All-purpose open-wheel (F1, IRL) racing thread

Re: All-purpose open-wheel (F1, IRL, CCWS) racing thread

Hey I saw Paul Tracy win at Cleveland ... in '93.

 

Re: All-purpose open-wheel (F1, IRL, CCWS) racing thread

A quick F1 note now that someone's resurrected this thread...

How the hell is Ralf Schumacher still employed by Toyota? He was allegedly given the North American races to get his act together. He then misses Q2 in Canada and takes himself out of Indy at turn one, in one of the more incompetent driving displays I've ever seen. (I was sitting at turn one, and before the race started I turned to my dad and asked "So who beside Ralf and Scott Speed will wipe out in the first turn?" Wrong about Speed.)

Now they're heading to France and Ralf is still with them. He is, with the possible exception of Christian Albers, the worst driver in F1. They spend hundred of millions of dollars on a car that is driven by a baboon. Fer chrissakes, give the car to Franck Montagny, the test driver. He isn't any good but at least you'd make the French crowd happy.

Given how smart they are about their consumer cars, it's unfathomable how horrid Toyota and Honda are at running racing teams.

 

Re: All-purpose open-wheel (F1, IRL, CCWS) racing thread

After listening to Ralf complain about Indy's track last week (apparently, the oval part is too challenging & too fast), and seeing Ralf's many, many, many, many incidents over the years, I've wondered the same thing. His brother, he's not.

At least Honda has some cool-looking cars, but there's not much else going for them, either.

 

Re: All-purpose open-wheel (F1, IRL, CCWS) racing thread

The only reason I can think of as to why Ralf is still employed is Toyota doesn't want the prestige hit of firing him after giving him that massive contract, even though it's up after this year.

Of course Ralf is a rolling prestige hit anyway. He never used to be as bad as he's been the last year or two, I don't know what happened.

 

Re: All-purpose open-wheel (F1, IRL, CCWS) racing thread

Yeah, I'd say "the oval part is too challenging" is pretty damning commentary on Ralf.

And he lacks Jarno Trulli's consistency, which is also pretty remarkable, since Jarno seems to nap behind the wheel now and then.

 

Re: All-purpose open-wheel (F1, IRL, CCWS) racing thread

The racers knew that Newton was going to be a short track (7/8 mile). I didn't mind it, but it was fucking fun to go and watch since I was 35 minutes from the track.

If you think that was nuts, Danica starts bitching about Dario's driving after she got knocked out. It's getting a lot of play on the local monkeys tonight. I heart Milka Duno.

 

Re: All-purpose open-wheel (F1, IRL, CCWS) racing thread

I like the pointy cars running the short tracks. Maybe they need to cap the fields at Richmond and Iowa at 18, I don't know. I think the idea of running at some smaller venues fits more with the IRL's original stated purpose (returning open wheel to the accessibility of the average American).

 

Re: All-purpose open-wheel (F1, IRL, CCWS) racing thread

One of these days, Danica's mouth is going to write a check she can't cash.

She has talent, a lot of it I think, but she needs to quit with the complaining about allegedly inferior equipment within AGR (why it would be in AGR or the IRL's interest to give her inferior equipment is anyone's guess) and about the other drivers, her teammates or otherwise. Her "move" today that caused the wreck was pure stupidity and she should own up to it.

I don't know if the pressure to win is getting to her or what, but she is climbing the petulant list with a bullet.

 

Re: All-purpose open-wheel (F1, IRL, CCWS) racing thread

Meanwhile, Sarah Fisher actually performs respectably.

 

Re: All-purpose open-wheel (F1, IRL, CCWS) racing thread

Danica is more talented than Fisher or Duno, and despite her being a headcase-in-training, she'll have a drive forever because of her marketability.

But she's fighting an increasingly uphill battle to match substance with her marketability, which I sincerely believe is important to her. She needs a win, or least to dominate a race for a while, otherwise the Kournikova comparisons are right around the corner.

I think a Kournikova comparison would be unfair, I think she has the talent, but the naysayers will come.

 

Re: All-purpose open-wheel (F1, IRL, CCWS) racing thread

Ralf Schumacher is a German phrase. Translated, it means Michael Waltrip.