WTF with the finish? REALLY?
2011 IZOD IndyCar Series - Season over, RIP Dan Wheldon
(542 posts, started )
Epic
That's what happens when you lose your patience, even if its on the last turn...
that is what happens when a lap car screws you up :P
This is what happens at Indy.
It just is what it is, Hildebrand slowed, but just not enough. Perfectly easy to say what he should have done, but in the moment, you do what you do. Indy can be decided in moments.
That's why it's the Greatest Spectacle in Racing.
I for one, enjoyed it. Gutted for Hildebrand, but the winner is the one who gets there first without problems.
BRING ON 2012!
It just is what it is, Hildebrand slowed, but just not enough. Perfectly easy to say what he should have done, but in the moment, you do what you do. Indy can be decided in moments.
That's why it's the Greatest Spectacle in Racing.
I for one, enjoyed it. Gutted for Hildebrand, but the winner is the one who gets there first without problems.
BRING ON 2012!
There wasn't much he could do, if he'd backed off Wheldon would have caught him... Kimball looked like he was doing 150...
Urgh. I feel so bad for him. 
feel really bad for JR but wow what a finish
Felt so sick when JR hit the wall, although I did fear it when I saw him going side by side with the lapped car (Kimball?). No car was able to hold the outside today.
Happy for Dan though, good race from him and got lucky with the win, but he had to be there to capitalise from the mistake.
Happy for Dan though, good race from him and got lucky with the win, but he had to be there to capitalise from the mistake.
Well, in the post-race interview he seemed to be pretty over it and essentially accepted the crash as his own mistake. Can't be too mad anyway, he was listed as second.
Today was utterly fantastic from the very first second at the track. The speedway opened up part of turn 1 to the public so that people could get to the infield quicker, but it soon turned into a carshow as 6-7 1911 racer cars came out. A few winners from each decade were out as well. For a good two hours prior to all the official prerace activities the cars took turns firing up (much to the delight of us fans). The last car to be fired up was the Marmon Wasp, mainly because it took 45 minutes to start. Absolutely epic noise from that thing and it was awesome to see it and all the other cars do a few laps later in the day.
We headed to our seats when the pre-race started. We were right at the turn in to turn 1, about 4 rows back. You couldn't actually see the cars directly in front of us because of the wall, but you could see all of the front straight and most of turn 1.
Although the historical cars were part of the prerace, the ceremonies were still pretty much a bore. Only the last half hour or so, when the anthem is played and the cars fire up is interesting. Last 15 minutes or so you could tell that the anticipation was really building.
Track cleared, pace laps run, blah blah blah.
Then the race started and it was shit-your-pants exciting. I was literally shaking with excitement when the cars entered turn 1. Couldn't see them but the noise would make the base of James May's penis fizz. Those 3-wide starts are absolutely insane. Didn't sit down until the caution was waved after Sato pushed his 'Lotus' into the wall. Even then, I sat for a minute and was back on my feet for pitstops. Restart was epic and the crash that occurred in turn 1 was so directly in front of us that we didn't see it actually happen. We just saw a pack disappear behind the wall and then someone come out the other side backwards. After that, things were pretty chill in the stands until around Lap 170.
As boring as fuel races usually are on TV, they are great when you don't know when the leading car last pitted. I was on the verge of tears (tears of joy) when Danica had to pit. The last thing I wanted to do is be there for 'that race that Danica won. I would've liked to see Bertrand Baguette win, but whatever he's not exactly my favorite. Everyone went nuts when JR took the lead and he was getting a standing ovation every time he passed our stand. When he crashed...
LOL
It's not every day that you see a driver plowing down the front straight with no control and trying for the win. It seemed like an hour for him to get to the finish line. Everyone was really confused and for a good 20 seconds we thought he had won. No one was sad to see that Weldon had taken the win (after all, he's consistently good at the speedway but just doesn't have a pile of wins to show it). Instead, we all went nuts again because we knew that we had just seen one of the truly greatest 500 finishes of all time. Despite having just broken down on the way home (50 of 780 miles complete), I think this has been the most enjoyable weekend of my life. Everything about Indy is simply surreal. Especially the fans but that's a whole different experience. I'm happy to say I went and can't wait to go to the 100th running.
Just hope I can actually see the cars next time!
Today was utterly fantastic from the very first second at the track. The speedway opened up part of turn 1 to the public so that people could get to the infield quicker, but it soon turned into a carshow as 6-7 1911 racer cars came out. A few winners from each decade were out as well. For a good two hours prior to all the official prerace activities the cars took turns firing up (much to the delight of us fans). The last car to be fired up was the Marmon Wasp, mainly because it took 45 minutes to start. Absolutely epic noise from that thing and it was awesome to see it and all the other cars do a few laps later in the day.
We headed to our seats when the pre-race started. We were right at the turn in to turn 1, about 4 rows back. You couldn't actually see the cars directly in front of us because of the wall, but you could see all of the front straight and most of turn 1.
Although the historical cars were part of the prerace, the ceremonies were still pretty much a bore. Only the last half hour or so, when the anthem is played and the cars fire up is interesting. Last 15 minutes or so you could tell that the anticipation was really building.
Track cleared, pace laps run, blah blah blah.
Then the race started and it was shit-your-pants exciting. I was literally shaking with excitement when the cars entered turn 1. Couldn't see them but the noise would make the base of James May's penis fizz. Those 3-wide starts are absolutely insane. Didn't sit down until the caution was waved after Sato pushed his 'Lotus' into the wall. Even then, I sat for a minute and was back on my feet for pitstops. Restart was epic and the crash that occurred in turn 1 was so directly in front of us that we didn't see it actually happen. We just saw a pack disappear behind the wall and then someone come out the other side backwards. After that, things were pretty chill in the stands until around Lap 170.
As boring as fuel races usually are on TV, they are great when you don't know when the leading car last pitted. I was on the verge of tears (tears of joy) when Danica had to pit. The last thing I wanted to do is be there for 'that race that Danica won. I would've liked to see Bertrand Baguette win, but whatever he's not exactly my favorite. Everyone went nuts when JR took the lead and he was getting a standing ovation every time he passed our stand. When he crashed...
LOL
It's not every day that you see a driver plowing down the front straight with no control and trying for the win. It seemed like an hour for him to get to the finish line. Everyone was really confused and for a good 20 seconds we thought he had won. No one was sad to see that Weldon had taken the win (after all, he's consistently good at the speedway but just doesn't have a pile of wins to show it). Instead, we all went nuts again because we knew that we had just seen one of the truly greatest 500 finishes of all time. Despite having just broken down on the way home (50 of 780 miles complete), I think this has been the most enjoyable weekend of my life. Everything about Indy is simply surreal. Especially the fans but that's a whole different experience. I'm happy to say I went and can't wait to go to the 100th running.
Just hope I can actually see the cars next time!
You just missed it!
Good read dude, I'd love to go there one day.
No, this was the 100th Anniversary and the 95th Running. Don't forget that they didn't race during the war years!
Forgot to mention that I have lobster arms from sitting in the sun all day. Saw lots of people getting stretchered out because of the heat.
Forgot to mention that I have lobster arms from sitting in the sun all day. Saw lots of people getting stretchered out because of the heat.
you lucky son of a...
I was supposed to go down this weekend, but stuff came up and I had to work all of this weekend... just got home and watched the tape. More specifically, slept through my tape and then rewound and watched the finish. I would have so much rather watched the 500 than being stuck working, and now I officially hate you
Very unfortunate for JR, but I guess if he had been offered 2nd place in his rookie race before the start he would have been okay with it.
Yea, I heard they managed to get all living winners but 2.
Great read otherwise. Hope I'd have the opportunity be there too, one day.
Oh, and someone should really give a full time seat to Baguette.
looks like dario was super pissed at Helio at milwakee lol.
Helio isn't only making friends this year, it seems
Iowa was probably the best oval race i have ever watched, Epic battles all through the field without much cautions, epic job by Marco Andretti to take the win.
Yeah, surprising to see that is the track that brought the most action thus far this season. Lets just hope it continues.
Great race night, some balls out crazy overtaking from Marco/TK/Sato and the crew. Dario got a decent 5th with Power crashing out. This is what Indy Cars races should be like.
The thing is though, indy is building outside the states too, problem is this deal my screw over the american base.
Its a shame the Iowa race had such a low tv veiwership, as the race it self was one of the best i've seen.
Power gets another pole, that means hes gotten a Pole on every road course this season.
Its a shame this guy didn't get into F1, he deserves it.
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/92988
Its a shame this guy didn't get into F1, he deserves it.
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/92988
well, the thing worrying me more is that Paul Tracy is in 24th. Due to his tendency to go into every hole, even those not existing, I fear Toronto to turn into a crash fest
Turning into 1 of the most expensive races in terms with body work being left on the track.
Also I think a few drivers are falling out with each other, Power and Dario, TK with Helio, Danica with Sato, Power with everyone else...oh to be a fly in the wall in the paddock
Also I think a few drivers are falling out with each other, Power and Dario, TK with Helio, Danica with Sato, Power with everyone else...oh to be a fly in the wall in the paddock
2011 IZOD IndyCar Series - Season over, RIP Dan Wheldon
(542 posts, started )
FGED GREDG RDFGDR GSFDG