Open Wheel Racing 2011, hurry, before we downsize your engines....

[alfablue]

Re: Open Wheel Racing 2011, hurry, before we downsize your engines....

Yeah, Tags (Sam Schmidt 1st and 4th on the grid!) and Carpenter are great stories. It's going to be exciting to watch for sure.

Are we finally seeing the resurgence of Newman-Haas? Servia 3rd and rookie Hinchcliffe 13th?

I think part of Andretti's problem is resources spread to thin. 5 cars @ Indy? really, even 4 cars is too many. 3 seems to be the top anyone can handle successfully (meaning have all 3 in the top 10 on a regular basis). of course, Dreyer & Reinbold entered 4 and qualified all 4 so maybe that theory is shot.

I really would love to see the Kanaan/Scheckter/Di Silvestro row at the start. if they don't take each other out they're going to move forward quickly.

Is Carl involved anymore? I just kind wonder why it's still called Newman Haas.... They've been a shell of them selves for a couple of seasons now. good turnaround for Oriel.

I don't expect much out of Simona- she's still a little spooked on ovals. OTOH, I can see Thomas overdriving his car.... Kanaan- survival, and teach his team set up.

I'm actually very much looking forward to this race on Sunday. After sitting down and watching Monaco.

One of these years, we will go to that race. Apparently, had it not been for a few family emergencies, we'd be flying to Monaco on Wednesday.... Mrs. Alfa is awesome.

 

[MattS]

Re: Open Wheel Racing 2011, hurry, before we downsize your engines....

Is Carl involved anymore? I just kind wonder why it's still called Newman Haas.... They've been a shell of them selves for a couple of seasons now. good turnaround for Oriel.

I don't expect much out of Simona- she's still a little spooked on ovals. OTOH, I can see Thomas overdriving his car.... Kanaan- survival, and teach his team set up.

I'm actually very much looking forward to this race on Sunday. After sitting down and watching Monaco.

One of these years, we will go to that race. Apparently, had it not been for a few family emergencies, we'd be flying to Monaco on Wednesday.... Mrs. Alfa is awesome.

I believe Carl Haas still owns Newman/Haas.

Can you get Mrs. Alfa to speak with Mrs. S. and get Mrs. S. to see the light about racing?

 

[Craig P.]

Re: Open Wheel Racing 2011, hurry, before we downsize your engines....

FYI Milka finished 15th in the ARCA race (out of 31), last car on the lead lap. 10 cars dnf, there were 3 cars 3 laps down, 16-19 place, which means she really finished 28th.

You're assuming facts not in evidence about the performance of those 10 dnfs (indeed, overlooking the possibility that even assuming they were faster, which has not been submitted, one reason why they were faster might be because of compromises on reliability that led to the dnf).

 

[MattS]

Re: Open Wheel Racing 2011, hurry, before we downsize your engines....

You're assuming facts not in evidence about the performance of those 10 dnfs (indeed, overlooking the possibility that even assuming they were faster, which has not been submitted, one reason why they were faster might be because of compromises on reliability that led to the dnf).

TimothyA might have been assuming a few things but I believe his bottom line assessment is spot on. She probably would have finished about 28th if not for the DNF's.

 

[Timothy A]

Re: Open Wheel Racing 2011, hurry, before we downsize your engines....

TimothyA might have been assuming a few things but I believe his bottom line assessment is spot on. She probably would have finished about 28th if not for the DNF's.

That was exactly my point. She was the last car on the lead lap, and beat 3 other cars on the track (of which all may have been faster than her, perhaps that had mechanical problems that put them the laps down, but I was being generous). I was assuming all the dnf's were faster than her, and there is no evidence of her past performances that would make me, in my opinion, to think otherwise. The bottom line is she sucks. That is not debatable.

Danica....the SPEED headline is "Danica leads bump day qualifying". PUKE. The bump day qualifers are just the slow losers who couldn't do it when it really counted, with my boy Briscoe included. Crapcar, please take her away, the sooner the better. I have never seen the media latch onto a driver and push them positively when the evidence clearly shows that are mediocre at best. Crapcar did it for awhile with E jr, but that has past as well.

 

[alfablue]

Re: Open Wheel Racing 2011, hurry, before we downsize your engines....

Danica....the SPEED headline is "Danica leads bump day qualifying". PUKE. The bump day qualifers are just the slow losers who couldn't do it when it really counted, with my boy Briscoe included. Crapcar, please take her away, the sooner the better. I have never seen the media latch onto a driver and push them positively when the evidence clearly shows that are mediocre at best. Crapcar did it for awhile with E jr, but that has past as well.

Funny how she is more consistently faster than her Andretti team mates. Yes, two of them have won this year, but in general- they have done poorly. And now this weekend, Marco is fairly close to her, but the other two didn't even make the field.

And she was faster than quite a few from the day prior.

There are plenty of Indy drivers who suck more than she does, yet we don't lay down the abuse to them.... Like Rafa Matos.

 

[MattS]

Re: Open Wheel Racing 2011, hurry, before we downsize your engines....

Funny how she is more consistently faster than her Andretti team mates. Yes, two of them have won this year, but in general- they have done poorly. And now this weekend, Marco is fairly close to her, but the other two didn't even make the field.

And she was faster than quite a few from the day prior.

There are plenty of Indy drivers who suck more than she does, yet we don't lay down the abuse to them.... Like Rafa Matos.

That's because she gets more praise for mediocre finishes than most do for winning. See Wheldon's win of the 500.

 

[alfablue]

Re: Open Wheel Racing 2011, hurry, before we downsize your engines....

That's because she gets more praise for mediocre finishes than most do for winning. See Wheldon's win of the 500.

That's the news, not her fault. Even in the olympics we see more about the American atheltes than the rest of the world. And in this case, that American athelete is also a good looking female.

Think about this- Danica is currently #11 in the standings, and while Mike Conway is ahead of her in her own team, she is the leading American right now. 2 points over Marco.

So you have the current highest ranking American, who is an attractive female, in Indycar. why would the press ignore her??

If Marco showed some consistent talent, I think he would get more than the attractive female part.

 

[MattS]

Re: Open Wheel Racing 2011, hurry, before we downsize your engines....

That's the news, not her fault. Even in the olympics we see more about the American atheltes than the rest of the world. And in this case, that American athelete is also a good looking female.

Think about this- Danica is currently #11 in the standings, and while Mike Conway is ahead of her in her own team, she is the leading American right now. 2 points over Marco.

So you have the current highest ranking American, who is an attractive female, in Indycar. why would the press ignore her??

If Marco showed some consistent talent, I think he would get more than the attractive female part.

I'm not saying it's right or wrong, but when someone gets tons of praise for doing nothing worthy of note, then the natural reaction is to resent them. It's a lot easier to hate Danica than to hate the whole press.

I don't particularly like her because she comes off to me as extremely fake and a whiner. And it doesn't exactly make her easier to like when ever time I turn on the TV to watch a race she is focused on. Doesn't matter if she is running 4th or 24th. Yeah, it not her fault but that doesn't mean I have to like it. Ugh.

I guess the press and for a lot of people an American driver(s) is important. For me, I could care less. I root for people who I think are great talents and/or the "underdog" who gets more out of a car than one would think. Doesn't matter to me if he/she is from the US, UK, Brazil, Austrailia, or wherever.

 

[Timothy A]

Re: Open Wheel Racing 2011, hurry, before we downsize your engines....

Just to add to the friendly discussion....The basic issue I have with Danica is that it's not about her talent or performance in a car, which is mediocre at best, it's all about her marketability outside the car. She has raced in 186 different events from the start of her career until today, and has 1 win. That's 1 win, EVAH. Over the 186 events, she's had 4 pole positions. She's been in the IRL 7 years and still hasn't figured it out. If she was a he and was Dan Patrick, he might of got a couple of looks from low budget teams and then would be long gone by now. There was nothing in her pre-IRL racing that would have gotten her very noticed by the big boys.

As for her being the best on her team now, Hunter-Reay and Conway have "it", you can clearly see that. Marco is terribly overrated and/or underachieving. By the end of the season, she'll be 3rd on her team, possibly 4th if Marco gets by her.

I am bit bummed I'm going to miss Monaco and Indy, my family is doing our first ever camping trip, over the weekend on the shore of the Mississippi River. At least I like fishing more than racing and the wife has a phone with the internet on it.

 

[alfablue]

Re: Open Wheel Racing 2011, hurry, before we downsize your engines....

Just to add to the friendly discussion....The basic issue I have with Danica is that it's not about her talent or performance in a car, which is mediocre at best, it's all about her marketability outside the car. She has raced in 186 different events from the start of her career until today, and has 1 win. That's 1 win, EVAH. Over the 186 events, she's had 4 pole positions. She's been in the IRL 7 years and still hasn't figured it out. If she was a he and was Dan Patrick, he might of got a couple of looks from low budget teams and then would be long gone by now. There was nothing in her pre-IRL racing that would have gotten her very noticed by the big boys.

As for her being the best on her team now, Hunter-Reay and Conway have "it", you can clearly see that. Marco is terribly overrated and/or underachieving. By the end of the season, she'll be 3rd on her team, possibly 4th if Marco gets by her.

I am bit bummed I'm going to miss Monaco and Indy, my family is doing our first ever camping trip, over the weekend on the shore of the Mississippi River. At least I like fishing more than racing and the wife has a phone with the internet on it.

Well, in terms of marketability, who, realistically, is going to bring viewers? Helio did DWTS, and viewership doesn't seem to have gone up much. There's no real character out there that's going to make us all look. THAT is why she's in the marketing crosshairs. And i'm ok with that- have learned to filter it out.

RHR and Mike have shown IT, but have also shown NOT-It. As in this coming weekend. Remember Dan vs Dave? Kind of a crappy markenting ploy when Dan didn't make the Olympics.

Honestly, I'm a HUGE fan of Ryan, and really want him to win all the time. Once he does, he may be a good choice to market. But for now, he's a pretty face who has won twice, but isn't driving during the biggest race of the season.

Conway isn't someone to hang Indy car on- good driver, but not much more than that. Ryan could do it, but the measuring stick isn't being better than Danica, but winning outright. again, I can deal with it that the marketing measurement is different for Danica and the rest of the field, including Simona and the other women. I've learned not to pay attention to her.

Have fun with the trip! Do you have a radio? Would bring back major memories to listen to the race on the radio, like when I was a kid, and they didn't show the race live on TV.

 

[alfablue]

Re: Open Wheel Racing 2011, hurry, before we downsize your engines....

BTW, is there any practice going on at Indy? Or is it raining like it us not too far north and south of them?

 

[Timothy A]

Re: Open Wheel Racing 2011, hurry, before we downsize your engines....

Have fun with the trip! Do you have a radio? Would bring back major memories to listen to the race on the radio, like when I was a kid, and they didn't show the race live on TV.

Radio.....GREAT idea. I'd love to be sitting on the Mississippi catching walleyes and listening to the 500!

 

[Timothy A]

Re: Open Wheel Racing 2011, hurry, before we downsize your engines....

Well, my last post before we leave.....GO PENSKE (not Helio though, I don't want anyone else having 4 wins, sorry Helio).

Double file restarts @ Indy.....lots of concerns about marbles in the corners. I think, as always, discretion is the better part of valor; go with single file restarts. The last thing I'd want to see, er hear in my case, is them sweep the track during every yellow.

Go Ferrari & Mercedes @ Monaco. Put everything into qualifying boys.

 

[Hammer]

Re: Open Wheel Racing 2011, hurry, before we downsize your engines....

Please tell me Musberger isn't calling this race. Please?

 

[3W]

Re: Open Wheel Racing 2011, hurry, before we downsize your engines....

Please tell me Musberger isn't calling this race. Please?

He's just the host. Marty Reid, Scott Goodyear and Eddie Cheever are the live broadcast team.

 

[Hammer]

Re: Open Wheel Racing 2011, hurry, before we downsize your engines....

Thank you. And thank God.

 

[Hammer]

Re: Open Wheel Racing 2011, hurry, before we downsize your engines....

Over/under on first crash: Lap 2

 

[joecct]

Over/under on first crash: Lap 2

Usually that's an F-1 race.

 

[solovsfett]

Re: Open Wheel Racing 2011, hurry, before we downsize your engines....

E.J. Viso is just a disaster for KV Racing. They need to get a new driver. Tomas SCHECKTER please!