Toronto Futility

[SurfaceUnits]

Things got hairy right at the start of Saturday's race, which was supposed to be the IndyCar debut of standings starts. But race control aborted the procedure when Josef Newgarden's car stalled on the track and the drivers couldn't line up in the proper formation.

The drivers were pulled off the grid and brought back around the track for the traditional rolling start as the crowd howled its displeasure in being denied the highly anticipated standing start.
- See more at: http://bostonherald.com/sports/other/auto_racing/2013/07/dixon_wins_race_franchitti_wins_appeal_at_toronto# sthash.ld84wMRI.dpuf

IndyCar wasn't scheduled to try a standing start on Sunday to the delight of most of the drivers who feel they haven't had enough practice to execute it correctly. But Marco Andretti said IndyCar should reconsider after Saturday's failure.

IndyCar announced after the Franchitti appeal that it will attempt a standing start on Sunday. It's wasn't high on the list of things to do for the drivers.

"I could take it or leave it," Dixon said. "I have a feeling if they do do it, it may result in the same thing that happened today."

Following the aborted start were warnings from race control to several drivers about jumping over the curbs. Told they had to keep two tires on the track at all times early in the race, race control later reversed the decision and said drivers could jump the curbs.

[cameraman]

Wow, just wow. That article is just brutal.
I can't believe it is possible for a series to get that bad.

[Ed_Severson]

Not that I think Barfield has been wonderfully consistent or anything, but having Barnhart back in the booth today was a great reminder of why he got removed in the first place. They sent out a bulletin about shortcutting the course a couple hours before the race started, then issued warnings instead of penalties when drivers took the shortcut at T5, then rescinded the rule in the middle of the ****ing race.

I honestly don't know why they bother printing the goddamned rulebook anymore.

[Andrew Longman]

I love street racing in TO. It is a real struggle to get a car around there at speed.

But after this weekend Barnhard should not be allowed back in the US or anywhere near a racetrack. He is simply overmatched by the job.

[nissan gtp]

I love street racing in TO. It is a real struggle to get a car around there at speed.

But after this weekend Barnhard should not be allowed back in the US or anywhere near a racetrack. He is simply overmatched by the job.

Great idea, but I like Canada way too much to do that to them. Maybe we could come up with a way to keep him in Indiana forever. :D

[Andrew Longman]

I was thinking more of a Snowden deal. Revoke his passport and leave him inside airport security until he can get a third world country to take him. Wait, I guess I don't have anything against third world countries either.

I can forgive a guy making mistakes, but not the same mistake again and again of thinking he can and should be doing this job.

[Chief]

Rest assured friends, the Hulman Racing Properties division of Hulman Co. knows exactly what they are doing. From published reports, Al Unser Jr. may soon rejoin the company in some capacity too. So, it's fittingly full circle to have Barnhart in charge in Toronto and to have the disgraced former champ returned to be a voice for the series.

After what transpired before and with yesterday in Toronto, if any of you still have faith in the leadership of Indycar to lead the sport out of it's doldrums I would suggest you have your head examined.

Let's recap: Toronto 1 embarassing blow to series. IMS is in horrendous shape with no lustre. Barnhart in charge on-track (temporary). ABC showed Nationwide Series, where Toronto was 2nd highest rated ABC race for the series each year. Toronto literally has removed about 75% of grandstands from heydays of AOW in their city. Greg Gruning quits IMS. Doug Boles is tasked with "Save Our Track".

Futility indeed. :thumbup:

[cameraman]

And this is just sad
http://www.nbcnews.com/id/22825103/vp/52469655#52469657

Steve Matchett was doing the coverage?

[TravelGal]

I'm stunned. Dario, called for something. Unbelievable. He does it all race, every race. Much more egregiously earlier in the race. They NEVER call him. Probably cost Power the championship last year (not this one; he's hosed anyway).

As for the race, this was the first one I've watched within a few hours of its ending so it felt more immediate than most of them do. I thought it was pretty good. Minus the start, of course. Overall, it held my interest, which is unusual.

Reading the comments about the announcers made me realize that I've developed selective hearing. I can pretty much only remember Townsend Bell's voice. The others are like the adults in the Charlie Brown shows. You know they are saying something but what isn't exactly clear.

Edit: I just read the article that Dashley won his appeal. Of course he did. pbbbt.

[cameraman]

That NBC link also had a clip of Dario and Powers. It was pretty clear that Dario moved in on him as the course turned to the right but his entire right to left to right movement was less than a foot. It was a rather optimistic dive on Powers part that wasn't handled particularly well by Dario.

[TravelGal]

That NBC link also had a clip of Dario and Powers. It was pretty clear that Dario moved in on him as the course turned to the right but his entire right to left to right movement was less than a foot. It was a rather optimistic dive on Powers part that wasn't handled particularly well by Dario.

Yeah, I saw that. That's why I said he'd done worse earlier, IMO. Although Dario was not completely blameless if Power had used his brains, it wouldn't have happened at all.

[TKGAngel]

Jenna Fryer had it right...with Bourdais' broken trophy and the Dario penalty drama, Victory Lane yesterday was a *****show.

And between Vasser's back injury and Briscoe's wrist, Doc Trammell has had a busy weekend.

[mapguy]

That NBC link also had a clip of Dario and Powers. It was pretty clear that Dario moved in on him as the course turned to the right but his entire right to left to right movement was less than a foot. It was a rather optimistic dive on Powers part that wasn't handled particularly well by Dario.

It's that kind of bush league driving that got Krosnoff killed.

[cameraman]

I never said it wasn't bush league driving, just that there wasn't one clear villain...

[mapguy]

I never said it wasn't bush league driving, just that there wasn't one clear villain...

That wasn't meant to be a slight to you. Sorry if it came across that way. It is just my comment on the level of driving standards of the 'top' drivers in the leeg.

[SurfaceUnits]

There must be only one person in the entire solar system reporting on IRLcar racing these days

[Ed_Severson]

Having finally caught up on the broadcast, I can't believe Franchitti ever got penalized for that. He was committed to the inside line the entire way; Power never had a prayer of making that work.