can actually feel good for the winners.

The pass for the win and the finish below:

http://www.nascar.co...inal/index.html

Next race: Las Vegas (and you thought Legard sucked...)

[Quiet One 15]

I tried to watch this race. I mean, I really tried. I know that it must be fun at some level to watch NASCAR. It didn't work.

Next time I will try to smoke some ganja before watching it. That might work.

Edit: not enough typos.

[lewisthegreat2 0]

I respect the fact you tried. Admittedly, picking Phoenix to watch is like saying "ah, I'll watch Valencia, I bet then I'll see why people like this F1," but I'm still impressed you made an effort.

And I know that, deep down inside, you're a true redneck stock car fan and would gladly shave an "88" in your hai...oh. I'll go write my paper now.

[Quiet One 15]

I respect the fact you tried. Admittedly, picking Phoenix to watch is like saying "ah, I'll watch Valencia, I bet then I'll see why people like this F1," but I'm still impressed you made an effort.

And I know that, deep down inside, you're a true redneck stock car fan and would gladly shave an "88" in your hai...oh. I'll go write my paper now.

Hey! I know what you just did there!

Anyways, nothing to respect about my effort. I'm desperate to find something to fill those endless months of F1 off season given that the only remarkable event is our own Rally de Burros at Mona Clavero.

As the whole world already knows, this year there was a horrific accident in rally when Roberto El Kubico crashed in his own Burro Lada Lotuso Tortilla Renaulto. You may notice how terribly defigurated he was after the accident. He si recovering now after a succesful boob job.

[Caesar 0]

people who can write good music,or play instruments well,or have good voice , they sell lot of records, have fans , make great concerts, sign contracts, win Grammys, become famous, make money....

people who can't do that ,whose product won't buy anyone, except their friends and family, their music is called indie music.

people who can drive very well,or who can win races,or who are fast on track, they drive in FormulaOne, they have money, they are famous, they sign contracts...

people who can't do that, they are called IndyCar.

as simple as that.

thank you very much.

[HandyNZL 1]

that was a really ignorant comment

[Caesar 0]

that was a really ignorant comment

probably, but the fact about indie music is true

[lewisthegreat2 0]

In before the media gets this:

Robby Gordon and Kevin Conway fought in the garage at LVMS, sources say (no video or anything). Gordon, Conway, and Conway's sponsor ExtenZe are in a number of lawsuits over failed payments. Gordon grabbed Conway, shook him, threw him down, and then hit him. Conway called police and reported this to NASCAR. Penalties pending for Gordon.

Expect this story to blow up in a few minutes.

[lewisthegreat2 0]

An update on the 2011 INDYCAR grid.

To clarify, confirmed constitutes a driver and an entry officially announced. All else is rumored (for example, the REDLINE car; it is confirmed as an entry, but there is no driver).

[HandyNZL 1]

I hope Wade gets a decent chance to show what he is made of. He's a quick pedlar plus knows how to overtake.

[Caesar 0]

'days of thunder' on our national TV

[lewisthegreat2 0]

Expect three more entries to be confirmed soon:

• AFS Racing (Neil Mickelwright and Tom Brown of Forsythe have joined; Wheldon and Lloyd are possible)
• KV Racing Technology (the third car, and it's Kanaan)
• Luczo-Dragon Racing (revived after de Ferran failed at management in his third series. Tracy's possible, but perhaps not a full-season)

There will be something of a 26-car cap at non-Indy races (perhaps just the top 26 getting paid, but more can still race), and they're well on-pace to exceed that nearly every weekend.

Hunter-Reay's number is 28 now, for the 28,000,000 people living with cancer, including his mother. White and yellow, Sun Drop and DHL as expected.

The new VERSUS team includes ex-NASCAR, CART, and sports car racer Wally Dallenbach, Jr. in the booth (his work for NASCAR on NBC/TNT has been exceptional), replacing Robbie Buhl, and

in the pits, taking the vacant spot of Jack Arute (though the new lead pit reporter is Lindy Thackston, one of the few females who isn't there just because of her gender). Really a solid commentary team. Dallenbach and Jon Beekhuis will bring a bit of banter to a team led by the straight-laced Bob Jenkins, and the pit reporting crew of Thackston, Robbie Floyd, and Kevin Lee is solid. The addition of Dallenbach, and the reliance of radio talent moving to TV has NBC written all over it; I think INDYCAR's on national TV more frequently 2012+, and you can expect them to make a run at the Indy 500 when ABC's contract is up. I also think Lee, having done play-by-play on radio (in the video linked), is being prepped to replace the aging Jenkins in the booth. Cool stuff.

It's incredible to me with all that's gone on with Randy Bernard that we're in the first upswing for this sport in so damn long. Just a great job being done by all right now.

[HandyNZL 1]

I agree Eric. This season looks exciting, and hopefully the momentum will flow through to the new cars in a few years.

Will be good to see them make another challenge at F1...F1 needs it to rattle some dags out of them and get F1 going good again...CART was that viable alternative, till some d#ckhead thought IRL/CART split would be a good idea.

[lewisthegreat2 0]

The first open test from Barber Motorsports Park's been going on.

First day: Power, Dixon, Wilson, Castroneves, Hinchcliffe.

Second day: Castroneves, Power, Dixon, Briscoe, Servià.

Newman/Haas snarls again with the best driver lineup (from my biased perspective ) assembled in a long time.

Biggest letdown? J.R. Hildebrand. It's been a rough start.

Daytona 500 and Brickyard 400 champion Jamie McMurray took Scott Dixon's car out for five laps today. Shame he didn't get a full go at it; so much for a "ride swap." His first five laps in an open-wheel car were about on-pace with GP2 etc. driver James Jakes' first laps in an INDYCAR, albeit a difference in equipment.

DIxon's turn is next, running McMurray's car at Talladega.

Last time Ganassi put a Cup driver in an INDYCAR? Off-season heading in 2002. Jimmy Spencer and Chip Ganassi made a bet that Spencer couldn't fit in a Champ Car; Spencer got all 6-foot-something, 250 lbs of himself into Bräck's Lola-Toyota and drove three laps, never going over third gear.

[lewisthegreat2 0]

RANDY BERNARD INVITED ALEX ZANARDI TO DO THE LAS VEGAS $5,000,000 WORLD FINAL!

Please let this happen. Surely Ganassi can put a fifth car out, with that livery...

Another thing about this that I like: Bernard's willingness to actually pay the $5,000,000. He's not afraid to invite someone who might actually win it.

[HandyNZL 1]

Don't know if Alex could do it though, Eric. Racing with no legs in a sedan is one thing....but in the confines of a single seater? Plus, can he exit the car quick enough to meet the safety rules? Sure he is a big name in the USA, but realistically it might not happen.

Montoya, JV, Zanardi...would make a good line up of yesteryear champions.

[lewisthegreat2 0]

The 2011 IZOD INDYCAR Series championship is underway after two practices in the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida.

Ryan Hunter-Reay paced the first session in his new colors, but ran into trouble in the second practice. Will Power had everyone's number in that one as he looks to make up for last season's late-year stumbles. Mike Conway, making his Andretti Autosport debut in the second GoDaddy.com vehicle (insert joke about how Daddy bought him the seat), ended both sessions in the third position, showing some muscle with his improved equipment. This marks Conway's first race weekend since his horrendous crash at Indianapolis in 2010 when his car was launched over now-teammate Hunter-Reay's and into the catchfence.

E.J. Viso, wearing 59 to represent the number of crashes he averages in a race weekend, found the barriers in both practice sessions. Lotus can't wait to sell aerokits to KV Racing. Viso's new teammate, Tony Kanaan, was twelfth and ninth on the timesheets, quietly improving in his first go with Kevin Kalkhoven and Jimmy Vasser's team. Kanaan's car signifies another number change for KVRT; T.K. will use 82, the same number Jim Clark drove with Lotus at Indy.

Kanaan's engineer, of course, is Michael Cannon, who quit HVM with just one week left until the season started, giving no prior notice. Cannon cites a desire to start winning (under the influence of Charlie Sheen, I suppose) right now as his reason to leave; meanwhile, Simona de Silvestro and company are languishing at the very bottom of the scoreboard, as they scramble to overcome the loss of a key component within their team. Prior to the season, de Silvestro signed a long-term deal with HVM amidst offers from other INDYCAR teams and even two F1 squads; unfortunately, it is not a sport where loyalty is rewarded.

Ana Beatriz and the most talented man in America J.R. Hildebrand, two rookies, were equally disappointing.

Qualifying is tomorrow with the race Sunday. It airs in the United States on ABC; live streaming will no longer be available online. You'll have to try Wilson's forename if you want to watch but cannot.

[lewisthegreat2 0]

Dario Franchitti on Letterman a few days ago:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdzRx639akE

[HandyNZL 1]

Thanks for the heads up Eric...would have missed the first race otherwise...5am here live on Sky Sport 2...ahhhhh....and closely followed by NASCAR live on Sky Sport 1....ahhhhh.....and of course all the F1 action throughout the weekend (FP, Q and R)...ahhhhhh

[lewisthegreat2 0]

Juan Pablo Montoya has claimed the pole for tomorrow's NASCAR race in Fontana. He's off to a great start in 2011; will he finally win an oval?

Telemundo will sponsor Oriol Servià and Newman/Haas Racing this season. While no immediate plans to air INDYCAR exist, Telemundo have expressed interest in acquiring the Spanish-language broadcasting rights. It's worth noting that NBC own Telemundo; the races are aired in English on the NBC-owned VERSUS, and NBC itself airing races soon is heavily rumored. Another positive sign for the sport as it means NBC are really getting behind it. Plus, there are a number of viewers who don't have VERSUS, but do have Telemundo, so it could solve a big problem that the VERSUS TV deal caused.

With the Telemundo deal, I believe every car is sponsored now. That only ever happens at Indy...

Dan Wheldon teams up with former Andretti Autosport (then Andretti Green) partner Bryan Herta for the Indy 500. William Rast and aigo sponsor.

The Firestone Indy Lights and IZOD INDYCAR Series qualified today. In FILS, Argentina's Esteban Guerrieri took pole in his debut with Sam Schmidt Motorsports (honestly, Guerrieri could do just fine in the big cars, but didn't have the money; he really ought to be in F1, not the ladder series to INDYCAR, but we're all glad to have him). Two of his teammates, former Team USA scholars Conor Daly and Josef Newgarden, followed to sweep the top three spots. Justin Wilson's brother, Stefan, took fourth with Andretti, while Peter Dempsey was fifth with O₂. Four of the top five (all but Wilson) are rookies.

In the IICS, William Power was the only driver to break 62 seconds and took a convincing pole by over three-tenths-of-one-second. The Target contingent were second and third, with Dario Franchitti leading the way. Mike Conway and Ryan Briscoe rounded out the top five. Wilson, Andretti, Kanaan, Castroneves, and Tagliani took spots six through ten. Disappointments include: Rahal (P12), Hunter-Reay (P14), Servià (P15), Bourdais (P18), Kimball (P23), and Hildebrand (P25). I really wonder what is going on with Panther and Hildebrand...they're a lot better than they've shown this weekend.

Should be fun...

[HandyNZL 1]

I see Simona was a sniff faster than Danica in the battle of the ladies...Danica seems to have reached her peak...I guess if she wasn't so marketable she wouldn't be there....in some respects it's harder for the ladies competing in a male dominated sport, but in others they get more than their fair share of breaks...certainly the same standards of excellence are let slip for "marketing" reasons.

And three more cars on the grid than F1. And none 13 seconds off the pace. Say what you want about spec racing, but you get full grids, and none-too-shabby racing top to bottom.

[lewisthegreat2 0]

Meh. Not really big on comparing the women just to the other women, but if we must... I've followed Simona's career since a Formula BMW race in Lime Rock, and she's definitely better than Danica on road and street circuits, but she's also a lot better than quite a few other drivers who have guy parts. Simona has two things going for her over Danica: her attitude, which really gets her team behind her, and her body type; she has much more upper body muscle than Danica does. Danica's just built really small, and that's ultimately why she struggles on the roadies and in NASCAR. I think Simona made a terrible, albeit somewhat admirable (for her loyalty), career choice in signing three more years at HVM. I know she's gambling that in 2012, it will even out, and perhaps it will, but she could do so much with a better team and the offers were there.

It's all about balance. Spec cars can be done alright if they're the right spec cars (Panoz DP01 worked fine racing-wise in 2007), but I think the best racing happens when regulations keep everyone close, but enough remains open that those close cars can have advantages and therefore overtake one another (the 2012 INDYCAR regulations, CART 1996-2002, BTCC, NASCAR pre-COT and even today to a lesser extent, etc. all have formulas that accomplish that). The 2012 INDYCAR will rely on the wing for downforce a ****-ton less than the current one. That alone makes me very excited.

Today's race will feature four less Vanderbilt Cups on the grid; Sébastien Bourdais and Sebastián Saavedra wrecked in the warmup and it was quite a big one. Bourdais won't race; Saavedra will in his backup car. James Jakes, Bourdais' teammate, also wrecked; he may still race, but it's TBD right now. Terrible start to Dale Coyne's season.

Drivers are predicting starts and restarts to be chaotic, with that wide first corner that suddenly narrows (always a site of great action). I'd say they're right. It's really one of the two great parts of the track (the final corner being the other), in that the drivers always go in there two or three wide, and by exit, something has to give.

If Randy Bernard wants Dario and Will to have a rivalry, Dario's more than willing. Yesterday, on the radio broadcast of qualifying...

My ears are bleeding from the Will Power fan club up there, Mike [King, IMS Radio Network lead commentator].

On the subject of Franchitti and commentary, when he retires, he really ought to pursue it.

[lewisthegreat2 0]

Josef Newgarden won in his FILS debut!

He took the lead on lap 12 from Peter Dempsey (who went fifth to first on lap one) and held off teammate Conor Daly to win. Dempsey was third, with David Ostella fourth from the eleventh starting spot. Esteban Guerrieri ran wide while running second and fell all the way to seventh.

[JHS 1]

JustinTV works for me now, so I've got the Indycar on. I'll see what it's like to see if my previous criticisms of the series were right or not.

[lewisthegreat2 0]

DAMMIT SIMONA PUSH THE BUTTON!

Kind of got boring there, but there was enough action. An alright race. Would have liked the cautions to be a bit more spread out rather than all in succession. The double-file restarts are going to be wild, for sure, though particularly here with that wide entrance and narrow exit to turn one.

Simona drove a decent race; she was flying and if she had used her push-to-pass they could have done justice and beaten Michael Cannon's team. Ah, get them next time. She does need to watch the restarts though; she went F1 on Wilson with that running him to the pit wall stuff, and then went NASCAR on Power driving him into him and triggering that little mess. Still, you have to be aggressive, and in all that traffic, there's just no real way to go.

Her team loves her, INDYCAR is promoting her well, and I think she's going to be a star in this sport. I'm so glad she chose us even when she could have been a reserve driver at Renault or Sauber (both offered). She just has such a nice attitude and if you listen to her radio you'll hear that. She's always positive and cheerful, while most other drivers are a bit angrier, or shorter with their answers, or if they drive for Andretti Autosport, moaning.

Tough re-entrance for Servià, but he salvages a top ten in the Telemundo Special. They'll work it out, but they need to get that 06 and James Hinchcliffe back out there. Please!

Charlie Kimball and J.R. Hildebrand disappointed a bit after all the hype about the rookie class, but I have to say, Kimball's class. Being able to monitor his blood-sugar levels on his steering wheel and take insulin during the race is also neat and I'm glad ABC took the time to talk about that because it's a cool story to have a Type I Diabetic who just so happens to be a young, well-spoken American in our sport.

Race control did a good job today, I think. There were some questionable moves throughout, but they avoided penalties, and that's good, because I don't think anything was really worth penalizing today.

Will's day really got ruined by the contact but damn he seems like he's having fun out there. I still think the title is his to lose.

First ever top five by Takuma Sato, and his teammate Kanaan on the podium, is a huge turn-around for KV and deserves a shout-out.

Can't wait until we get to the ovals, though. A lot more excitement then.