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Post by Carl on Sept 1, 2018 22:46:22 GMT
After eleven years, what I prefer to call Champ Cars have returned to a challenging road course on the banks of the majestic Columbia River, just outside of Portland, Oregon. Except for a damn tight chicane replacing the previously 190 mph approach to the first turn, it's a fine design.
I hope both races are exciting, in part because my lady friend (I'm too old for girls) says it's ridiculous to spend so much time watching only to complain about the racing. She has an excellent point!
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Post by Deleted on Sept 2, 2018 2:53:10 GMT
About being too old for... well, anything really, I recall reading long time ago, decades, a writer's interview, a great one like Gabriel Garcia Marquez, a deserved Nobel prize I may add, who had an "old" friend, something like in his sixties or seventies, who had a dangerous penchant for teen girls. When someone tried to point him out the issue, he used to reply that if teen boys could go after them, ever more so could himself, what the heck. Now, that's an argument... 
Portland, Oregon. Would love to mount my trusty steed - say, an Africa Twin - and tour the Northwest, with a stopover at the circuit. Can only dream.  |
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Post by charleselan on Sept 2, 2018 11:27:36 GMT
Great to hear that Portland is back on the Indy calendar, if not mistaken I seem to remember seeing it back in the good old days of CART.
With nothing better to watch the other evening I viewed a little of the NASCAR race from Road America, what a circuit, the CART cars were fantastic to watch there also.
Talking of age, there was a great interview with the ever entertaining and eloquent Hervé Poncheral of the MotoGP Tec3 team last weekend. In it he referred to how he still thinks of himself as in his twenties, and then he looks in the mirror and thinks who is this guy, I know exactly what he means.
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Post by Carl on Sept 3, 2018 4:54:18 GMT
Portland was extraordinarily exciting.
Less downforce demanding more driver control equals close racing and more passing.
76 elements on a front wing equals nothing.
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Post by René on Sept 3, 2018 20:26:21 GMT
Portland was extraordinarily exciting. Less downforce demanding more driver control equals close racing and more passing. 76 elements on a front wing equals nothing. I watched the race Carl and it was great. After the Monza disappointment I truly enjoyed this one. Great track, old school and a popular win for Sato even if it was a bit lucky. |
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Post by Carl on Sept 3, 2018 21:44:38 GMT
Portland was extraordinarily exciting. Less downforce demanding more driver control equals close racing and more passing. 76 elements on a front wing equals nothing. I watched the race Carl and it was great. After the Monza disappointment I truly enjoyed this one. Great track, old school and a popular win for Sato even if it was a bit lucky. Rene,
I'm glad you were able to watch! I was concerned my glowing appraisal would have no witnesses. 
Good luck and bad luck were random throughout the field and Sato was indeed lucky to be in front after others had to pit but he and his engineer were also smart on pit strategy. At the end, Ryan Hunter-Reay had to pace himself and Sato had plenty of fuel to counter when the always fast Hunter-Reay was able to attack.
Alexander Rossi had the best drive and the worst luck. Fastest all day, every time the order was reshuffled by unforeseen circumstance, he lost positions. Scott Dixon's luck was amazing, escaping a five-car collision on the first lap virtually undamaged except for losing his radio antenna! He can provide his own luck with brilliant responses in emergency situations.
The back straight at Portland is so cool, with a fast flowing entry and a scary fast 165 mph sweeper at the end demanding delicate brake application and perfect line. As you say, it was a great race on a wonderful road course.
Cheers, Carl
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