Indy Qualifying

Getting exciting. Go Tony!

Paul Tracy is a doofus

Driven?

those folk are way impressive ... I had trouble making myself hold my foot to the floor going into NASCAR one at Rockingham at ~85 - 90 mph... 22° banking... they're entering turns 1 and 3 at well over 220 mph and almost no banking... wow

Heh. Talk to Mr. Indy (Rick Mears) about 230+!!!

I have watched Indy for 30+ years. I still enjoy the side show part of it. Danica all upset. Fun Times.

On another note: GO BLACKHAWKS!!!!!

jrg77 wrote: Heh. Talk to Mr. Indy (Rick Mears) about 230+!!!

Yeah, I miss those days too. I'm glad the American Openwheel Civil War is over, but when I saw it was basically the old CART schedule with Tony's little toy cars, I was kind of dissappointed. Helio cut something like a 227, right?

http://www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com/var/assets/stats/500/qual_records_-_four_lap.pdf

Scroll to the bottom. The 2.65 Turbo with modern aero was why all us old CART fans "held on to the dream" for so long..

Arie Luyendyk took them all to school with that 236... That's a whatever happened to...

The 236 was back when they were still using the same turbo cars that CART was at the time...they so need a new car....

The speeds and skills are impressive, but I still get bored watching cars go around in a circle - even if it is the Indy 500. I don't think I watched one since sometime in the 80's. I realize it may be un-American of me, but I try to make up for it by liking hotdogs and apple pie more than the average guy.

I'm with TJ.

When they killed Granatelli's turbine car and decided the cars were going "too fast", it ceased to be a viable race to me.

On a road course, I'll watch them all day long.

the W.Post reported that Danica got booed by the crowd when she blamed her q. pos. on her mechanics. true?

Oval stuff is not my thing either but thanks to one of my friends I will be going for the first time this year. As a "car guy" I feel like I should go once just because of what it is but I dought I will be back on my own dime.

I have heard that Danica has re-ignited her relationship with Boost Mobile.

Just watched highlights of bump day.

Two very odd things happened- Paul Tracy and Jay Howard both pulled their times to re-qualify, only to NOT qualify at all, PT is out. Granted, both would have been on the bubble, but since both pulled their times, one guy got bumped in.

Also, Kaanan got in with the second slowest time- middle of row 11.

Andretti Motorsport isn't doing too hot.

Eric

Milka, well, she didn't clear 220 on the last day. Buddy Lazier also didn't manage to qualify.

Who does not think Danica will have a mechanical failure tin the race? As Hobbs said, united ouside of the garage, close the door and then mechanic and driver can scream at each other. Or she's doing this to get into NASAR faster than her current contract allows. At least "milk and doughnuts" didn't make the field.

I watched the end of bump day qualifying for the first time in years and thought it was exciting. Kanaan made things interesting for himself (and the Andretti Autosport mechanics) and the stress from the Sarah Fisher pits was incredible in those last five minutes. Pulling the time for her qualified car cost her tiny team what, $250,000? I feel bad that PT didn't make it in as he is the sort of character that makes a series more exciting. Seeing Bryan Herta on the phone to his driver in hospital telling him he just got bumped "into" the field was a great end to a finally meaningful bump day.

When she said "Well, I'm not an Engineer.." the first thing i thought was "Damn... Jerry! Jerry! Jerry!"

To all of those that think it is boring go watch one in person. Between that and the midgets et al on short tracks there's a whole lotta room for butt pucker getting close to tose walls... TV has desensitized most of us to how much skill there is in just turning left. I like road course action too, but when the difference is a sandtrap vs. a wall the precision goes up a notch...

racerdave600 wrote: The 236 was back when they were still using the same turbo cars that CART was at the time...they so need a new car....

Yeah, I miss that sound, too. At least with the new pipes (or new to me, before The Split ended, I hadn't seen an IRL event since about `96 or so), the Earl cars don't sound like tractors anymore..

jrg77 wrote: To all of those that think it is boring go watch one in person. Between that and the midgets et al on short tracks there's a whole lotta room for butt pucker getting close to tose walls... TV has desensitized most of us to how much skill there is in just turning left. I like road course action too, but when the difference is a sandtrap vs. a wall the precision goes up a notch...

I do appreciate the skills of the drivers and the amazing speed of the cars. If I was there in person and could hear the sounds, see the sights, and smell the smells I would indeed have a good time and wouldn't find it boring. Put it on TV and I would rather suffer through another episode of Little People, Big World with my wife....at least it doesn't last as long. I feel the same way about NASCAR - I see no reason to watch them on the tube.