View Full Version : Shrinkage hits the month of may
opinionated ow
05-04-15, 05:29 AM
Not only does the race seem to drop in stature each year, there seems to be less pre-race practice. And at this stage only 31 cars entered and on opening day only 27 practised...
Nothing like a bit of good news to start off the work week. :thumbup:
Napoleon
05-04-15, 08:28 AM
:thumbup:
See I told you those CART street race loosers wanted to shrink the month of May.
BigIrlFan
05-04-15, 10:14 AM
HAhahahahaha WE need moor TOney GOrge
http://i60.tinypic.com/2qw2cr8.jpg
I swear I heard Robin Miller somewhere saying that a team was adding like a 3rd, 4th or 7th car thus guaranteeing 34 cars and a real bump day. :rolleyes:
Ed_Severson
05-04-15, 02:32 PM
There are (supposedly) 34 entries. Most of those who didn't run yesterday are either TBD in terms of drivers (Coyne's 2 full-time entries) or were sidelined for various chassis/spares availability reasons (Hildebrand, Saavedra, Tagliani). Stefano Coletti had visa issues and was stuck in Monaco so Bourdais shook down his car in his absence. The Lazier program is #34 -- still no official announcement on that one yet, wouldn't be a massive surprise if it does not materialize.
And, for what it's worth, over the last few years the number of practice days is actually trending upwards, not down.
So are the prices...to gain entry to see them practices. And, I think it's more of mother nature being cooperative versus any great increase but you know my viewpoint is skewed. :p
1962 says the Indy 500 is the biggest race of them all.
http://i58.tinypic.com/2co4jd5.jpg
Been surfing some family history and found that gem.
TKGAngel
05-07-15, 03:34 PM
Stefano Coletti had visa issues and was stuck in Monaco
There are worse places to be stuck with visa issues, I suppose.
Jeff Gordon is going to "do the double" this year as pace car driver at Indy and then hopping a flight to Charlotte.
cameraman
05-07-15, 04:07 PM
There are worse places to be stuck with visa issues, I suppose.
Coletti is from Monaco, he was stuck at home.
Shrinkage? Yeah, like turn one on the Indy road course today. See? Standing start? Rolling start? No difference! A 7 car wreck. What's next?...That single file restart looked pretty good. I say they should adopt THAT for the start next year!
opinionated ow
05-10-15, 12:27 AM
Shrinkage? Yeah, like turn one on the Indy road course today. See? Standing start? Rolling start? No difference! A 7 car wreck. What's next?...That single file restart looked pretty good. I say they should adopt THAT for the start next year!
Wouldn't know. I haven't seen a race since they merged.
For what it was, it wasn't a bad race. The start was a fuster cluck, but CCWS had their issues, aye? US 500, Cleveland Coneage, etc. Rahal was helped by the wrecks at the start, but he drove the wheels off an obviously flawed Honda. New aeros for the 500, so we'll see if they can improve any. I was really surprised that there was zero mention of Micro. :laugh: :tony:
For what it was, it wasn't a bad race.
:saywhat:
chop456
05-11-15, 07:57 AM
I think what he's saying is that for utter garbage, it was at least equal to if not slightly better than other utter garbage.
Do I have that right? :D
I got some shrinkage for ya...25% LESS folks watched this year.
0.7, down from 2014's 0.9 Angies List GP tv ratings. Musta been just that good...
chop456
05-12-15, 07:10 AM
You just don't know how to interpret growth metrics properly.
Hater.
opinionated ow
05-12-15, 08:36 AM
34 cars entered but only 33 drivers...
It's the car that qualifies, not the driver :gomer:
opinionated ow
05-12-15, 09:11 AM
It's the car that qualifies, not the driver :gomer:
The 34th car must be driven by google then.
indyfan31
05-12-15, 09:57 AM
The 34th car must be driven by google then.
:rofl:
For me, there's even more shrinkage. Life is way too short to **** around all weekend with this new fangled qualification BS. I'll catch the highlights on the internet when ever they decide what ever the h*ll it means. Contrived horse*****. :yuck:
Indianapolis 500 Qualification Procedures
Qualifying will be three sessions of time trials over two eventful days:
Saturday Qualifying – Will determine all 33 positions in the field based on the fastest four-lap averages. All entries are guaranteed at least one four-lap attempt to qualify. The fastest nine entries advance to the Fast Nine Shootout..
Sunday Qualifying – Held Sunday early afternoon to determine positions 10-33 in the field based on fastest four-lap average. All times from Saturday are erased and cars will run in reverse order based on Saturday qualification speeds. All cars must complete another four-lap attempt to determine their starting position.
Fast Nine Shootout – Held Sunday afternoon after Positions 10-33 have been determined. The top nine cars will run in reverse order based on Saturday’s qualification times. All cars are required to make at least one attempt. At the end of the session, the cars are ranked 1-9 based on their four-lap average during the segment.
opinionated ow
05-12-15, 11:17 AM
As of the 11th there was 32 entered for the Little 500 at Anderson Speedway. Given people don't often enter until a few days before with that race I think it might have more bumping than the main race. I know which one I'd rather watch...
cameraman
05-12-15, 03:23 PM
Even more shrinkage as Simona de Silvestro's car burns...
s3patAwgy2c
Watching Simona knock over the portly gentleman tasked with helping her out of the car must give the drivers a ton of confidence.
The first guy with a fire extinguisher seemed to get a rude awakening as to the heat of the flames too.
Are those cameras on the safety crew's chests? That'll be some interesting footage.
Even more shrinkage as Simona de Silvestro's car burns...
poof go POOF. :saywhat: :shakehead: AAA Guy is funny. :gomer:
TKGAngel
05-12-15, 04:14 PM
Watching Simona knock over the portly gentleman tasked with helping her out of the car must give the drivers a ton of confidence.
The first guy with a fire extinguisher seemed to get a rude awakening as to the heat of the flames too.
Are those cameras on the safety crew's chests? That'll be some interesting footage.
Also, "Guy With A Fire Extinguisher #2" is not wearing gloves while operating the extinguisher. If things go wrong, he's looking at burns all over his hands!
cameraman
05-12-15, 04:21 PM
Those 2 gallon a/b extinguishers were far too small for that kind of fire. If there had been an injured driver in there it would not have been good.
Napoleon
05-12-15, 05:38 PM
What I love about the fire is the first 2 guys are standing on the wrong side of the car to put out the fire. There extinguishers could reach only something like 10% of what was burning.
cameraman
05-12-15, 05:44 PM
Well I'm not too sure I would want to be in range of a burning tire but yeah their placement wasn't particularly effective.
That 2lb'er is just to clear a path for the driver to get out of the car, not to put the fire out. Having said that, he is stupid not to wear gloves.
Hey, OW...ever see Mel Kenyon race when he "visited" Australia? One of MY all-time favs!
opinionated ow
05-13-15, 05:33 AM
Hey, OW...ever see Mel Kenyon race when he "visited" Australia? One of MY all-time favs!
Don't remember seeing Mel Kenyon but I have seen Tony Elliot, Davey Ray, Jerry Coons Jr, Tony Stewart (by far the best midget steerer I've ever seen), Corey Kruseman, Jay Drake and more over the years. Foyt used to come out all the time in the 1980s along with people like Sleepy Tripp. I don't think I've ever seen the King in a midget here but he used to do the double more often than not.
Yeah, too cold here in the Midwest, so...go Down Under to stay sharp! They moved indoors, too...which I did/do NOT like or follow. Totally agree on Stewart, though I only saw him on TV. Then there also was a high schooler who was besting National Champs in sprinters and midgets, missed him one Thursday night after a LONG drive to Indy...because he was attending his high school graduation! Jeff Gordon. I was convinced he could drive and win in ANYthing and began dreaming of his career shift to CART. Oh, well.:( He sure as heck made the right choice, though! Come to think of it, Stewart, too. (Have you seen the YouTube vid of his F-1 joyride at Watkins Glen, with Hamilton? Great stuff. Kind of like Lowndes at Bathurst? With Button, I think? Racers are racers!)
Until I saw an article in the paper about Simona's incident I didn't realize practice had started. How sad things are.
TKGAngel
05-13-15, 02:08 PM
Helio goes backwards and upside down today.
bQZ0mnJKllU
Don Quixote
05-13-15, 02:30 PM
So, the crapwagons still fly.
cameraman
05-13-15, 03:32 PM
Here's a nice shot
http://pbs.twimg.com/media/CE6HACnWgAIeh3N.jpg:large
I see a new potential spot for advertising on those cars.
They're even ugly upside down.
Lucky for Helio he didn't get into those mid-century turnbuckles.
There's some seriously terrible old fencing around IMS.
Well, they do say that with all the downforce, these cars can run upside down..........
Regarding the schedule shrinkage. Wasn't one of the Sagamore's reasons for his tantrum was that he (incorrectly) thought CART wanted to reduce the month of May to two weeks? How did that one turn out?
Who was it who said "Our cars don't fly"?
gerhard911
05-13-15, 07:26 PM
They're even ugly upside down.
I donno, look much better to me from that angle.
They're even ugly upside down.
No they're not.
Mary
I'm amazed that Helio's car flipped right on its nose seemingly without making a mark on it.
Mary
Did anyone pass him under yellow?
Regarding the schedule shrinkage. Wasn't one of the Sagamore's reasons for his tantrum was that he (incorrectly) thought CART wanted to reduce the month of May to two weeks? How did that one turn out?
Big Brother YouTube recommended something to me last week that it thought I might be interested in watching. It was a video about CART in the pre-split 90s, specifically about Nigel Mansell. When you read the comments to these videos, there is almost always one by a fan who had no idea of what it used to be like (probably because they weren't born then). I used to post something like "thanks for fixing it, Tony" but now I'm too old and don't even bother. Every single bloody thing they trashed CART and CART fans about, they're now trying to do. With really ugly cars. I know ya'll know this, but damn.
Mary
B3RACER1a
05-13-15, 10:32 PM
Why is it so hard to understand that when you hang a bunch of aero behind the rear axle, it gives the air more leverage to lift the car when it goes backwards?
We've had countless posts about that.
stroker
05-13-15, 11:07 PM
'cuz they's the best damn dribers in the worl' and there ain't no way, no how that they gon' get backwards. Got it? Anyone says they seen a IRL car facing the wrong way on a race track is one of them nancy-boy furriners who don't know what Indy means. GOT THAT???
TravelGal
05-14-15, 01:06 AM
'cuz they's the best damn dribers in the worl' and there ain't no way, no how that they gon' get backwards. Got it? Anyone says they seen a IRL car facing the wrong way on a race track is one of them nancy-boy furriners who don't know what Indy means. GOT THAT???
In an excellent thread, best post of the day. But I sure do agree with Mary too.
Who knew? Pigs do have wings?!? :tony:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMeE9NAh60I
:saywhat:
opinionated ow
05-14-15, 10:06 AM
Crapwagons still fly way too readily...
I like how even with a compressed schedule IndyCar is still able to fit in all the old classics:
1. less than 33 cars
2. car fires
3. inept safety team
4. flying crapwagons
I wonder if they'll make time for broken backs, snapped necks, or a trip to the grater?
:tony:
Why is it so hard to understand that when you hang a bunch of aero behind the rear axle, it gives the air more leverage to lift the car when it goes backwards?
We've had countless posts about that.
LOL ROFLMFAO. The devolution of the sport...it's like watching a reality based AOW performance of "2112". Did you forget who we're dealing with here? :laugh:
aXK-eGOJ5yI
Tifosi24
05-14-15, 01:33 PM
LOL ROFLMFAO. The devolution of the sport...it's like watching a reality based AOW performance of "2112". Did you forget who we're dealing with here? :laugh:
aXK-eGOJ5yI
Looks like Foyt the 4th could give Mater a run for the world's best backwards driver.
LOL ROFLMFAO. The devolution of the sport...it's like watching a reality based AOW performance of "2112". Did you forget who we're dealing with here? :laugh:
aXK-eGOJ5yI
Never saw that before. :laugh:
Aero experts: Does the fact that the rear wing was set for lift fwd help him maintain control when he gets downforce backward? That thing looks like it straightens out due to aero more than steering.
More shrinkage....Brian Barnhart is a genius! This real time aero R&D crash testing dummy stuff is brilliant! Running computational dynamics thingy on it AFTER they mandate installation! :rofl: :thumbup:
Chevrolet teams told to remove wicker after Castroneves crash
The wicker may have been partially responsible for the flight of Helio Castroneves.
I forgot about Quatro. :laugh:
More shrinkage. Another flipper today. That dang wicker...:laugh:
THfIvk628eo
Needs roof flaps.:rolleyes: Or rear wing flaps...call 'em anti-FLIP FLAPS...or Something...they seem to have a name for every other new aero part! Remember what Mercedes did at LeMans when their cars took off? That's right, they WITHDREW! I suggest that ALL cars at Indy be withdrawn until new design and testing can prove the cars will not fly while spinning. So, the 2015 Indy 500 has a footnote in the record books saying something like "Race called off for safety reasons." Better than a news story like LeMans, 1955 all over again.:irked:
chop456
05-15-15, 01:54 AM
I wouldn't feel safe sitting anywhere at that track with the current cars.
chop456
05-15-15, 01:59 AM
And my annual ticket demand barometer says:
You can get 20 tickets together (max order), 2 rows from the top of the North Vista. :rofl:
https://www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com/events/indy500/buy-tickets/ticketselection
Remember when you had to mail your renewal request the day after the race? Me, too. :tony:
How much longer will this dog limp along without taxpayer money?
Yeah, I remember how we couldn't even get OUT of the place due to packed-in parking and jammed exits...on the WEDNESDAY before the 1st weekend of qualifications! Great entertainment for A DOLLAR!!...Always had to stay 'til the final lap because THAT was the day the top speeds were posted, year after year...it had a real F-1 type qualifying feel to it...was there the first time the 180, 190 & 200mph "barriers" were broken. I recall Jerry Grant set one of those...have no idea why I remember that particular one but I was a HUGE Dan Gurney fan...maybe Grant drove for AAR that year?
Helio Castroneves released from hospital following spectacular IndyCar crash
* Helio Castroneves' car wiggled as it went through the first turn
* A gust of wind then caught the car and flipped it over
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/othersports/article-3080457/Helio-Castroneves-released-hospital-following-spectacular-IndyCar-crash.html
A gust of wind? :laugh:
chop456
05-16-15, 09:36 AM
Wind gusts, seagulls, etc.
It's one thing to be stupid. It's quite another to whistle past the graveyard for 15 years when people's lives are at stake. I hope there are no mass casualties.
cameraman
05-16-15, 02:46 PM
Twitter tells me that God peed on Qualifying today and the whole thing got put off until tomorrow.
:shakehead:
Twitter tells me that God peed on Qualifying today and the whole thing got put off until tomorrow.
:shakehead:
Did a tree fall? :confused: I must have missed it. :tony:
Tifosi24
05-17-15, 10:11 AM
Another car flips this morning. Carpenter backs it into T2 and promptly blows over. Rear makes contact with the grater, but he is ok.
Whoopsie.
http://sports.usatoday.com/2015/05/17/ed-carpenter-not-injured-in-scary-indianapolis-500-crash/
opinionated ow
05-17-15, 10:38 AM
Another car flips this morning. Carpenter backs it into T2 and promptly blows over. Rear makes contact with the grater, but he is ok.
These cars are buggered
indyfan31
05-17-15, 11:11 AM
. . . series officials and the manufacturers said on Friday there were no obvious design flaws to explain the Chevrolet crashes
Well, I'm satisfied. :saywhat:
Who could have possibly imagined that if you put 100 square feet of down force on a car that it would create lift when turned the wrong way at 200 mph? :shakehead:
B3RACER1a
05-17-15, 11:47 AM
Who could have possibly imagined that if you put 100 square feet of down force on a car that it would create lift when turned the wrong way at 200 mph? :shakehead:
I know! I know! *raises hand*
WOW, what a blackeye the sport just took. Mark Miles and Derrick Walker just had news conference where they admit no one knows the cause for any of the flips. Yet, the race will go on. They are concerned but don't expect any regulatory changes this week.
Race trim and normal boost, no qualy points awarded. Maybe 34 cars in race, no qualifying until 315PM...after the 1-3PM ABC TV timeslot.
Outstanding clusterFbomb this has turned out to be. :thumbup:
Race trim and normal boost, no qualy points awarded.
Outstanding clusterFbomb this has turned out to be. :thumbup:
Just heard this on ESPN (got tired of In the Kitchen with David).:eek: Cheever, still drinking koolaid apparently, was very serious and very sincere as he mouthed something about a responsible racing sanctioning body doing the right thing. Think they might have thought about testing this, especially at Indy? They don't have many people watching this stuff, but a few still do watch the Indy 500.
I really don't want anyone to die next week, especially because of this. :shakehead: Upside down cars make me a bit nervous.
Maybe 34 cars in race, no qualifying until 315PM...after the 1-3PM ABC TV timeslot.
I'm planning on watching the Clippers vs. Rockets basketball game then. Guess I'll find out what gets bumped then.
Mary
cameraman
05-17-15, 02:22 PM
So the cars are running very high downforce with greatly reduced boost. They are running 100% throttle for the entire lap, every lap. The cars have roughly the same speed. It's a complete fail.
And ABC is running mostly commercials.
Conor Daly called his car a "coffin". Scott Goodyear just called Bourdais a "4 time Indycar champeen". Justin Wilson just called the weeks work preparing for qualifications a "waste". Eddie Cheever just said we dont come here for qualifications, we come to be in the race.
This all in just in the past 10 minutes. Qualy's moved to ESPN Ocho at 315pm. Geez, do the right thing and park these horrible cars and don't race until this is all figured out...even if it means cancelling the 500.
cameraman
05-17-15, 03:01 PM
Following Twitter is probably far more interesting...
Here we have the upper paddock women's restroom at IMS...
http://pbs.twimg.com/media/CFOrMN5WEAATCS1.jpg
wow:shakehead:
Conor Daly called his car a "coffin". Scott Goodyear just called Bourdais a "4 time Indycar champeen". Justin Wilson just called the weeks work preparing for qualifications a "waste". Eddie Cheever just said we dont come here for qualifications, we come to be in the race.
This all in just in the past 10 minutes. Qualy's moved to ESPN Ocho at 315pm. Geez, do the right thing and park these horrible cars and don't race until this is all figured out...even if it means cancelling the 500.
A coffin?
Mary
A coffin?
Mary
I heard that.
Quote below from Autosport.com. http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/119026
Their cars were also equipped with the vertical wicker on the nose that is designed to reduce lift during a spin, although this was not fitted to Carpenter's car on Sunday.
What about testing? Making it up as they go along?
Mary
Here ya go cman....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVZr3WbMQ6w
:tony:
cameraman
05-17-15, 05:45 PM
I didn't actually see any of it, I was just looking at Twitter. Interestingly there has been no mention of the Indy 500 beyond foreign F1 correspondents upset because there is no international video feed of the qualifications. Seems the ESPN News feed is US only.
I still have no idea what the grid is even though this computer probably could locate those results rather easily. But where's the fun in that?
Following Twitter is probably far more interesting...
Here we have the upper paddock women's restroom at IMS...
wow:shakehead:
why am I looking at that?
Am I missing something, or is that the point?
I didn't actually see any of it, I was just looking at Twitter. Interestingly there has been no mention of the Indy 500 beyond foreign F1 correspondents upset because there is no international video feed of the qualifications. Seems the ESPN News feed is US only.
I still have no idea what the grid is even though this computer probably could locate those results rather easily. But where's the fun in that?
Yer using a Mac. :gomer:
http://www.indycar.com/News/2015/05/5-17-Dixon-earns-pole-for-99th-Indianapolis-500
..... no mention of the Indy 500 beyond foreign F1 correspondents upset because there is no international video feed of the qualifications. Seems the ESPN News feed is US only.
The entire qualification show was available in Ontario via CityNews. I assume it was the international feed. I didn't catch the commentators name but the color guy was former Indy racer Darren Manning.
Ted
gerhard911
05-17-15, 07:00 PM
Who?
Payton's other brother???
cameraman
05-17-15, 10:06 PM
The entire qualification show was available in Ontario via CityNews. I assume it was the international feed. I didn't catch the commentators name but the color guy was former Indy racer Darren Manning.
Ted
The folks complaining were in England so who knows.
chop456
05-18-15, 01:45 AM
“I think we all have opinions on why that is (that cars are flipping and going airborne), but it’s too early to say,” Carpenter said. “I definitely believe that there’s an issue going on that we clearly didn’t have in the past. Hopefully the series will be smart and react sooner rather than later so we don’t have to keep seeing things happen like this.”
Wow. :shakehead:
TKGAngel
05-18-15, 08:48 AM
Speaking of coffins, AJ looks great after being so ill earlier this year.
The forced "drama" of bumping was a bit much. Everyone knew Lazier wasn't going to be able to make speed but they still forced him to go out anyway. And why did they even need to have bumping anyway? Once Lazier pulled out of his first run, the other 33 were safe, so if one of the big guys crashed or screwed the pooch, he would still be in the field.
Well, no s*** Ed! Seriously, I am beginning to envision a scenerio where drivers will drive, because that is what they do, a flying "incident" will occur and SOMEbody MUST have the guts to flag this thing...and I don't mean yellow! The only question is...do people have to get killed or maimed before a decision like that would be made? I'm going nuts here thinking of the ever growing possibilities...anyone notice a tall catch-fence separating the pit lane from the race surface? No? We've all seen guys spin/wreck in there before. How 'bout they just FLY in? Yeah, the drivers will drive...and I will watch. :(
Speaking of coffins, AJ looks great after being so ill earlier this year.
Yup. I had no idea what he had been through until yesterday. Bypass, medically induced coma?!? Holy cow. :eek:
http://www.indycar.com/News/2014/12/12-4-Foyt-released-from-hospital
You can get 20 tickets together (max order), 2 rows from the top of the North Vista. :rofl:
How much longer will this dog limp along without taxpayer money?
I suppose until Mari dies, or they can't make payroll.
The idiots running the place fixate on the appearance of empty seats, rather than the collapse in demand. Ripping out grandstands, and papering :rofl: the house with free tickets? Lipstick on a pig. Nobody wants the product.
Well, no s*** Ed! Seriously, I am beginning to envision a scenerio where drivers will drive, because that is what they do, a flying "incident" will occur and SOMEbody MUST have the guts to flag this thing...and I don't mean yellow! The only question is...do people have to get killed or maimed before a decision like that would be made? I'm going nuts here thinking of the ever growing possibilities...anyone notice a tall catch-fence separating the pit lane from the race surface? No? We've all seen guys spin/wreck in there before. How 'bout they just FLY in? Yeah, the drivers will drive...and I will watch. :(
You don't know what Indy means:tony:
I wonder if Danny Sullivan would have won driving these cars? Or ended up at Methodist. Or worse.
TKGAngel
05-18-15, 01:47 PM
Hinch just went upside down after something broke on the car and sent him hard into the outside wall. He's awake and alert, but earned a trip to Methodist.
Hinch just went upside down after something broke on the car and sent him hard into the outside wall. He's awake and alert, but earned a trip to Methodist.
Awake and alert, but according to Marshall Pruett was not able to get out of the car under his own power and practice is on an indefinite hold while the crash is investigated.
Here's the crash.
NlbdpXb3FSg
Fascinating, the car wanted to flip over AFTER scrubbing off hunedreds of miles an hour of speed. :shakehead:
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