Wind Tunnel

[Chris R]

anybody catch Randy Bernard on Wind Tunnel last night? I can't say he presents real well on TV (looked slightly high or something) but he was a ton better than TG...

I was busy paying attention to my kids through much of the conversation - any good info there??

Not that it is Indycar - but have to laugh at the Greg Biffle interview - talk about towing the company line.....

[Jag_Warrior]

I used to Tivo Wind Tunnel. But now that DirecTV is re-airing The Wire on The101, AMC has Rubicon and Mad Men on Sundays, plus Holmes on Homes is on, I have too many overlapping shows and I'm not able to watch it any longer. Those are about the only TV shows that I watch these days and all of them come on the same night within two hours of each other.

Does SpeedTV offer a full showing of Wind Tunnel on the website?

[DBell]

I used to Tivo Wind Tunnel. But now that DirecTV is re-airing The Wire on The101, AMC has Rubicon and Mad Men on Sundays, plus Holmes on Homes is on, I have too many overlapping shows and I'm not able to watch it any longer. Those are about the only TV shows that I watch these days and all of them come on the same night within two hours of each other.

Does SpeedTV offer a full showing of Wind Tunnel on the website?

Jag, Speed replays WT tunnel on Monday mornings, at 9:00am eastern I believe.

[Jag_Warrior]

Whoops! So I missed it again. Well, maybe I'll start setting the DVR to catch the Monday morning shows from now on.

[edv]

I found it interesting that Bernie Ecclestone wants Simona to test drive the Sauber and Williams(?) F1 cars! (with nary a mention of Danica).

The potential of having Lotus (and maybe even Ferrari) branded cars (via the 'body-kit') was interesting.

[bblocker68]

I was amused that the rumor page on Autoracing1 got some love. I guess people do read it :)

[Jag_Warrior]

I found it interesting that Bernie Ecclestone wants Simona to test drive the Sauber and Williams(?) F1 cars! (with nary a mention of Danica).

The potential of having Lotus (and maybe even Ferrari) branded cars (via the 'body-kit') was interesting.

Now you're REALLY making me sorry that I missed this episode!

[Easy Drifter]

Bernie knows that Danica has become a marketing ploy and she seems to have lost interest in developing as a driver. She has no set up skills or understanding of how chassis set up goes. That is critical in F1.
Simona on the other hand knows the technical aspect of the car and is developing as a driver, especially with the guidance of Michael Cannon.
She is still young and learning. I do not think she is anywhere near ready for F1 but there is potential there and Bernie knows it.
Interesting that Michael is a techie when his father, John Cannon, was one heck of a driver.

[Jag_Warrior]

Bernie knows that Danica has become a marketing ploy and she seems to have lost interest in developing as a driver. She has no set up skills or understanding of how chassis set up goes. That is critical in F1.
Simona on the other hand knows the technical aspect of the car and is developing as a driver, especially with the guidance of Michael Cannon.
She is still young and learning. I do not think she is anywhere near ready for F1 but there is potential there and Bernie knows it.
Interesting that Michael is a techie when his father, John Cannon, was one heck of a driver.

I don't want to take this thread off topic, but does Simona come from a family with enough connections or money that she could get into GP2 (with a good team) within the next couple of years? I think she just turned 22 a few days ago. So now is the time, IMO.

[Andrewmcm]

Unfortunately, now is the time (asuming she was going to F1) she should be looking to moving up after having already spent a couple seasons being competitive and occasionally winning in GP2. The talent pool starts way early over there these days.

I'm not sure that's as relevant as it was a few years ago - the new F1 cars with no refuelling and slick tyres are much more about management than pure pace, so the older drivers seem to do as well as the younger upstarts. I'm not sure we'll see many 19-21 year olds coming into F1 and doing well immediately in the next few years.

[bblocker68]

There are a bunch of really fast kids coming up from F3 and GP3, so you will definitely see those guys doing well. You can teach vehicle management, but you cant teach all-out pace. No one looked good in GP2, but it'll look much different next year.

[V12]

Surely a "Ferrari" car would at least need a Ferrari engine in it though even if it's a core Dallara tub, a bit like the 333SP sportscar. Those Doran-run "Ferrari-Judd" 333SPs never sat right with me and a "Ferrari-Honda" would be even worse.

And GP2 has been increasingly the domain of experienced drivers for a while now. There are exceptions like Hamilton and Hulkenberg, but this year's champion Maldonado is in his third or fourth year in the category, and Giorgio Pantano won it recently having been in GP2, and its previous equivalent F3000, on and off since 2001.

[Mark in Oshawa]

Surely a "Ferrari" car would at least need a Ferrari engine in it though even if it's a core Dallara tub, a bit like the 333SP sportscar. Those Doran-run "Ferrari-Judd" 333SPs never sat right with me and a "Ferrari-Honda" would be even worse.



I think Randy is looking into the possiblity to opening up the engine formulae....

I saw this episode of Wind Tunnel, at least for the segment with Randy. I think this may be about the third or fourth time he has been on, but I may be mistaken. I do know I saw the one time Tony was on, and it was when I knew I didn't have to speculate he was out in the woods mentally, I then had visual proof.

I didn't get that impression on the first time I saw Bernard or this interview either. I think he is a bright guy, but in his explainations on issues like the ISC tracks being dumped (He stated he wanted partners who thought for the long term who were willing to get behind promoting the series, and Bruton is that), his trip to Europe or the addition of Milwaukee to bring it back into the series, he had good answers.

Milwaukee is living proof that he is willing to do what it takes to uphold the traditions of Indycars, he isn't about making this f1 lite..and with his trip to Europe, that says to me he is willing to open up this series the way we all want to. He has to however find partners and manufacturers who are willing to see the bigger picture. The North American market is huge for any car maker, and Ferrari, MB, and others don't have any real role in NASCAR, so it makes sense he is trying to rebuild those bridges to other people besides Honda. The really good thing is, I think the people at Honda understand.....because they WANT to compete....