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

Add Allen Bestwick to the list. The 500 will be his finale for the WWL.

Allen Bestwick (@AllenBestwick) | Twitter

 

Holy fuck, the Bourdais crash.

 

First thing I thought of was Rick Mears' practice crash in 1992. Almost exactly the same spot in Turn 2. Biggest difference was that Mears didn't try to correct like Sebastien did. He spun and hit on the left side of the car, with similar disaster. But boy, did I have the same reaction today as I did when Jeff Andretti's hub broke and he whacked the Turn 2 wall in the 92 race right in front of me.

You know instantly when it's a huge hit at that place. Thank goodness for all the safety innovations at Indy in the past 25 years, particularly the SAFER, HANS and foam inserts.

Have been told by veteran oval drivers, if the back end jumps out entering the corner, you have to fight the impulse of wanting to turn the front wheels to the right to catch the spin. That's the worst possible option, because once you get traction, the front of the car immediately heads for the wall. Zach Veach did the same thing with less spectacular results on Friday. And unfortunately, it led to Gordon Smiley's head-on hit in 1982.

And looking at the incident, I thought I saw a spark come out from under the right rear of the car in the short chute, as if something broke in the rear suspension. He didn't look at all loose exiting Turn 1, or on the first two laps. Just surprised as all get out when the thing stepped out when and where it did.

UPDATE: Multiple fractures to his pelvis and fracture to his right hip, to undergo surgery Saturday night. Sorry to hear and hoping for a complete recovery.

 

I actually feel really bad. Mrs. Whitman and I had left the room to talk weekend plans I peace. My little guy - he's 7 - was left alone to watch qualifying. Of course that happens. He was pretty shaken up.

 

Just saw the video. Dayumnation ...

 

Hondas are dominant so far this weekend.

 

Alonso is going to win this race.

 

Feel bad for Bourdais. What a wicked hit, glad his injuries aren't more severe.
Biggest surprise for me was how relatively uncompetitive Penske was. Five cars, only Power made the fast 9. Then he was the slowest of the 9.
As for Alonso doing well, is anyone really surprised? He's incredibly talented and should have much more than two world championships to show for his efforts.
It looks like Honda has the upper hand for now, but maybe Penske and other non-ECR Chevies are sandbagging a bit or just focusing on race setups.

 

So I don't know how to say this without sounding like an asshole, but I hate that Stefan Wilson had to give up his ride so that Fernando Alonso could have a seat; then Sebastian Bourdais wrecks before qualifying; so James Davison gets to start in 33rd in Bourdais' circuit ride without qualifying, and Wilson is left out.

I'm grateful Bourdais is going to recover, excited to see Alonso in the 500 and yet still think there's something messed up
about just giving a starting grid spot to DCR so that they get to 33.

 

I feel like it used to be that if you weren't in the first three or four rows, you had no chance. The field, despite more cars trying to qualify, wasn't very deep in the early 2000s in the wake of the split. The weekend was fun, there are series points at stake, and it gives everyone something to watch and talk about. But I'm by no means counting out Penske, especially Will Power, who is due here. (I realize he's in Row 3 and I'm undercutting my own point a little bit.)

 

Not-so-bold prediction after this weekend's speeds: We're going to, in the next few years, see Luyendyk's record fall. Maybe Bourdais' crash puts the brakes on that a little bit, but it's been two decades since anyone has been able to experience the excitement of the track record falling. I think that the series would go for it, especially with the buzz created by this weekend's speeds.