you stay classy Mike Hull

[usgrandprix]

I'm not into being too negative, but I will call a spade a spade and get this off my chest.

What's with the classless interview after the race?

Mike Hull (to paraphrase): "there are two ways to win a race and we like to do it the fast way"

Well chew on this:

1. About two laps into the race you told your driver to go to FP 4 to lean out fuel creating a boring "fuel race." As far as ESPN reported, you were the "trendsetter" in this decision.

2. Scott didn't look "fast" when he got passed by Vitor and Marco.

3. Only passes I saw Scott make were in the pits and on a car low on fuel.

4. Where was your decision to win the "fast way" last year at Chicago?

5. It's not like you beat Brian Herta or Panther or something. That was Helio flippin' Castroneves and Penske. Show some class by acknowledging a team and driver that can win in a lot of ways.

6. Can we assume you'll be full rich for the rest of the season there speedy?

Go take those last three races by the throat Spiderman!

[underpowered]

Go take those last three races by the throat Spiderman!

Someone's a little bitter.

Scott drove a great race, just like he has been doing all year. Have some class and accept it.

Mike had to be conservative with his strategy because they were up front (Penske could try anything as they were at the back). Scott did his part and got better fuel mileage than any other car on the track while staying as close to the front as possible. Scott jumps cars in the pits because he never needs as much fuel. If some of the other drivers could learn to run fast without burning through their fuel they might have a shot at Scott also.

I was very impressed with what Penske made out of a bad situation. It shows why they are such a great team. They just didn’t do it with car speed, and Mike pointed that out.

[speeddurango]

Motorsport is a teamwork, motorsport is also not called an overtaking sport, overtaking is just a part of it, and taking a role of claptrap for people, but motorsport is a lot mroe than that.

[SUBARUTEAM]

Scott lead 151 of the 200 laps so I find it difficult to accept your suggestion that he was running a fuel race and driving slow. If he can set the fuel to FP4 and still lead - all power to him

[usgrandprix]

Hull implied that Helio's win would not have been worthy because fuel played such a big part in the Penske strategy and tried to imply it was beneath his strategy because they were so "fast." While my point is that fuel wasn't so insignificant in the Ganassi strategy either and oh, they didn't even run a fast lap in the top 5. If anyone was going for speed it was Marco and Vitor.

I know they won and I'm not saying it was cheap. I just think it's classless that instead of acknowledging some great work by some other fast teams he uses a win to stretch what's just not there. It's a very "mission accomplished" attitude. Abusing a position of strength = classless.

[NickFalzone]

I agree with the first poster that Mike Hull's comments were tasteless. That said, i do give a lot of credit to Dixon and his team for not only running good mileage, but running fast on that fuel position. From what I could tell, Dixon on FP3 and 4 was running about as fast as Meira and Andretti on full power. So that team is doing championship level work in the shop and Dixon knows how to drive that car precisely within its limits. But again, I agree that it's a bit unfair of Hull to call out fuel strategies when their team is benefitting off that bigtime this season.

Basically this season I'm seeing Dixon running consistently top-3 on the track, and then running faster than anyone in pits. He always makes gains in the pits. And that's a major reason why they're going to win the championship.

[SUBARUTEAM]

i'm not really surprised that dixon was not in the top 5 lap times for two reasons. 1. as already mentioned, he was conserving fuel and 2. he was out in front. the top lap times would have been as a result of other cars picking up a good tow.

I think that people are reading too much into Mikes comments. his driver had just won an exciting race and someone stuck a mic in his face and ask for a comment. he simply said that they prefer to run up front rather then gamble of fuel (which is kind of their only option given that they started on pole and were running p1 on the track)

[usgrandprix]

I don't think he gets the benefit of the doubt when it comes to Ganassi v. Penske. There's tension there, for sure.

Here's the truth about racing at that sort of track:

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/motor...-Testing_N.htm

Fact is without being a big three Vitor made the ballsy move and passed Dixon on the track because Dixon either lifted (as Goodyear thought) or didn't have the speed--neither one of which let's you get to mouth off about how "fast" you are.

I understand that you don't have to set the fastest lap to win. I know you can shorten your pit time. I know it's a team effort. I know you can try to pit one fewer time. I know fuel is important. In laps, out laps. I know it's about consistent laps. That's exactly my point. These things are exactly what Dixon's win was about yet the first comment from Hull is about their speed--as if that was the strength of their win. Like they lapped the field and could pass at will. They won by running just as fast as everyone else, while using less fuel to do so and spending less time in/out of the pits. It's what I hate about this kind of racing. Dixon's awesome at it, but I can only appreciate this style so much--and don't sit there and feed me bull about how bad-ass fast you are.

Why not acknowledge Vitor at least? Besides, praising your competition only makes your own win more impressive.

Of course frustrated, but it doesn't make what I say untrue. That's why I'm frustrated. And I'm just a fan--imagine how frustrated Vitor is. I'll get over it when Helio beats Scott at Detroit. As long as Scott doesn't back into him like he did Franchitti last year (for which I gave him the benefit of the doubt).

[The instant classic]

I'm not into being too negative, but I will call a spade a spade and get this off my chest.

What's with the classless interview after the race?

Mike Hull (to paraphrase): "there are two ways to win a race and we like to do it the fast way"

Well chew on this:

1. About two laps into the race you told your driver to go to FP 4 to lean out fuel creating a boring "fuel race." As far as ESPN reported, you were the "trendsetter" in this decision.

2. Scott didn't look "fast" when he got passed by Vitor and Marco.

3. Only passes I saw Scott make were in the pits and on a car low on fuel.

4. Where was your decision to win the "fast way" last year at Chicago?

5. It's not like you beat Brian Herta or Panther or something. That was Helio flippin' Castroneves and Penske. Show some class by acknowledging a team and driver that can win in a lot of ways.

6. Can we assume you'll be full rich for the rest of the season there speedy?

Go take those last three races by the throat Spiderman!

i 100% agree with you,, i felt the same way last year with dixon and crew,
last year he race drity, this year hes fine on track, but the crew seems to have this ego now, but to me i woludnt get to carryed away, with this ego thing, rember at chicago, as you have pointed out, i do think dixon has already won the title, but his crew is jumming the gun so to speak, on everything

[garyshell]

i 100% agree with you,, i felt the same way last year with dixon and crew,
last year he race drity, this year hes fine on track, but the crew seems to have this ego now, but to me i woludnt get to carryed away, with this ego thing, rember at chicago, as you have pointed out, i do think dixon has already won the title, but his crew is jumming the gun so to speak, on everything

Please find the shift key and period key on your telephone, or wait until you get home to respond.

Gary