Naptown 500 2021

[TravelGal]

Dixon has a cold. The combined ages of starters 2 and 3 equal Dixon's age. The streets in downtown Indianapolis have been renamed for each of the 33 drivers in Sunday's race, making GPS instructions irrelevant. The Spectacle of Homes had more than 700 houses decorated and 33 were chosen for pit stops today (Saturday) by the drivers.

How do I know all this? The best part of the lead up to the race--an article and sometimes two articles a day by Jenna Fryer in the local newspaper. She called the choice of 33 homes out of 700 "the biggest bump day ever." :laugh::laugh: Love her stuff.

[pfc_m_drake]

It's actually our anniversary weekend, so I typically miss the race. It was a nice change chatting with you guys last year since we were all in lockdown, but as much as I love you all, you'll forgive me if I don't want to do that again anytime soon :p

Prediction: As strong as Dixon has been, I don't think he's going to win. I'm going to go for the upset and take my man Bourdain for the win. He's been strong in traffic all during practice.

Hopefully it's a good one.

[opinionated ow]

I think it's going to be an interesting one. My hopes are either Simona de Silvestro, Ed Carpenter or Marco Andretti. It would be an amazing headline if any of the three could pull it off.

The field this year is really loaded with quality drivers.

[stroker]

I think it's going to be an interesting one. My hopes are either Simona de Silvestro, Ed Carpenter or Marco Andretti. It would be an amazing headline if any of the three could pull it off.

The field this year is really loaded with quality drivers.

And they're all still driving crapwagons. :p

[swift]

Going to check this one out in a few minutes. Will Penske be a non-factor again this year?

My picks:
CART-era veterans
Cheering for: RHR
But its gonna be: Dixon

Young Bucks:
Cheering for:Pato
But its gonna be: Alex Palou

[stroker]

I've spent a while watching the race for the first time in a very long time. These yammering talking heads and all the sponsor references make it intolerable.

I'm going to go take a nap.

[RTKar]

I've spent a while watching the race for the first time in a very long time. These yammering talking heads and all the sponsor references make it intolerable.

I'm going to go take a nap.

They're playing follow the leader more or less anyway...

[G.]

The "shout out" to PT.

"Sorry PT, that was my win.":shakehead:

[RTKar]

The "shout out" to PT.

"Sorry PT, that was my win.":shakehead:

One of these days I'll re watch that one...:irked:

[pfc_m_drake]

I managed to avoid the results and just finished watchin the DVR. Wish I'd skipped it.
I do agree with the comment above - the coverage was pretty bad (I thought). I guess the contract is up after this year - we'll see what the future brings.

[TravelGal]

The "shout out" to PT.

"Sorry PT, that was my win.":shakehead:

Talk about poor taste. Ugh. It certainly left a poor taste in MY mouth and you could tell PT was pretty annoyed too. Stroker, all you have to do is turn off the sound. I do that routinely. Also, I record it so I any time Danica appears, I simply fast forward. Nevertheless, I thought it was a better race than most of the 500s.

I am now an Alex Palou fan. His post-race interview was a gem. No whining, no moaning, no bitching. Props to him.

[Hard Driver]

I thought it was a good race. Helio is a great character. That one shout out to PT was not necessary, but not a big deal to me.

I thought PT and Townsend Bell were good. I don't know why I want to hear from Jimmy and the other Nascar guy who know nothing about the race. Danica didn't add much either. And the adds were all right on pit stops. And SOOOO many ads.

[opinionated ow]

I thought it was a good race. Helio is a great character. That one shout out to PT was not necessary, but not a big deal to me.

I thought PT and Townsend Bell were good. I don't know why I want to hear from Jimmy and the other Nascar guy who know nothing about the race. Danica didn't add much either. And the adds were all right on pit stops. And SOOOO many ads.

I haven't yet got to the race (slow download speed and I don't have subscription tv) but during the qualifying weekend I actually thought Steve Letarte was quite good. You could tell he was really a fan of what he was watching and even though he was a NASCAR guy he was well researched and got good answers out of the experts like Bell and PT.

[pfc_m_drake]

Helio is a great character.In the immortal words of Jimmy Vasser on his Hero Card:
Q: Who's your favorite actor?
A: Helio Castroneves.

[SteveH]

In the immortal words of Jimmy Vasser on his Hero Card:
Q: Who's your favorite actor?
A: Helio Castroneves.

:laugh:

To be quite honest, I'm quite tired of his shtick

[Elmo T]

:laugh:

To be quite honest, I'm quite tired of his shtick

I watched. I didn't hate it. I liked seeing an old timer take on the kids.

Then he got out of the car.

And then he started talking.

And then I changed the channel.

[Lux Interior]

Paul Tracy must be sooooo happy that Helio won again. :thumbup:

[mueber]

In the immortal words of Jimmy Vasser on his Hero Card:
Q: Who's your favorite actor?
A: Helio Castroneves.

:thumbup:

[opinionated ow]

I thought that was a really good race. One of the best I've ever seen. Good fun in general.

[pfc_m_drake]

I thought that was a really good race. One of the best I've ever seen. Good fun in general.
Here's (one of) my issues with it: The IR-18 with the UAK is (intentionally) designed to be on a knife-edge in terms of aerodynamic setup. Hit it, and you're going to look like a world-beater. Miss it, and you look like a no-talent hack.

BUT

The options for adjusting the aero setup on the cars are also ferociously limited (again - intentionally by design). What this means is that you see *very* little of Start the race/work on your car throughout/make it better/be there at the end.

Case in point: Alexander Rossi. He got hosed by the first caution and went to the back on pit-stop sequence. He then decided he was going to race to the front and get his lap back. He was a world beater all month and clearly had a car to beat...yet he could only pass 5 backmarkers and was basically no where to be found (after being an odds-on favorite).

Now, I don't like Rossi - but do I think after having a car to beat he suddenly turned into a no-talent wanker that couldn't pass backmarkers? I don't. You saw similar things with Bourdais, Kanaan, Sato, and to a lesser extent Newgarden. They were *nowhere*. And I don't think it's because they suddenly washed up...it's that they missed the edge-of-the-knife on their setups and they were (literally) screwed all day long as a result.

In short - I think you OUGHT to be able to make your car better during the day...and I see VERY LITTLE of that in IndyCar these days. Frustratingly, as I said - that's not an accident.

This year's 500 had an exciting finish courtesy of some situational racing and traffic - but there were LONG stretches of the race where it was pure follow-the-leader and just circulate laps (which I think the final stats bear out...this was the fastest 500 ever conducted...no?)

To me it would have been more exciting had Rossi been able to race his way from the back (like Zanardi at Cleveland in...'98 maybe). But Dixon had the right strategy...putt around, save fuel, cross your fingers that you get a caution.

That's not a good race.
But that is what this spec chassis and UAK brings week after week.

[SteveH]

Considering the lack of yellows I don’t think anyone could have raced themselves back into contention after falling down like Rossi. I do agree with your thoughts but even with another aero design this race was destined to be what it was without yellows.

[pfc_m_drake]

Considering the lack of yellows I don’t think anyone could have raced themselves back into contention after falling down like Rossi. I do agree with your thoughts but even with another aero design this race was destined to be what it was without yellows.
No, you're absolutely right, it wasn't going to work out for Rossi, as it turned out.
BUT
When you have one of the hottest young drivers (even if you don't like him, who is awesome at Indy, driving one of the top cars, who's been fast all month That guy goes to the back and passes a couple of cars on the restart - then spends the next 20 laps mired behind Ed Jones (or whoever it was)..that's a problem. And doesn't spell 'great racing'...at least to me.

[SteveH]

There isn't enough diversity in the field to allow for interesting racing, especially on a large oval. By now the teams all have optimized chassis performance and the two engines are far too similar. This should be expected from a 'tired' spec formula. Until that cycle is broken, expect more of the same. Supposedly there will be more horsepower available in a couple of years. Maybe that will begin to separate the field. As it has been for far too many years, the formula does not reward the more talented drivers. The bar is set too low.

[pfc_m_drake]

There isn't enough diversity in the field to allow for interesting racing, especially on a large oval. By now the teams all have optimized chassis performance and the two engines are far too similar. This should be expected from a 'tired' spec formula. Until that cycle is broken, expect more of the same. Supposedly there will be more horsepower available in a couple of years. Maybe that will begin to separate the field. As it has been for far too many years, the formula does not reward the more talented drivers. The bar is set too low.All very good points.
I sort of focus on the UAK because I found the manufacturer Aero Kits interesting, but everything you say is certainly true.

[TravelGal]

Considering the lack of yellows I don’t think anyone could have raced themselves back into contention after falling down like Rossi. I do agree with your thoughts but even with another aero design this race was destined to be what it was without yellows.

Not sure about that SteveH. Dixon got as high at 10th but slowly sank to 17th to get to the end without another pit stop. Had he had the fuel, he most probably "could have been a contender." Granted he needed a yellow but he did pass people.

To quote the famous Jimmy Vasser when he was told he had won the fastest Fontana ever, "Oh, that just means there were no yellows."

[Chief]

What's the matter with all of you! A Mullethead leads almost 25% of the race and he gets no props? :laugh:

This car ain't knife-edge enough if Conor ain't wadding them up....jus' sayin'...

I had Palou win-place-show until twinkletoes showed up...I heard that his throttle was 108% on the telemetry!!!! :p

This IS a good group of ride-buyers! OH...and the split rages on as I heard on IMS radio David Donaldson and Davey Hamilton yucking it up over "CART" records. They did a verbal "roll of the eyes" which I could only interpret as Indy elitism. The song remains the same.....

Stay well my friends!!!! :thumbup: