IndyCar, LMAO!

[motion]

Yes, I'm a hater and have been ever since the Idiot Grandson ruined open wheel in this country with his hair-brained, all oval, flatulent spec series. Every couple years I happen by a IndyCar race (just for entertainment), and on this occasion, I watched the NOLA event. I can't call it a race, because, well.... you just can't call what I saw racing.

How does this series survive? Why does Andretti, Ganassi, Penske, et al keep plugging away at something that is a laughingstock? I was cracking up the entire race! Is this like WWF where they break Lego plastic cars over each other's heads? LOL! Good stuff!

It was a joke when they started, and it still is. Just unbelievable. Bunch of guys stuck in one series forever, and rookies nobody's ever heard of driving ugly CrapWagons around crashing into each other like an SCCA novice race. And to make it even better, the Fat One comes back into the fold after 10 years of being lost in the wilderness and is kicking everyone's ass. You couldn't write a better script!

Get off my lawn!

[joe payne]

Even better, I swear Nascar uses the same theme music as the NFL!

[Porsche-O-Phile]

I miss Champ Car. Fkin Tony George. At least that series had decent street circuits and turbo Cosworths.

Open wheel racing in the USA is all but dead now. Are they even still running the Atlantic series? IRL is a joke for the reasons mentioned and more. Sad times. I wish a new, decent open-wheel series would come on the scene to fill the void but I just don't know that the draw / sponsor money is there.

[intakexhaust]

Apathetic. I've been tuned out of the bullring for years. The only reason it survives is because of marketing products and services. Nothing about racing. Team owners hob-knob with other CEO's and give the pitch. They show spectator numbers and TV exposure for brand marketing. Sometimes is far cheaper in advertising vs. 15 or 30 sec. prime commercial spots. If a crappy driver brings money and sponsors to the table, they get the seat. Spec series is a drone-on and boring. No creativity. I don't know how some team members can deal with pompous drivers too.

[Rtrorkt]

OK so I will admit it, I went to Long Beach. But at some level it was about tradition for me. 35 of the 41 years. Man I'm old. Did get to see Ashley Force, that made my day.

As for the "racing" I agree with the sentiment. Really went for the sports cars on Saturday. Pretty good racing there, although with the France family owning this series there were only 8 cars in each class. Porsche 4th and 8th. The best racing ever at Long Beach, and I would throw the F1 in the day in this bucket. was ALMS. Great cars, great racing.

There is an op ed in the latest R&T, last page, from Lutz who suggests giving the manufacturers weight, dimension and fuel economy and letting them figure it out.

Another full disclosure. I get a pass that gets me to the track wall during competition so my view is one of the best. Fun to be in the pits, on the grid and then inside turn one.

[KNS]

I'd gone to Long Beach (CART) a couple of times in the late eighties. Great racing, great atmosphere, packed grand stands. A lot of fun. I wonder if that type of racing will ever return to the US.

[Joe Ricard]

Went to NOLA for Saturday Qualifying. Watched all the junior races and was pretty impressed with the high level of driving.

Left before INDY qualifying. Ended up running a session in the rental karts getting soaked and had a blast.

I think the INDY car race @ NOLA was a result of the weather and not the location.

Watched the INDY race @ Long Beach and thought it was a decent event. Of course Sunny SOCAL is tuff to beat

[HardDrive]

All I watch is Moto GP. Everything else pales in comparison IMHO.

I would rather go to a vintage event and see classic race cars lapping then watch the charade that passes for racing these days.

[SiberianDVM]

I still enjoy the Indy 500, mostly because of the track.

At NOLA, they would have been better off racing air boats.

[Deschodt]

I agree with the sentiment... I was pissed off when I got home and found out my DVR had decided to record INDY over Tudor/IMSA at the same time (had both autorecording, I thought it could do both, not sure what happened ;-(

There's talent there, "the fat one" as you called him is actually very very good, so are others. But You are correct on the no-name pay-drivers and what gets me the most is the yellows, all the time. I can't recall a time when a race was decided on the best guy running away with it end to end. It's all about where you were when the yellows came out, fuel and strategy wise.

I saw the Zanardi pass "live" at the corkscrew. Now that was Indycar racing.

EDIT: I found the tudor race on imsaTV. Honestly it's pretty sad too, looks like 6 cars in each category. OK then, waiting for the next WEC race (Spa)

[DonDavis]

Originally Posted by joe payne

Even better, I swear Nascar uses the same theme music as the NFL!

I believe that's a FoxSports thing. Pretty sure CBS does the same across different sports.

[Aragorn]

I have watched all the IndyCar races this year and don't share the same sentiment as some of the others have posted so far. I think, for the most part, the races have been pretty good and exciting to watch. Broken wing problems aside, there are some excellent drivers (JPM, Bourdais, Dixon, Helio) lapping the field in excellent sounding machines. Look at F1 and how far back the backmarkers are (and how far ahead the leaders are.) Now look at IndyCar and see how close the field is.

I too believe the CART years were the "golden age" of current open wheel racing. BUT, CART had financial problems. Champ Car - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia The team owners wanted to run the show and didn't do a good job of it. Dr. Don Panoz (ALMS fame) tried to step in and save Champ Car but to no avail. While Tony George and the IRL split in 96 was part of the downfall of CART and Champ Car, I still blame the CART/Champ Car teams for most of the problems.

IndyCar is the dominant form of open wheel racing in the US. You go to an IndyCar race and you will see some of the best drivers in the world racing at 100% flat out. Get rid of the "bunny ears" and "wings on wings on wings" current car design and the cars will be better looking. Then the series will be unstoppable...

[flatbutt]

To each his own for sure but I too have been watching MotoGP for years now and do not miss car racing at all.

[herr_oberst]

I can't watch indycar, because I can't find it.

I used to be a fan. I could tell you why Howdy Holmes had the Jiffy mix sponsorship, I knew who the first entrant at the Indy 500 traditionally was, I was excited when Emmo decided to return to driving - in a 2nd class car sponsored by California Coolers.

In that era, the series went from strength to strength. Fields were huge and deep. Mansell quit F1 as World Champion to drive in CART. Unheard of! The Portland race drew well over 100000 fans over the course of the weekend. This was Big Time Racing, and the racing was great.

The owners were always their own worst enemies, but more than likely, if Tony the Marauder hadn't plundered the series, the shakeup would have been similar to the USAC split of a few decades prior, and the circus would have gone on under a new name.

It's over, now, as far as I can see. The cars are buttfugginugly, the fans stay home in droves, the sponsors are uncommitted. The one and only race that keeps this joke alive is the Indy 500.

I know I sound like old man Bummer, but geez, it used to be a festival. It just feels like an afterthought now...

[URY914]

"You go to an IndyCar race and you will see some of the best drivers in the world racing at 100% flat out."

Can't say I completely agree with this. It's a good thing that Marco's dad owns his team. Graham Rahal hasn't done too much. I like these guys and I wish they were the best in the world but, how many of the current IndyCar guys were ever given a chance at a F1 test?

[intakexhaust]

HardDrive mentions vintage racing. It seems some of those weekend venues surpass IndyCar. I get that it really doesn't mean much in regards to 'racing for points or glory' but shows racing fans have more interest in the old days.

[Aragorn]

Originally Posted by herr_oberst

I can't watch indycar, because I can't find it.

I used to be a fan. I could tell you why Howdy Holmes had the Jiffy mix sponsorship, I knew who the first entrant at the Indy 500 traditionally was, I was excited when Emmo decided to return to driving - in a 2nd class car sponsored by California Coolers.

In that era, the series went from strength to strength. Fields were huge and deep. Mansell quit F1 as World Champion to drive in CART. Unheard of! The Portland race drew well over 100000 fans over the course of the weekend. This was Big Time Racing, and the racing was great.

The owners were always their own worst enemies, but more than likely, if Tony the Marauder hadn't plundered the series, the shakeup would have been similar to the USAC split of a few decades prior, and the circus would have gone on under a new name.

It's over, now, as far as I can see. The cars are buttfugginugly, the fans stay home in droves, the sponsors are uncommitted. The one and only race that keeps this joke alive is the Indy 500.

I know I sound like old man Bummer, but geez, it used to be a festival. It just feels like an afterthought now...

Most of the month of may race coverage will be on ABC. The rest are mainly on NBCSN (old Versus channel and current home of F1) Schedule - Verizon IndyCar Series, Indy Lights, Pro Mazda & Cooper Tires USF2000

Did you ever get to go to the GP of Portland? Grand Prix of Portland - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia That was always one of the best road courses on the schedule producing some close finishes. Don't know why it was dropped from the schedule. It was always a good race to watch.

[intakexhaust]

Originally Posted by URY914

"You go to an IndyCar race and you will see some of the best drivers in the world racing at 100% flat out."

Can't say I completely agree with this. It's a good thing that Marco's dad owns his team. Graham Rahal hasn't done too much. I like these guys and I wish they were the best in the world but, how many of the current IndyCar guys were ever given a chance at a F1 test?

Bourdais was brilliant in Champcar. I wished things would have worked better for him in F1. That's on a whole different level but of course excuses could be mentioned.

Also, I don't know how you honestly believe they all drive 100% or flat out. Unless you're behind the scene and screen, pulling data, some of these drivers THINK they are flat out, but the data doesn't lie. I know of some occasions and won't share here but ego's fly between team mates and often blame their crew or car.

[Aragorn]

Originally Posted by URY914

"You go to an IndyCar race and you will see some of the best drivers in the world racing at 100% flat out."

Can't say I completely agree with this. It's a good thing that Marco's dad owns his team. Graham Rahal hasn't done too much. I like these guys and I wish they were the best in the world but, how many of the current IndyCar guys were ever given a chance at a F1 test?

JPM is a former McLaren driver and Monaco winner, and Bourdais drove for Toro Rossa. Marco tested for Honda Racing F1 in 2006 Marco Andretti - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[URY914]

OK, that's 3.....