Indy 500

[kang]

A couple of good articles about the recent crashes:

Viewpoints - PRUETT: Why Helio Castroneves' car flipped

Indycar Racing News | Racer.com - Indy 500: Source of Hinchcliffe's crash confirmed

[Por_sha911]

Originally Posted by oldE

Clowns? Seriously?
This sort of knife edge stability crops up each time the rules get changed to slow the cars and the aero folks go looking for a new advantage.
I would submit that one does not test for running in reverse. Yes, the cars sometimes get sideways or even backwards, but if you are trying to maximize the speed on the straights and the cornering force, you're not likely to also try to make a car that remains glued to the track at 200 mph pointed in the wrong direction.

Totally wrong! Indycar is all about safety.
So many rules about power limitations to avoid unsafe speed, tub design, safer barrier, pit speed, etc...
Years ago, they banned side skirts that went to the ground due the problem of unstable handling when the skirts were knocked off.
Cars are required to have the driver's feet in the tub behind the axles for safety.
Wheels must have a tether for safety.
They won't race at the Las Vegas track due to safety.
I remember there being limits placed on cars at a TX track because they were going too fast. The bumpers on the back were put there for safety.
The list goes on and on.

These cars regularly get turned around on ovals and for the engineers to not test what happens when the car is going backwards would be criminally derelict of duty. I suspect it is an engineering calculation mistake rather than blatant neglect.

[Noah930]

Remember the first generation of IRL cars that had gearboxes so strong (the boxes themselves--not the gears inside) that drivers were getting back injuries from hitting the wall backwards? Not enough absorption of crash energy by the car, so too much force being transmitted to the driver's spine.

[afterburn 549]

Bring back Jimmy Clark, Smoky Yunick and Dan Gourney .
They could show how to get it done.
I can relate to the IDGAF attitude about the pompous drivers and hi tech crap.
Just a race please.
Smokey Yunick Indy Car : Legendary Collector Cars

INDY 500, 100th Anniversary | Dan Gurney's All American Racers

[strupgolf]

Wow, 108 entries received for the Indy 500. Opp's, sorry I had my years off, it was in 1981. Imagine what that was like back then. This year there were 34. Sad day for a great time.

[Embraer]

heading down to the track...hopefully the rain holds off.

[gamin]

Probably will be more entertaining than this boring (again) F1 stuff.

[KNS]

Originally Posted by Por_sha911

Watch only with rabbit ears and what about Paul Page?

Ughh - Lets just dig up Jim Neighbors...

[Noah930]

Originally Posted by Embraer

heading down to the track...hopefully the rain holds off.

Have a great time, Mike!

[Noah930]

OK, this pre-race show is killing it (not in a good way) for me. Ms. Czarniak and company seem like they're just reading off an advertisement, as opposed to reporting/telling the story of what's being going on this month of May.

[Rtrorkt]

find myself in a house in the middle of no where with no TV, but internet. Anyone know the live stream location that doesn't cost an arm and a leg?

[intakexhaust]

Why watch or go to Indy?

Anyone can drive the crash and yellow flag festival.

700hp cars are available at your local dealer. Have at it on Chicago expressways with the other idiots. Cheer's!

[afterburn 549]

Originally Posted by intakexhaust

Why watch or go to Indy?

Anyone can drive the crash and yellow flag festival.

700hp cars are available at your local dealer. Have at it on Chicago expressways with the other idiots. Cheer's!

Same with NASCAR, but with more team and driver drama.

[chapo]

Great race at the end, highly entertaining. Glad he won, never a big fan of his but he drove with balls of steel today. As for those who say the can drive at Indy, go stand on the inside of turn ione and tell me you'll peg it at 228 through there. I never thought much of it until I actually went there.

[herr_oberst]

Good race. Good for Montoya.
I haven't watched Indy in years, and
man, is it just me or did coverage suck? I'm not a fan of Nascar, but ABC needs to watch the doorslammers to figure out how to call a race.

[Joe Bob]

Roundy round racing.....back in the day when HP ruled, it was cool. NOW? Soap opera, NASCAR and other BS. Always an accident 10-20 laps prior to the finish, everyone gets up on the lead lap....then a sprint. Wrestling has a better script.

Road racing......load it up and drive.

[Embraer]

Originally Posted by chapo

Great race at the end, highly entertaining. Glad he won, never a big fan of his but he drove with balls of steel today. As for those who say the can drive at Indy, go stand on the inside of turn ione and tell me you'll peg it at 228 through there. I never thought much of it until I actually went there.

one of the best races I've ever seen..and ive been to a lot. like you said...until you've been there, you really don't get it.

[dennis in se pa]

Great race. Good to see JPM win. Good to see him back in open wheel.

[intakexhaust]

For those believers that Indycar represents safer open wheel racing, laugh on. Half the 'PROFESSIONAL' drivers should be in a Joey Chitwood type of circus. Do they realize their in open wheel racers? The bone head moves, especially early in a 500 miler and the pit crew getting checked is to die for. The drivers only think for themselves and NOT safety.

[Rapewta]

My father was a race car driver and his dad took him to Indy in I think around 1949.
It was magical back then. The "brickyard" was the zenith of what we could do.
I love listening to my dad talk about racing. (he is 89 yrs old).

Today... somehow I have lost all interest in this.
I didn't watch any of it and went out and played a gig for the Vietnam Vet memorial guys that served.

Oh... I remember when sometime around 1969, a turbine was entered and it was going to win but the turbine (only one moving part) failed.
I sat there with my old man and couldn't believe it..
My Dad, who is a certifiable race car guy just shook his head.

Of course, they changed the rules after the turbine entry and my dad said "It is all political from this time on. What a shame. I am not a "bummer" but I will probably never have any interest in
F1, Nascar (who wouldn't) and any Indy crap.