BTW, how did AJ and PT get to the front?

[L1P1]

In Indy we had a tornado warning in a far-away county that interrupted coverage of the race for about 10 minutes. Yeah, well, life-and-death..., but it's Champ Car! At Cleveland!....

...I felt a bit conflicted.....

But anyway, when they went away, AJ and Paul were , like 12th and 14th. When they came back, they were something like 2nd and 4th. HUH??? How'd dey do dat?

[grungex]

They drove like hell.

They had to pit for damage immediately, and then they had to pit again as a penalty for pitting when the pits were closed, but that put them off sequence, which ultimately helped AJ win the race.

[Dr. Corkski]

Pitstops + drivers throwing their cars off the road.

[cameraman]

And at least a few of the seven yellow flags after the turn 1 mess helped but some also hurt.

[oddlycalm]

Yep, the alternate fuel strategy worked like a charm because there were so many laps run under yellow. If the rest of the race had gone on under green AJ wouldn't have been celebrating.

We often see this at Cleveland due to the wide track with the attendant passing opportunities. Remember when Zanardi came from dead last to the front twice in one race...? Forgot the year, but an incredible race.

oc

[L1P1]

I saw that they both had to pit almost immediately, which was what put them back there. But I can't imagine that the rest of the field pitted during the time we were tornadoed out.

[L1P1]

Yep, the alternate fuel strategy worked like a charm because there were so many laps run under yellow. If the rest of the race had gone on under green AJ wouldn't have been celebrating.

We often see this at Cleveland due to the wide track with the attendant passing opportunities. Remember when Zanardi came from dead last to the front twice in one race...? Forgot the year, but an incredible race.

oc

I do remember that. In fact I was trying to think how that was possible before this race.

It's what makes Cleveland so great.

[nrc]

The laps after the first long yellow were something to see. AJ passed three cars on one lap. They moved up to 8th or so passing cars on the track and then a bunch of cars pitted putting them in the front. From there it was a question of whether they'd have the speed to make up for stopping out of sequence.

[Insomniac]

The laps after the first long yellow were something to see. AJ passed three cars on one lap. They moved up to 8th or so passing cars on the track and then a bunch of cars pitted putting them in the front. From there it was a question of whether they'd have the speed to make up for stopping out of sequence.

They were actually hoping to go the rest of the race with two stops while the rest needed 3 more. But, we never got to see that play out once that yellow came out during lap 40 something and the guys on the original pit strategy pitted again putting them all on the same startegy.

[Andrew Longman]

OC is correct. Fuel would have been a real issue if the race hadn't been shortened. Listening to AJs radio they told him to really save because it was going to be really close. They thought they could make it, but they didn't seem confident.

But they also congratulated him at the end because of the job he did saving fuel even while pulling away.

[Insomniac]

OC is correct. Fuel would have been a real issue if the race hadn't been shortened. Listening to AJs radio they told him to really save because it was going to be really close. They thought they could make it, but they didn't seem confident.

But they also congratulated him at the end because of the job he did saving fuel even while pulling away.

If you were driving a FCR car, would you be confident it has enough fuel? ;)

[Dr. Corkski]

OC is correct. Fuel would have been a real issue if the race hadn't been shortened. Listening to AJs radio they told him to really save because it was going to be really close. They thought they could make it, but they didn't seem confident.

But they also congratulated him at the end because of the job he did saving fuel even while pulling away.Michael Cannon said on TV after it became a timed race that there would have been enough fuel to get them to the end even if they ran full distance. We know that no one at Forsythe would ever cheat or lie so obviously they were confident.

[grungex]

What are you talking about? :confused:

[Dr. Corkski]

Q. Would you have made it to the end with fuel?

AJ ALLMENDINGER: Yeah, I mean, I think I definitely saved enough fuel. They gave me a number. I was saving a lot more fuel just in case. Then even on the fast lap that I had to pull away, I matched the number that they gave me. I had plenty of fuel. I probably could have started pulling even harder. I was just making sure I was safe. I was happy to see the white flag come out early just in case.Oh yeah, forgot AJ is a part of the conspiracy too. :gomer: