2014 Open Wheel Racing - if it's white smoke, it's not a good sign & that's no bull!!

[Russell Jaslow]

Re: 2014 Open Wheel Racing - if it's white smoke, it's not a good sign & that's no bu

We were prepared for rain, but got great cool and clear weather the whole weekend. There's enough time to see the whole track in the practice sessions you can see, plus all of the supporting races. Eu Rouge is the only corner that one has to see the F1 cars run. And from the correct vanage point, you can also see the come down hill on the other side of the track at the same time. Matchett mentioned a few times how the TV perspective makes it look flat, even looking hilly. It does- that section is so amazingly dramatic in person. Even moreso when you get to see all the support races, and understand how stunningly fast the F1 cars take it.

Sounds like the same effect as the front straight into Turn 1 at COTA. You cannot imagine how steep that is until you see it in person. The TV does it no justice whatsoever. Then to drive it ... it is STEEP.

You have to go. Weather be ****ed.

I know, I know. My thought was always to do Spa and Monza back-to-back, when they run two weekends in a row, which for some reason they aren't doing this year.

I've only been to two F1 tracks outside of the U.S. -- Montreal (twice back in the early 80s when I was in school at Potsdam) and Abu Dhabi (last year). There are so many European tracks I want to go to -- Spa, Monza, Silverstone, Monaco. Red Bull Ring looks really cool, too. Nurburgring, so I can drive the old track. Even Hungary, just to visit Budapest (which some claim is the most beautiful city in the world). I also would love to do Singapore. And I've always wanted to experience the Macau GP. Then, of course, there is Le Mans...

I need to win the lottery. Not so much for the money, but so I don't have to worry about how many vacation days I have...

[joecct]

Re: 2014 Open Wheel Racing - if it's white smoke, it's not a good sign & that's no bu

Sounds like the same effect as the front straight into Turn 1 at COTA. You cannot imagine how steep that is until you see it in person. The TV does it no justice whatsoever. Then to drive it ... it is STEEP.



I know, I know. My thought was always to do Spa and Monza back-to-back, when they run two weekends in a row, which for some reason they aren't doing this year.

I've only been to two F1 tracks outside of the U.S. -- Montreal (twice back in the early 80s when I was in school at Potsdam) and Abu Dhabi (last year). There are so many European tracks I want to go to -- Spa, Monza, Silverstone, Monaco. Red Bull Ring looks really cool, too. Nurburgring, so I can drive the old track. Even Hungary, just to visit Budapest (which some claim is the most beautiful city in the world). I also would love to do Singapore. And I've always wanted to experience the Macau GP. Then, of course, there is Le Mans...

I need to win the lottery. Not so much for the money, but so I don't have to worry about how many vacation days I have...

They let you in (and more importantly out of) Abu Dhabi?

[Russell Jaslow]

Re: 2014 Open Wheel Racing - if it's white smoke, it's not a good sign & that's no bu

They let you in (and more importantly out of) Abu Dhabi?

I actually stayed in Dubai and commuted to the race track.

The UAE, especially Dubai, is quite liberal. As long as you don't make a scene, everything is fine, including drinking. They don't care who you are or where you're from.

(BTW, RIT has a satellite campus in Dubai. So, we can blame RIT for the double points concept... )

[MattS]

Re: 2014 Open Wheel Racing - if it's white smoke, it's not a good sign & that's no bu

(BTW, RIT has a satellite campus in Dubai. So, we can blame RIT for the double points concept... )

Yeah, I think that is fair. It matchs some of the other questionable decisions that have been made at RIT lately.

As for the actual Spa race. I thought it was OK. The ontrack battles were acceptable but nothing special.

I was suprised with the Magnussen penalty. But from what I have read the penalitized incident happened off camera so maybe it was warranted.

Hamilton needs to keep his trap shut. I understand you are upset, but I do not think that Rosberg was trying to hit you. I am really supposed to believe that Rosberg is going to try to clip Hamilton and cut his tire while risking screwing up his front wing (or worse)? Come on that is dumb.

Bottas again with a podium finish. That kid has got it. ****.

[Russell Jaslow]

Re: 2014 Open Wheel Racing - if it's white smoke, it's not a good sign & that's no bu

Hamilton needs to keep his trap shut. I understand you are upset, but I do not think that Rosberg was trying to hit you. I am really supposed to believe that Rosberg is going to try to clip Hamilton and cut his tire while risking screwing up his front wing (or worse)? Come on that is dumb.

If you listen to what Toto Wolff said, Hamilton may be closer to the truth than not.

But I agree with you. I'm tired of hearing Hamilton yap away.

[alfablue]

Re: 2014 Open Wheel Racing - if it's white smoke, it's not a good sign & that's no bu

Yeah, I think that is fair. It matchs some of the other questionable decisions that have been made at RIT lately.

As for the actual Spa race. I thought it was OK. The ontrack battles were acceptable but nothing special.

I was suprised with the Magnussen penalty. But from what I have read the penalitized incident happened off camera so maybe it was warranted.

Hamilton needs to keep his trap shut. I understand you are upset, but I do not think that Rosberg was trying to hit you. I am really supposed to believe that Rosberg is going to try to clip Hamilton and cut his tire while risking screwing up his front wing (or worse)? Come on that is dumb.

Bottas again with a podium finish. That kid has got it. ****.

I think the Magnussen penalty was when he forced Alonso off track on the inside of the straight after Eau Rouge. Alonso had to go off track to avoid hitting him- and as such, I think it would be a fair penalty.

I must have missed a quote from Hamilton- all I heard him say was that Rosberg hit him. Being that it was a horrible place to make a pass, how that wasn't an intentional move is beyond me- maybe not to actually hit Lewis, but Rosberg was behind, and should have done a better job tucking in behind his teammate. And the reports from inside Mercedes very much puts more of the onus onto Rosberg.

Also, the level of frustration for him must be totally boiling- while much can be put on his shoulders, the car failures should not, that puncture should not, and some of the slow stops should not. Had he gotten half the difference in luck between him and Rosberg, he would be in front of the championship. Instead, he's back to 29 points behind. Plus we hear Rosberg complain that Hamilton should get out of his way.

Add all of that up, and it's very understandable why he would be upset- realistic or not. One also does not have to work hard to NOT hear the comments from the drivers. No reason to force yourself to read/hear his comments.

That being said, Bottas and Ricciardo really speaks well of the future of F1 drivers.

[Russell Jaslow]

Re: 2014 Open Wheel Racing - if it's white smoke, it's not a good sign & that's no bu

I must have missed a quote from Hamilton- all I heard him say was that Rosberg hit him.

http://en.espnf1.com/belgium/motorsp...ry/172405.html

[alfablue]

Re: 2014 Open Wheel Racing - if it's white smoke, it's not a good sign & that's no bu

http://en.espnf1.com/belgium/motorsp...ry/172405.html

like I said, it's a whole lot easier to not hear the comments.

[Timothy A]

Re: 2014 Open Wheel Racing - if it's white smoke, it's not a good sign & that's no bu

The Magnussen penalty was warranted when he forced Alonso half onto the grass at the end of straight after Eau Rouge. That was dirty on his part.

Rosberg.....he comes off as entitled to me (tell him to move over...). Hamilton is a much better race day driver/dicer, they are not even in the same class. Put Rosberg and Power out front and they can cruise. Put them in traffic and they just can't get it done like Alonso and Hamilton can.

[alfablue]

Re: 2014 Open Wheel Racing - if it's white smoke, it's not a good sign & that's no bu

So the indy car season ended LATE Saturday night.

Coverage started at 9pm EST, race sometime close to 10pm.

On the first day of College Football.

Naturally, I have no idea what happened. Or who won. Or who even won the championship.

Night races are fine, but in the Pacific Time Zone? Really?

They could have finished the race yesterday afternoon, when there were no other events going on. NFL starts next weekend, taxi drivers had a night race in Atlanta. Not only would they had gotten some more viewers, probably more fans live, too.

I tried to watch, but couldn't stay awake. But I was also watching the UW-LSU and FSU-OSU game at the same time, as well as seeing if the Idaho-Florida game was even going to happen.

Hopefully, IndyCar sees this as the problem that it is. So many races were at times that I never knew they even happend.

[solovsfett]

Re: 2014 Open Wheel Racing - if it's white smoke, it's not a good sign & that's no bu

So the indy car season ended LATE Saturday night.

Coverage started at 9pm EST, race sometime close to 10pm.

On the first day of College Football.

Naturally, I have no idea what happened. Or who won. Or who even won the championship.

Night races are fine, but in the Pacific Time Zone? Really?

They could have finished the race yesterday afternoon, when there were no other events going on. NFL starts next weekend, taxi drivers had a night race in Atlanta. Not only would they had gotten some more viewers, probably more fans live, too.

I tried to watch, but couldn't stay awake. But I was also watching the UW-LSU and FSU-OSU game at the same time, as well as seeing if the Idaho-Florida game was even going to happen.

Hopefully, IndyCar sees this as the problem that it is. So many races were at times that I never knew they even happend.

bingo!

My Dad thought the race was on Sunday...he missed it. I only saw highlights as I was in mpls Saturday night at a bar where I think they would have killed me if I'd have asked for the Indycar race (every t.v. was showing football)...Good for TK to finally win, I think he'll be a force again next season.

Thankfully Mikhail Aleshin is alive after his frightening crash on Friday

Will Power can take a flying **** at the moon. I can't stand that guy, I would have preferred Helio or Simon to win the title

[joecct]

Re: 2014 Open Wheel Racing - if it's white smoke, it's not a good sign & that's no bu

WHHHAAATTTTT? Bankrupt Greece hosting the "Mediterranean Grand Prix"?
http://www.pitpass.com/52319/A-Medit...-GP-for-Greece

The course layout is intriguing. Wonder what El Supremo wants?

[alfablue]

Re: 2014 Open Wheel Racing - if it's white smoke, it's not a good sign & that's no bu

WHHHAAATTTTT? Bankrupt Greece hosting the "Mediterranean Grand Prix"?
http://www.pitpass.com/52319/A-Medit...-GP-for-Greece

The course layout is intriguing. Wonder what El Supremo wants?

I see a pattern of feasting on economically depressed countries who can make people belive that putting millions of their dollars into an event like an F1 race is a good idea.

Countries with good economies know better.

[joecct]

I see a pattern of feasting on economically depressed countries who can make people belive that putting millions of their dollars into an event like an F1 race is a good idea.

Countries with good economies know better.

There was a recent article in the WaPo that if England were a State; its economy would be #49 - right above
Mississippi.

[Russell Jaslow]

Re: 2014 Open Wheel Racing - if it's white smoke, it's not a good sign & that's no bu

WHHHAAATTTTT? Bankrupt Greece hosting the "Mediterranean Grand Prix"?
http://www.pitpass.com/52319/A-Medit...-GP-for-Greece

Let me be the first to say it's never going to happen.