Champ Car/Indy/F1 running thread II (Montreal, Turkey, IRL to RACE Daytona?!?)

Re: Champ Car/Indy/F1 running thread II

This is going to sound stupid, but I'm really surprised this hasn't happened at Elkhart Lake before.

The track is long as hell and in the middle of nowhere. You can't swing a dead cat in the Wisconsin countryside without hitting a deer this time of year.

Of course, come Dec. 1, they're either dead or ensconced in some wilderness Tora Bora to avoid the drunks deer hunters.

 

Re: Champ Car/Indy/F1 running thread II

I think it would be hilarious if she won.

I guarantee this _ if her car breaks down, she won't stomp around the track like a 5-year-old.

 

Re: Champ Car/Indy/F1 running thread II

After the absolute letdown of her association with RCR, she should be happy just to be in a car again.

 

Re: Champ Car/Indy/F1 running thread II

So now something new is out.

He's in a medically-induced coma until his brain swelling recedes and could be in the hospital for two weeks or more.

http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/news/story?seriesId=5&id=2539326

 

Re: Champ Car/Indy/F1 running thread II (da Matta update)

Damn. Good look Cristiano.

 

Re: Champ Car/Indy/F1 running thread II

That's not that uncommon. Friend's dad fell off a ladder and hit his head. But they kept him in a coma for a few weeks so he wouldn't move around much. He eventually came out of it after a month, got out of the hospital about 3-4 months later after he went through rehab.

Was off work for more than a year, but is back part time now. But has full mental capacities. If you didn't know he was hurt, you'd never be able to tell.

 

Re: Champ Car/Indy/F1 running thread II

That doesn't sound stupid in the least.
The locals have been saying it for years, someone pointed me to a column written about it. If I can find the link, I'll post.

 

Re: Champ Car/Indy/F1 running thread II (da Matta update)

Back to F1 for a moment...

Interesting read here:

http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns17276.html

In short, it suggests that Mark Webber already has a signed deal with Red Bull Racing for next year, and more significantly that the only explanation for the level of driver movement is that Michael Schumacher is retiring.

I'm not sure I totally buy the logic - if Kimi stays at McLaren partnered with Alonso the driver shuffle still makes sense without Michael retiring.  I'm not sure that's all that likely, though.

 

Re: Champ Car/Indy/F1 running thread II (dateline Budapest)

This just in from the Hungaroring ...

• Jensen Button? Jensen Mother Fucking Button? He started 14th!
  
• Problems at Renault continue. Fernando Alonso makes one last pit stop to change to dry tires and the crew fails to properly mount the right rear lug nut. Entire car is wobbly and eventually runs off the circuit les than a lap later after the lug nut pops off.
  
• Jensen Button? Are you fucking serious?
  
• Schumie, with a chance to make up major points on Alonso, gets in a battle with McLaren's Pedro de la Rosa toward the end and cuts a turn (illegally, natch) to stay in front of him. One lap later, he cuts the same turn again and goes wheel-to-wheel with de la Rosa, who touches wheels with Schumie but makes the pass for second place. Just after that, Schumie develops problems with his steering linkage and retires from the event with three laps to go. Schumie, of course, did not mention the illegal cutting of the chicane in his canned post-race comments.
  
• Your Budapest podium: JMFB?, de la Rosa and Nick Heidfeld. With the dual retirements, Alonso still holds an 11-pont lead over Schumie. Massa (51 points) is two ahead of Fisichella and Raikkonen. De la Rosa has matched JPM's season-best finish.

 

Re: Champ Car/Indy/F1 running thread II (dateline Budapest)

• 
  
  I've been following F1 pretty fanatically for about 30 years. If that's not the most entertaining race I've ever seen, it's damn close.

 

Re: Champ Car/Indy/F1 running thread II (dateline Budapest)

Certainly it's the weirdest podium I've ever seen. Saw the end in the Indy press center, can't wait to watch in its entirety on my DVR.

Hungary is usually boring as hell. New rules: it should rain there every year.