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

1. Good job ignoring drivers' warnings. Lawyers may have a field day with that in court, if it ever gets there.

2. Wouldn't it have been wise to have an open test prior to the race, for this reason?

 

AP also had a sidebar about Brainfart struggling with his emotions. His stupidity at New Hampshire caused a crash. His stupidity regarding Las Vegas caused a death. And we're supposed to feel sorry for the guy? Sorry, not happening.

 

American Le Mans Series Race Director Beaux Barfield moves over to take the same position with IndyCar.

http://www.nationalspeedsportnews.com/indy/izod-indycar/barfield-to-lead-indycar-race-control/

Other than the fact that anyone would have been a better choice than what they had before, can anyone here shed some light on this choice? I admittedly don't follow ALMS that much.

 

From what I've read, sounds like a good choice, especially if he indeed tightens up the rulebook.

 

I know this will register with a chorus of crickets here, but two-time defending World of Outlaws sprint car champion Jason Meyers announced his retirement today, effective after 14 races of this season. He just turned 33, and said that he's decided to spend more time with his family (he has two young kids) rather than be on the road 35 weeks a year with the series.

http://www.eliteracing.net/news/index.html?news_id=212

It's hard for me to think of another driver at an elite level who walked away at such a young age without there being some other reason (injuries, etc.)

 

I got to spend a lot of time with Jason (and other WoO guys) several years ago. Jason was hands-down one of the nicest drivers I've met in racing. In the mid-2000s the rumor was he was looking to jump to NASCAR some day, but that was before he and his wife had children.

 

Three names immediately come to mind, two from the same race.

Ned Jarrett, who had just turned 34, and Junior Johnson, who was 35, hung up their helmets for good after the 1966 American 500 at Rockingham. Jarrett had won the 1965 Cup championship, the same season in which Johnson had won 13 races.

It was a crash in the 1964 World 600 at Charlotte involving Jarrett and Johnson that eventually resulted in the death of Fireball Roberts, and it was Jarrett who pulled Roberts from his burning car. Both drivers said the horrific nature of that crash -- and several other fatalities in 1964 and 1965 -- that contributed to their early retirements.

Jackie Stewart was 34 when he decided to retire after the 1973 Formula 1 season, which would have given him 100 F1 starts. Before what would have been his final race, teammate Francois Cevert was killed in a practice crash at the U.S. Grand Prix at Watkins Glen and Tyrrell withdrew, so Stewart never made a final start.

 

Blanked on Stewart, which was silly of me. I believe he started traveling with his own doctor the last season he drove in Formula 1 because he was so suspicious of the quality of care otherwise available. With as dangerous as the sport was at that time (and how little the powers that be cared about silly things like "driver safety") it was a smart move.

I did several interviews over the few years with Meyers and always found him to be a great guy to deal with. Covered an Outlaws race last year in Tulare, Calif. - it was his first race back to his home track since he won his first title. He was swamped with autograph requests but still gave me three or four useful quotes for my story while he was shaking hands and signing pictures for kids. Helped me out a lot since I was in danger of being in deadline hell.

 

James Hunt, Jody Scheckter, and Mika Hakkinen all walked away from F1 while they were in their early 30s.

 

So did Kimi Raikkonen, though he's continued other forms of racing.