Froggie's Panties in a Twist

[SurfaceUnits]

Bourdais fumed all race long. He shook his hand at the starter during many laps. He pushed hard, but finished third — ending his quest for five wins in a row. He mockingly played with the dainty crystal third-place trophy and hinted at conspiracy by saying that “if they don’t want Newman-Haas to win, they should just say it.” :cry:

[Andrew Longman]

I have a feeling he'll get a talking to.

The little display with the trophy is not exactly what the sponsors want at the precious hat dance photo opp.

It also disappointing that his success has spoiled what I used to think was a fairly polite sense of public humility.

I still have a lot of respect for the NH team and Seebass's talent.

[RichK]

“if they don’t want Newman-Haas to win, they should just say it.”

My Tivo failed me this weekend (in other news, I've got 5 episodes of Maggie and the Ferocious Beast recorded) - was he referring to the driver swaps when he said that?

[SurfaceUnits]

No, he was referring to the start and restart, it was fixed...don't you know.

[cameraman]

Junky sure did fix it....

[oddlycalm]

Yeah, this was actually well beyond whining IMO. Bourdais indicated that someone was getting "the call" and that he had the car to beat all day. That's a pretty serious allegation. Do I detect a sense of entitlement here, or was there really something to be pissed off about? Generally speaking, it looked to me that there were a couple cars that had Bourdais covered all weekend.

On the start it certainly looked like Bruno pedaled it which screwed Bourdais as well as he was behind him. There's no doubt about the lapped traffic being heavy what with no FCY and no cars out of the race. The issue there is whether the lack of blue flags was applied to all the leaders or whether he was singled out. I didn't see enough to be able to make that call.

My gut feeling is that Bourdais has simply never been in a CCWS road race without any cautions laps to bunch the field.

oc

[Insomniac]

There should be some rule about blue flagging lapped cars and cars that are about to be lapped. The car trying to pass should have to get their nose practically under the car in front. Get on their tail and show us that they're holding you up. Don't whine when you get close. God forbid you actually try to pass a backmarker instead of them just moving for you.

I saw AJ complaining, but he was always a few car lengths away. Yeah, I know his lap times were lower, but get close for a couple turns and then CC should blue flag. Same with Bourdais. He's shaking his fist and the car in front isn't even close.

[Andrew Longman]

My gut feeling is that Bourdais has simply never been in a CCWS road race without any cautions laps to bunch the field.

oc

Nor has he had much experience running mid pack, trying to catch the leaders.

Denver a few years back is about it.

[Dr. Corkski]

Nor has he had much experience running mid pack, trying to catch the leaders.

Denver a few years back is about it.He won from 10th in Edmonton last year.

[Gnam]

He came back from being two laps down at Milwaukee.

[Andrew Longman]

He won from 10th in Edmonton last year.

Yes. That, Denver and Milwaukee were incredible drives. Usually he is incredible enough to be out front though. At Portland others were just a bit more incredible.

[racermike]

Yeah, this was actually well beyond whining IMO. Bourdais indicated that someone was getting "the call" and that he had the car to beat all day. That's a pretty serious allegation. Do I detect a sense of entitlement here, or was there really something to be pissed off about? Generally speaking, it looked to me that there were a couple cars that had Bourdais covered all weekend.

On the start it certainly looked like Bruno pedaled it which screwed Bourdais as well as he was behind him. There's no doubt about the lapped traffic being heavy what with no FCY and no cars out of the race. The issue there is whether the lack of blue flags was applied to all the leaders or whether he was singled out. I didn't see enough to be able to make that call.

My gut feeling is that Bourdais has simply never been in a CCWS road race without any cautions laps to bunch the field.

oc


Being on the land-line, working Pit-In, I heard plenty of calls from Race Ops to the starter, to hit cars with blue flags. No preferential treatment. Everyone was in just about everyone's way at some point during the race.

Jimmy does a good job of relaying to all turn communicators where lapped cars are, and who is coming up behind them.

I think most blue-flaggers sunday were quite busy for the last 2/3'rds of the race.

[Hurling Frootmig]

It seems to me that a top flight team should have someone running up and down pitlane letting teams of backmarkers know that they would like them to inform them that the leader is coming through. Heck it happens in NASCAR I don't know why we can't do the same.

[Lux Interior]

I'm sure Paul and Carl will have a little **** chat with him. I'm pretty sure those two would not behave that way and I'm very sure they do not want their drivers behaving that way.

In reality, it was probably a "heat of the moment thing". SB was probably fine by the next morning.