Cool vids, Jayson! Loved the one of the Renault with the rev limiter working overtime. I've gotta make plans to go next yr.
A couple of pics from practice and qualifying. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Some photos from the Indy Museum, the lone Minardi fan, qualifying (now we're on the outside of the turn 1o complex), and a random pic from elsewhere in the city Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Some of my better pics from the Museum. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Ha! Is it in the FIA sporting regs that all proper racing car use at least a bit of duct tape? If not, it should be.
I spoke to Nicola (98R648) at 5:30pm this evening. They tried to get into the same bar with Rob & other Fchatters but "there was no room at the inn." So they hit the place next door. 150,000 + F1 fans can't be wrong. Have fun guys. Will
1600+ miles round trip in a truck, 3 nights of hotel rooms, and I didn't even get to see a race. F the FIA F F1 F Michelin I'm out, F1 can wither and die as far as I'm concerned. I just got home, I'll post pics later.
You aren't the only one. It ticks me off just as much as the US 500 back when CART and IndyCar split up. And what was the initator of that? That the Indy Speedway was just too fast and drivers protested with the US 500. Ahhh... yes, it is going to happen again.
Some pics from raceday. We were on the infield for the race, and a had a good view of the cars through turns 8-10 Obviously, we all know what happened. We ended up leaving at about half-race. The one real positive is that by leaving early, we ended up crossing the track on the bridge as the cars went underneath. That was simply an amazing experience, as the bridge literally jumped every time one of the cars went under, and the decellerating cars sounded like cannon going off underfoot. 1-3) Infield at raceday, plenty of excited fans, flags, and crazies in body paint. We got to the track at 6:00 am for our spots 4-6) The parade lap. At this point most people didnt' know what was to occur, but we were listening to the SpeedTV broadcast via scanners and knew this was the only chance to see the cars today. 5) Minardi in the points 6-7) The fans after the farce began. What you can't see here is the gestures and language directed at the remaining teams. There was a lot of confusion and plenty of pissed off fans, and only the general mellow viewpoint of the GA fans prevented issues. 8) I tried to get a good shot, but the cars are literally a blur at this point... 9) Kimi fans, they had a worse day than we did Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Took a new yellow Ferrrari flag and may have to retire it like the other one, Got some neat autographs this time around - Narain, Chris (Michael's race engineer), Paul Stoddard, DC, Scott Speed (he came walking out from Gasoline Alley in a plain Red Bull T-shirt carrying a backpack and it was like - hey that's Scott! - he said this is going to be chaos - nice kid, spent time with the folks), couple really cool Minardi team members (one was the PR guy), Jackie Stewart did a beautiful autograph when we were in the Museum Sunday morning with our friends from London. We parked in the Car Corral - there were some neat cars in there. In the past, on Sunday they would park by marque but not so this time. There was another '89 Mondial t coupe from PA in the corral - along with a t coupe with IL plates that was at Monument Circle, that made for a great day for us - we know of 4 of the 42. Our Sunday seats were by the podium - no press conference below us this time. Interesting walking back to the Potenza bridge - not every F1 race do you see state patrol in full combat gear. I would agree with Michael's statement - a very different Grands Prix. Carol
Other than that, how was the play Mrs. Lincoln... The weekend was a great time. Downtown Indy on Friday was jumpin. Cool to see Jean Toldt walking by just like a tourist. Saturday qualifying was fun. The Porsche cup was very racy as usual. The infinity cup was a boring with Andretti Jr dominating from the first lap. Must be nice to be an Andretti. The weather was here, wish you were beautiful. Saturday night was the highlight of the trip since Sunday was a bust. Speaking of busts, did I mention Saturday night? What happens in Indy,stays in Indy. Sunday was crazy. We had no idea what was going on because we werent watching the news, we were too busy drinking. When the teams pulled off the grid I assumed it was raining on part of the track, and everyone was changing to rain tires. I see one car being pushed into the garage, so i think, gearbox problem, they must be changing cars, or accident on the warmup lap that took everyone out. But thenI notice all the cars are being pushed into the garages. What the hell? Then all of a sudden the Ferrarri's take off, followed by the Jordans and Minardis, AND IM FREAKING OUT!!! What the hell is happening? Why are the other teams not on the grid? Everyone around me is screaming in their respective language. (Americans are the minority at a F1 race) The people next to me are from Japan and dont speek a word of engrish. I find an american listening to his radio, and says "Tire protest". By this time, the Ferrari's scream past. The Tifosi go crazy anyway. So I call my F1 buddy back home in California. He doesnt know anything because he is celebrating Fathers day with his dad. The Ferrari's go by again. Im just standing there with my jaw hanging open, looking bewildered, with my hands in the air. Listening to the croud chanting "F F1, F F1" I see someone throw a flag onto the track, and a few bottles follow. Then everyone boo's at the course worker when he goes to retrieve the flag. Then a security guy in those yellow jackets tries to get the crowd to settle down. Big mistake. The crowd goes crazy. I'm surprized the columbians and brazilians didnt burn the place down. They know how to riot. Ive seen soccer riots before. After about 10 laps, a McLaren car pulls out of the pits and heads onto the track. The crowd goes crazy. Is it Kimi? Is it Juan? No, its just a Minardi after an early pit stop. Damn liverys look to similar at first glance. Well after a few dozen laps of numbness, I just get up and walk away. Never to return again...
I was as disappointed as everyone else about the race, but I'm not giving up. 20 years from now we'll all be sitting around a Ferrari event with other old Ferrari guys and we'll all be telling some kid about the race that Michelin boycotted. We witnessed history, and we were there and can talk about it. I had a good enough time for the rest of the weekend to not write off the whole sport. And did Rob mention Saturday night? Crazy Texas people know how to have a good time.
I haven't had time to look at them myself, much less post them. I kind of got caught up in Robs camera game, so not all of the pics I took are car/racing related. I'll try to go through them tonight.
Now you can feel violated...too bad the flash didn't work. By the way, for all of you not sure what you're looking at: there's 3 guys in this picture. And they're riding on an escalator. Going down. If any of you photoshoppers can lighten it up, please do! Image Unavailable, Please Login
And one just so Ron doesn't feel left out. Yes, it's inside the minivan. Yes, there are people in the very back seat. At least Ron wasn't giggling yet. Image Unavailable, Please Login
But no F Ferrari? Many people are blamming them as part of the problem too. Twenty drivers, 9 teams, all met (except for Ferrari--they would not attend), and agreed to race for no points if a chicane was added. Ferrari would not agree.
I was sitting right below these guys in the stands. They were NOT happy. They were from Florida. The girl in the orange t-shirt with the O let me use her radio to listen to the post race interview. They turned out to be pretty nice. I felt bad for them..... Rick
That's the rumor, but does not match with what Jean Todt or Williams said happened. Ferrari took no stance on the chicane and was not asked their opinion (but would have objected). I do not blame Ferrari, Minardi, or Jordan. They were racing. The soon-to-be GPWC teams that tried a power play are the ones at fault.
That's the first one I'm posting! One of those 1 in a million photos. Geez, the thing people will do to get out of trouble with the troopers.
