2016 Verizon IndyCar SeriesOpen Wheel 

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John's Debate! - That's (Short) Track Racing?
Insanity. Calamity. My last debate was on if these cars should race on short tracks. This time... from 0 to 100 (100 = best; 0 = worst), how would you grade this race? Be a teacher for a day and dish out a grade for the quality and action of this race.


Speed Channel's Robin Miller noted that the IndyCar Series may want to consider giving teams a week off from Richmond so that they could build their cars back up after this wreck-fest. That's not a debate, just a comment I wanted to throw in.

Congratulations to Tony Kannan. He's been driving up many streets and has finally found Victory Lane after a long while. Welcome home, Tony Kannan!
 
JohnBM01
John's Debate! - That's (Short) Track Racing?
Insanity. Calamity. My last debate was on if these cars should race on short tracks. This time... from 0 to 100 (100 = best; 0 = worst), how would you grade this race? Be a teacher for a day and dish out a grade for the quality and action of this race.
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60

Too many wrecks in the early going, although seeing Jaime Camara fly through the field was fun to watch (until he wrecked) after all the insanity, there was hardly anybody left but the Ganassi, Penske, and AGR cars running single file.


JohnBM01
Speed Channel's Robin Miller noted that the IndyCar Series may want to consider giving teams a week off from Richmond so that they could build their cars back up after this wreck-fest. That's not a debate, just a comment I wanted to throw in.
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I think there should be a week off to help the CCWS transitions teams (most of which who only have 1 car per driver) repair their cars in time for Watkins Glen.
 
Rain is the great equalizer. It either means a chance to sneak up on the competition and make a bold bid for the lead... or it can mean calamity. This doesn't really bode well for most of the teams that struggled in the NASCAR-style wreck-fest at Richmond. Be interesting to see who gets it done. I think the Champ Car refugees will have the experience factor despite the fact that none of them raced Watkins Glen in an Indy or Champ car. We'll see who gets it done on Sunday. I have a feeling that Scott Dixon will win.
 
I think Marco will score his first win this season especially if it rains. At the 2006 Watkins Glen GP, Marco drove through the field in wet conditions until Eddie Cheever took him out.
 
I think the Champ Car transition drivers will have another strong showing here, and if it rains, I would be worried about Scott Dixon getting 4 in a row at the 'Glen.
 
Briscoe Inferno on the pole!

Rain in the forecast, oh boy this one is gonna be fun! :D
 
2008 Watkins Glen GP Race Results
Congratulations to Ryan Hunter-Reay for winning the 2008 Watkins Glen GP! And he did it by passing an Englishman, Darren Manning, for the lead! America defeats Britain again on Independence Day weekend! :lol: USA! USA! USA! :D

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That race was so boring. I'm gonna stop watching IndyCar. I've had enough of their racing. Their commentators are simply unbearable to listen to, I can't stand listening to them. Also, the mistakes these drivers make are simply crazy. Come on, 2 crashes DURING safety lap? Jeez. My one biggest complaint however is that the winner almost ALWAYS is determined by who is lucky enough to be in the top 5 because of several safety cars. It's too much of a lottery. I can't stand watching that sort of races. The whole first 50 laps they did was worthless basically..
 
Luck has always been a part of racing. As for today's race... Ryan Hunter-Reay didn't exactly luck into his win. He started 3rd and stayed near the front for most of the race. Scott Dixon spun out under caution because he made a mistake. Ryan Briscoe got taken out, but Hunter-Reay managed to miss Dixon's car. Then he passed Darren Manning on the restart to take the lead. Nothing lucky about that pass either. Hunter-Reay just got a better jump on Manning. At the end of the day, Ryan won the race because he was the best driver.

I hope you don't give up on the IndyCar Series. They'll be finishing up the season with 3 ovals, 2 road courses, 1 airport course, and 2 street courses. The 5 road/airport/street races should be very competitive.
 
MustangSVT
Their commentators are simply unbearable to listen to, I can't stand listening to them.
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You're right there, Marty Reid thinks it's necessary to scream at the top of his lungs when the winner is about to take the checkered flag, even if he has a 5+ second lead over 2nd. Scott Goodyear isn't any better, listening to his commentary is as entertaining as watching grass grow.

MustangSVT
Also, the mistakes these drivers make are simply crazy. Come on, 2 crashes DURING safety lap? Jeez.
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Well, Milka Duno kinda took out Anthony Foyt accidentally, she was trying to avoid hitting the car in front of her and she locked up her front tires and slid into Foyt's car.

Scott Dixon took full responsibility on his incident with Briscoe, he was trying to get heat in the tires and had too much steering into it and the car just spun around.


MustangSVT
My one biggest complaint however is that the winner almost ALWAYS is determined by who is lucky enough to be in the top 5 because of several safety cars. It's too much of a lottery. I can't stand watching that sort of races. The whole first 50 laps they did was worthless basically..
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Not really, if the race had gone green you would've seen some drivers short pit and try to win the race on fuel strategy, and you would've seen others toward the front going full out and hoping they would get a caution so everybody would pit taking away any advantage that other drivers may have had by trying to win on fuel.

VNAF Ace
Ryan Hunter-Reay started 3rd and stayed near the front for most of the race. He didn't get "lucky" because of the full course cautions. He took advantage of Scott Dixon's spin under caution that took out Ryan Briscoe. Then he passed Darren Manning on the restart to take the lead. Nothing lucky about that pass either. Hunter-Reay just got a better jump on Manning.
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Hunter-Reay knows road courses rather well (and ovals), he came up through champ car and has seen a few of these tracks before, while some of the other transitions drivers have not, which is an advantage for him.
 
Yeah! Its official, I have had the best weekend ever :)

As for how the drivers win, why is it such a big deal? Unless the guy who won spun someone out to get it done, whats wrong with it? You can never predict a race. No matter how you would like the race to turn out, its completely out of you hands so you can only hope it'll turn out the way you want it. There's no point in complaining about outcome if its beyond your control.
 
RACECAR
Yeah! Its official, I have had the best weekend ever :)

As for how the drivers win, why is it such a big deal? Unless the guy who won spun someone out to get it done, whats wrong with it? You can never predict a race. No matter how you would like the race to turn out, its completely out of you hands so you can only hope it'll turn out the way you want it. There's no point in complaining about outcome if its beyond your control.
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I'm not complaining about outcome because I'm not a "big" fan of any of the drivers. I was shocked by Scott Dixon's mistake (my current favorite driver, but I don't really mind him not winning). I'm just saying i see it too much of a lottery to win. I suppose I'm comparing it to British GP today where there weren't any safety cars versus how Watkins Glen is a tighter road course with less run off area.

I however am still shocked at 2 crashes during safety car slow lap.

Actually I just want to bold the fact that 90% of my complaint to IndyCar is the commentators. Scott Goodyear puts me to sleep the way he talks and the other guy talks about irrelevant stuff that's obvious and I don't care about most of the time and also shouts way too much like how James Alen on ITV says "LEEEEWIIIIIIS HAAAAAMILLLLTOOOOOON WIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINSSSSSS!!!!!!". It's just plain annoying. If they had the SpeedTV F1 commentators with David Hobbs taking shots and snippets at the drivers every so often for their maneuvers and mistakes, would be much better.
 
Ryan Hunter-Reay's last open wheel win was at Surfer's Paradise in 2003 for Champ Car. Now, Texas' own (from Dallas) Ryan Hunter-Reay wins the race at Watkins Glen. Stellar drive in this crazy race.


I had something else planned to chat about, but I'll reserve that until a later time. Next round of the championship, the IndyCar Series heads to the Volunteer State to race Nashville. Someone's going to enjoy a new Gibson guitar and rocking the night away. So who will it be? We'll see this Saturday!
 
I got that Surfer's Paradise 2003 info from ESPN. Misinformation kings? Your call.
 
Did you get that info from the race broadcast, Sportscenter, or online? I do recall that the announcers mentioned during the race broadcast that Ryan's last win on a road/street course came at Surfers Paradise in 2003.
 
Scott Dixon wins The Firestone indy 200. Beat you VNAF Ace :D
 
Go Scott :D

That's four wins/eight podiums from ten races for him, but for some reason I get the feeling stuff will start going badly wrong for Dixon now.

Or am I just being a bit tentative about his chances now he's got a, what is it, 63?-point series lead?
 
I was unable to watch this race because I had to attend a party with some family members. Family members + party + family members that don't care about sports or motorsports = no fun time watching TV. I was even playing some basketball in my ankle boots (as comfortable as sneakers). So I missed EVERYTHING. Maybe Sunday's SPEED Report will fill me in on what happened.

New Zealand has a good repetoire of racing talent. Only Kiwis I know other than Scott Dixon are the Millens (like Rhys, Rod, and Steve Millen). The New Zealander getting it done. He won the title in 2003, and he may win the 2008 championship if he keeps up the good work. Either that... or somebody has to step up and really take him on.
 
Mid-Ohio Sportscar Course has held the SCCA Runoffs for a long while. This course is an excellent facility. I usually think of SCCA action here, but I also know it as a good Champ Car venue. What I'm looking for is that this course ends up giving the ex-Champ Car drivers a little edge. If experience is the worst teacher (actual quote: "Experience is the worst teacher. It gives the test before it teaches the lesson." -Vernon Law), then the Champ Car stars could teach the Indy stars a lesson they'll never forget.



But right now, Scott Dixon's the man. He didn't do too well at the last road race. How will he do this time?
 
JohnBM01
New Zealand has a good repetoire of racing talent. ... the Millens (like Rhys, Rod, and Steve Millen).
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👍 Not many people actually know about the Millens. You Yanks should though, after all last time I checked Rhys ran a Pontiac GTO (well, Holden monaro) in the US drift series :dopey:

But John, I hope you were only referring to Kiwis in the States, because if you forgot about Messrs McLaren, Hulme and Amon... tut tut :lol:
 
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