Indy Grand Prix Of Alabama [Archive]

DanicaFan

7th April 2010, 20:41

Here is the entry list...

Car# & Driver / Car Name / Team

#2 Raphael Matos / HP Luczo Dragon Racing / Luczo Dragon Racing-DeFerran Motorsports
#3 Helio Castroneves / Team Penske / Team Penske
#4 Dan Wheldon / National Guard Panther Racing / Panther Racing
#5 Takuma Sato / Lotus-KV Racing Technology / KV Racing Technology
#6 Ryan Briscoe / Team Penske / Team Penske
#7 Danica Patrick / Team GoDaddy.com / Andretti Autosport
#8 EJ Viso / PDVSA-Jet Aviation-KVRT / KV Racing Technology
#9 Scott Dixon / Target Chip Ganassi Racing / Target Chip Ganassi Racing
#10 Dario Franchitti / Suave / Target Chip Ganassi Racing
#11 Tony Kanaan / Team 7-Eleven / Andretti Autosport
#12 Will Power / Verizon Team Penske / Verizon Team Penske
#14 Vitor Meira / ABC Supply Co.-AJ Foyt Racing / AJ Foyt Enterprises
#18 Milka Duno / CITGO / Dale Coyne Racing
#19 Alex Lloyd / Boy Scouts of America / Dale Coyne Racing
#22 Justin Wilson / Team Z-Line Designs / Dreyer & Reinbold Racing
#24 Mike Conway / Dreyer & Reinbold Racing / Dreyer & Reinbold Racing
#26 Marco Andretti / Team Venom Energy / Andretti Autosport
#32 Mario Moraes / KV Racing Technology / KV Racing Technology
#34 Mario Romancini / Conquest Racing / Conquest Racing
#36 Bertrand Baguette / Conquest Racing RACB / Conquest Racing
#37 Ryan Hunter-Reay / Team IZOD / Andretti Autosport
#67 Graham Rahal / Dollar General-Sarah Fisher Racing / Sarah Fisher Racing
#77 Alex Tagliani / FAZZT Race Team / FAZZT Race Team
#78 Simona De Silvestro / Team Stargate Worlds-HVM / HVM Racing
#06 Hideki Mutoh / Formula Dream-Panasonic / Newman-Haas-Lanigan Racing

DanicaFan

7th April 2010, 20:56

harvick#1

8th April 2010, 01:18

I'd like to see Will go three in a row :)

NickFalzone

8th April 2010, 01:21

Wilson, Dixon, and RHR are the three I'm looking to get big results this weekend. Also 25 entries, nothing to sneeze at.

Also just saw this article by Jonathan Ingram, nice summary of the upcoming race weekend:

http://motorsport.com/news/article.asp?ID=363047

Mark in Oshawa

8th April 2010, 01:25

I am just hoping for passing and some interest. Barber wasn't really designed in my mind to be a great track for faster cars. I would love to be proven wrong, and I am happy people in the southeast will have this race to get a taste of something other than NASCAR; but the processional finishes some tracks have created doesn't help the IRL cause. This race I think needs to show that these cars are raceable...

NickFalzone

8th April 2010, 01:27

SoCalPVguy

8th April 2010, 02:23

Here is a map of the track layout..

NOTE: The Actual Track Distance is 2.38 miles, so the race length is 214.2 miles to be exact.

http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee236/DanicaRules/BarberOverview.jpg

wow. that looks a lot like the http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/68/Circuit_Riverside.png/300px-Circuit_Riverside.pngold Riverside International Raceway track course.

harvick#1

8th April 2010, 02:33

I still think they should've hit Georgia instead for Road Atlanta, a very good high speed complex road course that could be very good for the IRL cars

Easy Drifter

8th April 2010, 05:04

Milk and Donuts retires on lap 9 or 10 with brake problems. :eek:

DanicaFan

8th April 2010, 05:11

Mark in Oshawa

8th April 2010, 05:34

wow. that looks a lot like the http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/68/Circuit_Riverside.png/300px-Circuit_Riverside.pngold Riverside International Raceway track course.

The shape is the same, but the way it races is different. The length is about 2/3's and the cars spend a lot of time setting up for corners. I have watched the Grand AM broadcasts from there, and it is a bit of a tight track to pass on for a faster car.

Mark in Oshawa

8th April 2010, 05:35

It is a narrow track so Im having my doubts on a lot of passing. I think it may be a parade with many turns but let's hope Im wrong. ;)

We all do DF....your girl will have a hell of a time passing since she is careful with her spots on road courses at any time...

TURN3

8th April 2010, 06:31

We all do DF....your girl will have a hell of a time passing since she is careful with her spots on road courses at any time...

A hell of a time? She hasn't passed more than 3 cars on a road or street in over 2 years combined!!!! I'd say she's praying for a game of craps or roulette again...remember she was 2nd slowest here during testing and it wasn't really close.

As good as Power is, I'd say this is Wilson or Franchitti's to lose. Power will be there but his dominance is on streets. It'll be between these 3, race over just draw numbers for the podium positions.

DanicaFan

8th April 2010, 08:49

I wouldnt count Danica out Turn3. Let's remember when they tested down here in February, it was colder than normal so we will see better results during the practice. :)

Dr. Krogshöj

8th April 2010, 09:49

I still think they should've hit Georgia instead for Road Atlanta, a very good high speed complex road course that could be very good for the IRL cars

It is true, and the long back straight with the chicane at the end would have been a good overtaking spot. However, it's not a wish list. Barber wanted to host IndyCar and showed that it can pull fans, while Road Atlanta, AFAIK, hasn't even expressed interest towards the IRL.

Barber is a lot like Mid-Ohio: a beautiful and challenging course with fast corners and elevation changes. But passing might be a bit difficult.

Easy Drifter

8th April 2010, 10:32

DF Did it occur to you it was also cold for all the drivers?
That has got to be one of the strangest bits of reasoning I have ever seen in the 50 years I have been around this crazy sport. :D

Lousada

8th April 2010, 10:46

Biggest problem against passing I think is all those Esses. Every decent straight ends with fast Esses were you can't outbrake someone. And if you do, you come short on the next corner anyway.
Strategy will be very important here. Since that is Danicas speciality I would not be surprised to see her score a good result.

TURN3

8th April 2010, 12:23

DF Did it occur to you it was also cold for all the drivers?
That has got to be one of the strangest bits of reasoning I have ever seen in the 50 years I have been around this crazy sport. :D

Now what kind of logic would that be? :D

Don't count her out guys, remember they just couldn't get the car the way she wanted it either.....uhhhhh, okay.

DanicaFan

8th April 2010, 12:26

That's true Turn3, Danica didnt like the car setup she had when she tested there. So, wait till practice and when she has the better set-up. :)

e2mtt

8th April 2010, 12:30

On the bright side, there aren't concrete walls along both sides of the whole track. If we see the same kind of opportunistic driving we've seen the last 2 races, with more track/curb/dirt to work with, there could be some sweet overtaking moves.

garyshell

8th April 2010, 16:10

I wouldnt count Danica out Turn3. Let's remember when they tested down here in February, it was colder than normal so we will see better results during the practice. :)

Let's remember it was colder for EVERYONE. Count her out.

Gary

garyshell

8th April 2010, 16:12

That's true Turn3, Danica didnt like the car setup she had when she tested there. So, wait till practice and when she has the better set-up. :)

And who is going to provide this "magic" setup. It sure as hell isn't going to be her. She is clueless when it comes to participating in setups on road or street courses.

Gary

garyshell

8th April 2010, 16:15

As good as Power is, I'd say this is Wilson or Franchitti's to lose. Power will be there but his dominance is on streets.

I am curious as to why you make a distinction between street and road courses.

Gary

TURN3

8th April 2010, 16:15

That's true Turn3, Danica didnt like the car setup she had when she tested there. So, wait till practice and when she has the better set-up. :)

You just don't get it do you? She had 2 days under the same circumstances as everybody else and she COULDN'T come up with a better setup. Who do you think is responsible for the setup? She isn't capable of providing the information, nor is she capable of getting the maximum capability our of a vehicle, which is why she sucks. This is proved every single week, yet you and her are the only 2 people on the planet that keep having an excuse.

So tell me DF, what was her excuse for be SLOW in St. Pete last event? Oh yeah, she made it clear in the local press. "It is just too hard to be faster than somebody else..." Or something to that effect.

She sucks, end of conversation....on to relavant topics please.

TURN3

8th April 2010, 16:22

I am curious as to why you make a distinction between street and road courses.

Gary

I know what you mean...road courses aren't nearly as bumpy obviously and more often than not their turns are a little more sweeping. It might be more my imagination but I feel having watched over time, certain drivers do better in 1 area over the other. I tend to think that even though Will is still very very fast on a road course, he is more dominant on the streets. I think the opposite of Wilson. Again, maybe it is just my imagination but seems like it sorts out the same way whenever they go to a road or a street.

PS...as a PT fan, he has been much less competitive on roads vs streets toward the end of his career. I always assumed it had to do with the larger amounts of rough streets Champ Car raced on. Bourdais who was much smoother where PT is very aggressive and harsh, tended to out pace him more easily on the roads.

SarahFan

8th April 2010, 16:51

I wouldnt count Danica out Turn3. Let's remember when they tested down here in February, it was colder than normal so we will see better results during the practice. :)

was it only cold when she was on track?

SarahFan

8th April 2010, 16:52

opps... my bad...it looks like Gary already pointed out the obvious..

BTW cotman has suggested it will be a parade.... and Dario is concerned about the safety of the venue

Easy Drifter

8th April 2010, 17:45

Kindly refer to my post #17 :p ;)

SarahFan

8th April 2010, 17:49

Kindly refer to my post #17 :p ;)

fair enough.....I was reading/posting on the fly

garyshell

8th April 2010, 18:06

I know what you mean...road courses aren't nearly as bumpy obviously and more often than not their turns are a little more sweeping. It might be more my imagination but I feel having watched over time, certain drivers do better in 1 area over the other.

I see your point and don't think it's your imagination at all. The bumpiness is a very real factor and could easily be a reason why one person does better than another, other factors being equal.

Gary

champcarray

8th April 2010, 18:43

This may be one of those tracks that needs a random sprinkler system to liven up the race with unexpected "rain" showers! ;-)

DanicaFan

8th April 2010, 20:44

Here are the pit lane assignments..

http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee236/DanicaRules/barberpitlane.jpg

SUBARUTEAM

8th April 2010, 22:30

looks like a fun track to drive on but there wont be any passing (apart from the field blowing by duno)
this is one track where being in pit box 1 is gold

gofastandwynn

9th April 2010, 00:02

Looks like perfect weather this weekend too

Friday - Sunny, High of 69F (21C) 0% chance of rain

Saturday - Partly Cloudy, High of 74F (23C) 10% chance of rain

Sunday - Sunny, High of 77F (25C) 0% chance of rain

pits4me

9th April 2010, 01:38

And who is going to provide this "magic" setup. It sure as hell isn't going to be her. She is clueless when it comes to participating in setups on road or street courses.

Gary

As opposed to Simona de Silvestro who has shown remarkably her first season.

harvick#1

9th April 2010, 01:48

This may be one of those tracks that needs a random sprinkler system to liven up the race with unexpected "rain" showers! ;-)

:D :up:

I am a firm believer in the sprinkler system for road courses

SarahFan

9th April 2010, 03:00

:D :up:

I am a firm believer in the sprinkler system for road courses

reminds me of the scene in Bull Durham when they have a 'Rain out'

Mark in Oshawa

9th April 2010, 05:30

I am thinking we wont have rain, so lets just see what happens.

I think it will be tough to pass for sure, and good results will come from the boffins' on the boxes. So basically you will have the Penske and Ganassi boys dominating up front, and someone from Andretti trying like heck to figure out a way to put their girl up there. She wont get there by daring passing manoeuvers, but in her defence, I doubt we will see many of those anyhow.

ChicagocrewIRL

9th April 2010, 15:45

All indications point to massive crowds at Barber this weekend. All parking and camping lots are sold out. There are still lots of tickets available on the Barber website but the grounds are huge there. All the tickets are general admission for both grandstand and lawn seating so it will be a mad dash when the gates open Sunday morning.

Also, there are no available tickets for sale on Stubhub, ebay, or craigslist.

Thank you in advance to Birmingham, the State of Alabama, and all the IndyCar fans in the deep south.

Lousada

9th April 2010, 17:04

ChicagocrewIRL

9th April 2010, 17:07

Let's not go crazy here. Capacity is 30.000 and it's not sold out.

How is there a capacity cap for lawn seating and general admission ?

Mark in Oshawa

9th April 2010, 17:09

How is there a capacity cap for lawn seating and general admission ?

I would suspect there is no official capacity. I wouldn't get hung up on numbers, but if you watch the broadcast and you can see a decent crowd, and the organizers are happy with the result, then we can assume someone made some dough...

ChicagocrewIRL

9th April 2010, 17:18

I would suspect there is no official capacity. I wouldn't get hung up on numbers, but if you watch the broadcast and you can see a decent crowd, and the organizers are happy with the result, then we can assume someone made some dough...

Just not sure where Lousada came up with that 30,000 number. The grounds are pretty much one whole seating area with no set number of seats. The only grand stands are at turns 9 and 10 with very limited seating capacity.

I did read one article in the Birmingham News that based on advanced ticket sales, they are expecting over 100K spectators over the course of the 3 day weekend.

In any case, I think we will see crowds similar to Mid-Ohio which is not bad at all. I am looking forward to the TV coverage with an eye toward seeing how much of the grassy knoll areas are filled.

Lousada

9th April 2010, 17:29

Just not sure where Lousada came up with that 30,000 number. The grounds are pretty much one whole seating area with no set number of seats. The only grand stands are at turns 10 and 11 with very limited seating capacity.

I did read one article in the Birmingham News that based on advanced ticket sales, they are expecting over 100K spectators over the course of the 3 day weekend.

In any case, I think we will see crowds similar to Mid-Ohio which is not bad at all. I am looking forward to the TV coverage with an eye toward seeing how much of the grassy knoll areas are filled.

It was in the official press release that announced the Barber Indy. Here's a copy:
http://www.paddockreport.com/autos/indycar/indycar-barber-event-confirmed-for-2010/

30.000 x 3 days = about 100.000

garyshell

9th April 2010, 19:21

Watching practice via the web. Nice looking track. Lots of folks on the shaded hillside for a Friday practice session! No audio though, sigh. They are running a banner that there is some issue with they audio feed they are getting (or not getting as it were).

Judging from the suspension travel it is VERY smooth.

Gary

anthonyvop

9th April 2010, 19:29

Barber is billiard ball smooth. I hope they put on a good show but we all know that passing will be extremely difficult. Hopefully they will widen the track in certain areas for next years race.

ChicagocrewIRL

9th April 2010, 19:52

Beautiful track and of course Milka is almost 3 seconds off the pace whereas the rest of the field is under a second off. Good gawd will someone please either park her or put someone else in that car??? :(

DanicaFan

9th April 2010, 20:01

Results of Practice Session 1..

http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee236/DanicaRules/practice1barber.jpg

harvick#1

9th April 2010, 20:15

look at that, Will in a league of his own again :D

good to see Donuts is only 4.5 seconds off pace :rolleyes:

TURN3

9th April 2010, 20:18

Must be a colder day than usual there, huh DF?
No wait, is it that AA can't come up with a set-up?

Power .3 faster than P2, very impressive. Any news from the session, I didn't watch. Why are KV's cars so slow? They tested there and were close to pace. Actually, Moraes has been off pace at all 3 events so far. Either he's lost it or KV is putting him in a tub that has been overstressed. Something is up because although the kid was reckless last year, he was quick.

garyshell

9th April 2010, 21:31

Patrick: Want Exciting Racing? Pay Close Attention

Apr 9, 3:55 PM (ET)
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) -Danica Patrick doesn't promise she'll treat fans to an exciting performance in the inaugural Indy Grand Prix of Alabama.
Then again, she also advised them Friday to pay close attention to the more subtle strategies as they play out in Sunday's race.

Patrick has the most recognizable name - and face - driving at a venue in NASCAR country, where Earnhardt is the big name in racing not Andretti. Her picture has been rotated around the city on three billboards for months ahead of the event, one encouraging locals to "See Danica Drive."

Patrick seemed to relish talk of the nuances and strategies of racing at the road course when questions veered from her celebrity status.

I am just shaking my head. Un-freakin-believable. Thanks AP, THIS is the story???

Gary

TURN3

9th April 2010, 21:32

I am just shaking my head. Un-freakin-believable. Thanks AP, THIS is the story???

Gary

It's cold Gary! :eek:

DanicaFan

9th April 2010, 21:33

Danica is right. After watching the practice, this seems it will play out as a parade with many turns. I dont think there will be much excitement. :(

TURN3

9th April 2010, 21:36

Danica is right. After watching the practice, this seems it will play out as a parade with many turns. I dont think there will be much excitement. :(

Look at the bright side, Danica will be leading her own parade...albeit behind 20 other cars up track of her.

DanicaFan

9th April 2010, 21:37

Here are the groups for qualifications tomorrow..

Group 1

#3 Helio Castroneves
#4 Dan Wheldon
#7 Danica Patrick
#10 Dario Franchitti
#11 Tony Kanaan
#24 Mike Conway
#26 Marco Andretti
#32 Mario Moraes
#36 Bertrand Baquette
#67 Graham Rahal
#77 Alex Tagliani
#78 Simona De Silvestro
#06 Hideki Mutoh

Group 2

#2 Raphael Matos
#5 Takuma Sato
#6 Ryan Briscoe
#8 EJ Viso
#9 Scott Dixon
#12 Will Power
#14 Vitor Meira
#18 Milka Duno
#19 Alex Lloyd
#22 Justin Wilson
#34 Mario Romancini
#37 Ryan Hunter-Reay

Dr. Krogshöj

9th April 2010, 21:51

The course in itself is spectacular. Watching IndyCars around Barber is a pleasure so this time I won't care too much if there isn't a lot of passing. By the way, I wonder what goes through the minds of Ryan Briscoe and Helio Castroneves these weeks.

garyshell

9th April 2010, 22:19

Bertrand Baquette

Who is this???? There are 25 cars out there. I thought it was supposed to be 24.

Gary

TURN3

9th April 2010, 22:46

Is Danica secretly being farmed out to Coyne or Conquest this year?

Lousada

9th April 2010, 22:47

Bertrand Baquette

Who is this???? There are 25 cars out there. I thought it was supposed to be 24.

Gary

Guess you missed this thread, even though you replied in it ;)
http://www.motorsportforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=137502

BTW: It's Baguette with a G. Like the famous food.

Easy Drifter

9th April 2010, 22:47

It is not Danica's fault.
Quite clearly the air temp. and barometric pressure are wrong for her immense skill to shine. :p :

PS I stand on my prediction for Milk and Donuts in the race.

Lousada

9th April 2010, 22:49

Actually, Moraes has been off pace at all 3 events so far. Either he's lost it or KV is putting him in a tub that has been overstressed. Something is up because although the kid was reckless last year, he was quick.

He was diagnosed with a 'growth' in his ear right before the St.Pete race. This has recently been removed. Perhaps he is still a bit distracted.

TURN3

9th April 2010, 23:00

He was diagnosed with a 'growth' in his ear right before the St.Pete race. This has recently been removed. Perhaps he is still a bit distracted.

Maybe so, he was slow at Brazil too although he hadn't practiced in awhile. Viso hasn't been all that quick either, short of a stint at St. Pete. I'm a little more concerned that KV has extended their resources too far. Then you've got PT likely coming in for Toronto and Edmonton...street course wise anyway.

Easy Drifter

9th April 2010, 23:08

TURN3

9th April 2010, 23:11

I'm so bummed. Danica put on a new set of tires right at the end of the session and crawled out of last into the top 20 (Milka doesn't count). A few teams including Kanaan put on tires at the end. Gotta think that'll hurt them for Qualifying tomorrow if they get to the fast 6...TK that is, Danica isn't getting out of Q1 so not much of a gamble on that end.

DanicaFan

9th April 2010, 23:11

Results of Practice Session 2..

http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee236/DanicaRules/barber2.jpg

TURN3

9th April 2010, 23:14

To my own surprise and I am sure to DF's I am going to give a little benefit of doubt to the lack of performance of both the 'Brand' and Milk and Donuts.
Coyne has little money and I wonder just how old and how many crashes Milka's tub has been through. Tubs, even carbon fibre, gradually lose rigidity and crash repairs, especially if poorly done not only add weight but weaken the tub resulting in a flexi flyer that is unpredictable. Coyne is going to give her the worst tub he has.
The same could be true of Danica's tub. Andretti Racing are stretched pretty thin and we know that Tony last year had a 'past before date' tub for part of the year.
Just look at what we were told about Sarah's old tub when she got a new one last year.

Your thought process is the same as mine. With these cars on their way out, teams aren't buying new ones every year. I figured Danica was given the newest equipment AGR had last year. They needed her to be as competitive as possible to secure the chance to get her sponsor dollars. With her secured, seems the others might have the equipment necessary to compete.

Another example of our point is RHR at Vision last year...they couldn't get that hunk of junk up to Ed's pace all year.

harvick#1

9th April 2010, 23:14

i really hope they park Milka or put someone else in that car

garyshell

9th April 2010, 23:17

Guess you missed this thread, even though you replied in it ;)
http://www.motorsportforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=137502

BTW: It's Baguette with a G. Like the famous food.

Thud. Palm to forehead moment. I had totally forgotten about it.

Gary

Dr. Krogshöj

9th April 2010, 23:20

Barber is billiard ball smooth. I hope they put on a good show but we all know that passing will be extremely difficult. Hopefully they will widen the track in certain areas for next years race.

Is width really the problem? The track seems to be quite wide, but there isn't a long straight ending with a hard braking hairpin. I don't think there is space to remedy that. I think the track is just fine as it is.

beachgirl

10th April 2010, 00:07

I wouldnt count Danica out Turn3. Let's remember when they tested down here in February, it was colder than normal so we will see better results during the practice. :)

I'm sorry, DF, but it looks like she couldn't do much better even with warmer weather. But, I'm sure there's another excuse lurking around here somewhere.

TURN3

10th April 2010, 00:23

I'm sorry, DF, but it looks like she couldn't do much better even with warmer weather. But, I'm sure there's another excuse lurking around here somewhere.

Not necessarily. Watching the feed from Practice 2, there appeared to be a cold front moving around the track coincidentally with Danica's car.

Dr. Krogshöj

10th April 2010, 00:28

i really hope they park Milka or put someone else in that car

Why? This way, Citgo gets much more publicity.

SarahFan

10th April 2010, 00:32

Danica is right. After watching the practice, this seems it will play out as a parade with many turns. I dont think there will be much excitement. :(

Danica is right?

NickFalzone

10th April 2010, 00:41

Funny tour of Barber with Will Power:

<object width="1280" height="745"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/cvYieZGAJG4&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/cvYieZGAJG4&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="1280" height="745"></embed></object>

vintage

10th April 2010, 01:50

TURN3

10th April 2010, 02:01

There is absolutely no reason to think that Danica has a "bad" tub. Based on what her sponsor's are paying, I'm sure she has the best equipment available. Come on, you conspiracy enthusiasts need to find a new excuse.

If you're referring to my comments, that isn't what I was suggesting. Her record on roads/streets goes back about 14 years...she sucks with a brand new car or an old one. The referrence I was making goes back to why TK was so far off pace last year, particularly at Indy for example when he eventually switched to Muthoh's backup. Apparently, tubs do in fact make a big difference. I'm sure you are correct though, Danica would not have been given a "bad" tub. At worst I'd say she's using the same she had last year while maybe AA upgraded other team cars. Pure speculation, but in no way suggesting her lack of performance is based on inferior equipment.

Easy Drifter

10th April 2010, 04:06

It was my thought about the tub. She is probably the least compentent of Andretti's drivers on a road course.
Her sponsorship transends what she does.
If they have a weak tub give to to her.
It was just a thought not a fact.

Scotty G.

10th April 2010, 05:06

Maybe so, he was slow at Brazil too although he hadn't practiced in awhile. Viso hasn't been all that quick either, short of a stint at St. Pete. I'm a little more concerned that KV has extended their resources too far. Then you've got PT likely coming in for Toronto and Edmonton...street course wise anyway.

Moraes and Viso aren't any good. Never have been and never will be. Why should anyone be surprised they are backmarkers? Especially Moraes. That guy had NO resume when he bought his way into Indy Cars 3 years ago. Why would he all of a sudden turn into a top flight talent?

He was fast at a few places last year, where KV had REALLY fast cars. He will never be fast anywhere, where driver talent matters any.

Viso is a nut, who occasionally will hit something, when he is driving over-his-head. He can be fast at times, but eventually will screw it up. He is not a big time driver either.

KV is getting exactly what they deserve. In fact, teams that sit on their ass and never get sponsorship on their own, ALL deserve exactly what they get.

I kinda feel sorry for PT, that he is stuck with this operation. But, he will immediately become the best driver on the team when he gets in the car at Indy.

TURN3

10th April 2010, 05:24

Moraes and Viso aren't any good. Never have been and never will be. Why should anyone be surprised they are backmarkers? Especially Moraes. That guy had NO resume when he bought his way into Indy Cars 3 years ago. Why would he all of a sudden turn into a top flight talent?

He was fast at a few places last year, where KV had REALLY fast cars. He will never be fast anywhere, where driver talent matters any.

Viso is a nut, who occasionally will hit something, when he is driving over-his-head. He can be fast at times, but eventually will screw it up. He is not a big time driver either.

KV is getting exactly what they deserve. In fact, teams that sit on their ass and never get sponsorship on their own, ALL deserve exactly what they get.

I kinda feel sorry for PT, that he is stuck with this operation. But, he will immediately become the best driver on the team when he gets in the car at Indy.

Moraes and Viso are both reckless, we know that. But they've both been fast. So regardless of your dislike of them, you can't take speed away from them. Like Jeemy said, you can't teach speed when referring to Moraes last year. There weren't too many places he wasn't fast last year. As for Viso, I believe he was an F1 test driver, not sure what his prior resume is but I'm sure some of the people that are into looking everything up will help us out there.

I'm not saying KV couldn't put together a better driver lineup, Lord knows they can. But with reservations on Sato given he's a rookie here, Moraes and Viso have both shown how fast they can be. They certainly have shown more potential than better than half the field and 3/4 of the AA lineup. Just because they don't meet your personal criteria of needing to be American to be fast, doesn't make them slow. And being fast doesn't make them good either.

Mark in Oshawa

10th April 2010, 05:38

All I know is Danica said there may not be passing. Ergo, SHE Wont be passing.....But the rest of the guys I think might give the old college try any how. With Viso and Moraes, that could get interesting....lol.

KV has rent a ride drivers because they were there, the checks were out, and they are fast. Just not for the whole race or smart. Been lots of that going around...but the best drivers are with the two best teams. Period.

Dr. Krogshöj

10th April 2010, 10:51

There is a difference between running a "racing team" and a "rent-a-ride operation". I'm sure Bobby Rahal could run Viso, Mutoh or Moraes if he wanted. He doesn't and I don't blame him. To be clear, I don't blame KV or NHL either.

px400r

10th April 2010, 12:19

All I know is Danica said there may not be passing. Ergo, SHE Wont be passing.....But the rest of the guys I think might give the old college try any how. With Viso and Moraes, that could get interesting....lol.

If it turns out that there won't be much (if any) passing, then I actually give Danica a good shot at a podium. She usually moves up through pit strategy anyway, so if she gets a little lucky, she could get to the top and stay there.

KV has rent a ride drivers because they were there, the checks were out, and they are fast. Just not for the whole race or smart. Been lots of that going around...but the best drivers are with the two best teams. Period.

I'd say Justin Wilson is as good (if not better) on road courses as any driver for Penske or Ganassi. I'm hoping he gets a better oval car this year.

And I'd also put Tony Kanaan a very close second to JW. Having RHR on the team helps him out. Obviously, DP and Marco haven't been as helpful to TK.

beachbum

10th April 2010, 12:31

One of the "problems" of determining who is fast and who isn't at Barber (and why passing will be difficult) is the closeness of the field. After practice, 1 second covers 1st to 16th. 1.5 seconds covers the field (with the exception of Milka). A slip here or there, or a slightly off setup, and you can go from 5th to 15th in a literal heartbeat. The differences between most drivers is in hundredths of seconds, not tenths. Also, some of the drivers ran old tires for much of practice, and a couple slapped on new tires right at the end and jumped up the charts - notably two AA drivers.

Will Power is still the class of the field and his in-car told a story. He had a lot less understeer than most, particularly when compared to Kanaan for example, and was very smooth - and very fast. Even on old tires, he was quicker than the rest of the field. I would be shocked if he isn't on pole and doesn't run away with another one.

SarahFan

10th April 2010, 14:39

If it turns out that there won't be much (if any) passing, then I actually give Danica a good shot at a podium. She usually moves up through pit strategy anyway, so if she gets a little lucky, she could get to the top and stay there.
.

problem is pit strategy is generally dictated by yellows....wont be but a 1 or 2 ...

no passing means no contact.....run-off means limited clean-up...

expect a parade...and a finish with-in 3 or 4 places of where she starts

harvick#1

10th April 2010, 15:04

Sato is out there, he will always find an area to do a bonzai move :s mokin:

Scotty G.

10th April 2010, 15:15

To be clear, I don't blame KV or NHL either.

I do. ;)

If they want to continue to slog around and just "try and get by" year-after-year, without finding sponsors on THEIR OWN and wait on ride buyers to keep them in business, then they will get exactly what they deserve. Which is, not much.

If you want to see how a real race team can be run and built, see Luzco and Fisher. And they have only been in business a few years each.

DanicaFan

10th April 2010, 15:51

The 6 moving on from Group 1 are..

Dario Franchitti
Helio Castroneves
Mike Conway
Tony Kanaan
Marco Andretti
Mario Moraes

DanicaFan

10th April 2010, 16:20

The 6 moving on from Group 2 are..

Will Power
Takuma Sato
Scott Dixon
Ryan Briscoe
EJ Viso
Justin Wilson

Jora Faygala

10th April 2010, 16:40

i am loving the web feed.
Davy hamilton needs to spit out the marbles in his mouth.
He always sounds like a mushmouth.

DanicaFan

10th April 2010, 16:41

The Firestone Fast 6 are..

Will Power
Marco Andretti
Helio Castroneves
Mike Conway
Takuma Sato
Scott Dixon

Way to go Marco!!!! :)

DanicaFan

10th April 2010, 16:43

Im predicting Marco on the pole!

TURN3

10th April 2010, 16:44

If you want to see how a real race team can be run and built, see Luzco and Fisher. And they have only been in business a few years each.

Gotta agree with you on this...would say D&R is showing signs of stepping up their game this year too.

ChicagocrewIRL

10th April 2010, 16:45

Wow Taku is impressive. I think he is starting to learn the feel of these cars. Hopefully that knowledge will temper his driving on race day. Way to go Taku !!!

Dr. Krogshöj

10th April 2010, 16:45

I'm predicting Will Power on the pole. I like to take risks.

harvick#1

10th April 2010, 16:46

Go Power!!!! hes in a league of his own right now

TURN3

10th April 2010, 16:46

Certainly was a great run by Marco there, very unexpected. Can you enlighten us on that isolated cold front with Danica though DFan? :D

ChicagocrewIRL

10th April 2010, 16:47

I am predicting Sato-san on pole. Banzaaai !

DanicaFan

10th April 2010, 16:47

Wow Taku is impressive. I think he is starting to learn the feel of these cars. Hopefully that knowledge will temper his driving on race day. Way to go Taku !!!

He practices and qualifies decent but so far he isnt that good when it counts, and thats the actual race. ;)

DanicaFan

10th April 2010, 16:49

Certainly was a great run by Marco there, very unexpected. Can you enlighten us on that isolated cold front with Danica though DFan? :D

I expected her to make the first 6 for sure. She was starting to lay down some fast laps unfortunately, time ran out. That yellow caused by Dan Wheldon could of cost her the fast 6. :(

TURN3

10th April 2010, 16:49

TURN3

10th April 2010, 16:51

I expected her to make the first 6 for sure. She was starting to lay down some fast laps unfortunately, time ran out. That yellow caused by Dan Wheldon could of cost her the fast 6. :(

Because she's been among the fast 20 all weekend...right?

BTW, props to Sato and Conway on the fast six too. Surprised to see Wilson struggling.

ChicagocrewIRL

10th April 2010, 16:51

Looks like a decent crowd today. The weather is beautiful. Wish I was there.

DanicaFan

10th April 2010, 16:52

I missed Q1, what happened to Tags and Wheldon? Looks like Tags might have brought out a yellow and lost 2 fast laps or something...a little wierd looking at the scoreboard but it might just be a glitch.

Dan Wheldon went off into the sand trap (gravel really) so that caused a full course yellow. Tags didnt cause a yellow, he was just slow for some reason but remember, they didnt test here like the other teams did.

DanicaFan

10th April 2010, 17:03

Congrats to Will Power for getting his 2nd pole this year.

Jora Faygala

10th April 2010, 17:07

Good job Will! :up:

garyshell

10th April 2010, 17:16

I do. ;)

If they want to continue to slog around and just "try and get by" year-after-year, without finding sponsors on THEIR OWN and wait on ride buyers to keep them in business, then they will get exactly what they deserve. Which is, not much.

Just how is that you KNOW they are not trying to find sponsors? Do you have any FACTS to back up this continued assault on them or are you just running off at the mouth yet again?

Gary

garyshell

10th April 2010, 17:19

I expected her to make the first 6 for sure. She was starting to lay down some fast laps unfortunately, time ran out. That yellow caused by Dan Wheldon could of cost her the fast 6. :(

Enough with the fantasy world. The only thing that cost her the fast six, is her own lack of road course talent. End of story.

Gary

DBell

10th April 2010, 17:50

Certainly was a great run by Marco there, very unexpected. Can you enlighten us on that isolated cold front with Danica though DFan? :D

2 races in a row where Marco makes the final group in qualifying. He also ran towards the front in the last race until an unplanned tire stop for running over debris put him way back in the pack. I have to admit I'm very surprised. I'd given up on him. It's only 2 races, but maybe he's figuring things out.

harvick#1

10th April 2010, 17:53

Enough with the fantasy world. The only thing that cost her the fast six, is her own lack of road course talent. End of story.

Gary

:up:

Congrats to Will, how bout going 3 for 3 this year :D

DanicaFan

10th April 2010, 18:22

Here is your starting line-up..

Row 1

#12 Will Power
#24 Mike Conway

Row 2

#3 Helio Castroneves
#26 Marco Andretti

Row 3

#9 Scott Dixon
#5 Takuma Sato

Row 4

#10 Dario Franchitti
#11 Tony Kanaan

Row 5

#6 Ryan Briscoe
#8 EJ Viso

Row 6

#22 Justin Wilson
#32 Mario Moraes

Row 7

#78 Simona De Silvestro
#37 Ryan Hunter-Reay

Row 8

#67 Graham Rahal
#19 Alex Lloyd

Row 9

#06 Hideki Mutoh
#2 Raphael Matos

Row 10

#7 Danica Patrick
#14 Vitor Meira

Row 11

#77 Alex Tagliani
#34 Mario Romancini

Row 12

#4 Dan Wheldon
#18 Milka Duno

Row 13

#36 Bertrand Baguette

Mark in Oshawa

10th April 2010, 18:27

DanicaFan

10th April 2010, 18:38

Baguette in last? He turn laps? So much for the talent this guy has.....

Simona did well too I see.

It will be fun watching Wheldon and Tag's trying to move through the pack because we all know both of those guys are better than they qualified...

Wheldon and Tags both did not test here in February as most drivers did. Wheldon went off in the gravel trap in group 1 of qualifying which voided out his 2 fast times. He would of been in row 9 or row 10 had that hadnt happened. Tags was just a little slow.

harvick#1

10th April 2010, 19:05

Baguette in last? He turn laps? So much for the talent this guy has.....

he must not of, because even riding a bicycle, you'd turn a lap faster than Milka :p :

TURN3

10th April 2010, 19:10

Hoop-98

10th April 2010, 19:11

Unofficial:

http://i41.tinypic.com/5d5q2u.jpg

rh

TURN3

10th April 2010, 19:15

Why do they still but a catagory on the time sheet for T/E/C. I'm going out on a limb here but I'm thinking eveybody has Firestone/Honda/Dallara, am I right?

I wanted to put a post up to give KV some credit. I've been ragging on them hard because to me they've been quite disappointing on the speed charts (not to mention having at least 2 cars not complete more than 20 laps of a race yet). All that aside, they did get all 3 cars into the top 12 and Sato into fast 6. Viso was challenging for the fast 6 and looks like he took his hot laps just a bit too soon. So kudos to them, hope it is a sign of things to come. The more competition the better.

Alfa Fan

10th April 2010, 19:20

Why do they still but a catagory on the time sheet for T/E/C. I'm going out on a limb here but I'm thinking eveybody has Firestone/Honda/Dallara, am I right?

The only variation is the occasional Panoz's that come out at Indy.

harvick#1

10th April 2010, 19:37

Note: Had some extra time so I'm posting this in advance of race tomorrow...its already over.

barring a yellow screwing him over, hes in a league of his own with the car.

and I agree with your first part too, he can easily be 4 for 4 before the oval season starts

TURN3

10th April 2010, 19:50

Glad to see some front page exposure on ESPN.com for the Indycars on a day that NASCAR is actually racing. They round out the top 6 but the funny part is they make sure everybody knows Danica will start 19th out of 25 cars...nevermind she actually was 21st fastest but I'm splitting hairs. At least the series got noticed for a change.

harvick#1

10th April 2010, 19:59

danica who, Simona starts P13, how bout some love for her, oh wait she doesn't take her clothes off for exposure :rolleyes:

when are they gonna stop beating the dead horse?

Hoop-98

10th April 2010, 21:10

For the analyzers..

http://i43.tinypic.com/10f3zt0.jpg

Spiderman

10th April 2010, 21:21

Congrats to Will on his 3rd win of the year. Without looking, I think this is the first time a driver has opened a season 3 for 3 since PT in 2003. With apologies, Bourdais may also have but I can't remember. At any rate, hard to think Power won't go 4 for 4 next week at LBGP.

Note: Had some extra time so I'm posting this in advance of race tomorrow...its already over.
I believe some drivers from the back will chose alternative stragegies. And with a little luck with no overtaking places on this track we will see a winner, we don't expect. If it his for pure speed, there is no one who can stop Power!

SUBARUTEAM

10th April 2010, 21:28

Will is a full second quicker then dixon in P5 - that is amazing!!!

Hoop-98

10th April 2010, 21:28

and on the other hand..

http://i42.tinypic.com/qo6fe8.jpg

Nikki Katz

10th April 2010, 21:42

Can someone explain to me why if Baguette was over 3 seconds faster than Duno in qualifying why he's starting behind her in the race? Am I missing something?

DanicaFan

10th April 2010, 22:19

Can someone explain to me why if Baguette was over 3 seconds faster than Duno in qualifying why he's starting behind her in the race? Am I missing something?

The reason is because the top 12 spots are determined by speed. The drivers that dont make the Firestone Fast 6 fall in line from p7-p12 by speed. The Firestone Fast 6 drivers obviously fall in line by speed from p1-p6.

From positions 13th-last entry, they fall by speed as well but what group you were in depends on inside or the outside of a row (odd/even). Group 1 gets positions on the inside (odd number), Group 2 gets positions on the outside (even position)

For example, I'll use Danica as an example ;) . She was 10th quickest in her group 1 so she falls in p19. Vitor Meira was 10th quickest in group 2, so he gets p20.

So Baguette being the 13th driver and last in speed in group 1, would be on the inside of row 13.

Does that make sense ??

garyshell

10th April 2010, 22:20

Can someone explain to me why if Baguette was over 3 seconds faster than Duno in qualifying why he's starting behind her in the race? Am I missing something?

I was about to type the same question...

Gary

Nikki Katz

10th April 2010, 22:30

The reason is because the top 12 spots are determined by speed. The drivers that dont make the Firestone Fast 6 fall in line from p7-p12 by speed. The Firestone Fast 6 drivers obviously fall in line by speed from p1-p6.

From positions 13th-last entry, they fall by speed as well but what group you were in depends on inside or the outside of a row (odd/even). Group 1 gets positions on the inside (odd number), Group 2 gets positions on the outside (even position)

For example, I'll use Danica as an example ;) . She was 10th quickest in her group 1 so she falls in p19. Vitor Meira was 10th quickest in group 2, so he gets p20.

So Baguette being the 13th driver and last in speed in group 1, would be on the inside of row 13.

Does that make sense ??
Thanks, that makes sense, but it's a completely stupid qualifying system. Looking again at that list, Hunter-Reay's faster than de Silvestro, and there's a few other weird ones too.

DanicaFan

10th April 2010, 22:34

The new qualifying format for road/street courses is actually better than the old one. The new one makes qualifying very exciting. It's almost like a small race in of itself. It makes you really get out there and lay down some speed so you can get into that top 12.

So you want speed or where you end up will basically be determined by what group you get drawn in before qualifying.

DanicaFan

10th April 2010, 22:43

Nikki, with the old qualifying format, all the cars went on the track for 1 lap qualifying runs. The top 6 cars in speed in that first round went on to the Firestone Fast 6. Then those Fast 6 went on to compete for the pole in a 10 minute session.

TURN3

10th April 2010, 22:44

It is the best qualifying system for a road or street they've ever had. There is no way to put all the cars on track and allow them to get clean runs so they have to split them. When they split them, whoever is in group 2 will beat group 1 because the track rubbers up with each and every lap. Back in CART (before ChampCar), they split groups based on performance and that literally gave the group 1 teams no chance to ever get out of group 1. I don't see how it could be any more fair than it is now.

Now I'll use Danica as an example, she was 21st quick of 24 drivers plus a midpack IL car. Because Wheldon brought out a yellow, he loses his 2 fast laps so he slides back to his 3rd fast lap. Vitor was in group 2 so although he is about .5 sec faster than the Danica, he falls into line from his group on the outside. Sorry, just taking another opportunity to slam the pathetic fact she exists in a top professional series! :dozey:

garyshell

10th April 2010, 22:45

Even with the explanation, I still don't understand how Milka is not last on the grid???

Gary

TURN3

10th April 2010, 22:50

Even with the explanation, I still don't understand how Milka is not last on the grid???

Gary

because there were more cars in group 1 than group 2 and they were both last in their groups.

garyshell

10th April 2010, 23:13

because there were more cars in group 1 than group 2 and they were both last in their groups.

I see that. But think it is REALLY stupid. I think you should take everyone who didn't make the fast 12 and rank them by time REGARDLESS of which group they are in. Putting someone behind a driver who is 3 seconds slower just because there was an odd number of drivers in one group makes no sense at all.

I like the rest of the new format except for this bit.

Gary

SarahFan

10th April 2010, 23:36

Clearly milka is a glowing canundrum ...

And inwouldnt have a problem with them slotting them by times...

But there is more rubber laid down by the end of session 2.....conversely the times should be a tad faster ... Which is why I have no problem with them slotting alternatly by group...

*the other scenerio is rain in one session or the other would severly alter one groups time

**again remove milka from the equation and there isn't such a glareing problem

garyshell

10th April 2010, 23:40

Yeah, Ken, I see your point. The potential for varying conditions between groups 1 and 2 do justify the alternating slots idea.

Gary

DanicaFan

10th April 2010, 23:44

Yes, Milka is clearly horrible and needs to be parked from any further races. I just cant see why(besides money) they keep her in there. She is just an accident waiting to happen.

Dr. Krogshöj

10th April 2010, 23:53

Sorry, just taking another opportunity to slam the pathetic fact she exists in a top professional series! :dozey:

No problem, it's obvious from this thread (and others) and your signature that you're obsessed with her.

Anyway, I think the qualifying system for IndyCar is percect. It guarantees constant on-track action and provides excitement during the session itself. It is not entirely fair outside the Top 12, but putting faster drivers behind slower drivers on the grid has a virtue: it encourages overtaking. That's why F1 teams are also considering knock-out qualifying.

TURN3

11th April 2010, 00:03

No problem, it's obvious from this thread (and others) and your signature that you're obsessed with her.

Anyway, I think the qualifying system for IndyCar is percect. It guarantees constant on-track action and provides excitement during the session itself. It is not entirely fair outside the Top 12, but putting faster drivers behind slower drivers on the grid has a virtue: it encourages overtaking. That's why F1 teams are also considering knock-out qualifying.

Lol...sad but true doc. I have no outright fav driver to pull for so the lure to me these days is hating on her. Guess I'm the inverse of d fan...except within reality!

DanicaFan

11th April 2010, 05:34

What a beautiful car.. :)

http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee236/DanicaRules/DanicaBarber.jpg

DanicaFan

11th April 2010, 05:43

Video of Danica talking about her qualifying at Barber Motorsports Park today. She is spot on and very honest.

MaKV59lWRlo&feature=channel

garyshell

11th April 2010, 05:49

Yes she is spot on and honest... she is clueless on a road course.

Gary

Mark in Oshawa

11th April 2010, 06:15

A few thoughts. First off, the qualifying like it is now is a little confusing for the common thread to follow. DF explained it VERY well (kudo's to you for getting it just right) and I like how qualifying is a more of a shootout now.

That said, I think in the last 4 cars, put the slow one at the back. Then again, Duno will end up there anyhow....for it may be tough to pass, but getting by her I am sure will not be an issue. Milka I think knows to hold her line, and let people get by. Coyne will be telling her I am sure.

As for Danica's little interview, she is right on it being tough to pass, but I think that is a woman thinking (and you could see the bubble outside her head) that she cannot wait to be in a NASCAR race and finish 33rd because she still has some thought she can do that oval thing better. Her attitude towards road racing stinks because she started in it, so for her to be so bad now just makes NO logical sense considering her reasonable competitive nature on the ovals. She just has no clue on setups I think, and it is killing her. If she cannot get it in Indycar, she will find it worse in NASCAR. I think she is making a HUGE mistake going over there based on what I have seen so far this year.

My last point is I do not think this track tho will be a total bore. I think someone will find ways to pass, and they will make a grand fight for second. First? Well that is Will Power land, and no one is allowed to live there but Will. Barring a mistake, they will be lucky to sniff his tail pipes...

Hoss Ghoul

11th April 2010, 06:29

ChicagocrewIRL

11th April 2010, 06:40

Wow, that Roger Penske sure is mart. Who knew?

Will Power appears to have the stuff to place himself alongside Dixon, Franchitti, Hornish, and Bourdais as one of this era's dominant drivers.

With apologies to Helio.

Power is what Briscoe was supposed to be.

I hope Ryan reads these forums because to be honest, I don't think he has a killer instinct and someone needs to tell the guy he needs to have more ba**s out there. Once he gets a mean streak in him I think he will give Will a run for his money as the top Penske driver.

NickFalzone

11th April 2010, 07:09

Having watched Will race in CC, I knew he'd be a top threat in the merger on road/street courses. I didn't expect him to be this successful though. And that being said, once the ovals start up, I fully expect Helio and Ryan to be finishing higher than Will on a regular basis. Perhaps his large points lead on roads/streets and decent top-5s on the ovals will still win him this championship.

NickFalzone

11th April 2010, 07:15

Video of Danica talking about her qualifying at Barber Motorsports Park today. She is spot on and very honest.

MaKV59lWRlo&feature=channel

What a great spokesperson we have for American Open Wheel, a driver that severely dislikes road and street racing, and also sucks at it.

ShiftingGears

11th April 2010, 07:54

Video of Danica talking about her qualifying at Barber Motorsports Park today. She is spot on and very honest.

MaKV59lWRlo&feature=channel

To paraphrase:

I have no idea how to be fast - theres a lot of great drivers out here, and I'm not one of them.

Mark in Oshawa

11th April 2010, 08:25

I hope Ryan reads these forums because to be honest, I don't think he has a killer instinct and someone needs to tell the guy he needs to have more ba**s out there. Once he gets a mean streak in him I think he will give Will a run for his money as the top Penske driver.

He don't have it now, nothing will give it to him.

I picked Dixon at the start of the season to win the Championship, but I think the way Power is dominating on the road/street courses could make this a tough season because I have a sneaking suspicion that before the year is out, he will be winning there too. I cant wait to see Power at Indy I DO know that.

The guy is flat out on his game right now, and to see him outrunning everyone as solidly as he is doing is just amazing.

Mark in Oshawa

11th April 2010, 08:28

Oh one more thing on the Danica video. I cant knock her for being honest. She knows she has no hope, and she ain't selling any faint hope. As I said above, she should be ashamed of herself. She started in Karting turning right and left. She goes to England, runs Formula Ford, and then over here to Atlantics and doesn't even SEE an oval in those series. Then all the sudden she cant drive them? She cant set up for them is what she should say, and this is what happens when someone who is carried up the ranks isn't taught or has the incentive to pay enough attention to learn how to set up a car.

I once heard the rumour TK set up all the Andretti Green cars in the past. I suspect he quit doing that now.....because it shows in Danica's fall off. She ran better at the Glen last year, and that run wasn't amazing..just holding in there.

Dr. Krogshöj

11th April 2010, 09:35

I once heard the rumour TK set up all the Andretti Green cars in the past. I suspect he quit doing that now.....because it shows in Danica's fall off. She ran better at the Glen last year, and that run wasn't amazing..just holding in there.

I sure hope TK doesn't set up anyone else's car anymore. It's okay as long as you have inexperienced teammates but he has to mind his own interest. Danica finished ahead of TK in last year's point standings. If he did stop setting her car up, he discarded a rival without any effort.

Easy Drifter

11th April 2010, 14:47

From what I have heard and read she cannot relate properly to her engineer just what the car is doing. I also gather she is not sensivtive enough to really be able to report back what small changes do to the handling.
A good engineer/crew chief can interpret quite a bit from the computer but to get the best out of a car needs driver feedback.
Unless Tony actually drives the car he cannot really help at the sharp end. They can put his setup on the car but every car is just a bit different and needs fine tuning. Even then her driving style is almost certainly to be different from Tony's, although less noticeable on ovals.
On an oval there are 4 corners, all lefts and either no braking or very little. Same for shifting gears. It is easier to get a setup very close and 'the Brand' has shown she can keep her foot down there, unless she gets in close proximity to another car(s) for more than a couple of laps.
Driving on a road course requires finese on braking and shifting gears and for some reason she just does not seem to be able to adapt. I actually think she has gone backwards.
It just may be that the others have learned, with more road/street courses, how to get the most out of the Dallara chassis and she hasn't.
That doesn't explain the 'Swiss Miss' though!

SarahFan

11th April 2010, 14:48

Video of Danica talking about her qualifying at Barber Motorsports Park today. She is spot on and very honest.

MaKV59lWRlo&feature=channel

I'll give you honest....but spot on?

what was she spot on about?

SarahFan

11th April 2010, 14:49

holy crap Milka just spun on the first lap of warm-up...

she is fricken horrible

harvick#1

11th April 2010, 15:00

To paraphrase:

I have no idea how to be fast - theres a lot of great drivers out here, and I'm not one of them.

"follow the leader" has she ever passed someone and not through the pits on a yellow :mark:

yes come to Nascar Danica, its funny to see Jr now getting the #7 in the top 30 in points so Danica doesn't have to qualify her way in, which I finally give Jr credit cause he knows Danica wouldn't be able to qualify her way into a race

shut up and drive, I'm really hoping TK, RHR, or Marco are not helping with your setups because they shouldn't, shes been in the series long enough and ran on these road courses enough to have some type a setup, just wait until the ovals and shes only able to run 10th, everyone in the media will think thats a win

SarahFan

11th April 2010, 15:12

SarahFan

11th April 2010, 15:15

conway quals P2.... but is only p17 this morning...

that is not good for the parade....

harvick#1

11th April 2010, 15:16

will .6 faster than p2...

I know its warm-up... but wow...

I know a lot of us picked him to be the guy to beat this year..... he is having a very very impressive start to 2010 <stating the obvious i know

its not gonna be follow the leader today, Will is gonna be gone and everyone is gonna race for 2nd :D

SarahFan

11th April 2010, 15:20

its not gonna be follow the leader today, Will is gonna be gone and everyone is gonna race for 2nd :D

at this rate they may be racing for second all season

SarahFan

11th April 2010, 15:25

I know its warm-up ....so things will be a bit jumbled

conway up to p5....thats more like it...

Simona P8...nice

wilson p23.....? thats a suprise

SarahFan

11th April 2010, 15:27

"even Milka at her speeds is going to be tough to pass"-Marco

harvick#1

11th April 2010, 15:48

"even Milka at her speeds is going to be tough to pass"-Marco

race control will have something to say about that ;)

TURN3

11th April 2010, 15:58

Wow guys! Woke up here this morning to see what you've all posted on the last page + or so and I have to tell you I feel like crying! I'm so proud of you all!! :D There is nothing I like seeing more than truthful and accurate bashing of the Danica!!

As far as the race here in a bit, don't expect Will to check out too much. I expect him to get a comfy lead in the first few laps and then cruise to match fuel numbers. With passing at a premium today, saving fuel will be huge because of it taking less time to refuel in the pits of course. That is the only way any passing will be done ala Bourdais in the day. Will knows the game well so he is only going to use his speed advantage if absolutely necessary.

ChicagocrewIRL

11th April 2010, 16:12

I don't hold out much hope for TV ratings today. We're up against the Masters on network television with Tiger Woods in the hunt for a fifth Green Jacket. :(

I have my Tivo recording IndyCar and I will be watching the Masters live. Bad me.

DanicaFan

11th April 2010, 16:32

Mark in Oshawa, thanks for the kind words on my explanation of the qualifying format.

Shifter

11th April 2010, 18:24

Hey DF, I know you take abuse in terms of how we treat your favourite driver, but you do provide nice thread lead-ins and good information, so thanks for that.

DanicaFan

11th April 2010, 19:02

Hey DF, I know you take abuse in terms of how we treat your favourite driver, but you do provide nice thread lead-ins and good information, so thanks for that.

Thanks. I just try and get the important information and condense it to a post. This makes for less searching around.

Easy Drifter

11th April 2010, 19:31

TURN3

11th April 2010, 19:49

I may razz you, Chad but you do know racing and often have good posts.
I do not like Danica and don't think she is all that good but she is better than most if not all of us.
Heck even Milk and Donuts is better than most of us!
I sure couldn't drive one of those beasts nowdays!
Maybe at one time but not now.

If I may interupt the coddling of DFan for a moment...what makes you think you couldn't drive one of these "beasts" today if you feel you might have been at one time? These "beast" are far far more easy to drive than they used to be. Not near as much torque, hp, paddles shifters in lieu of sequential or h-pattern, far better engine drivability, no turbo lag, etc. Just curious if thats ok?

Jag_Warrior

11th April 2010, 20:20

As for Danica's little interview, she is right on it being tough to pass, but I think that is a woman thinking (and you could see the bubble outside her head) that she cannot wait to be in a NASCAR race and finish 33rd because she still has some thought she can do that oval thing better. Her attitude towards road racing stinks because she started in it, so for her to be so bad now just makes NO logical sense considering her reasonable competitive nature on the ovals. She just has no clue on setups I think, and it is killing her. If she cannot get it in Indycar, she will find it worse in NASCAR. I think she is making a HUGE mistake going over there based on what I have seen so far this year.

IMO, Danica's NASCAR move is all about the money. And I suspect that just being in NASCAR (whether she finishes 23rd, 33rd or 43rd) will put more $ in her pocket than finishing 5th or 6th (her high water marks, I suspect) in the IRL championship. I figure she'll be able to tool around near the back of the pack in NASCAR for at least a couple of seasons, before the laughter eventually drives her out. But over the course of those seasons, she might be able to bank $10 or $15 million - that's including t-shirts, posters, endorsements and the like (in prize money, she probably won't make enough to pay her dry cleaning bills).

You or I would look at racing and want to improve ourselves and be respectable. From that interview a couple of years ago, when Danica first mentioned NASCAR, the first thing out of her mouth was "the ratings". Ol' Danica has her eye on the prize/$. As long as people will keep buying it, she'll keep selling the sizzle (and some will believe that the steak is all that and the proverbial bag o' chips).

And I'll admit that I'm bitter and still REALLY p!ssed that a legitimate racer and CHAMPION, like Angelle Sampey, couldn't get sponsorship to save her life (cause she wouldn't take off her top?), while this bikini model/hack has people fawning over her every ignorant word. People make fun of Milka... and that's fine (and accurate). But considering Danica's years of training on road courses and the late age that Milka started racing, I'm more impressed with Milka than I am Danica this weekend. True, Milka shouldn't be out there... she's a pro/am at best. But for all the hype, Patrick should be at the sharp end of the grid. Milka has an excuse. What is Danica's excuse? I listened to that interview. She is so completely clueless and lost that it's not funny (well, actually, it is kinda
funny! :D ).

I want Danica to go to Sprint Cup! I want it bad! And even if I have to sell my soul to El Diablo, I'll somehow make it to Bristol and Martinsville to see the Epic Failure that will come. :bounce:

harvick#1

11th April 2010, 20:25

I do not like Danica and don't think she is all that good but she is better than most if not all of us.
Heck even Milk and Donuts is better than most of us!
I sure couldn't drive one of those beasts nowdays!
Maybe at one time but not now.

yes, but most of us didn't come from rich parents who gave us go-karts when we were 5 and started driving,

I always sort of laugh at that statement, because if you live for racing, you'll be pretty good, just play some racing games, while its only a simulation, watch how good you will get by tweeking setups and learning courses and seeing lap times get better and better.

TURN3

11th April 2010, 20:29

Wow, just seen the museum at Barber on the VS telecast. Spectacular looking, very cool.

Jag_Warrior

11th April 2010, 20:38

Wow, just seen the museum at Barber on the VS telecast. Spectacular looking, very cool.

Also a really nice gesture for the owner of the course to donate it to the people of the state after he's gone.

TURN3

11th April 2010, 21:07

Unreal, what is going on with Sato? KV has zero reliability. Guess it is hard to perfect when your drivers usually don't complete this many laps though.

Nikki Katz

11th April 2010, 21:07

Nice job of pulling off the track when your car's broken there, Taka...

TURN3

11th April 2010, 21:08

Full course caution just played out HUGE for those that pitted though...TK, Tags, Wheldon, Romancini...HUGE for those guys.

TURN3

11th April 2010, 21:13

Well, maybe those advantages are nixed with only about half of the field pitting. They're still trapped behind a bunch for awhile. I would think by the time the entire field cycles through, whenever that is, they still gain.

Anubis

11th April 2010, 21:19

Bit late to the thread, but just tuned into the race now. What a nice looking track! Reminds me a lot of Brands Hatch GP.

TURN3

11th April 2010, 21:53

Guys, I know she's slow but we gotta give credit when its due. Milka held her line pretty well to be in the middle 3 wide through that turn with Tags and Wheldon.

TURN3

11th April 2010, 21:55

How do you use 13 overtakes by the halfway point to maintain 20th place? At some point don't you just have to deal with what you've got? LOL

TURN3

11th April 2010, 22:11

Boy, lack of yellows and getting stuck in traffic killed Power. Helio, Dixon, and Marco are looking good with Will certain to stop and still behind. Great drive by Marco, he deserves some credit after getting slammed for the past 2 years.

TURN3

11th April 2010, 22:22

Danica shows her talent-less-ness yet again...nice punt. Lloyd was having a great race for Coyne until Danica took him out.

beachgirl

11th April 2010, 22:24

Danica shows her talent-less-ness yet again...nice punt. Lloyd was having a great race for Coyne until Danica took him out.

Yeah, well, you expected any differently? It was a very low probability move, but she won't be crucified for it, like anyone else would be.

harvick#1

11th April 2010, 22:29

Danica shows her talent-less-ness yet again...nice punt. Lloyd was having a great race for Coyne until Danica took him out.

yep, everyone has been passing each other cleanly and Danica has to divebomb into other cars to try to and pass.

and you got horn dog Jenkins still drooling over Danica, its always great to have biased announcers

Nikki Katz

11th April 2010, 22:30

Wow, how long have they been stuck behind Rahal for???

DanicaFan

11th April 2010, 22:50

Congrats to Helio Castroneves for the win.

TURN3

11th April 2010, 22:51

Congrats to Helio Castroneves for the win.

Hey buddy, how did your girl do? My screen doesn't scroll all the way to the bottom. :D

DanicaFan

11th April 2010, 23:09

Danica shows her talent-less-ness yet again...nice punt. Lloyd was having a great race for Coyne until Danica took him out.

Negative, Lloyd got into Danica.

DanicaFan

11th April 2010, 23:13

Here are the final results..

1. #3 Helio Castroneves
2. #9 Scott Dixon
3. #10 Dario Franchitti
4. #12 Will Power
5. #26 Marco Andretti
6. #6 Ryan Briscoe
7. #22 Justin Wilson
8. #11 Tony Kanaan
9. #24 Mike Conway
10. #77 Alex Tagliani
11. #4 Dan Wheldon
12. #37 Ryan Hunter-Reay
13. #32 Mario Moraes
14. #2 Raphael Matos
15. #06 Hideki Mutoh
16. #8 EJ Viso
17. #67 Graham Rahal
18. #14 Vitor Meria
19. #7 Danica Patrick
20. #36 Bertrand Baguette
21. #78 Simona De Silvestro
22. #34 Mario Romancini
23. #19 Alex Lloyd
24. #18 Milka Duno
25. #5 Takuma Sato

Shifter

11th April 2010, 23:14

eh, 50/50 the tyre mark is pretty far up on the sidepod. I was amazed how well-behaved everyone was today. Pity about Sato. Great call by Helio's team, in what was a major strategy race. Conway looks like he's finally getting these cars too.

beachgirl

11th April 2010, 23:22

Negative, Lloyd got into Danica.

Just keep believing whatever you want, even if the evidence says otherwise. It'd be kind of hard for Lloyd to get into Danica, when he was ahead of her at the time. She drove right into him. As usual, it's someone else's fault, never Danica's. You're a good guy and I really do like you, DF, but you're just a bit blind when it comes to Danica.

TURN3

11th April 2010, 23:26

Negative, Lloyd got into Danica.

Negative. You're just blind.

harvick#1

12th April 2010, 00:09

Negative, Lloyd got into Danica.

I really hope you are joking on this on :mark:

SUBARUTEAM

12th April 2010, 02:45

there is no way that dixon jumped the start - that was a poor call

Jag_Warrior

12th April 2010, 03:05

there is no way that dixon jumped the start - that was a poor call

That was a very crappy call. :down:

Also, congrats to Danica for posting a solid Top 20. And boo on Stoopid Alex Lloyd for not getting his car out of her way, so she wouldn't have had to run into him.

Jokes aside, too bad for Simona. Not sure how she did that. But she had a good race going. If all that's being said about her instincts, race craft and mechanical understanding are true... she's going to be a real threat in the near future. Maybe, FINALLY, we'll have a female driver that won't be seen as a female first... just a damn good (legitimate) racer. Simona certainly seems (almost) poised to fill that role.

And as much as it makes me almost throw up in my mouth to say it, Marco Andretti ran a darn good race today too. Maybe that time in A1GP was good for the lad. That's not an easy track to drive and he did really well. Nice job... ya lil punk! :p

Also, the Versus presentation was pretty good. The announce team is worlds better than ABC/ESPN, though not in the same league with the SpeedTV F1 crew (which, to me, are the best ever). But if Versus ever starts posting lap-by-lap gaps and lets the viewers know that driver B is catching driver A by .5 seconds per lap (or whatever), they'll really have something. But still, it was good. This was a good race. :up:

EagleEye

12th April 2010, 04:07

Negative, Lloyd got into Danica.

FYI, Danica apologized to Lloyd after the race.

NickFalzone

12th April 2010, 04:30

Haven't watched the whole broadcast yet, so I can't comment entirely on today's coverage. But as someone without an HD tv, I was very happy to see VS broadcast today's race in Letterbox instead of cutting off the sides for 4:3. Really nice to have the extra width to the visuals and graphics, despite no HDtv here. Overall looked like a very pretty track and some decent overtaking here and there. On the other hand, reminded me a lot of mid-ohio and Sonoma, which are 2 of the most boring tracks on the schedule... so to me, best races are still the streets and a few of the ovals.

Jag_Warrior

12th April 2010, 07:17

The princess would have lost her f'ing mind if someone (anyone) had done that to her. Before they could have apologized, she'd have been doing the Danica Stomp up pit road.

Can't wait to see you in NASCAR, Danica. It'll be more fun than watching Pee Wee Herman (try to) take on Mike Tyson... back in his prime. :dozey:

jimispeed

12th April 2010, 09:50

Did Simona run out of fuel? I thought she was in 11th up to the end??

beachgirl

12th April 2010, 11:43

Did Simona run out of fuel? I thought she was in 11th up to the end??

She spun.

beachbum

12th April 2010, 12:13

FYI, Danica apologized to Lloyd after the race.Wow, that's new - an apology. But based on Lloyds twitter, he wasn't too happy.

Mark in Oshawa

12th April 2010, 13:46

That was a very crappy call. :down:

Also, congrats to Danica for posting a solid Top 20. And boo on Stoopid Alex Lloyd for not getting his car out of her way, so she wouldn't have had to run into him.

Jokes aside, too bad for Simona. Not sure how she did that. But she had a good race going. If all that's being said about her instincts, race craft and mechanical understanding are true... she's going to be a real threat in the near future. Maybe, FINALLY, we'll have a female driver that won't be seen as a female first... just a damn good (legitimate) racer. Simona certainly seems (almost) poised to fill that role.

And as much as it makes me almost throw up in my mouth to say it, Marco Andretti ran a darn good race today too. Maybe that time in A1GP was good for the lad. That's not an easy track to drive and he did really well. Nice job... ya lil punk! :p

Also, the Versus presentation was pretty good. The announce team is worlds better than ABC/ESPN, though not in the same league with the SpeedTV F1 crew (which, to me, are the best ever). But if Versus ever starts posting lap-by-lap gaps and lets the viewers know that driver B is catching driver A by .5 seconds per lap (or whatever), they'll really have something. But still, it was good. This was a good race. :up:

The call on Dixon on the start was legit. Rules say you have to be in Grid order at the line, but the timing and scoring had him 2 positions higher. Transponders in the car make the call an easy one. VS showed the overhead from the chopper and you could see Dixon suck by 2 cars on the way to the line. If it was a restart, and not the start of the race, he was ok, but you cannot pass BEFORE the line on a start in the IRL. Hence the penalty and they allowed him to let the two guys by and no real penalty was assessed.

As for the rest of your post Jag, spot on stuff as per usual.

Mark in Oshawa

12th April 2010, 13:47

Oh yes..as for Danica, again, if she had learned something in the last decade instead of preening for the cameras, she would learn how to pass. At this point in her career, she better be apologizing for that brain dead move.

At some point, people will wake up to the fact she is fast enough by herself, but has no race craft and she cannot set up a car. That isn't enough to justify the hype, and maybe...just maybe someone will grasp it in the media and call her out on it.

Dr. Krogshöj

12th April 2010, 16:00

That was a very crappy call. :down:

Well, he certainly passed Marco before the line so he had to let Marco by. Problem is, Helio was between them. The pass on Helio may have been legitimate, but the only way he could let Marco by was letting Helio by. Tough luck but a good call.

I remember how pissed I was at the start of the 2007 Houston Grand Prix. Bourdais shortcut the chicane to pass the pole-sitter Power, who got out of shape so Wilson passed him as well. Tony Cotman ruled Bourdais had to give up one position. So he did let Wilson by, but not Power.

All in all, Bourdais commited a foul against Power but was still ahead of him after the penalty. IMO, it would have been more fair if Bourdais had to give two positions. Wilson would have been given a free ticket, just like Helio was yesterday, but at least justice would have been done.

Easy Drifter

12th April 2010, 16:15

Simona goofed on a downshift and pulled the paddle once too often and got 1st instead of 2nd. Result a spin.
Probably just getting a little tired. She hasn't driven that many races of that length. Barber looks like a physically demanding track.
Milk and Donuts looked pretty silly getting passed on both sides, not once but twice!

garyshell

12th April 2010, 16:57

SarahFan

12th April 2010, 17:05

I haven't had a chance to watch the race I taped yesterday. But watching Speed Report last night, Robin Miller issued a mea culpa about his saying there would be no passing at Barber and yet there apparently was. So what about the rest of the nay sayers HERE? I haven't seen any such admissions yet in this forum. Just sayin'...

Gary

I taped it...started watching about an hour or so late.....watched the first third....then had to leave

it was a snoozer

listened to the final 15 laps on XM...more of the same

talked to a buddy later who said there was some passing mid and back pack

also read there was some big marbling issues by the end of the race.....maybe dont bring the reds in 2011

Marbles

12th April 2010, 17:40

Simona goofed on a downshift and pulled the paddle once too often and got 1st instead of 2nd. Result a spin.

You can pull the wrong gear with a paddle shifter? I mean, even if she didn't need 1st and only 2nd, it would still have been a rev\throttle matched down shift. I guess it's doable but still a surprising excuse these days.

Marco appears to have found some talent again. Great fuel economy by Helio and Team Penske. He may have the same size gas tank as everyone else but I think his fuel line winds through his cool suit. I thought Dixon may have had something for him but no, too little too late.

Such a shame Tracy can't get a drive after looking at the KV roster.

Shifter

12th April 2010, 17:49

Well, he certainly passed Marco before the line so he had to let Marco by. Problem is, Helio was between them. The pass on Helio may have been legitimate, but the only way he could let Marco by was letting Helio by. Tough luck but a good call.

Pretty simple solution to these issues: Standing starts. :D

Scotty G.

12th April 2010, 18:13

Such a shame Tracy can't get a drive after looking at the KV roster.

KV should have 3 very strong cars, with good engineering and good crews.

Its being wasted by those 3 drivers though.

Alfa Fan

12th April 2010, 18:46

Good to hear your going to pay for them Scotty :)

Easy Drifter

12th April 2010, 18:54

Marbles it was Simona who said it and admitted it was a mistake.
She thought she had pulled the paddle the right # of times to get 2nd put had used it once too often and went to first.
With the sequential box each pull means a downshift so if you miscount you get the wrong gear.
You have to go through each gear but there is no hesititation between.

Scotty G.

12th April 2010, 19:25

Good to hear your going to pay for them Scotty :)

No, I just expect professional teams in the top tier of racing, to actually be able to pay for them on their own.

You know, like the teams that are kicking KV's ass do. ;)

MDS

12th April 2010, 19:27

I'm still digging out from three nights of camping at Barber.

There was a lot of talk about changes at the track, and the consensus was something should be done. I talked with a lot of my motorcycle riding buddies and one thing that is probably going to get done is bypassing the chicane that is turn 7 and turning 7 and 8 into one large sweeping, and possibly banked turn. That's something that's been talked about for a long time by the motorcycle guys and it seems to be be something both camps want.

In my opinion all they really need to do is put a hairpin turn at turn 5 for the Indy cars, bypass the chicane in the back stretch, bypass turn 11 and make what is now turn 12 a hard right hander into the 13-15 complex and you'll have several really solid passing areas and an interesting track while preserving the flowing aspects for motorcycles. At the very least they should straighten out, or widen the back stretch as that scrubs off a lot of speed.

Overall I have to say I was very impressed with Barber (outside the quality of racing). We camped their for three days, the crowd was a interesting mixture of motorcycle fans, "die hard," and "long time" open wheel fans, NASCAR fans high performance car guys and a lot of families. If you would have told me that you could draw that kind of crowd to that track two weeks before Talladega I probably wouldn't have believed you, but they got a good sized crowd there, some new corporate support and did it without having to rely on massive corporate giveaways.

Yes they have some work to do, like cutting down 100-200 trees to improve sight lines and maybe construct some grandstands, but for an inaugural event they did a great job and have a strong base to build on for the future.

garyshell

12th April 2010, 19:55

No, I just expect professional teams in the top tier of racing, to actually be able to pay for them on their own.

And we continue to expect that your expectations and reality are at opposite ends of the spectrum. With sponsorship at a premium where do you expect this money to suddenly come from?

Gary

dataman1

12th April 2010, 19:59

Hey MDS,

Since you were there you can answer a question. Were the stands reserved or open for campers and others? From overhead shots the wooded areas were packed but bleacher seats had empty space. I could not tell if they were open due to heat and sun or cost.

Thanks.

MDS

12th April 2010, 20:08

One set of bleachers, the ones closest to turn 8, were open to general admission folks, another set was reserved for ticket holders and then there was another "Sky Box" area for corporate guests. I think the reason there were gaps was because the views offered by those stands weren't that great and it it was just easier and more comfortable to sit under the trees. My dad and I were on a hill way up above turn 14 with a couple hundred people.

Mark in Oshawa

12th April 2010, 22:11

I haven't had a chance to watch the race I taped yesterday. But watching Speed Report last night, Robin Miller issued a mea culpa about his saying there would be no passing at Barber and yet there apparently was. So what about the rest of the nay sayers HERE? I haven't seen any such admissions yet in this forum. Just sayin'...

Gary

There was some passing, but I wouldn't say it was as entertaining as Sao Paolo or St. Pete's was.

The revisions MDS mentions would probably help this....although I don't think they really need a hairpin at 5...I found that corner really was interesting as the passed fought back in that exit coming out to head back the other way....

Mark in Oshawa

12th April 2010, 22:14

No, I just expect professional teams in the top tier of racing, to actually be able to pay for them on their own.

You know, like the teams that are kicking KV's ass do. ;)

So you want Kalkoven to just open up his bank account and fully fund PT for a season? Nice thought of you spending his money like that.

I suspect even with the ride buyers he has, he still is out of pocket a lot. Nothing wrong with KV to an extent that having more a little better engineering and management wouldn't cure. Jimmy does great work I am sure with helping whoever is behind the wheels, but I think they still need something with that team.

The fact is though, most teams are really struggling right now, and until ad budgets go up, and the IRL's popularity starts to grow, adversting agencies are not going to come to the IRL side pods with their clients. When THAT happens, then you will see a change in some of the drivers hired.

All in all I think this year is healthier actually for the quality of field.

TURN3

12th April 2010, 22:58

So you want Kalkoven to just open up his bank account and fully fund PT for a season? Nice thought of you spending his money like that.

I suspect even with the ride buyers he has, he still is out of pocket a lot. Nothing wrong with KV to an extent that having more a little better engineering and management wouldn't cure. Jimmy does great work I am sure with helping whoever is behind the wheels, but I think they still need something with that team.

The fact is though, most teams are really struggling right now, and until ad budgets go up, and the IRL's popularity starts to grow, adversting agencies are not going to come to the IRL side pods with their clients. When THAT happens, then you will see a change in some of the drivers hired.

All in all I think this year is healthier actually for the quality of field.

What is missing with that team in my opinion is the subtraction of 1 full time car. I just feel they are substantially over extended. They did really well with 1 car and an unproven driver last year and when Tracy was with them he was the best non-Penske non_Ganassi car at his 2 planned events (on roads). Throw in Indy where Bell finished 4th and Tracy limped home in a damaged vehicle to 9th after running as high as 2nd and it is clear they know what it takes to have speed on different circuits. I think it is chemistry and over extension if resources.

anthonyvop

12th April 2010, 23:30

garyshell

13th April 2010, 01:54

I was pleasantly surprised.

Thanks Anthony, I am pleased to see you say that!

Gary

Mark in Oshawa

13th April 2010, 05:11

MDS

13th April 2010, 05:27

What is missing with that team in my opinion is the subtraction of 1 full time car. I just feel they are substantially over extended. They did really well with 1 car and an unproven driver last year and when Tracy was with them he was the best non-Penske non_Ganassi car at his 2 planned events (on roads). Throw in Indy where Bell finished 4th and Tracy limped home in a damaged vehicle to 9th after running as high as 2nd and it is clear they know what it takes to have speed on different circuits. I think it is chemistry and over extension if resources.

It's not extension of resources I counted at least 40 guys, including some high priced experienced guys in their paddock and I'm sure that wasn't the full complement they had at Barber, much less the development guys at the shop.

KV is in it to win, but the two factors they've had working against them is time and bad luck. At Brazil E.J. Viso could have won the race, or at least been in line for a podium if a transmission didn't go wrong. At Barber Takumo had some honest speed, but had a mechanical issue with his car or he would have been in the top five with a chance for a podium.

As far as time goes we know the Lotus and Moreas deals came together very late in the off season. Their team is young, and have show it with the Takuma and Viso mechanicals, but they're starting to show some speed. they had three cars in the top 12 in qualifying, which is better than Andretti can say, and Takuma had a top-5 car. They just need some more time to gell together. They had a lot of uncertainty in the off season and I think they'll start to pull together and at Long Beach they'll be in the top 5 and by Indy they'll be competitive.

TURN3

13th April 2010, 06:05

It's not extension of resources I counted at least 40 guys, including some high priced experienced guys in their paddock and I'm sure that wasn't the full complement they had at Barber, much less the development guys at the shop.

KV is in it to win, but the two factors they've had working against them is time and bad luck. At Brazil E.J. Viso could have won the race, or at least been in line for a podium if a transmission didn't go wrong. At Barber Takumo had some honest speed, but had a mechanical issue with his car or he would have been in the top five with a chance for a podium.

As far as time goes we know the Lotus and Moreas deals came together very late in the off season. Their team is young, and have show it with the Takuma and Viso mechanicals, but they're starting to show some speed. they had three cars in the top 12 in qualifying, which is better than Andretti can say, and Takuma had a top-5 car. They just need some more time to gell together. They had a lot of uncertainty in the off season and I think they'll start to pull together and at Long Beach they'll be in the top 5 and by Indy they'll be competitive.

I hope you're right, and on many counts obviously you are. KV is one of the teams that I root for hoping they can crack the Penske Ganassi dominance. They aren't perfect by any means but I feel they have the potential. When they don't live up to it, it frustrates me. So far this year, for various reasons they haven't lived up to the hype they built for themselves last year. I'll hold out hope though. I just hope they aren't dealing with old worked over tubs with little chance...seems that had something to do with AGR last year on top of the chemistry issues.