By PHX and F1

IRL
I have to tell you I am glad to see Phoenix in the rear view mirrors. I don’t like that track for Indy Cars. It is too flat. Pretty much my feelings about Milwaukee, but PHX has been a part of the Indy scenery for so long it just stays.
I can’t wait for the ratings for that one to come out, especially seeing how there was a reported 15,000 fans at the track.
Sammy won a taut battle that Dario probably would have won had he not hit the wall with just a lap to go. Other than that it was pretty uneventful. AGR was the class of the field again, but Penske and his pit stops were crucial to keeping Sam and Julio in the hunt.
Since there is not much else I can say nice I won’t say anything else.
F1
Two rounds down and there are already some patterns showing. One, and most surprising to me is how bad the Ferrari is doing against the other teams. For what it is worth, Schummi has looked very ordinary at Melbourne and Kuala Lumpur. I’m not ready to write him off just yet, but as many have speculated, he has been in superior equipment to this point and is not the automatic winner in just anything. It also speaks volumes about the Ferrari organization. Where is the 2005 car and why was it not ready for the start of the season?
The next obvious thing is that the Renault is by far the class of the field so far. Yes, McLaren looks good, Toyota looks great and Red Bull is overachieving, but the Renault has won both races, both poles and no one really seems to be on their level at this time.
BAR is awful. I have no idea what has happened to the Brackley team but they are just terrible. They have failed to score any points and at Malaysia failed to finish either car. Engines were the trouble this week. A very unusual situation for Honda who may be trying to build a motor that they are not accustomed to.
Jacques Villeneuve is done. He had a pitiful 13th place finish at Melbourne where he was simply outmatched against everyone he ran up against. In Malaysia, he failed to finish at all. The last two weeks, Jacques, as is his nature, blamed anyone and everyone but himself. I haven’t heard any comments yet from him, but I am sure there is a reason he sucked so bad. Face it Cruise, it’s over and you will not ever get it back.
The GP itself was pretty much without excitement. Dumbass Fisichella tried to kill Mark Webber. Other than that it was all Fernando Alonso.
There was a meeting held yesterday. A meeting called by Sir Frank. Apparently there is still quite a chasm between Ferrari and the other teams regarding testing. Rules in place this year have greatly diminished the amount of time the teams can test. However, Ferrari has argued that they, being the only Bridgestone participant, need to test more since Bridgestone doesn’t have the body of knowledge Michelin has. They probably have a point, but they still are bound by the rules which they have ignored to this point. If there is to be a new agreement in 2008 and the GPWC is to be slain, Ferrari is going to have to understand it is not bigger than the sport. And eventuality that will not come easy to the gang from Maranello.

Side-By-Side Advertising

I posted this on the TrackForum.com site earlier. It was in response to a poster calling for everyone to get a hold of ABC, ESPN and the IRL to keep the side-by-side and in-car coverage going on the IRL broadcasts:I really did enjoy both the side-by-side coverage and the all in-car coverage on the ESPN's.But let me play devil's advocate for a second. Advertisers are essential the growth of the league. Let's face it, the IRL ain't surviving on the gate alone. Right now, in my estimation the league and yes, even Indy, have a purse problem as in it is too low. The more advertising dollars, sponsor dollars and television money thrown at the league helps increase the purses.Last month's Daytona 500 had a purse of > $17 million. Indy last year was just over $10 million. While people can debate the importance of Daytona v. Indy in today's terms, there really is no argument that the tradition and overall importance is all Indy's.Last year it was said that TG raided the pot to help finance the efforts of some teams to bring the field number up to 33. Be that as it may, the purse for Indy is not high enough. With today's costs it seems like a top 5 finish is needed to cover your expenses, especially when talking about the one off efforts that always show up in May. Basically it tells me it is simply too expensive to throw good money after a long shot. Granted, if TG is going to subsidize the effort costs go down.But all of that aside and back to the advertisers. These are league and team sponsors and other entities who feel their product is best promoted on televised sporting events in general and IRL races in particular.If you give the race fan what they want there would be no commercials on both stations with one doing all in-car. But ABC has to sell that commercial time to cover their contract to the league and their shareholders.It just seems to me that the advertisers are going to watch the race and they will realize how little people will actually see their product advertised. When they figure that out, and it won't take long, Madison Ave. has all the angles covered, how long will they continue to put money into the IRL? In my opinion they would honor their contracts then bail leaving less money for contracts and purses leading closer to the drain.Like I said, I loved the ESPN's coverage two weeks ago and want it from now on, but my guess is that there is a reason this hasn't been done full-time in the past and that reason is the advertisers.I love the product the IRL puts on the track and can not for the life of me figure out why more companies don't want to be involved on a driver or team basis, but it seems to me that the TV ads are as crucial to the IRL right now as they are likely to ever be. This league is going to stand strong some day soon or fail in that same time period, but it can not continue to plug along with paltry TV ratings and lousy attendance much longer.

Waxing Fondly of IMS Past

The ratings are out for Sunday’s IRL opener at Homestead. The numbers, as they say, don’t lie. The spin doctors over at IMS do however.First of all the race drew a .6 rating. Broken down that means that roughly 736,000 people were tuned in to ESPN or ESPN 2. 736,000; seems like a decent number but wait. We must compare these numbers to other similar events and then decide if they are good or not.NASCAR, that 800 pound gorilla, drew 14,780,000 for the Daytona 500. For the race the following week at Fontana, they drew 8,621,666 viewers. Last year, the Indianapolis 500 drew just over 5 million viewers and the season opener last year drew almost a million.Now before I get accused of saying the sky is falling I must say that Daytona is in a unique and enviable position. First of all it is the big enchilada for NASCAR. Their granddaddy, their Super Bowl, the top dog and the biggest payday. It also has the enviable position of really being the first race of the season after a 3 to 4 month layoff. Race fans are thirsting for something and along comes the Daytona 500.Now my problem is not necessarily with the .6 rating for the IRL. In fact, if you listen to the spin coming out of 16th and Georgetown you would think the ratings are actually up. They are claiming that in their key demographic of 18-34 and in their key markets, including LA, Indy, Las Vegas and New York ratings are up. I’ll be honest with you; I don’t know a soul in the 18-34 age group in Indy that knows a damn thing about the IRL or Indy Car Racing. So for the spin to try and tell me that things are hunky-dory is a joke.My problem is with the entire feeling around Indy and Indy Car racing. Or I guess to be more precise, the complete lack of feeling.May will be here soon and I am already making plans to go to the track. But I think I am the only one. What was once the most anticipated weeks of the racing season have been reduced to an afterthought on the sports calendar.I’m going to wax nostalgic for a bit so bear with me if you will. My first memories of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway go back to those warm May afternoons. Jeff Miller’s mother would take me and Jeff out to the track after we got out of school. We’d get there at 3:30 and stay until 6:00. I remember leaving the track and seeing the Shell gas station out at 465 and Crawfordsville Road that had the S knocked out of one side of it and giggling about seeing the word HELL up there.Jeff used to like Arnie Knepper. I was a Lloyd Ruby fan way back then. I remember the different way the cars looked. The tubby turbine, the smaller rear engine cars and the low slung, but ugly cars that seemed a throwback to a time just before I was there.The sound and the color were all great, but it was always the speed. I can hardly remember a time when I didn’t have a stopwatch.I remember my pop taking me to the 1968 race. My first time. I was hooked for sure. I rooted for Joe Leonard in his wedge shaped turbine. The beautiful STP car that had no choice but to catch a youngster’s eye. I remember that damn Bobby Unser winning in the, what I thought at the time was ugly, Rislone number 3 car. The bastard! For the record, when I see that car nowadays and it practically brings tears to my eyes. The car that won the first 500 I ever went to.In 1969 I even rooted for Mario, and he won. It was a cloudy day, but it never mattered. We always sat in the Paddock and were safe in case of rain. In 1970 and 1971 I rooted against that Al Unser, but the Johnny Lightning Specials were just that.In 1972 my sister got to go to her first race. She was hooked! We watched as one of the all time great race car drivers won. But Mark Donahue almost was beaten by his team mate Gary Bettenhausen. In the navy Sunoco McLaren’s both drivers were the class of the field. Well Jerry Grant may think otherwise, but he cheated. Gary B in the 68 was dominant until his car broke. Mark in the 66 went on to take the victory in what was the best day ever for me at the Speedway at that time.In subsequent years I saw AJ win his fourth. My grandpa got to go to that one. I saw JR win three with his dominating performance in 1980 as complete a victory as I have ever seen at Indy. Gordy and Rick in 1982 dueling for the win, and Gordy being a less than popular winner. Scott on the silent bus going home getting everyone riled up.I saw all four of Rick's wins and how dominant he was at Indy over his career, all of which I had the privilege to witness. I was there the day AJ retired and took his final lap around the Speedway on a beautiful Saturday morning after Crash Gordon wrecked his 20th car of the day. I saw all of Big Al's wins. Emmo's duel with Little Al. Arie's record setting day. Tom Sneva contending for the pole every year it seemed.The sponsors; STP, Miller High Life, Sugaripe Prunes, Leader Card, Bowes Seal Fast, The Texaco Star, Beatrice Foods. The owners, mechanics and crew chiefs; Andy, then Vince Grannatelli, A.J. Watson, George Bignotti, Jim Hall and a whole host I am sure to be leaving off.Salt Walther's terrible crash in 73 only to be topped two days later by Swede Savage. The lesser known drivers who were always there. Some whose days had come and gone, some who never achieved any measure of success at Indy, but came back every year. Lloyd, Grant, Lee Kunzman, Mike Mosley, Wally Dallenbach, Bob Harkey, John Martin, Mel Kenyon, Sammy Sessions, Eddie Pimm, Josele Garza, Roberto, Geoff Brabham and who can forget topsy-turvy Pancho Carter.Then of course there were the sons of former Indy greats. Billy Vukovich Jr and Jr.s son the III both tried to recreate their fathers glory. Each year they would come in from California for the race. Billy III lost his life racing like his grandfather. Jr. was never to taste any real success. The Bettenhausens, with father Tony who finished 2nd in 1955, to Gary who really told Roger Penske to fuck off by refusing to quit racing on the dirt, to Tony Jr. who was a team owner when he perished in a plane crash a few years ago.Of course there are the Andretti’s with Mario and sons Michael and Jeff competing and experiencing so much pain and hard luck. Nephew John who seemed to be just a good guy. The Unsers. Jerry who lost his life at Indy. Bobby and Al who were so good for so long. Al Jr, who won two 500’s to Robby and Johnny who both made the field in the past few years.I remember being at the track when Gordon Smiley died. I was there when Art Pollard perished. I remember listening to the radio the day Scott Brayton died. Being at the track when Jovy Marcelo was killed.The great days at the track have to include plenty of boobs and more. The infamous banner day, ruined by the late Tim Richmond. Funky Bob passing out in the sun (bad idea), Jeff Frye's 16 for 19 chugging day and the wild 1980 race. The 1979 race when pop was just out of the hospital and couldn't get tickets. I don't think me and Erik saw a car all day, but we managed to lock the keys in the car twice. If there is a dead center to the track, we were there. Me and Timmy heading in early one morning and parking in the crew lot. A happy start to the day AJ called it quits.The overnighters before the race and qualifying. Tabby passed out under Jay's truck on Carb Day.But ultimately it was always about the race and talk swirled for months about who would win. Scott may think it's an invalid argument, but it had meaning and NOT EVERYONE HAD A CHANCE TO WIN! besides, it was all part of the drama that was the Indianapolis 500.I remember going to the track on race morning. I could never sleep the night before the race. For a while we went to Aunt Stella’s and parked in her yard in Speedway. Years later we’d load up the car, head downtown and hop on the bus. It was so civilized getting down there, but coming back was crazy. I remember going into the bus through a window for the ride back. I remember pop hiring a helicopter to take us to the track one year. So cool. Free food and beer for many years made it so nice to go.Qualifying days were great. Skipping school to go to the track a blast. Nothing however, compared to race day. Getting to the track early. Watching the bands and the police on their motorcycles. The cars being pushed out onto the track. The intermittent sounds of engines coming to life. Gomer singing Back Home Again, which I admit still brings a tear to my eye. Tony Hulman, dressed so nice, saying those four famous words as he made his “turning key” gesture.Those practice and qualifying days when the action on the track cooled and the action behind the stands picked up. But those were the exception unless it got real hot. There were so many cars every year. It was a big deal. A really big deal. And while I am still a huge Indy fan, even a die hard like me has to admit it is no longer what it was.Maybe I am just living in the past and things can never stay the same. The track certainly has changed. The Snake Pit is gone. The turbulent Turn 4 is gone. Everything is new and modern and nice, but it has lost a lot of character. But when the owner has no character, what would you expect?These days there is talk every year concerning the number of cars that will be at the track, but it isn’t about how much bumping, it is whether or not 33 will even be here. The purse is down in proportion to other events. Let’s face it, the Brickyard 400 is a bigger deal. That sucks.Tony George has made some improvements to the physical stature of the track, but he has ripped the very soul out of the Indy 500. I am tired of people trying to say how wonderful the IRL is, when it is failing miserably. It is nothing more than club racing at this point. Don’t get me wrong, CART, OWRS or whoever they are this week is nothing either. But when CART was running Indy Cars and their drivers made up the bulk of the 500 field there were always plenty of cars. Pole day meant something. There would be 100,000 people at the track. The whole Paddock Penthouse was full as were the first and fourth turns. It was in effect the second biggest race of the year in the world. Only the 500 itself was bigger. It was bigger than Daytona, bigger than Monaco, bigger than anything. IMS was the center of the universe when it came to racing. The holy land if you will. It was THE GREATEST SPECTACLE IN RACING. Having the title of Indianapolis 500 Champion was your ticket to the elite club. Now, people like Buddy Lazier and Eddie Cheever have that title. It is no longer special. Foyt, Unser, Andretti, Lazier? I don’t think so. And Erik, this is not about Buddy. I like the guy and Eddie too, but as race car drivers they aren’t exactly what I call the real deal.While the 500 is still exciting, it is no longer what it was. Practice time has been reduced even further this year. Strange new qualifying procedures are in place in a last ditch effort to revive interest. It boggles my mind how one guy could have screwed this up so bad, but he has. All in the name of power. He didn’t like that he couldn’t have a seat on the CART board so he started his own league. Millions of dollars of “investment” later the league is a commercial nightmare and the 500 is a shadow of its once glorious self.Can the 500 be saved? Many think it can not. I’m not sure myself. I will be writing more articles on what I think is the best hope for restoring the glimmer to one of my favorite things. If anyone reading this has any suggestions, feel free to forward them to me,

F1 New Rules

From the message boards to the Australian and British papers to the chit chat of fans and the chagrin of some of the drivers, the new rules in F1 this season opened to less than stellar reviews in Melbourne.In a nutshell, drivers were less than aggressive while trying to save their tires making for a rather boring race. But as time goes on and the drivers become more comfortable with the tire situation that will probably change. What is not likely to change is the fact that it is entirely possible that one of the upcoming races will feature the 8 drivers in the points actually finishing the GP while the other 12 pull off into the pits during the last few laps.Why do that? Simple. Finishing in the pits grants the team the opportunity to change engines whether there are two races on it or not. Now of course, no team or driver wants to consistently finish out of the points, but it happens to everyone at some point in the season. Usually more than once. Strategically this will play into teams hands. Knowing driver X will be using a week old engine, it is highly likely that another team could take advantage of that situation with a fresh engine.The other big rule change that was really evident was in qualifying. Now chances are that the weather in Melbourne over the weekend was an exception rather than a rule, but what if it isn’t? What if each week the weather is dicey on Saturday and clear on Sunday? Is it fair to penalize teams based on weather? I’m certainly not a Ferrari apologist but this whole thing just stinks of doing something to level the playing field. And that is what kills me. Why would Bernie and Max enact rules to hurt their beloved Ferrari?The next couple of races in Malaysia and Bahrain should be interesting. Bahrain most likely will be consistent, weather-wise, but Kuala Lumpur can be rainy one day and hot and humid, but sunny the next. If Ferrari and BAR get screwed again will there be changes made? What if Renault gets fucked this time? Stay tuned and don’t be surprised if there isn’t some new rules in place by the time the teams get back to racing in Europe.

The Season Begins

The first weekend of real racing is in the books. Both the IRL and F1 got under way over the weekend. While the on track activity was less than breathtaking, it was nice to see real race cars in lieu of them damn taxi cabs running around in a circle all damn day.
F1
I’m still not sure about the new qualifying procedures for the F1 boys. On one hand, they pretty much killed Schummi’s chances of winning which is a good thing. On the other, Takuma was mired in he back all day and never got anything going.
Giancarlo Fisichella took advantage of the weather on Saturday to pretty much assure himself of the pole. Using his aggregate time he was easily P1 after qualifying. Unfortunately, most of the drivers had to deal with anything from a drying track to monsoon conditions. Obviously this will take on a completely different look on weekends when the weather is consistent from driver to driver and from day to day.
Anyway, the race was pretty boring and there are a couple of legitimate reasons for it. Number one, no one wanted to really push their tyres. With the new rules allowing only one set of tyres for the race AND qualifying there seemed to be quite a bit of trepidation all over the track. The same can be said for the engines. No one seemed to want to overuse their engine and come back with a used puppy in two weeks at Malaysia.
There is speculation this morning that the teams that finished in the pits will be allowed new engines before round two. If that is the case, there will be almost a scramble for the pits on the last lap of every car that is clearly out of the points paying positions. It is not in the spirit of the rule, but clearly BAR and Ferrari found the loophole and crawled through.
My only question on that is whether or not those teams will be on the two week clock starting at Malaysia or will the two weeks be up after the race.
Overall I would have to say that Renault really made a good showing for themselves. McLaren was not bad and Red Bull was surprisingly solid and DC had to get credit for the move of the race when he swooped past Mark Webber’s Williams and into third place at the first turn.
BAR has to be the most disappointed. They had a miserable weekend and can take nothing positive away from Australia. Minardi’s little pre-race problems were eventually solved. Team principal Paul Stoddardt eventually got all of the other teams to allow him to run his 2004 cars. However, the race stewards said no. Stoddardt took them to court and was granted an injunction to race. The FIA said okay, but they would no longer hold races in Australia if the courts were allowed to make the rules. Stoddardt ultimately capitulated and declined the injunction. Amazingly, the 2005 parts arrived in Melbourne just before the start of the second practice.
IRL
No one is ever going to accuse FTRG of being smart. Yesterday he cemented his reputation. The dumbass told the viewers that it was boring down in the pits as a car owner. Wow! If this idiot gets any dumber they will have to water him every day.
Rat boy’s comments aside, the IRL boys finally hit the pavement in anger on a beautiful South Florida weekend. Tomas Scheckter took the pole at over 215 mph and the field of 22 was set for the start of IRL season 10.
As expected the Honda’s were strong and the Toyota’s only real show was by Sammy who managed to sneak away with second place. Julio was the next Toy in 5th but it was Honda and Tomas Scheckter’s Chevrolet that were the stars.
All in all there was some good dicing going on all day. Unfortunately the race really ended on lap 158 when Kosuke Matsura lost control of his car and took out 8 drivers including the charging Scheckter. Tomas, who made no mistakes in the pits, but was slow and deliberate, was in his usual position on the lap 157 restart, which was a few positions back when Matsura spun and took out 8 cars. That effectively handed the race to Wheldon who had no competition for the lead after that.
Four rookies (five if you count Carpentier) took the green flag at Homestead. Paul Dana stayed out of trouble to finish highest but was 8 laps back. Danica Patrick’s much anticipated debut was marred by the lap 158 incident. She was running on the lead lap and doing fine. Unfortunately she suffered a concussion in the crash and may miss the next race. Brit Ryan Briscoe crashed on lap 61 and Czech Tomas Enge went out with mechanical woes on lap 41.
Dario and Buddy Rice both were out early with mechanical problems. Dario’s engine let loose on lap 12 and we never got to see Ashley.
Attendance was reportedly 30,000. There were way too many empty seats. The Television coverage was awesome with the side-by-side on ESPN and the all in-car on the Deuce. For some reason, ESPN did no promotion of the race so I imagine ratings will be in the .1 range when they come out.

Minardi v. FIA

The first day of practice is over at Melbourne and McLaren has been at the top of the speed charts in both sessions. No surprise there, but at the other end of the spectrum, Minardi has not taken the track and the reasons seem curious at best.New rules this season have precluded the teams from running last years cars unless they have been substantially modified to meet the 2005 requirements. The new rules are an attempt to slow down cornering and reduce speeds in an effort to gain a measure of safety and to begin to cut costs. In theory, allowing a 2004 car to run against the 2005's is a big advantage to the 2004's. In theory!The reality is somewhat different. In Minardi's case they have been so far off the pace the past few years that they were more a threat not to make the race because of being too slow.Paul Stoddardt, team principal for Minardi found himself in his usual bind at the end of last season. The small, underfunded team was faced with the question of engines. When Jaguar (Ford) pulled out of F1 racing last year, the fate of Cosworth was not known. Cosworth at the time was supplying engines for Minardi as well as Jaguar and Jordan. Jordan made the switch to Toyota engines and once Jag was reborn as Red Bull they went with the Cosworth when it became apparent the engine manufacturer was going to continue on.This is where things become a little fuzzy for Minardi. Stoddardt claims he could not begin production on his 2005 car until he had an engine. Budget wise, Minardi will always be behind, but when Red Bull can get it together, then why couldn't Minardi?Well, as it turns out, no less than Max Mosley told Stoddardt that if he went to each team and got signatures allowing him to run his 2004 car until the 2005 was ready he could race. Up until yesterday, Ferrari and Red Bull had both said no. Red Bull probably had a legitimate beef as teams can scrape out a couple of points early when everyone else is still dialing in their combinations. A year old Minardi may just have enough to get one of those precious World Championship points which would take it away from another team. As for Ferrari, well they are just assholes and there is not accounting for class or taste, especially the lack thereof.So Minardi, after a week of politicking finally got his signatures. Now the FIA and race stewards are not allowing the team on the track.This is a PR nightmare for F1. You have a small, uncompetitive, yet famously popular team left out. This happens after the FIA president tells you that you can race if you get the other teams to agree. You do and now they pull this shit.People in the US look at F1 as elitist and boring. There is so much politicking that goes on that it sometimes seem like they might as well race around the courthouse halls instead of on tracks. F1 would be well served to enforce the rules they set up unilaterally. When it comes time for a new agreement, the teams should sign it if they like, or get out if they do not. No lawsuits and no changing of the rules. If the length of the last agreement was too long, shorten it.Until the world, and the US in particular, sees that F1 is interested in competition and not politics, this will simply not survive in the US.

State of the IRL 2005

Sunday in Homestead the IRL will embark on its tenth season. For the IRL it is a pivotal year. A year which the league must seize the open wheel racing market and put a real end to CART if either are to succeed. To be honest, I just don’t see it getting done.
The story has been told time and again so I won’t rehash in detail what we already know about the IRL, but some background is called for.
As we all know, the IRL was created with the idea of cost controls, equipment accessibility and as a way for American oval track racers (read: sprint and midget drivers) get a real chance to make it to Indy. Obviously the loss of Jeff Gordon was stinging Tony George, while the CART boys continued to employ foreigners who were not exactly connecting with the American fan.
Of course, they were still well known among race fans. Add to that Michael Andretti and Little Al were still big fish in the open wheel scene. But for some reason, and we all really know what those reasons are, Tony George (herein known as FTRG as in FUCKING TONY RAT GEORGE) had to get his “vision” off the ground.
Then there were the mistakes. The loss of interest by the CART fans, effectively halving the IRL potential fan base. 25/8, which some people still call the old bait and switch, countless versions of the vision and now, street racing. Now don’t get me wrong. I have no problem with changing one ‘vision’ if it makes sense, I just don’t see how the constant changing is helping. I also don’t mind a quarter of the schedule being road course races, but the only street course they run should be Long Beach.
Unfortunately the real losers in this battle have been the fans. In the IRL there is great racing, but there is no sense of importance. Only the Indy 500 has any pomp and circumstance surrounding it and last years scene of thousands of empty seats was enough to make me want to cry.
Now we stand 10 years in and there seems to be nothing left to try. I have made my prediction that the IRL will last two more years. Looking at the less than dazzling list of drivers who will take the green flag Sunday I just don’t see how things are going to change.
I wish the IRL all the best because it is the best racing, but it takes more than that to get the fans and the ratings necessary to increase purses to attract the drivers and owners they want. FTRG has signed on a new marketing person who has said ratings are priority one. They better be!!
I guess the best thing to do is to focus on the racing itself as it has been spectacular more times than not.
Andretti Green Racing (AGR) once again appears to be the class of the league. With 2004 champ Tony Kanaan back to defend his title, runner-up Dan Wheldon, who won three races, Dario Franchitti (one win) and road racing ace Bryan Herta all back in the fold this team will contend each and every week. With races on the schedule this season at Watkins Glen, Sonoma and St. Petersburg, they look certain to be the best bet for 2005.
Honda was super dominant last season, winning all but one race in the series. It is hard to imagine Toyota just letting them get walked all over again this year, but until they get back to victory lane there is plenty of work to do. Chevrolet is in its final year of IRL racing. One of the most venerable names in racing over the past couple of decades will call it quits after what will probably be another disappointing season.
It has to be noted as well that speculation that Toyota will bolt in a couple of years has run rampant. The team has made no such announcement.
Chassis will once again be manufactured by Dallara and Panoz. The only difference is that the G-Force will now be known as the Panoz.
My predictions for the season are that Tony Kanaan will win both the IRL title again and will win the Indianapolis 500. Ryan Briscoe will probably win Rookie of the Year titles in both as well. Other predictions are that Indy will just barely fill the field again, but will and once again, FTRG will have to raid the purse to financially help the teams that are close but can’t quite get the money for Indy.
Lost this year, unfortunately, seems to be Greg Ray’s Access Motorsports team. Hopefully Ray can get something together by Indy. Robby Gordon will most likely miss the 500 as well thanks to mealy-mouth’s move of the 500 to a noon start, effectively ending any chance the taxi boys have of doing the double.
For the IRL, ratings and attendance are the big issues. If you get those things up, you have more money to work with and can attract more teams. You can not attract more teams and automatically expect ratings to go up. Unfortunately FTRG has just stuck his finger in the wind to see which way the wind is blowing on any given day. There has been no rhyme or reason to what happens at Indy.
You know what is most disappointing to me about it? After attending the F1 race and the Brickyard and seeing the crowds and how professionally they are run, it just kills me to see the 500 run like a B-main on Saturday night at Paragon.

Ralf the Moron

Just a little tidbit from the idiot. I wanted to post this for posterity when he eats these words about oh, ... race 3!!TOKYO -- Ferrari's domination of Formula One could soon be a thing of the past, Toyota's Ralf Schumacher said on Friday.
Renault and McLaren have both impressed in testing and Schumacher told Reuters that Ferrari will be pushed to the limit in the 2005 season, which begins in Melbourne on March 6.
"By the look of it in the testing season, you would say that Ferrari are not the benchmark any more," said Schumacher, younger brother of Ferrari's seven-times world champion Michael.
"It could all turn around but for the moment the benchmark seems to be Renault or McLaren. I think it's going to be a tough season for Ferrari. I doubt they are going to win 15 of 18."

2005 F1 Preview

We are now officially less than a week from the start of the F1 season. It has been a long time since last October at Brazil. So how is 2005 going to shake out and how will any team be able to unseat Ferrari and Michael Schumacher for the championship?
Like every season, hope springs eternal. Unfortunately the past few have had that hope dashed almost as soon as the cars are unloaded at Albert Park. Will this year be any different? Only time will tell.
What’s new?
Driver changes were in vogue during the off season. In fact, eight of the teams are featuring new lineups going into the first round of the season. Probably the most notable is the arrival of Juan Montoya at McLaren. Yes, the contract was signed before last season, but now JPM gets his chance with Mercedes power. JPM’s departure from Williams was a golden opportunity for Mark Webber. The Aussie will be in seat 1. Ralfie also left Williams and has been replaced by Nick Heidfeld.
Ralfie has moved on to the Toyota team for a huge amount of money that he will never earn. David Coulthard has moved from the McLaren team to the Red Bull team which was formerly the Jaguar team.
Other notables are the introduction of the first Indian driver. Narain Karthikeyan will drive the Jordan/Midland car. And speaking of Jordan, Eddie has sold part of his team to Russian investors Midland. There has been talk of a race in Moscow for years, but this is the first real foray into the sport by the Russians. Tiago Montiero will take the other seat.
As mentioned, Ralfie is over at Toyota and will be alongside Jarno ‘Top Knot’ Trulli. Trulli won the Monaco GP last year, but fell out of favor for stroking it at France. By the end of the season last year, 1998 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve had taken the seat. This season, Villeneuve will test the F1 waters again in the Sauber. The only other significant change is the Giancarlo Fisichella will take Trulli’s seat at Renault.
Jordan/Midland has also announced it will run Toyota engines this season.
The two weekend rule is now in effect as well. That means that engines will have to last two full race weekends or penalties will be assessed. This is just the first step towards sweeping rules changes that have been proposed by FIA president Max Mosley.
Finally, the season has been stretched to 19 races with Turkey joining this years lineup.
What’s not?
BAR and Ferrari were the only two teams to stand pat on their driver combos, although Jensen Buttons wanted out at BAR. After a court battle, Buttons will stay. Most of the teams are using the same engine and tyre manufacturers this season. Sauber has signed a deal with BMW, but that will not go into effect until next season.
Of course Michael Schumacher and Ferrari will be the odds on favorites for this years championship. In fact, things will probably look similar to last season at the top of the grid. Williams, McLaren, BAR and Renault should be the haves while Jordan/Midland, Red Bull, Sauber, Toyota and Minardi will make up the second division.
With that all in mind how do I think the season will shake out? Here are my predictions:
Constructors:
Ferrari
McLaren
BAR
Williams
Renault
Sauber
Toyota
Red Bull
Jordan
Minardi
Drivers:
M. Schumacher
Montoya
Barrichello
Sato
Raikkonen
Buttons
Heidfeld
Webber
Alonso
Massa

NASCAR 2005

The Daytona 500 is a scant 4 days away and I just can’t generate much enthusiasm for it. The Super Bowl of Stock Car Racing just doesn’t seem to carry the cache with me like it did in the past. And in case those of you who think it is just because it appears as though perennial Daytona favorite, Dale Earnhardt Jr. won’t be very competitive this time around, I assure you it is not.No, my interest in NASCAR has waned tremendously over the past couple of seasons. I have become much more interested in F1 racing and have continued to follow the IRL very closely. In that shuffle, NASCAR has pretty much had to take a back seat. Oh sure, I will watch the 500 on Sunday, just not with the same thrill I used to get.Anyway, things do appear to be a little different going into the race. DEI who has been so dominant at the restrictor plate races looks like they are middle of the pack at best. It could be because of a renewed effort on the other tracks in the series, or it could be because of the team swap between the 8 and the 15 cars. Whatever the reason, neither Jr. nor Mikey qualified well Sunday.Jimmy Johnson and Jeff Gordon were both strong and it stands to reason that they will be favorites come Sunday. Johnson won the Shootout last Saturday night and I am picking him to come home with the win Sunday.The start of the season also marks the start of two of NASCAR’s veterans final season. Mark Martin and Rusty Wallace are both entering their final seasons on the circuit. From the sound of it Rusty maybe having second thoughts, while Martin seems perfectly content with his decision. Both have been stars for a long time at the top of the NASCAR food chain. I always liked Mark and wish him the best. Both have sons who are just starting their careers.Anyway, that’s about all I have for now for NASCAR. I think Jr. will win the Cup this season, but it is such a grind. Wake me up before the Brickyard so I can catch the part of the season that matters.

FTRG Strikes Again

It’s official, FTRG is now a car owner in the IRL. His Vision Racing team was announced yesterday, about a week after rumors had circulated that he would indeed enter into an arrangement that would put Ed Carpenter in a ride for the season. Larry Curry has been signed on as team manager for the effort.
Where do I begin? Let’s start with the name. Vision Racing. Vision as in FTRG’s vision of the IRL. The IRL as an all oval track series that would afford the American midget and sprint car drivers who were escaping to NASCAR an opportunity to shine on motorsports biggest stage, the Indianapolis 500 at a reasonable price. That lasted about two years. Then the foreign element started creeping in and the vision was changed and it was no longer an American only deal. Then came the evil Roger Penske and the vision further changed. Next came the engine leases from Honda and Toyota and the idea of anyone being able to get any equipment started to get fuzzy. Then we get road courses, then street parades. Finally the vision that the car owners were not the best to run the series has been completely tossed out and guess what you have, CART circa 1995.
George is such a fucking mallet head that he just mumbles his way through with no regard for what he says and what ramifications it will have on people. Vision my ass. Lack of vision if you ask me.
I already talked about the hypocrisy of his running a team while also running the series. Conflict of interest? Yes. Does he care? Obviously not.
So he forms a team to make sure Ed Carpenter gets in. Ed is FTRG’s step son. Now I don’t have a problem with him spending money to make sure his step son gets a ride. Then again, I am not convinced that Ed should be in an Indy car. I haven’t seen it and with the IRL powers that be involved with his effort I hope there is no controversy.
Then we come to Larry Curry. Yes, that same walrus looking piece of crap that spent 33 months in a federal pen for embezzling more than $1 million from John Menard. Nice guy! Oh sure Curry has since paid nearly all of it back and he did his time, but is this really the guy you want around you? Besides, other than getting Tony Stewart to the pole at Indy, what has he really done? And God knows, he has been around long enough that he should have a pretty impressive resume.
This whole thing sounds like a bad idea to me. The IRL needs the cars, but it is obvious that no one over at 16th and Georgetown has any real clues as to how to run a racing league.

Look What They Done to My 500

Recently I have read some opinions regarding the Greatest Spectacle in Racing and why it is on the downslide after being the top dog for 80+ years. I’ve read differing ideas on what it will take to bring its status back up to where it was. Well kids, there ain’t no secret to what the problem with Indy is and it has nothing to do with cars, engines or drivers. Simply put, the split in open wheel racing has left it with two bitter camps that refuse to capitulate and embrace the other. Add to that the fact that the purses are ridiculously low for the costs and you have a recipe for disaster. One of my recent favorites is from the Indystar.com message boards. We have the posters Watson Roadster and sprintman who have basically the same message with the difference being that sprintman is at least human while Watson is a venom spewing asshole. Their idea is to bring back the front engine car, add some safety devices and let them race. They claim this will lower costs thereby allowing their beloved spridget drivers to get in the game. They claim all of them are going to NASCAR instead of Indy and this would stem that tide. They also claim that the reduction of speed is no big deal, after all NASCAR doesn’t run 225 mph and look at the crowds it draws. In one breath they say kick Honda and Toyota out and in the next they say bring in more manufacturers. Finally they claim that these spridget drivers are household names and that losing them to NASCAR is killing open wheel racing in general and the IRL in particular. Well folks they are wrong. First of all, the IRL is being killed by its leader Tony George. That mushmouth POC has changed his vision of what open wheel racing has been a dozen times and has missed each and every time. I have said it a million times, THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE INDIANAPOLIS 500 IN 1995. Why he had to change is beyond me. Now to top it off, his bullshit about the owners shouldn’t run the series comes full circle as he has gone into team ownership so his stepson can drive. What fucking hypocrisy will he perpetrate next? Okay, enough about FTRG. What of the ridiculous assumptions made by Watson and sprintman? Number one, they want a front engine car. Why in God’s name would we want to take a step back in technology? They claim the cars are all about the engineers now. That is true, but so what? Indy has always been a place for innovation. From Ray Harroun’s rear view mirror to the advent of the rear engine car to the aerodynamic changes to the SAFER barriers, the Speedway has always been about innovation and progress. Some of these boobs now say they want to roll back the clock and bring back what amounts to sprint cars. Look I have nothing against sprint cars. Winged or non-winged I find it to be an exciting brand of racing. But folks, if I want to see cars going around the track at 170 mph I will watch NASCAR. As for lowering costs, how long do you think that will last? It will just be a matter of time before someone figures out a way to go faster and spend more money. Sure you can cap the amount spent. FTRG tried that and it failed. People want speed and speed costs. Get over it. As for NASCAR taking all of the open wheelers well lets just take a look see. The only real “star” I see that has slipped away in the last year is J.J. Yeley. Sure it would have been nice to have him come to Indy and eschew Busch racing. But let’s be realistic. There are more seats in NASCAR. Add to that there is more money. The problem with the IRL is that there is no money. That is not and should not ever be the problem with the Indianapolis 500. Raise the purse to a realistic $30 million and make it worthwhile to run. If you can get them at Indy, they might run the rest of the IRL. Can’t afford to raise the purse at Indy and keep the IRL. Fine, lose the IRL. And don’t give me this shit about all these drivers going NASCAR. Only the pussies and really, are they established? How many of you really had heard of Kasey Kahne before he hit the pavement of NASCAR? Yeah he’s a great driver, but he wasn’t exactly a household name. Face it spridget fans, the days of the Foyts, Unsers, Rutherfords, Andretti’s, Joneses and Ruby’s are gone. There will never be another generation like that. Who is out there now? Dave Steele? Steve Kinser? Steve is a great sprint car driver, but he never made it at Indy and he didn’t make it in NASCAR. Then we have engine manufacturers. Chevrolet announced this is their final shot. Do you honestly believe they would run if there were purses in the IRL and at Indianapolis worthy of what it takes to develop a real racing engine? Fuck no. Why not go low tech and go NASCAR. The money is there. It is a sin, but Indy just doesn’t pay enough. Something has to be done to keep Honda and Toyota. Not run them off as some suggest. The bottom line is this: The purse for the Indianapolis 500 has to be raised. It is the only way to attract new sponsors and owners and drivers. With the higher purses you will have the sponsors that help fund the complete series. Not the other way around. The IRL exists because of the Indianapolis 500. The 500 is not just a race on the IRL schedule. And one other thing, don't count on there ever being just one series. The CCWS seems poised to keep going and regardless, their fans will never be back. I may knock NASCAR a lot. I think it is slow and boring, but they sure as hell know how to market themselves. No one over at 16th and Georgetown seems to have a clue about that word.

Pacers 2005

Last night the Indiana Pacers dropped their sixth game in a row. Stephen Jackson’s boneheaded foul at the end of the game allowed Jalen Rose to go to the line and win the game for the Raptors. It was the second game in a row that Jackson has come up short in the brains and talent department and cost the team a win. But this isn’t about Stephen Jackson per se. This is a team that is mired in mediocrity. A team that is missing its best player. A team who seems besieged by injury and illness. Bottom line, a team that has lost its focus and seemingly its will to win.

When the season started we were beset by a shitload of injuries. I thought that if we could get to Christmas at .500 we would be in great shape and be set for a playoff run. Well that happened. Unfortunately, so did November 19th. That date may prove to be more than this team is able to overcome. Of course that is the night of “The Brawl”. Not to completely rehash the nights events or the fallout from it, but that incident cost this team its best player in Ron Artest.

What is really tragic is that Ron is our best player. A guy with a $10 million game and a 50 cent head. Now I can whine on and on about how some goon in Detroit basically ruined our season. But why? These guys are supposed to be professionals. So, a guy throws a beer on you, it’s not like he was aiming a gun at you.

Anyway, the season now seems to be slipping away. There seems to be friction between players. JO and Reg seem to be at it over Reg’s alleged retirement comments. Players see minutes one night and then aren’t heard form again for a couple of weeks. Our PG who has really played well this season is hurt, again. Top that off with stupid play and the recipe is right for losses. And that is exactly what we are getting.

So here we are. A team that is now 9th in the Eastern Conference and with little or no hope to improve based on what I have been seeing the past two weeks. They are 7 games out in their division. Teams like Cleveland and Chicago have zoomed past the Blue and Gold and have taken up where we left off last year.

I say it is time to break this team up. Everyone is expendable. First of all I have no idea what to do with Artest. His trade value is probably nil. Considering he is scheduled to make $8 million next year, I don’t know of any team that would be willing to take him on. I know one thing, as much as I love Ron’s game, I do not want him back on this team.

JO clearly has lost his focus. I don’t know if it is all the Reggie deal or if there are other issues, but he clearly isn’t giving 100% every night. Three weeks ago he was on top of his game, now he just looks tired. However, a new address might perk him right up and I think any team would be happy to have him and his huge salary. One thing for sure is that we have to get maximum value out of him.

Over the course of the last 12 years we have been treated to some damn fine basketball and have had some really good teams. I don’t exactly have to have the champion here, but we have to be competitive in May and June. We have been for the most part, but this team will be lucky to see the end of April. Break them up now and start over. Get a running start at next season and get a good draft pick. This team is done. Larry, Donnie and Rick need to see that before it is too late!

Iraq Elections

History was made yesterday in the war torn country of Iraq. For the first time in more than 50 years, the Iraqi people were allowed to vote in free elections in what will eventually determine the Prime Minister of Iraq as well as that country's future.

The election can not be considered anything less than an overwhelming success as an estimated 72% of the eligible voters in Iraq turned out to let their voices be heard. Of the nearly 300,000 people who registered to vote in other abstentia, a whopping 93% actually voted. I don't know what the totals were for the Presidential election here in the US last November, but I would guess it was substantially less the Iraqi figures.

So now we wait for the results of who won the races. But in reality we already know who won. The Iraqi people are the winners today. These people were threatened and bullied by insurgent thugs who despise freedom and the human rights we take for granted all too often.

The Iraqi people rose up yesterday and said YES. Yes to freedom, yes to an end to tyranny, yes to a future where peace and happiness can be legitimate goals. Yes to religious freedom and yes to George W. Bush who 18 months ago said this was the goal.

Today we can look at Iraq as a country whose people have taken the first step, and it was a doozy, towards freedom.

44 people were reported killed after voting yesterday, yet the threats didn't keep the people away like the opposition wanted. It didn't keep people away despite what the democrats and the liberal said would happen. It is right to mourn those who died for their convictions, but it is more important to celebrate what their sacrifice means to the future of Iraq.
May God bless Iraq and watch over her people. May the insurgence see this as what it is; a mandate that their way is not the will of the people. May God also bless our troops who have worked so long and hard over there in helping their people have this opportunity.

It is still going to be a long, arduous battle to finish the job, but the people of Iraq made a solid statement yesterday. Freedom will prevail and the people will be heard.

Colts Season Ends

For the second consecutive year the Colts season ended with a whimper on the field at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, MA. The Colts, who I really thought were destined to be this years world champions were simply outmanned and outcoached by the Patriots again yesterday.

The post mortem on the 2004 version of the Colts will not be pretty, but what led them to this point was as fun and as exhilarating as any season the Colts have had since their arrival in 1984. The team won its second consecutive AFC South title. They finished with a 12-4 record. Peyton Manning won his second consecutive MVP award. Manning, Marvin Harrison, Dwight Freeney and Edge are all going to the Pro Bowl. Marvin was signed to a long contract extension. Brandon Stokley was resigned. Freeney led the league in sacks. PM broke Dan Marino’s record for most TD passes in a season and finally, and possibly most important, the city and the team have come to an agreement for a new stadium and revenue plan that should keep the team in Indy for at least 30 years.

Unfortunately, what most will remember is how the season ended. How this prolific offense managed just 3 points in the biggest game of the season. How the much maligned defense stayed strong and stout for 2 and a half quarters and the O couldn’t take advantage of it. How a team who was on loud all season, played like they got there using the run.
The longest pass was 18 yards. There were turnovers. For some reason we ran the screen to Edge all day long with minimal results. Coach Dungy sure came up with a doozy of a game plan. Not! It was a manageable 6-3 at the half. A three and out and we had the ball again. Yet we continued to try and run against what is the best linebacking crew in the league.

So we go into the long off-season. Obviously defense is our most glaring need in the draft, especially linebacker. We also have some serious free agent issues to resolve. Edge and Ryan Diem are probably the most notable. And this team has to get tougher. Mentally and physically. If we are going to play poorly at Foxboro in January, then we have to make sure we don’t have to go there. Had we won the game in September, this one would have been at home. We have to figure out a way to play strong all season and have no let down after the bye.

Jacksonville and Houston are improving. Pittsburgh looks poised to stay strong for a while. The Jets and Chargers were both surprisingly good this season. Winning will be difficult, but the ground work is there. We are not a team in disarray; rather we are a team that is close to the top. We just need a little more toughness and a little more talent on D.

I look back on this season with many fond memories. It was so much fun. But today really hurts. I just have no inclination to talk to anyone or even be around anyone. I want to go home and curl up on the couch with a bowl of spaghetti and feel sorry for myself. I don’t want to laugh, I don’t want to “feel better” about the loss. That’ll come. Today I just feel empty and frankly, let down. Next week I’ll watch the Championship games because I love NFL football. Later this week I’ll be okay and I will be the Colts biggest fan again. Right now I just want them to go away.

Last year I thought if we got over on NE it would have been a huge upset. This year I feel we were the better team going in and I feel like my heart has been ripped out of my chest. Peyton Manning is already talking about next year. I guess that is all he really can do. Me, I am going to wallow in my own self pity for a day or two before I start focusing on the draft and next year.

Pacers Brawl

The cold reality of what happened Friday night in Detroit has hit me. For the record, Ron Artest has been suspended for the balance of the season, Jermaine was hit with a 25 game suspension, Stephen Jackson got 30 games and Anthony Johnson got 6. Reggie got one game for coming out onto the court. Detroits’ Ben Wallace was hit with a paltry 6 game suspension. What a fucking joke!

Okay, I get the Pacer suspensions. I really do. Sure I think they are harsh, but these guys have to know better. What galls me is that the Pistons are basically off the hook for this. Wallace knew damn well what he was doing and yet he is given a lousy 6 gamer. That thug provoked RA just trying to get a rise out of him. When he didn’t he got mad and continued his provocation. This incited the crowd and the near-riot situation that ensued.

Before I go any further let me say that I do not condone, in any way, shape or form, what Ron did. He is supposed to be a professional and he should know better than to go into the stands. Especially knowing his history. But the reality is that anyone would have probably done the same thing if they had just been hit by a beer and a bottle.

Where does this organization go from here? The season is essentially over. RA has proven time and time again that he simply can not be counted on. I won’t go so far as to label him a cancer, but he just seems to lose his mind at the most inopportune times. I don’t know what the rules are, but I wish RA would just go away.

As for the Pistons, I just can’t believe how easy they are getting off on this. They had no security, they have out of control players and yet they get basically a slap on the wrist. If I was a conspiracy theorist I’d be all over this fiasco. Anyway it should be easy to get Pacer tickets, cheap for a while.
I am a little embarrassed by the Pacer’s actions the other night. Again, I think anyone would have done what RA did, but this organization has always carried itself with a degree of class and dignity. That all went away Friday night. And while I appreciate the contributions of Stephen Jackson, I doubt if he is going to turn into the player we embrace here in Indy.

Sponsor Woes

GM announced today that they would stop their support of the IRL as an engine manufacturer at the end of the 2005 season. GM, who is one of the original engine providers with the Aurora, is citing a lack of interest in the series as their main reason to get out. GM, along with Cosworth who was brought on board last season, has made this decision after looking at race attendance and TV ratings and simply do not see the IRL being a good enough product to support. Also today MBNA, title sponsor of the MBNA Pole Award, announced it will only sponsor the pole award at Indianapolis starting next season. Sponsors come and go. Probably more so in auto racing than any other sport. But, is the loss of an engine supplier and one of the biggest race weekend prize providers anything but the bad sign it appears to be? My "friends" over on the message boards have tried to spin this in a positive light. They say that each achieved what they wanted with the IRL and that they have decided to move on. Face it assholes, the IRL is a corporate joke and FTRG is a fool. This series had failed over and over trying to get legitimate sponsorship for a series that boasts great racing. It's product is sound, its management is garbage. I find it beyond belief how anyone can say the IRL is a success and that the moves announced today are positives. Lost sponsors, lost teams, engine leases, road courses and a diminished Indianapolis 500 have just about killed it all for me. I used to love Indy. Now it has been reduced. It is no longer the marquee event. It is just a race and soon to be a race with one less engine. Wake up people! FTRG is leading you down the primrose path and you are all going to have to drink the kool-aid. I predict the end of the IRL within 2 years.

2004 F1 Wrap

Well the 2004 F1 World Championship is in the books. Yesterday in Sao Paulo, Brazil the season unceremoniously ended. JPM finally got a victory for Williams. Their first since the summer of 2003 and in JPM’s last race for the Grove team before moving to McLaren next season. The event was notable for Ferrari’s lack of success. The Sandwich finished 3rd after starting on the pole and Michael finished 7th after starting 18th. Here is the final constructor and driver championship points: CONSTRUCTOR 1 Ferrari 262 2 BAR-Honda 119 3 Renault 105 4 Williams-BMW 88 5 McLaren-Mercedes 69 6 Sauber-Petronas 34 7 Jaguar-Cosworth 10 8 Toyota 9 9 Jordan-Ford 5 10 Minardi-Cosworth 1 DRIVER Pos Driver Nationality Team Points 1 Michael Schumacher German Ferrari 148 2 Rubens Barrichello Brazilian Ferrari 114 3 Jenson Button British BAR-Honda 85 4 Fernando Alonso Spanish Renault 59 5 Juan Pablo Montoya Colombian Williams-BMW 58 6 Jarno Trulli Italian Renault 46 7 Kimi Räikkönen Finnish McLaren-Mercedes 45 8 Takuma Sato Japanese BAR-Honda 34 9 Ralf Schumacher German Williams-BMW 24 10 David Coulthard British McLaren-Mercedes 24 11 Giancarlo Fisichella Italian Sauber-Petronas 22 12 Felipe Massa Brazilian Sauber-Petronas 12 13 Mark Webber Australian Jaguar-Cosworth 7 14 Olivier Panis French Toyota 6 15 Antonio Pizzonia Brazilian Williams-BMW 6 16 Christian Klien Austrian Jaguar-Cosworth 3 17 Cristiano da Matta Brazilian Toyota 3 18 Nick Heidfeld German Jordan-Ford 3 19 Timo Glock German Jordan-Ford 2 20 Zsolt Baumgartner Hungarian Minardi-Cosworth 1 Of course there were no real surprises with the standings down the stretch. Fernando Alonso did manage to hold of JPM for fourth in the championship. Ralfie was able to catch David Coulthard and actually pass Giancarlo Fisichella for ninth in the standings. BAR finished the season strong and was able to claim second place in the Constructors championship plus they retain the services of Jensen Buttons next year after last weeks Contract Board ruling. Of course, who knows what kind of ramifications that decision will have on the team. No, what really happened yesterday was just the start of an offseason that will prove to be quite interesting and have far reaching effects on the future of the sport. Right now there are 19 races on next years schedule. At least one of those is going to go. France, San Marino and Great Britain seem to be on the chopping block. It seems ridiculous to think the GBGP would go away but that is what Bernie is hinting at. And when it all comes down to it, it is all money that is the underlying reason. Bernie can make more and fuck everyone else if it means tradition gets trampled. Those of us in Indy know the feeling. Besides those races the Jaguar team has ceased its operation and unless a suitable buyer can be found it will be lost. Cosworth is involved with Ford’s decision to get out of F1 racing, but it appears the Cosworth brand will be sold and continued. This helps Minardi and Jordan remain on the track. But with the demise of Jaguar, there is but 18 cars expected on the grid at Melbourne next March. Sure there has been some rumblings about some new blood coming in, but with the state of affairs at the FIA office who would come in right now? Then of course there is the GPWC that threatened a couple of years ago to start up a rival series. The idea seemed to be dead but today it was brought up again in response to the rules Max and the FIA are proposing in regards to competition and cost controls. There are a few things we do know about next season. Ferrari will be back as the favorites with the same driver combo. In fact here is a look at what is known right now. Ferrari-Michael and the Sandwich BAR-Honda-Buttons and Sato Renault-Alonso Williams-Mark Webber Toyota-Top Knot and Ralfie Minardi Jordan McLaren-Kimi and JPM Sauber-Jacques and Massa Anthony Pizzonia is most likely to get the Williams seat next to Webber. Minardi and Jordan never keep the same guys so I wouldn’t want to speculate on who gets those “choice” rides for next year. This offseason will prove to be quite enlightening. Thanks for reading all season long and keep it here for more breaking news and opinion!

2004 IRL Wrap

Well the season is over and Tony Kanaan did complete every lap of competition this season. A new record in open wheel racing. What a season for Tony, Andretti Green Racing and Honda. My hat is off to them! The season came to a close Sunday at Texas as Julio finally got off the schneid and won for the first time since 2002. Julio’s struggles have been well documented, but this season can be tied to what can only be labeled as an underpowered Toyota engine. With the exception of Homestead and Texas, it was a Honda sweep this season. On the track it was another great season for the IRL. Besides Julio the winners included Indy 500 winner Buddy Rice, season opener winner Sam Hornish Jr., IRL champion Kanaan, runner-up Dan Wheldon, three time winner Adrian Fernandez and Dario Franchitti. While these were the only drivers to win, several others made life interesting in their pursuit for wins. Vitor Meira and Tomas Wreckter both had several good runs, but were ultimately denied winners circle for various reasons. By far the biggest disappointment had to be Scott Dixon. Scotty D was the defending IRL champion and basically disappeared from the points chase by Indy. Most of his problems could be traced to the Toyota powerplant, but I still maintain that his poor test at Barcelona for Williams F1 was his undoing. I honestly believe Scott thought he was going to get the ride and I did too. He had a great test in France, but just a so-so in Spain. Apparently Sir Frank didn’t like what he saw and let the whole project go. I think Scotty D was so devastated by the experience that he never recovered. I hope he can come back next year with a renewed focus and drive. Another disappointment was Sarah. She only ran at Indy and as a third Kelley car. For whatever reason, the most popular driver in the IRL just can’t land a ride. Did I mention she had the best tits in the IRL? Unfortunately she spent the last month of the season running NASCAR West series races. Before that she spent most of the season driving the two-seater at IRL events. Sad! The biggest surprise had to be split between two factions. One was Buddy Rice’s rise from interim driver to Indy 500 champion and title contender. Last year Rice was a sub on Eddie Cheever’s team. This year he remained in the hunt for the IRL title until the second to last race. He suffered an ugly crash at Chicagoland, but nonetheless had a great season filling in for Kenny Brack. He will be back next year for Rahal/Letterman Racing. The other surprise had to be Adrian Fernandez. AF came to the IRL just after the season opener. His early efforts at Phoenix and Twin Ring Motegi were pitiful. At Indy he started to show some Honda muscle and ran well all month. Finally at Kentucky he broke through with a solid win. He followed it up with two more wins and seemed genuinely thrilled to be in the IRL and racing with the best. So like I said, it was a great year on the track. Unfortunately, off the track the league still faces issues that if left unresolved will ultimately kill it. While attendance was up at most events, it was down at Indy. Television ratings also stayed in the toilet. No one seems to know the answer. I’m not going to get into the whole FTRG thing here today, but suffice it to say the IRL was poorly conceived and it really hurt to get off to a bad start. The fans are coming to the tracks, but until TV ratings pick up, the money for the purses necessary will not come. Here is my assessment of the teams and what to expect in 2005: Andretti Green Racing – “One big happy family” seems to be the mantra this team has said all season and when it came down to it you have to believe them. The drive was apparent from each of them and the whole team, but it was a team effort. First and second place in the standings for the season. Only Herta failed to crack victory lane. Judd is the only one not signed for next year, but it looks like that is just a matter of getting him and the contracts together. If Honda keeps their competitive edge next year look for more of the same. Rahal/Letterman Racing – They won the big enchilada this year and kept Buddy Rice in contention until he went a sailing at Kansas. Honestly his troubles were already well begun, but it was still an excellent season for an afterthought driver. Next year? Hard to say at this point. It looks like Danica Patrick will get a seat but beyond her and Buddy I’m not sure. And where is Kenny Brack? He was at the Texas race, but is the 1999 Indy 500 winner going to race in the IRL again? I don’t hear much to indicate he will. Still, the team should be strong. Marlboro Team Penske – This season has to be considered a disappointment. Sure Julio and Sammy both won races, but were basically uncompetitive most of the year. Toyota lost at Motegi for the first time and at Indy they sucked. Next year will be better if only because Sam and Julio will be together for a second season. However, unless Toyota can make some strides in the offseason, they will be relegated to the back again. Target Chip Ganassi Racing – What a nightmare! Defending IRL champion Scott Dixon vanished and Darren Manning hit everything but the pace car. This team will remain intact for next season but I have to wonder how long Chip puts up with this type of performance. Two years ago, before the Indy 500 I said Ganassi was the best owner in motorsports. He may well still be, but his driver lineup and Toyota engines had to hurt. This team is a complete enigma going into next year. Fernandez/Super Agouri Racing – With AF and Rookie of the Year Kosuke Matsura on board this team is poised for the top. AF won 3 of the last 5 this year and Matsura was solid if not spectacular all season. They will be a threat next year at every track. Red Bull Eddie Cheever Racing – Ed Carpenter and Alex Baron will not be back it would appear. This team is in disarray and who know what is next. This team has the feel of AJ Foyt Racing in the 90’s which was a revolving door of drivers. That is no way to build consistency or get results. Mo Nunn Racing – Mo wants to put PJ Chesson in the seat but is hesitant. Chesson threw shit on the track to cause a yellow Saturday in Texas. He was fined and docked points and pissed off his owner Mrs. Mo. Takagi is most likely gone. This game may be getting too revved up for ol’ Mo anymore. Mike is also an option. AJ Foyt Enterprises – Well Quatro got a top 10 at Texas Sunday, but that was the best of his career. Underpowered with the Toyota and down in the brains department because of no engineer this team will continue to underproduce. AJ Jr. has to get his head out of his ass and start running the team like a race team in the new millennium. He is stuck at Duquoin circa 1970. Dreyer & Reinbold – Wow, where do you go from here? Can’t go down, so up is the only option, unless of course they stay the same. Robbie Buhl’s May retirement came a s a surprise, but I thought they could get something together with Mike at the wheel. Didn’t happen. I think they would like to go with two cars next year, but they could lose Mike and have to start all over. Lack of funds is hurting this team and unless some major sponsorship can be found expect more of the same next year. Panther Racing – Wreckter looks like he may be back next year. To be fair, his pit crew was more of a problem than anything else. He probably would have won at Kentucky had it not been for a bad pit. Similar problems at Milwaukee and Michigan doomed a pretty good second half of the season. This team will push on and with the Menard money should be able to find someone better than Townsend Bell, who replaced Mark Taylor to drive the second car. Hard to turn down that money though! Patrick Racing – A veritable revolving door of drivers since Little Al hung up his helmet with expected results. Jacques Lazier was probably the best of the bunch, but he had no money and was released. Tomas Enge finished the season. My how the mighty have fallen. U.E. “Pat” Patrick probably should have called it quits himself. Kelley Racing – The Star says Tom Kelley shutting it down. Kelley says he is not. Scott Sharp who brings the Delphi money will probably take it to another team if the team folds. Rumor has it that it will be Ganassi, but I don’t know if Chip wants to run three cars. Thanks for the support Tom, you will be missed if you go. Access Motorsports – What a tough year for Greg Ray. He had the Honda engine package and ran solid in the first three races of the season. Then for some reason he didn’t get on the track until Bump Day at Indy. He ran at Texas and Richmond then took his car to Kansas but never took it off the trailer. It looked like it was over. But then Mark Taylor’s dad stepped in with some money and bought the seat. Ray says he is putting together some things for next year and hopes to run a two car operation. Hope it works out for him. Of course the IRL is always watching OWRS to see if or when it will fail. OWRS has made it through this year so far, but barely. The race in South Korea never materialized and they still have the fiasco from Surfers Paradise of last year to recover from. Newman/Haas will have Bruno at Indy for sure. The three amigos are almost sure to lose a shit load of money this year by being promoter and car owners, and it will be seen how long they can last. Former IRL stalwart Ron Hemelgarn was supposed to go OWRS racing this year for free but that never materialized. He may make another run at Indy next year, if not the whole IRL. I still wonder what happened between him and Bubby. While I may not think much of Bubby, he still won Indy and was the best Hemelgarn had. Next year is crucial. If this league is to flourish it needs to start to flex some muscle and take over. Those fans who refuse to enjoy the wonderful racing can just fuck off. There are a lot of them and some have legit beefs. Obviously there was no problem with the 500 in 1995 and now there is. It is up to FTRG and the rest of his marketing department to get this venture over the hump. He has the product, now it is time to sell it!

Fall Reflections 2004

The Election

The election is over, finally! W is the leader of the free world another 4 years. With a 51-48% margin of victory the people have spoken. Most Republican have been gracious in victory. Of course some still the the war is on. The only war now is the war on terror. A war we must win and bring under control ASAFP.

I have to admit, this was the nastiest campaign I have ever seen. And I don't mean that from the candidate standpoint. The vitriol and venom spewed by supporters on both sides was as heated as I can imagine. Let's face it, the war in Iraq has seriously divided this country. It will take time and real progress to get over the wounds left by this election.

One thing I did find refreshing, well there are several, was that John Kerry actually sacked up and conceded the election when it was clear he had lost. Some claimed he gave in too early, but he knew. That jackass John Edwards probably would have drug it through the courts for months.

The other couple of things I really enjoyed was watching the celebs all take it in the ass on this one. They were all lining up behind Kerry and now they are all losers. Hypocrites were also in store during the campaigns. Our old friend Rush Limbaugh was taken down a peg. The pompous ass of the airwaves got caught being a druggie and a dope dealer. How he still goes on the air every day as if nothing happened is beyond me. Get lost douchebag! And who can forget Dan Rather. Dick!

Sayonara to Howard Dean, Tom Daschle, Al Gore, Bill Clinton. All rendered moot by this election.

Now W has to decide what to do about his cabinet. Frankly I'd like to see Rumsfeld gone. Everyone else can stay as far as I cam concerned. There will be some turnover I am sure.


IRL

FTRG strikes again. GM yesterday announced they will be leaving the IRL after next season. MBNA also announced they will sponsor the pole award only at Indy next year. Some of the IRL lapdogs have claimed such ridiculous bullshit as "the IRL no longer fits their needs" and "new sponsors are on their way and would have shoved them out anyway like Toyota and Honda have done". This is all complete BS and madness.
GM was an original engine provider and is now at the back of the pack. Losing any sponsors or suppliers for the IRL is bad.

This league has just about run its course. There are no fans, Indy is even down, no TV ratings and generally no interest. Don't get me wrong I love the IRL, but it is flawed and FTRG has ruined the Indy 500.

My only question is what kind of cars will be running at Indy in May of 2008 because the IRL will be finished after 2006.


IU v PU

Let this serve notice that I am no longer a fan of Indiana University sports. I still think it's a good school with wonderful academic pursuits. The actions of its athletic departments have hurt me to the point I can no longer support their teams.

Coach Gerry Dinardo seems like a good guy, but he isn't doing anything more this year that he has in the past. He won two games early and now has an upset win over Minnesota. That's it. Sure he only this year has his scholarships back, but there again that is because of the shitty athletic department.

And don't even get me started on that idiot over at Assembly Hall. Those idiots will be lucky to win 10 games this year.

I'm done. I will never root for Purdue in basketball as long as Keady is coach. Not sure how I will feel about Painter, but my full allegiance goes to Joe Tiller and that football program.

Until I see anything different: Fuck you Hoosiers!!

Season Ending Preview

Well the Chase for the Championship is truly on now and the boys in the IRL and F1 are down to their penultimate races this weekend and next respectively. Even OWRS is down to their final two races, but they are a month away and really, who cares? In a way it is always sad to see the end of the racing season, but with the NFL to fill the void, it makes the end so much more palatable. And besides, the taxis still have another two months before they call it a season. It’s been a good season for a few teams and drivers and a tumultuous season for many teams, drivers and a couple of series. Ferrari with Michael Schumacher, the Sandwich, Jean Todt and Ross Brawn put up one of those dream seasons winning 14 of the 16 races so far with Schummi getting 12. In fact he started the season with 5 in a row before Jarno Trulli got him at Monaco. After that Michael rang up 7 in a row. Currently Rubens has won the past two after Kimi won at Spa. Like him or not, and I don’t, Schummi has shown this year how good he is. He just beat everyone to death until they cried uncle and by then it was over. I’ve seen Michael wrap up the title earlier than he did this year, but only because the Sandwich was getting so many second places. Honestly I have never seen anything like it from a driver or a team and that is a lot of racing. Buttons looks like he will finish third in the drivers championship. Fernando Alonso is just 4 points ahead of Trulli and JPM, but Jarno is out for the season before making the move to Toyota next year. JPM seems to have lost interest in driving the Williams, but he may be able to garner enough points to overtake Fernando. On the other hand Alonso will be keen to keep ahead of new, at least for the rest of this season, team mate Jacques Villeneuve. But with all of the good driving and fantastic venues for the F1 crowd there is trouble afoot. Last week Ford Motor Co. announced it was pulling the plug on its Jaguar F1 program and on the Cosworth engine program. Besides the obvious sting of losing two cars on the grid, Ford supplies the Jag as well as the Jordan and the Minardi teams with engines. In fact ripples can be heard here in America where the Cosworth is the only engine in OWRS and is a partner with Chevrolet in their IRL engine program. Now the scuttlebutt is that Cosworth will be sold and kept in business. That is the good news. The bad news is that team principals in F1 agree on only one thing, that costs are too high and must be cut. What gets cut and who agrees on what is a sheer crap shoot. These guys never agree on anything. I reported on here earlier in the summer about the changes proposed by Max Mosley. No one has made any move to approve them. Mosley says the changes are coming, but now the teams are saying the costs of change are too high. Max has lately resorted to using safety as his reasoning for the changes. He says the cars are too fast and corner too quickly. Yet it has been more than 10 years since the last fatality in F1. The older, more dangerous tracks are being replaced by newer, safer and modern racing facilities. Sure everyone will miss the speed of Silverstone, Eau Rouge at Spa and the part oval at Monza, but these tracks were designed at a different time for different cars. Some can be made safe enough. Some can not. The real problem with F1 lies with the FOM and Bernie Ecclestone. They are simply taking too much money from the sport. There, I said it. No one else seems to want to. Bernie is one of the wealthiest men on the planet. I don’t begrudge him his wealth, but F1 is his golden goose and if he kills it then he is the biggest asshole in the world. So this offseason will feature a lot of fighting and discussion over the future of the series. Personally I love it and I don’t want it to go away. I also lover the cars and the technology and know that it costs a shitload of money. Then we have the IRL. God love ‘em! The racing is fantastic regardless of the no brain OWRS fans say, but Tony George just leaves me wondering what he will pull next. He is no better than the owner board of CART that he wanted on. Fuck he had the Indy 500, why did he want to be involved any more than that? The league is coming to a crossroads. Probably not this year or even next, but unless attendance and those all important TV ratings start to go up, there will be no IRL. An honestly, I don’t think they will. For some reason you can have great racing, but so many fans were put off by the split that it will never be the same. Then fucking NASCAR has its snobby fans who think the sun rises and sets on some damn taxi cab. Oh they’re not all snobs, but there are a lot of them and I just don’t see why. The drivers aren’t all that compelling once you get past Jr. Jeffy, Schturt and Busch. The cars are all exactly alike and the rules are a joke. I guess judging by what I have wrote you would wonder if I really am a race fan, but rest assured I am. If I didn’t care I wouldn’t talk about it and this blog would never have been done. We still have a couple months until it is all over, but I just want to say how much fun it’s been and I am already looking forward to Melbourne next March!

Red Letter Week For the Dems

It was another red letter week for what can only be called the beleaguered campaign of John Kerry. They had the reverse Midas touch this week. Everything they touched turned to shit!

Besides the fact that the Senator is running his campaign by grabbing President Bush soundbites and responding to them, this week Kerry called the interim Prime Minister of Iraq, and our ally now, a puppet of the US.

Then to top it all off CBS News was thoroughly humiliated when its report on W's National Guard service was found to be a complete fraud. Of course CBS and the Kerry campaign both claim they were not in concert on this one, but the American public isn't buying it.

Now the first two are related since Kerry has tried to be the exact opposite of what W is. So he takes every speech and quote and tries to say the opposite. Apparently this boob is clueless about this politics game. He looks like a complete moron. He has no platform except to be the opposite of Bush. Frankly I think Bush ought to come out and say something that everyone agrees with and see what Kerry does. People are seeing Kerry as the fraud he is. His act might play well in MA, but on a national stage he is not cutting it.

The CBS thing was a source of great comedy for the Republicans. We watched as that blowhard Dan Rather squirmed on the hot seat. This no talent ass clown had zero credibility in my book before, but with his latest stunt, he lost most of what he had with the rest of the people.

Seems as though some military guy in Texas, bent on the defeat of Bush in November conspired with CBS to create some false documents to show Bush did not complete his National Guard duty. Rather and CBS claim they were duped, but it is amazing that they would run with a story that was debunked practically overnight without thoroughly checking it out. Of course when they saw an opportunity for a W character assassination responsible journalism took a back seat.

CBS ran the story on its midweek edition of 60 minutes. The next day experts pounced on the document that was allegedly written by one of W's commanders in the guard saying he had not completed his duty nor performed satisfactorily. Apparently CBS thought they could get away with it since the man who allegedly wrote it was dead. But, the experts looked at the document and determined that it was written using MS-Word. MS-Word that was not even a product at the time of the document, which was allegedly written on a typewriter.

CBS for their part spent the better part of two weeks defending the document and their decision to go with the story. Like I said, when it comes to character assassination facts are meaningless. At least that is what CBS has taught us this week.

Finally, CBS was forced to admit their error. Dan Rather, looking all sheepish and tired said the document has not been investigated in the normal CBS manner and there were doubts about its authenticity. He apologized to the American public, but of course not to the person they were trying to hurt, President Bush. He also said there were no ties to the democrats but most people find that a hard pill to swallow. Calls for Rathers removal ensued, but CBS says they will support this buffoon. I say great, let's see what he tries next!

The Democrats are dealing with a candidates wife who won't shut up and adds nothing but ridiculous statements to the mix. People say she is a strong woman, but behind that elegant voice is a lady who seems to be rather dim. The party is constantly putting out fires and instead of having issues to campaign on they seem to be sticking a finger in the air to find out which way the breeze is blowing on a given day.

I don't know what Slick Willie is these day, but he must just get up in the morning and read his paper and just shake his head at the way these boobs are running HIS party!

Changes At Indy

Yesterday Speedway president Tony George (herein referred to as FTRG) announced the changes in May schedule. The race will now start at noon instead of 11:00 am. Carb Day will now be on the Friday before the race and in addition to practice and the pit stop competition, the MIPS race will be held. Practice each day will begin at noon rather than 11:00 am. And finally, the big one, qualifying returns to four days with a completely revised system. Each day only the 11 fastest will qualify. However, bumping is allowed and bumped cars will be allowed to retry. In fact, as near as I can tell by the rules as I have seen them, a car will be allowed up to twelve attempts to make the field.

So far, no change of the traditional Sunday opening of the track has been announced and with these changes I don’t expect one.

So what of these changes? First of all, the 11:00 am start time for practice was fine and I see no reason to change it. Seems gratuitous to me. The start time of the race is fine with me. Frankly they can start it at 1 and give everyone an extra hour in the morning. However, for Robby Gordon and anyone else attempting to do “the Double” it will just about kill any possibility of that. With Tony Stewart being a big news story this past year and him saying he would be there this year, one has to wonder if it is still feasible. The Carb Day being moved to Friday may prove to be fun as long as I am still able to get my cadre of pix!

As for qualifying, well I am going to take a wait and see approach to see if it works. It is such a radical change that I am having a tough time even imagining how well or poorly it will work.

While I am going to hold judgment for now I do have some comments about the changes in general. FTRG says he is doing this to help bring more teams in, entice the smaller teams to not wait until the last minute and increase television ratings. Well FTRG, if you wanted higher TV ratings and more money then you should have just kept your mouth shut back in 1994 and forgot about forming the IRL.

Don’t get me wrong the IRL is wonderful and CART was run by a group of owners who couldn’t agree on shit. But the bottom line is that there was nothing wrong with the Indianapolis 500. Now we have crappy TV ratings, barely enough cars to fill the field (and then only if FTRG pays according to some) and a drop in attendance at every event in May with the exception of Carb Day and the Parade.

FTRG, there is but one way to fix what you have done to the 500 and that is to increase the purse to make sure that everyone who qualifies makes money on it. It can’t be some crap shoot that only the top 5 make any money on. What incentive is there to come to Indy anymore. It costs a half a million to try to make the race and for what? A chance to make a couple million sure, but more likely a couple hundred thousand. It just doesn’t add up.

Once again we have a knee jerk reaction and unfortunately a boob who has no clue. Whether or not this pulls the 500 out of its doldrums and moves it back into the limelight it once enjoyed remains to be seen. What is already assured is that the one guy running the IRL is no better than the group of owners who ran CART.

Late Season News

It looks like TK has just about wrapped up the IRL title for the season. The league takes a three week break before heading to California and the penultimate race of the season, but only Dan Wheldon has a chance to catch him and I don’t see that happening given they are team mates and TK penchant for top 5 finishes.
In NASCAR the Chase will begin this week at New Hampshire. How that turd got on the rotation is beyond me. Congrats to Jeremy Mayfield for winning at Richmond Saturday night and getting himself in the mix
Finally, the Sandwich won at Monza as the F1 circus leaves Europe for a couple of races in Asia before finishing the season in Brazil. One item of note is that it looks like Jacques will be in the Renault for the rest of the season while Top Knot sits. Since Renault is set for next year it appears as though JV might end up at Sauber. It also appears as though Ralfie will be back in the car next week at Shanghai. He tested yesterday at Silverstone and seemed to be okay.
Now I come to the real reason of this post. Obviously the posts have tailed off a bit lately and as long as it is football season, they will continue to be spottier. However, the latest news from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway must be addressed.
For the record the changes will be that the race will now start at noon instead of 11:00 am. Carb Day will now be on the Friday before the race and in addition to practice and the pit stop competition, the MIPS race will be held. Practice each day will begin at noon rather than 11:00 am. And finally, the big one, qualifying returns to four days with a completely revised system. Each day only the 11 fastest will qualify. However, bumping is allowed and bumped cars will be allowed to retry. In fact, as near as I can tell by the rules as I have seen them, a car will be allowed up to twelve attempts to make the field.
So far, no change of the traditional Sunday opening of the track has been announced and with these changes I don’t expect one.
So what of these changes? First of all, the 11:00 am start time for practice was fine and I see no reason to change it. Seems gratuitous to me. The start time of the race is fine with me. Frankly they can start it at 1 and give everyone an extra hour in the morning. However, for Robby Gordon and anyone else attempting to do “the Double” it will just about kill any possibility of that. With Tony Stewart being a big news story this past year and him saying he would be there this year, one has to wonder if it is still feasible. The Carb Day being moved to Friday may prove to be fun as long as I am still able to get my cadre of pix!
As for qualifying, well I am going to take a wait and see approach to see if it works. It is such a radical change that I am having a tough time even imagining how well or poorly it will work.
While I am going to hold judgment for now I do have some comments about the changes in general. FTRG says he is doing this to help bring more teams in, entice the smaller teams to not wait until the last minute and increase television ratings. Well FTRG, if you wanted higher TV ratings and more money then you should have just kept your mouth shut back in 1994 and forgot about forming the IRL.
Don’t get me wrong the IRL is wonderful and CART was run by a group of owners who couldn’t agree on shit. But the bottom line is that there was nothing wrong with the Indianapolis 500. Now we have crappy TV ratings, barely enough cars to fill the field (and then only if FTRG pays according to some) and a drop in attendance at every event in May with the exception of Carb Day and the Parade.
FTRG, there is but one way to fix what you have done to the 500 and that is to increase the purse to make sure that everyone who qualifies makes money on it. It can’t be some crap shoot that only the top 5 make any money on. What incentive is there to come to Indy anymore? It costs a half a million to try to make the race and for what? A chance to make a couple million sure, but more likely a couple hundred thousand. It just doesn’t add up.
Once again we have a knee jerk reaction and unfortunately a boob who has no clue. Whether or not this pulls the 500 out of its doldrums and moves it back into the limelight it once enjoyed remains to be seen. What is already assured is that the one guy running the IRL is no better than the group of owners who ran CART.

John Kerry Sucks!

Now that the Democrats and Republicans have had their little parties er, conventions it is time to look forward to Election Day. As of this morning W is holding a sizable 12 point lead over John Kerry. Kerry is of course downplaying this and is asking why everyone thinks W got a bump in ratings from the convention. Alright Senator, if it was even after your convention and it is now not even, what happened? I guess people are just seeing you as the wishy-washy, mealy-mouthed worm you really are.

There is no doubt in my mind that this nation will re-elect W on November 2. Of course there is no doubt in my mind that people like Michael Moore, Ben Affleck and Al Gore will say the election was stolen, but who believes any of those nut cases anyway? No, there are legitimate reasons why people are not lining up to support John Kerry.

Any of you who read this page know I have issues with the war in Iraq and was against it from the get go. That does not mean I am against the President, it means I felt there were options available that didn’t call for a full military response. I was absolutely for the overthrow of Saddam Hussein and I knew we would have to intervene to make it happen. However, I still think it could have been done covertly and with minimum bloodshed and loss of collateral.

Where my support for the Prez lies is in the fact that I believe he did what he thought was the right thing to do. And trust me, doing nothing was not an option. And doing what he believes is correct is how he is running the campaign and why he will win.

On the other hand we have John Kerry. Liberal Senator from Massachusetts. Now we all know what the people of the Hub State like when it comes to their politicians. That’s fine, as long as they keep to their selves. Unfortunately they always seem to have someone trying to get in the national limelight. This time around it is Kerry.

Kerry is a three time winner of the Purple Heart from the Vietnam war who then protested the war upon his discharge. Alright, no problem there. After all, regardless of what the conservatives say, you DO have a right to speak your mind in this country even if it does disagree with what they think. Personally I would never burn an American flag, but I would defend to the death someone’s right to do so.

So we have John Kerry who went so far as to oppose the war, then voted for war when W wanted the power to go to Iraq. Still not a problem per se. However, this is where he starts to lose credibility. Once he becomes a candidate for the Democrats he starts to oppose the war. He makes excuses why he voted for it and tries to take the opposite side seemingly just to have a differing position than that of the President and his opposition.

Kerry loses what little face he has left when he goes so far as to trumpet his Vietnam service and his Purple Hearts as one of the major cornerstones of his campaign. His service that he opposed the minute he was discharged. And a war that he now says he would never have voted for. One minute he loves war and what he did (when it suits him) and one minute he hates war and wants nothing to do with it (when his actual record bites him in the ass).

Kerry is a hypocrite and America sees it. Maybe W isn’t the best person to be President, but I certainly feel better with him than the prospect of having Kerry being the leader of the free world.

Like I said, the Americans are growing weary of his flip flopping message and are seeing through his deceit and hypocrisy. Come November 2 America will wake up, go to the polls and do the right thing, re-elect George W. Bush to a second term!