Brickyard chat....

[e2mtt]

Man these guys are wrecking like nuts. Indianoplis is not a track you drive into a corner 3 wide... So far 19 out of 56 laps under caution.

[dont_be_jack]

Why didn't they keep pit road closed when the 8 lost it's momentum? Dumb move if you ask me by NASCAR.

[e2mtt]

Why didn't they keep pit road closed when the 8 lost it's momentum? Dumb move if you ask me by NASCAR.

I think that they had the lane open a bit before they realized that Jr. was gonna run out of speed. No harm, no foul, just made the the spotters & the drivers earn their keep.

[dont_be_jack]

And they all appeared to do so. Made the lane even more narrow than it already is...

[dont_be_jack]

I'm watching the NASCAR feed of the broadcast - and I don't know if this made it to the OTA broadcast - but Tony let it rip with a few curses when he was being interviewed.

[Jonesi]

Tony Wins, Montoya 2nd, J Gordon 3rd, Blaney 9th the highest Toyota should move into the Top 35.

[call_me_andrew]

I think it was pretty clear that Dale wasn't going to make it back to the pits. That could have been a disaster.

I'm sure there's fallout to come. I'm pretty sure I heard Tony say "$hit" during the post race interview.

Juan was pretty impressive though. I think he had the fastest car on the track at the end. He just ran out of laps.

[blakebeatty]

Somehow I don't think that Harv felt as good about his and Tony's friendship as Stewart did!

Great race for Gordon, Harv, and Montoya!

[Jonesi]

Kurt Busch's 11th puts him only 13 points behind DE jr in last chase spot.

[Alexamateo]

I'm watching the NASCAR feed of the broadcast - and I don't know if this made it to the OTA broadcast - but Tony let it rip with a few curses when he was being interviewed.

It made it to regular on-air broadcast.

[call_me_andrew]

But it wasn't a "regular on-air broadcast". It was cable. Cable TV isn't regulated.

[Jonesi]

But it wasn't a "regular on-air broadcast". It was cable. Cable TV isn't regulated.

Yes & No. FCC doesn't control cable channels, but Nascar has said the same standards that they enforce for over the air channels, they will enforce on cable channels.

[muggle not]

Juan was pretty impressive though. I think he had the fastest car on the track at the end. He just ran out of laps.
Yeah, he only had 160 laps to do the job, same as every one else. :)

[harvick#1]

Yeah, he only had 160 laps to do the job, same as every one else. :)

great line :D

[call_me_andrew]

Just imagine what he could have done with 175.

[harvick#1]

Just imagine what he could have done with 175.

but its not the Brickyard 437.5.

plus if not for contact, Harvick prolly would've finished 2nd. but I didn't watch the race but read what happened

[blakebeatty]

Did they interview Harvick after the race? I didn't see it. I wonder what his comments on Stewart were?

[muggle not]

Just imagine what he could have done with 175.
If you are going to change the number of laps to suit the drivers, just think what Harvick would have done if the race was 140 laps.

[e2mtt]

If you are going to change the number of laps to suit the drivers, just think what Harvick would have done if the race was 140 laps.

Oh please. You know what we mean... Montoya was the fastest man on the track near the end. If he had gotten his car hooked up like that a little sooner in the race, or been closer to the front when he really go going, he would have won.

Great performance.

[muggle not]

Oh please. You know what we mean... Montoya was the fastest man on the track near the end. If he had gotten his car hooked up like that a little sooner in the race, or been closer to the front when he really go going, he would have won.

Great performance.
Jeez, what type racing do you watch. The setups during the race come and go for most teams. The only thing that counts is where you are at the end of the last lap. Tony had a fast car all day. Jeff Gordon came from 21st position to finish 3rd and would probably have overtaken JPM with another 10 or 20 laps. The point is though that after 160 laps, the race duration, Tony had the lead.

If pigs could fly.................. :)

[blakebeatty]

yep! the name of the game is keeping up with changing conditions, over the course of three to four hours, temperature, humidity, wind changes all make a difference. I am sure that no one is running the same air pressure, spring setup, and suspension geometry that they started with. If you want to debate what would have happened in another ten or fifteen laps, I believe you'd have seen the 24 team kissing the bricks, not Montoya

[Chandler]

Oh please. You know what we mean... Montoya was the fastest man on the track near the end. If he had gotten his car hooked up like that a little sooner in the race, or been closer to the front when he really go going, he would have won.

Great performance.

Yes, Moncraphead was fast at the end of the race. But would he have caught Smoke? Methinks not. In fact, I'm fairly certain that once he got around Harvick, no one was going to catch him in the clean air. His car was too good. Moncraphead is a fad, people. Sure, he can drive the heck out of road courses. But, no one that wrecks their own teammate will ever get respect in the pits.

And by the way, Harvick came out of the NASCAR hauler and said that the "lovetap" after the race was just a congratulations. NASCAR apparently believed him.

[harvick#1]

ok Harvick and Stewart are buds, its the Brickyard 400 they were racing for.

it was a bump at the end of the race and sissified Nascar thinks its instantly an attack on the winner.

geez, was Gordon punished by Nascar when he gave Harvick a celebratory donut after he won in 03. No.

[muggle not]

ok Harvick and Stewart are buds, its the Brickyard 400 they were racing for.

it was a bump at the end of the race and sissified Nascar thinks its instantly an attack on the winner.

geez, was Gordon punished by Nascar when he gave Harvick a celebratory donut after he won in 03. No.
I can just see Gordon, JR, and Jimmie Johnson deep in the dungeon and deciding how Nascar should penalize Harvick for bumping Stewart. After their decision they will let Nascar officials know how to proceed. I would think that a fair decision would be to put Harvick in 13th place in the points standings. :D :p :

Come on Harv, there is no conspiracy. :)

[harvick#1]

Come on Harv, there is no conspiracy. :)

theres a conspiracy every week in Nascar :p : :)

[Jonesi]

ok Harvick and Stewart are buds, its the Brickyard 400 they were racing for.
it was a bump at the end of the race and sissified Nascar thinks its instantly an attack on the winner.
geez, was Gordon punished by Nascar when he gave Harvick a celebratory donut after he won in 03. No.

I just watched the replay of the race. He did it in the middle of a turn, Stewart wasn't expecting it and moved left almost hitting the car on his left. Harvick deserved a little chewing out, if not further penalty.

[blakebeatty]

Yep! Harvick's bump into stewart was certainly more agressive than congradulatory.

Harv was not saying "Great job Tony! You just cost me 4 spots!"

[harvick#1]

I think anyone would feel bummed out and alittle angry if your shot to win the 2nd most prestigous race went up in smoke by a little contact

[muggle not]

I think anyone would feel bummed out and alittle angry if your shot to win the 2nd most prestigous race went up in smoke by a little contact
With or without the contact, Tony was going to pass Kevin. At that point in the race Tony had the better car of the two and a pass was almost inevitable.

[e2mtt]

Wow we have a sensitive touch bunch here... Moncraphead!??? Harvick needing suspension? Tony purposely damaging Harvick? Sounds like ya'll need to go over to the F1 forum or something.

Tony got past Harvick fair & square. His car was faster. The contact seemed to me more Harvick's fault then Stewart's, basically just a racing incident, although it did seem to hurt Harvicks car. The bump later obviously wasn't a big deal... if it had been, you know Tony would be jawing about it to anyone that will listen.

For all those of you don't like to acknowledge Montoya's fine performance, or at least picking on the the comments about him needing more laps... lighten up. "Ran out of laps" is a common expression... it means they got the car & everything right... a little to late in the race for it to really count. Montoya passed Jeff Gordon to take 3rd, then left him behind and closed on Tony. Montoya was running the fastest laps for most of the final 10 laps. Give Montoya a good car & team, and he will win races & championships. He is the best driver in NASCAR right now... he is just lacking experience at stock cars.

[blakebeatty]

Somewhere in this debate on weather or not Tony is an ass or not, we have missed that Dave Blaney is now a TOYOTA in the TOP 35 in OP! That may be the biggest news out of Indianapolis

[Jonesi]

Somewhere in this debate on weather or not Tony is an ass or not, we have missed that Dave Blaney is now a TOYOTA in the TOP 35 in OP! That may be the biggest news out of Indianapolis

Ahem...see post #9 posted a couple of minutes after the finish. Oh yeh.....Tony's a (talented) ass whether he hit Harvick on purpose or not. ;-)

[call_me_andrew]

First of all: Anyone who took the extra lap part seriously; really needs to rethink their idea of humor.

Second: I don't think I saw Montoya any lower than 6th all day.

[call_me_andrew]

Did anyone else notice that towards the end of the race, [I think] Rusty said that he was impressed with Montoya because "he's never seen this track before". By my count, this was Montoya's 9th time at Indy.

[Erki]

Did anyone else notice that towards the end of the race, [I think] Rusty said that he was impressed with Montoya because "he's never seen this track before". By my count, this was Montoya's 9th time at Indy.

I did notice it too. :)

[Chandler]

He is the best driver in NASCAR right now...

I think there's a few guys named Stewart, Gordon, and Johnson that might disagree. I know I do. In fact, most of your comments in that post were smart. But you ruined it with the one quoted above.

Exaggerate much?

[Mark in Oshawa]

Oh my....some people get a little too sensitive. As for Harvick's whining about Smoke getting by him, ya, he has a point in that Tony is all give, and no take, but anyone watching knew Smoke had the better car and it was going to happen sooner or later.....so who was taking and not giving really?

As for Montoya, well he did well, and he is respected in the garage, contrary to what some would believe (bumping his teammate in Mexico), for he seems to be in the "in crowd" going to race at Eldora or hanging out with other drivers. His second at Indy is a great finish and it proves he is adapting to NASCAR pretty nicely. As for Rusty not figuring out JPM not being there, well I put that down to the NASCARcentric way of looking at the world, where everything you did before in racing is just leading to NASCAR. It doesn't matter really.....and the fact that no one corrected Rusty or told him that JPM won an Indy 500 on air or had told him in commercial break that he should retract that silly statement says volumes about the mentality around the booth. It is all NASCAR, all the time....

[cobre]

don't know the reason why, but I thought there was more passing & better racing all over the track this year. although maybe adding to the higher than normal number of yellows; any thoughts?.

[call_me_andrew]

The number of yellows in a race has been way up for two or three years now. I remember some years back when there were only 3 cautions during the Brickyard 400.

[Jonesi]

As expected Tony's verbal slip cost him $25k, 25 driver & owner points. (and they're taking the trophy away from him! Just joking on that part ;-)
http://www.scenedaily.com/stories/2007/07/30/scene_daily125.html

[e2mtt]

I think there's a few guys named Stewart, Gordon, and Johnson that might disagree. I know I do. In fact, most of your comments in that post were smart. But you ruined it with the one quoted above.

Exaggerate much?

:-) I stand by my statement: Juan Pablo Montoya is the best race driver in NASCAR.

There isn't anyone else in there with Formula 1 race wins, an Indy 500 win, & a CART championship.

Now we get to see if he can also become a top NASCAR stock car racer. I say he can & will.

[call_me_andrew]

That doesn't make him the best racer, that just makes him the most accomplished.

Let's face it, put Richard Petty in a car today, and we'll get to see him run around the apron signaling a left turn.