Russel Jaslow goes to Watkins Glen

[pchall]

Idle Hands (http://deepthrottle.com/Essays/idle_hands.shtml)

Interesting perspective on Saturday at Watkins Glen during the recent IRL weekend. Worth the click.

[Sean Malone]

I watched the race Sunday evening (recorded on DVR). Hated it. I didn't want to hate it, but kept asking myself "why are you subjecting yourself to this?".

Everytime Goodyear opened his mouth I cringed. A zombi with a Canadian accent. If he said "Hunter Ray wins his first IndyCar race!" one more time I was going to scream.

There wasn't a 'merger' there was a "transition" if you listen to the IndyCar commentators. That is the only way the refer the Champ Car guys.

It's a joke.

[Don Quixote]

This says it for me.


Ultimately, I'm a consumer. Ultimately, I decide what I want to buy or not. I cannot be made to purchase something “kicking and screaming.” The IRL is simply a product I don't wish to buy. I thought I might still get that tingling feeling in my gut once I got to the track and heard the cars. I did not. I thought I might get back into caring for the drivers or teams once I saw the cars running laps. I did not. I thought I might get the urge to start writing about racing when I toured the new press center and talked with my fellow writers. I did not. None of those feelings I got at a Champ Car event ever came back despite being right there plopped in the midst of a racing event.

[Andrew Longman]

This says it for me.

However, there is no track ... none whatsoever ... which is more synonymous with American open wheel road racing than Watkins Glen. If that track, that setting, that history and pedigree, a track that is virtually in my backyard, a track where I have raced countless laps on cannot get me excited to see an open wheel racing series, then nothing will.
I went to one IRL event at Nazareth, out of curiosity and with a cheap ticket.

I have never remotely considered going to Watkins Glen this or any year for the IRL race, but I go every year for the Cup race. It is usually a better race, even with those SUVs they race, than what the IRL puts on and at least people are into it.

I decided to practice using my new DVR (shut up dando) to record the F1 and IRL races. All went well except it took three tries to watch the IRL recording because I kept falling asleep.

The boys and I are headed up to Lime Rock on Thursday. I think Trevor is more excited than he has been in years for a race. :D

This is our first live ALMS event and we hope to go to Atlanta in the Fall. This consumer, and even the kids, can find no joy in IRLville

[cameraman]

The boys and I are headed up to Lime Rock on Thursday. I think Trevor is more excited than he has been in years for a race. :D

An ALMS race with grass & trees. How strange:gomer:

[Spicoli]

agreed on all counts.


Its worser when Indy is your home track too. No one GAF anymore bcause the product is total ****. :shakehead

[dando]

I decided to practice using my new DVR (shut up dando) to record the F1 and IRL races. All went well except it took three tries to watch the IRL recording because I kept falling asleep.

Good to see Bon Jovi fan learning new skillz. :gomer: ;)

-Kevin

[RusH]

****, I have not spent $$$$ at the SPGP...my home race, since 2003.

I`ve gone to the free Fri practice since 2005 though, and ALMS. No way was it like the CART event. The cars sound loud and cheap, and the beer is too expensive..less grandstands.....I still ain`t got the feeling.

In `03, we had seats in the turn 14 stands. We got there early for brunch in a tented section there, were you had TV monitors as you drank rum & cokes.
It worked out great after sitting in the blazing hot stands for half the race. All I had to do to see the live action is walk behind the tent and I was right up against the fence as the turbos screamed and popped down the back straight.

:confused:

[Chief]

Two points from me on this:

1. Mr. Jaslow nailed it squarely on the head. The IRL is an imposter, the sooner it's dead (maybe as simply as in name itself) the sooner the feeling of hate for it can go away too. The IRL/IMS/ICS is an arrogant piece of ****.

2. What has happened to Watkins Glen? ICS has turned it into an oval with more corners. The character of that track has disappeared with every tree cut down, with every pave of asphalt....and in the IRL's case, with every grandstand missing from it's event. The Silver's were gone; the BusStop grandstands weren't there, and the turn Eleven stand were missing too. Back in the glorious F1 days the boot area was a haven, sitting on the hillside above turn 7 in the toe of the boot. NO ONE sat there during the IRL event, NO ONE. I paused in reflection when I noticed the old press tower was gone...how sad. Every F1, Nascar, IMSA event etc. ALWAYS had the tower as a centerpiece. I grew up at the Glen, the ghosts that once haunted those hills are fading away. It (WGI), like everything else these days has lost it's character. And, while sporting the hapless IRL on-track too, the Glen is hapless as well.

[Rus'L]

2. What has happened to Watkins Glen? ICS has turned it into an oval with more corners. The character of that track has disappeared with every tree cut down, with every pave of asphalt....and in the IRL's case, with every grandstand missing from it's event. The Silver's were gone; the BusStop grandstands weren't there, and the turn Eleven stand were missing too. Back in the glorious F1 days the boot area was a haven, sitting on the hillside above turn 7 in the toe of the boot. NO ONE sat there during the IRL event, NO ONE. I paused in reflection when I noticed the old press tower was gone...how sad. Every F1, Nascar, IMSA event etc. ALWAYS had the tower as a centerpiece. I grew up at the Glen, the ghosts that once haunted those hills are fading away. It (WGI), like everything else these days has lost it's character. And, while sporting the hapless IRL on-track too, the Glen is hapless as well.

Most of the grandstands you mentioned are temporary grandstands for the NASCAR weekend only. They go up about two weeks before and get taken down right afterwards.

I don't know what you mean about the track itself. The configuration has not changed one bit other than the addition of the Inner Loop (the real name, not the Bus Stop Chicane) many years back. Repaving has been the only thing that has changed about it.

The new press center (and the tearing down of the old one) was big news throughout the winter. Though I agree with the old press center adding character to the track, quite frankly it sucked, and I'm not just talking about the press facilities. I worked T&S in there many times, and it was horrible. The new press center is the best I have ever seen, though read Jeff Olson's piece on speedtv.com about it -- pretty darn funny.

The track itself is a blast to drive. One of the best in the country with some real fast balsy corners and some good hard braking mostly downhill from long straights. I don't mind what ISC has done to it (other than I always did better before the Inner Loop addition) because the NASCAR race pumps so much money into the track, it allows the rental fees to the club racers to be one of the lowest in the Northeast. I have no problem letting someone else help pay for my racing. Even NASCAR.

[Napoleon]

I rode my bike instead of watched that race.

[Sean Malone]

WG is no RA. Period.

[Chief]

I don't know what you mean about the track itself. The configuration has not changed one bit other than the addition of the Inner Loop (the real name, not the Bus Stop Chicane) many years back. Repaving has been the only thing that has changed about it.
My points had nothing to do with driving the track. They had everything to do the character of the place from a fans perspective. I saw Emmo win in 1970 there. The track looked like it was cut through the trees and valleys, sometimes impossible to navigate. Raw and unkept like racing was in them days. There was mystique then...waiting for Hill, Brabham, Stewart, Ickx, Andretti, Peterson, Emmo to emerge from the autumn mist for another lap at speed.

Fast forward to today...barn-doored pieces of **** spinning and crashing under caution, for lap upon lap, with acres of empty barren fields of parking and camping spaces. The infield is only missing a complete blacktopping just like Bristol or any other ISC oval.

I'm pining for the past...just like you felt NOTHING when you heard the engines roar to life, just like you got your first whiff of ethanol burning. NOTHING. From the fan perspective it all sucks. Oh, and the IRL sucks.

[Andrew Longman]

These show the differences between the Nascar and Indycar weekends

http://www.seats3d.com/international_speedway_corporation/watkins_glen_international/nascar/

http://www.seats3d.com/international_speedway_corporation/watkins_glen_international/irl/

The Silver and Green and T11 and Esses are gone for the IRL. It looks as if they don't sell tickets for the Red, White or Blue either, though I saw people sitting in them. Those are all there for NASCAR

They recently installed the high grandstand from Nazareth and took away the old Orange and Yellow and Gold (I think that's what they called them) so there is less seating now near T1 where most of the passing happens.

They also paved the runoff in T1 which eliminates the many FCY there from cars stuck in the trap.

I don't think they cut any trees and least not in the 10+ years I've been going. What confused your eye was that almost no one was there.

[Rus'L]

WG is no RA. Period.

In what way?

Have you driven both? I haven't. Just WG. I have been to RA, and would love to drive it one day.

[Rus'L]

These show the differences between the Nascar and Indycar weekends

http://www.seats3d.com/international_speedway_corporation/watkins_glen_international/nascar/

http://www.seats3d.com/international_speedway_corporation/watkins_glen_international/irl/

The Silver and Green and T11 and Esses are gone for the IRL. It looks as if they don't sell tickets for the Red, White or Blue either, though I saw people sitting in them. Those are all there for NASCAR

They recently installed the high grandstand from Nazareth and took away the old Orange and Yellow and Gold (I think that's what they called them) so there is less seating now near T1 where most of the passing happens.

They also paved the runoff in T1 which eliminates the many FCY there from cars stuck in the trap.

I don't think they cut any trees and least not in the 10+ years I've been going. What confused your eye was that almost no one was there.

The grandstands in the Inner Loop (which I don't even think they put up anymore), outside Turn 10 and outside Turn 11 are all temporary for the NASCAR weekend only.

The grandstands outside the esses are all solid concrete structures. Inside the esses, they are regular grandstands and have been there since the Grand Prix days. The front straight were replaced as you said with the Nazareth grandstands. The pit grandstands were replaced many years ago -- they tore down the old concrete stands and open garage configuration to put up the current aluminum stands that hold a lot more people in premium priced seats for the NASCAR weekend.

For the IRL weekend, all grandstands were general admission except the front straight and the pit stands. The prices they were asking for those seats were ridiculous for an IRL weekend.

Quite frankly, for almost any road circuit, sitting in grandstands is dumb.

They have done some tree cutting, especially on driver's right of Turn 7 (going into the boot), an excellent, excellent spot to watch from, but then that was a very heavily wooded area, so they essentially just thinned it out. There are a few other spots where they removed some trees for easier access and more camping room. Nothing dramatic.

[cameraman]

Quite frankly, for almost any road circuit, sitting in grandstands is dumb.

With the notable exception of Miller Motorsports Park where the GA lawns are 10 feet wide.

[Napoleon]

In what way?

Have you driven both? I haven't. Just WG. I have been to RA, and would love to drive it one day.

I have driven just RA. I really wanted to do WG (and MoSport and Laguna) before I let my license expire but it was not to be. I have seen my brother drive WG and in some ways it looked like a more interesting track.

[nissan gtp]

I've driven both.

No contest, they are both kick-ass tracks. Quite different, so neither one is "better".

[STD]

It would be a shame if all classic road courses were the same or were seemingly off handedly compared for whatever reasons.
They all are a great part of what makes the enjoyment of road racing unique and compelling.



I have taken more than one look at what I could of at the times I've been to Watkins Glen of the old 6.6 mile course and tried to imagine what it was like racing at competitive speeds for the Seneca Cup.
Awe.

[Rus'L]

I have driven just RA. I really wanted to do WG (and MoSport and Laguna) before I let my license expire but it was not to be. I have seen my brother drive WG and in some ways it looked like a more interesting track.

Of the ones you mention, Mosport is the scariest. However, Bridgehampton was the scariest of them all. You kiss the ground when you are done with that track!

[Rus'L]

I've driven both.

No contest, they are both kick-ass tracks. Quite different, so neither one is "better".

True. But is also depends what kind of car you are driving. I've heard from people who drove low-powered club classes that RA is nothing special -- simply a point and go track. But, drive a higher powered car, and then the turns become a lot more interesting!

[Rus'L]

I have taken more than one look at what I could of at the times I've been to Watkins Glen of the old 6.6 mile course and tried to imagine what it was like racing at competitive speeds for the Seneca Cup.
Awe.

My wife always says that us racers today are wimps.

[Napoleon]

Of the ones you mention, Mosport is the scariest. However, Bridgehampton was the scariest of them all. You kiss the ground when you are done with that track!

My brother did MoSport once (I crewed) and it looked like the highest in pucker factor, maybe by far. Bridgehampton, I think, closed shortly after I started, and in any event like Lime Rock was way too much of a drive for me, particularly with needing to go through NYC.



True. But is also depends what kind of car you are driving. I've heard from people who drove low-powered club classes that RA is nothing special -- simply a point and go track. But, drive a higher powered car, and then the turns become a lot more interesting!


Mine was a low power class and large segments of the track were boring as hell.

[FCYTravis]

The Inner Loop grandstands are still installed for the NASCAR weekend - at least they were up last year when I was there for the Rolex support race. They weren't very big - just a few rows of bleachers.