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Post by René on Jun 5, 2023 21:12:40 GMT
A strange circuit in a terrible environment. The race was interesting at times, but in particular because of a number of good overtaking actions. Will Power was having a blast!  Roger Penske is a monument in American motorsport, but in the meantime also a bit of a fossil. Trump attracts people who don't want change and prefer to go back to the past, when everything was better... |
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Post by René on Jun 15, 2023 19:45:02 GMT
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Post by Carl on Jun 15, 2023 22:41:33 GMT
Grand Prix at Road AmericaSiebken’s here we come… one day… hopefully!  Anyway, we’re at Road America, Elkart Lake. Arguably the best road course in the US. Old school, fast and dangerous. A real driver’s circuit!   Who’s gonna win? Your guess is as good as mine. But who will be strong? Certainly Indy 500 winner Josef Newgarden who has won her twice before. Alex Palou has won here last year and Dixon, Rossi, Rosenqvist and Power are also previous winners. Pato O’Ward certainly needs a win. Or Grosjean… or Herta… I could go on! Part of Road America's greatness is that it has never been altered. Steak dinners at Siebkens may cost more and the Hawaiian Tropic ladies may retire, but the concession stand bratwursts are just as delicious and the original 1955 course designed by highway engineer (and local competitor) Cliff Tufte is unchanged.
Sports Car Graphic Magazine Editor and Trans-Am champion Jerry Titus died in 1970 against the abutment of an infield access bridge, soon replaced by the tunnel seen at the bottom of the photograph. He suffered the same type of basilar skull fracture that killed Dale Earnhardt at Daytona two decades later. Both would have been saved by the HANS device. |
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Post by René on Jun 16, 2023 16:03:40 GMT
Great info Carl, thanks! The HANS device is without a doubt one of the most important inventions when it comes to safety and survivability. And that for such a relatively simple device.  |
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Post by René on Jun 17, 2023 19:09:50 GMT
Ouch! An uncharacteristic error of judgment by Scott Dixon in FP2!
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Post by Carl on Jun 17, 2023 22:53:50 GMT
Ouch! An uncharacteristic error of judgment by Scott Dixon in FP2! Most likely poor communication from his spotter. I think drivers depend too often on information from the team about traffic conditions. On big ovals, spotters normally are on top of a main grandstand and can see the entire track. Sustained high speeds make the relayed guidance necessary, but doing so is far less practical on a road course.
Could Will Power's fury have been a territorial claim on foolish moves? |
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Post by Carl on Jun 17, 2023 23:41:51 GMT
Indycar Road America Qualifying
1 26 Colton Herta / Andretti Autosport 1:40.2 / 144.223 mph / Honda engine 2 5 Pato O'Ward / 1:40.364 / Arrow McLaren / Chevrolet 3 10 Alex Palou, / 1:40.5 / Team Ganassi / Honda 4 2 Josef Newgarden / 1:40.95 / Team Penske / Chevrolet 5 7 Alexander Rossi / 1:41.19 / Arrow McLaren / Chevrolet 6 27 Kyle Kirkwood / No Time / Andretti Autorsport / Honda 7 45 Christian Lundgaard / 1:41.05 / Team Rahal / Honda 8 11 Marcus Armstrong (R) / 1:41.17 / Team Ganassi / Honda 9 8 Marcus Ericsson / 1:41.22 / Team Ganassi / Honda 10 55 Benjamin Pedersen (R) / 1:41.5 / Team Foyt / Chevrolet
Well done by rookie drivers Marcus Armstrong and Benjamin Pedersen!
A disappointing day for Harvey, Dixon, Power, Grosjean, McLaughlin, Rosenqvist, Veekay and Graham Rahal
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Post by René on Jun 18, 2023 9:50:53 GMT
Could Will Power's fury have been a territorial claim on foolish moves? That must be it!  |
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Post by Carl on Jun 19, 2023 3:06:16 GMT
The announcers began to speculate about pitstop strategy and tyre compounds almost immediately. And they were right to do so because the decision by Andretti Autosport to pit Colton Herta with 15 laps remaining apparently cost the lead and the race. Had he pitted with 14 laps remaining, as other front runners did, he could easily have won.
One basic dry tyre (plus necessary wet compounds) could return the emphasis of racing to braking later into corners and positioning your car for aerodynamic advantage to pass someone at the end of a straight or disallow being passed by another.
Hmmmmm..... Why not toss pennies in an alley at midnight to settle the matter? Full speed ahead on the right tyre compound!
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Post by René on Jun 19, 2023 11:15:10 GMT
Yes Carl I agree. The focus is too much on tyre strategy which is a shame. Some would argue that's part of modern racing but they probably don't know how racing used to be. But at least we should be happy there's no DRS in IndyCar!
Still, some great action on this magnificent track. Just for the images alone it's worth watching. Colton Herta is great to watch and it would have been nice if he had won... but he is not winning like Palou or Newgarden do. Something is still missing for Colton. Luck, consistency, reading the race, his team? Don't know.
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Post by Carl on Jun 19, 2023 17:37:42 GMT
René, I wonder if losing direct guidance from Bryan Herta has Colton on his back foot. Earlier this year the team responded to some tense radio exchanges between father and son by changing strategists with Kyle Kirkwood. Colton and his new crew chief may not mesh as naturally. You're absolutely right about Road America making any race a pleasure to watch. The track flows better from corner to corner than almost any other and the gorgeous surroundings are almost too good for dairy cows! Team Penske has lost its normal dominant edge and it may be taking a toll. Josef Newgarden was overtly aggressive a few times in the race and seemed to be reading from a script when interviewed after the race. This year's Chevrolet engine may not be equal to Honda's, a possible reason the team has struggled in qualifying. Roger Penske's attention may be divided between his team and the series he now owns, a challenge made more difficult as he approaches 90. He'll never retire and, if the snow globe drops, he's more likely to catch it than mutter "Rosebud". |
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Post by René on Jun 29, 2023 17:09:51 GMT
Grand Prix at Mid-OhioOnce again the Indycar circus visits a fantastic track, the Mid-Ohio Road course. Elevation changes, high-speed corners, flowing corners, tight corners, you name it.  Alex Palou is the man who is in the winning flow and he has taken a big lead in the championship. Who can threaten him here? Newgarden, O'Ward, Ericsson or perhaps Herta? In any case, it will be beautiful to watch again! Highly recommended. 
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Post by Carl on Jun 29, 2023 17:45:45 GMT
Team Penske and Andretti Autosport are both struggling with dysfunction and need some systematic reform. Team Rahal has also lost its former competitive edge. Currently, Alex Palou is the best driver on a team of outstanding drivers which has retained its top level organization despite Chip Ganassi's rotundity.
Smaller teams like Arrow McLaren, AJ Foyt Racing, Dale Coyne and Ed Carpenter have taken some of what Penske and Andretti have lost, bad for legacy power teams but good overall for Indycar!
René, we are joined by many in praise of the great Mid-Ohio road course. It was one of John's favorites.
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Post by René on Jun 29, 2023 18:40:38 GMT
Team Penske and Andretti Autosport are both struggling with dysfunction and need some systematic reform. Team Rahal has also lost its former competitive edge. Currently, Alex Palou is the best driver on a team of outstanding drivers which has retained its top level organization despite Chip Ganassi's rotundity. Smaller teams like Arrow McLaren, AJ Foyt Racing, Dale Coyne and Ed Carpenter have taken some of what Penske and Andretti have lost, bad for legacy power teams but good overall for Indycar! René, we are joined by many in praise of the great Mid-Ohio road course. It was one of John's favorites. I had to look up the word ‘rotundity’ first! And yes, it was one of John’s favorite tracks. I read some posts again from a couple of years ago and realized (again) how much I miss John at our Table. He added so much to our talks and discussions. This is what John said about Mid-Ohio: “I really like Mid Ohio as a circuit and in many ways it rivals Elkart Lake and Watkins Glen, just a wonderful place to watch racing cars at their finest.” I mean you can’t get a better recommendation to watch this race! |
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Post by mikael on Jun 30, 2023 13:55:56 GMT
Just a comment on IndyCar's "aeroscreen": Initially, during the tests in 2018, I through that the screen was a much better solution than FIA's "halo". But now, these screens have been patched up to a level where the cars resemble closed (sports) cars. Additionally, some (if not all) cars have a "halo" as well, within the screen. Hence, I do think that FIA's solution was the best way to go, after all.
The initial (2018) aeroscreen.
Now basically a closed cockpit (with a "sunroof", at best).
On the contrary, an F1 car is still an open car, I'd say - just with an extended roll bar.
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Anyway, we’re at Road America, Elkart Lake. Arguably the best road course in the US. Old school, fast and dangerous. A real driver’s circuit!
