Stupid Race Strategy 101

Paulporsche · 10-10-2009, 06:33 PM

Wow! I just saw both Team Penske and Ganassi use the stupidest race strategy I have seen in almost 50 yrs of following racing, allowing Ryan Briscoe and Scott Dixon to run too fast and use too much fuel, so they both had to pit near the end of the Indy Car final @ Homestead, allowing Dario Franchitti (Dixon's teammate!) to coast home to a victory and the Championship. Pathetic.

rammstein · 10-10-2009, 10:15 PM

I watched it in person- I got really confused.

It was the first race I went to ever. Earlier in the day was Rolex- it was a lot more interesting. They ran on the road course.

Noah930 · Noah930's Garage

I love racing, but other than the 500, which is only on as background noise, I don't think I've watched an IRL event in...man, I don't know how long. Congrats to Dario Speedwagon, though.

FastCarFan · FastCarFan's Garage

I thought the race was today, but I guess it was last night. Oh well, I guess I am another viewer they lost...& they need every viewer they can get.

Congrats to Dario. I have always liked him. Quite a few years ago my young son & I were at the Cleveland GP. After the race we watched the podium festivities. At one point, Dario took off his hat &, instead of throwing it into the crowd, he made a point to reach way down to make sure he gave it to a young fan -- my son.

Plus I have always liked Dario's appreciation for the history of motorsport. And his wife isn't bad either.

strupgolf · 10-11-2009, 07:44 AM

It wasn't on DirectTV, since they're playing like kids with Comcast. Oh well, IndyCar needs all the viewers it can get and I have'nt watched a race since who know's when. Things are not going to get any better in this league until they get lots of engines chassis and automakers involved.

tcar · 11:01 AM

Dario is a class guy. (Plus, class wife and, he's Scotch).

Stupid? What's wrong with that stragegy, it's used regularly.

Running the competition low on fuel is probably better than deliberately crashing for your teammate.

Racing is a team sport. They won.

Paulporsche · 10-11-2009, 02:37 PM

tcar,

The stupid part is that the Dixon and Briscoe camps could see (especially Dixon, since he is Franchitti's teammate) that Franchitti was slowing down to conserve fuel and make it on 50 lap runs so he wouldn't have to pit an additional time. He smartly stayed w/ this strategy. The others didn't and lost.

I'm disappointed in Penske, who has always been thought of as a master strategist, and in Dixon's team, especially since they would have had access to Franchitti's telemetry.

This wasn't meant as a slight on Franchitti's nationality, wife, or after race etiquette. It was a reference to pathetic performance on the part of the 2 other driver's teams. His team got it right.

Noah930 · Noah930's Garage

Apparently both Dixon and Briscoe were waiting for a yellow that never came. First IRL race with NO yellows. Had they had one yellow during that final stint, those two may not have had to stop with 7 to go for a splash and thereby lost the race/championship. They gambled and lost. Ganassi could hedge his bets and let Dixon be a rabbit, and keep Franchitti reined in. Penske had little option (?) but to chase the rabbit.

Paulporsche · 10-11-2009, 03:51 PM

Noah,

What you say is totally correct. First race ever w/o a yellow, and , if it came before about 20 laps to go, Briscoe or Dixon would have won.

Who knows...maybe Briscoe was unable to match the Ganassi teams on fuel mileage, but they all run the same engine.

I wonder if Dixon knew and/or was OK w/ being the rabbit.

I realize sitting in front of the tube is different from being there but, if I could see what was going on, and the broadcast team picked up on it...

FastCarFan · FastCarFan's Garage

I didn't see the race, but I have heard it said many times that Dario can "make fuel" in his car. He seems to know how to go further on a tank than others.

herr_oberst · 10-11-2009, 05:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paulporsche

but, if I could see what was going on, and the broadcast team picked up on it...

Didn't see the race, only read about it, first ever IRL race with no yellow. I think Penske, and to a smaller extent, Ganassi, know risk/reward better than most. The chances are, you will have a yellow. Especially in the last 1/4 of the race. Ganassi could afford to have one of his drivers make fuel, because both were in the hunt for the championship. Penske had to go with the odds, and tell Brisco to use the car up.

(and don't forget what Brisco did last race)

Broadcast crews screw up all the time. I have no love for most of them.

stuartj · 10-11-2009, 06:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tcar

Dario is a class guy. (Plus, class wife and, he's Scotch).

Scotch.

Scottish.

legion · 10-11-2009, 06:17 PM

And if this had been NASCAR, there would have been a yellow for "debris" in the last 20 laps to bunch the pack up and make for an exciting finish.

I've been to five NASCAR races, and 100% of them have had a yellow in the last 20 laps. In fact, I'm pretty sure they average a yellow every 50 laps.

rammstein · 10-12-2009, 07:10 AM

I wish I could remember the car numbers involved, but at the beginning of turn one, early in the racetwo cars actually touched tired. Only myself and the guy behind me seemed to have caught it.

Anyhow, the Rolex race earlier in the day at Homestead was a lot more fun to watch, as they were on the road course.