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Post by René on Dec 1, 2017 18:04:52 GMT
Indy CART series in its heyday. Beautiful cars, great drivers, close racing.
Remember this one? Last lap at Laguna Seca with Alex Zanardi and Brian Herta (how would this go down with F1 stewards these days? Leaving the track and gaining an advantage...).
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Post by Carl on Dec 1, 2017 20:02:30 GMT
Rene,
I remember that very well. Alex Zanardi astonished Brian Herta as well as the entire television audience. Herta was never quite the same afterward. That was perfectly legal at the time...
...AND UNREAL!!
Zanardi also astonished Michael Andretti, I believe at Toronto's Turn 3, with a pass almost as audacious.
With all that Alex Zanardi has been through, the amazing highs and terrible lows, his tenacious ability to overcome tragedy is the most astounding.
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Post by René on Dec 2, 2017 0:40:34 GMT
Carl,
The Zanardi years in CART were phenomenal. I enjoyed that so much. The CART series in the 90's felt a bit like what F1 was in the seventies. Pure hard racing in relatively simple cars and somehow that suited Alex better than high tech Formula 1.
I was also really happy for Jimmy to win the championship that year and Alex sometimes reminded me of Gilles; doing the impossible and getting away with it.
Alex Zanardi is a very inspirational man. His resilience and perseverance is amazing.
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Post by Carl on Dec 2, 2017 4:18:23 GMT
Carl, The Zanardi years in CART were phenomenal. I enjoyed that so much. The CART series in the 90's felt a bit like what F1 was in the seventies. Pure hard racing in relatively simple cars and somehow that suited Alex better than high tech Formula 1. I was also really happy for Jimmy to win the championship that year and Alex sometimes reminded me of Gilles; doing the impossible and getting away with it. Alex Zanardi is a very inspirational man. His resilience and perseverance is amazing. Rene, I never realized CART was televised and popular in Europe. Your reasoning that Alex Zanardi had greater comfort with "relatively simple cars" is direct, right to the point, and certainly true. That was a great Ganassi team with Alex Zanardi, Jimmy Vasser and Target sponsorship. As a driver, Ganassi was on pole at his first CART race in 1982, but there were few other highlights after he became addicted to potato chips. Your last sentences are very eloquent. Well said. |
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Post by robmarsh on Dec 2, 2017 6:44:54 GMT
Superb post Rene and thanks for sharing. I didn't believe it then and I have problems now. It did spring to mind when MV passed Kimi at COTA. The track was not designed for cutting corners with two rather bumpy curves that could have thrown a lesser driver into the boondocks, unlike the modern tracks of today. Zanardi seemed to have talent to spare in Indycar racing which as you say was superb to watch. We used to get it here in SA-lovely series but I didn't see of much of it as I should have. Zanardi is one of the true heroes and nice men of racing. I think I will get his book. Such a shame he didn't make it in F1.
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Post by mikael on Dec 2, 2017 8:31:35 GMT
That was perfectly legal at the time... In a way, it seems reasonable that it was legal here because the curbs are so high that clipping them like this will likely damage the bottom of the car. It's not something that should be done twice ... |
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Post by Jamie on Dec 2, 2017 8:56:06 GMT
Fantastic footage and I echo you guys' comments in saying that mid-nineties CART racing was a golden period for the series, absolutely fantastic racing in spectacular cars. I got interested when Nigel Mansell went there and we had great TV coverage here in the UK, I genuinely used to look forward to those Sunday night broadcasts more than the F1 races. After Nigel left, my interest remained and Alex was one of the true super-stars of Indycar racing, great to watch and so fast....even got to see Dario win in the flesh at Rockingham.
It was all going great until Tony George decided to spoil the party with the woeful IRL thing........I'm not a violent man but would quite happily of taken him outside and had him shot!
Indycars still haven't recovered from that debacle but I still love the series and its looking good for next year.
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Post by René on Dec 2, 2017 11:31:56 GMT
Rene, I never realized CART was televised and popular in Europe. Yes, it was on Eurosport. All the races were broadcasted live and I got really hooked. It started for me in 1990 when I watched, for the first time, an Indycar oval race. It was fascinating and I remember Rick Mears winning the race. And then, as Jamie said the Nigel Mansell years. Truly golden years with fantastic drivers. The Andretti's, Al jr., Mears, Zanardi, poor Greg Moore, Tracy, Jacques of course and many more. Your reasoning that Alex Zanardi had greater comfort with "relatively simple cars" is direct, right to the point, and certainly true. That was a great Ganassi team with Alex Zanardi, Jimmy Vasser and Target sponsorship. As a driver, Ganassi was on pole at his first CART race in 1982, but there were few other highlights after he became addicted to potato chips. Fantastic team and the colour red was also nice.  ..addicted to potato chips.... hahahaha!  |
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Post by René on Dec 2, 2017 11:35:53 GMT
It did spring to mind when MV passed Kimi At COTA. Exactly my thought Rob. Yes, he cut the corner.... but it was a brilliant move. Like a predator hunting down his pray and attacking at the most unexpected moment. Not much difference. |
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Post by René on Dec 2, 2017 11:37:29 GMT
That was perfectly legal at the time... In a way, it seems reasonable that it was legal here because the curbs are so high that clipping them like this will likely damage the bottom of the car. It's not something that should be done twice ... Precisely. Alex knew he had only one chance and there were only a few corners left. Even with damage he would have made it, |
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Post by René on Dec 2, 2017 11:42:50 GMT
Fantastic footage and I echo you guys' comments in saying that mid-nineties CART racing was a golden period for the series, absolutely fantastic racing in spectacular cars. I got interested when Nigel Mansell went there and we had great TV coverage here in the UK, I genuinely used to look forward to those Sunday night broadcasts more than the F1 races. After Nigel left, my interest remained and Alex was one of the true super-stars of Indycar racing, great to watch and so fast....even got to see Dario win in the flesh at Rockingham. It was all going great until Tony George decided to spoil the party with the woeful IRL thing........I'm not a violent man but would quite happily of taken him outside and had him shot! Indycars still haven't recovered from that debacle but I still love the series and its looking good for next year. That first year with Nigel Mansell was fantastic, wasn't it? I remember it so clearly and as you say sometimes looking more forward to the CART race than the F1 race. The IRL thing was a nightmare, completely ruined the sport. But it is looking better now indeed and I have seen several races over the last few years. Some were really spectacular. |
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Post by robmarsh on Dec 2, 2017 13:57:15 GMT
I am looking forward to 2018 as they have got rid of some of the aero bits that made them either look like kiddies karts or somebody wearing a nappy. from the back of the cockpit forward they were very pretty though.
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Post by charleselan on Dec 2, 2017 16:02:00 GMT
One of the most significant things about the CART Series in the 1990's was the fact that it wasn't a spec' series with freedom of chassis and engine makers. Mid '90's it was better than F1, a wonderful race series.
I used to watch it without fail when the complete race was shown overnight usually the day after the race was run, on UK Channel 5. It wa dutifully taped on VHS and viewed the following evening, as was US Supercross. Sadly that has all gone by the wayside for the usual trash that viewers are subjected too if they cannot reach the TV controls. I have all those tapes stored away, so will have to investigate, as I do all GP's from early 1980's onwards.
With regard to a diet of potato chips. I had no idea it was Alex Zanardi who succumbed to such delights as i thought it was JP Montoya who had body condition issues according to some!
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Post by René on Dec 2, 2017 16:26:40 GMT
With regard to a diet of potato chips. I had no idea it was Alex Zanardi who succumbed to such delights as i thought it was JP Montoya who had body condition issues according to some! I think Carl referred to Chip Ganassi! |
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Post by charleselan on Dec 2, 2017 16:50:36 GMT
With regard to a diet of potato chips. I had no idea it was Alex Zanardi who succumbed to such delights as i thought it was JP Montoya who had body condition issues according to some! I think Carl referred to Chip Ganassi! My mistake I miss read, or should I say couldn't see clearly what Carl had written. The type face is rather small as default and that was one of the reasons I used to put mine in larger face, however I returned to default as I felt others might think I was trying to shout which wasn't my intention. Anyway I still feel that JP Montoya seemed to take a leaf out of Chip's book with regard to diet. Mind you Belgian frites and mayo can become addictive, so not too many trips to Spa. |
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