The Foyt Futility Watch -- The Last Toronto Edition?

[pchall]

Could there be any fewer people in the grandstands than last year? Is it wrong of me to hope so? Will anybody care? Does anybody care?

I'm off for a couple of weekends. Internet free and on the lake. Please play nicely with each other in my absence. If you can't do that, at least use protection. ;)

[73B]

Apparently it was pretty full on Friday. Haven't heard that in a while. They have to rebuild from "below the ground up". This was a good first step.

http://www.thestar.com/sports/autoracing/article/836810--fans-throng-indy-s-first-ever-free-friday

I'll be going down there on Saturday. Looking forward to seeing The Thrill from West Hill throwing his weight around.

Tag's new paint job actually makes the Dallera look all right. Yes, they'll be a few seconds a lap slower than the good ol' days, but until they get the new turbo sixes and fours, it will have to do.

Also looking forward to the GT World Challenge race, and will be cheering for Ernie Jakubowski in the Mantis Racing Cayman.

The weather is great. It ought to be a fun day at the track.:cool:

[nissan gtp]

hopefully the event will do well and continue. went there back in the CC days and really liked it, Toronto is a great city. crapwagons suck, but there is at least a slight hope that things will get better (and the cars looking and sounding better)

given the choice of less sucky and nothing, I'll take less sucky : optimist:

[emjaya]

Final Practise times.

Pos Driver Team Time Gap

1. Ryan Hunter-Reay Andretti 1m02.1433s
2. Justin Wilson Dreyer & Reinbold 1m02.1839s + 0.0406s
3. Helio Castroneves Penske 1m02.2550s + 0.1117s
4. Will Power Penske 1m02.3439s + 0.2006s
5. Raphael Matos De Ferran Dragon 1m02.3894s + 0.2461s
6. Alex Tagliani Fazzt 1m02.3915s + 0.2482s
7. EJ Viso KV 1m02.4783s + 0.3350s
8. Scott Dixon Ganassi 1m02.5004s + 0.3571s
9. Dario Franchitti Ganassi 1m02.5112s + 0.3679s
10. Ryan Briscoe Penske 1m02.8013s + 0.6580s
11. Danica Patrick Andretti 1m02.8957s + 0.7524s
12. Tony Kanaan Andretti 1m02.9234s + 0.7801s
13. Tomas Scheckter Dreyer & Reinbold 1m03.0924s + 0.9491s
14. Bertrand Baguette Conquest 1m03.1961s + 1.0528s
15. Graham Rahal Newman/Haas 1m03.2973s + 1.1540s
16. Vitor Meira Foyt 1m03.3250s + 1.1817s
17. Hideki Mutoh Newman/Haas 1m03.3807s + 1.2374s
18. Marco Andretti Andretti 1m03.4523s + 1.3090s
19. Mario Moraes KV 1m03.6882s + 1.5449s
20. Dan Wheldon Panther 1m03.7328s + 1.5895s
21. Takuma Sato KV 1m03.8464s + 1.7031s
22. Alex Lloyd Dale Coyne 1m04.2268s + 2.0835s
23. Simona de Silvestro HVM 1m04.4667s + 2.3234s
24. Mario Romancini Conquest 1m04.6253s + 2.4820s
25. Paul Tracy KV 1m04.6549s + 2.5116s
26. Milka Duno Dale Coyne 1m10.6528s + 8.5095s


Milka: 6s slower than the next best driver. :rolleyes:

[SteveH]

What happened to PT?

[Andrew Longman]

Milka: 6s slower than the next best driver. :rolleyes:

And almost 109% of pole. :rolleyes: And 4 seconds slower that Indy Lites.

And yeah, where is PT?

[73B]

...Toronto’s Paul Tracy finished the day with the second-slowest lap time of 1:04.6528. “The track was very slippery and there was not a lot of time to make changes,” he said. “I felt like I was out there with a set of ice skates and no laces in them.” Tracy rubbed his car into a wall during a shortened practice, shearing a bolt that needed to be replaced. Drivers will have another practice session this morning before tomorrow afternoon’s qualifying session

Read more: http://sports.nationalpost.com/2010/07/16/indy-notebook-hunter-reay-posts-fastest-practice-lap-tracy-struggles/#ixzz0twUoUOTN

Here's an interesting article about the current state of auto racing... a Canadian perspective. The glass is half full. Andretti may have been wise to have picked up the Toronto Indy rights.

http://www.nationalpost.com/sports/place+like+home/3279147/story.html

[G.]

And yeah, where is PT?
posting at trackforum. :\

[Methanolandbrats]

...

Here's an interesting article about the current state of auto racing... a Canadian perspective. The glass is half full. Andretti may have been wise to have picked up the Toronto Indy rights.

http://www.nationalpost.com/sports/place+like+home/3279147/story.html
Looks like the coiled snake has moved north.

[SurfaceUnits]

none of you haters could've perdickeded this

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/more-sports/fans-stay-home-from-indy/article1643735/

[TKGAngel]

When the cheapest ticket for a grandstand seat for the weekend is $106, of course people are going to stay away. Add the ticket price to the cost of food & drink (due to the no outside food & drink laws) and the cost could get ridiculous quickly. The Free Friday might be good for the food vendors and for donations to Make-A-Wish, but if it doesn't encourage people to return on Saturday, was it successful?

Starting lineup for tomorrow folly:

1 Justin Wilson 1:00.2710 104.827
2 12 Will Power1:00.4563 104.505
3 3 Helio Castroneves 1:00.8159 103.887
4 37 Ryan Hunter-Reay 1:00.8369 103.847
5 10 Dario Franchitti 1:00.9477 103.663
6 9 Scott Dixon 1:00.9541 103.652
7 6 Ryan Briscoe 1:00.9141 103.720
8 11 Tony Kanaan 1:00.9212 103.708
9 77 Alex Tagliani 1:00.9996 103.574
10 26 Marco Andretti 1:01.2297 103.185
11 2 Raphael Matos 1:01.2820 103.097
12 7 Danica Patrick 1:01.4580 102.802
13 8 E.J. Viso 1:01.4087 102.884
14 02 Graham Rahal 1:01.7024 102.395
15 4 Dan Wheldon 1:01.6926 102.411
16 36 Bertrand Baguette (R) 1:01.8072 102.221
17 34 Mario Romancini (R) 1:01.9575 101.973
18 5 Takuma Sato (R) 1:01.8130 102.212
19 24 Tomas Scheckter 1:02 0426 101 833
20 32 Mario Moraes 1:02.0953 101.747
21 78 Simona de Silvestro (R) 1:02.0547 101.813
22 06 Hideki Mutoh 1:02.1453 101.665
23 19 Alex Lloyd (R) 1:02.6142 100.904
24 15 Paul Tracy 1:02.5387 101.025
25 18 Milka Duno No time No Speed
26 14 Vitor Meira 1:03.0741 100.16

How does someone with no time & speed qualify in front of someone with a time & speed?

[stroker]

How did RHR get in there, steal a car? I thought he was done for the year?

[emjaya]

23 19 Alex Lloyd (R) 1:02.6142 100.904
24 15 Paul Tracy 1:02.5387 101.025

:saywhat:

Is there some sort of back marker reverse grid thing?

Hey, there is an idea. Reverse grids.

[EDwardo]

none of you haters could've perdickeded this

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/more-sports/fans-stay-home-from-indy/article1643735/

Excellent quote from this article.:rofl:
....driver/celebrity Danica Patrick....

:yuckyuck:

[73B]

Went down there today with General Admission tix. The stands were probably about 40% full. I wouldn't say it was sparse. Plenty of people walking around and at the Budweiser Beer Garden.

Happy to see Justin Wilson take the Pole position for tomorrow. The guy always did drive well here. Will Power did well too. Wouldn't be surprised if either of them won. Possible thunder showers tomorrow, so it could really mess up everyone's strategy.

Stuck around for the World Challenge race. Boy those I-Pax Volvo s60's are fast. Beating up on the Vettes, Porsches and Vipers. Who'd of thunk. :confused:. Was still fun to watch.

Ernie took 2nd in the GTS category. Split the two 2.4L Acura TSX's with his 3.6L Porsche Cayman.

[Wheel-Nut]

What happened to PT?


He got old.

Time for him to give it up.

[73B]

PT ran pretty well for most of the race... until overcooking turn 3, trying to pass Simona. Justin Wilson made the same mistake, so maybe it was tricky there.

Looked for a while like he could be on the podium. He was on the right fuel strategy.

No figures released for attendance, but organizers seemed happy.

http://www.wheels.ca/article/790606

[devilmaster]

found a live stream for the race so threw it on while we rolled through the end of sunday breakfast service....

It was the radio feed with a constant helo cam.... if someone said the main grandstand had 50% full, that would be a generous assessment.

But I'll agree with Tag in the Sunday TorStar.... They have to build it back up, and honestly that will take 5 good years of upswings in attendance and hype.

As for my watching it, this was the first time this year i've watched -any- race from any series. I reminisced, but didn't long to watch or enjoy it, so I guess that tells me something.

[Tim]

I watched a little bit yesterday and I found myself missing the people more than the racing. I had some great times in Toronto that I'll never forget.

[Corner5]

PT ran pretty well for most of the race... until overcooking turn 3, trying to pass Simona. Justin Wilson made the same mistake, so maybe it was tricky there.

Looked for a while like he could be on the podium. He was on the right fuel strategy.

No figures released for attendance, but organizers seemed happy.

http://www.wheels.ca/article/790606

Good lord, what a pile of crap. Needs more "government subsidies and 5 year plans." The event is failing, we were right all along.

:HAHA:

[Methanolandbrats]

http://media.wheels.topscms.com/images/c7/c2/224827d242b5933d0b6b6eb87862.jpeg Vibe :saywhat:

[FTG]

I was out riding the bike and saw the F-18s flyover. I wondered what the heck they were doing, then remembered that they always do a flyby before the race. Clicked on the TV when I got home. It was a pretty decent race. Good track. Friday was free though, and I still didn't go.