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

I remember "Little Al" ... and I feel old after looking at that photo.

 

Definitely. Time has used Little Al for its punching bag. He's helped its cause.

 

Didn't he also have some drug issues about 10 years ago? And he was arrested for allegedly beating up his girlfriend in his motor home at IMS.

 

Little Al didn't look old enough to drink until about the mid-1990s.

 

Power wins the pole at Kentucky, now up 12 points on Dario, who qualified 11th after an engine change.

 

I still think Franchitti is going to take the title, but Power just might hold on. It will be interesting to see if they're aggressive on the track in the race of if they play it safe.

 

Ed Carpenter -- driving for Sarah Fisher Racing -- beats Dario at the line today at Kentucky after a 20-lap side-by-side battle.

Score one for the pre-merger IRL.

Shockingly, Power had problems and finished back (yes, sarcasm intended) and Dario has a 17-point lead heading into Vegas. Given Power is a street course guru, about the only way Dario loses the title is if he has gets in trouble next week.

 

I was shocked to see a Jenna Fryer byline on the AP story. I thought she was all NASCAR, all the time.To her credit, it was a well-written gamer.

 

Guessing 15,000 to 25,000 based on the TV coverage. Great win by Carpenter, first little-team win since Justin Wilson for Dale Coyne Racing at Watkins Glen a couple of years ago.

 

I guess everyone went to the Bengals' game instead.

 

What are the odds Power's two best oval runs of the year (aside from Texas) would be derailed by contact in the first pit stop?
I agree with crimsonace, Dario has got this one. He's made a couple of uncharacteristic mistakes this year (New Hampshire restart, punting Briscoe in Japan) but he won't make any at Vegas. The only way he loses is if something unexpected happens, like being taken out in the pits or by a spinning lapped car on the track.
Kudos to Ed and Sarah on the win, big for them and the series. Ed and Sarah are a great pairing, two of the nicest people in the series. Hopefully Dollar General changes course and comes back or else someone else picks them up.