IRL: St. Petersburg, Florida

[dc]

Ok, for people who don't think that people on an open wheel forum will talk about live open wheel races, STOP READING RIGHT NOW!





It's no secret my distaste for Danica, and the reasons why (no, seriously get over yourself, it's not because she's a woman), but if I haven't said it lately, about 80% of the IRL field are complete hacks—including her teammates Marco and Conweasel.

This is like watching the ARCA dopes on a road course.




What are the odds the ABC/ESPN/Disney sideshow gets breathless following the progress of Simona di Silvestro who has driven her way to second place (currently)?

[Matt King]

Classless move by EJ Viso.

[RussMcB]

What's with Simone not using the PTP button? I wonder if it wasn't working for her. She had like 14 pushes she didn't use, and she was battling for a podium. Odd.

It was good to see her finish near the top. I'm a fan.

[Ty_Handke_83]

What's with Simona not using the PTP button? I wonder if it wasn't working for her. She had like 14 pushes she didn't use, and she was battling for a podium. Odd.

It was good to see her finish near the top. I'm a fan.

I don't think she wanted to risk contact or making a mistake. It was a great drive, and it's not often that this many front running cars are taken out of contention, why throw away points.

As for the KVR buffer, not really much to say, it explains itself

[Scott Gesford]

I missed what Conway did to be called a hack. He was in the top 3 all weekend. Marco blamed the wreck on Helio. I don't think he was making the corner anyway without the tap. After reading Marco's classless article blasting Kaanan, saying they won't miss him, I loved seeing Tony run third. Amazing what hiring a great driver can do to raise a team. Congrats to him and Mike Cannon (sometimes he posts here).

Double file restarts are a fail. They might be ok on ovals but the early laps were crazy and unnecessary.

great race by Simona. Maddening to watch ABC follow Danica in 13th while Simona was running 2nd.

[Ty_Handke_83]

Hmm seems Danican't pass either
Just saw the result sheet, Car 7 penalized 1 position for contact on lap 100. I was wondering; first, how Danica got around Hildebrand, and second, how Wilson got around both of them. Makes sense now, but...

Maddening to watch ABC follow Danica in 13th while Simona was running 2nd.

...still shocked that they didn't show the "pass".

[KevinFirlein]

double file restarts are fine. they are supposed to be professional drivers not weekend hacks. Marco may have got tapped but he was gonna crash regardless. 2 races with sorts similar style T1 's F1 make with only a little drama, Indycars " world fastest drivers" end up upside down and all over the place.

Figure after Simona bull dozed her way to 2nd she didnt want to risk it after that. Although given the weeks events there would be no chance in hell I would finish behind Kanaan's car.

[Dennis Valet]

The double file restarts would be fine if they actually got into formation before the start straight...the back markers would be flying up to the pack to get in formation, then slam on the brakes, then slam back on the gas because the green was flying....complete mess - people coming up to the pack at speed, people panicking and going everywhere....and I won't comment on the inside passes on restarts, seems you all have touched on them already!

I thought everyone learned when they were 10 years old that you shouldn't try those type of passes on a start?

[dc]

I missed what Conway did to be called a hack.

Conway has been a hack since he got into the IRL. It wasn't anything he did this weekend—though, it's nice how they all wind up on one team now.

[Scott Gesford]

Most drivers wreck a lot when they are rookies. Look how much Rahal did. I think Conway has a real chase to podium or even win on a road/street course this year.

[Michael Edick]

Maddening to watch ABC follow Danica in 13th while Simona was running 2nd.

gawd, no kidding!

Simone is doing an incredible job up front, but yet we're stuck with watching the "Danica-cam"...unbelievable...

wasn't aware Conway was a "hack", but he sure doesn't come across the TV screen very well.

and job well done by TK! I hope he sticks it to Marco all year long...which BTW, there was no way Marco was going to make it thru T1...

[Will Velkoff]

The double file restarts are going to take some getting used to, T1 was an absolute disaster the first 15 laps. Expected better from the drivers out there, but I guess the new rule along with first race jitters got the best of everyone. TK had to take some questionable lines to hold off the lady behind him.

[jim morgan]

I was in turn 1 live. Pretty sad. We were starting to wonder if the pace car was going to need a splash and go.

[Roland V. Johnson]

The biggest problem in T-1 was the start! Everyone is just going to have to learn how to temper their agression. Remember years ago how the start of the Indy 500 was almost always a crashfest.

[Rick Kirchner]

TGBB's single file green-flag with the field coming off four at WOT kind of ended good starts at Indy.

I wonder if this year they'll throw the green while on the backstretch.

[ASRF1000]

It always amazes me that drivers at that level still believe that the race can be one in the first corner. Perhaps the stewards should end the morning drivers meeting with the old cliche; Remember, "To finish first, first you have to finish!"

[andyllc]

However passing on a street circuit is not the easiest thing in the world and the easiest time to make up spots is on the start (or restarts), I would rather have a group of drivers going for it and trying than not.

[jim morgan]

Not like this. If the inside charge didn't get you to a slot you have to back off. Everyone in front is going to turn. Nobody needed the exact apex at this speed so the mid packers could have run a bit wide expecting someones stupid move. With the skill they exhibited a rim shot would of gained 10 spots.

[lbrtruck]

Even the flyover plane crashed!

[Beartrax]

Nuts! I forgot to pad the recording time. DVR cut out with 3 laps to go. Sad to suffer through all that and not see how it turned out...

Were my ears playing tricks or did they really broadcast Danica on the radio saying, "These f-ing restarts..."?

[Ty_Handke_83]

Were my ears playing tricks or did they really broadcast Danica on the radio saying, "These f-ing restarts..."?

That's what I heard, but still not sure... Yet again, it is Danica, so any time they have her on screen, they can't lose.

[Scott Gesford]

Most drivers wreck a lot when they are rookies. Look how much Rahal did. I think Conway has a real chase to podium or even win on a road/street course this year.

Awesome drive today for a hack.

Now, Helio, he may get the hack award today. Nice to see Briscoe run up front.

[dc]

I'm beginning to think that most, if not all of then, are complete hacks. What a mess, once again. Marco and E.J. tearing up cars like they were paper...

Nice drive from Conway, though. He was on rails for the last 15 laps, and not one guy had anything for him. Then again, every blind squirrel finds a nut every once in a while. Hell, even Marco has a win, right?

[Matt King]

Nice remark from Bourdais on live radio when Marco plowed into him on pit lane. My wife was watching with me for a few minutes and said, "Did he just say f*#$?" Can't say I blame him, but I'm sure the Boy Scouts were not amused!

[Scott Gesford]

it was marco that dropped the bomb.

[Matt King]

Maybe he did too, but I replayed it and the accent sounded French.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mb74mrOdOk8

Edit: I guess maybe that was Marco. Now I like him less.

[Will Velkoff]

Yeah that was Marco that dropped the f bomb twice. That's twice this season for Versus...I don't mind it, but I'm sure someone is in trouble for letting that on air.

As a huge Helio fan, I'm extremely disappointed with him this season, Power was extremely upset after the race and for good reason, that was a bad bad move.

Not sure what got into Conway after that last restart, he got around Briscoe and never looked back. I'm sure that's all we'll see from him this season though.

And another cracked up car for Viso, he's a continuing disaster, along with Marco

[KevinFirlein]

you eaves drop in on driver / crew communications and put them on air and you get what you deserve.

[mark defer]

bonehead move by helio, but we all make them from time to time. you could tell by the interview afterwards that it was weighing heavily on him.
having said that, i can just imagine how a lot of you guys would be ravaging danica on this forum if it had been her, instead of helio that had committed the error.

mark d

[dc]

i can just imagine how a lot of you guys would be ravaging danica on this forum if it had been her, instead of helio that had committed the error.

Whelp, you expect it from backmarkers—you don't expect that out of Helio. Marco—yes. E.J. Viso—yes. Vitor Meira—yes.

Helio—not so much. Definitely ran out of talent with that one. He's done that a couple of times already this season, too. Really bad ones. He might have to start doing GoDaddy commercials.

[VehDyn]

I think Helio is truly showing his frustration of being thoroughly outclassed by Power. It is one thing to blame the money of Ganassis for not being able to win compared to Dixon and/or Franchitti, but its clear when the new guy with the same equipment has been whooping you for over a year. He should have been penalized for taking out Wilson and not even been in the position to hit Power. He should have been parked. They penalized Tracy. Hmmm. That is such a suprise.

I still blame him for screwing Power out of the championship with the bone head move in Edmonton. Power is showing a lot of class by not railing him publically, but maybe he should.

[Tom Valet]

What's the deal with the IRL pit reporters wearing driver's suits? They look ridiculous. Does an NFL reporter put on a football uniform to interview the players?

[Dennis Valet]

What's the deal with the IRL pit reporters wearing driver's suits? They look ridiculous. Does an NFL reporter put on a football uniform to interview the players?

I think a football helmet might be an upgrade for Andrea Kramer though, HD TV was the worst thing to happen to her career.

[TimW]

What's the deal with the IRL pit reporters wearing driver's suits? They look ridiculous. Does an NFL reporter put on a football uniform to interview the players?

Thats been the deal since the early 90s at least for pit reporters. At the speedway it was everyone in the pits had a firesuit...you even see RP wearing one, pretty much the only time all year.

[Rick Kirchner]

I think it started in the 80's. In 84 I wore nomex under my jeans and officials shirt in the pits, and helped the pit observer by watching the front end of the car. I have a picture of me sitting on the front tire of Garza's car out on the front straight just before the anthem. The next year they cleared even extra officials out of the pits at 15 minutes before GSYE. That same year I believe there was a huge pit fire involving Ed Pimm's titanium eagle and the Provimi pits at Michigan. I was in their pit and it was real scary. I think it was 86 then when they made fire suits mandatory in the pits on race day.

CART didn't require them though. I was board man for Phil Krueger at Miami in 87 and only the over-the-wall crew needed fire suits, although most of the employees in the pit box, and the over-the-wall officials had them.