The Foyt Futility Watch -- Rolex 24 Grand Am Edition

[pchall]

Our heroes:

Ed Carpenter, Indianapolis, IN
Tomas Scheckter, Indianapolis, IN
Tony George, Indianapolis, IN
Anthony Foyt IV, Houston, TX
Stephan Gregoire, France

Their ride:

#00 Vision Racing Porsche-Crawford

Qualifying

1:46.487 120.353

Tomas Wreckter was only 4 seconds or 3.5 mph slower than the lap Alex Gurney turned for the pole.

Stay tuned for Futility Updates as it occurs to me to check Crapotype T&S.

Please feel free to add updates as you notice anything of interest about our gallant quintet of Visionairies. ;)

[Spicoli]

I sure as **** hope that the great inheritor gets some track time with Mr. Chromehorn today. :D

[extramundane]

You know your team sucks when you bring in Stephan Gregoire to be your ringer.

Nice to see that the Porsche factory squad stayed the hell away from this trainwreck. :rofl:

[pchall]

1.5 hours in and Vision Racing is shown 16 laps down. :rofl:

Ed takes over from Tommy Wreckter after 2 hours. Expect something Special from him.

[pchall]

Futility Extra!!!

2.5 hours in and Milka goes off roading.

[pchall]

1 hour into his stint Stephan Gregoire has the #00 Vision Racing sled only 18 laps back.

Who will take over at the next driver change? AJIV or Tony George?

[Spicoli]

they were showing p27. :laugh:

[pchall]

6:57 pm Looks like driver change time already and T&S has Tony's name up! He's on his out lap!

Now lapping some 10 seconds slower than Gregoire.

[pchall]

Damn. Tracy not in yet, but T&S shows him next up for the Shank Racing #6 car if I am reading it right.


Spicolo might get his wish!

7:40pm Yellow. Foyt relieves Tony George after about 12 laps -- just in time to get him off the track as Tracy goes into the Shank car.

[Don Quixote]

dang! so close!

[pchall]

Foyt IV still circulating with most laps five seconds slower than Gregoire and Scheckter.

[pchall]

11:08 pm

After a 30 minute pitstop, the #00 car heads back out with Mr. Ed taking over from Scheckter. 37 laps down.

[Al Czervik]

A little late, maybe not under the right thread, but did anyone see the pre-game on Fox w/ the 497.5 showing PT ahead of Gaylio & no yellow?

Oops...

[pchall]

A little late, maybe not under the right thread, but did anyone see the pre-game on Fox w/ the 497.5 showing PT ahead of Gaylio & no yellow?

Oops...

Missed that since I was busy looking at the entry list and the grid seeing if there were any more interesting angles to look for in the 24 Hours of Futility. If you caught that on tape you should YouTube it. :)

[pchall]

It's after midnite and I'm packing it in until early morning. Anybody out there in time zones further west? Feel free to take over posting updates for a few hours.

:gomer:

[Hard Driver]

41 laps down :gomer:

[devilmaster]

41 laps down :gomer:

They're pacing themselves.

Hey, do they have good enough stats to figure out how many on-track passes :tony: allowed to GT cars? I bet its a record :laugh:

[pchall]

5:43 am #00 is 45 laps down.

The long night grind leaves only two cars on the lead lap and Vision Racing in 30th place. Only 29 dropouts needed for the Vision to prevail!

[Cam]

A little late, maybe not under the right thread, but did anyone see the pre-game on Fox w/ the 497.5 showing PT ahead of Gaylio & no yellow?

Oops...

Yep... I saw that... Pretty conclusive evidence that PT won there. :thumbup:

[cart7]

55 laps down. Quattro turning GT lap speeds. I love the strategy of save the car and waiting for the race to come to them. Go Vision!! :tony:

[JoeBob]

Here's Sam Hornish's appearances in the race notes... way to go Sam!
http://www.grand-am.com/News/Article.asp?ID=7667

Lap 127 - 3:48:58 (5:19 PM) - Fifth-place No. 60 CASTRONEVES pits, handing controls to HORNISH JR.

Lap 133 - 4:00:51 (5:31 PM) - Corner workers report smoke coming from No. 60 HORNISH JR.

Lap 138 - 4:09:00 (5:39 PM) - No. 60 HORNISH JR comes down pit road for an unscheduled stop.

Lap 140 - 4:13:12 (5:43 PM) - No. 60 HORNISH JR slows on the back straightaway and tries to limp the Lexus around the circuit but pulls to a stop.
http://www.grand-am.com/News/Article.asp?ID=7668

Lap 155 – 4:39:38 (6:09 PM) – No. 60 HORNISH JR returns to the track.

Lap 178 – 5:21:43 (6:52 PM) – No. DUMAS pits and BERGMEISTER gets in. No. 05 SIGAL pits and AUBERLEN gets in. No. 60 HORNISH JR pits and PATTERSON gets in.
http://www.grand-am.com/News/Article.asp?ID=7686

Lap 364 - 13:12:59 (2:43 AM) - FULL COURSE CAUTION - No. 60 HORNISH is stuck on course and must be extracted.

Lap 364 - 13:16:58 (2:47 AM) - No. 60 HORNISH resumes under his own power and is reported to be missing body parts. No. 02 ROJAS pits briefly.


Lap 403 - 14:47:29 (4:17 AM) - No. 75 returns to the field with PAPIS behind the wheel. No. 60 HORNISH is reported to have spun three times in the last three laps. No. 70 HAM pits. No. 74 FARNBACHER goes behind the wall.

[stroker]

If only they had Danica on their team....

[Sean O'Gorman]

A little late, maybe not under the right thread, but did anyone see the pre-game on Fox w/ the 497.5 showing PT ahead of Gaylio & no yellow?

Oops...

One has to wonder if the outcome might've been different if the race was broadcast in HD back then...

[devilmaster]

One has to wonder if the outcome might've been different if the race was broadcast in HD back then...

Probably not. Remember, even though the team thought there was conclusive video evidence, plus the eyewitness report from sam, in the end, it was a steward decision, and that can't be challenged.

It is an interesting.... umm..... uhh.... umm......

apparently, the rest of my post is missing, so i'll just leave it there.

[pchall]

Into the last stint now and Scheckter is dutifully bringing #00 home some 60 laps down.

Meanwhle, 26 places up the field JPM is putting down some really fast laps and pulling out a half lap and more on the #11 and #10 cars. Pruett in now and still leading the #11 and #10. JPM put in the #01's fastest lap of the race near the end of his stint.

[pchall]

29 #00 DP 17 Carpenter/ Scheckter/ George/ Foyt/ Gregoire

Vision Racing / Porsche Crawford 587 laps (81 behind leader)

[Spicoli]

29 #00 DP 17 Carpenter/ Scheckter/ George/ Foyt/ Gregoire

Vision Racing / Porsche Crawford 587 laps (81 behind leader)

:laugh:

farking gomers.:tony:

[Fio1]

I can't wait for the IRL test at Daytona!

Lap 403 - 14:47:29 (4:17 AM) - No. 60 HORNISH is reported to have spun three times in the last three laps.

This thread should have been called the IRL futility watch....