and we're back:
Indycar is wild today. Harvey's crash didn't look that hard but he sure seems shaken up. And how the **** did Kirkwood drive that car back??????
they mentioned it on the broadcast, Graham really does have his dad’s racecraft. never super quick, but smart. Grosjean on the other hand….
Mclaughlin takes full responsibility for the clash: https://www.motorsport.com/indycar/news/mclaughlin-big-mistake-grosjean-st-pete-indycar/10440360/ Anyway I can't wait for Barber, a perfect road course for Romain. Better luck there hopefully. He says they have made huge progress in testing and that the car has come alive this will be very interesting to watch!
Is it me? How is it I can watch an F1 race in the morning and understand what's going on, and in the afternoon don't have a clue in the IndyCar race? And don't get much help from the broadcast... ?? Sent from my SM-A102U using FerrariChat.com mobile app
more cars and more cautions, less clearly defined strategies as a result, and you get something a lot more chaotic. broadcast team doesn’t do a great job in that respect either. maybe for a couple of guys but not the whole field
Didn't lose the plot of the race here (other than trying to keep my eyes open during the long caution periods) but what was interesting from the broadcast was that Hinchcliffe seemed to be doing most of the talking as if by design. NBC's broadcast would be better if they just had Hinchliffe and Townsend Bell commentating and locking Leigh Diffey in a closet somewhere. They were doing fine keeping Diffey at bay but at one point he interjected himself into the conversation again and went on a long, rambling diatribe about who knows what completely unrelated to what was happening and it was like, "What the hell is he talking about?". Diffey is fine when he sticks to the script but when he's let off the leash for a second, he goes on these long boring tangents which seem to have no real point other than to show everyone he knows the Australian and Kiwi drivers better than anyone (so there!) attitude. NBC is obviously tinkering with the format a bit but they'd be a lot better off if Diffey was sort of a show host and let the rest of them do their thing uninterrupted. BHW
Sorry for the late personal analysis of what was going on here in St Pete. We held a GP party and I was busy running from BR to Balcony to TV and trying to explain what was happening to a bunch of "none race fan rookies" that came to our party. My girl made an incredible lunch....lobster and shrimp rolls, crab dip, charcuterie and a lot more. Me? I didn't eat anything. I can't eat when I am so pumped and thrilled by watching the action. She had to shove a lobster roll in my face....I didn't care. Some general thoughts: 1. The City repaved 1st St....that is where the track comes off the airport entrance road onto the main city street. Better known as Turn 3. The airport entrance was older pavement while at the crucial apex onto 1st St it was new pavement. At the beginning of the weekend I could not understand why so many drivers lost it on that turn. I have been here 6 times and Turn 3 was never a problem. This weekend it seemed every different class races someone went off and hit the wall. A couple of drivers mentioned how greasy this transition was. Turn 3 is where the 5 car pile-up of the Indy back markers occurred. If you watch the replays the Dixon and Rosenquist tangle caused the backmarkers to slam on the brakes coming into the turn. They didn't have enough traction on the new pavement to grip. Rosie and Dixon started it but the old/new pavement transition was a problem all weekend. If you have the time take a look at a couple of the in car cameras. There were more than these 5 cars that had a problem there. 2. I don't know what was up with the Firestone tire selections. This "green-s__t" tire using some plant in the Arizona desert was a joke. The alternate qualifying tire didn't last 2 laps. Pato O'Ward explained as much in his post qualifying interview. Saving the planet with bs tires is incredibly stupid and not a good decision that compromises the drivers and their safety. 3. Qualifying rules or the lack thereof is a problem for Indycar. Having to use 2 lap tires made it more difficult to get a clear shot at your hot laps. In the first round drivers could come out for 1 warm up and 2 hot laps before pitting and changing tires and repeating for the best time. But unlike F1 there seem to be no penalties for holding up a car trying to get his best time. Newgarden was robbed by Rahal who was dawdling along on the line. It happened to another top driver.....can't remember. The Indy directors should fix this problem. Here in St Pete starting mid or back pack means you are a long shot to finish at or near the top. Some specific thoughts: 1. Colton Herta was fast. Qualified second. I noticed all weekend he was driving smoothly and safe. It was hard to even see that he was as fast. I didn't think he was. Guess that driving smooth is fast but hard to see as a spectator. From our place I watch the straight leading to and Turn 4, as well as Turns 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 below us. During the race I saw Herta hit the tires on Turn 8. Nobody misses this turn and hits these tires. It's a slow turn. But........Will Power hit him twice. Once after 7 and harder right before 8. Both times Herta had the position. Scuse my French but WTF?? It was dirty and disgusting. Power tapped him once but I guess not hard enough and then deliberately pushed him into the tires and out of the race. It was blatant. Herta said a couple of obtuse comments afterward....but you had to know what happened to understand what he was really saying. Yea...Power got a penalty. But Herta was the victim. Makes me wonder if Penske/Power are concerned about Herta for the championship. St Pete is an easy place to knock a competitor out if you want to make sure he gets no points. 2. Okay.....McLaughlin and Grosjean......the big story. On the first tire change the leaders pitted at about the same time. But the unpredictable yellow immediately after the leaders pitted allowed McLaughlin to jump to the lead. And at the front he held off Grosjean even though Romain was just a bit quicker. It's really tough to pass on this track. The drama ensued after the 2nd pit stop. Grosjean pitted first. And McLaughlin a lap later after being slowed by a back marker. Kudos to his pit crew for getting him out ahead of Grosjean. Then it became a drag race to Turn 4 and who would brake later. Both lost. It was very polite and good PR for McLaughlin to come out and say it was his fault for knocking Grosjean out of the race. Yes he had cold tires and RG had been faster all weekend. My opinion....yea....I know...everybody got one....THIS is where I see what you can't see on TV. I know Turn 4...it's a direct view from my BR window. I watched it all weekend. Drivers in every series would try to figure out how late they could brake off the straight before turn-in to the 90 degree Turn 4. I saw at least 20 drivers miss this turn and spinning either into the runoff [safe] or hitting the tires [you're screwed]. Graham Rahal spun into the runoff twice in one practice. Dixon smacked his car into the tires during practice on qualifying day. His car had to be hooked off and towed to the pits for repair. There were so many misses at Turn 4 it was mind-boggling. Yes....McLaughlin was on cold tires. And Grosjean on warmed tires and in a slightly quicker car. BUT BUT BUT.....You cannot pass on the outside of Turn 4. I watched a lot of passing on that corner. It can only be done by a drag race and taking the INSIDE line. It's a 90 degree corner after a short high speed straight. There is no room to late brake and pass on the outside without hitting the tires. McLaughlin had the inside line and owned that corner. I know he said he locked up his rears. Both drivers locked up. The only way Romain would have gotten safely through that turn is if McLaughlin braked very early on the straight and let Grosjean get directly in front of him to take the inside line. Or if Grosjean backed off and followed since he didn't have position. There is no room for two cars at speed to go side by side on Turn 4. Grosjean should NEVER have tried that move. You pass on Turn 10 not Turn 4. All weekend nobody passed on the outside of Turn 4. Too tight of a corner. It was nice for McLaughlin to recognize that his buddy Romain was faster and deserved to win the race. Adrenaline dominates over logical thinking while at speed. Either could have made alternative split-second decisions resulting differing results. But that's racing. Funny..........I never heard Will Power apologize for knocking Herta out of the race. Did I say I really despise Power? My long-winded 2 cents..
Right below our balcony is where they would hook and drop cars after crashes. First is Dixon after hitting the tirewall on Saturday practice. Others pics included the cars deposited after the 1st lap crash at Turn 3. Last is Grosjean's car after his shunt with McLaughlin. I named it the graveyard. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
