Edmonton....

[SarahFan]

very fast and bumpy..... my personal favorite coarse on the schedule in fact



DFan.... what are your expectations for Danica in qualifying?, not your hopes and dreams, but realistic expextations?


Will PT Challenge for a win?..... reading his blog he expects to be up front

Helio/Briscoe..... will they make it to the fast 6?

Is Dario the racer to beat?

Wilson and Tag will be in the mix!?

Power....


Looks to be another very interesting race weekend

Looks to be another very interesting

[SarahFan]

and what are the odds Helio is booed during driver intros?


I say pretty high

[garyshell]

and what are the odds Helio is booed during driver intros?


I say pretty high


Oh, about 110%.

Gary

[EagleEye]

and what are the odds Helio is booed during driver intros?


I say pretty high

And right on all accounts! Edmonton is the new Cleveland...not as good as Cleveland, but close. It will be another good weekend!

We just might see PT and HCN breakout matching wrestling masks....stay tuned!!

[SarahFan]

YO...Eagle Eye...


is there a possibility Danica lands at KV next year?

[chuck34]

I'm betting Power will be near the pointy end of the field. I'm really starting to like this kid. And the old school Penske/Mears/Pennzoil car isn't hurting things either.

[SarahFan]

anyone know if PT is running the same piant scheme this weekend?

and will they be doing another wonderwarrior race suit sighing?

[underpowered]

Is Dario the racer to beat?



The question is will his amazing luck with yellows continue?

[TURN3]

The question is will his amazing luck with yellows continue?

Dario has basically been the guy to beat all year from the time they unload until the checkers fall. Not sure how much "luck" he's needed. By now, Dixon is probably thinking looking at the Tom Tom logo is getting old. All 4 of the championship leaders have had their moments but Dario is consistently the fastest in practice, qualifying, and the race.

[NickFalzone]

Luck and strategy can only help you so much (see the current 5th in points), but I agree that Dario has been dominant from day 1 this season. He deserves to be first in points. He did not deserve though, IMO, to be put ahead of Tracy. He should have finished 2nd at TO, and would still be leading in points.

[underpowered]

Dario has basically been the guy to beat all year from the time they unload until the checkers fall. Not sure how much "luck" he's needed. By now, Dixon is probably thinking looking at the Tom Tom logo is getting old. All 4 of the championship leaders have had their moments but Dario is consistently the fastest in practice, qualifying, and the race.

Rubbish! Are you trying to tell me he used his amazing skill to duck into the pits at exactly the right moment. He would have come out 5 cars behind dixon if not for the second lucky yellow he has had.

Dario has been faster than Dixon a couple of times, Scott has been faster than Dario a couple of times. Luck has been the deciding factor, unfortunatly it cant hold out all year.

[TURN3]

Rubbish! Are you trying to tell me he used his amazing skill to duck into the pits at exactly the right moment. He would have come out 5 cars behind dixon if not for the second lucky yellow he has had.

Dario has been faster than Dixon a couple of times, Scott has been faster than Dario a couple of times. Luck has been the deciding factor, unfortunatly it cant hold out all year.

You're almost as bad as DanicaFan...look at the time sheets in every practice and every qualifying. Dixon is no slouch and he's right there but Dario has been consistently the faster driver. He is at or near the front of every session, all the time, no exceptions. Dixon has not been able to match Dario's speed on road or street courses this year and on ovals they've been about a wash. You want to talk about lucky yellows you need to talk about a driver that doesn't have the speed to be there (i.e. Danica). Dixon got just as lucky at Richmond...guess he only won because of lucky yellows, huh? Using your logic anyway. He also might have won due to pit position in that one. A pit position facilitated to Dixon by Dario's pit crew malfunction at Indy and brake failure at Kansas.

Without going back to look up every detail, I belive Dario has 3 poles now to Dixon's 0. When Dario doesn't run up front it is usually because of a backfired strategy, miscew in pits, or brake failure (i.e. Indy, Watkins Glen, Kansas, Richmond). The only reason Dario isn't running away from this are the unfortunate things that have happened to him. Andy you're talking about his LUCK? C'mon!

So tell me, as dominant as he was in just say Long Beach and Toronto. You seriously want to believe that was just luck and Dixon had them sewed up otherwise?

[underpowered]

You're almost as bad as DanicaFan...look at the time sheets in every practice and every qualifying. Dixon is no slouch and he's right there but Dario has been consistently the faster driver. He is at or near the front of every session, all the time, no exceptions. Dixon has not been able to match Dario's speed on road or street courses this year and on ovals they've been about a wash. You want to talk about lucky yellows you need to talk about a driver that doesn't have the speed to be there (i.e. Danica). Dixon got just as lucky at Richmond...guess he only won because of lucky yellows, huh? Using your logic anyway. He also might have won due to pit position in that one. A pit position facilitated to Dixon by Dario's pit crew malfunction at Indy and brake failure at Kansas.

Without going back to look up every detail, I belive Dario has 3 poles now to Dixon's 0. When Dario doesn't run up front it is usually because of a backfired strategy, miscew in pits, or brake failure (i.e. Indy, Watkins Glen, Kansas, Richmond). The only reason Dario isn't running away from this are the unfortunate things that have happened to him. Andy you're talking about his LUCK? C'mon!

So tell me, as dominant as he was in just say Long Beach and Toronto. You seriously want to believe that was just luck and Dixon had them sewed up otherwise?

You're almost as bad as DanicaFan

Re-Read my Post.....I said they have both been fast (hence 2 points separate them in the championship) I also said luck has been the differentiator.
Dario
Wins, Long Beach, Iowa, Toronto
Fastest lap, Indy
Fastest leading lap, Long beach, Iowa, Toronto

Scott
Wins, Kansas, Milwaukee Mile, Richmond
Fastest lap, Milwaukee Mile, Richmond
Fastest leading lap, Kansas, Richmond

The only thing Dario is better than Scott at is getting pole and I will admit that.

I think the more interesting thing is how one is more dominant on ovals and the other is more dominant on the street courses.

If Dario can improve on the ovals he may just take the championship. If Scott can win at Edmonton (he did last year) he may just take the championship.

Its that close! so to come back to your comment "Dario has basically been the guy to beat all year from the time they unload until the checkers fall"

Rubbish!

[Easy Drifter]

It is woundedwarrior not wonderwarrior and is in aid in rehabilitation of Cdn. soldiers wounded in Afghanistan. They buy extras for the troops that are not covered by the Govt. Things like cell phones, blackberries, etc.
By the way TSN have decided to put Edmonton on TSN2 which many Cdns. do not get, including me. It is an extra fee channel on most if not all Cable and Satellite systems.
It is funny but all the races on ABC are on TSN but when it is Versus they put them on TSN2. Reason being, I expect, everyone gets ABC.
Even then if watching ABC we get TSN coverage as far as commercials etc. go.
TSN are also forcing a Blackout on Speed's live coverage of F1 but can't block Fox as it is 'network'.

[TURN3]

You're almost as bad as DanicaFan

Re-Read my Post.....I said they have both been fast (hence 2 points separate them in the championship) I also said luck has been the differentiator.
Dario
Wins, Long Beach, Iowa, Toronto
Fastest lap, Indy
Fastest leading lap, Long beach, Iowa, Toronto

Scott
Wins, Kansas, Milwaukee Mile, Richmond
Fastest lap, Milwaukee Mile, Richmond
Fastest leading lap, Kansas, Richmond

The only thing Dario is better than Scott at is getting pole and I will admit that.

I think the more interesting thing is how one is more dominant on ovals and the other is more dominant on the street courses.

If Dario can improve on the ovals he may just take the championship. If Scott can win at Edmonton (he did last year) he may just take the championship.

Its that close! so to come back to your comment "Dario has basically been the guy to beat all year from the time they unload until the checkers fall"

Rubbish!

When a particular driver unloads from the truck and finds himself in the top 4 or 5 of evey single session, every single track, every single track type, I'd say he is the driver to beat. Results change in the race, that is racing, but he's still the driver everybody else is trying to catch or stay in front of from the start of the weekend on. You have suggested that Dario only gets lucky yellows. Dario and Scott are in my opinion the 2 classiest and best drivers in the series but Dario has been far more consistently fast this year. Dario does not need to "improve" on the ovals to take the championship, he's just fine. I think more accurately, Dixon needs to improve on road and street courses to have a chance. They're in equal equipment yet Scott is usually trying to find a way past the Scott. Reality check...where is the eye doctor you both go to?

And to your point of "luck". You suggested Dario would've been 5 cars behind Dixon without the yellow in Toronto. More accurately, he'd have been 1 car behind Dixon (Taglinani). That means that Dixon would've finished 4th (exactly where he did) or 5th becase PT would've won the race and Dario most likely would've passed Dixon. He was the DOMINANT car of the race, hard to think he wouldn't have made a few moves after getting screwed by his pit crew on the first stop.

[SarahFan]

When a particular driver unloads from the truck and finds himself in the top 4 or 5 of evey single session, every single track, every single track type, I'd say he is the driver to beat. Results change in the race, that is racing, but he's still the driver everybody else is trying to catch or stay in front of from the start of the weekend on. You have suggested that Dario only gets lucky yellows. Dario and Scott are in my opinion the 2 classiest and best drivers in the series but Dario has been far more consistently fast this year. Dario does not need to "improve" on the ovals to take the championship, he's just fine. I think more accurately, Dixon needs to improve on road and street courses to have a chance. They're in equal equipment yet Scott is usually trying to find a way past the Scott. Reality check...where is the eye doctor you both go to?

And to your point of "luck". You suggested Dario would've been 5 cars behind Dixon without the yellow in Toronto. More accurately, he'd have been 1 car behind Dixon (Taglinani). That means that Dixon would've finished 4th (exactly where he did) or 5th becase PT would've won the race and Dario most likely would've passed Dixon. He was the DOMINANT car of the race, hard to think he wouldn't have made a few moves after getting screwed by his pit crew on the first stop.



didn't dixon win the race that briscoe was dominating when the phantom yellow came out?

[underpowered]

When a particular driver unloads from the truck and finds himself in the top 4 or 5 of evey single session, every single track, every single track type, I'd say he is the driver to beat. Results change in the race, that is racing, but he's still the driver everybody else is trying to catch or stay in front of from the start of the weekend on. You have suggested that Dario only gets lucky yellows. Dario and Scott are in my opinion the 2 classiest and best drivers in the series but Dario has been far more consistently fast this year. Dario does not need to "improve" on the ovals to take the championship, he's just fine. I think more accurately, Dixon needs to improve on road and street courses to have a chance. They're in equal equipment yet Scott is usually trying to find a way past the Scott. Reality check...where is the eye doctor you both go to?

And to your point of "luck". You suggested Dario would've been 5 cars behind Dixon without the yellow in Toronto. More accurately, he'd have been 1 car behind Dixon (Taglinani). That means that Dixon would've finished 4th (exactly where he did) or 5th becase PT would've won the race and Dario most likely would've passed Dixon. He was the DOMINANT car of the race, hard to think he wouldn't have made a few moves after getting screwed by his pit crew on the first stop.

I will give you one thing Turn3....you're good for an arguement.

He turned onto pit road at the exact moment the yellow came out. If they had crashed 10seconds sooner he would have had to drive through the pits. A lap earlier he would have come out back where he was in 10th. He was able to pit before everyone else on a yellow with a fast pit in.....It was a lucky yellow.....I dont know how you can say it wasnt?

Dixon has had one lucky yellow....Dario has had two.

All drivers get lucky (except RHR)....It will be the deciding factor.

[nigelred5]

I don't know, but I just flew over Cleveland about 15 minutes ago and looking down at Burke Lakefront airport from 30k feet almost brought a tear to my eye.

[SarahFan]

http://www.versus.com/indycartrackpreview

^Versus is doing a good job with the virtual laps... there is also a 'lap with briscoe' that is worth the watch

[TURN3]

I'm getting pumped about seeing North America's most exciting driver race for a 3rd race in a row but highly depressed that this is basically the season finale in terms of said exciting driver. From hear, I think it'll take a miracle not to see Dario steadily move further and further ahead with the championship. Dixon and Briscoe will keep it respectable but in all honesty, what is there to look forward to after this weekend? Boring racing? Boring personalities, etc.? Not trying to be negative but seriously, what else is left for this year? All the big events are finished and without PT there is little drama to follow (unless AGR implodes again!!).

Here's to an exciting Edmonton!!!

[wedge]

And right on all accounts! Edmonton is the new Cleveland...not as good as Cleveland, but close. It will be another good weekend!

I love that track too. Has some of the best bits from Cleveland eg. turn 1 hairpin. And I love the right-left-right-left complex.

[nigelred5]

I'm just flat bummed. My wife had a reunion this past weekend in North Dakota, and part was actually at a friends farm which is actually in Saskatchewan, and I was well within driving distance of Edmonton, but a week off. amn would I have loved to go to the race.. AAARGH!
The whole trip was like a racing tease with all of the tracks I saw. On the way out, I flew directly over Cleveland and could see MIS and Detroit on the way into Milwaukee. Flying out to Minneapolis I flew directly over the Milwaukee Mile and Road America by air. Got to Minot and found out I missed the WOO race at the fairgrounds by a couple days. Then on the way home I flew over Road Atlanta and Richmond. Don't ask me how Atlanta is on the way home from minneapolis to Baltimore. aargh.
We took a trip to the Walmart in Estevan for a couple souvenier things for the kids and I actually passed the 5 of the of the Indycar series haulers on US 52 between Bowbells and North Portal, ND early Monday afternoon. Then to really rub it in, I passed the Honda Racing rig on US 52 south of Minot also on their way to Edmonton, and then two more less well marked rigs on I-94 east of Fargo tuesday morning.

Nothing like having to drive 600 miles just to get a flight home!

[calacan]

I'm stoked! Heading up to Edmonton Thursday after work, be at the track bright and early Friday. One of the best weekends of the summer!

I miss Cleveland as well, it'd be great if both airport tracks were on the schedule.

[TURN3]

I'm stoked! Heading up to Edmonton Thursday after work, be at the track bright and early Friday. One of the best weekends of the summer!

I miss Cleveland as well, it'd be great if both airport tracks were on the schedule.

Good for you man! Edmonton is 1 race I wish I could get to. I've been to Cleveland and it looks like the track's line of sights are more appealing in Edmonton. Maybe I'm wrong but both beat all the street course I've been to.

[calacan]

I've been to a few other venues (Vancouver, Montreal, Las Vegas CC street race) and Edmonton is better than them all as far as sight lines go. The party atmosphere in Van, Mont or LV was way better, but the racing itself is better in Edm. Never been to Cleveland, but I imagine it's pretty similar to Edm? Despite what some people say, you can't actually see the entire track in Edm and I'm in a gold grandstand right at turn 1. The first lap scramble into turn 1 can get pretty exciting, seen lots of pile ups there over the past 4 years.

[TURN3]

I've been to a few other venues (Vancouver, Montreal, Las Vegas CC street race) and Edmonton is better than them all as far as sight lines go. The party atmosphere in Van, Mont or LV was way better, but the racing itself is better in Edm. Never been to Cleveland, but I imagine it's pretty similar to Edm? Despite what some people say, you can't actually see the entire track in Edm and I'm in a gold grandstand right at turn 1. The first lap scramble into turn 1 can get pretty exciting, seen lots of pile ups there over the past 4 years.

You were in Vegas for CC? So was I. Too bad that didn't see it through to the 2nd year. Have fun in Edmonton...will be a good race.

[calacan]

Yeah, Easter weekend 2007. We stayed at the Plaza (don't ever stay there, it's a dump) But it was right inside the race track, a 2 min walk to the grandstand. Yeah, too bad that race race died...that was a really fun weekend.

[EagleEye]

YO...Eagle Eye...


is there a possibility Danica lands at KV next year?

Not unless they plan on racing in NASCAr, which aint going to happen.

I wrote here back in December than DP was headed to NASCAR, based on my conversation with her Dad.

The only thing that has changed since then is the team. She is on pace to make 3 times as much $$ in NASCAR than what she is currently making in the IRL. Note I said "making" not "earning"....

[NickFalzone]

EagleEye, you're right on the money. I get the feeling that the IRL journalists either don't want to face this reality, or just aren't getting out there to talk to her people. She's going NASCAR racing next year, whether it's with EGR, SH, or another team that hasn't been floated in the news yet. Some would like to think that she's just trying to play her hand to get a bigger IRL contract, but that couldn't be further from the truth. If the IRL gets back on its feet, it's certainly not going to be for at least 3-5 years. And the Danica brand can't wait that long.

[TURN3]

EagleEye...I wanted to compliment you're clarification of Danica "making" not "earning" the big bucks in NASCAR. Very accurate statement. I think one could argue she isn't earning what she makes now but nevermind that for now.

Anyway, am I the only person that finds this to be hilarious? Come on, I understand that she has a marketing draw but who in their right mind pays that kind of money for a mid-pack driver with a top tier team in a half watered down series where cars have about as much hp as Atlantics (which by the way she failed at also). My apologies to AGR, whom was the first sucker. They've drifted from dominant to slightly less than Penske & TCGR to the level of up & coming teams like KV and NHL. Anybody notice the same thing happened to RLR? Anybody notice the patterns here and through her career?

Ok, so she goes to NASCAR for the money. She can't wait 3 to 5 years for the Danica brand to grow. Question: How fast does a brand grow when you're watching your collegues race? At least in the IRL, they let everybody start, although in her case it is usually at the rear when skill is involved.

This is a really bad joke and I'm just going to sit back and watch all the talk. Maybe if I start practicing down at the local shifter cart track I can get a ride for McClaren next year!!!

[nigelred5]

If you think the media is oversaturated with Danica now, good lord what's it gonna be like when NASCAR's marketing powerhouse gets a hold of her??? I'm sure NASCAR will come up with some kind of Danica rule to get her in the field long enough to steal Danicafan from the 40 people That have been left watching the IRL this year. Once the handful of viewers are gone and the ratings are too low to register, she'll suddenly not have enough owner points or other car numbers to transfer points from for the team to get her into the field on provisionals and she'll suddenly be racing in the nationwide series where no one cares. Look up Dario, Montoya, AJ, Scott Speed for some examples of their history and how they snatch the few top names from competing series. ;)

Well, if she wants that ride in the USF1 car she's going to need to move to Charlotte to be near the shop anyway, so she might as well get paid to move down there by a sucker NASCAR team. ;) Don't let the door hit that skinny lil' A-- on the way out.

[TURN3]

So where is my betting partner for Emonton? Our double or nothing still on?

Does J-Dub have as good of a shot this weekend with Edmonton being a little higher speed, less braking? I think Briscoe is about due to have a break. Can't wait for first practice. It usually is a pretty good indicator of who is out of character (good or bad).

[Chamoo]

So where is my betting partner for Emonton? Our double or nothing still on?

Does J-Dub have as good of a shot this weekend with Edmonton being a little higher speed, less braking? I think Briscoe is about due to have a break. Can't wait for first practice. It usually is a pretty good indicator of who is out of character (good or bad).

J-Dub will be fast. Watkins Glen is also a very fast track, just not as bumpy. If Justin could pull past the Ganassi's and Penske's at the Glen, he can do it at Edmonton as well.

[calacan]

Justin will be fast, but I think the Ganassi's and Penke's have the track figured out from last year.
Here's hoping though. Go Justin!! and from my wife Go Will!!
Can't wait, supposed to be nice and warm too.

[Chamoo]

Justin will be fast, but I think the Ganassi's and Penke's have the track figured out from last year.
Here's hoping though. Go Justin!! and from my wife Go Will!!
Can't wait, supposed to be nice and warm too.

I don't think having the track figured out means much. If you want to look at it that way, then Dale Coyne wouldn't had won at the Glen since Ganassi and Penske had 3 more races there then Dale Coyne and Justin Wilson had.

Who says Justin and the other teams can't have the track figured out from last year as well? Everyone (except Luczo Dragon) ran there last year, and they will figure it out. It all depends who is fast that weekend.

[calacan]

I respecfully disagree. I think having a setup ready for the car before you get to the track makes a huge difference. Only way to do that is to have previous data from said track.

I guess my point is, the G&P boys have a lot more resources than the small teams at analysing and implementing the data, which gives them a leg up at having the right setup. Once they get to the track they can just tweak instead of wasting time on basics.

btw Coyne and Justin had been to that track 3 times prior to last year, ableit in a CC car where the data is less usefull. Plus I read Dale has only 12 or so full time employees.

[Chamoo]

I respecfully disagree. I think having a setup ready for the car before you get to the track makes a huge difference. Only way to do that is to have previous data from said track.

I guess my point is, the G&P boys have a lot more resources than the small teams at analysing and implementing the data, which gives them a leg up at having the right setup. Once they get to the track they can just tweak instead of wasting time on basics.

btw Coyne and Justin had been to that track 3 times prior to last year, ableit in a CC car where the data is less usefull. Plus I read Dale has only 12 or so full time employees.

Coyne and Wilson had only run Watkins Glen once before, yet they beat Ganassi and Penske who had run there three times before.

My point is, your logic dictates Ganassi and Penske would have the track figured out due to their experience at The Glen compared to the small DCR team who had only been there once before.

Your logic that Ganassi and Penske have Edmonton figured out since they were there last year is flawed.

[harvick#1]

Wilson was on reds, Briscoe was on blacks, that was a huge difference on the final restart, the tires cooled and Wilsons reds were up to temp much faster, before that caution though Briscoe and Wilson were about even, it is stayed green, the roles might've been reversed. Its not to take anything away from Justin, he was the man to beat anyway, but Briscoe couldn't keep up because of the tires and admitting defeat, he had to defend to keep 2nd.

[calacan]

Your logic that Ganassi and Penske have Edmonton figured out since they were there last year is flawed.

Dixon WON last year, first time there. That implies (to me anyway) that Ganassi kinda know what they're doing and will probably do quite well there again this year. That's not to say that Justin won't do well.

[nigelred5]

I'm going to go out on a very short limb and say shock data is much more crucial crucial at Edmonton than at the Glen, so I might give the edge to Penske and Ganassi teams. I know they are more limited in that arena this season, but experience is experiene with these cars.

JW was with a different team, and Coyne had different drivers and I believe maybe they were even running an older chassis last year and didn't even have the limited resources he has this year last year. I'll still give the edge to the better funded teams even though I am much more of a fan of JW than any of the Penske or TGR drivers.

[TURN3]

I think shock data here is the most critical component. Everybody talks about aero advantages on the big tracks but shock data on bumpy courses is just as critical. To that, I believe it costs much less to develope a good shock program than aero and some of the smaller teams have worked specifically on that, almost sacrificing their big track races (I believe that is what Justin means when referring to concentrating on road/streets). This is in part why the smaller teams are more competitive at these courses. Of course driver skill is part of that among other things.

As far as experience on a track I think it levels the playing field a little bit when a more funded team is on track for 1st time but a lesser funded team on in the same position will be further behind. By the time any team/driver is on their second go around, I don't believe there is much advantage at that point as far as who has been there more. You've been there once, you've been there, period. It would be interesting to see stats but I think former CC car teams made a larger gain on tracks only common to them prior to last year. I don't think that gain has been as significant this year now that the common denominators are starting to fall into place.

It is all very relative in my opinion.

[TURN3]

Cars are on track!! Yipeee!

[garyshell]

Cars are on track!! Yipeee!


Not showing on Indycar.com!

Arghhhhhhh!!!!

Gary

[TURN3]

Not showing on Indycar.com!

Arghhhhhhh!!!!

Gary

Yes, just watching live timing here too.

[TURN3]

Wager watch: So far out of all the drivers that have turned hot laps, DP is 2nd to last!! Is this a sign I'm about to be $10 richer?

[TURN3]

How we looking Ken?

[SarahFan]

How we looking Ken?



I need a Danicle

*danicle=Danica+Miracle

:)

[SarahFan]

and....

after some thought... it was a bad bet on my part...I didn't think it thru...

double or nothin= even odds.......not 20-1

[TURN3]

and....

after some thought... it was a bad bet on my part...I didn't think it thru...

double or nothin= even odds.......not 20-1


I know, neither did AGR.

[grungex]

:D

[TURN3]

From the "Overheard in Edmonton" column on the Rumors page, some interesting things (most of which have we've been hearing). Looks like we may have an interesting silly season for the first time in awhile. 1 or 2 new teams possibly coming in, Formula Dream forming their own possibly so maybe 3. I've been saying all along AGR needs to downsize so them staying at 4 cars is unlikely, maybe 3. Interesting to hear Moraes taking $ to AGR to be Marco's possible teammate!! That would open the door for PT at KV because you know they're going to run a car. Sounds like PT has some things lined up and with that seat open, you know at this point he's getting the nod if there is anything on the table at all.

Most interesting to me is strong possibility of Dixon moving to DeFerran. He's obviously not unhappy at TCGR. He's still young and has accomplished everthing there is while currently with 1 of 2 top teams. Could this be him maybe looking for a new challenge to build up a new team? If he leaves, it makes more sense for Chip to be talking with Danica for 2nd slot with Dario. This way only 1 teammate to outclass her too. I still don't get why Chip would take a dominant powerhouse and subject it to mediocrity. He doesn't appear to need sponsor dollars that bad unless Target is unexpectedly jumping ship. Dario can carry the set-up load but Danica doesn't have what it takes. If Dan Wheldon didn't Danica damn sure doesn't so it still doesn't add up. I say Chip is just driving the $ up so AGR has to dump the bank...rendering them even less competitive. I know the $$$ are in NASCAR but I can't honestly think she is that stupid to think she'll make it there if she can't in IRL. The list is long and distinguished of the guys that have made the switch and she can't hold the driving gloves of any of them. The Danica would be history inside of 2 years.

With today being apparently the last exciting race of the year, I'm looking forward to silly season excitement. If only we had the new chassis/engine combo next year, things would certainly get more exciting.

[TURN3]

I will say this...UP...this is the first weekend Dario has struggled to get up to speed. He hasn't been very fast in a single session. Obviously first time at track has something to do with that but overall, the pendelum has swung back to Penske for this race. The Ganassi's are a tick off this weekend.

[SarahFan]

Edmonton rocks...

the track is so fast... and requires both mental and physical toughness..

its fun to watch!

[SarahFan]

very fast and bumpy..... my personal favorite coarse on the schedule in fact



DFan.... what are your expectations for Danica in qualifying?, not your hopes and dreams, but realistic expextations?


Will PT Challenge for a win?..... reading his blog he expects to be up front

Helio/Briscoe..... will they make it to the fast 6?

Is Dario the racer to beat?

Wilson and Tag will be in the mix!?

Power....


Looks to be another very interesting race weekend

Looks to be another very interesting

so far...

looks like danica will be letting dfan down... again

looks like he will

looks like they will

suprisingly solidly mid pack...hmmm

neither looks as competitive as the past few events

power.....IMO is the driver to beat this weekend.......he has laid consistantly the fastest laps

[NickFalzone]

T3, I'm on the same page as you regarding Ganassi. You're right, it looks like Formula Dream will have their own team next season, fronting Sato. And I have no doubt that Dixon will be on Gil's new team. But I think Chip taking on Danica is a huge mistake for them. Yes, she brings money, but I see this as a sign that Chip is willing to coast for a year or two while she brings in the big sponsor money. I think about a weekend like this when Dario is struggling, never having raced this course, and yet he's probably doing much better than he would be thanks to Dixon's setup data. I can guarantee Dario will throw out 90% of whatever Danica provides, so it will almost be like a one-car team for them. AGR of 2007 relied heavily on the TK/Dario info sharing, and that team has fallen apart since TK was left alone to do the heavy lifting.

[SarahFan]

Sunday, July 26, 2009
Edmonton19°Tomorrow »25°/13°Change city

Sports Columnists / Robert Tychkowski


Last hooray?

Today could be Tracy's last race of the year, and possibly, career

By ROBERT TYCHKOWSKI

Last Updated: 26th July 2009, 4:35am
http://www.edmontonsun.com/sports/c...265546-sun.html



A part of Paul Tracy can't help wondering if today in Edmonton is his last ride.

The last race of his season, and perhaps the last race of his illustrious and controversial career.

He can still drive circles around half the drivers out there, but as the 40-year-old drifts farther and farther away from his last full-time ride -- in a global economy where most companies are giving out more pink slips than sponsorship deals -- the next race is never automatic.

And next year ... right now there isn't a next year.

Could this be it?

"Right now it could be," said Tracy, who's only managed to scrape up enough cash to race seven times in the last two years. "I don't take anything as a guarantee anymore. We're hoping we can pull together some sponsorship to run a couple more races before the end of the year but as of right now I don't have anything for the rest of the season or for next year.

"The frustrating part is now I'm finally feeling at one with the car and driving it where I feel I can compete at a high level and my season is over after (today). I've been up at the top of the time sheets all weekend, to have it come to an end now is a shame."

It's almost ridiculous to think a guy who, in two of his four starts this year, finished 9th in the Indy 500 and was second with 20 laps to go in Toronto before getting knocked out of the race in a bump with Helio Castroneves, can't be a driver anymore? But in a sport that's as much about fundraising as racing, he's fresh out of backers, and spends most weekends on the outside looking in.

"It's frustrating for me because I feel I'm still one of the top guys and one of the top draws with the fans, great with the sponsors, great with the media. But at the end of the day you have to have money."

In a sense, he'll be singing for his supper this afternoon at the City Centre Airport. A podium finish, or even a win on a track he's never finished lower than fifth at, might rustle up a few lifelines.

Then again, it might not.

"Would it make the difference in me getting a ride next week? Probably not. It takes sponsors. I started 15th on the grid in Edmonton last year and left with a fourth-place finish and a big smile on my face thinking they can't keep me away. The fan support was huge, I had Tony George's career best finish as a team owner ... and got nothing for it."

He didn't race again all season.

"Anybody who has the ability to spend money is not spending money because they don't know what the economy is going to do from one month to the next. In the U.S., companies are being frowned upon by the stockholders for spending money. It's just hard times. Everybody has two feet on the brakes right now."

All he can do is try to make something happen today, which is entirely possible given how well he does at this track, and how much rust he's been able to knock off. For the first time in nearly three years, he's starting his third race in a row.

"I feel much more up to speed now," said Tracy, who'll start ninth on the grid. "When I came here last year I had never driven the car before. Now I'm just getting a feel for what this car takes for me to get it to work right.

"Overall we're better than we ran at Toronto, we've been quick all weekend. The car has been fast all weekend. We'll have a good race."

Good enough to get him another one?

"I don't know if a win will guarantee that, but we have our fingers crossed."

[SarahFan]

Paul Tracy blog, July 25: Still on target for a strong result
P.T. reflects on great practice sessions and okay qualifying, and reckons a podium finish is a good bet for Sunday
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Photo: Paul Webb/LAT
It’s all business in this blog, fans, because that’s how the day was. I’m so focused. If I want to make sure that I have more races to come, I’ve gotta maximize what I can get from this weekend and leave all the team owners with a good impression: max attack on the track, taking care of sponsors and fans off the track. F0rget the other drivers: let’s just do the best I can.
However, I admit I’ve sent through some more random photos to RACER, so let’s hope they use one or two, just to lighten the mood a bit.
Q1 went perfect – the car was very good on black tires, and we were quickest, and then we put the reds on and we only did one flying lap on them and the car was just perfect, and we set another hot lap a 61.6 or 61.5, I think. And the team said, “Well if you don’t want to do another one, save the tires, and start on them in Q2.”

This is apparently an interesting way of serving sushi in Edmonton, courtesy of local Honda dealers. Photo: Allen Jay
So I thought, yeah, okay, and I felt the car was perfect for me. And in the second group of 12, I think only Will Power was quicker than my time. Maybe Helio too. So we went out in Top 12 qualifying on these used reds and the balance had shifted, and then I also had a spin through the grass after the chicane. I tried to do another lap on those tires but it just wasn’t there. So we thought, OK, we’ll just put the new tires on, the car should be good, and for whatever reason the car was more nervous at the rear and sliding around, and I had a hard time committing to the corners to the same level as I had in Q1. I think I was a tenth off of that Q1 lap, and a tenth out from making it to the Fast Six. The balance had gone as the track temperature went up and the track rubbered up some more.

A fascinating phone call and an unusual place to wear a hat. Photo: Allen Jay
In a way it’s disappointing to get so close – especially when I could see 10 minutes later that two of the guys who had gotten into the Fast Six, Dario and Rahal, appeared to hit the same issue as me just a little bit later. Their laps in that Fast Six session were actually slower than mine had been. So that’s a bummer.
But ninth on the grid isn’t a disaster, especially not at a track where you can overtake. And we were quick all day; I think I proved to everyone that I’ve still got good speed, and I can feel that I’m starting to really getting to where I’m fulfilling my potential more regularly. With just three roadcourse races in the last year, especially with a car I didn’t know, I think I’m getting things right a lot more often than I’m getting them wrong. If you took Dario or Scott Dixon and made them sit out for so long and then threw them in a new chassis engine package, I don’t think they could have adapted quicker than me. Oh and one of the roadcourses was somewhere I hadn’t been before.

On black tires, Paul's confident he can match the best. Photo: Perry Nelson/LAT
But I’ll be the first to admit that more time in the car would help. If you put my best three lap segments together in that Top 12, we’d have been fifth and into the Firestone Fast Six. Constant running, weekend to weekend, would make that kind of thing second nature. As it is, there will be more little errors that lose you half a tenth here, half a tenth there, if you’re not driving regularly. But it’s a decent qualifying position, though I think yesterday I was hoping fourth row.
So, looking at the race tomorrow, I think how the track changes through the race is gonna be interesting, because like I discovered today, as it rubbered up, I didn’t gain much front-end grip and I lost a bunch of grip from the rear. Can we make changes to adapt to that? That’s one thing we’ve got to look at.
I know our pace on old tires is very good, and the running that we did in practice so far this weekend has indicated we’re pretty good on tire management compared to others – and I mean even compared to the big teams. So I’m pretty sure we could get on the podium. You can’t factor out all three Penskes (ever) and Dixon’s race pace I reckon will look stronger than he’s shown in qualifying. But I’ve had top five finishes in every race I’ve started here. And if it’s any indicator, the last two races I started on the eighth row, and came through to take fifth and fourth, so I think we can make a couple of passes at the start and settle into the rhythm and hopefully exploit the weak spots of the cars ahead of us.

Helio's support for the Wounded Warriors charity was appreciated by P.T. and Wayne Johnson of WW.ca. Photo: Perry Nelson/LAT
The key to this race is getting to the last stint still in good physical shape, because you’re gonna need to go fast in that last stint, and this is a physical race track. Once your body starts feeling tired, you mentally start losing it, and once that concentration goes, that’s when the mistakes arrive. The race is supposed to be hot, too. But I feel in good shape.
Pitstop strategy is obviously a big deal too. We’re close enough to the front that we don’t even need to consider risking an offbeat strategy. I think we should pit when others do so that we don’t get screwed if there’s suddenly a yellow. And pitstop time is when that’s most likely to occur, when people are pushing too hard on cold tires or coming out of the pits and desperately trying not to be passed by whoever’s coming flying up the pit straight.
As usual, a yellow can either hurt or help. Do you go the extra lap and risk getting a yellow, or do you play the safe game and just pit when the leaders pit? We’ll make that decision tomorrow, maybe on the fly. I think it’s important for me to make a couple of positions on the start and have a strong first lap, and then judging by our pace on the tires, decide our philosophy from there.
I was pleased to see how many fans came out for qualifying. The grandstands looked pretty well populated, so I hope those people can make contributions to WoundedWarriors.ca over the weekend. It’s a very good cause that puts our lives into perspective. And while I’m here, I want to thank all the fans who have made contributions already, and who have shown a lot of support for me, especially the superfan who gave me the jersey. I’ll post you a picture tomorrow.
I hope to repay the faithful with a good result on Sunday…
P.T.
For previous Paul Tracy blogs [click here]

[beachgirl]

I have a question. Everyone everywhere keeps talking about "Danica bringing money" - what money are we all talking about? Where's it coming from? Does anyone really, seriously, see GoDaddy, AirTran, or Tissot stepping up to a full sponsorship of her? Does anyone realistically believe that BoostMobile/Motorola has the funds to fully sponsor her? Considering Motorola is in the tank (which is why they negotiated with Boost to come in and share the balance of the year), and Boost is really a start-up this year, what is all this full-boat "sponsorship" money she's supposedly bringing with her???

We can all dream, and presume, but reality is what pays the racing bills.

I have the sneaky suspicion it is all just PR BS. She's going to take whatever she can get, wherever she can get it, because she doesn't have real money coming with her. If P&G, and all these other companies that forum fans believe should be flocking to her door, haven't been flocking to her door in the past 5 years, they certainly won't be in these economic times. And I also believe there are solid reasons why some companies, who would appear to be great "fits" on the surface, aren't touching her regarding those sponsorship dollars. And we do know what those reasons are, whether we want to admit to it or not.

It's going to be really interesting in the next few months.

This should probably be in its own thread (groan - not another DP thread). But the money issue came up again in this one - so here it is.