View Full Version : Does anybody care about Indy anymore?
Methanolandbrats
05-31-10, 07:59 PM
Not to defend the crapwagons, but it's normal to break in half just aft of the driver's compartment. The engine is a stressed member and it just breaks off at the attachment points.
Ya, I know that, it was the pole in the driver cockpit I was getting at. That is not normal.
Something possessed me to actually go to Macy's Herald Square today. I was shocked to see these old Indycars in the center aisle, Broadway front. The first one is Jack Brabham's car from the 1961 race; the second is Bobby Unser's 1973 (I think); and the last from 1953, IIRC (don't remember the driver's name).
Each one had a TV playing a short film about the car. I didn't watch much--too sad! Naw, seriously, it was too crowded. I'm amazed that these cell phone pics are as un-obstructed as they are.
Izod had promotional posters all over the Broadway store on the main floor and up the center bank escalators (way too much A.J. Foyt, though). I'll give 'em points for trying.
I was fascinated by the tires. The roadster's tires were so worn that there was no tread in the center of the tires (it was visible on the side) but if these were actual racing tires, they'd become slicks with no grip, LOL. The Cooper's tires were treads and not too worn (don't think they were raced on). Unser's car had big Goodyear racing slicks--definitely not new.
Fun to look at. I wished I'd had a real camera and that there weren't so bloody many people there (as if?!). There were lots of cool things to see.
Mary
stroker
05-31-10, 09:44 PM
The first one is Jack Brabham's car from the 1961 race; the second is Bobby Unser's 1973 (I think); and the last from 1953, IIRC (don't remember the driver's name).Mary
That Penske looks like 1978 or 1979 based on the sidepods. I don't recall off the top of my head and I don't care enough to look it up...
:o
But thanks for thinking of us and posting the pics, Mary!
opinionated ow
05-31-10, 09:54 PM
I care insomuch as Super SimSim finished 14th, on the lead lap and as Debutante of the Year! :D
I think it is the Bill Alsup PC 9 car from 1981. ABDick should be on the sidepods.
That Penske looks like 1978 or 1979 based on the sidepods. I don't recall off the top of my head and I don't care enough to look it up...
:o
But thanks for thinking of us and posting the pics, Mary!
miatanut
05-31-10, 11:15 PM
Out of curiosity, I decided to see if it was possible to go through the month of May without hearing or seeing anything about Indy if I didn't go looking for it.
Since I no longer care about American open wheel, and with F1 dropping KERS I haven't even paid any attention to it either this year, it was easy to not go looking. It turns out it's true at least here in the Northwest, if you don't go looking for it, you won't hear a peep about it, because for the most part, nobody cares about Indy anymore.
In two weeks I'll enjoy The Only Race that Really Matters and since ALMS is always on when I'm working and I don't have a DVR, that will be it for my racing for this year. Over forty years of being a total racing nut gone. I'm sure if Tony's War had never happened I would feel quite differently now.
I enjoyed my time here though. Cheers! :)
That's what happens when two open wheel cars touch wheels; one is going to take off. IRL, F.Fords, it doesn't matter. Luckily that doesn't happen too often on ovals. But, one of these days it will happen and the consequences will be tragic. Tracks like Texas, Michigan, California, etc are a lot more dangerous for this scenario then Indy.
The IRL cars are the only OW machine I've ever seen that, once bounced into the air, don't come back down. Flat bottoms and huge wings were intended to produce NASCAR-esque, side-by-side, so-called racing. It also results in cars that fly like kites. The IRL values side-by-side more than they value driver and spectator safety. The crash videos are the only draw they have.
Broken back as well.
http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/racing/indycar/news/story?id=5236002
-Kevin
Methanolandbrats
06-01-10, 01:11 PM
Doctors believe the splint will allow Hunter-Reay to compete Saturday at Texas in what could be his final race under the Andretti Autosport banner. this is an extremely bad idea. He has a *****ox almost land on his head and now he's gonna drive one handed in the Texas Grater. The boy must be stupid.
BarillaGirl
06-01-10, 01:31 PM
this is an extremely bad idea. He has a *****ox almost land on his head and now he's gonna drive one handed in the Texas Grater. The boy must be stupid.
Maybe it didn't "almost" land on his head? :(
High Sided
06-01-10, 01:38 PM
I think there are two issues:
1. Keep the cars and debris out of the stands
2. Accomplishing #1 as safely as possible for the drivers
And I don't think it is solely an IRL problem. Yes, their cars have taken flight - happily not as frequently as in the past. The problem is the same for NASCAR.
looking over the video the IRL failed big time and unlike nascar thier tires and engines are open to go out of the track much easier. looking at the video it appears to me that both rear tires as well as the entire engine made it outside the track and underneath the grandstands, you can see one tire bouncing off a grandstand support column.
ryan would probably have been killed if the rear of the car didn't go threw the fence. :thumdown:
edit. on further investigation only one tire made it threw the fence, here is picture of the motor on track...
http://photos.indystar.com/galleries/9709-2010-indy-500-crashes#id=9709&num=18
dh2LjdVewb4
Holy crap. Finally decided to watch that. It's truly appalling what the IRL finds to be perfectly acceptable during crashes.
Don Quixote
06-01-10, 03:50 PM
Holy crap. Finally decided to watch that. It's truly appalling what the IRL finds to be perfectly acceptable during crashes.
I am waiting to see it in their next commercial. :shakehead
Fortunately the grandstands are elevated where he hit the fence.
http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/5485/2010indy500sundaymay30r.jpg
http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/5485/2010indy500sundaymay30r.jpg
In all seriousness, with no gomer bashing intended, but is there some actual engineering study done to determine the appropriateness for the fence? Some physics, impact loading, actual calcs done on the catch fence????
When they built the more recent ovals, how was the catch fence designed??
Don Quixote
06-01-10, 05:38 PM
Fortunately the grandstands are elevated where he hit the fence.True. Also, look at those freaking I-beams that jut out just behind the catch fence. The safer wall is great, but if the car goes airborne there nothing but disaster behind that catch fence.
Don Quixote
06-01-10, 05:39 PM
... with no gomer bashing intended ...:gomer: bashing is encouraged.
True. Also, look at those freaking I-beams that jut out just behind the catch fence. The safer wall is great, but if the car goes airborne there nothing but disaster behind that catch fence.
I'm pretty sure there's a few (possibly 4-5) feet of separation between the stands and the fence. Possibly a walkway next to the track. In other words, I can't imagine an IndyCar penetrating the fence significantly to reach the I beams in the stands. However, IndyCars aren't the only cars to race there.
High Sided
06-01-10, 06:24 PM
When they built the more recent ovals, how was the catch fence designed??
according to this article catch fences are custom designed by the tracks.
http://www.ibj.com/the-score/2010/06/01/laterace-indy-500-crash-sparks-safety-concerns/PARAMS/post/20261
Not only design to worry about, but that fence looks pretty old.
You know they have cut costs big time. No way they are maintaining the place like they once did.
oddlycalm
06-01-10, 08:10 PM
All of the post race reporting on this side of the pond is just a regurgitation of the happy face version of events. As soon as I saw the footage on Speed Report I knew that was crap.
oc
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
I hope Conway makes a full recovery. :thumbup:
1954, white #9...looks like Jimmy Bryan's 2nd place finisher, the Dean Van Lines Spcl. Bobby Unser drove the #12 Norton Spirit to 5th for Penske in '79.
JohnHKart
06-02-10, 12:55 AM
I enjoyed the race this year and my friends did too. Haven't enjoyed it or cared in a few years. I stayed up all night after my gig Sunday and watched Turkey then Indy. Only slept through a few laps and woke up for the end. Sheesus watching that home footage and knowing what I know, you couldn't pay me enough to sit that close to those flying s boxes! I'd have to leave a will and a suicide note at home and funds to cover my possible funeral. Jesus those seats are close to the track!
JH
DagoFast
06-02-10, 12:14 PM
http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/5485/2010indy500sundaymay30r.jpg
It looks like the most interesting race at mIndy these days is between the rust that never sleeps and the Hulman trust fund that the track wakes up and eats away at every morning. :cry:
I'm rooting for the rust! :D
To answer the original question, apparently not.
The TV sports showdown on Memorial Day weekend used to come from Fox's Coca-Cola 600 challenging — and eventually overtaking — the ratings of ABC's once-dominant Indianapolis 500. But this comes out of nowhere: Both races were beaten by hockey.
No, really. NBC's Philadelphia Flyers-Chicago Blackhawks NHL Stanley Cup Final Game 2 on Monday night drew a 4.1 overnight, which translates into 4.1% of TV households in 56 urban TV markets — the best Game 2 Cup Final overnight ever. That's also up 21% from last year's Detroit Red Wings-Pittsburgh Penguins Game 2. And NBC Saturday drew the best Cup Final Game 1 rating in 11 years. But the Sunday races finished in a ratings tie; each drew a 4.0 overnight. That was bad news for both. For ABC's 500, that was the lowest overnight since the race began getting complete live coverage in 1986. For Fox's 600, which was rained out last year, this year's overnight was down 9% from 2008.
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/columnist/hiestand-tv/2010-06-01-stanley-cup-final-ratings_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip
:tony: :shakehead
-Kevin
Don Quixote
06-02-10, 01:36 PM
I can't explain the surge in Hockey ratings. I wouldn't think the matchup this year is better than last year's, from a national interest standpoint. Do you spose the Olympics gave them a bump?
I can explain the drop in IRL ratings. :gomer:
I can't explain the surge in Hockey ratings. I wouldn't think the matchup this year is better than last year's, from a national interest standpoint. Do you spose the Olympics gave them a bump?
We'll see what happens after tonight when the Cup Finals move to Vs. :saywhat: And yes, I believe the Olympics are giving the ratings a boost, but you also have 2 of the top 5-6 media markets involved. Detroit and Blitzburgh, not so much.
-Kevin
I can't explain the surge in Hockey ratings. I wouldn't think the matchup this year is better than last year's, from a national interest standpoint. Do you spose the Olympics gave them a bump?
I can explain the drop in IRL ratings. :gomer:
Lotsa closeted 'Hawks fans.
I haven't attended or watched for 15 years, but TG is gone, so I thought I would try to be open minded.
I didn't want to watch it live because the weather was awesome, so I recorded it. That evening, I watched the first hour, deleted it, and went to bed.
I don't know exactly what that means, but that is what I did.
Indycar wants turbos for 2012.
http://www.autoblog.com/2008/08/25/indy-to-go-turbo-by-2011/
Kill the Dallara too.
Napoleon
06-02-10, 04:53 PM
I can't explain the surge in Hockey ratings. I wouldn't think the matchup this year is better than last year's, from a national interest standpoint.
Isn't Chi and Philly something like the 2 and 5th largest media markets respectively? Detroit and Pitt have to be something in the neighberhood of number 10 and number 21/22ish. That may explain it, at least in part. Plus I think the Hawks and Fliers are original clubs (or at least very very old) from towns that have seen a lot of people move elsewhere over the years, so I bet both clubs tend to have a lot of fans outside their geographic area.
(edit - looks like the Flyers were added in the late 60's expansion, the same time the Penquins came into the league).
(edit #2 - Chi/Philly are 3 and 4th media markets with around 6.5m households among them. Det and Pitt are 11 and 23 with about 3m among then, less then half the households).
Indycar wants turbos for 2012.
http://www.autoblog.com/2008/08/25/indy-to-go-turbo-by-2011/
Kill the Dallara too.
time warp.
Indy to go turbo by 2011
by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) on Aug 25th 2008 at 7:57AM
:confused:
Don Quixote
06-02-10, 05:09 PM
Isn't Chi and Philly something like the 2 and 5th largest media markets respectively? Detroit and Pitt have to be something in the neighberhood of number 10 and number 21/22ish. That may explain it, at least in part. Plus I think the Hawks and Fliers are original clubs (or at least very very old) from towns that have seen a lot of people move elsewhere over the years, so I bet both clubs tend to have a lot of fans outside their geographic area.
(edit - looks like the Flyers were added in the late 60's expansion, the same time the Penquins came into the league).
(edit #2 - Chi/Philly are 3 and 4th media markets with around 6.5m households among them. Det and Pitt are 11 and 23 with about 3m among then, less then half the households). Yes, but Detroit is Hockeytown south, and the Penguins have the sports biggest star. There was plenty of angst by the league insiders when Pitt and Wash were both knocked out, due to the lack of remaining star power. I loved every bit of that. Turns out the star power wasn't such a big deal after all.
(edit #2 - Chi/Philly are 3 and 4th media markets with around 6.5m households among them. Det and Pitt are 11 and 23 with about 3m among then, less then half the households).
I was thinking it was NYC, LA, Chitown, Houston and then Boston/Philly, but the whole Philly/North Joisey/NYC area is a mosh pit.
-Kevin
Steve99
06-02-10, 06:05 PM
time warp.
:confused:
2012 will be their breakout year. :gomer:
TKGAngel
06-02-10, 07:09 PM
I can't explain the surge in Hockey ratings. I wouldn't think the matchup this year is better than last year's, from a national interest standpoint. Do you spose the Olympics gave them a bump?
I can explain the drop in IRL ratings. :gomer:
Olympics gave a minor bump, but not a large one. Since y'all were discussing it, Puck the Media (http://puckthemedia.wordpress.com/2010/06/01/nhl-chimes-in-on-nbc-ratings/) had the top markets for this weekend's two games. There's some surprising markets on the list.
1. Chicago – 21.0 / 2. Philadelphia – 15.9 / 3. Buffalo – 8.8 / 4. Pittsburgh – 4.5 / 5. Indianapolis – 4.0 / 6. Detroit – 3.8 / 7. Ft. Myers – 3.5 / 8. Las Vegas – 3.3 / T9. Orlando – 3.2 / T9. Columbus – 3.2 / T9. St. Louis – 3.2
As to the IRL, there's only so many times a sane person can watch a car flip before they change the channel in disgust.
opinionated ow
06-02-10, 07:53 PM
Olympics gave a minor bump, but not a large one. Since y'all were discussing it, Puck the Media (http://puckthemedia.wordpress.com/2010/06/01/nhl-chimes-in-on-nbc-ratings/) had the top markets for this weekend's two games. There's some surprising markets on the list.
1. Chicago – 21.0 / 2. Philadelphia – 15.9 / 3. Buffalo – 8.8 / 4. Pittsburgh – 4.5 / 5. Indianapolis – 4.0 / 6. Detroit – 3.8 / 7. Ft. Myers – 3.5 / 8. Las Vegas – 3.3 / T9. Orlando – 3.2 / T9. Columbus – 3.2 / T9. St. Louis – 3.2
As to the IRL, there's only so many times a sane person can watch a car flip before they change the channel in disgust.
Isn't there still a blackout in Indy?
TKGAngel
06-02-10, 08:04 PM
Isn't there still a blackout in Indy?
Yup, there is a blackout for the 500. The ratings numbers I quoted were for the two hockey games. Here (http://www.ibj.com/the-score/2010/06/01/national-local-indy-500-tv-ratings-take-dive/PARAMS/post/20274) are the Indy ratings in Indy.
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