BS Start?

[JohnnyQ]

WTF was up with the green flag start? I've seen a better bunch at a racing school. The funny thing was the piece the puppet heads did on the fair start right afer CART central f'd up the San Jose start.

[FCYTravis]

If they tried to start the cars two-wide you'd have had an eighteen-car pileup in the first turn.

Good call by Champ Car race control.

You're right, it wasn't a good racing start. What we saw today wasn't a race anyway, so why bitch?

[Insomniac]

It was BS. Very well orchestrated by N/H. Servia tucks in behind Bourdais. Wouldn't want anyone to race. Passing is for the pits!

[L1P1]

It was done exactly right - by all parties. On Speed they showed qualifiying right before the race and showed the chicane that was added to the straight. It's one car wide. And barely that. Right in the middle of the front straight leading to turn one.

To even contemplate a two-by-two start would've been insane.

[dando]

To even contemplate a two-by-two start would've been insane.

Crikey! I'm amazed they even fit one car through many of those concrete tunnels. :eek:

I had more fun running my own 550+ miles from NJ to oHIo today....in < 8 hours, mind ya. :)

-Kevin

[Jervis Tetch 1]

Very BS.

[FCYTravis]

So what did you expect?

Race on a BS track, get BS starts.

[cameraman]

If they had gone two wide the parade would have ended at the chicane. They did what they had to do to survive the track, let it go.

[TKGAngel]

It was BS. Very well orchestrated by N/H. Servia tucks in behind Bourdais. Wouldn't want anyone to race. Passing is for the pits!

I agree that the start was orchestrated by N/H. It seemed like the rest of the field got the message, except Tracy. I seem to remember the announcers mentioning something about how he wanted to go double file, but couldn't quite pull up, or something like that.

[TravelGal]

Tracy got the message that it would be a "safe" start. Maybe he doesn't do well with control? Ya think?

[Insomniac]

If they had gone two wide the parade would have ended at the chicane. They did what they had to do to survive the track, let it go.

The Toyota Atlantic cars did it from what I read.

[Insomniac]

I agree that the start was orchestrated by N/H. It seemed like the rest of the field got the message, except Tracy. I seem to remember the announcers mentioning something about how he wanted to go double file, but couldn't quite pull up, or something like that.

Well, PT was the inside car behind Bourdais. Technically PT and Bourdais were where they were supposed to be and Oriol is the one who was in the wrong spot. Probably a shame too, I read on here that the outside cars passed the inside cars on their rows in the Atlantics race.

[FCYTravis]

Um, Toyota Atlantic cars are also much smaller, so what's your point?

[Insomniac]

Um, Toyota Atlantic cars are also much smaller, so what's your point?

Not that much smaller in width. Champ Cars are 78.5". I can't find the number on the TA cars except from the rule book:

9.2.1D. Overall Width 195.58cm (77 inches)

Overall width as specified is the maximum amount allowed. The overall width will be measured at the widest outside rim surface at the horizontal centerline of the wheel.

I'm not sure how a couple extra feet of width (my guess at most) prevented a 2 wide formation. They did it Portland for years knowing they pretty much had to go to a line for the festival curves.

The point is, Tony Cottman did not order a single file start (and given what has transpired this year, if he felt they needed one, he would've ordered it). The sole reason for it not being a normal start up front is the N/H duo.