Indy 500 stunt

[cameraman]

Once upon a time the Indy 500 did not need stunts to validate the cost of a ticket.


A dedicated crew of dozens has secretly spent the past few weeks in Southern California building, testing and tweaking a custom-built truck as well as a life-sized version of the Hot Wheels toy track set so many of us enjoyed of us as kids. And if all goes according to spec, the Pro2-style truck (driven by a masked stunt driver) will jump across a gap more than 302 feet in length, breaking the world record for largest leap by a four-wheeled vehicle.

http://www.wired.com/playbook/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/HW-Truck-on-Track2.jpg

The rest of the tale. (http://www.wired.com/playbook/2011/04/record-jump-indianapolis-500/)

[Elmo T]

And by a "masked stunt driver"? Oooohhhhh - NOW I am interested. :yuck:

I'd rather see them line up those IRL chassis and bring out the monster trucks.

[SteveH]

from the above article....


The vehicle weighs 3,500 pounds and sports more than 850 horsepower, akin to any NASCAR-level engine you’re likely to find.

Cross-promotion at work :rofl:

[TKGAngel]

The NYT (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/12/business/media/12adco.html) has more info about the marketing side of this stunt.

The stunt will be showcased in a half-hour postrace show sponsored by Hot Wheels. The target audience of this stunt is 18-34 year old males.

[SurfaceUnits]

why wear a mask, will he be embarrassed to be seen there too

[TravelGal]

why wear a mask, will he be embarrassed to be seen there too

This is exactly what went through my mind. Either that or their chosen demographic is 10 years younger than they are admitting.

[JLMannin]

Artist rendition of the stunt on race day.

http://cmsimg.indystar.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Avis=BG&Dato=20110412&Kategori=NEWS&Lopenr=110412005&Ref=TS&NewTbl=1&MaxW=300&Border=0

Here is the hometown paper article:

http://blogs.indystar.com/racingexpert/2011/04/12/hot-wheels-plans-record-jump-at-indy-500/

Some of the reader comments are pretty funny.

[Chief]

Reminds me of the superimposed scoreboard the IRL used on ABC broadcasts to coverup empty grandstands/infield areas.

[chop456]

Pathetic. And if they did it pre-race, they know everyone would turn it off afterwards. :laugh:

Also - no reason for a "masked" driver unless it's fake. Truck lands - driver gets out and removes helmet - "Danica! No way!" :gomer: :gomer: :gomer:

[Michaelhatesfans]

Use Tony to mark the landing ramp. Give him a little flag to wave or something.

[extramundane]

I'm pretty sure Wile E. Coyote already tried this. I don't recall it ending well.

[Chief]

v3cRe_4XbSw

[Al Czervik]

I misread the thread title and thought this was another Sparklepony thread. :D

[Steve99]

Maybe Tony can ride in the bed of the truck?

[SteveH]

I misread the thread title and thought this was another Sparklepony thread. :D

:rofl::laugh::rofl:

[opinionated ow]

where's the loop?

[rosawendel]

two things I can tell you about hot wheels from my childhood:
1. the track is orange (with red tabs).
2. it hurts when your parents use it to spank your butt.

Following up: if the stunt goes true to firm, the track will separate when the car reaches the halfway point of the ramp.

[Indy]

why wear a mask, will he be embarrassed to be seen there too

http://img858.imageshack.us/img858/6818/gimmick.jpg (http://img858.imageshack.us/i/gimmick.jpg/)

[grungex]

The NYT (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/12/business/media/12adco.html) has more info about the marketing side of this stunt.

The stunt will be showcased in a half-hour postrace show sponsored by Hot Wheels. The target audience of this stunt is 18-34 year old males.

That should make Defender, err... Disciple happy...

[Gnam]

:laugh: @ Indy

[High Sided]

two things I can tell you about hot wheels from my childhood:
1. the track is orange (with red tabs).
2. it hurts when your parents use it to spank your butt.

Following up: if the stunt goes true to firm, the track will separate when the car reaches the halfway point of the ramp.


looks like they fixed the problem. i don't remember holes in the connector pieces. i do remember the red marks and the incredible stinging sensation though. :cry:
http://i9.ebayimg.com/08/i/001/32/81/a7d4_35.JPG

[SurfaceUnits]

they need ever stunt they can dreamed up

http://img251.imageshack.us/img251/1800/barber2011vstwitterpoin.jpg
borrowed from CW

[Chief]

Bernard said he's hoping for a 0.6 rating from Barber. Last year's broadcast on Versus drew a 0.4.

He also said he has no problem with the Barber race having to compete for a TV audience with The Masters golf tournament.

"If we can't stand alone and compete with any other sport out there, what are we?" he said.

Presented for your consideration.

IndyCar CEO hopes to see a big boost in TV ratings for Barber race (http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2011/04/indycar_ceo_hopes_to_see_a_big.html)

[Elmo T]

"If we can't stand alone and compete with any other sport out there, what are we?"


Is that how he is really looking at this?

Why not a warm weather race to run against the Superbowl. Not everyone is a football fan, right?? :rolleyes:

Yes - it is all competition for eyes and attention - but you can pick and choose your battles. I know that when my wife sees "When Harry met Sally" is being rerun on TV, it is time to just head upstairs and go to sleep. :laugh:

[NismoZ]

"What are we?"??...Geez, don't any of those guys read these forums? We've been TELLING them what they are... for YEARS!

[racer2c]

"What are we?"??...Geez, don't any of those guys read these forums? We've been TELLING them what they are... for YEARS!

They hired a guy who didn't know an Indy Car from an Indian, all because he made bull riding the national sport. Wait...strike that last part. :)

[SurfaceUnits]

http://www.hotwheels.com/games/ferrari-x-v-speed-trial

[Don Quixote]

They hired a guy who didn't know an Indy Car from an Indian, all because he made bull riding the national sport. Wait...strike that last part. :)

One difference between bull riding and the IRL is that I watch bull riding.

[Michaelhatesfans]

"If we can't stand alone and compete with any other sport out there, what are we?"

http://www.chartattack.com/files/imagecache/content_image-680xauto/chart_global/news/devo_1.jpg

[High Sided]

this makes me want to be a kid again....

Product demo video...
http://webapps.easy2.com/cm2/flash/generic_index.asp?page_id=36139831&buyhide=1

DyYXqdumiOo

[Elmo T]

Not to make light of any tragedy, but things do go wrong...

Act goes awry, human cannonball dies (http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/europe/04/25/england.human.cannonball/index.html?hpt=T2)


A man who was taking part in a human cannonball show in Detling, England, was fatally injured Monday when the event failed to go off as planned, Kent police said.

Seriously? :saywhat:

[chop456]

CNN copy writers suck? I'm shocked. SHOCKED!

[pchall]

And by a "masked stunt driver"? Oooohhhhh - NOW I am interested. :yuck:

Paul Tracy found his Mexican wrestling mask under the seat of his pick up?

[SurfaceUnits]

I guess this can suffice for our FOytility thread for the last half of MAy :gomer:

[pchall]

I guess this can suffice for our FOytility thread for the last half of MAy :gomer:


The two weeks of May ought to be really fun this year. Just like last year. And the years before that.

[extramundane]

http://mocksession.com/2011/05/notes-on-a-regrettable-weekend-in-deceptive-advertising/

These guys make the case that the Hot Wheels show violated FTC law.

Also, WISH-TV seems to employ a crack team of investigative journalists. :laugh:

[Andrew Longman]

I watched a bit of it.

I thought the mixture of fake computer graphic and reality puzzling... even if you are trying to sell Hot Wheels.

If you were impressed with the fake Brazilian cliff dive then you'd be totally bored with the real jump.

If you were impressed with the real jump then you'd be totally pissed off by the fake stunt.

How's that supposed to work? And I never met a 9 year old, especially today, who would be "fooled" into thinking it was all real or who wouldn't care.

I find it actually either very cynical that they thought this was effective marketing OR that they folks at Mattel/ICS/Izod just got totally carried away and/or taken by the what the computer graphics guys said they could do.


"No really dude, we can this bodacious Sunmicrosystem thing to recreate the entire Amazon rain forest is mega awesome pixel detail and have this truck with a skull for grill like climb back and forth with like simulated carbon orange seesaw track just like kids do with the real Hot Wheels. It will be wicked dude".

[NismoZ]

Let me know when they attempt to clear the Snake River Canyon. I might watch that.:thumbup:

[Elmo T]

I watched with my 7yo - who was bored out of his mind. He went out to play and said to call him in when they do "the real jump."

He said it was lame compared to Nitro Circus.