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

And now IndyCar has suspended said safety truck driver for two races.
http://www.indystar.com/article/20110908/SPORTS0107/110908008/IndyCar-safety-truck-driver-suspended-after-near-catastrophe-Baltimore

Let me make sure I get this straight. The chief steward didn't penalize drivers for contact at Toronto, did a flip-flop with rulings the next race, called for a restart in the rain on an oval and didn't call off the start at Baltimore when a safety truck was on the track. But he faces no sanctions at all?
IndyCar is starting to make NASCAR look like a group run by professionals.

 

Speaking of Danica, she said today she's nervous about racing in Japan because of radiation fallout from the tsunami.

I don't know if that's a legitimate concern or not, but she seems to be the only one raising a stink about it.

At this point, a little radiation might actually improve her racing.

 

In all honesty, the story sounded like an idea or concern thrown out by a reporter and Danica simply commented on the issue. Maybe she did make a stink about it on her own, but my gut instinct is someone asked for her comment on the issue. And I believe the story was written from Richmond where Danica was running a NASCAR race. If she had the weekend off, I doubt we would have heard about the topic.

 

A few weeks ago Franchitti seemed to have the title wrapped up. Now he's down by 13 points with two races to go and Power has all the momentum. Franchitti should have the advantage since the last two races are on ovals. He's got the experience and Ganassi has been stronger than Penske on ovals this year. But Power is much better on the ovals now than he used to be and I'm guessing the Penske boys have been putting in the midnight oil to get caught up on ovals.

 

If I were a betting man, I'd put my cash on Dario.

Power is better on ovals than he used to be, but he's still a road course guy and a street course savant. Dario is way, way stronger on ovals, and only needs to make up 11 points. If Dario wins either of the last two races (a win is +10 over second, +15 over third), he'll be the champ. Power's hope has to be that he stays out of trouble and Dario either wrecks or has engine trouble.

But once again, IndyCar manages to have a down-to-the-wire points championship without having to reset the points or come up with other gimmicks. Seems to happen every year. Their points system is, IMO, the best one out there -- puts a premium on winning but also rewards consistency. NASCAR's does too much of the latter and not much of the former, F1's does much of the former but none of the latter unless you're consistently on the podium.

 

That is, if Chip Ganassi doesn't kill him on the plane home. He was pretty pissed with Dario for that restart move where he inexplicably pushed to the inside and clipped Ryan Briscoe's right rear, thus sending Briscoe into two other Ganassi drivers.

 

I'll put my money on Dario. I have no idea what went through his head in Japan, but he'll win at least one of the final two races and maybe both.

 

Al Jr is facing drunk driving charges for the second time in four years:

http://www.krqe.com/dpp/news/crime/police-arrrest-al-unser-jr-for-dwi

 

I'm trying to figure out which of Al Jr.'s actions are dumber: drinking while driving again or drag racing in a Suburban. Neither one is exactly smart.
And playthrough, my first thought exactly.

 

Pulled over on Coors Blvd. in ABQ. Ironic not just because he's drunk, but because Coors Light was his first sponsor in IndyCar.