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Post by René on Apr 7, 2019 18:38:44 GMT
Once dominant Chevrolet was a clear second to Honda engines in qualifying at Barber Motorsports Park. Teammates Takuma Sato and Graham Rahal are on the front row with Scott Dixon third. Ten of the fastest twelve qualifiers have Honda engines.
The best starting position for Team Penske is seventh, seen by some as a sign of Armageddon. 
Carl, I think this could be a very exciting race. It's a wonderful track and with Takuma on pole it's a good recipy for some great racing. I want to watch it live but the start is at midnight here and I have an important meeting tomorrow so I am still in doubt if I am going to watch tonight. Hmmmm...  |
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Post by Carl on Apr 7, 2019 20:03:01 GMT
Once dominant Chevrolet was a clear second to Honda engines in qualifying at Barber Motorsports Park. Teammates Takuma Sato and Graham Rahal are on the front row with Scott Dixon third. Ten of the fastest twelve qualifiers have Honda engines.
The best starting position for Team Penske is seventh, seen by some as a sign of Armageddon.
Carl, I think this could be a very exciting race. It's a wonderful track and with Takuma on pole it's a good recipy for some great racing. I want to watch it live but the start is at midnight here and I have an important meeting tomorrow so I am still in doubt if I am going to watch tonight. Hmmmm... Rene, I have a digital video recorder and never watch any program live that has commercial interruptions. I will start watching today about 30 minutes into the broadcast so I can fast-forward the commercials. Can you record the race? I hope, one way or another, you're able to enjoy it.  I agree that Takuma Sato on pole means excitement right away. There was no consensus during qualifying, but I think Bobby Rahal's team was able to find a better set-up than the others on a track surface that was hard to predict. Cheers, Carl |
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Post by Carl on Apr 7, 2019 23:30:04 GMT
Barber Motorsports Park was very exciting and close throughout, with only three seconds separating second to fifth late in the race. Takuma Sato drove almost perfectly to a well deserved win, with Scott Dixon and Sebastien Bourdais quite close in second and third. After 62 of 90 laps, there was only a single Chevrolet in the top eleven places, Josef Newgarden driving well to finish fourth ahead of Alexander Rossi.
Roger Penske may want to trade a few Chevrolet dealerships with David Hobbs for some Honda ones. |
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Post by René on Apr 8, 2019 17:27:14 GMT
Carl, I watched the race today and really enjoyed it. What a great track this is! Well deserved victory for Sato but I think Newgarden is looking very strong for the championship. It wasn't Penske's weekend but he still manged to bring it home in a good position. Good race by Marcus Ericsson also! Next up Long Beach, always a cracker!  |
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Post by charleselan on Apr 8, 2019 18:10:52 GMT
Unfortunately I missed the race as I had to arise early this morning (well early for a partially retired old so & so ) for an appointment. It sounds as though it was an excellent race and Taku driving like he did in his great year in British F3 (he was highly rated back then). We also appear to have three older chaps in the first three places; Scott and Sebastian still ultra quality drivers, hard to believe that Seb had those horrific injuries a while back, what incredible resolve the man has. Hopefully i can find the race somewhere on the internet and watch it later this week. Great work Carl in keeping us posted on Indycar meetings. |
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Post by mikael on Apr 9, 2019 13:23:41 GMT
After 62 of 90 laps, there was only a single Chevrolet in the top eleven places, Josef Newgarden driving well to finish fourth ahead of Alexander Rossi.
Roger Penske may want to trade a few Chevrolet dealerships with David Hobbs for some Honda ones.
Carl, It seems that Fernando Alonso will race a Chevrolet-powered McLaren-prepared car at the Indy 500. Do you think he has reason to worry - or will the Chevrolet be stronger on the famous oval track? Mikael
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Post by Carl on Apr 9, 2019 16:47:34 GMT
After 62 of 90 laps, there was only a single Chevrolet in the top eleven places, Josef Newgarden driving well to finish fourth ahead of Alexander Rossi.
Roger Penske may want to trade a few Chevrolet dealerships with David Hobbs for some Honda ones.
Carl, It seems that Fernando Alonso will race a Chevrolet-powered McLaren-prepared car at the Indy 500. Do you think he has reason to worry - or will the Chevrolet be stronger on the famous oval track? Mikael
Mikael, The engine demands are different on an oval compared to those on a road course, so we shall see. It may well be that Chevrolet has the advantage at Indianapolis. The ideal for fans, of course, is for driving talent to define advantage, and in that case Alonso will do very well.
-Carl
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Post by René on Apr 9, 2019 17:11:46 GMT
Yes I would agree. Honda is looking good, no question but Newgarden won the first race (with a Chevy) so it's very close. The charachteristics of an oval are also very different so difficult to say now. But Alonso won't be worried, he will have a very well prepared car and he showed he can handle the speedway.
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Post by chrisb on Apr 14, 2019 7:07:21 GMT
there is an race at Long Beach today? I really do like this circuit and look despairingly at the other street circuits - such as Singapore- and miss that great circuit and some damm good racing
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Post by Carl on Apr 15, 2019 0:25:56 GMT
there is an race at Long Beach today? I really do like this circuit and look despairingly at the other street circuits - such as Singapore- and miss that great circuit and some damm good racing Yes indeed, Chris, and the race was pretty good but not as exciting as I had predicted because Alexander Rossi put on a remarkable driving clinic and led all but a handful of laps. There was close competition between Graham Rahal, Scott Dixon and Ryan Hunter-Reay for 3rd through 5th over the last third of the race. The greatest excitement was provided by the local college women who served as topless flag marshals and waved yellow and blue flags to great effect.  Several drivers new to the series made rookie mistakes. Marcus Ericsson drew a penalty for avoidable contact just after the start of the race and Colton Herta was devastated after hitting the Turn 9 wall. It simply was not Felix Rosenqvist's weekend. Despite having mastered Macau twice in Formula 3, he spun his chances away at Long Beach. The best race of the weekend was the IMSA event on Saturday, with extremely close racing throughout in both prototype and GTLM classes. |
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Post by René on Apr 15, 2019 16:04:30 GMT
Carl, I enjoyed the race. It wasn't the most spectacular Long Beach Grand Prix but after the Chinese bore it was a relief. Rossi was the best so well deserved victory and 'my man' Newgarden again very strong with second place. Always love the sight of race cars at Long Beach!
I missed the local college women...   |
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Post by chrisb on Apr 16, 2019 20:37:19 GMT
dohh, you know I missed both the race and the girls, must be getting old...but doesn't it make you laugh, or cry or wince the ever PC F1 got rid of the grid girls and Indycar gave us topless women, wonder which was the more popular decision?
when I think of Long Beach, which I have visited many years ago but sadly didn't get to see a race there, I think of Gilles and Mario - Mario in 1977 in the beauty that was the 78 and Gilles with those ridiculous rear wings,
I don't think I have ever seen any clips of the old F5000 races around Long Beach, must check that out unless anyone else is any the wiser?
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Post by Carl on Apr 17, 2019 4:24:01 GMT
dohh, you know I missed both the race and the girls, must be getting old...but doesn't it make you laugh, or cry or wince the ever PC F1 got rid of the grid girls and Indycar gave us topless women, wonder which was the more popular decision? when I think of Long Beach, which I have visited many years ago but sadly didn't get to see a race there, I think of Gilles and Mario - Mario in 1977 in the beauty that was the 78 and Gilles with those ridiculous rear wings, I don't think I have ever seen any clips of the old F5000 races around Long Beach, must check that out unless anyone else is any the wiser? Chris, This highlight film of the first Long Beach Grand Prix, the qualifying Formula 5000 race, is Super 8 but cool nonetheless. Mario Andretti, Brian Redman, Al Unser, Tony Brise, Jody Scheckter, Tom Pryce, Jackie Oliver, David Hobbs, and yours truly in the Turn 4 grandstand. Beyond entries for Chris Amon and George Follmer equal to their talents, what more could anyone ask? Cheers, Carl Partial Qualifying List: 1 Mario Andretti Vel's Parnelli Jones Racing Lola T332-Chevrolet 1:21.297 2 Al Unser Vel's Parnelli Jones Racing Lola T332-Chevrolet 1:21.948 3 Tony Brise Theodore Racing Lola T332-Chevrolet 1:22.036 4 Jackie Oliver Phoenix Racing Shadow DN6-Dodge 1:22.799 5 Tom Pryce Phoenix Racing Shadow DN6-Dodge 1:23.346 6 Brian Redman Carl A. Haas Racing Lola T332-Chevrolet 1:23.602 7 Vern Schuppan All American Racers Eagle 755-Chevrolet 1:23.674 8 Graham McRae Eddie Lewis Lola T332-Chevrolet 1:24.039 9 Elliott Forbes-Robinson Francisco Mir Racing Lola T332-Chevrolet 1:24.091 10 Jody Scheckter Hogan Racing Lola T332-Chevrolet 1:24.168 11 John Gunn Racing Consultants Lola T332-Chevrolet 1:24.204 12 Eppie Wietzes Formula Racing Lola T400-Chevrolet 1:24.223 13 Gordon Johncock Patrick Racing Lola T332-Chevrolet 1:24.264 14 David Hobbs Hogan Racing Lola T330-Chevrolet 1:24.491 15 Jon Woodner Interscope Racing Talon MR-1A-Chevrolet 1:24.817 16 John Cannon Anglo American Racing March 73A-Chevrolet 1:24.909 17 John Morton Krinitt Racing Lola T332-Chevrolet 1:25.347 18 Brett Lunger Chris Oates, Ltd. Lola T332-Chevrolet 1:25.529 19 Warwick Brown McCormack/Burke Racing Talon MR-1A-Chevrolet 1:25.734 20 Danny Ongais Interscope Racing Lola T332-Chevrolet 1:26.090 21 Bob Earl T. P. Racing Lola T330-Chevrolet 1:26.183 22 Evan Noyes Evan Noyes Lola T332-Chevrolet 1:26.357 23 John Korn Jomar Racing Lola T330-Chevrolet 1:26.846 24 George Follmer Lance Smith Racing Lance LSR1-Chevrolet 1:26.947 25 Randy Lewis Wrangler Wracing Team Lola T332-Chevrolet 1:26.966 26 Chris Amon McCormack/Burke Racing Talon MR-1A-Chevrolet 1:27.167 27 Tuck Thomas Lancer Stores Lola T332-Chevrolet 1:27.574 28 Benny Scott Black American Racers Lola T332-Chevrolet 1:27.645 29 Bob Nagel Nagel Racing Lola T332-Chevrolet 1:28.562 30 Roger Bighouse Roger Bighouse Chevron B24-Chevrolet 1:28.570 |
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Post by charleselan on Apr 17, 2019 12:02:13 GMT
That is an outstanding entry list Carl, and the qualification times tell a great tale about performance. Can you imagine Chris Amon being 6 seconds slower than Mario, just shows how basic the Talon was. Also of note was the fact that Jackie Oliver was quicker than Tom Pryce, which just goes to prove how good Jackie was in his prime (and still a mean peddler in historic appearances at Goodwood in some unlikely vehicles).
It is a great bit of film, full of nostalgic relevance especially being converted from Super 8.
How I miss those days.
John Charles
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Post by chrisb on Apr 17, 2019 19:40:31 GMT
that is some list isn't it, I was never a big fan of Jackie Oliver but he did have quite a lot of success -
what do you reckon of Mario? a fantastic wit and dedicated racer but how quick?
such a great circuit and such a fantastic crowd of professionals
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