Petie Pete...

[dando]

Noon, Sunday on ABC. Could be fun watching the mayhem based on the forecast...

http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?x=179&y=123&site=tbw&zmx=&zmy=&map_x=179&map_y=123#.WMKBjxIrKu4

:tony:

[TravelGal]

Sigh. Such a nonevent in the Travel household. I remember going to the only REAL St. Pete race (Champ Car). Even TravelMom saw the course. Met a lot of you lot there. And from other forums, best left unnamed (no, NOT TrackForum, I don't go that far!). Another time. A beautiful time. Sigh.

[dando]

Sigh. Such a nonevent in the Travel household. I remember going to the only REAL St. Pete race (Champ Car). Even TravelMom saw the course. Met a lot of you lot there. And from other forums, best left unnamed (no, NOT TrackForum, I don't go that far!). Another time. A beautiful time. Sigh.

But it's a break from hoop madness. :)

[TravelGal]

But it's a break from hoop madness. :)

Agreed. So, we watched it on DVR.

Does anyone know what Power or Penske might have said after the race? I hope they sent his race strategist out into the bay with no life jacket. I know they are putting all their hopes in the Joe Neu basket but for gosh sakes, how stupid can you be with a series champion? :tony:

[Ed_Severson]

Agreed. So, we watched it on DVR.

Does anyone know what Power or Penske might have said after the race? I hope they sent his race strategist out into the bay with no life jacket. I know they are putting all their hopes in the Joe Neu basket but for gosh sakes, how stupid can you be with a series champion? :tony:

Their strategy was dictated by an all-around crap day. Power flat-spotted a tire on lap 1 and had to pit early to address that, which forced their hand. In the process, they left a wheel gun in front of him and he ran over it on his way out of the box, earning a drive-though. And later, they had a mechanical issue that put him well down on power and unable to maintain pace inside the 105% cutoff.

It wasn't poor strategy, just a bad day.

[TravelGal]

Their strategy was dictated by an all-around crap day. Power flat-spotted a tire on lap 1 and had to pit early to address that, which forced their hand. In the process, they left a wheel gun in front of him and he ran over it on his way out of the box, earning a drive-though. And later, they had a mechanical issue that put him well down on power and unable to maintain pace inside the 105% cutoff.

It wasn't poor strategy, just a bad day.

Ed, you know I love you and you know 1,000 times more about this than I do (and I'm thrilled to see you're still employed). But any time they black flag a racer for going below the accepted race speed, instead of allowing him to come in for a splash and go, that's poor strategy in my book. Slowing down to conserve, yes; black flag so he doesn't finish the race at all, questionable. To be honest, I didn't realize when I wrote the original post that a black flag would earn him any points so perhaps they decided to let him suffer that embarrassment rather than being "assured" of 19th place. A black flag means quit in my book. Just ask RHR, you never know what's going to happen if you're still running. I won't even get into that hose, clearly just lying there, attended by no one, that he ran over on the way out of the pit box. :shakehead:

[nissan gtp]

Ed, you know I love you and you know 1,000 times more about this than I do (and I'm thrilled to see you're still employed). But any time they black flag a racer for going below the accepted race speed, instead of allowing him to come in for a splash and go, that's poor strategy in my book. Slowing down to conserve, yes; black flag so he doesn't finish the race at all, questionable. To be honest, I didn't realize when I wrote the original post that a black flag would earn him any points so perhaps they decided to let him suffer that embarrassment rather than being "assured" of 19th place. A black flag means quit in my book. Just ask RHR, you never know what's going to happen if you're still running. I won't even get into that hose, clearly just lying there, attended by no one, that he ran over on the way out of the pit box. :shakehead:

Un-Penske like mistakes.

[Ed_Severson]

Ed, you know I love you and you know 1,000 times more about this than I do (and I'm thrilled to see you're still employed). But any time they black flag a racer for going below the accepted race speed, instead of allowing him to come in for a splash and go, that's poor strategy in my book. Slowing down to conserve, yes; black flag so he doesn't finish the race at all, questionable. To be honest, I didn't realize when I wrote the original post that a black flag would earn him any points so perhaps they decided to let him suffer that embarrassment rather than being "assured" of 19th place. A black flag means quit in my book. Just ask RHR, you never know what's going to happen if you're still running. I won't even get into that hose, clearly just lying there, attended by no one, that he ran over on the way out of the pit box. :shakehead:

I'm still making my way through the race on TV, but I think there's a misunderstanding here because the ABC booth clowns conveyed some incorrect information (surprise!). He wasn't saving fuel at the end; the engine was suffering an electronic fueling issue and they were trying to revive it while driving around like a wounded duck. IndyCar gave them a couple laps to sort the issue out, and they couldn't. Their pace at the end wasn't dictated by strategy; the car wouldn't go any faster than that.

[opinionated ow]

I'm still making my way through the race on TV, but I think there's a misunderstanding here because the ABC booth clowns conveyed some incorrect information (surprise!). He wasn't saving fuel at the end; the engine was suffering an electronic fueling issue and they were trying to revive it while driving around like a wounded duck. IndyCar gave them a couple laps to sort the issue out, and they couldn't. Their pace at the end wasn't dictated by strategy; the car wouldn't go any faster than that.

On an oval that's fine, you can black flag them. On a road course just put the white flag out to let everyone else know and let the team and driver try to solve the problem!

[nissan gtp]

I'm still making my way through the race on TV, but I think there's a misunderstanding here because the ABC booth clowns conveyed some incorrect information (surprise!). He wasn't saving fuel at the end; the engine was suffering an electronic fueling issue and they were trying to revive it while driving around like a wounded duck. IndyCar gave them a couple laps to sort the issue out, and they couldn't. Their pace at the end wasn't dictated by strategy; the car wouldn't go any faster than that.

Interesting. The saving fuel thing made no sense.

[rabbit]

Interesting. The saving fuel thing made no sense.Little that Goodyear says does. :rolleyes:

[TravelGal]

Interesting. The saving fuel thing made no sense.


Little that Goodyear says does. :rolleyes:

That's for sure, on both counts. I'm so glad we don't have those guys again until May.

Thanks, Ed, for clarifying. I began to wonder if that were the case when I checked AGAIN and saw "mechanical" next to Power's name. They don't put that for fuel saving.

[Ed_Severson]

On an oval that's fine, you can black flag them. On a road course just put the white flag out to let everyone else know and let the team and driver try to solve the problem!

They were given the opportunity -- twice, in fact.

In general, I'm with you. I think the 105% rule is *********, and if you want to pound around 4 seconds off the pace and try to finish 15th through attrition, I think you ought to be able to. But 15 seconds off the pace with a car that is as likely as not to die at any given point in time is a very different situation.

[Hard Driver]

Good for Bourdais. He always has had more talent than equipment. Hope he has more wins with Dale this year.

[dando]

Good for Kermit. He always has had more talent than equipment. Hope he has more wins with Dale this year.

Fixed. ;)

[cameraman]

Seems he has a new team mate in Pippa Mann for the Indy 500...

[nissan gtp]

Seems he has a new team mate in Pippa Mann for the Indy 500...

Presumably with more money than talent.

[opinionated ow]

Presumably with more money than talent.

That's a bit unfair. She's a journeyman but she's hardly Racin' Gardner.

[nissan gtp]

That's a bit unfair. She's a journeyman but she's hardly Racin' Gardner.

She at least seems to not be a hazard on the track.

[cameraman]

She started 25th and finished 18th last year beating her teammates Gaby Chavez (20th) and Connor Daly (crashed out). Both Chavez and Daly qualified better but where you finish is more important. Not a hazard by any definition just not super quick.

Seems she is doing another all oval (six race) season.

[Ed_Severson]

Seems she is doing another all oval (six race) season.

Not with us, she isn't. Bourdais and Jones are full-time.

[cameraman]

Not with us, she isn't. Bourdais and Jones are full-time.

Or it could be that the Indy 500 is the 6th race :gomer:
:cry::shakehead: