2018 Indy Car

IMO, this would be pretty insulting to the series. Picking and choosing your race is not competing for the championship. It's an exhibition, not a sport at that point. He's just their to show up, get some pictures taken, and steal points away from the drivers who are trying to win the championship.

I don't see Alonso giving a crap about going small venues and small ovals and eating BBQ from the cook downing it with a Diet Coke.

 

I seem to remember that Chris Schenkel from ABC was riding in the pacecar.

 

And after all these years they still haven't learned the lesson about amateur drivers of Safety Cars.

 

I agree. Fernando wanted a 3rd championship in F1, with that not happening, why not push for a Indycar championship. Fred has never said the word championship in relation to Indycar, he's only talked about the 500 so there is a disconnect there that we'll need an answer on. There has been proof by the man himself that he watches every Indycar race and every practice and still talks with the Andretti team, so the full season possibility I believe has some legs.

 

I know 'getting way off on a tangent but, '73 at Indy was really, really bad. I remember it well as this kid had sat with Art in his personal station wagon at Trenton 5 years earlier. (I only bring it up as a Pat Patrick crewman was killed by a safety truck on pit road)

http://indymotorspeedway.com/v1/500d-73.htm

 

Perhaps the pace car was really driven by Roman Grosjean (but disguised to look like Mark Reuss . . . ).

 

Interesting recent article on Kevin Magnussen and his strong desire to do oval racing. Certainly one to consider when thinking of what Liberty Media would want should Magnussen leave (hint-American bred Newgarden). Magnussen has done way better than Grosjean though so I don't know how Haas could justify letting him go even though his contract is up this year. Steiner has expressed too that Newgarden would have a rough go in F1 with little testing, so who knows. Silly season stuff.

https://www.racefans.net/2018/05/22/amazing-indycar-indy-500-big-appeal-f1-driver-magnussen/

 

I think most were thinking Leena Gade was going back to Europe after the whole Hinchliffe debacle at Schmidt Peterson, now in talks with Rahal.

https://www.motorsport.com/indycar/news/leena-gade-in-talks-with-rahal-letterman-lanigan-racing-1044739/

 

Coincidence?? Michel Combes, current CEO of Sprint (former CEO of Vodaphone Europe during Mclaren sponsorship) was in Detroit.

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Not much of a crowd at Texas Motor Speedway...

So that is what I don't get. You get sell out crowds for the Indy 500 and then a few weeks later you get the same cars, the same drivers, in a similar type of race that is LONGER -- and few spectators.

OK, I get Indy is a classic. But why the big fall off in interest after it?

 

Shamefully, very simple.
Because it's the only it. There's show fans (many) and there's race fans (that are dwindling).
Indy is the show. The rest is "just" racing.

 

This track is way too fast and dangerous. Last year was crazy.

 

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Then waddaya think of Indy? 'Faster and flatter so more dangerous, no?

 

This track is smaller though, which makes it more dangerous, but still pretty fast (220).

 

This Texas track is stupid for IndyCar. Yes, it's way too fast. There have been some very, very nasty accidents. They're lucky the race is not called the Kenny Brack Memorial 300.

 

Then Indy is stupid for IndyCar too? It's way too fast also? It hasn't had a (ahem...) few nasties? Need I list the names at Indy
so you can take your pick of which to name the race that's appropriately held near Memorial Day?

 

Anyone who thinks Fernando will go to Texas and do a race in front of a couple of thousand people on a Saturday night is crazy. No way Fernando does an entire season and no way he sticks around if he's running mid pack.

 

I've never met the man so I don't know him. Is his motivation for the Triple Crown fame and/or egotism?
Or is it actually the challenge itself?
If the latter, and I'm not crazy (I hope... ), then sure he could.
He's stuck around at McLaren, no?

 

Touche'.

The difference is the constant, extreme banking in Texas which stresses not only the car but the driver's neck and head. Indianapolis is mostly flat. My favorite oval is the Milwaukee Mile. Hardly any banking and it is the one oval that to a man, IndyCar drivers refer to as a true driver's track.

 

Man, what did they have, were the grandstands 1/20th of capacity?

As far as speed goes, the speed is not the factor, it's the banking of Texas that is the
danger, you have multiple lanes you can take AT SPEED - which Indy does not have,
so at Texas you can 'get a run' on somebody and stick your nose next to them, whereas
at Indy you don't. Ask Will Power. Will stuck to the common line - it was practically painted
on the track, the rookie that took him out either didn't notice it or didn't respect it.
At Indy you don't have that issue, not to the extent you do at Texas.

Can you even imagine an Indy car race at Talledega?

 

McLaren pays him $40 Million a year and who knows how much he gets in endorsements from others. If he got $40 Million a year at Indycar as salary he would be the equivalent of every other driver in the field -- combined.

I'm not saying Alonso is driven only by money. But he's not going to race Indycar to try to win the season championship and grind it out. He'll run Indy and MAYBE Long Beach and that's it.

 

Would you rather be the top janitor at the Bellagio (McLaren) or go to the outskirts and be a casino manager at the Sante Fe Hotel Casino (Andretti)? If I experienced 5 years without a win, I'd go to the Sante Fe in a heartbeat.

 

Whether it's real or not, Indycar is perceived to be on an upswing and having races in areas that don't embrace it have to be wiped off the calendar. Low attendance events do not match the perception so they must be eliminated. In fairness, Detroit the week prior drew 105,000, Mid-Ohio does well, Long Beach, I'm sure the return to Portland this year will be a hit. Ovals outside of Indy just don't draw anymore, just as Nascar.

 

You are not the self declared "best driver in the world"

Alonso wants to win one race: Indy, after he wins Le Mans. That's to prove to his skeptics what he believes.

 

Did you miss the Power interview? He stated he didn't know Wickens was alongside. His spotter said nothing and obviously, his mirrors are there for no reason.
Robert didn't take Will out. Will drove up and took them both out.