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

Oriol Servia messes with Texas, ending a tweet with "F**k Texas."

https://twitter.com/OriolServia/status/209462568341868544

(Followed by this: "Excuse me, nothing but love to Texas, lots of Texan close friends just not much love for some Texan promoter.")

http://www.autoweek.com/article/20120604/INDYCAR/120609926

Oriol Servia apologized Monday for a weekend tweet directed at Texas Motor Speedway.

Servia didn’t explain what prompted the original tweet that included profanity, but his apology was lengthy.

“First of all, I’m really sorry for my tweets about Texas,” he posted Monday afternoon. “It was the wrong channel and the wrong way, period. I love Texas and the Texas race fans. They have always shown their support to IndyCar and myself. I would hate to disappoint them, and I have total admiration for the people of the sport and those who promote the series. My tweets were unprofessional, and I apologize for my language to Texas Motor Speedway, Eddie Gossage, our sponsors, the fans, and IndyCar. I should not have said those things, and I’m sorry.”

IndyCar has not reacted to Servia’s tweets, but it’s possible action will be taken.

IndyCar races at Texas Motor Speedway this weekend. Practice and qualifying is Friday; the race is Saturday night.

 

it is true that an owner is purposely causing a track to fall apart, trying to get me fired. I have had several owners confirm this. disappointing

 

IndyCar had spent a few years talking about a race in Qingdao, China.

Not going to happen. The local mayor decided it was a bad time to hold the race, and in a Communist state, whatever the dear leader wants, he gets.

http://m.apnews.com/ap/db_268756/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=dKyUcrWB

Jenna Fryer's story notes speculation centers around either running a second race at Texas (that tends to bode well for the thought of going back there in 2013 -- the old IRL used to run two races a year at TMS anyway) or head back to Pocono, which would put IndyCars there for the first time since 1989. While Pocono's NASCAR races are as dull as dishwater, if it produces racing that's anything like this year's Indy 500, it could be an awesome venue.

 

A Pocono race in August would break up a stretch of five consecutive road courses.

But the taxicabs are at Pocono on Aug. 5, so can that track turn around and sell enough tickets to a new race (and find volunteer workers, etc.) two weekends later? If you're looking at Pocono after Fontana, you're starting to push into the fall -- and that's dicey weather-wise.

I think Eddie's got the upper hand here. Richmond? Homestead? Atlanta? Nothing makes more sense than Texas II.

 

One interesting idea I've heard thrown out is back to Indy -- on the road course.

 

Looks like Oct. 7 is the magic date. Fryer just tweeted that Pocono is out of the running. Eddie Gossage is seriously considering it at Texas, and that the Auto Club Speedway president has said they're excited to host the decisive race, and that doesn't always mean the last race. The second-to-last race could be the decisive race.

Fontana is pretty important as a fence-mending expedition, just because it's IndyCar's first trip back to an ISC track after they were all summarily booted from the schedule a couple of years back. Not only is it a *great* open-wheel venue, a successful run there might also open the doors for returns to other ISC venues such as Phoenix, Michigan and Watkins Glen.

 

If it happens, I'd enjoy it. The idea of running the Indy road course has been thrown out for years. Only problem with an Oct. 7 date, if it happens that day, is the Packers visit Lucas Oil, so you halve your fanbase pretty quickly. There is a lot of crossover between the Indy 500 crowd and the Colts' fan/STH base.

 

Graham Rahal ‏@GrahamRahal
My top picks for a realistic shot at happening are 1) @roadamerica 2) @NHMS 3) @WGI 4) Laguna Seca 5) @IMS road course. Realistic chances!

 

Graham thinks it's realistic that they could add a Laguna Seca date barely a month after a race at Infineon? I'd love to see it, but it will never, ever happen.

 

It could still surprise ya!