Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg

[F1boat]

The casual fan (who makes up the vast majority of those who watch races on TV) think that racing is about who is the fastest driver. You are not a casual fan and neither am I.

I doubt that the casual fan will love a parade like F1 in 2002 in which you had the fastest cars nicely split - Ferrari 1-2, Williams 3-4, McLaren Mercedes 5-6.

[F1boat]

My opinion is that who wins the race, deserved the win. It can be that you worked your a.. off to be on pole, but it's about winning races and not pole positions. I think the racing always has been great when the pole sitter doesn't win.

Yeah, I agree. It's true for F1 as well as for IndyCar.

[FIAT1]

INDYCAR: Bourdais' Street Fighter Sector Times

Nice article. This is perfect example where tv personal needs to step up.

[maxmach]

In reference to the Boudais article, wow. Why He isn't with a........ better, if not top level team I don't understand. I, don't know, but He doesn't appear to be hard to work with, don't know how much money he brings(god I hate that) but really, He has the second fastest sector times thru the twisties, in a barely driven Lotus..... reallly. Somebody snap him up. And yes, I wish PT were in there mixing it up with him.

[anthonyvop]

I doubt that the casual fan will love a parade like F1 in 2002 in which you had the fastest cars nicely split - Ferrari 1-2, Williams 3-4, McLaren Mercedes 5-6.

You would be wrong as both attendance and TV rating went up in the year before, during and after. Basically Ferrari fans wanted to bask in its glory and Ferrari Haters wanted to be there when they faltered.

[anthonyvop]

While you and H.L. Mencken may agree "No one in this world, so far as I know — and I have searched the record for years, and employed agents to help me — has ever lost money by underestimating the intelligence of the great masses of the plain people." and in reality there is all sorts of anecdotal evidence to prove that right, I am just not ready to concede that even the casual fan doesn't realize that racing is a team sport. Even with the most mediocre coverage, its pretty obvious that the driver has to at the very least rely on their pit crew. It may very well require a bit more nuanced understanding of the sport to see the role that the strategists, engineers and fabricators play, I'll concede that point.

Gary

I should have said the fastest driver, car and pit-crew.

Tell the casual fan to tune in and watch how well a driver is saving fuel and watch a casual fan move on to another sport.

[garyshell]

I should have said the fastest driver, car and pit-crew.

Tell the casual fan to tune in and watch how well a driver is saving fuel and watch a casual fan move on to another sport.

I agree with you 110%. Fuel runs have no place in the series.

Gary

[call_me_andrew]

Nevermind how many casual fans surveyed feel that fuel milage racing makes for great drama!

[Mark in Oshawa]

Understand a fuel mileage gamble, whether it be here or NASCAR means you actually understand the nuances, and most fans don't want to understand it. They like the guys that drive the living hell out of everything....and if it happened every week it would be boring, but we all know there is more nuances to racing than saving fuel.