Quote from ajp71 :

it is meant to be ... should be ... should be

You're arguing the way you think things should be in F1. I'm explaining how things are. I mostly agree with your general sentiment about how it should be, but it simply isn't the case. And considering the trend of things in F1, it is extremely unlikely to suddenly change direction, so these what-if scenarios aren't of any practical benefit.

Quote from ajp71 :

A lot of the infrastructure can be put into the area relatively quickly if there is serious interest in doing so.

Sorry, no. Why would a hotel chain (gas station, restaurant) spend millions of dollars to open a new location which would be swamped for one weekend but deserted for the rest of the year? It has to be financially viable to sustain itself outside GP weekend.

Quote from ajp71 :

was it Kovalainen at Portugal who drove into the tyres without warning at high speed?

It was at Circuit de Catalunya.

Quote from ajp71 :

when they do have big impacts they generally can get away without injury (as virtually every single driver seems to have had these days, usually s a result of driver error) and it is now possible to get away by the skin of the teeth from the unthinkable (Kubica, Legge).

I don't think being able to "generally" get away without injury is acceptable. The safety of drivers and spectators has to be the absolute priority at all tracks and in all situations. I'd rather watch an endless string of "boring" races at a "generic" circuit than ever watch another racing driver die at the wheel. So I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree on this point.

Quote from ajp71 :

Installing F1 spec facitlities is usually a straight forward question of getting some funds and building things

A lot of those tracks have development outside the circuit boundaries. It isn't as simple as just deciding to build things; they have to buy out houses or businesses. It isn't impossible, but it's difficult and expensive.

Quote from ajp71 :

Most of them have pits which endurance racing teams seem to be able to cope with, therefore they are plenty good enough to run single seaters from, anybody who tells you otherwise is just whining for no reason.

F1 has specific standards which all venues have to adhere to. Simply telling the teams "here's what you have, deal with it" just isn't how F1 works. Maybe it should, but it isn't. Endurance racing series have much less stringent standards regarding the quality of pit and paddock facilities.

Quote from ajp71 :

There's no such thing as a track which is too long or too short

Again, wrong. F1 requires circuits to be within a certain distance range. A 30-second lap would not be allowed. A 4-minute lap would not be allowed.

Quote from ajp71 :

The only issue with Laguna Seca is cars might have trouble physically getting through the Corkscrew, at which point the correct response is to tell them to stop moaning and use a bit of common sense to solve the challenges they are presented with.

Sorry, no. Assuming the cars would have trouble physically negotiating the corner, they would have to build a completely new chassis with different characteristics for that track. That isn't how F1 works. It would be like putting a giant speed bump on the straight at Spa and telling the teams to "just deal with it".

Quote from ajp71 :

As for distance, just like in the other thread it is evident you haven't been to America and don't have a clue what you're talking about, Laguna Seca is less than 2 hours from San Francisco and even closer to San Jose, by US standards that really isn't any distance at all.

It isn't just about distance, it's about the quality of the roads between the city and the track and the amount of development in the area surrounding the track. That's the main problem with Road America - there are no big four-lane highways running right to the circuit. The crushing traffic which accompanies every GP could not be handled by the narrow, twisty roads in the area. The infrastructure just couldn't cope. There aren't enough hotels, restaurants, gas stations, etc. in the area to cope with a GP-sized crowd, therefore F1 will not seriously consider it as a venue.

Quote from ajp71 :

Yes because several tracks with reasonably genrous run off areas are far more dangerous than a street circuit...

As has already been said, none of those tracks have run-off areas which would be considered "generous" by modern F1 standards. On some corners it would be fine, but others not.

I wouldn't have laughed had I known it was a stroke. Which we don't know. Seemed more like a blue screen error.

Quote from amp88 :

Now the American public seem quite indifferent in general to F1.

Is it? What are you basing that on? In 2007 the US GP had the largest single-day crowd of any race on the calendar.

Quote from ajp71 :

Road America, Watkins Glen, Road Atlanta, Mid Ohio and Virginia could all host Grand Prixs

Actually none of those tracks could. None of them are up to F1's standards, especially Road Atlanta and VIR. None of them have pits, paddock, grandstands, and race control facilities even close to what F1 would require. The runoff areas are nowhere near good enough at any of those tracks. Road America is way too far from a major metro area and the area's infrastructure would be absolutely hopeless for a GP-sized event. Same with VIR. Road Atlanta is too short and would have to be heavily modified.

For a long time, CTRA's FE Green had a modified T1 which made it slower and tighter. I quite liked it because it was another spot to overtake and because it didn't seem to cause as much first-turn mayhem as the normal layout.

Recently though it has gone, leaving us to once again unrealistically slam over those curbs.

Why was this done? Are there any plans to put it back in? Why was it only placed on FE2 and not FE2R? IMO FE2R could benefit from it even more because it would give us at least one overtaking spot. FE2R is perhaps the worst track in the game as far as overtaking spots go. There is only one braking zone of significance, and it is preceded by that 'chicane' which funnels the cars into single-file.

Quote from major_syphillis :

The reason why he won, is because everybody was sick of Bush.

Sick of not just him, but with neocon politics in general. Bush is a treasonous war criminal piece of shit and should be in prison.

Quote from major_syphillis :

What people didn't seem to grasp that McCain wasn't Bush and opposed a lot of what Bush stood for.

I guess that's why he voted along party lines 94% of the time during last term. Yeah he's a real maverick alright.

Quote from major_syphillis :

I suspect you just jumped on the "change" bandwagon yourself.

You don't know anything about me or what I think about politics, mouthbreather. You're pulling this bullshit directly out of your ass.

Quote from major_syphillis :

Obama is a danger to America and people will see when these radical countries start acting up cause they aren't scared anymore

More baseless fearmongering that just doesn't reflect reality. The Republican party tries to pull this shit every election - VOTE FOR US OR THE TURRISTS WILL GET YA! Have you bothered to read what world leaders have said about this election? The consensus has been that they see Obama as positive change and respect America more because of it, not less. More, not less. Foreign leaders weren't scared by Bush, they laughed at his stupidity and short-sightedness.

Quote from major_syphillis :

we don't have a defense system to handle anything like that anymore.

You make it sound as though the fact that our military is crippled and overstretched is Obama's fault, which is so bizarre I don't even know how to begin tearing it apart. Bush decided to start these criminal wars. They are his legacy.

Quote from major_syphillis :

Did you bother to read what Pelosi said today?

Pelosi's an idiot.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agGWjaMoSIw

Hilarious, and I don't even speak Italian. Might someone please translate so we have a rough idea what's going on?

Last edited by Lateralus, Thu 6 Nov 2008, 04:27. Reason : grammar

Quote from major_syphillis :

Only 4 years of this clown and then we can get back to our regularly scheduled programing.

Regularly scheduled programming?

You mean squandering a budget surplus and turning it into a deficit of unprecedented scale? You mean a massive campaign of lies and deception to sell a false war? You mean systematic curtailment of civil liberties under the guise of "security"? You mean imprisoning American citizens without due process? You mean tarnishing America's reputation in the eyes of the whole planet for political gain?

No thanks, this new show seems quite a bit better and it's barely started.

Quote from major_syphillis :

Just because he is running democrat doesn't make him any better than Bush.

That's true, but most of the policies which he plans to enact as President are better than Bush's.

Dimwit.

GOP PSA #1

GOP PSA #2

goddamn motherr****ing fantastic


Holy ****in shit I am drunk

I just walked down the sdtreet adn sotle an Obama sign from a neighbor who had three and stuck it in my yard


AMERICA


FREEDOM

Fantastic.

Just fanstastic.


America.

Goddamn, Obama's speech is nearly bringing me to tears.

Historic. A historic day.

A truly historic day for this nation and for the world.

May this man do the absolute best for everyone. He has so much riding on his shoulders.

Quote from chanoman315 :

ok.


and MR_B: you can go and ´''' yoursself

The whole forum is laughing at you.

You're fighting a losing battle.

Start caring about something that matters.

Quote from DeadWolfBones :

Not that it really means anything, but is this the first black president/PM/whatever from any first world nation?

Oooo, openin' up a bit of a can-o-worms there dude, with the term "first-world nation" and all. For many that has some seriously negative connotations.

To answer your question directly, I have no idea.

I am drunk.


FREEDOM

Goddamn, feelin' good now.

The Stone Brewing's Smoked Porter was cracked upon the official announcement of Obama winning.

The vodka at the back of the shelf is calling.


FREEDOM

Quote from SamH :

Okay, it was a bit long.. but it was worth hearing. That was a generous speech. I'd take it in the spirit it was given.

Yeah I agree, it was. The Republicans spend a lot of money to hire good speechwriters.

Quote from SamH :

This is an excellent concession speech from McCain. I hope the people in the crowd are listening closely.

Some of them might be able to hear over the voice in the back of their heads chanting "OMG HATE BLACK PEOPLE! TURRISTS ARE GONNA KILL YO CHILLUNS!"

Some of them.

Go Back To Alaska Bitch

Quote from PaulC2K :

Hopefully there wont be the same fiasco there was a few years back in Florida and it'll be done and dusted by the morning.

Even if there is a debacle in one or more of the remaining states, Obama still has enough electoral votes.

It's done and dusted now. It's over.

Obama wins.

McCain is giving his concession speech now. As soon as he mentioned Obama's name, boos came from the crowd.

Pathetic simpleton bumble****s. Despicable.

Quote from Hankstar :

chanoman, "America" is what most of the world (and most of America) calls "The United States of America" for short.

Try not to get personally offended by broad social trends, ok?

Exactly, jeez.

Technically it's called the "United States of Mexico", but if someone says "Mexico", which nation do you think they're referring to?

EDIT: Ninja'd.

He's done it.

Barack Obama will be the 44th President of the United States.

Quote from ATC Quicksilver :

Is that being streamed anywhere? I'm sick of the British coverage and could do with a laugh, they don't seem to know what the hell is going on and try to explain the process to you every 5 minutes as if we are all idiots. People staying up until 4am to watch it live will know how the American voting system works, the BBC just think they have to make allowances for drunk idiots that just got home from their daily binge drink and fight.

www.indecision2008.com

Comedy Central's Indecision 2008 live coverage has been pretty funny so far.