Firestone 550

[heliocastroneves#3]

http://digbza2f4g9qo.cloudfront.net/~/media/IndyCar/Schedules/2012/Race-Logos/Texas-2013.png?mw=210&vs=1&d=20130207T115053

Race 8 of 19

Race - Firestone 550

Location - Texas Motor Speedway, Fort Worth, TX

Date - Saturday, June 8th

Time & TV Schedule - Green Flag - 8:45PM - ESPN on ABC

Course Type - 1.5 Mile Oval

Distance - 228 Laps / 342 Miles (550km)

Practice Sessions

Friday, June 7th - 1:30 PM (Free Practice)
Friday, June 7th - 7:45 PM (Warm-up)

Qualifications

Friday, June 7th - 4:30 PM

Texas Motor Speedway Track Facts

Length - 1.5 Miles
Banking - 24 degrees in Turns & 5 degrees on straights

http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee236/DanicaRules/Texas-Motor-Speedway-Aerial-1.jpg


2012 Firestone 550 Race Information

Winner - Justin Wilson
Pole Sitter - Alex Tagliani - 215.691 mph
Time Of Race - 1 hour, 59 minutes & 2 seconds
Average Speed- 167.217 mph
Cautions - 4 for 32 laps
Margin Of Victory - 3.9202 seconds
Lead Changes - 9

Entrant list

#1 - Ryan Hunter-Reay - Andretti Autosport
#3 - Helio Castroneves - Penske Racing
#4 - Oriol Servia - Panther Racing
#5 - E.J. Viso - Andretti Autosport & HVM Racing
#6 - Sebastian Saavedra - Dragon Racing
#7 - Sebastien Bourdais - Dragon Racing
#9 - Scott Dixon - Target Chip Ganassi Racing
#10 - Dario Franchitti - Target Chip Ganassi Racing
#11 - Tony Kanaan - KV Racing Technology
#12 - Will Power - Penske Racing
#14 - Takuma Sato - A.J. Foyt Enterprises
#15 - Graham Rahal - Rahal Letterman Lanigan
#16 - James Jakes - Rahal Letterman Lanigan
#18 - Pippa Mann - Dale Coyne Racing
#19 - Justin Wilson - Dale Coyne Racing
#20 - Ed Carpenter - Ed Carpenter Racing
#25 - Marco Andretti - Andretti Autosport
#27 - James Hinchcliffe - Andretti Autosport
#55 - Tristan Vautier (R) - Schmidt Peterson Motorsports
#67 - Josef Newgarden - Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing
#77 - Simon Pagenaud - Schmidt Peterson Motorsports
#78 - Simona de Silvestro - KV Racing Technology
#83 - Charlie Kimball - Chip Ganassi Racing
#98 - Alex Tagliani - Barracuda Racing

[FIAT1]

I have never been fan of this track and Indycar should never run here or any other high banked oval track period. Hope for good and safe race.

[heliocastroneves#3]

I have never been fan of this track and Indycar should never run here or any other high banked oval track period. Hope for good and safe race.
There was once a time, when they ran on 6 or 7 tracks which are similar to this one and the racing always has been exciting on those tracks, don't understand why you don't like this track but everyone may have their opinion of course. IndyCar raced mostly on 1,5-mile high banked ovals.. They need more of them again.

[FIAT1]

There was once a time, when they ran on 6 or 7 tracks which are similar to this one and the racing always has been exciting on those tracks, don't understand why you don't like this track but everyone may have their opinion of course. IndyCar raced mostly on 1,5-mile high banked ovals.. They need more of them again.

Whell , mr irl defender you are wrong. Indycar world series I knew never raced on these tracks .My statement is my opinion , those type a tracks are not design with Indycar in mind. I hope for a good and safe race and I will watch. I still don't like the track if that's ok with you. My opinon get it ?Many of us here have embraced the fact that we are united series now and would like to see it prosper ,I sugest you do the same and stop that irl bs.

[Anubis]

One of those tracks where you tend to watch through your fingers and hope things go ok. There's a fine line between great racing and it being a total lottery. I'd lean towards not having this sort of track in the series (Brack, Wheldon...), but can understand why it is.

[call_me_andrew]

Lottery? I'm sorry but pack racing went out when the DW12 came in.

[FIAT1]

Another slow ugly spec painful to watch Mary go round. Spec extreme one way or the other is no good. No flat-out was a positive of the race ,but cars looked slow. I hate to be negative but at this present spec ugly slow formula, I don't think Indycar can afford to wait 2015-17 to make changes. Need to open competition now!!! I seriously doubt they want this series at that track as no one showed up.

[zako85]

Another slow ugly spec painful to watch Mary go round. Spec extreme one way or the other is no good. No flat-out was a positive of the race ,but cars looked slow. I hate to be negative but at this present spec ugly slow formula, I don't think Indycar can afford to wait 2015-17 to make changes. Need to open competition now!!! I seriously doubt they want this series at that track as no one showed up.

The Texas race made me fall asleep. Granted, I was very tired after spending the evening wrenching my car in garage. However, I will disagree that this was "another" slow show. Most of 2012 races were good. Most of 2013 races were good. The new spec car has delivered. For one, I have been enjoying IndyCar more than Formula 1 this year. At least IndyCar can look exciting without the comedy tires that Formula 1 is using second year in a row. If Texas Indy was boring, then maybe it has to do with the tires or the race track. You can't have every race loaded with action all the time IMHO. There are many counter-examples to the theory that the fully open formula will deliver great show. See F1 in 2011 when it still had good tires. Also years, like 2004, 2002, 1992.

[FIAT1]

The Texas race made me fall asleep.At least IndyCar can look exciting.
Yep. few who showed up agree with you. Comparing present Indycar to F1 is little bit much.

[Keyser Soze]

I would agree with those calling for faster , better looking ,more challenging to drive race car. I dont know if that's gonna fix the problem, but ignoring empty stands ,bad tv numbers and do nothing is very foolish.

[Chris R]

I think the general problem has more to do with the track than the cars in this particular instance. Texas was designed for NASCAR and more importantly NASCAR style "pack" racing. The problem with Texas looks to me to be that the track is so wide you need pack racing to make it look exciting and otherwise it looks slow and empty (not even considering the crowds). Indycars can run there - but you have to seriously restrict the cars through horsepower or aero tricks (we all know the modern Indycar can easily overpower the track). Pretty much, I agree, the race was a snoozer (I only watched the last half as my kids were watching a movie before that)

We need to face the reality that, given modern technology, there is no such thing a "pure racing" anymore - everything you get is a result of the rules and no rules package can allow "no holds barred" because it would be impractically "over-the-top" in safety and the ability of drivers to hold on..... Spec racing is what it is and the past is not coming back. I still do not understand why people do not get that racing almost always settles into a "spec" given stable rules and time anyway. You cannot tell me the Watson-Offy combo was not close to a "spec". You cannot tell me that NASCAR isn't close to a spec. You cannot tell me that most Formula 1 cars from 1978 to 1982 were in fact improved Lotus 79's..... You also cannot tell me that the current F-1 regs are not so strict so as to make the cars darn near spec (and a terrible value for the amount of variation you actually get).

The only way to get away from spec style racing is to do away with the engineers and computers - require everyone in the series involved with the teams and cars to have no more than a high school education and require them to live in an enclosed compound so they do not learn anything of "outside" engineering advances....

The old days of variation were due to "seat of the pants" and intuitive engineering, lack of computer modeling and availability of only simple materials that could be worked in relatively simple shops.... It really did not cost that much more to have (and execute) a good idea instead of a bad one.... We are where we are today because the guys back in the day did such a great job that we are now too advanced, too fast, and too expensive to do anything but spec style racing.... Lets not fool ourselves - Indycar is just calling a spade a spade and having all the cars be Dallaras - NASCAR has the teams build their own spec cars and Formula 1 does much the same. Sure there is some interest in the "gray areas" - but you don't see "silent Sam", a Novi, a Plymouth Superbird, a 6 wheel Tyrell, a 4 cam 427, a 917-30, a boxer Ferrari, a "U-16" Sampson, a 1994 Penske Mercedes, a Coyote Foyt, Di-hyderal wings on a Parnelli, or anything else like that. These were grand experiments conducted in front of the fans- now they are conducted in a computer if at all. I don't know about you but I find a neither a Dallara DW-12 or a Red Bull F-1 car nor a current Cup car as compelling as any of the things I just listed - but I do find that the Dallara races better than any of the cars I listed including the modern ones......

Yes, I'd love a return to the past - but it is not happening - so lets enjoy what we have for what it is - which is pretty darn good if we allow ourselves to see it.....

Back to Texas - given the current state of things, putting an Indycar at Texas seems like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. Time to move one and recognize the series need to compete at tracks that highlight its strengths..... If you want any Indycar to "wow" people you need to let it stretch its legs and driving around in a bowl isn't going to accomplish that goal.....

[NY2IA]

Noticed Almendinger was not driving. Any news from Penske?

[Starter]

Noticed Almendinger was not driving. Any news from Penske?
He was only contracted for certain events.

[call_me_andrew]

Texas was designed for NASCAR and more importantly NASCAR style "pack" racing.

I don't think you understand what "pack racing" means. "Pack racing" happens when drivers in traffic can run laps without having to slow for the turns. Cup cars hit 200 on the straights at Texas, then slow to 150 for the turns.

Last weekend, the DW12 was hitting 215 on the straights and slowing to 195 for the turns. I remember 15 years ago when Dallaras and G-Forces went a constant 205 around the whole track; that was a pack race.

This is what a pack looks like.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Xa8idu2ewsk/TaN6AW2EjuI/AAAAAAAADeI/wgovG-SYJ_4/s1600/talladega_3_wide_cars.jpg

Is that what you saw?

[zako85]

MILLER: Fixing IndyCar's Boring Night In Texas (http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/miller-fixing-indycars-boring-night-in-texas/)

[zako85]

Yep. few who showed up agree with you. Comparing present Indycar to F1 is little bit much.

F1 has great technology (even if engine tech is frozen now), great looking cars, and the drivers (not all are great though. the upper half are amazing, but the rest are so mediocre that they would struggle to finish in top 10 in IndyCar IMO). However, as I said, F1 disappointed this year a little due to tires that are have been over-engineered to provide a good "spectacle" (and possibly hurt Red Bull). Some of F1 races this year could hardly be called "racing". This was happening at the same time we were watching the breathtaking races in the Streets of Sao Paulo, Long Beach, and Barber. Jalopnik (one of three best automotive blogs/news sites) had kind (probably overly flattering) words to say about IndyCar this year:

You Need To Start Watching IndyCar Racing And You Need To Do It Now (http://jalopnik.com/you-need-to-start-watching-indycar-racing-and-you-need-493144219)

Thetruthaboutcars (my other favorite car news/blog) also had some kind words to say on the issue of spec vs open formula racing

Spec Racing vs Open Formula: Indycar (http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2012/06/spec-racing-vs-open-formula-indycars-new-race-cars/)

[FIAT1]

I don't care much for bloggers and have seen better racing in GP2 and3 than F1 or Indycar combined ,but comparison F1 to slow yellow fest of spec racing is ridiculous in my opinion.

[heliocastroneves#3]

Whell , mr irl defender you are wrong. Indycar world series I knew never raced on these tracks .My statement is my opinion , those type a tracks are not design with Indycar in mind. I hope for a good and safe race and I will watch. I still don't like the track if that's ok with you. My opinon get it ?Many of us here have embraced the fact that we are united series now and would like to see it prosper ,I sugest you do the same and stop that irl bs.
Watch the 1997 True Value 500 and rethink.. Never used the word IRL in my previous post anyway. IRL was far more successful, better and more enjoyable to watch since the sport changed so much because of that stupid merge, period. People showed up when there was close racing, there happens a heavy and tragical accident which sadly claims the life of DW, which not even happened at TMS, and they immediately changed the car that much that the racing is not half as exciting as it was a couple of years ago. It's inevitable that the attendance will drop at TMS. I enjoyed the race but it was the worst TMS race I ever saw out of the 25 which I've seen. Compared to the next to the worst TMS race, this one was already quite boring.

Calling me Mr. IRL Defender is ridiculous, how do I have to call you? CCWSFreak? And I said also "Everyone may have their opinion anyway", in case you forgot to read that line.

[FIAT1]

And I said also "Everyone may have their opinion anyway", in case you forgot to read that line.

If you feel that way no need to tag my post to respond, I was just posting my opinion. 90's Indycar/cart/champ car freak ? Me? You betcha!!!

[heliocastroneves#3]

If you feel that way no need to tag my post to respond, I was just posting my opinion. 90's Indycar/cart/champ car freak ? Me? You betcha!!!

Did I like IRL 1996-2010 and CART 1992 (when I started watching racing)-2001? You betcha man!! I used to watch both when CART was still great too. :)

[FIAT1]

CART 1992 (when I started watching racing)-2001? You betcha man!! I used to watch both when CART was still great too. :)

Great, than you know, there was no need for minors!

[FIAT1]

CART 1992 (when I started watching racing)- :)
Just curiosity who was broadcasting cart races in Europe in 92.

[heliocastroneves#3]

Just curiosity who was broadcasting cart races in Europe in 92.

It has been a long time but Eurosport did it for such a while, that's what I can remember. For the IRL races, well, we have a contact who lives in the U.S. and when he was in The Netherlands he brought us all the IRL races on videotape... Nowadays we do watch the races via livestreams, so following IRL always has been a little bit hard compared to ICWS/CART, especially in the past, as CART was always on TV on Eurosport. There was a time when they even did broadcasts of the free practices and qualifying too.