St. Pete

[Hard Driver]

I'm off to St. Pete for my first IndyCar race in person since Toronto 94. I just retired and have a friend who now lives in St. Pete for many years now. He claims it is the best party weekend of the year and this guy specializes in it. Hoping to see the first hybrid race, but even a few lighter components will make the setups different.

[rabbit]

Enjoy! Let us know how it goes!

[TravelGal]

I watched the whole thing and didn't fall asleep once. That's better than I can say about the F1 snoozefest. I hope it was as much fun as advertised. I went to the first one (hard to believe). Met lots of 7th Gear folks there. Haven't been back for a variety of reasons.

[Hard Driver]

We had a great time. Amazing the whole circus just intermingles with the crowd. Saw so many drivers just scooting by within feet. Paddock pass and you are inches from the cars waiting to roll out and watching them work on them from feet away. Spent most of the race in turn 10 grandstand, which ended up having a lot of the action. My buddy got suite passes for Sat and his kids left, so I watched the IMSA race from a box suite with a bar, etc. That was nice.

St. Pete was a really nice town. And being from New Hampshire, we haven't outdoor dined since September. Nice vacation. Nice time.

[TravelGal]

We had a great time. Amazing the whole circus just intermingles with the crowd. Saw so many drivers just scooting by within feet. Paddock pass and you are inches from the cars waiting to roll out and watching them work on them from feet away. Spent most of the race in turn 10 grandstand, which ended up having a lot of the action. My buddy got suite passes for Sat and his kids left, so I watched the IMSA race from a box suite with a bar, etc. That was nice.

St. Pete was a really nice town. And being from New Hampshire, we haven't outdoor dined since September. Nice vacation. Nice time.

:thumbup::thumbup: Love St. Pete. TravelMom lived in Tampa. Visiting St. Pete was always a treat. So was meeting Spicoli! :laugh:

[opinionated ow]

Wasn't a bad race really

[Kiwifan]

: So was meeting Spicoli! :laugh:

Speaking of, is he still with us or locked up in jail courtesy of his wife? :D

[devilmaster]

He's still around... lots of skiing. ;)

[Kiwifan]

He's still around... lots of skiing. ;)

Cheers, I often wonder what happened to the old gang over there and all the other forums when we were at our peak. :)

[SteveH]

Hold on to your hollyhocks...

https://x.com/IndyCaronNBC/status/1783136736228389121

[pfc_m_drake]

Hold on to your hollyhocks...

https://x.com/IndyCaronNBC/status/1783136736228389121
I saw that, and it makes you wonder how long that's been going on.
As well as what else is going on.

[TravelGal]

CR@P. Can't stand Pato. Loved one of the comments though, "When you find out P2P means Penske to Podium. :laugh:

[TravelGal]

Reading more about this, "It was determined that the No. 2 and the No. 3 gained a competitive advantage by using Push to Pass on restarts while the No. 12 did not." I can't help but think that's not a compliment to Power. Was he not able or did he know and not do it? The S^!T deepens. :gomer:

[SteveH]

Well, well, well…

https://x.com/JennaFryer/status/1783197130527588864

[SteveH]

https://x.com/jennafryer/status/1783209056980685237?s=46&t=FtBbY0VGTU6tkFPNjgS-pg

[TravelGal]

As usual, the comments are as good as the original. Brought up the old NASCAR, "If you ain't cheatin', you ain't tryin'." ;)

[TKGAngel]

I admit that I did not have "Team Penske gets caught cheating twice in one season" on my 2024 racing bingo card.

The St. Pete episode of "100 Days to Indy" is scheduled to air tomorrow night. I wonder how much frantic editing is going on to pull this whole situation into it?

[TravelGal]

I admit that I did not have "Team Penske gets caught cheating twice in one season" on my 2024 racing bingo card.

The St. Pete episode of "100 Days to Indy" is scheduled to air tomorrow night. I wonder how much frantic editing is going on to pull this whole situation into it?

:thumbup:

[SteveH]

https://x.com/autoracing1/status/1783865781471633698?s=61&t=oFXcsN2wTfApq6UdUB40Qg

[TravelGal]

https://x.com/autoracing1/status/1783865781471633698?s=61&t=oFXcsN2wTfApq6UdUB40Qg

:eek::eek:

[SteveH]

https://x.com/by_nathanbrown/status/1783882265350541321?s=61&t=oFXcsN2wTfApq6UdUB40Qg

[SteveH]

https://x.com/indy44/status/1783851973390786801?s=61&t=oFXcsN2wTfApq6UdUB40Qg

[SteveH]

Herta not sold on Newgarden's P2P explanation
https://racer.com/2024/04/26/herta-not-sold-on-newgardens-p2p-explanation/

[SteveH]

https://x.com/by_nathanbrown/status/1783968978596991310?s=61&t=oFXcsN2wTfApq6UdUB40Qg

[SteveH]

Too bad Robin Miller is gone

[TravelGal]

Herta not sold on Newgarden's P2P explanation
https://racer.com/2024/04/26/herta-not-sold-on-newgardens-p2p-explanation/

“It just moves from savings to checking,” he said with a laugh.

:rofl::rofl:

[SteveH]

https://x.com/by_nathanbrown/status/1783998340922749054?s=61&t=oFXcsN2wTfApq6UdUB40Qg

[SteveH]

https://x.com/champwebdotnet/status/1784178984218972541?s=46&t=FtBbY0VGTU6tkFPNjgS-pg

[SteveH]

1240

[TravelGal]

Re: Zak Brown. It immediately occurred to me that the plan was to have JoeNew fall on his sword because he was the most liked and current winner, thereby deflecting the rage from the rest of Penske. How's that working out? :laugh:

[SteveH]

https://x.com/motorsport/status/1784306280821060079?s=46&t=FtBbY0VGTU6tkFPNjgS-pg

[SteveH]

https://x.com/champwebdotnet/status/1784389402208108722?s=61&t=oFXcsN2wTfApq6UdUB40Qg

[SteveH]

https://x.com/by_nathanbrown/status/1784546855642116117?s=61&t=oFXcsN2wTfApq6UdUB40Qg

[SteveH]

https://x.com/marblesoffline/status/1784576743741030423?s=61&t=oFXcsN2wTfApq6UdUB40Qg

https://x.com/marshallpruett/status/1784576802641551505?s=61&t=oFXcsN2wTfApq6UdUB40Qg

[nrc]

I always hated the P2P thing. It's a band-aid fix for the fact that everything has become so reliable and consistent that you don't get the variation in performance or mistakes that you once did.

[TravelGal]

I always hated the P2P thing. It's a band-aid fix for the fact that everything has become so reliable and consistent that you don't get the variation in performance or mistakes that you once did.

I hated it at first but since there wasn't any fix performance fix on the horizon, I began to appreciate the strategy aspect P2P added. Dixon using 5 seconds every time he needed it in Long Beach proves your point and mine in one shot!

[SteveH]

https://x.com/a_s12/status/1785060376603713731?s=61&t=oFXcsN2wTfApq6UdUB40Qg

[TravelGal]

https://x.com/a_s12/status/1785060376603713731?s=61&t=oFXcsN2wTfApq6UdUB40Qg

Ouch. Jenna Fryer isn't letting up either. Big article in today's paper about how that dog don't hunt. The Newgarden sounded silly. McLaughlin sounded stupid, saying he pushed it once "out of force of habit." Force of habit for something that has never, ever, been allowed in his entire Indycar career. Hmmm. I have to say I feel sorry for Power. Docked because he had access to it but didn't use it? Collateral damage to punish Penske.

So what does everyone else think? Much ado about not so much or a really big deal?

[SteveH]

GM chief Reuss addresses Penske St. Petersburg DQ
https://racer.com/2024/05/03/gm-chief-reuss-addresses-penske-st-petersburg-dq/

They weren’t aware.


“We respect the decision and actions of IndyCar as well as Team Penske’s commitment to improve their processes and controls,” Reuss said. “Chevrolet engaged a third-party law firm to conduct a thorough review of the matter, and they found no evidence that any Chevrolet employee had any knowledge of or involvement in the matter. Chevy looks forward to engaging with IndyCar and our partner race teams to assist in any enhancements that further support the integrity of IndyCar competition.”

[SteveH]

Team Penske suspends 4 key staff members ahead of Indianapolis 500 (https://fox59.com/news/team-penske-suspends-4-key-staff-members-ahead-of-indianapolis-500/)


Penske’s No. 2 engineer Luke Mason, senior data engineer Robbie Atkinson, managing director Ron Ruzewski and president Tim Cindric have all been suspended for the next two IndyCar races — the Sonsio Grand Prix at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s road course and the Indy 500.

[Anteater]

:eek: Wow!!!!

[TedN]

If Penske was really serious, he should have parked all 3 cars for the month of May.

[TravelGal]

Sacrificial lambs for sure. Penske says he "truly regrets" this whole imbroglio. You bet he does and not because he did it.

I'm with Jenna Fryer. Jenna Fryer @JennaFryer May 7
"What strikes me as odd is Will Power, the one driver who has not been accused of any wrongdoing, seems to have lost his strategist and a crew member." :irked:

[SteveH]

Maybe he regrets getting caught.

[TravelGal]

Maybe he regrets getting caught.

Exactly.