| Author | Message | ||
| David Stoeppelwerth (Racerdj)
Junior Member Username: Racerdj Post Number: 132 Registered: 1-2003 |
If there is any interest in a get together with Ferrari cars in Indy please post. I live in Indy and will not be going to the race but would like to get together with others. | ||
| arthur chambers (Art355)
Intermediate Member Username: Art355 Post Number: 1499 Registered: 6-2001 |
EFWUN: I represented a driver in a contract dispute with the team owner in the 90s. I have a copy of the original Honda lease agreement for their engines. You'd be amazed at what was involved in getting one of those agreements. Those little engines made a $hitload of horsepower, but when you had a deal, you couldn't touch the motor, the motor came with its own engineers, etc. An interesting side note; Honda was dominate in that class until about 1998 (or so) when Toyota came into the series. Toyota hired one of Honda's mechanics, who looked their engine an laughted. When they asked him why, he said that Honda had tricked the Pop-off valve by designing the chamber below it into thinking it was a low pressure area, getting an extra inch or two of boost. Nobody had been able to figure out how they got the extra HP. CART made them redesign the chamber, and all of a sudden, the Hondas didn't have an extra power. Art Art | ||
| Andy Falsetta (Tuttebenne)
Junior Member Username: Tuttebenne Post Number: 115 Registered: 3-2003 |
Efwun Regarding the undeniable romance of the real turbo IndyCars. I agree. The last time I had an IRL race on the TV (a few years ago) I was listening to the broadcast from another room. After a while I noticed that it sounded just like NASCAR. And Art was right, Clinton said "its the economy stupid". Bush said "read my lips, no new taxes". I don't want to get this thread off topic but maybe we should start one to see what statement George W. will be most remembered for. | ||
| Frederick Thomas (Fred)
Member Username: Fred Post Number: 700 Registered: 2-2001 |
Just read in the USA today that they have 71 entries. I think they will get 33. | ||
| EFWUN (Efwun)
Member Username: Efwun Post Number: 581 Registered: 2-2003 |
That's alright, Art, I probably deserve it, DES actually pointed out that I'm spelling "Pejorative" incorrectly!! D'OH!! Still there was an undeniable romance to the real turbo indycars that I think is missing from the IRL cars. Perhaps just the insane power, who knows. I'm kinda glad I bailed on champ cars for euro stuff; my very brief test experience was that the ovals were like Russian Roulet. | ||
| arthur chambers (Art355)
Intermediate Member Username: Art355 Post Number: 1390 Registered: 6-2001 |
EFWUN: That's a quote from Clinton's campaign, not to insult you. Art | ||
| EFWUN (Efwun)
Member Username: Efwun Post Number: 559 Registered: 2-2003 |
It's the economy, "stupid"??? Gee Art, thanks. I guess the fact that americans would rather watch nascar (argh) on ovals than IRL cars on ovals, and TV and sponsors know that full well, has nothing to do with it? I see nascar coverage spreading like a malignant neoplasm, and fields growing like weeds; why aren't their entries cut by 2/3? Art, we've been on the same side of quite a few issues, I'm surprised you used such a perjorative term in response. | ||
| arthur chambers (Art355)
Intermediate Member Username: Art355 Post Number: 1378 Registered: 6-2001 |
Jack: Can you spell moving chicane? I can. Art | ||
| Jack (Gilles27)
Member Username: Gilles27 Post Number: 719 Registered: 3-2002 |
Art, how can you forget Dr. Jack Miller, the racing dentist, in the Crest Special!? | ||
| Lee Hamner (Tennlee)
New member Username: Tennlee Post Number: 38 Registered: 2-2002 |
I didn't pay attention to the thread title. I saw Indy and thought the question was for the F1 race at Indy this fall... whoops! | ||
| arthur chambers (Art355)
Intermediate Member Username: Art355 Post Number: 1373 Registered: 6-2001 |
EFWUN: At the present I don't represent any teams. I do have a couple of CART/IRL drivers as clients. When I get some time, I'll tell you the story about how the split came about. It wasn't all Tony George's fault, but he doesn't have a substantial role in the process. Penske, et al and their egos had a little to do with the formation of the IRL. As to the series demise, it's the economy, stupid! Regardless of what the goverment is telling us, the economy is in a worse place than we're being told. It's my understanding that it takes about 6 - 7M per car per year for an A team (the lesser teams can get by with 3 -5M/year per car). That money is generally paid to the top teams, and frankly, the back of the field is usually filled with teams funded by wealthy individuals with a bit of an ego. An example of that sort of team would be the Cunningham/Byrd entry driven by Mike Groff (a client) and then John Paul, Jr. (a good guy). When the economy went bad that team dissolved, and isn't likely to re-appear. There are many examples of this type of team going out of business. The Andrettis, the Penskes, the Gianassis, etc. will always be running, because their program is professional, and they have excellent economics, and good contacts in the business world. Art | ||
| Jere Dunham (Questioner)
Member Username: Questioner Post Number: 427 Registered: 1-2003 |
Art, I have not looked up the entry list for the 500 this year. Did Greg Ray enter his new team. I spoke with him about a month ago when he was wrapping up the purchase and he said they would be there and hoped to have two cars by the end of the year.. | ||
| Jere Dunham (Questioner)
Member Username: Questioner Post Number: 426 Registered: 1-2003 |
David, The Indy 500 is run on the oval in a counterclockwise rotation. The Grand Prix is run in a clockwise rotation with the cars coming off the front straight and into an immediate hard right hander and into the infield course. The top speeds are slower because of the amount of time the cars have making the turns left and right in the infield and never getting to use the front and rear straights to their full advantage. | ||
| EFWUN (Efwun)
Member Username: Efwun Post Number: 544 Registered: 2-2003 |
Art, you sneaky devil, I didn't know you represented race teams/drivers! How come entries are so down? Didn't little Andretti's defection, along with the omnipresent Ganassis and Penskes fill the ranks? Kinda funny how Tony George ruined a real race series, with REAL race cars, CART, only to go up against the ubiquitous good'ol boys on ovals (SO deadly in open wheelers) and lose? What happened to their jargon about creating a low-cost series everyone could afford? As a guy who had a cup of coffee in Indycars before realizing that there wasn't any money to stay there and going to Europe (where an American was of no interest and I realized that guys like me were a dime a dozen!) I would have applauded IRL if only they hadn't seemed like a sham from the start!! | ||
| arthur chambers (Art355)
Intermediate Member Username: Art355 Post Number: 1361 Registered: 6-2001 |
Fred: If there is to be 33 entries, they'll have to change the rules to make it so. They only got 34 entries, last year 85! Hopefully one of my clients will be the filler. Art | ||
| Frederick Thomas (Fred)
Member Username: Fred Post Number: 694 Registered: 2-2001 |
Art, There will be 33 cars starting the 500 this year. To steal a line from radio sports host Tony Bruno "you can put that down as a stone cold lock"  Fred | ||
| Rob Schermerhorn (Rexrcr)
Member Username: Rexrcr Post Number: 542 Registered: 11-2002 |
For a 237 lap average at Indy, this requires probably a top speed of 250 mph or so entering turn one and three. BTW, Ferrari did build one Indy car in I think '84. Looks alot like a March chassis of the same era. Somewhere in my archives I have a photo of me standing next to it at O'Hare airport's air cargo area. It was on loan to the Speedway's museum in '94, and I had a connection in international freight letting me know when it was shipped. I guess ol' Bernie told Ferrari to pick one open-wheel series, not two. | ||
| arthur chambers (Art355)
Intermediate Member Username: Art355 Post Number: 1351 Registered: 6-2001 |
Frederik: You probably won't see 33 cars start Indy this year. There were only 34 applicants for starting positions this year. Several of them will probably crash in practice, and if I had to bet, the starting grid will only be about 30 cars this year. Bad economy and the CART IRL split had terribly hurt open wheel racing in the US. Art | ||
| Jack (Gilles27)
Member Username: Gilles27 Post Number: 717 Registered: 3-2002 |
I went to the 500 for years. 1997 was the last time (3 days to run it) and I swore it would take massive changes before I would return. Now, the race itself has my interest, but I've come to enjoy it on television much more, fridge full of beer, and 399,999 fewer people to deal with. I'll stick with the GP in September.I must be getting old. | ||
| David W Burnett Jr (Dbdreams)
Junior Member Username: Dbdreams Post Number: 59 Registered: 3-2003 |
Thanks Fred for helping me further my racing education! | ||
| Frederick Thomas (Fred)
Member Username: Fred Post Number: 693 Registered: 2-2001 |
1)Yes you are on the right track, pun intended. 2)No 3)see 2 4)I would guess around 210 down the straights. 5)The one lap record is somewhere around 237mph 6)I would say surfing the net. I am a bigger F1 fan but as far as just one race the Indy 500 is tops for me. It is just such a hugh event. When you look around and see 350,000 people silent while they play taps and the military jets fly over you get a lump in your throat. Then the start is just fantastic to see the 33 cars charge down the back stretch. Bottom line don't do one or the other do both because they each are incredible. | ||
| David W Burnett Jr (Dbdreams)
Junior Member Username: Dbdreams Post Number: 58 Registered: 3-2003 |
I have a few questions about Indianapolis. I went to their website and from what I gather the Indy 500 is cars made up of the Indy series with the track being more or less oval and the Indianapolis Grand Prix is formula one cars with the track being a road course. Ferrari's drivers for Formaula one are Schumacher and Barrichello. 1. So far does it sound like I understood what I read? 2. Does Ferrari have any cars in the Indy series? 3. If so who are the drivers? 4. In formnula one what is the top speed? 5. In the Indy series what is the top speed? 6. What or where is the best source to learn more? I was thinking of going to the Indy 500 but from what I was reading th Grand Prix in September sounds more fun. I dont know though, both would also be fun. David | ||
| Lee Hamner (Tennlee)
New member Username: Tennlee Post Number: 35 Registered: 2-2002 |
I've only recently bought my Ferrari, so don't know... is there a place to leave a Ferrari in a fc/fca/club location and feel good about it for the race? I'm interested in going. | ||
| Frederick Thomas (Fred)
Member Username: Fred Post Number: 690 Registered: 2-2001 |
I live in Indy and am going again this year. I have been to 15 of the last 19 I think. I would go just to see the start alone. It is truly an awsome sight. | ||
| JRV (Jrvall)
Intermediate Member Username: Jrvall Post Number: 1298 Registered: 11-2002 |
Anyone? |