Detroit Indy Grand Prix of Belle Isle

[DanicaFan]

Looking forward to this race this weekend. Should be a good one.

Danica finished 2nd here last year, could this be her weekend ?

I also look for the former champcar teams to do well here too.

Any thoughts ??

Oh and here is a pic of me and Danica taken this year at Kentucky Speedway.

http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee236/DanicaRules/IMG_0457-1.jpg

[SUBARUTEAM]

you lucky bugger!!!

[DanicaFan]

Thanks subaru. Yes, Im lucky to have gotten to know her over the past couple years.

Here is another one of me and her at Mid-Ohio this year...

http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee236/DanicaRules/IMG_0357.jpg

[F1boat]

Lucky you... I hope that Danica will do well this weekend!

[Dr. Krogshöj]

I certainly expect a more exciting race than Infineon. The walls should help. ;)
By the way, does anyone know why does the IRL not use the configuration that CART run in 2000-2001? The long backstraight was the only real passing opportunity back then.

[DanicaFan]

I certainly expect a more exciting race than Infineon. The walls should help. ;)
By the way, does anyone know why does the IRL not use the configuration that CART run in 2000-2001? The long backstraight was the only real passing opportunity back then.

Not sure the reason for not using the exact configuration. Im not real familiar with the CART track back then. I know it wasnt raced on until last year (2007) when IndyCar returned there. They had redone a lot of the track prior to that.

Im looking for a good race myself.

[wedge]

Im looking for a good race myself.

Me too.

Just hope Scott Dixon recovers from a spun a lot quicker than last year!

[car20]

sweeeeet HOLD HER CLOSER mmmmmm

but think be lucky to get top ten, champ car teams seem to have fallen away on road courses maybe holding back the purse strings for next year.

I expect it be the same sort of as infineon results wise.

but Dude she is sweet i have her on my mobile in her white bikini WOW mmmm hold her closer

[bblocker68]

Nice pics!

I hope Detroit provides for better racing than in the old days. That track was terrible for actual racing. As always with street races, I'll hope for rain!

[JSH]

Nice pics!

I hope Detroit provides for better racing than in the old days. That track was terrible for actual racing. As always with street races, I'll hope for rain!

It's a bit damp here today but on the weekend is supposed to be high 80's and clear blue sky.

[weeflyonthewall]

Looking forward to this race this weekend. Should be a good one.

Danica finished 2nd here last year, could this be her weekend ?

I also look for the former champcar teams to do well here too.

Any thoughts ??

Oh and here is a pic of me and Danica taken this year at Kentucky Speedway.

http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee236/DanicaRules/IMG_0457-1.jpg

Is she standing on a stool or are you 5'1 too? :D

[harvick#1]

as for the race weekend, I'll bet that the ALMS race will be much more exciting than the IRL race.


I see either Scott, Helio, or Ryan Briscoe dominate the event to an easy win, Kanaan might surprise a win, and Marco will prolly wreck someone out. Graham will have a gearbox failure, Justin will DNF to the cars reliability.

[JSH]

and Marco will prolly wreck someone out.

Yeah but it won't be his fault. It'll be the other "person" who has the nerve to be on the same racetrack as him. :p

[SUBARUTEAM]

Dixon and Helio will fight it out with Dixon taking the win by passing helio in the pits. just my thoughts (i was right last week so going for 2 in a row). Brisco will be 3rd, Tony will be 4th.

[SUBARUTEAM]

by the way - Danica has been running some decent times on the road courses over the past few events - so hopefully that will stop all the posts about her (lack of) driving ability. she is qucik and will get a top 3 road course result at some point over the next 12 months, if not this weekend. I'm not sure that she will win one unless strategy plays apart though

[Nikki Katz]

Just had a peek at the practice times. Was Roth's best lap really 12 seconds off the pace? He should really put someone else in the car for the road races.

[Mad_Hatter]

Just had a peek at the practice times. Was Roth's best lap really 12 seconds off the pace? He should really put someone else in the car for the road races.

Didn't catch practice coverage, but I think he had contact.

[garyshell]

He spun out at least three times, each one requiring a restart. He really is in over his head on a road course, if not in general.

Gary

[DanicaFan]

Danica was 5th fastest in practice yesterday. Today she was 11th. She has got the speed, I look for a pole for her today, or she will start at least in the top 3.

[bblocker68]

Delete.

[TURN3]

Well qualifying looks to be complete and as usual the cream rises to the top and Danica is mid-pack. With her super team, she's easily able to hold off a lot of the teams with a fraction of AGR's budget but that just shows how amazingly fast and talented she is. Looks like Will Power didn't have a lap in Q2 so at least that allowed her to crack the top 10. She is just amazing...super talented...geez!

Tomorrow in the race I look for her to drop back like usual and move up through attrition, team strategy, and all without ever making a competitive pass. I can't wait....she'll finish in the top 10 tomorrow for sure!! Oh my gosh!

[Dr. Krogshöj]

Both Newman Haas Lanigan cars will start from the top six. Well done.
Roth parked. Very well done.
Dixon is unbeatable, I am looking for a championship crowning tomorrow.

[DanicaFan]

Qualifications are over. Congrats to Scott Dixon for winning the pole. And it was a good showing for the former champcar teams, Oriol Servia, Justin Wilson, and Graham Rahal.

Danica is starting in 10th. I look for her to move up pretty quickly. She will do just fine.

Here is your starting grid....

1. #9 Scott Dixon / Target Chip Ganassi Racing
2. #3 Helio Castroneves / Team Penske
3. #5 Oriol Servia / KV Racing Technology
4. #02 Justin Wilson / McDonald's Racing Team
5. #6 Ryan Briscoe / Team Penske
6. #06 Graham Rahal / Hole In The Wall Camps
7. #17 Ryan Hunter-Reay / Rahal Letterman Racing - Team Ethanol
8. #11 Tony Kanaan / Team 7-Eleven- Frank's Energy Drink
9. #33 EJ Viso / PDVSA HVM Racing
10. #7 Danica Patrick / Motorola
11. #10 Dan Wheldon / Target Chip Ganassi Racing
12. #8 Will Power / Aussie Vineyards-Team Australia
13. #26 Marco Andretti / Meijer
14. #4 Vitor Meira / Delphi National Guard
15. #14 Darren Manning / ABC Supply Co. - AJ Foyt Racing
16. #27 Hideki Mutoh / Formula Dream
17. #2 AJ Foyt IV / Lilly Diabetes - Vision Racing
18. #15 Buddy Rice / Dreyer & Reinbold Racing
19. #19 Mario Moraes / Sonny's Bar-B-Q
20. #20 Ed Carpenter / Menard's - Vision Racing
21. #36 Alex Tagliani / Sangari Conquest Racing
22. #34 Jaime Camara / Sangari
23. #23 Milka Duno / Citgo- Dreyer & Reinbold Racing
24. #18 Bruno Junqueira / Z-Line Designs
25. #25 Marty Roth / Roth Racing
26. #12 Thomas Scheckter / Symantec Luczo Dragon Racing

[NickFalzone]

Well qualifying looks to be complete and as usual the cream rises to the top and Danica is mid-pack. With her super team, she's easily able to hold off a lot of the teams with a fraction of AGR's budget but that just shows how amazingly fast and talented she is. Looks like Will Power didn't have a lap in Q2 so at least that allowed her to crack the top 10. She is just amazing...super talented...geez!

Tomorrow in the race I look for her to drop back like usual and move up through attrition, team strategy, and all without ever making a competitive pass. I can't wait....she'll finish in the top 10 tomorrow for sure!! Oh my gosh!

Ok, so she qualified in 10th position. In the same equipment, she drove two positions worse than Tony Kanaan, and better than both Andretti and Mutoh. Yeah, she's terrible.

BTW, ever notice how most Danica discussion are started by trolls complaining about her? True race fans just treat her like any other driver. She's a reasonably solid top-10 driver, and probably the 2nd best driver on Andretti Green. Most are fine leaving it at that. But for whatever reason, she riles up a few trolls that are looking for something to complain about. If she was so bad, she wouldn't be 6th in the points standings.

[FormerFF]

It's good to see a couple of the ex-ChampCar teams up in the qualifying order.

Does anyone know why Dan Wheldon qualified so poorly?

[harvick#1]

She's a reasonably solid top-10 driver, and probably the 2nd best driver on Andretti Green. Most are fine leaving it at that. But for whatever reason, she riles up a few trolls that are looking for something to complain about. If she was so bad, she wouldn't be 6th in the points standings.

Not to start something, but if TK was not at AGR, they would be nothing. I agree that shes the 2nd best driver, but the other 2 are not that great, Andretti is driving like he has the ride because of his name (DNF'ed over 50% of his career starts), and Mutoh ( who was this guy??? ). if TK left, none of the drivers know how to setup a car right and AGR would be a joke, Frank would have to come in from ALMS to help them out on road courses, (if he even stays on AGR's ALMS program).

just everyone enjoy the race and shut off with Danica, the majority people know shes an average driver, but just let her be, let her fans believe shes gonna win every race, I am the same way with my driver, but I don't post like that and act like no care in teh world.

great Q-runs by Wilson and Rahal, hopefully those NHLR will finally be reliable to score good finishes.

[garyshell]

Danica was 5th fastest in practice yesterday. Today she was 11th. She has got the speed, I look for a pole for her today, or she will start at least in the top 3.


Yep, right behind Marty Roth and Milka Duno, right? <shakes head>

Tell me how do you go from fifth on day one, to 11th on the next practice and then suddenly garner a top 3 start? I am sure a lot of teams would love to share in that strategy if you'd care to enlighten us.

Gary

[garyshell]

BTW, ever notice how most Danica discussion are started by trolls complaining about her?

You might want to check your facts starting with this very thread. More of the comments here are started by one particular fan of hers.

Gary

[DanicaFan]

Yep, right behind Marty Roth and Milka Duno, right? <shakes head>

Tell me how do you go from fifth on day one, to 11th on the next practice and then suddenly garner a top 3 start? I am sure a lot of teams would love to share in that strategy if you'd care to enlighten us.

Gary
Ok, so I was a bit off on that prediction. But she will move up and finish strong tomorrow.

[TURN3]

Ok, so I was a bit off on that prediction. But she will move up and finish strong tomorrow.


That's more like the attitude people would like to see you have. If you took this more casual, realistic approach of support instead of the unrealistic raves of lust more often I think you'll find less resistance to your enthusiasm for your favorite driver. There is nothing wrong with having favorites and least favorites. That is part of what makes racing fun. But you have to be REAL! With that...good luck to her today.

[indycool]

Rahal won at St. Pete, has done little since and now it's back to the streets and he's up on the grid. And Wilson, who's been out to lunch most of the season, put in a good Q effort. Servia, who is, IMO, the best of the CC drivers moving over because of his experience and versatility, is up there. Figures to be some surprises in this race.

[SUBARUTEAM]

if it was up to car speed alone, scott and Helio would drive off into the sunset - but this race will have lots of off sequence pitstops that will create traffic issues for the front runners. i hope its a streight shoot out between the two contenders. they will need to get out in front, save fuel and make the least number of pitstops as possible and hope that the cream rises to the top like last weekend. of course, if you find yourself behind a slower car - all bets are off. TK & danica will do ok - but i hope that Graham rahal & RHR have a strong race - it would be good press for the series.

i'm picking dixon to win (and win well by leading the most laps) and be crowned champion today

[Andrewmcm]

I honestly don't understand Dixon's pit-stop strategy in this race....

[Andrewmcm]

I now await the Danica lovers and haters to descend on this thread!

[cos]

Blimey, this is quite good fun for an Indycar road course race so far. Have a sneaking suspicion Servia could take this one...

[indycool]

I don't understand it, either.....put him back with all the heavy iron pretty early.....maybe they want him to be able to go full rich at the end.

[TURN3]

I now await the Danica lovers and haters to descend on this thread!

Kool, thanks for the invite!

I'm no Danica hater but come on. The dissention comes from the fact some (few) people just rave about her amazing talent and so on. The reality is she is a marketing tool with average talents.

What she just pulled is borderline suspension warranted. She weaved all over the track trying to keep Rahal and Meira behind her. When they split her...she freaked out because she didn't know who to block and she takes out a faster car. Blocking is illegal and she'd been doing it the entire race, her entire career for that matter. I believe she should be parked.

[underpowered]

I honestly don't understand Dixon's pit-stop strategy in this race....

What the hell was Mike Hull thinking. Chip needs to get rid of him I think. Maybe Mike will lose the championship for him.

[indycool]

Ah, Turn 3.....on a narrow street course, going into a corner, who should Danica give ground to in a "split" and how do you figure there was room for three-abreast there?

[cos]

Race control sure are hot on the blocking; Helio's move didn't seem that bad?

[cos]

Congrats Justin! He had the pace to pass Helio on track, and those fastest laps at the end proved it.

[indycool]

From what I've read, race control lets you make one move to block and not two. Maybe they considered his move to the outside to position for the next corner a second move when Wilson swung out. Helio sure wasn't happy.

[SoCalPVguy]

Qualifications are over.

Danica is starting in 10th. I look for her to move up pretty quickly. She will do just fine.

Sorry dude, La Danicacournacova fades quickly one lap down, in 15th place.

You forgot that road courses actually require talent not a weight advantage or power steering when nobody else has it...

[DanicaFan]

Congrats to Justin Wilson for winning the race.

Although, I disagree with the blocking penalty. Should have only been a warning, especially where crucial championship points were at stake. Bad call.

Darn Vitor taking Danica out of contention to win the race.

[DanicaFan]

Sorry dude, La Danicacournacova fades quickly one lap down, in 15th place.

You forgot that road courses actually require talent not a weight advantage or power steering when nobody else has it...
You didnt watch the same race I did. She was taken out of contention of winning this race, thanks to Vitor Meira. He bumped her out causing her to go off course. Then she had to get her car started and get a change of tires. Thats how she went a lap down.

She would of easily been in the top 10.

[NickFalzone]

From what I've read, race control lets you make one move to block and not two. Maybe they considered his move to the outside to position for the next corner a second move when Wilson swung out. Helio sure wasn't happy.

That's exactly what it was. Helio just wasn't thinking out there, he had the speed to stay up front and didn't need to be conserving so much at that point of the race. He was very angry, but I think at least as much at himself as at race control.

[ChicagocrewIRL]

From what I've read, race control lets you make one move to block and not two. Maybe they considered his move to the outside to position for the next corner a second move when Wilson swung out. Helio sure wasn't happy.

Barnhart basically said that Helio's move was so blatant no warning was needed.
I think he made the right call. I love Helio but that was just a total block job.

[Jag_Warrior]

Darn Vitor taking Danica out of contention to win the race.

Out of curiosity, what color is the sky in your world?

Exactly when was Danica Patrick in contention to win this race???

[ChicagocrewIRL]

A.J. Foyt IV TOP TEN ON A STREET COURSE ???? INCREDIBLE !!!

They better pay Bryan Herta more money for coaching. Good job Vision and A.J. IV !!!!!

[DanicaFan]

Out of curiosity, what color is the sky in your world?

Exactly when was Danica Patrick in contention to win this race???
She had a top 5 car, easily a top 10.

[TURN3]

You didnt watch the same race I did. She was taken out of contention of winning this race, thanks to Vitor Meira. He bumped her out causing her to go off course. Then she had to get her car started and get a change of tires. Thats how she went a lap down.

She would of easily been in the top 10.

OMG!! Just when I thought you might come around. She took out EJ and Vitor in less than a half of a lap!!!! Good thing for Rahal she went left instead of holding her line into the turn.

She blocked Wheldon down back straight on at least 2 noticeable TV shots, causing Wheldon to go off strategy since she was so slow. Then...a pass of beauty when Power dive bombed her. Only to watch her block Meira for another 10 laps, making it necessary for him to pit a few laps early also.

Finally, the back marker pits and comes out if front of EJ...blocks him but he's bold so he passes in the marbles anyway and crashes whilst the whiny brat weaves back and forth across the track to take care of Rahal and Meira.

She has a reputation among the drivers...well deserved. At least she has a title that she's earned.

[TURN3]

She had a top 5 car, easily a top 10.

Based on what fact? Her lap times? Look at the speed chart at www.indycar.com (http://www.indycar.com). Based on track position? She Was 10th getting passed by Dixon, Power, Junqueria, etc. Even if she would've successfully blocked the entire 2nd half of the field she was looking at P14 tops...thanks to attrition (2 of which she was solely responsible for).

[Jag_Warrior]

Based on what fact? Her lap times? Look at the speed chart at www.indycar.com (http://www.indycar.com). Based on track position? She Was 10th getting passed by Dixon, Power, Junqueria, etc. Even if she would've successfully blocked the entire 2nd half of the field she was looking at P14 tops...thanks to attrition (2 of which she was solely responsible for).



You've already asked. So I'll wait for him to answer you instead of me asking the exact same question.

There have been drivers that I really liked over the years too. But if the only place they picked up spots was in my head, I didn't look for the scoring sheets to reflect my wishes and fantasies.

You know what would have been funny? If Vitor Meira (wearing a Milka Duno t-shirt) had gone up to Danica after the race and said, "Hey, I can't help it if you're slow!" :D

[harvick#1]

You know what would have been funny? If Vitor Meira (wearing a Milka Duno t-shirt) had gone up to Danica after the race and said, "Hey, I can't help it if you're slow!" :D

"oh no you didn't" :D

missed the race, but very happy for Wilson on the win, after all the event's he should've won, but the cars unreliability cost him on the road courses

[NickFalzone]

What the hell was Mike Hull thinking. Chip needs to get rid of him I think. Maybe Mike will lose the championship for him.

Race strategy is a bit of luck, and always a guessing game. Mike Hull has done a fairly good job for Dixon the last two seasons, but it is true that lately he's made some poor choices. One thing to think about - Helio qualifying #2 might not have been due to lack of speed. I actually think it was deliberate. That position forced Scott's team into making blind pit decisions.

[NickFalzone]

What the hell was Mike Hull thinking. Chip needs to get rid of him I think. Maybe Mike will lose the championship for him.

Race strategy is a bit of luck, and always a guessing game. Mike Hull has done a fairly good job for Dixon the last two seasons, but it is true that lately he's made some poor choices. One thing to think about - Helio qualifying #2 might not have been due to lack of speed. I actually think it was deliberate. That position forced Scott's team into making blind pit decisions.

[NickFalzone]

What the hell was Mike Hull thinking. Chip needs to get rid of him I think. Maybe Mike will lose the championship for him.

Race strategy is a bit of luck, and always a guessing game. Mike Hull has done a fairly good job for Dixon the last two seasons, but it is true that lately he's made some poor choices. One thing to think about - Helio qualifying #2 might not have been due to lack of speed. I actually think it was deliberate. That position forced Scott's team into making blind pit decisions.

[F1boat]

I am happy that Justin won. He is a very good driver and deserves to win and hoppefully in the future he will be able to compete for the championship as well...

[domaza]

I am happy that Justin won. He is a very good driver and deserves to win and hoppefully in the future he will be able to compete for the championship as well...
Not in 2009 - next year old teams will still rule thanks to the oval experince ...

Great job Justin!

[ShiftingGears]

Congrats Justin! He had the pace to pass Helio on track, and those fastest laps at the end proved it.

Catching up to someone and then actually passing them are two very different things.

[Chris R]

You didnt watch the same race I did. She was taken out of contention of winning this race, thanks to Vitor Meira. He bumped her out causing her to go off course. Then she had to get her car started and get a change of tires. Thats how she went a lap down.

She would of easily been in the top 10.

um, wasn't she so slow she was getting passed by two cars at once thus the Meira incident??? That is just what I saw.... I am not sure who was at fault on that one - nobody should have been working to make that 3 wide - I guess Meira was the one on the "bad" line since he was trying to pass on the outside.....


She is a decent driver - but there is no way she was even in the hunt tis weekend - and neither were her "junior" team-mates - overall AGR was not doing really well this weekend except of Kanaan...

[nanders]

I certainly expect a more exciting race than Infineon. The walls should help. ;)
By the way, does anyone know why does the IRL not use the configuration that CART run in 2000-2001? The long backstraight was the only real passing opportunity back then.

I have a copy of the old CART layout my rFactor 1995 CART/IndyCar SIM Racing league is using in a couple of weeks that has a long straight from where turn two is, that has the best passing spot on the track. But to answer your question why, I suppose the best passing zone on the track was removed to accommodate all those hospitality tents and tables along that mickey mouse too narrow for real racing section it was replaced with.