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

I suspect Alonso-Kimi is going to be a hilarious disaster. Fernando has been in this position before, and didn't handle it all that well.

I'm curious where the other pieces will fall now. Hulkenberg should end up at Lotus. That would leave a Sauber seat open for Massa if he wants it, but he's making noises like he has a shot at McLaren.

 

It's been a busy couple of days in IndyCar world. The series will be running the IMS road course next May, Kanaan leaving KV to join Ganassi and IZOD bowing out as series sponsor. I wouldn't say any of those are a big surprise, but the last one is a bad sign for the series.

 

The first one is a bad sign for the series, too. I'm not opposed to a road course race at Indy like a lot of people are, but running it in May just seems wrong. I'm glad Kanaan was able to find a ride. It's crazy that a guy like him, fan favorite, defending 500 champ to boot, had to work so hard to find a home for next year.

Losing the Baltimore race for next season was a big blow. That race seemed to be really picking up steam as both a good fan experience and good on-track action.

Lots of rumors floating about going back to Road America and getting to COTA in 2015, both of which would be awesome, if the series is still around.

 

I agree that racing the road course at Indy in itself isn't bad. Doing it in May is. It cheapens what May in Indy is supposed to be about. Hold the race in Sept. or Oct.
To me, part of the series' problem is that crap new race car. I hate it. Open-wheel race cars used to be sexy. Now they look like bastardized GT cars.
In NASCAR, the fact that a single sponsor such as McDonald's, Coke, Wrangler, Budweiser, etc. won't step up and be single, year-long sponsor for drivers such as Gordon and Junior speaks volumes about the financial hole the sport has dug for itself.
In the NHRA, Ford pulling out of the pro categories all together, and especially Ford and Castrol both leaving Force, screams very bad things.

 

I'm excited to see Montoya coming back over to open wheel & joining Penske.

 

I get what you're saying, but can IndyCar count on its fans to support two races at Indy in the same month, especially fans that aren't local? To me, more non-local fans would be able to take time off for one weekend in May plus another weekend in September or October.
I've read about IndyCar looking to end the season sooner next year, which is smart. Being off for September before finishing the season next month is ridiculous. I fully expect the Houston and Fontana crowds and TV ratings to be awful.
COTA would be a good circuit for IndyCar, but the downside is TMS will have a cow over it (apparently Gossage already has thrown a fit just over the possibility of that happening). TMS has been one of IndyCar's strongest supporters dating back to the league's early days and usually draws a nice crowd.

 

IndyCar can't afford to piss off Texas. Texas put in effort to promoting the spring race in the early days of the IRL, and built it up pretty big.

 

Can we discuss Rush in here?

Historical/technical issues:
- Lauda and Hunt were rivals, but they were friendly rivals. They even lived together for a while in the early 70s.
- Lauda bought his way onto March, not BRM. Also, he made his debut in 1971, not 1973.
- Monza doesn't have elevation changes.
- Emerson Fittipaldi wasn't one of the drivers who pulled Lauda out of the fire.
- There was a pretty dramatic drivers' meeting over the conditions of the Japanese Grand Prix which ended up coming down to a single vote. I'm assuming that Ron Howard left it out because there already was a drivers meeting scene and neither Hunt or Lauda cast the deciding vote (Ronnie Peterson did.).
- Hunt did assume that he lost the championship, but he didn't take it very well at all... Basically, he started swinging at his crew.

Aside from that, I think it was pretty well done. Daniel Bruhl was very good as Lauda.

 

Really nasty wreck at the Houston IndyCar race, Dario Franchitti and 13 fans injured.

http://espn.go.com/racing/indycar/story/_/id/9782267/dario-franchitti-fans-injured-scary-wreck-grand-prix-houston

 

You know it's a bad accident when you hear the driver has a concussion, a fracture in his spine and a broken ankle... and you think "Thank God." That was nasty. Hope the people in stand are OK.

That said.. it's sad that North America apparently can't support an open wheel series racing in decent venues, and instead has a series of horrendous street courses. Houston is a disgrace -- a shitty, featureless thing in a parking lot with asphalt like a washboard. Meanwhile Road America, Laguna Seca, Watkins Glen, Lime Rock, Miller Park, Mosport and Portland International sit unused.

 

Unbelievable fan video, really underscoring just how stupid it was to put a grandstand in that spot:

http://tinyurl.com/l29bqns