Indycar 2023 - Page 11

astrochex · 08-06-2023, 04:55 PM

Yea, it was not the crashfest of prior years.

Por_sha911 · Por_sha911's Garage

Palou got a 15-20 point GIFT.

rfuerst911sc · 08-12-2023, 01:30 PM

Wow what a race . Congrats to the winner . Spun out on lap one to winning the race . Pretty impressive . Rahal gave it everything he had it just wasn't enough . Palou another solid race on the way to winning the championship .

astrochex · 08-12-2023, 02:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rfuerst911sc

Wow what a race . Congrats to the winner . Spun out on lap one to winning the race . Pretty impressive . Rahal gave it everything he had it just wasn't enough . Palou another solid race on the way to winning the championship .

Deja vu for the winner. Shades of a Portland race.

Penske’s were nowhere all weekend, surprising.

pwd72s · 08-12-2023, 03:14 PM

One enjoyable watch...glad I caught it.

Por_sha911 · Por_sha911's Garage

Quote of the day:
"I'm not bummed but I'm bummed" - Rahal

Dixon has the luckiest career. Dodges, massive car pile ups in front of him, gets the cautions at exactly the best time... Today was not luck but great strategy and driving (the only driver that is so good at fuel conservation that the running comment is his car "makes fuel".

Totally unrelated: Dixon has PNC Bank as a sponsor. I wonder if they will be sponsoring him next season.

Noah930 · Noah930's Garage

Maybe not 2023, but where does Palou see himself next year? He was going to bail on Ganassi for McLaren at the end of last season. So this year he has been a test driver for McLaren on his non-IndyCar weekends. But now I've read he'll be bailing on McLaren and not joining them full-time next year.

Perhaps he sees Lando and Piastri as McLaren's F1 drivers for the near future, so no room for him there? And he wants F1 more than another IndyCar seat (in Papaya) next year. So where does he see himself earning a seat in F1?

Haas (both drivers lackluster)? Alpha Tauri/Toro Rosso (goodbye Yuki)? Williams (goodbye Logan)? Alfa/Sauber (goodbye Zhou)? Would Papa Stroll sack his own son? Surely Palou feels he's got a good shot at one of those seats if he's reneging on his deal with McLaren?

URY914 · URY914's Garage

It's been a crazy up and down year for Rahal. I give them credit for hanging in there and today it paid off.

Noah930 · Noah930's Garage

https://racer.com/2023/08/12/palou-splits-with-management-team/

So, according to the above article, Palou actually does not want to go to F1? Apparently he's breaking up with McLaren so that he can stay with Ganassi? And now, because of that decision, his mgmt team is dropping him.

rfuerst911sc · 08-13-2023, 02:35 AM

I have a theory on Palou . Within the last two weeks Michael Andretti was quoted as saying Palou and Colton Herta are ready for F1 . And he stated he would have no problem putting both behind the wheel .

I think Andretti has a verbal agreement with Palou if Andretti is granted a team . If he doesn't get a team or if things change Palou stays with CGR . It's just a hunch on my part .

Andretti has stated if they are granted a team they want to compete in 2025 . Palou can race Indycar in 2024 and then jump to F1 . Again just a theory but some pieces make sense . Only time will tell .

Another angle : CGR runs with Cadillac in IMSA . Andretti and Cadillac are partnered if they get an F1 team . Palou is under contract with CGR . Does Chip Gannasi want to dip a toe in the F1 pond as a minority owner ?

Zeke · 08-13-2023, 09:54 AM

It might take Andretti, GM and Ganassi to mount an effort to enter and stay in F1. Sounds like trying to put a world championship soccer team together from scratch in spite of the collective experience.

Reg · 08-17-2023, 02:36 PM

I am actually starting to like Graham Rahal this season. What a roller coaster season he has had. Here is his take on Push to pass vs DRS:

“That's what I kind of love about our version of overtake frankly,” he said. “It's a mano-a-mano battle.

“You use it offensively, defensively. None of this DRS crap that makes it easy. For me, I thought Dixon used it right today.

“I tried to do the best I could to challenge him. I just ran out of steam.

rfuerst911sc · 09-03-2023, 02:36 PM

Great race from Portland today . Had a little bit of everything . Congrats to the winner and series championship . On to Laguna Seca another great track .

astrochex · 09-03-2023, 02:49 PM

Winner is a machine.

Lots of very disappointed challengers.

Por_sha911 · Por_sha911's Garage

Palou is a great driver but and deserved to win the championship but he did NOT deserve the win today. Indycar gave him a GIFT by not calling his BLOCKING moves THREE times.

astrochex · 09-04-2023, 05:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Por_sha911

Palou is a great driver but and deserved to win the championship but he did NOT deserve the win today. Indycar gave him a GIFT by not calling his BLOCKING moves THREE times.

You’re right that was a gift. He likely would still have secured the championship, but he would not have won the race.

Zeke · 09-04-2023, 07:58 AM

A block is the 2nd move of 2. Palou did move a little after the first move to the inside but never a full car width and he was really lining up his entrance to the corner. Not saying it wasn't marginal but he wasn't the only one.

The big complaint and verbalized by O'Ward was the backmarkers not moving over. If you looked at the rubber build up all around the track it was a single groove track in short order. Moving over would have been dangerous or the faster cars would have taken the different line. It wasn't there.

I can't say for sure but Alex might have been moving back to the racing line to avoid disaster. W/o a full block that might have been considered to be OK.

Who else would have won? He was 3 seconds in front of Dixon and something like 9 seconds in front of Rosenqvist at the end.

Por_sha911 · Por_sha911's Garage

A "block" is a move in reaction to the car behind you. You may move but then must hold that line. The commentators noted that he did reaction moves 3 times. Once and you get the stink eye. Twice and you get a review. Three times? Indycar refused to even review. La la la, I can't see or hear you.

Another driver got penalized for a block in the race and had to give up two positions. That would have put Palou behind drivers and may not have been able to get back in front of them. He would have had to use more overtakes and burn his tires that much harder to get back to the front.

Palou is the fair haired child this year and the decision was totally political. (Indycar has done this in previous years with other favored drivers).

Reg · 09-04-2023, 09:10 AM

What you all think about the delay in calling the yellow?

Por_sha911 · Por_sha911's Garage

Yeah that was kinda sketchy also.

When drivers and fans have complaints, it is because they don't consistently follow their own rules. One time, let the race end on yellow. Another time red flag. One time give everyone a chance to complete the lap, other times immediate yellow. With yesterday's yellow, the car was in an extremely vulnerable place. IMO it should have been called right away. Again, politics.