US 500 (1996)

[Andrew Longman]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=re01U4G1ekI


Their race is not politics
It isn't between teams, cars or sponsors
It has nothing to do with traditions, history and TV ratings
It is not decided in headlines or board rooms
It is a race only they can create and cannot go on without them
It is 500 miles that won't even exist until the first of these drivers crosses the finish line
For this is a contest between men. The best in their sport
It is defined by speed, time and distance, not the place. Not the track
It is a race between their fears and their dreams
At that race belongs to no one but them

Pretty good smack there. And pretty good branding message. Almost could have worked as their mission statement guiding every decision made by CART. Pretty much captured what CART was about, why it was different and why the fans loved it.

Too bad they souldn't stay on message and stay on mission.Taking the eye off the ball gave Tony his opening. Still can't understand those who say the US 500 was a mistake. They let it become about politics, headlines, TV ratings and boardrooms (including their own boardroom). The exact opposite of what they promised.

Whatever. Not looking to relive and debate history. But there are some good memories there.

[dando]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=re01U4G1ekI



Pretty good smack there. And pretty good branding message. Almost could have worked as their mission statement guiding every decision made by CART. Pretty much captured what CART was about, why it was different and why the fans loved it.

Too bad they souldn't stay on message and stay on mission.Taking the eye off the ball gave Tony his opening. Still can't understand those who say the US 500 was a mistake. They let it become about politics, headlines, TV ratings and boardrooms (including their own boardroom). The exact opposite of what they promised.

Whatever. Not looking to relive and debate history. But there are some good memories there.

It was all about greed after that. :(

-Kevin

[Sean Malone]

"who needs milk".


:D

[Munk]

"who needs milk".


:D


That was a great line. :D :D :D

[Pilgrims Drop]

Beautiful cars... incredible sounds...

god I miss it

[mlj]

I was there !!! who else on this board was there as well!

[SteveH]

With a cold wind blowing into my face, I was there.

[dando]

I remember watching carbon/suspension bits flying over my head after Herta was Vasserized. They never should have started that race 3 wide. :irked:

-Kevin

[Andrew Longman]

They never should have started that race 3 wide. :irked:

-Kevin

I don't know about that. It set the race off as not just another race. And it nose-thumbed TG.

Jimmy just should not have spun his cold tires. Not the first one in history to do that though.

[rabbit]

Not sure it was Vasser's fault. It always seemed to me that Fernandez spazzing out in the middle was what caused it. He drove into Vasser, not the other way around. IMHO YMMV

[Hot Rod Otis]

I was there, the "big one" happened right in front of me. I said to my brother right before it happened, "damn, they're awful close", then boom. IMO, Vasser was crowding Fernandez a bit, but Fernandez over reacted a bit and hit Vasser. Most of the mayhem back of the grid was caused by Krosnoff.
After it was all over I've never heard 110,000 people so quiet.

[Andrew Longman]

Not sure it was Vasser's fault. It always seemed to me that Fernandez spazzing out in the middle was what caused it. He drove into Vasser, not the other way around. IMHO YMMV

Now you made go look and seeing this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiWK90nbD7Y I agree with you.

After all these years thinking Jimmy was caught out on cold tires I am free to believe Stupid Adrian made a very avoidable mistake :D

[dando]

Not sure it was Vasser's fault. It always seemed to me that Fernandez spazzing out in the middle was what caused it. He drove into Vasser, not the other way around. IMHO YMMV

Well, Herta's nose cone hung in Bumpers for years with a bronze tag on it: Vasserized. :D DJ has it since Bumpers ain't no mo'. Perhaps the start was prophetic about what was to come. :(

NOTE: if Jeemy had moved down a tad, AF wouldn't have been caught in the middle. MIS just isn't wide enough for a 3-wide start. I understand the FTG thumb nose shizzle, but the reality is the track is not that wide. Oh well. Fun to be there. Drank too many beers and drove home in a rain storm. :-\

-Kevin

[Ziggy]

Wow, after all this time you guys still want to rehash this deal?

What about the 1958 Indianapolis parade lap? :gomer:

[Ray Scar]

We had always wanted to check out the MIS and the US500 gave us the perfect chance. Despite the cold we were not disappointed. We ended up going back every year after that (wishing for a little of the cold to return).

It was great being there with so many committed fans (and some that should have been committed) as opposed to the drunken riff raff of Indy. Not that we were completely sober by any means. One of my comrades would stand up, raise a glass, and yell FTG hourly.

I thought they should have kept it on Memorial Day weekend. If they had it could have turned into something special. They needed to be somewhere on Memorial Day anyway and the fact that the were so schizo about it speaks volumes.

As for the start, I've seen plenty of 0 lap screw ups. Not a surprise and no big deal. We were on the other end at pit out so I couldn't see much but looking at the video I blame AF.

[Andrew Longman]

MIS just isn't wide enough for a 3-wide start.

-Kevin

Well they pulled it off a few months later at the Michigan 500.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IwJjKMMP7E

Look at that crowd :eek:

[OW]

I was there for the MI 500 (not the May one)
It was weird....
Saturday both Al Jr. and Tracy were helicoptered out..

And Yes Sunday Emmo ended his career. (also Helicoptered)
All Penske drivers major blows at a (at that time) "penske track"

Irony in racing

[KaBoom21]

I was there, the "big one" happened right in front of me.
Me too. What a buzzkill.

[cart7]

Wow, after all this time you guys still want to rehash this deal?

What about the 1958 Indianapolis parade lap? :gomer:

'58?

I'd rather do a photo investigation of the '71 start and try and find the set of TaTa's in the stands that Eldon Palmer was staring at when he got to the end of pit lane.

:tony:

[RTKar]

I was there !!! who else on this board was there as well!

I was their. Gary Bettenhausen's last race if I recall, btw.

[Racing Truth]

'58?

I'd rather do a photo investigation of the '71 start and try and find the set of TaTa's in the stands that Eldon Palmer was staring at when he got to the end of pit lane.

:tony:

:laugh: Heh.

Look, the whole question of "What if they had stuck with the US 500 on Memorial Sunday?" is interesting... only in a Harry Turtledove way. Fact is that those CART owners were never going to seriously take on IMS. They are who they are, so its all moot, I suspect.

At any rate it was 12 yrs. ago. Who cares?

[Wally]

Still have mine in the garage.......:( .... Checkout the sponsors..:shakehead

http://65.57.254.60/ktmtalk/photogallery/galleries/members/IMG_2166.JPG.JPG