What a race...

[JoeBob]

I was expecting a real snoozer, but we got a pretty decent race.

Too bad for the time limit, I would have loved to have seen PT and SeaBass go at it for a few laps... but you can't change the rules on the fly.

[NismoZ]

Sure ya can...at least they seem to be able to not enforce them on the fly. But I must admit, I think everyone including PT knows the 1st block is just going to draw a warning. Way better racing and action than I expected after seeing the condition of that layout. Hope the gate was satisfactory and next year will bring necessary improvements.

[Spicoli]

Yep. Not as bad as I thought. PT doesn't like to finish 2nd, eh? ;)



Bourdais? What's to like? :shakehead smarmy french bitch.

[Ziggy]

Pace car was out way to long. Especially the first time. WTF was that for? Oh, lets have a yellow for like twelve laps...... that deal was covered in weak sauce.

It had potential. If they repave the track and adjust some things, this would be a great venue. Champcar has to do a better job of actually putting on a race. They can set up all the barriers, promote the crap out of it, but in the end there has to be a car race. Running NASCARish yellows then calling the race on time was very, very lame.

What did I like

Fabio did a very good job. His exit speeds were great, which allowed him to hold off a much more experienced and savy Wilson.

Charles (nicklebag) Zwolsman did an excellent job of rising above Charlie Nearburg status. He drove aggressive and got whacked by another car on a section of track that really needs looking into.

On to Mexico, where Mickey Mouse has not yet set up shop.

[RusH]

Nelson Phillipe :thumbup: :gomer:

Seabass :thumdown: , I`m getting tired if the whining in French/Gomer speak

[Fio1]

In a head to head fight Bourdais will always beat Tracy. Tracy will stuff it in the wall before can pass Bourdais. :laugh:

[Spicoli]

Nelson Phillipe

Seabass :thumdown: , I`m getting tired if the whining in French/Gomer speak

Good. Seriously, **** him. Seriously. :cry: :D

[EDwardo]

SB had a crappy pitstop with the crumbling concrete thing. Lost a lot of time. PT beat a yellow entering the pits and gained position on the field. But he still couldn't get around SB. Mario missed a corner and handed SB the lead.

Suck it up. He's kicking everyones butt.

[cameraman]

PT couldn't touch Bourdais on the restarts. He just plain got beat.

[cart7]

I didn't see the whole thing, dozed off. That said, really neat track. I liked the way it flowed but.......


unless they repave that thing it's all for naught. I could feel my own fillings coming loose in some of those in-car shots.

[jonovision_man]

Far better than I expected! :thumbup: Wide enough for overtaking, I think that was the real key.

Fix the bumps, drop the chicane, and I'm happy.

Spanish GP starts now... bye :)

jono

[Hard Driver]

Pretty Good, but did seem a bit amateurish at times.

What the heck was that first yellow for, debris? How can it take that long? It was like 3 -4 laps before they even opened the pits.

TV Coverage was bearable, but marginal. Did a poor job explaining some things. Missed some passes. After that extensive yellow, they go to comercial just in time to miss the restart. So the coverage was a long yellow, ad, then more yellow.

And while I understand the need for that chicane, it was poorly designed. So people kept getting pushed into the wall because it was too sharp a turn in with a wall at the apex.

But overall, pretty good race.

[RHR_Fan]

GO NELSON AND ANDREW!!!!!!!!!!

I love 19-year old drivers. :D

After the first third of the race, I was thinking that the rest of it wasn't going to be that great, but it was awesome. I agree that the pacecar was out too long, especially at the end. I wanted more than a one-lap shootout, but at least they didn't have to end it under yellow. Poor Justin and his hands. That looked painful!

~Nicole

[devilmaster]

Much better race than LB. I have faith in these drivers again that they can slice and dice without getting into a 6 car pileup. There was some good action in the field.

Here's a thought though - I wonder if they grind and repave this track smooth, that it will make for a more boring race. The constant bumps looked to wear out tires, cars and drivers alike. A smooth track might parade them out more.

But as I said in Audi's thread, a better broadcast would have shown a better race. That last yellow was so long because Tagliani had a major shunt. No brakes into a tire wall with a concrete barrier behind it - so hard he pushed the concrete back. But we hardly knew that because the broadcast keyed more into the fact they lost a camera more than anything else. Only after a ton of yellow, did they finally show alex's crash, and the car was cleaned up.

The broadcast team is missing out on explaining (and showing) the most obvious things. Watch the final lap again, and because the director wanted to show both pit crews watching in anticipation, THAT THEY BASICALLY MISSED SEABASS GETTING THE CHECKEREDS! :mad:

[JoeBob]

Remember the first race at Denver? That was also very, very bumpy.

In following years, they've solved the bump problem.

[Turbodog]

Nelson Phillipe :

Seabass :thumdown: , I`m getting tired if the whining in French/Gomer speak

Jeff Gordon hater :gomer: :p

[TrueBrit]

Yep. Not as bad as I thought. PT doesn't like to finish 2nd, eh?



Bourdais? What's to like? smarmy french bitch.

Great race by Bourdais!!! PT wins the Michael Whinedretti whiner of the race award...Again...If you can't beat him on the street, whine about it afterwards... :shakehead

:cry: "he blocked me" :cry: "he blocked me"

Yup, we know that Saint Paul has NEVER done that before... :gomer:

[jonovision_man]

Great race by Bourdais!!! PT wins the Michael Whinedretti whiner of the race award...Again...If you can't beat him on the street, whine about it afterwards... :shakehead

"he blocked me" "he blocked me"

Yup, we know that Saint Paul has NEVER done that before... :gomer:

ROFL... you just *had* to go there. :D

I didn't think Bourdais did anything that bad.

Far worse was Mario's little stunt after Bourdais passed him, behind the safety car when he faked like he'd ram Sebastian... pathetic! That should have been a penalty way before Bourdais choosing convenient lines into a few corners should be. :)

jono

[Accipiter]

We get it already, Paul. The whole world is against you. I don't understand why PT whines when he can just go ask Gerry to fire Chief Steward.

Smooth the track and replace the chicane with a different turn complex at the end of the straight and you have a winner of a circuit. The cars looked and sounded great whizzing aroud that place.

[NismoZ]

The aerial shots were great. The replay of the Bourdais pass JUST prior to the yellow makes it obvious (I believe) that Dominguez was so engrossed in retaking the position that he didn't realize Bourdais was already reacting to it and had tucked in behind a slower car. Adjusting those two also led to a problem when Bourdais was likely informed he was "P-1" before Dominguez was told to give him the position back. Mario acted like Bourdais was trying to "steal" the position back, but race rage gave way to good sense when he realized what was going on. Go figure, HUMAN race drivers! (anyone recall what happened at St.Pete when a similar situation existed? Wham!) I liked how the whole thing turned out. Even PT's whine wasn't up to standards. He knew he'd just had his rear handed to him just as Mario knew he blew it in a braking zone. The best guy won. (and I LIKED his new little wife!..."I have to keep up his web site until I figure out what to do with the rest of my life!" :D )

[RichK]

I was expecting to fast forward the Tivo a lot, but ended up watching the whole race. It was pretty good, and on a street course with a lot of potential. :cool:

I could complain about Rick Benjamin, Mario Dominguez and the wanks at the back of the field, but overall I liked the race and I'll save some typing!

[TKGAngel]

But as I said in Audi's thread, a better broadcast would have shown a better race. That last yellow was so long because Tagliani had a major shunt. No brakes into a tire wall with a concrete barrier behind it - so hard he pushed the concrete back. But we hardly knew that because the broadcast keyed more into the fact they lost a camera more than anything else. Only after a ton of yellow, did they finally show alex's crash, and the car was cleaned up.

If Tag was complaining of back pain after the crash, why was he shown sitting in the safety truck post-crash, rather than being in an ambulance on the way to the hospital?

Did the crew repair Legge's wing for the sole purpose of getting her more track time?

[Racing Truth]

I was expecting to fast forward the Tivo a lot, but ended up watching the whole race. It was pretty good, and on a street course with a lot of potential. :cool:

I could complain about Rick Benjamin, Mario Dominguez and the wanks at the back of the field, but overall I liked the race and I'll save some typing!

Yep, :thumbup: , and I can't add much more to what's been said. Far more compelling than I'd have thought.

Also, the wanks did provide interesting moments too.

Oh, and more Jon, no more "hollyhocks." :gomer:

[NismoZ]

Jon was, is and always will be THE MAN! :thumbup: "Whoa, don't warm your tires THAT way!" (as someone locked up all 4 just out of the pits and into the chicane. :D )

[nrc]

Pretty Good, but did seem a bit amateurish at times.

What the heck was that first yellow for, debris? How can it take that long? It was like 3 -4 laps before they even opened the pits.

They were trying to sort out the lead between Bourdais and Dominguez. Not sure if the hold-up was figuring out if "he pass me under yellow" or just getting Dominguez to give up the spot.

On the track surface, some bumps are good. Smooth it out enough to not damage the cars, but force the teams to keep a lot of spring in the car. That forces more compromise in the handling which is what helps to create good racing.

[CART T. Katz]

i reserved judgement for the race incident until i saw it because i had to work last night.

after just finishing the race, i have to wonder if an obvious block led to a drive through (ex. pt vs aja @ mexico city) last year why an obvious block only warranted a warning this year?

if paul got a warning last year or sebastian got a drive through this year we don't have this come up. blocking is blocking, except when golden (arches) boy is involved then it's good defensive driving. :shakehead

other than that, action filled night. big ups to charles and katherine before stoopid marcus and stoopid dan aj4ed them and to fabio for actually managing to become something resembling a race driver this year and a smack on the back of the head to the original stoopid mario and the track designers. bumps i can forgive, but putting a slow turn coming off the longest straight in front of a building is unforgivable.