Indy 500 Driver Blasts Qualifying Format

[Corner5]

Davey Hamilton Slams 11-11-11

http://sports.yahoo.com/irl/news?slug=txindy500hamilton&prov=st&type=lgns

Lots of great quotes



“But I bet you if there was a rule where if you qualified and took your time for that race, there would have been 20-25 cars in the race right now.”

Hamilton was sympathetic for Rahal Letterman Racing driver Ryan Hunter-Reay, who was bumped out of the top 11 and then went out to bump his way back into the field, only to crash hard into the third turn wall with 40 minutes left in the session.

The result is Hunter-Reay has to wait another week and Rahal Letterman Racing has a crashed race car to repair.

“He could have been hurt,” Hamilton said. “It cost Rahal Letterman a load of money to get that car fixed just trying to do what they set us up to do and that is get in the top 11. We all want to be there because we knew rain was coming on Sunday.

“Now, the guys in that top 11 can do 100 percent race setups while we still have to do qualifying runs and change setups.”

Hamilton believes that unlike any other race, there is an element of danger by driving over the “ragged edge” at the Indianapolis 500.

Barnhardt says new format is here to stay.

[Racing Truth]

Barnhart's a tool.

:thumbup:to Hamilton, esp. since he's worked for IMS Radio. Good for him.

[Don Quixote]

Props to DH for seeing the light and speaking the truth.

[pchall]

Check the weather forecasts. They could lose most of the week's practice time and have rain on the weekend as well. I wish that would happen just to have Mother Nature piss in Brian Brainfart's Wheaties. The bigger cockup the first post split IRL 497.5 is, the beter.

[oddlycalm]

Getting rid of Barnhart would be #1 on my list if my job was trying to revive this dead horse or a series. It'll never happen because sycophants like Barnhart intuitively know how to handle weak and damaged people like TG.

As for TG, the mark of a fool is to keep trying the same thing, or in this case the same person, and expecting different results. Send him back to changing tires where he belongs.

oc

[dando]

Check the weather forecasts. They could lose most of the week's practice time and have rain on the weekend as well.

Yup. We've got a week of the rainies coming. Perfect timing. :thumbup: :tony:

-Kevin

[OW]

The way I see it...
When there was a good amount fighting for 1st day Quals .... it was anything under the 33... (the old way) (2nd day?... line up behind!)

When there is not enough candidates, they make the artificial 11 so the fans would be excited for a bubble on the first day...(see if all could go and there were less (WAY less) than 33, it would be over the first day)

But now even though there were over 33 entered trying for the artificial 11... if you didnt have "under 11 speed" why try? Those that would have gone the first day (under the current rules) didn't..

IF (and a big if) the candidate list grows they MUST eliminate the artificial 11

OW

[oddlycalm]

11-11-11 is simply the latest attempt at rearranging the deck chairs on the SS Titanic of formula car racing.

Agreed, not to wish it on present company but a week of torrential downpours would fix everything quite nicely. Let the "media partner" broadcast bass fishing tournaments to burn their dead air time. :D

oc

[Michaelhatesfans]

11. It's just a number.



:laugh:

[dando]

11. It's just a number.




These go to 11.

:tony:

-Kevin

[Gnam]

They should qualify by a round of applause from the grandstands, and use birthdays to break any ties resulting from the sound of one hand clapping.

[G.]

They should qualify by a round of applause from the grandstands, and use birthdays to break any ties resulting from the sound of one hand clapping.Better go check out Bif's latest.

iambif.com

[aportinga]

Getting rid of Barnhart would be #1 on my list if my job was trying to revive this dead horse or a series. It'll never happen because sycophants like Barnhart intuitively know how to handle weak and damaged people like TG.

As for TG, the mark of a fool is to keep trying the same thing, or in this case the same person, and expecting different results. Send him back to changing tires where he belongs.

oc

Well there are only 2 options - Barnhart goes or the league fails even more.

[oddlycalm]

Better go check out Bif's latest. Nice !


INSted of 3 days of 11 hows bout 11 days of THRee? WOw woud that rock. Illbet that would bring the crowd every day. GIve the pole for each day and egstra hunnert bucks or soemthing liek that. ANd have bumping each day to.

:rofl: :thumbup:

[NismoZ]

Hell, anybody remember when they'd practice in the morning, qualify the field at Miwaukee around noon on a Sunday then RACE at 2:00!? Seemed to work OK.:)