Camping World Grand Prix at The Glen [Archive]

DanicaFan

25th June 2010, 05:33

Race 9 of 17

Race - Camping World Grand Prix at the Glen

Location - Watkins Glen International, Watkins Glen, NY

Date - Sunday, July 4th

Time & TV Schedule - 3:30PM Eastern -Green Flag -3:35PM Eastern -ABC

Course Type - 3.4 Mile Road Course

Distance - 60 Laps / 204 Miles

Practice Sessions - Friday, July 2nd - 3:30-4:30PM Eastern, Saturday, July 3rd -9:05AM -10:05AM Eastern, Warm-Up Session - Sunday, July 4th - 10:15AM -10:45AM Eastern

Qualifications - Saturday, July 3rd - 1:15PM -2:45PM Eastern

2009 Pole Sitter - Ryan Briscoe - IRL Track Record 2009 - Lap Time: 1:28.5970 / 136.935 mph

2009 Winner - Justin Wilson

**Note - All Times listed in Eastern Time

DanicaFan

25th June 2010, 05:34

Layout of the track..

http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee236/DanicaRules/watkinsgleninternational.gif

drewdawg727

25th June 2010, 12:47

I will be there the whole weekend......will anyone else?

nigelred5

25th June 2010, 16:52

I wish. Race starts 3:30. Our parade starts at 3:00. It'll be a DVR race for me.

bblocker68

25th June 2010, 17:34

Wonder how many times they'll call the Inner Loop "The Bus Stop Chicane"??

D'OH!!

champcarray

25th June 2010, 18:17

Have announcers called it the bus stop chicane in the past? The Glen clearly isn't Spa. The blue guard rails and Indycars are a clear giveaway!

bblocker68

28th June 2010, 17:34

Robbie Buhl is in love with that phrase at WG for some reason.

vintage

28th June 2010, 19:47

I have called it the bus stop since they added the chicane - isn't that what most of the racers call it?

Anubis

28th June 2010, 22:48

I'll make the now traditional confident yet unrealistic "front row start and podium finish for Danica" prediction.

harvick#1

28th June 2010, 23:09

I'll make the now traditional confident yet unrealistic "front row start and podium finish for Danica" prediction.

dammit I was about to say this too :p :

but in reality, Power is gonna be back in force this week

TURN3

29th June 2010, 04:10

dammit I was about to say this too :p :

but in reality, Power is gonna be back in force this week

Yes, Power and J-Dub. Don't discount that Ganassi has no doubt had plenty of time to work on the roadie bits. Dario and Dixon will be there too. Will be interesting to see how badly PT gets outdriven by J-Dub too...no fault or anything of PT but he's hardly had the seat time to be fair.

nigelred5

29th June 2010, 13:37

I have called it the bus stop since they added the chicane - isn't that what most of the racers call it?

That's what I have heard most cal the inner loop added after TK crashed hard in the Intrepid.

Sadly, the "REAL" Bus Stop chicane is no longer..... At least it was called what it was, a bus stop....

garyshell

29th June 2010, 16:37

The track itself refers to it as the "bus-stop".
http://www.theglen.com/Articles/2010/01/Track-Updates.aspx

Gary

champcarray

29th June 2010, 16:49

Thanks for the link, Gary. I didn't realize they had stolen the name.

Shifter

29th June 2010, 16:58

That's what I have heard most cal the inner loop added after TK crashed hard in the Intrepid.

You threw me for a second there, I was trying to imagine what Kanaan could've possibly done in a rental car on track, and how young he must have been lol.

Yes, Kendall had a massive smash there the same year that J.D. McDuffie had a fatal crash in that corner. I'm sure the combination of the two crashes (1991) are the full reason for the inner loop. Cervert was long ago even then ('73), and his crash was in the uphill esses (fyi there was actually a chicane at the bottom of the hill before the esses put in place for a little while in '75).

Anyways, looking forward to this one in a big way, the new paved runoffs will continue to make WG racing great!

bblocker68

29th June 2010, 17:37

The track itself refers to it as the "bus-stop".
http://www.theglen.com/Articles/2010/01/Track-Updates.aspx

Gary

Boo!!!!

The REAL Bus Stop Chicane was actually a bus stop at one time.

nigelred5

29th June 2010, 18:22

You threw me for a second there, I was trying to imagine what Kanaan could've possibly done in a rental car on track, and how young he must have been lol.

Yes, Kendall had a massive smash there the same year that J.D. McDuffie had a fatal crash in that corner. I'm sure the combination of the two crashes (1991) are the full reason for the inner loop. Cervert was long ago even then ('73), and his crash was in the uphill esses (fyi there was actually a chicane at the bottom of the hill before the esses put in place for a little while in '75).

Anyways, looking forward to this one in a big way, the new paved runoffs will continue to make WG racing great!

My dad and I had just walked throught the tunnel down from the messes and were standing right in front of cevert's crash. That was the first crash I had ever witnessed right in front of me at a race. I was 8 and didn't know for quite a while that cevert had died.

DanicaFan

29th June 2010, 22:30

Here is the entry list for this race..

Car # & Driver / Car Name / Team

#2 Raphael Matos / HP Luczo Dragon / DeFerran Dragon Racing
#3 Helio Castroneves / Team Penske / Team Penske
#4 Dan Wheldon / National Guard Panther Racing / Panther Racing
#5 Takuma Sato / Lotus-KV Racing Technology / KV Racing Technology
#6 Ryan Briscoe / Team Penske / Team Penske
#7 Danica Patrick / Team GoDaddy.com / Andretti Autosport
#8 EJ Viso / PDVSA-Jet Aviation-KVRT / KV Racing Technology
#9 Scott Dixon / Target Chip Ganassi Racing / Target Chip Ganassi Racing
#10 Dario Franchitti / Target Chip Ganassi Racing / Target Chip Ganassi Racing
#11 Tony Kanaan / Team 7-Eleven / Andretti Autosport
#12 Will Power / Verizon Team Penske / Verizon Team Penske
#14 Vitor Meira / ABC Supply Co. AJ Foyt Racing / AJ Foyt Enterprises
#18 Milka Duno / CITGO / Dale Coyne Racing
#19 Alex Lloyd / Boy Scouts of America / Dale Coyne Racing
#22 Justin Wilson / Team Z-Line Designs-DRR / Dreyer & Reinbold Racing
#24 Paul Tracy / Honda Indy Toronto-DRR / Dreyer & Reinbold Racing
#26 Marco Andretti / Team Venom Energy / Andretti Autosport
#27 Adam Carroll / Team Boost Mobile / Andretti Autosport
#32 Mario Moraes / KV Racing Technology / KV Racing Technology
#34 Mario Romancini / Conquest Racing / Conquest Racing
#36 Bertrand Baguette / Conquest Racing-RACB / Conquest Racing
#37 Ryan Hunter-Reay / Team IZOD / Andretti Autosport
#77 Alex Tagliani / FAZZT Race Team / FAZZT Race Team
#78 Simona De Silvestro / Team Stargate Worlds-HVM / HVM Racing
#06 Hideki Mutoh / Formula Dream-Panasonic / Neman Haas Racing

DanicaFan

29th June 2010, 22:45

Here is what Adam Carroll's car looks like. I love this paint scheme but this is Danica's paint scheme and always will be. They should of done something different.

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

beachgirl

29th June 2010, 22:51

DanicaFan

29th June 2010, 22:53

No, actually, it's the Boost Mobile paint scheme. Just because it was used on Danica's car doesn't mean she "owns" the paint scheme or has proprietary rights to it. Just like when Danica eventually leaves Indycar, for whatever reaon, her number will not go with her. Another Andretti driver will be driving the 7. Like it or not, that's life in the big leagues.

I know its their paint scheme but it is was still hers originally,I was just having a moment...lol ;)

I know about the number thing, Im not a complete idiot. Remember, she started out as 16 for the first 2 years in Indycar.

beachgirl

29th June 2010, 23:15

I know its their paint scheme but it is was still hers originally,I was just having a moment...lol ;)

I know about the number thing, Im not a complete idiot. Remember, she started out as 16 for the first 2 years in Indycar.

Sorry - that wasn't my intent. I was just using the number thing as an example of things that aren't "owned" by a driver. The use of the color scheme by someone other than Danica, though, might lessen the resale value of all the stuff you have in that color scheme! :D

anthonyvop

29th June 2010, 23:19

anthonyvop

29th June 2010, 23:21

I wish all of the drivers a safe weekend.

While I love the layout of the Glen I also fear it for safety reasons. Way too much armco and it is way to close on sections.

Anubis

29th June 2010, 23:35

Be interesting to see what Adam Carroll can do. No idea what seat time he's had (if any), or if he knows the track already, but he's a decent driver and I'm looking forward to seeing how he goes. Nice paint scheme as well, regardless of who had it first and any spare room redecorating it might trigger longer term.

TURN3

30th June 2010, 02:22

harvick#1

30th June 2010, 03:51

Be interesting to see what Adam Carroll can do. No idea what seat time he's had (if any), or if he knows the track already, but he's a decent driver and I'm looking forward to seeing how he goes.

He'll prolly outrun his "teammate"

hopefully this will be a solid race, Watkins Glen normally is

DanicaFan

30th June 2010, 05:16

He'll prolly outrun his "teammate"

hopefully this will be a solid race, Watkins Glen normally is

No doubt Adam will have one of the top teams behind him but he this will be a big learning curve. I think he will do fine but he will be last on the team. His teammates will have to school him on these cars.

SoCalPVguy

30th June 2010, 05:23

Here is what Adam Carroll's car looks like. I love this paint scheme but this is Danica's paint scheme and always will be. They should of done something different. =

Oh brother what an inane statement! That's like saying the Marlboro Ferrari red is associated with Scumacher and no one else should ever drive the Marlboro Ferrari... or saying the Lakers' home gold uniform is identified with Kobe Bryant and no one else can wear it in the future...

Are you suggesting that the IRL should "retire" the number 7 permanently ?

garyshell

30th June 2010, 05:27

Are you suggesting that the IRL should "retire" the number 7 permanently ?

Maybe not a bad idea to put the nightmare behind us... just sayin'.

Gary

beachbum

30th June 2010, 12:12

No doubt Adam will have one of the top teams behind him but he this will be a big learning curve. I think he will do fine but he will be last on the team. His teammates will have to school him on these cars.You are joking, right? He won in GP2, and was effectively the A1GP champion (he had all of the wins for Ireland). In A1GP, he was regularly much quicker than Marco. I seriously doubt he will be last on the team. That spot is reserved for another.

jwhite9185

30th June 2010, 18:27

Good to see RHR is back too - they kept that quiet!

SarahFan

30th June 2010, 18:54

scissors

30th June 2010, 19:23

You are joking, right? He won in GP2, and was effectively the A1GP champion (he had all of the wins for Ireland). In A1GP, he was regularly much quicker than Marco. I seriously doubt he will be last on the team. That spot is reserved for another.Who?

Jag_Warrior

30th June 2010, 19:27

Good to see RHR is back too - they kept that quiet!

Good catch. And good news. But I see that Graham is sidelined. As for Adam Carrol, I expect that he'll do reasonably well. I see him as being in Mike Conway's league. And Conway had little trouble getting up to speed in these cars, which are very close in terms of hp/weight to GP2 cars. And though he's unfamiliar with this track, I expect him to do at least as well, if not better than a certain driver who was "trained" on road courses and very recently wondered if she might go to F1 (when you make good money, I guess you can smoke the really good stuff), but now sees road courses as boring, follow-the-leader parades. It's too bad we can no longer attract the upper tier guys from GP2. I'd like to see what someone like Romain Grosjean could do in a well prepped car at Watkins.

Anubis

30th June 2010, 22:33

No doubt Adam will have one of the top teams behind him but he this will be a big learning curve. I think he will do fine but he will be last on the team. His teammates will have to school him on these cars.

I'm sure as a multiple GP2 and A1GP winner he'll be beating a path to Danica's door for setup advice, especially given her road course prowess....

harvick#1

30th June 2010, 22:58

Who?

guess :p :

nigelred5

30th June 2010, 23:31

Iw
Oh brother what an inane statement! That's like saying the Marlboro Ferrari red is associated with Scumacher and no one else should ever drive the Marlboro Ferrari... or saying the Lakers' home gold uniform is identified with Kobe Bryant and no one else can wear it in the future...

Are you suggesting that the IRL should "retire" the number 7 permanently ?

Kobe????. Everyone knows that yellow is Magic's uniform!

That Boost scheme is pretty sweet, but Go Daddy is a much more appropriate sponsor for the Danica.

Oli_M

30th June 2010, 23:33

I think results-wise its fair to say Carroll performed better than Conway in GP2. I'm under no illusion he is a pretty quick guy - his F1 testing times showed that. Just wonder how 'rusty' he now is, it seems to have been a while since he drove a competitive car.

I'm sure he will bring a great insight to Andretti racing, hopefully they will learn from his experience and input.

I'm not going to make wild, unfounded guesses at his result, but I hope he puts up a strong enough performance that others take note.

SoCalPVguy

1st July 2010, 03:36

Iw

Kobe????. Everyone knows that yellow is Magic's uniform!

That Boost scheme is pretty sweet, but Go Daddy is a much more appropriate sponsor for the Danica.

OT: I am of the Jerry West and Elgin Baylor era so it was sure sweet to beat Buttson this year.

DanicaFan

1st July 2010, 05:27

A video of Danica explaining a lap around Watkins Glen..

lWscth4N2yg&playnext_from=TL&videos=bGI16RAj63w&feature=sub

DanicaFan

1st July 2010, 21:22

Here are the pit lane assignments...

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

DanicaFan

1st July 2010, 21:47

Oh, and Adam Carroll will be driving for Andretti Autosport at Mid-Ohio this year in the #27 car with the primary sponsorship of AFS.

DanicaFan

2nd July 2010, 20:49

Practice is underway. I do like the looks of Adam Carroll's car.

DanicaFan

2nd July 2010, 21:16

So far, Dario Franchitti the fastest in practice with a lap time of 1:32.2726 and a speed of 131.480. Currently under yellow.

DanicaFan

2nd July 2010, 21:57

Ryan Briscoe was quickest in the first practice.

Here are the results..

Rank / Car# & Driver / Difference / Lap Time / Speed

1. #6 Ryan Briscoe / - / 1:31.4142 / 132.714
2. #3 Helio Castroneves / .0831 / 1:31.4974 / 132.594
3. #9 Scott Dixon / .2638 / 1:31.6781 / 132.333
4. #4 Dan Wheldon / .3687 / 1:31.7830 / 132.181
5. #22 Justin Wilson / .4485 / 1:31.8627 / 132.067
6. #12 Will Power / .5174 / 1:31.9317 / 131.968
7. #10 Dario Franchitti / .5753 / 1:31.9895 / 131.884
8. #2 Raphael Matos / .7474 / 1:32.1616 / 131.638
9. #11 Tony Kanaan / .7734 / 1:32.1877 / 131.601
10. #32 Mario Moraes / .8426 / 1:32.2569 / 131.502
11. #26 Marco Andretti / 1.1500 / 1:32.5643 / 131.066
12. #37 Ryan Hunter-Reay / 1.6144 / 1:33.0287 / 130.411
13. #06 Hideki Mutoh / 1.6518 / 1:33.0661 / 130.359
14. #8 EJ Viso / 1.7662 / 1:33.1804 / 130.199
15. #34 Mario Romancini / 1.8104 / 1:33.2247 / 130.137
16. #24 Paul Tracy / 1.8843 / 1:33.2985 / 130.034
17. #7 Danica Patrick / 1.9124 / 1:33.3267 / 129.995
18. #5 Takuma Sato / 1.9256 / 1:33.3399 / 129.977
19. #78 Simona De Silvestro / 2.1031 / 1:33.5173 / 129.730
20. #19 Alex Lloyd / 2.2741 / 1:33.6584 / 129.493
21. #77 Alex Tagliani / 2.7903 / 1:34.2046 / 128.784
22. #14 Vitor Meira 2.8295 / 1:34.2437 / 128.730
23. #27 Adam Carroll / 2.9885 / 1:34.4028 / 128.513
24. #36 Bertrand Baguette / 4.3599 / 1:35.7741 / 126.673
25. #18 Milka Duno / 5.8697 / 1:37.2840 / 124.707

DanicaFan

2nd July 2010, 22:10

Here are the qualifying groups for tomorrow..

Group 1

#3 Helio Castroneves
#6 Ryan Briscoe
#7 Danica Patrick
#8 EJ Viso
#11 Tony Kanaan
#14 Vitor Meira
#22 Justin Wilson
#26 Marco Andretti
#27 Adam Carroll
#36 Bertrand Baguette
#77 Alex Tagliani
#78 Simona De Silvestro

Group 2

#2 Raphael Matos
#4 Dan Wheldon
#5 Takuma Sato
#9 Scott Dixon
#10 Dario Franchitti
#12 Will Power
#18 Milka Duno
#19 Alex Lloyd
#24 Paul Tracy
#32 Mario Moraes
#34 Mario Romancini
#37 Ryan Hunter-Reay
#06 Hideki Mutoh

SUBARUTEAM

2nd July 2010, 23:13

milk and donuts only 6 seconds off the pace, i'm surprised by that as I expected her to be at least 10 seconds off.

DanicaFan

3rd July 2010, 14:57

EJ Viso just took a hard hit on a couple walls during this practice. He is fine though.

DanicaFan

3rd July 2010, 15:29

The 2nd practice has ended and Ryan Briscoe is quickest again.

Here are the results..

Rank / Car# & Driver / Difference / Lap Time / Lap Speed

1. #6 Ryan Briscoe / - / 1:30.1910 / 134.515
2. #12 Will Power / 0.0162 / 1:30.2072 / 134.49
3. #9 Scott Dixon / 0.2990 / 1:30.4899 / 134.07
4. #3 Helio Castroneves / 0.3243 / 1:30.5152 / 134.033
5. #26 Marco Andretti / 0.3710 / 1:30.5619 / 133.963
6. #10 Dario Franchitti / 0.3939 / 1:30.5849 / 133.93
7. #22 Justin Wilson / 0.6694 / 1:30.8604 / 133.524
8. #37 Ryan Hunter-Reay / 0.7252 / 1:30.9162 / 133.442
9. #8 EJ Viso / 0.7968 / 1:30.9877 / 133.337
10. #5 Takuma Sato / 0.9274 / 1:31.1183 / 133.145
11. #2 Raphael Matos / 0.9722 / 1:31.1632 / 133.08
12. #11 Tony Kanaan / 1.0779 / 1:31.2689 / 132.926
13. #32 Mario Moraes / 1.2388 / 1:31.4298 / 132.692
14. #06 Hideki Mutoh / 1.3046 / 1:31.4955 / 132.597
15. #19 Alex Lloyd / 1.5209 / 1:31.7119 / 132.284
16. #7 Danica Patrick / 1.5351 / 1:31.7261 / 132.263
17. #4 Dan Wheldon / 1.6665 / 1:31.8575 / 132.074
18. #27 Adam Carroll / 1.9447 / 1:32.1357 / 131.675
19. #14 Vitor Meira / 2.0902 / 1:32.2812 / 131.468
20. #24 Paul Tracy / 2.2216 / 1:32.4126 / 131.281
21. #34 Mario Romancini / 2.2671 / 1:32.4581 / 131.216
22. #78 Simona De Silvestro / 2.3541 / 1:32.5451 / 131.093
23. #77 Alex Tagliani / 2.5697 / 1:32.7607 / 130.788
24. #36 Bertrand Baguette / 3.1239 / 1:33.3148 / 130.011
25. #18 Milka Duno / 5.7639 / 1:35.9548 / 126.434

DanicaFan

3rd July 2010, 18:31

Mario Moraes is out during this 1st session due to the crash of EJ Viso. EJ's car still not quite ready.

NickFalzone

3rd July 2010, 18:37

Mario Moraes is out during this 1st session due to the crash of EJ Viso. EJ's car still not quite ready.

Hint: it's not the car that's not quite ready.

DanicaFan

3rd July 2010, 18:44

The 6 moving on from Group 1 are..

1. #3 Helio Castroneves - 134.103
2. #26 Marco Andretti - 133.999
3. #6 Ryan Briscoe - 133.914
4. #22 Justin Wilson - 133.759
5. #27 Adam Carroll - 133.690
6. #32 Mario Moraes - 133.473

DanicaFan

3rd July 2010, 18:52

Full course yellow for Ryan Hunter-Reay spinning in a corner. :(

DanicaFan

3rd July 2010, 19:04

The 6 moving on from Group 2 are...

1. #10 Dario Franchitti - 134.742
2. #9 Scott Dixon - 134.070
3. #12 Will Power - 133.922
4. #5 Takuma Sato - 133.735
5. #24 Paul Tracy - 133.449
6. #2 Raphael Matos - 133.409

DanicaFan

3rd July 2010, 19:06

Great comments by Ryan Hunter-Reay saying Milka is the 16th corner out there. She is horrible..lol :D

DanicaFan

3rd July 2010, 19:24

The Firestone Fast 6 drivers moving on from round 2 are..

1. #12 Will Power - 135.415
2. #3 Helio Castroneves - 135.392
3. #10 Dario Franchitti - 135.210
4. #6 Ryan Briscoe - 134.947
5. #22 Justin Wilson - 134.852
6. #5 Takuma Sato - 134.736

DanicaFan

3rd July 2010, 19:32

All 3 Penske drivers in this Fast 6, unreal. I was hoping to see some Andretti Autosport cars in this. :(

DanicaFan

3rd July 2010, 19:46

Congratulations to Will Power for winning the pole !

Team Penske 1-2-3, unbelievable.

DanicaFan

3rd July 2010, 20:03

Here is your starting line-up for tomorrow's race...

Row 1

#12 Will Power
#3 Helio Castroneves

Row 2

#6 Ryan Briscoe
#10 Dario Franchitti

Row 3

#5 Takuma Sato
#22 Justin Wilson

Row 4

#9 Scott Dixon
#26 Marco Andretti

Row 5

#32 Mario Moraes
#10 Adam Carroll

Row 6

#2 Raphael Matos
#24 Paul Tracy

Row 7

#11 Tony Kanaan
#06 Hideki Mutoh

Row 8

#78 Simona De Silvestro
#37 Ryan Hunter-Reay

Row 9

#14 Vitor Meira
#34 Mario Romancini

Row 10

#77 Alex Tagliani
#4 Dan Wheldon

Row 11

#7 Danica Patrick
#19 Alex Lloyd

Row 12

#36 Bertrand Baguette
#18 Milka Duno

Row 13

#8 EJ Viso

harvick#1

3rd July 2010, 20:07

when in doubt.....POWER!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :p :

garyshell

3rd July 2010, 20:11

Takuma and Justin 3rd row!!! Nice job.

Gary

beachgirl

3rd July 2010, 20:15

Great comments by Ryan Hunter-Reay saying Milka is the 16th corner out there. She is horrible..lol :D

I'm all for people chasing the dream and all that. But, there are certain drivers who no longer belong at the top level. While watching timing and scoring during qualifying, Milka ended up 10 seconds slower than the leader of her session. TEN SECONDS. That's an eternity, and truly dangerous on the Watkins Glen track. Using the suggested limit of 107%, she's still almost 4 seconds too slow. The powers that be have to decide to make and enforce some qualification percentages, and soon.

TURN3

3rd July 2010, 20:48

Guess Adam Caroll (sp?) isn't so bad afterall huh DFan? I see Princess assumed her usual role at the back of the pack and LAST of AA drivers. And this is by far her most competitive road course.

I'll give PT some credit for advancing through Q1...no seat time in a year with team he's never been with...not too shabby.

DanicaFan

3rd July 2010, 21:29

I was impressed with Adam Carroll today. I didnt expect him to qualify that well. He was average in practice but really stepped it up for qualifying. He did great today with a great team behind him.

NickFalzone

3rd July 2010, 21:29

i'm predicting a podium for PT tomorrow. just feels like the time is right for him to finally get up there.

DanicaFan

3rd July 2010, 22:40

Classic video of Ryan Hunter-Reay confronting Milka Duno after his qualifying round. She was in his way and most likely cost Ryan a chance from going on to the 2nd round of qualifying. He was very calm about it too. The IRL needs to park Milka now before someone gets hurt. Here is the video..

BNKBcqP9nuM&playnext_from=TL&videos=-4s5yYGdZOE&feature=sub

Jag_Warrior

3rd July 2010, 22:59

As long as the car was up to it, I figured that Carroll should perform pretty well. He was a good (not great) second tier GP2 driver. Adam did well enough in GP2 and in A1GP that it was clear that he'd know how to hustle a car on a road course. And according to Mike Conway, these cars are similar to GP2 cars in terms of performance. From his time in GP2, A1GP and at BAR-Honda, he also has enough experience and knowledge to know how to give good engineering feedback (unlike a certain other driver ;) ), so his qualifying suggests that he got the car set up pretty well.

I think most would agree that the main thing that's held Carroll back is a lack of sponsorship over the years, not a lack of talent.

Good luck to Adam in the race. If it's not a wreck-fest, this should be a good one.

harvick#1

3rd July 2010, 22:59

at least he was being a professional while talking to her, something than Danica failed to do when they confronted

Jag_Warrior

3rd July 2010, 23:10

at least he was being a professional while talking to her, something than Danica failed to do when they confronted

Ya know the funny thing there is, Danica is pretty much in Milka's shoes in her "NASCAR experiment". Going by the link that Beachbum posted, Danica might be even MORE clueless about the basics than Milka is. It's not so much that Milka is clueless (she's actually very intelligent), she's just unable to execute at this level. That transcript suggested that Danica is just flat clueless. Karma is a real b!tch and it seems to be focused on The Danica.

But yeah, Hunter-Reay was VERY professional about it. He was almost oddly calm. I like Milka as a person. But she's so far out of her element that it's not funny. They do need to park her, or at least institute the 107% (or whatever %) rule. The fact that they haven't says just how weak the league is these days. On road courses, maybe they're afraid that they'd accidentally catch The Danica in the same net they'd use on Milka. Maybe they're too afraid to take that chance?

NaBUru38

3rd July 2010, 23:38

Milka ended up 10 seconds slower than the leader of her session. TEN SECONDS. That's an eternity, and truly dangerous on the Watkins Glen track. Using the suggested limit of 107%, she's still almost 4 seconds too slow.
And that's with spec cars, unlike F1.

Mark in Oshawa

4th July 2010, 03:13

Ya know the funny thing there is, Danica is pretty much in Milka's shoes in her "NASCAR experiment". Going by the link that Beachbum posted, Danica might be even MORE clueless about the basics than Milka is. It's not so much that Milka is clueless (she's actually very intelligent), she's just unable to execute at this level. That transcript suggested that Danica is just flat clueless. Karma is a real b!tch and it seems to be focused on The Danica.

But yeah, Hunter-Reay was VERY professional about it. He was almost oddly calm. I like Milka as a person. But she's so far out of her element that it's not funny. They do need to park her, or at least institute the 107% (or whatever %) rule. The fact that they haven't says just how weak the league is these days. On road courses, maybe they're afraid that they'd accidentally catch The Danica in the same net they'd use on Milka. Maybe they're too afraid to take that chance?

They wouldn't catch Danica in that net. As uncompetitive as she can be at times, she isn't Milka.

That said, the 107% rule should be in the IRL. What Milka is doing is dangerous. It is a 3 mile plus lap at the Glen, so hopefully she does her 5 or 6 laps and pulls off as always before she gets in the way of the leaders...

AS for people being shocked about PT being where he is, don't be. PT's greatest issue is never his speed, it is his staying out of trouble on the track....because being as aggressive as he is, it leads to issues. I love the guy...but no point in dodging the truth...

DanicaFan

4th July 2010, 03:27

Honestly, I dont expect to see much from Paul Tracy at this race.

grungex

4th July 2010, 03:34

Classic video of Ryan Hunter-Reay confronting Milka Duno after his qualifying round. She was in his way and most likely cost Ryan a chance from going on to the 2nd round of qualifying.

If he had kept his car out of the kitty litter he wouldn't have lost his two fastest laps...

grungex

4th July 2010, 03:36

Honestly, I dont expect to see much from Paul Tracy at this race.

Danica = P21

SarahFan

4th July 2010, 04:12

Honestly, I dont expect to see much from Paul Tracy at this race.

what are your expectations for danica tomorrow?

do you think she will pass a car on-track tomorrow?

DanicaFan

4th July 2010, 04:27

what are your expectations for danica tomorrow?

do you think she will pass a car on-track tomorrow?

I know she will pass cars. I think she will get a top 5 tomorrow. I feel its her time to shine on the road courses.

harvick#1

4th July 2010, 04:37

do you think she will pass a car on-track tomorrow?

Milk and Donuts :p :

her only way to the front is the same gameplan they always run, pit early in the window and pray for a full course caution

Mark in Oshawa

4th July 2010, 04:37

Honestly, I dont expect to see much from Paul Tracy at this race.
Of course...he is a no talent hack right? Just a guy who has won over 25 races and a championship? Just a slug who Roger Penske never had any luck with?

You know...If PT doesn't finish ahead of Danica tomorrow, it wont be because she out drove him....it will because he will crash trying to WIN. A foreign concept to you I am sure...

Jag_Warrior

4th July 2010, 04:42

They wouldn't catch Danica in that net. As uncompetitive as she can be at times, she isn't Milka.

That said, the 107% rule should be in the IRL. What Milka is doing is dangerous. It is a 3 mile plus lap at the Glen, so hopefully she does her 5 or 6 laps and pulls off as always before she gets in the way of the leaders...

I'm not saying that IS the reason. I have no idea what the real reason is. But it is weird. I mean, they parked that other guy (or had a word with him and he then stopped driving) a year or so back. But they will not park Milka. And being that driving a race car is fun as all get out, she sure isn't going to park herself, no matter how bad she is. She's only out there because Barnhart and/or Bernard are letting her be out there.

She's got a golden personality, especially around kids and families. The IRL should work with her and try to find a way to keep her (and her Citgo $) involved, maybe in an ambassador's role, but without her driving so much.

DanicaFan

4th July 2010, 04:42

I never said he didnt have talent Mark but its hard for a guy who doesnt get much seat time to compete against the full time drivers.

harvick#1

4th July 2010, 04:56

I'm not saying that IS the reason. I have no idea what the real reason is. But it is weird. I mean, they parked that other guy (or had a word with him and he then stopped driving) a year or so back.

Stanton Barrett?

Jag_Warrior

4th July 2010, 05:00

Stanton Barrett?

Yeah, I think that's the one. I wasn't really paying any attention to individual races back then. Was he any worse than Milka?

beachbum

4th July 2010, 05:08

I know she will pass cars. I think she will get a top 5 tomorrow. I feel its her time to shine on the road courses.You are really kidding, right? How far up she goes depends on who crashes out in front of her - and if she keeps it on the pavement.

harvick#1

4th July 2010, 05:18

Yeah, I think that's the one. I wasn't really paying any attention to individual races back then. Was he any worse than Milka?

he basically bought his team to race, but he gave plenty of room when he was being lapped, he was running the same times around Milka, but it was his first year in the IRL also, remember he was in Nascar too

garyshell

4th July 2010, 05:26

Honestly, I dont expect to see much from Paul Tracy at this race.

Sorry, but given your track record at making race predictions, this has very little weight.

Gary

Mark in Oshawa

4th July 2010, 06:38

I never said he didnt have talent Mark but its hard for a guy who doesnt get much seat time to compete against the full time drivers.

So last year when he finished AHEAD of Danica at the Glen, he had no shot right? How about his running in the top 5 the first time he went to Edmonton with the IRL? Ya...PT running part time will do ok. Trust me on that one. HE qualified 10th.

What you don't understand DF is PT in his prime was as fast as anyone you see at the top of the grid, and while he isn't a full time driver now, he is probably in better physical condition than he ever has, and unlike some guys getting past 40, PT has lost very little of his nerve....

jimispeed

4th July 2010, 11:43

What you don't understand DF is PT in his prime was as fast as anyone you see at the top of the grid, and while he isn't a full time driver now, he is probably in better physical condition than he ever has, and unlike some guys getting past 40, PT has lost very little of his nerve....

Not to mention that instinct that make so many of them a little better than the others......He's hungry!

SarahFan

4th July 2010, 12:41

I know she will pass cars. I think she will get a top 5 tomorrow. I feel its her time to shine on the road courses.

your not for real..

Question for the mods: is it ok for some intern sitting in a cubicle of the brands marketing machine to come to this forum and post rediculous things about a certain driver for no other reason than 'keeping her name out there'?

IMO it cheapens the forum.... The longer it goes on the more rediculous it has become

beachbum

4th July 2010, 12:47

Yeah, I think that's the one. I wasn't really paying any attention to individual races back then. Was he any worse than Milka?Barrett's IRL team (3G Racing) was very low budget and sometimes ran questionable equipment. He only entered 6 races and started 4. (DNQ at Indy, DNS at Milwaukee). Barrett left the IRL basically because he ran out of funding.

Barrett is primarily a part-time NASCAR driver with his own very low budget team - sometimes quick enough to qualify there, but running mostly at the back. Even there, his equipment isn't very good but he does ok with what he has. Better than a highly touted IRL newcomer to Nationwide ;)

Roth on the other hand was just slow but seemed to think he was competitive so he really got in everyone's way. He also spun a LOT on road courses, messing up practice for everyone else. In that respect, Roth was probably worse than Milka.

Andrewmcm

4th July 2010, 12:54

I know she will pass cars. I think she will get a top 5 tomorrow. I feel its her time to shine on the road courses.

DanicaFan reminds me of Comical Ali, the moniker given to the Iraqi Information Minister during the 2003 Iraq invasion. Hopelessly optimistic statements in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary.......

Anubis

4th July 2010, 13:34

I was impressed with Adam Carroll today. I didnt expect him to qualify that well. He was average in practice but really stepped it up for qualifying. He did great today with a great team behind him.

About 11 positions behind him, in certain instances.

00steven

4th July 2010, 15:11

Is it just me or is DanicaFan losing an uphill battle?

DanicaFan

4th July 2010, 16:40

This morning's warm-up session is over. Here are the results..

Rank / Car# & Driver / Lap Time / Lap Speed

1. #6 Ryan Briscoe / 1:30.6063 / 133.898
2. #3 Helio Castroneves / 1:30.6525 / 133.830
3. #10 Dario Franchitti / 1:30.7093 / 133.746
4. #37 Ryan Hunter-Reay / 1:30.7180 / 133.733
5. #12 Will Power / 1:30.7360 / 133.707
6. #11 Tony Kanaan / 1:30.9085 / 133.453
7. #9 Scott Dixon / 1:30.9203 / 133.436
8. #32 Mario Moraes / 1:30.9265 / 133.426
9. #26 Marco Andretti / 1:30.9945 / 133.327
10. #34 Mario Romancini / 1:31.0692 / 133.217
11. #22 Justin Wilson / 1:31.2206 / 132.996
12. #19 Alex Lloyd / 1:31.2461 / 132.959
13. #14 Vitor Meira / 1:31.2591 / 132.940
14. #78 Simona De Silvestro / 1:31.4985 / 132.592
15. #4 Dan Wheldon / 1:31.5651 / 132.496
16. #2 Raphael Matos / 1:31.6250 / 132.409
17. #5 Takuma Sato / 1:31.6681 / 132.347
18. #24 Paul Tracy / 1:31.6871 / 132.320
19. #77 Alex Tagliani / 1:31.9939 / 131.878
20. #27 Adam Carroll / 1:32.0261 / 131.832
21. #7 Danica Patrick / 1:32.1785 / 131.614
22. #36 Bertrand Baguette / 1:32.1961 / 131.589
23. #06 Hideki Mutoh / 1:32.6926 / 130.884
24. #8 EJ Viso / 1:32.7687 / 130.777
25. #18 Milka Duno / 1:36.5026 / 125.717

Hoop-98

4th July 2010, 16:44

And Milka slides in at 106.5%.

Tazio

4th July 2010, 17:21

This may be only my 3rd or 4th post on this forum. But I have to say I'm really geeked about this race. Anyone that does not live in the US or have accessibility to the broadcast I have a very nice reliable internet link to the broadcast. If you want it PM me :)

beachgirl

4th July 2010, 17:34

I know she will pass cars. I think she will get a top 5 tomorrow. I feel its her time to shine on the road courses.

She has never shone on road courses. And given recent results everywhere, there's no reason to think today will be any different. Final practice - 21st place. SSDD. Please come back to the real world.

garyshell

4th July 2010, 17:37

Is it just me or is DanicaFan losing an uphill battle?

No... lost.

Gary

Anubis

4th July 2010, 17:49

I'm increasingly of the opinion DF isn't actually real, he's just some GoDaddy or AAR bot designed to trawl the internet and post as many pro-Danica comments as possible, regardless of their grounding in reality. He was amusing at first, but he's just tiresome now.

DanicaFan

4th July 2010, 18:01

It is was a nice suprise to see Mario Romancini at 10th quickest today.

TURN3

4th July 2010, 18:01

beachgirl

4th July 2010, 18:05

Adam Carroll is rapidly becoming a favorite of mine! Curt Cavin posted a quote of his when asked what it was like to driver similiar livery to Danica's....Carroll's reply....I'd rather think of it as Dario's from 2007! :eek:

Well, it was, before it was given to Danica. Rather telling who he looks up to. Glad to see you're rapidly becoming a Carroll fan. You'll have much better luck with him.

beachgirl

4th July 2010, 18:40

Well, it was, before it was given to Danica. Rather telling who he looks up to. Glad to see you're rapidly becoming a Carroll fan. You'll have much better luck with him.

Please disregard my last sentence, T3! I won't even get into why I thought it was from DF! :) I will be more careful in the future.

TURN3

4th July 2010, 18:55

Please disregard my last sentence, T3! I won't even get into why I thought it was from DF! :) I will be more careful in the future.

Holy crap! You confused me with DF!!!!? I feel like I've been kicked in the junction!

beachgirl

4th July 2010, 19:55

Holy crap! You confused me with DF!!!!? I feel like I've been kicked in the junction!

No, no no no! My humble, abject apologies! I thought it a little odd that DF would throw some of his fandom to Adam Carroll, but I thought the car colors might have sent him over the edge.

And there wasn't even any adult beverage to blame on this end. :(

TURN3

4th July 2010, 21:24

I'm starting to think of Dixon more in the same league as Briscoe...brain fade!

Great start by PT but looks like he's pushing in the fast corners...losing some spots now dang it!

harvick#1

4th July 2010, 21:27

Sato seems to be finally getting these cars down, as long as he can finish, next year he could start being factors for the races

Tazio

4th July 2010, 21:38

Sato seems to be finally getting these cars down, as long as he can finish, next year he could start being factors for the races

+ 1
He can be very dangerous also ;)

TURN3

4th July 2010, 21:41

Holy crap DRR needs to work on their pit stops. Looks like Justin and Paul lost a ton of positions. PT is behind Princess...this will be a quick lesson...if I were her I'd just duck.

TURN3

4th July 2010, 22:44

I have an idea for AA...Danica doesn't need her mirrors so take them off for some aero help.

GoAwayMilka

4th July 2010, 22:49

I'm most impressed with Dan Wheldon. Spun out and worked his way into the top 6! Way to go Dan ! :D

TURN3

4th July 2010, 22:52

Nice run by Will. Impressed with PT's recovery too. He took the last restart from 22 and ended up 14th. Results don't show it but Adam Carroll is going to be a stud...watch out.

TURN3

4th July 2010, 22:54

I just realized the most amazing part of the race...all 3 KV cars finished! HOLY....It's a miracle. Still didn't escape the weekend with Viso's destruction yesterday though.

Phoenixent

4th July 2010, 22:58

Congratulations to Will Power on the win. :up: It's a historic victory for Penske Racing as it is their 150th Indycar win starting from 1971 with Mark Donohue's victory at Pocono.

DanicaFan

4th July 2010, 23:04

Congrats to Will Power for the win.

Anubis

4th July 2010, 23:07

Nice run by Will. Impressed with PT's recovery too. He took the last restart from 22 and ended up 14th. Results don't show it but Adam Carroll is going to be a stud...watch out.

Dipped in and out of the race, so wasn't quite sure how Carroll (and Sato, for that matter) ended up relatively far down for the pace they seemed to have. Unlucky pit timing with the yellows? Even so, decent debut for Carroll, all told. Wasn't aware it had been 14 months since he last raced, which made that a more than decent showing in my book.

DanicaFan

4th July 2010, 23:12

Here are the final results..

1. #12 Will Power
2. #6 Ryan Briscoe
3. #10 Dario Franchitti
4. #2 Raphael Matos
5. #32 Mario Moraes
6. #4 Dan Wheldon
7. #37 Ryan Hunter-Reay
8. #9 Scott Dixon
9. #3 Helio Castroneves
10. #22 Justin Wilson
11. #8 EJ Viso
12. #06 Hideki Mutoh
13. #26 Marco Andretti
14. #24 Paul Tracy
15. #5 Takuma Sato
16. #27 Adam Carroll
17. #77 Alex Tagliani
18. #36 Bertrand Baguette
19. #14 Vitor Meira
20. #7 Danica Patrick
21. #11 Tony Kanaan
22. #34 Mario Romancini
23. #18 Milka Duno
24. #78 Simona De Silvestro
25. #19 Alex Lloyd

TURN3

4th July 2010, 23:15

Congrats to Will Power for the win.

We should also congratulate Danica too there DFan, don't ya' think? She cracked the top 20 and ended up only being the 2nd to last car running at the end. That's a pretty good day for what she's used too. Heck, that's way better than 30th and 5 laps down in a Nationwide car, huh?

Tazio

4th July 2010, 23:24

My first Indy Car race in some time and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I didn't realize the fuel/ push-to-pass strategy could be that complex. Good race. Great venue, exiting finish, Congrat’s to Will Power and Roger! :up:

DanicaFan

4th July 2010, 23:39

Jag_Warrior

4th July 2010, 23:54

Not a bad race. But I have to say, because of the boring as hell ABC presentation, and missing just about anything & everything that happened on the track and in the pits, I maintain that ABC (still) puts the UCK in "SUCK"! They even managed to make a snooze of the start. Do these guys even possess a pulse?! Does anything excite them? Anything?!

I wouldn't put Goodyear and that other yutz, Marty Reid, as commentators for a spelling bee. Why does ABC employ people soooo incredibly boring and uninterested as on air talent??? I'd almost (I said ALMOST!) prefer to listen to Jack A-root and Bubbles the Clown Jenkins than these two. Listening to that was a beating. If I watch another IRL race on ABC (which isn't very likely), I'll mute the sound. It's not like they'll say anything worthwhile anyway.

It seemed like there was actually some decent action out there too. Just a shame the poor broadcast made it painful for me to watch/listen to. Or is this always the way ABC does it?

TURN3

5th July 2010, 00:01

Turn3, to be honest, Im suprised she did not do better. She usually drives this track better. I was hoping she would of been real aggressive and moving up. She unfortunately was fading at the end of the race and losing seconds from behind Vitor. But hey, up next is Chicagoland in the Nationwide Series and then back in Indycar at Toronto. Always hope for good results.

Life pretty much sucks when you're not a very talented driver and attrition is low huh? I'm not sure what surprises you, pretty normal race from top to bottom if you ask me. While you keep hoping she gets aggessive and moves up, let me know when hell freezes over. If I were her, I'd be hoping that she'll have a ride in Indycar or NASCAR next year. At the very least, she's got to be hoping beyond hope that Mikey doesn't go to 5 cars so he has 4 competitive...being 5th best on her own team says enough.

Easy Drifter

5th July 2010, 00:06

Usual poor ABC coverage.
Plus, despite putting on an ABC channel I got the Cdn.TSN version which does not show side by side but straight commercials. Then Ma Bell my satellite server totally went off air for about 5 minutes. Frustrating.
The Princess was even worse than I expected and I did not expect much.

Jag_Warrior

5th July 2010, 00:37

The Princess was even worse than I expected and I did not expect much.

Yeah, speaking of something/someone else who put the the UCK in "SUCK" today. The only thing that saved Princess Caboose was Kanaan having to pit late and Romancini (who I still couldn't pick out of a police lineup) spinning out. One minute I was watching the intervals and she had a second and change lead on Meira. Then the next thing I know, he'd pulled out a 3 second lead on her! How did that happen???!!! I guess it's in the ABC/ESPN contract not to show her being eaten alive though. What were her lap times anyway? Did anybody have live T&S up? Other than Milka, she had to have been the slowest car on the track.

Those stupid Andretti crewmen! They didn't set her car up right. Cause I know it wasn't her fault!

Tazio

5th July 2010, 00:53

Yeah, speaking of something/someone else who put the the UCK in "SUCK" today. The only thing that saved Princess Caboose was Kanaan having to pit late and Romancini (who I still couldn't pick out of a police lineup) spinning out. One minute I was watching the intervals and she had a second and change lead on Meira. Then the next thing I know, he'd pulled out a 3 second lead on her! How did that happen???!!! I guess it's in the ABC/ESPN contract not to show her being eaten alive though. What were her lap times anyway? Did anybody have live T&S up? Other than Milka, she had to have been the slowest car on the track.

Those stupid Andretti crewmen! They didn't set her car up right. Cause I know it wasn't her fault!Interesting take on danica's exposure, or lack of it. I don't follow the series, so my info sources are from sites like this. In the post race interviews a couple of the heavy hitters mentioned how physical the race was. I wonder if it was a lack of testosterone that afflicted danica toward the end of the race? :eek:

About the ABC Broadcast I was watching a very close S.D. Padre game at the same time as the race. I kept thinking I was missing something from the commentary, but apparently not!

TURN3

5th July 2010, 00:53

Yeah, speaking of something/someone else who put the the UCK in "SUCK" today. The only thing that saved Princess Caboose was Kanaan having to pit late and Romancini (who I still couldn't pick out of a police lineup) spinning out. One minute I was watching the intervals and she had a second and change lead on Meira. Then the next thing I know, he'd pulled out a 3 second lead on her! How did that happen???!!! I guess it's in the ABC/ESPN contract not to show her being eaten alive though. What were her lap times anyway? Did anybody have live T&S up? Other than Milka, she had to have been the slowest car on the track.

Those stupid Andretti crewmen! They didn't set her car up right. Cause I know it wasn't her fault!

Actually, to clarify, Romance-ini didn't spin he ran out of fuel on the last lap. She was thouroughly out-driven by every competitor there this weekend (Milka is not a competitor). She's got to be feeling some sponsor heat...she's made several comments in interviews lately about how GoDaddy deserves more, etc. I think she's toast myself. Too much drama, ZERO results.

beachbum

5th July 2010, 01:17

Or is this always the way ABC does it?Yep, pretty much. I almost wore out the mute button. I knew it was going to be a bad day when I turned on the pre-race coverage and the first driver they mentioned was - you guessed it - the 21st qualifier and they even had the gall to bring up her Nationwide race. At least they didn't interview her after the race, although there were regular updates about how she was running "Danica is in 21st place with Duno in 22nd, 3 laps down". Who cares?
Did anybody have live T&S up? Other than Milka, she had to have been the slowest car on the track. Most of the time, she was. She was mostly 1 to 3 seconds a lap slower than the front runners. Her lap times were also pretty erratic. When Helio passed her after one of his out of sequence pitstops she suddenly picked up a couple seconds a lap and ran her quickest laps trying to keep up (laps 32-35). After he disappeared, she pitted and came back out running almost 2 seconds a lap slower.

Section Results (http://www.indycar.com/var/assets/indycar-sectionresults-race7.pdf)

tacksharp

5th July 2010, 01:19

Dipped in and out of the race, so wasn't quite sure how Carroll (and Sato, for that matter) ended up relatively far down for the pace they seemed to have. Unlucky pit timing with the yellows?

I'm rooting for Sato so I'm frustrated that he went from a legitimate P4 to P15. He pitted slightly early (at the end of lap 35), but when the yellow came out for Simona, I figured he would be able to pass all the people who hadn't pitted yet (I noticed the pits were closed for at least one lap behind the safety car, bunching the field). After everyone pitted, Sato was still at the back. I couldn't figure it out. Well, I later figured out what happened:

@kvracing tweeted that Sato would pit on Lap 37 (most cars pitted at the end of Lap 37 and 38). Sato actually pitted at the end of Lap 35. After the race I asked @kvracing why he pitted before the fuel window, and they said that because of a "miscommunication" between Sato and the pit, he pitted early. I'm guessing that they told him on the radio that he would be pitting in two laps, but Sato thought they said to pit immediately.

When the full-course yellow came out for Simona, I thought that would be Sato's opportunity to really move up since the field bunched up for a lap behind the safety car before the pits opened. But it turns out that because Sato pitted two laps before the fuel window, he pitted during the yellow for a splash (per @kvracing), keeping him at the back. I didn't see it on TV and the announcers didn't mention it, that's why it was hard to figure out how he dropped back so far in the field.

What I don't understand is why they pitted him for a splash during that yellow. He was already at the back, it seems to me that they should have let him move up the field during the yellow, and gamble on future yellows helping his fuel economy. Maybe his fuel deficit was just too much. So a big mistake was made, but otherwise it was finally a good crash-free run for Sato.

beachbum

5th July 2010, 01:23

I wonder if it was a lack of testosterone that afflicted danica toward the end of the race? :eek: Nope, she was just uncompetitive. They did mention the car had a lot of downforce at her request so it was "comfortable". Danica may need to remember that racing isn't some Sunday cruise down the boulevard. But maybe she doesn't mind running at the back as long as the check clears.

beachgirl

5th July 2010, 01:30

When the fields were smaller, and not as competitive, Danica could do well simply by mashing the throttle and holding on. But that's not Indycar anymore. It's been very obvious that she has no set-up skills at all, and her ability to communicate with her team and her engineer to correct the problem are nonexistent. Danica fans were very willing to overlook this glaring defect by following her lead and blaming the car, the crew, the track, the other drivers, pick one. Nobody could give Danica a car that she "deserved", when all the while she HAS been getting the car she deserved, and sometimes a lot better than she deserved. The problem has now become so blindingly obvious in her forays into Nationwide. They obviously can't give her a car she "deserves" either.

She made a comment at Indy that she couldn't understand the fans' anger with her after she threw the team under the bus, that she was "the same driver I was five years ago". She has no idea what she said. The fact that she feels she's the same driver she was five years ago is admitting that she has not grown as a driver/racer in those five years. And that's all on her. She obviously didn't think she had anything more to learn. And that's a real condemnation, by her own words.

Poor Ziggy Hargus. He managed to stay away from her until Indy, then he got stuck with the short end of that straw. I think her next strategist will be the gasman, because she's gone through everyone else.

beachgirl

5th July 2010, 01:46

By the way, I have a rules question. It was my understanding that each racer had to run at least one set of blacks, and one set of reds, in the race. Danica started on reds, they appeared to put reds on at every stop, and she finished on the reds. Is this allowed, or did she run a set of blacks and I just missed it, or is this another Danica Exemption To The Rule?

Jag_Warrior

5th July 2010, 02:06

Nope, she was just uncompetitive. They did mention the car had a lot of downforce at her request so it was "comfortable". Danica may need to remember that racing isn't some Sunday cruise down the boulevard. But maybe she doesn't mind running at the back as long as the check clears.

We talked about that before: making the car comfortable. Since she's obviously never read anything about NASCAR stockers, maybe she thought they'd be more "comfortable" to drive than the IRL cars. I mean, they have power steering, so how hard could it be? :rolleyes: Looking at your link, I wonder if she was even trying? The crew has usually been able to get her a decent result even when she was lacking pace before. But this time she had to race for her supper. And it appears that she was content to just phone it in from the get go.

Going back to my ABC rant, when I finally watched a couple of IRL races on Versus, I couldn't really understand why some of the fans here were so over the moon about it. I thought it was just OK... but nothing special. But if you guys have been suffering through the sort of broadcasts, like what ABC/ESPN had today, yeah, I can see why you LOVE Versus! I sat there wishing that Paul Page would storm in and take over the microphone. At least he was enthusiastic... even when it didn't make much sense to be. These guys were as flat and boring as any announce team that I've ever heard.

NickFalzone

5th July 2010, 03:24

NickFalzone

5th July 2010, 03:32

Actually, to clarify, Romance-ini didn't spin he ran out of fuel on the last lap. She was thouroughly out-driven by every competitor there this weekend (Milka is not a competitor). She's got to be feeling some sponsor heat...she's made several comments in interviews lately about how GoDaddy deserves more, etc. Got me thinking maybe the prostitute money train business may be wearing a little thin. I think she's toast myself. Too much drama, ZERO results.

She's been coasting for 5+ years getting great sponsorship on mediocre results. Why change that?

Mark in Oshawa

5th July 2010, 05:32

Funny comment from T. Scheckter today on Twitter:

"watching hot dog eating contest. lol. espn are doing better coverage than what they did for indycar series."

Just one of the reasons the Indycar world cannot buy a break. With TV partners like ABC/ESPN, who needs enemies?

As for the Danica, or anyone else. I missed the race, I was at the Queen's Plate horse race in Toronto watching another form of horsepower, but let me state this. I could have bet the mortgage on Danica not making it into the top10 today. The truth is, she is finally starting to crack under the expectations the rest of the non-clued in racing community has put on her, and when she goes to NASCAR for more races, it will be more and more apparent. The fact is, she has a few tracks she does ok at it, and most of the IRL sched she struggles. In NASCAR, she will struggle no matter what.

Danica Patrick has been exposed finally as a competant seat holder, but not a race driver.

Spiderman

5th July 2010, 15:30

Good road race! Some spectacular passings and again a brilliant perfomance by Will Power. His third win, when no one else has more than one! Would be nice to see him winning the championhsip.

Scotty G.

5th July 2010, 15:35

I continue to get a kick out of Mike "The Shill" King on the radio broadcast talking up Takuma Sato at the beginning of each race.

What is King smoking? Has he actually looked at the points standings? Sato is the worst "non-Milka" fulltime driver in the series, according to the points. He is right there with Graham Rahal, who has MISSED 3 races.

Sato has been awful. He has crashed or spun at every track. He has torn up millions of dollars worth of equipment. He has no finishes in the top 15 (in 24 car fields).

And Mike King keeps thinking that this guy is going to be a "contender" and possible race winner each week? Give it a rest Mike. He sucks. He sucked in F1 and he sucks in Indy Car. He'll run some fast laps at times but eventually screw it up. He's always been that way. That's why he is stuck trying to race in Indy Car in 2010. He's got very few other options in racing and Vasser will take anybody's checko (as evidenced by his driver lineup in 2010).

00steven

5th July 2010, 15:51

There is nothing that urks me more than an announcer who always makes mistakes and doesn't know what they are talking about, and Marty Reid fits the bill.

As far as the race, Will Power looks like he'll be hard to beat at the road races.

And what can you say about Danica? She was so uncompetetive it was laughable.

Mark in Oshawa

5th July 2010, 16:00

I am evil Homer

5th July 2010, 16:52

True...talent. Yes. Speed. Yes. Racing brain...uh oh! The classic "Taku mind the track it's wet and..." Taku: "too late" *cut to Sato's BAR Honda in the wall*

harvick#1

5th July 2010, 18:23

congrats to Power on the win, I missed the last 10 laps, cause I had to leave for a party. but I was glad to see him and Briscoe take the 1-2.

but ABC, you guys just plain suck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! as those Geico commercials go, I think spanish futbol broadcasters should take over as they make even the most boring sports exciting :laugh:

when is the IRL gonna finally kill the tv for "The Brand" her she is running in 20th again, ok we get it Jenkins and Arute, you have a thing for Danica, take it outside.

tough break for Simona again, its been a tough year for her so far, hopefully she can finish one of these races soon, she was running right up there in 11th all day too.

and oh Adam Carroll easily beat his AA teammate DanicaFan, what do you say about that

Jag_Warrior

5th July 2010, 19:03

Dipped in and out of the race, so wasn't quite sure how Carroll (and Sato, for that matter) ended up relatively far down for the pace they seemed to have. Unlucky pit timing with the yellows? Even so, decent debut for Carroll, all told. Wasn't aware it had been 14 months since he last raced, which made that a more than decent showing in my book.

With the "brilliant" ABC presentation, I feel lucky that I even know who won the race. I saw Kanaan come in late and REALLY get shuffled back. And I guess it would kill ABC/ESPN to tell us what a driver might need to do in terms of pit time to not get swallowed by the field? Anyway, I remember Carroll running well and then I saw him down the order. I don't know what happened to him either. The sad thing is, I watched the ENTIRE race and I probably don't know much more about what happened than you do.

Those that watch the amazing and entertaining SpeedTV F1 crew of Varsha, Hobbs and Matchett, know exactly what I'm talking about... and what I'd like to see with these IRL races. Years ago, there was a CART race that I believe was on ABC. On ESPN2, they showed the exact same race, at the exact same time... but with NO commentators. You had engine sounds, brakes squealing and pit-to-car transmissions. That was it! And it was wonderful. The current commentators are so awful and dopey, I think they should revisit that experiment.

Jag_Warrior

5th July 2010, 19:23

congrats to Power on the win, I missed the last 10 laps, cause I had to leave for a party. but I was glad to see him and Briscoe take the 1-2.

tough break for Simona again, its been a tough year for her so far, hopefully she can finish one of these races soon, she was running right up there in 11th all day too.

and oh Adam Carroll easily beat his AA teammate DanicaFan, what do you say about that

Yeah, tough break for Simona. She seemed to have decent pace through most of the race. Somehow the car got away from her. From what she said, it was just a rookie mistake... and she owned it (no "It's not my fault!" from her :up :) . Did I miss something or does she now have a new batch of sponsors? I didn't notice the Team Stargate logos on her uniform, not that the Zoo Crew showed it very well. I really wish that Simona had gone to GP2 for at least a year. Even if she couldn't break into F1, she would come back here as a SO much better driver, just because I think GP2 is a better, more intense training ground. Improve her current skills by way of GP2 and match it with that very aggressive nature that she showed in Atlantics, she'd be hella fun to watch! Carroll wasn't the cream of the crop in GP2 but considering his budget issues, he usually showed pretty well. I know DanicaFan has to cheer for his driver, but he was really on a weak limb predicting that Carroll would take lessons from the likes of The Danica on a roadcourse. Other than chatting with Milka, Danica would be the last person he should listen to. In fact, Milka probably knows more than Danica, she just doesn't have the skills to execute what she knows. Danica just flat doesn't know what the hell is going on. She's truly showing herself to be a little ball lost in the tall grass.

Easy Drifter

5th July 2010, 19:40

I think DF is finally beginning to realize that something like the Emperor that had no clothes neither does the Princess, but ABC haven't noticed yet.

Shifter

6th July 2010, 07:19

ABC/ESPN coverage was awful. I had to rewind and rewatch the first 3 laps with the mute on to see what happened. STOP TALKING ABOUT THE STUPID REDS AND BLACKS...THERE'S A RACE STARTING!!!! RRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH

DBell

6th July 2010, 15:31

Going back to my ABC rant, when I finally watched a couple of IRL races on Versus, I couldn't really understand why some of the fans here were so over the moon about it. I thought it was just OK... but nothing special. But if you guys have been suffering through the sort of broadcasts, like what ABC/ESPN had today, yeah, I can see why you LOVE Versus! I sat there wishing that Paul Page would storm in and take over the microphone. At least he was enthusiastic... even when it didn't make much sense to be. These guys were as flat and boring as any announce team that I've ever heard.

Laughing at the mental image of Paul Page commandeering the booth and holding Reid and Goodyear hostage while announcing the race. He was never my favorite, but compared to Reid and Jenkins, I would welcome him back in a second. Perhaps he's available because I saw a clip of a hot dog eating contest a couple of days ago and he was announcing it. Yikes, a hot dog contest! Surely he would be open to coming back. Then again, the hot dog eating contest probably gets better ratings.

How many times did ABC cut away from a battle right when something was about to happen to show other cars that were running in line? That was a pathetic job by whoever was directing the television coverage.

I was hoping the Glen would stay on the schedule, but after seeing the overhead shots during the race, I doubt there is any chance of that happening. Were there even 5k in attendance? On a 4th of July weekend and Indycar can't attract more than that? Did they have a fireworks show after the race? There should've been a concert and fireworks show after the race to entice more to drive out to the country for a holiday weekend.

I enjoyed the race despite the lousy presentation by ESPN/ABC, but I have a hard time feeling the enthusiasm the some are feeling this year. When I see how poorly the sport is often presented and the dismal ratings along with anemic attendance, it's hard to see how anything is going to change.

drewdawg727

6th July 2010, 16:10

Being at the racetrack, there were definitely well over 10k in attendance. It was very difficult to find a clear spot anywhere around the racetrack to view from the fence. I know down around turn 8 where my friends and I were all camped out there were at least 1,000 people along that entire sole.

The grandstands were not too full because it was just downright hot all weekend long and I, for one, wanted to spend as much time sitting in the A/C in the truck as possible. Although there was a slight breeze blowing for most of the race, it was just not a good day to be sitting on aluminum seats for hours.

Easy Drifter

6th July 2010, 16:16

I too was surprised and dismayed by the empty grandstands.
For the Toronto Honda Indy Fri. is free including grandstand access. Years ago you couldn't get tickets near race date let alone grandstand access. There has been some promo work and advertising but not much.
The promoters have so many 'DO NOT' rules people are turned off.
Absolutely no food or beverages allowed. Not even water. Track food grossly overpriced and you basically have to buy overpriced water. There are two public free drinking fountains available!
I won't go despite the fact I can get a media pass. Parking and other expenses are too much when you are from out of town.

Mark in Oshawa

6th July 2010, 16:20

The Glen would be a hard track to guess at the attendance for since the place swallows up thousands easily. Since I missed the race and haven't bothered to watch the tape ( I know who won, and I have other things to do than watch a race where I know what happened with ABC's insufferable coverage ), I would wager that the attendance is so so at best. The Glen draws well for NASCAR because it is....NASCAR. Just about anything else they have up on the hill draws about what the IRL likely got. There was next to NO promotion on this side of the border, which is a huge mistake since there are racing fans in Southern Ontario, and from Toronto to the Glen it is but a 4 to 4.5 hour drive....

Mark in Oshawa

6th July 2010, 16:20

NY2IA

6th July 2010, 17:48

Will brought his wreath to Seneca Lodge Sunday evening. He hung it at the bar! Another piece of history. Great win, Will. Indycar needs to return to the Glen next year!

NaBUru38

7th July 2010, 00:34

the car had a lot of downforce at her request so it was "comfortable". Danica may need to remember that racing isn't some Sunday cruise down the boulevard.
As they say, if you are feeling comfortable, you aren't pushing it hard enough.

c I think spanish futbol broadcasters should take over as they make even the most boring sports exciting :laugh:
Do you mean Spanish-speaking television announcers in the United States. Well, if you knew radio announcers from down here... that's thrilling!