Indycars and starts/restarts

Eric I agree one crash then long yellows makes for a dull race. The issue is that F1 runs on multi gazillion dollar tracks with acres and acres of run offs most of the time. When they run on street courses there often are yellow flag periods.

Indy car has 5 street courses, 3 road courses and a load of those left turn things (admission, I watch all the street / road course, but I’ve never watched a full oval race, not even the 500)

Now, restarts, I’m having a hard time defending.

alfadriver wrote: Heck, Montoya was a wash up in NASCAR. (I know that's a stretch, but it's not as if he won a major race).

Seriously? Montoya had two wins between 2007 and 2013. Dale Earnhardt Jr. had the same number of wins in that same period, and he's considered one of the best NASCARists to ever NASCAR...

In reply to Adrian_Thompson:

My big issue with Indycar is they do the same as nascar- if there's a yellow, they all seem to attempt an optimisitc pass even though they guy ahead of them has been faster all day long. Many times, that pass turns into a crash.

I don't know why, but that situation seems really rare in F1 even when there is a yellow.

Then the yellow rules hurt the guys leading the race- one guy was dominant until the yellow, which bunched them up, and then they could pit. since he was a small team, their pits are not as fast, so a 12 second lead turned into an also ran. That happens a lot.

But what's getting frustrating is that the top guys are starting to be the source of some of the problems. RHR gave a race away due to a dumb move, Power/Dixon is so personal that dixon really made a bad move to take them both out- power passed clean. JPM should never have booted Rahal in the back. These guys know better.

I've watched full 500's, but it helps when they are clean. I don't like the 1mile tracks when they have so much downforce that it's a one big pack. The one race where the cars came and went really badly- that was intersting to watch. I'm good with the track variety too- unless the track is just plain old bad- like baltimore. Or if the drivers don't play nice- trying to make passes that take out multiple cars at Long Beach.

I WANT this to be good. Really want it to be good. But the drivers and rules are not helping themselves at all. This isn't nascar- you probably will never attract their fans, so don't use their rules- it's ailienating your core fans. This WAS a real alternative to F1. It still can be. just not like this.

Maroon92 wrote:

alfadriver wrote: Heck, Montoya was a wash up in NASCAR. (I know that's a stretch, but it's not as if he won a major race).

Seriously? Montoya had two wins between 2007 and 2013. Dale Earnhardt Jr. had the same number of wins in that same period, and he's considered one of the best NASCARists to ever NASCAR...

To who? Jr is popular thanks to Sr. I've never thought of him as a good driver.

But yes- JPM was nothing special in nascar. Two wins in 6 years- probably somewhere near 200 starts in cup cars? There are a whole lot less in NASCAR, granted, but the cream of the crop always outshone JPM.

Adrian_Thompson wrote: I don't understand the issues with standing starts though.

There was a post on morefrontwing.com today where Penske theorizes that teams are running tall 1st gears to better suit the needs of the track rather than a standing start.

Makes sense to me; Roger's a sharp cat.

jde wrote:

Adrian_Thompson wrote: I don't understand the issues with standing starts though.

There was a post on morefrontwing.com today where Penske theorizes that teams are running tall 1st gears to better suit the needs of the track rather than a standing start. Makes sense to me; Roger's a sharp cat.

It also sounded like a technical problem- sounded like there was a specific procedure to get the car going- which was done. But the car stalled. After that- well, that happens.

alfadriver wrote:

Maroon92 wrote:

alfadriver wrote: Heck, Montoya was a wash up in NASCAR. (I know that's a stretch, but it's not as if he won a major race).

Seriously? Montoya had two wins between 2007 and 2013. Dale Earnhardt Jr. had the same number of wins in that same period, and he's considered one of the best NASCARists to ever NASCAR...

To who? Jr is popular thanks to Sr. I've never thought of him as a good driver. But yes- JPM was nothing special in nascar. Two wins in 6 years- probably somewhere near 200 starts in cup cars? There are a whole lot less in NASCAR, granted, but the cream of the crop always outshone JPM.

A big fat +1 to you sir!