The Foyt Futility Watch -- Peaking and winning in Joliet Edition

[pchall]

Dang. This race snuck up on me as I made my last preparations (besides packing) for the Grand Tour of Deutschland.

Lot's of mildly interesting news this week, much of which is covered in the Dallara Dart 2 thread. Stories and rumors abound that this will be the final race at Chicagoland, the home of the fake racing "closest finish ever" that the IRL pitches all the time.

Good riddance to bad rollerderby. A close finish is something rare, and difficult, and achieved by great drivers racing at the limit in fast cars. It's Johncock and Mears in 1982.

Fryin' Ryan Briscoe seems to be on pole. I'll need to find the starting grid someplace where I don't need to work on the text file, just rip if off and post it here. Later, though -- the mouse battery is low and I must go. I'd rather cook my dinner than hunt for a battery night now, anyhow.

[High Sided]

i gotcha covered....

SP Car Driver Time Speed
1 6 Ryan Briscoe 50.5857 216.346
2 10 Dario Franchitt 50.7624 215.593
3 12 Will Power 50.7792 215.521
4 3 Helio Castroneves 50.7702 215.475
5 26 Marco Andretti 50.8265 215.321
6 02 Graham Rahal 50.8281 215.314
7 4 Dan Wheldon 50.8789 215.099
8 06 Hideki Mutoh 50.8892 215.055
9 37 Ryan Hunter-Reay 50.9074 214.979
10 5 Takuma Sato (R) 50.9154 214.945
11 20 Ed Carpenter 50.9423 214.831
12 7 Danica Patrick 50.9616 214.750
13 11 Tony Kanaan 50.9896 214.632
14 19 Alex Lloyd (R) 51.0285 214.468
15 9 Scott Dixon 51.0761 214.269
16 8 E.J. Viso 51.0901 214.210
17 36 Tomas Scheckter 51.1179 214.093
18 2 Raphael Matos 51.1462 213.975
19 77 Alex Tagliani 51.1617 213.910
20 34 BertrandBaguette(R) 512162 213682
21 32 Mario Moraes 51.2700 213.458
22 24 Ana Beatriz (R) 51.2770 213.429
23 22 Justin Wilson 51.2875 213.385
24 14 Vitor Meira 51.3547 213.106
25 67 Sarah Fisher 51.3573 213.095
26 18 Milka Duno 51.4342 212.777
27 78 Simona de Silvestro (R) 51.4625 212.660
28 21 Davey Hamilton 51.5051 212.484
29 66 Jay Howard (R) 51.3573 212.097

[cameraman]

12 7 Danica Patrick 50.9616 214.750
13 11 Tony Kanaan 50.9896 214.632

That can't be going over well with the nose.

[pchall]

22 24 Ana Beatriz (R) 51.2770 213.429
23 22 Justin Wilson 51.2875 213.385

I guess Justin is no longer the team leader at Conquest. :p

[pchall]

Looks like Franchitti won, but I can't find the results in an easily postable form yet. I'm not going to indycar because there stuff is a nightmare to ost.

[High Sided]

http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/indycar-franchitti-takes-frenetic-win/

1. (2) Dario Franchitti, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running
2. (7) Dan Wheldon, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running
3. (5) Marco Andretti, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running
4. (9) Ryan Hunter-Reay, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running
5. (13) Tony Kanaan, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running
6. (4) Helio Castroneves, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running
7. (23) Justin Wilson, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running
8. (15) Scott Dixon, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running
9. (24) Vitor Meira, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running
10. (6) Graham Rahal, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running
11. (1) Ryan Briscoe, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running
12. (20) Bertrand Baguette, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running
13. (8) Hideki Mutoh, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running
14. (12) Danica Patrick, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running
15. (25) Sarah Fisher, Dallara-Honda, 199, Running
16. (3) Will Power, Dallara-Honda, 199, Running
17. (21) Mario Moraes, Dallara-Honda, 199, Running
18. (28) Davey Hamilton, Dallara-Honda, 199, Running
19. (26) Milka Duno, Dallara-Honda, 197, Running
20. (11) Ed Carpenter, Dallara-Honda, 179, Handling
21. (14) Alex Lloyd, Dallara-Honda, 162, Running
22. (29) Jay Howard, Dallara-Honda, 161, Mechanical
23. (27) Simona de Silvestro, Dallara-Honda, 150, Mechanical
24. (22) Ana Beatriz, Dallara-Honda, 88, Mechanical
25. (19) Alex Tagliani, Dallara-Honda, 85, Contact
26. (10) Takuma Sato, Dallara-Honda, 80, Contact
27. (16) EJ Viso, Dallara-Honda, 80, Contact
28. (17) Tomas Scheckter, Dallara-Honda, 4, Contact
29. (18) Raphael Matos, Dallara-Honda, 4, Contact

[pchall]

http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/indycar-franchitti-takes-frenetic-win/

1. (2) Dario Franchitti, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running
2. (7) Dan Wheldon, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running
3. (5) Marco Andretti, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running
4. (9) Ryan Hunter-Reay, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running
5. (13) Tony Kanaan, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running
6. (4) Helio Castroneves, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running
7. (23) Justin Wilson, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running
8. (15) Scott Dixon, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running
9. (24) Vitor Meira, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running
10. (6) Graham Rahal, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running
11. (1) Ryan Briscoe, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running
12. (20) Bertrand Baguette, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running
13. (8) Hideki Mutoh, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running
14. (12) Danica Patrick, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running
15. (25) Sarah Fisher, Dallara-Honda, 199, Running
16. (3) Will Power, Dallara-Honda, 199, Running
17. (21) Mario Moraes, Dallara-Honda, 199, Running
18. (28) Davey Hamilton, Dallara-Honda, 199, Running•
19. (26) Milka Duno, Dallara-Honda, 197, Running
20. (11) Ed Carpenter, Dallara-Honda, 179, Handling
21. (14) Alex Lloyd, Dallara-Honda, 162, Running
22. (29) Jay Howard, Dallara-Honda, 161, Mechanical
23. (27) Simona de Silvestro, Dallara-Honda, 150, Mechanical
24. (22) Ana Beatriz, Dallara-Honda, 88, Mechanical
25. (19) Alex Tagliani, Dallara-Honda, 85, Contact
26. (10) Takuma Sato, Dallara-Honda, 80, Contact
27. (16) EJ Viso, Dallara-Honda, 80, Contact
28. (17) Tomas Scheckter, Dallara-Honda, 4, Contact
29. (18) Raphael Matos, Dallara-Honda, 4, Contact

• Dang. I thought he was dead. Is the IRL using zombies to fill the field?

[Methanolandbrats]

They already ran the race and I missed it? :mad: Dammit, I had beers and snacks ready to go :gomer:

[stroker]

I see Princess is now two-in-a-row for last car on the lead lap.

At least she's developing some consistency. Keep it up, Hon. Your contract doesn't expire for a long time, yet.

[TravelGal]

I hate to say it but this reminded me of CART at its worst. People taking out each other from sheer stupidity, wheels falling off cars, people (yes Power who probably lost the championship yesterday) running out of gas. Oopsie.

It was cr@p but was interesting cr@p for a change because you never knew what was going to happen next. And I mean that in the worst possible way.

[oddlycalm]

you never knew what was going to happen next. And I mean that in the worst possible way.
I read a quote where TK said something along the lines of "it may make great TV but it's insane. Worse than any Texas race." I'm certain that's an accurate statement regarding the risk, but it make me wonder about how great the TV show is....

If it was such compelling TV you'd think more than 12 men and a boy would be watching at any given moment... :gomer:

oc

[chop456]

^ Herta said much the same after a race there years ago. Just driving around foot-to-the-floor, waiting for someone to get dead. Yippee.

[opinionated ow]

Simona said something broke in the drivetrain. They can't take a trick that team!

[pchall]

I hate to say it but this reminded me of CART at its worst.

CART at its worst as in those stupid slingshot festivals with the Handford Device and tunnel blockers at Fontana and MIS? The explodomatic Mercedes races? Even that scheisse [practicing my Deutsch ;) ] is preferable to the madness of nearly equal cars flat out lap after lap on high banked oval.

[NismoZ]

Franchitti says much the same. He won't miss it. Great market
though and the LEEEG is already exploring a return to Milwaukee. Good luck on that one. (did they use Briscoe's flipping, flaming, flying, exploding wreck in the lead-in advertising to increase interest in this year's event?)

[TKGAngel]

People taking out each other from sheer stupidity

I would have loved to have heard Vasser's radio after Sato and Viso took each other out on pit road. That was stupidity at its finest.

[Rogue Leader]

I would have loved to have heard Vasser's radio after Sato and Viso took each other out on pit road. That was stupidity at its finest.

Correction... that was Viso's stupidity at its finest. I loved his interview where he basically said "thats not what happened, just because its not"

[Steve99]

People taking out each other from sheer stupidity, wheels falling off cars, people (yes Power who probably lost the championship yesterday) running out of gas. Oopsie.

Add flaming cars and some pit fires and it sounds like a typical IRL spectacle.

[Dvdb]

Per Tommy Kendall on Twitter:

Word on the street in Kentucky: there were 4 cars SIGNIFICANTLY out of spec after Chicagoland. Interesting to see how this plays out!

[grungex]

My guess:

http://www.ssqq.com/stories/images/sweep%20under%20carpet.jpg