Open Wheel Racing 2021, anyone there to watch?

[Jimjamesak]

What a legendary celebration by Newgarden though.

[Drew S.]

This was the first Indy 500 I’ve watched in probably 20 years and it was pretty enjoyable. The Captain knows what he is doing and I’m sure there are good times ahead for open wheel racing in the US.

Is it too unsafe for them to race at Michigan and Fontana now? I know those races used to be great back in the day.

[Russell Jaslow]

INDYCAR needs to revisit putting tethers on the wheels or raising the catch fence by at least 15 feet before another disaster happens.

also, they absolutely need to outlaw the dragon/snake moves the leaders make down the straights. It’s ridiculous. Also, crowding cars toward the pit wall should draw immediate penalties or dq’s. I’d they don’t end that practice we’ll see a car careen over the pit wall and kill a dozen people.

they’ve come a long way with safety but these drivers are out of control now.

They have tethers on the wheels. Somehow, the tether got sliced off the way it hit the other car. I’m sure they’ll be investigating that.

I agree with the weaving. Hated it when they first started doing it a few years ago. I don’t understand how Indy doesn’t consider that blocking. Not to mention darn dangerous.

[Russell Jaslow]

This was the first Indy 500 I’ve watched in probably 20 years and it was pretty enjoyable. The Captain knows what he is doing and I’m sure there are good times ahead for open wheel racing in the US.

Is it too unsafe for them to race at Michigan and Fontana now? I know those races used to be great back in the day.

Indy car left Michigan and Fontana for economic reasons. Not safety. Those races weren’t selling tickets anymore.

[solovsfett]

They have tethers on the wheels. Somehow, the tether got sliced off the way it hit the other car. I’m sure they’ll be investigating that.

I agree with the weaving. Hated it when they first started doing it a few years ago. I don’t understand how Indy doesn’t consider that blocking. Not to mention darn dangerous.

Thanks. I didn’t know they still had tethers. I hope they have their engineers investigate closely and respond for future safety.

[MichVandal]

They have tethers on the wheels. Somehow, the tether got sliced off the way it hit the other car. I’m sure they’ll be investigating that.

I agree with the weaving. Hated it when they first started doing it a few years ago. I don’t understand how Indy doesn’t consider that blocking. Not to mention darn dangerous.

It's bad enough they are weaving like that, but sometimes they seem to cross over the boundary into the pits- which is an even sharper set of weaving. That seems really bad. The weaving to break a draft could have been a big contributor to that restart crash.

edit- espn just showed the finish of the lap- Newgarden drove deep into the pits before coming back out. He and Ericsson were deep inside of the pit wall.

[walrus]

I’d like to see how they tether the wheels.

[MichVandal]

I’d like to see how they tether the wheels.

It's actually the upright that is tethered. Since the normal point of failure for them to let go is the suspension failing (they are just CF sticks) the tether is supposed to protect for the most common failure type. I don't remember how the car failed yesterday- did the wheel, stub axle, or upright fail instead?

[Russell Jaslow]

It's actually the upright that is tethered. Since the normal point of failure for them to let go is the suspension failing (they are just CF sticks) the tether is supposed to protect for the most common failure type. I don't remember how the car failed yesterday- did the wheel, stub axle, or upright fail instead?

You bring up a good point.

When the wheel came off, it looked like there was nothing attached to it. If so, then the failure was the wheel nut somehow being cleanly “snapped” off.

[solovsfett]

It's bad enough they are weaving like that, but sometimes they seem to cross over the boundary into the pits- which is an even sharper set of weaving. That seems really bad. The weaving to break a draft could have been a big contributor to that restart crash.

edit- espn just showed the finish of the lap- Newgarden drove deep into the pits before coming back out. He and Ericsson were deep inside of the pit wall.

Yes, both Newgarden and Ericksson went below the pit lane stripes. Honestly, both should be disqualified for that imo.

[Russell Jaslow]

You bring up a good point.

When the wheel came off, it looked like there was nothing attached to it. If so, then the failure was the wheel nut somehow being cleanly “snapped” off.

There is a great shot in the Indy Star of the tire flying over the crowd. There is definitely suspension pieces still attached to it.

[MichVandal]

There is a great shot in the Indy Star of the tire flying over the crowd. There is definitely suspension pieces still attached to it.

So the tether system failed. Lot of investigation to learn why.

[Kepler]

The thick-lipped white nationalist is really boring.

[aparch]

...also, they absolutely need to outlaw the dragon/snake moves the leaders make down the straights. It’s ridiculous. ...

What was up with that sh**. When did that become the "fast" way around the track. Mathematically, it's quicker to make as few turns as possible: make the rectangle more oval. Enter turn one high. Dive low to the apex. Then exit high. Wash. Rinse. Repeat.

NASCAR always has had a few try similar at straight stretches on superspeedways, but most everyone behind the lead pack that attempts it just stays on the outside and lines up single file making the leader and couple trailers look stupid as they get back in line for the next corner.

[aparch]

So the tether system failed. Lot of investigation to learn why.

The tether system can't fail when the part it's attached to to prevent the tire from flying off is *also* accompanying the tire. That sounds more like a car structural failure, not a tether failure.