2018 Indy Car

I have no problem with the fastest 33 getting in the field, regardless of their status. nobody should get an exemption for being full time or having a franchise or past champion's provisional or any other nonsense we've seen elsewhere. go fast or go home. congrats to all the one-offs that made the show. heck, James Davidson darn near wrote off a car yesterday afternoon and managed to make the show.

That said, the format makes no sense. Used to be, pole was set on Saturday and bump day was Sunday. now it's the opposite. I don't get it. I generally don't like IndyCar qualifying procedures anywhere, fast six or any of the other nonsense.

and I'm still scratching my head on how SPM managed to put themselves in this position.

I bet Hinch ends up buying a seat, either from within the SPM affiliated teams, or Coyne's seat that Fittipaldi was supposed to get or something. IndyCar wants Hinch in the race.

 

Talk in the garage area says the second seat at Foyt might be in play. Howard gets yanked and money comes in for it.

New game now. It's all about the bucks!

 

Howard is in the 3rd SPM car, no?

 

I always enjoyed the drama of bump day.

 

Not sure. I just catch some scuttlebutt on another website. Money seems to be what will determine if he gets into the 500.

 

Howard (SPM), Harvey (SPM/Shank) or Clamato (Coyne)'s seat would be the most likely targets. I think Hinch has to stay with a Honda team. I don't see Ganassi, Andretti or Rahal coughing up a seat

 

I would agree. Based on scuttlebutt, Howard gets yanked for Hinchcliff. I think we will know some time tomorrow. If Indy car loses one of its regulars, it may not be good for the series. So in Barnum & Bailey style, we remanufacture the rules and get him in somehow. The car qualifies at Indy, not the driver. So who gets takes the flag in what car will interesting to watch.

 

While it is is an option to pull someone off the ladder and asterisk your way into the show, I hope they leave grid set. SPM and maybe Hinch himself are to blame for missing out. He should have said let’s quit screwing around while he was in the slow lane about an hour before the qualifying ended, in post quali he stated the team knew they had the speed to make it in. No idea then who decided it was best to become bubble fodder and discover, with 9 mins left, playing it safe wasn’t working, especially after rotating their melons for an hour watching Servia, Daly and everyone else buzz by lap after lap improving their times. Oh well, at least I can cheer for Kinky Boots Clamato. .

 

I agree with this completely. No one should be allowed to "buy" their way into the show. Remember 1995 when, incredibly, all of Team Penske failed to qualify? Some people thought they would be able to use Roger's influence to somehow make the show, but to their credit, they didn't even try. They just admitted defeat and moved on to the next race. Sure, I'd like to see Hinch in the show. But the team had their chances and blew it, and now they should just press on to the next race.

 

It will be an even bigger sham if he can buy his way into a seat after IndyCar failed to protect their full-time drivers and ensuring they get a spot prior to quali times.

Apparently this has happened before and someone else got into another car after failing to qualify. I don't follow this series enough to remember that, but it wasn't too long ago.

 

Unfortunately in the world of make believe racing, we forgot the thing called risk/reward theory. When one assumes risk, there is no guarantee that the reward will be there. I find the manufactured drama of the current form of racing to be an insult to my intelligence. Real risk is when someone puts it all on the line. Both Scott Pruett and Dennis Vitolo did it. Had they lost by not making the field. Both men's lives would have changed dramatically. That is what real risk is about. No one lost anything yesterday. One will move on to the next race. The other will try again next year. Nothing changed and no ones life changed in the balance. And they wonder why no one notices?

 

I watched a 1955 F1 race the other day, and one of the crashed drivers kicked another driver out of his car and took over. That was an eye-popper as I don't watch many races that old.

 

Do you guys gather anything from Giacamo Mattioli's Scuderia Corsa running Indy this year? I'm thinking he must know something about Alfa or Maserati's interest in 2020/2021 and since they may want an Italian led team they've told him get yourself familiar with Indycar in preparation.

 

Hmmmmmm.... Fer the first time we disagree. How is the Hinchcliffe failure to qualify socialism? That would be giving him preference over those that out-qualified him....
Are you saying the Penske team should have been stuck in the 500 in '95 even tho' they couldn't get it?

As per sylvester Jr, "For shame, for shame."
(give it time, it starts)


edit: Phew! I hadn't seen the posts on this page yet. I stand corrected.

 

Carpenter wins pole. good for him

 

Does anyone care anymore?

 

That should help fill up the infield with local yokel pissed-drunk Hoosiers.

 

I hope the Hondas have better pace for race day.

I'm pulling for Sebastian Bourdais.

 

snake pit FTW!

 

‘Prince Edward’ gave Danica a nice ride as her going away present. She was a million miles away from the wall yet posted faster times than veterans on the tour who were drifting it out. Pretty impressed with Matheus Leist, nice combo with TK at Foyt. .

 

Will this involve scantily clad women sliding in mud while exposing upper regions of their bodies? If so, please acquire one ticket for TP as I will be finding my way to the convenience store for the liquid refreshments that unlocks the full potential of these exceptional female qualities!

 

Carpenter has had pole 3 times since 2013, his finishes in the two other years were 10th in 2013 and 27th in 2014. We know he can start, but so far his history says he can't finish.

 

buy a case of Fireball!

 

Hinch not interested in stealing ride to run in the 500.
http://autoweek.com/article/indy-500/james-hinchcliffe-not-interested-taking-another-drivers-ride-get-indy-500

 

Hinch seems like an honorable dude, so I'm not surprised.

However, it sounds like Honda and Arrow might have other ideas.