View Full Version : Pocono 500 miles
How was this race last year? I'm going to give it a chance today. Apparently they increased the miles from last year.
Apparently they increased the miles from last year.
That probably explains the dozens of fans there.
Lol, I also heard they might not return after this year.
IRL fan activation:
Year one - paper the house.
Year two - empty house.
Texas is likely gone as well. They're running out of races to double down on. I'm assuming Louisiana passed on paying for the hapless glory at that half finished club track. Bring on Providence!
I got bored and watched very little.
Lux Interior
07-06-14, 09:23 PM
I tried to find it on NBC sports and they had the Indy feeder series on - with an 8 car field.
Really? 8 Cars? Is that it?
stroker
07-06-14, 09:26 PM
I tried to find it on NBC sports and they had the Indy feeder series on - with an 8 car field.
Really? 8 Cars? Is that it?
They're in the red, dude, how many cars do you think the series can pay for? :p
Lux Interior
07-06-14, 10:34 PM
An 8 car grid. AOW is in a sad state. :thumbdown:
An 8 car grid that hasn't raced in over 6 weeks...and there's been 5 races in between. :rofl:
Isn't/wasn't Tony George Jr. heading up IndyLights? :tony:
cameraman
07-07-14, 12:00 PM
I actually DVRd the main race because Pocono should be a very good race. There is some serious hate for IndyCar in the NBCSN production booth. The produced a piece on the Pocono race back in 1984 and talked about the 33 car grid and interviewed Danny Sullivan going on and on about what a fantastic race it was and what a wonderful job CART was doing running open wheel racing.:rofl::eek::rofl: The shots of the cars 9 wide at the start of that race really brought back the memories. It was a history piece that was also a brutal poke at Tony George.
As for the race itself, it was reasonable but nothing to write home about. Very limited yellow flags, Will Power is an epic moron and as the announcing crew said Juan Montoya learned how to drive 500 mile plate races in NASCAR and he put that knowledge to good use in this IndyCar version of a plate race.
Pocono is probably the best oval track for open wheel cars but using those spec cars it will never sell.
TKGAngel
07-07-14, 12:30 PM
I thought Will Power trying to blame PT and Townsend Bell for his penalty was pretty special.
I really enjoyed NBCSN's booth for this race. Varsha/Bell/PT's familiarity with the product and their comfort level with each other was a treat. They're also getting a lot of good feedback on Twitter especially in comparison to the Cheever/Goodyear brain trust.
TravelGal
07-07-14, 03:19 PM
I thought Will Power trying to blame PT and Townsend Bell for his penalty was pretty special.
I really enjoyed NBCSN's booth for this race. Varsha/Bell/PT's familiarity with the product and their comfort level with each other was a treat. They're also getting a lot of good feedback on Twitter especially in comparison to the Cheever/Goodyear brain trust.
I thought he was just saying they must have really nailed him in the booth. Thereby admitting he really did do it. Anyway, I couldn't agree more about the team in the booth. Even Vasha. It's so different that I don't fast forward through the yellows (well, not all of them) because the booth conversation is interesting.
Agreed with Cameraman about the "feeling" in the booth. That 1984 clip was amazing. Even TravelGuy said, "Wow, look at that." I guffawed when PT said he's lose his job if he said what he thought he'd do if he were the commish. Bwahhaahaa.
Andrew Longman
07-07-14, 11:37 PM
Pocono is probably the best oval track for open wheel cars but using those spec cars it will never sell.Yes, absolutely. I've seen many great Indy car races there over the years.
These cars are impressive too at 230 mph.
But they have too little hp and too much downforce. They are flat out all the way around with too few driver errors caused by trying to hang on and cut every corner at 10/10ths. Not looking for wrecks but more differentiation based on driver talent and more edge of your seat scary fast driving.
That's what oval Indy car racing used to be... At Indy, pocono, Trenton, Milwaukee, Ontario, etc.
Indy car there today doesn't quite do it.
BTW Power looks physically and mentally spent after the race for the second week in a row. The other drivers e.g., Helio, JPM, etc looked totally fresh. Is that a new thing? Could that explain his brain fade?
The produced a piece on the Pocono race back in 1984 and talked about the 33 car grid and interviewed Danny Sullivan going on and on about what a fantastic race it was and what a wonderful job CART was doing running open wheel racing.:rofl::eek::rofl: The shots of the cars 9 wide at the start of that race really brought back the memories. It was a history piece that was also a brutal poke at Tony George.
I'd like to hear what Paul Tracy might say that would get him fired....IF there was any g*dd*mned honesty they'd stop treating CART like it never existed and admit the whole IRL thing was a f'up and failure. Just having Varsha and Tracy in a booth adds credibility, WHAT THE HECK TOO THEM SO LONG TO FIGURE THAT OUT? Probably the same things that Paul Tracy would get fired for. Is it any wonder the sport is in the dumper now? SUre, so let's put Brain Barnhart back in race control. Idiots.:flaming:
mjVtD8_yUo4
Random comments:
-I didn't watch this but judging by comments here, PT didn't need to say anymore. We get it.
-The old clip of the '84 race makes me sad, as most of those old clips do.
-Varsha got on my nerves the last few years he covered F1, but I loved him in CART. His call of that crazy race at Road America (I think he was just subbing for Paul Page) where all hell broke loose is one of my favorites. His bridges burning comment about Robby Gordon was classic.
-I need some Gary Gerould face cream; he looks the same (from the back/side anyway). 30 years has taken its toll on me.
-Congrats to Juan Pablo. I started watching NASCAR again when he went there (I'd stopped after they acted so stupid when Earnhardt, Sr. was killed) but I just can't deal with the Earl, even the reformulated version.
-Speaking of calls, I miss Paul Page sometimes (don't know if he did the hot dog contest this year, I was watching the World Cup) but his last few years in CART were trying, to say the least (which is one reason why I was glad to see Varsha then). Still, he was great with Uncle Bobby. The Uncle Bobby vs. Sam Posey wars were fun for a while, too.
-Interesting Motor Sport article about JPM - http://www.motorsportmagazine.com/race/us-scene/indycar/proving-the-doubters-wrong/ I do wonder what he thought he was getting into in F1 and whether or not he would have adjusted better had he never been in CART (something I never felt for a second with Jacques Villeneuve).
Mary
stroker
07-08-14, 02:32 PM
Random comments:
-Varsha got on my nerves the last few years he covered F1, but I loved him in CART. His call of that crazy race at Road America (I think he was just subbing for Paul Page) where all hell broke loose is one of my favorites. His bridges burning comment about Robby Gordon was classic.
Mary
Which Road America race was this....?
Which Road America race was this....?
Gotta be this one...but they cut the broadcast and I think the remarks were made during the final rundown. Robby was having a crap mid season and Walker was straddling IRL and CART and impatient. I think...and great chrome horn action by Tracy! :p
tHcCf29sLLI
Gotta be this one...but they cut the broadcast and I think the remarks were made during the final rundown. Robby was having a crap mid season and Walker was straddling IRL and CART and impatient. I think...and great chrome horn action by Tracy! :p
tHcCf29sLLI
This is the race, one of the goofiest I've ever seen. Andre Ribero gave PT a run for his chrome horn money. Zanardi didn't take any prisoners. IIRC, Robby even complained about the crazy driving, if you can imagine. He had announced prior to this race he was going to NASCAR. He felt, probably rightly, that Ford gave their best engines to Newman Haas. Of course, the 'cabs are so even handed that he's set the world on fire there, huh?
I think this is the whole race, via YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL480835B9D4A0354D
Mary
TrueBrit
07-09-14, 11:44 AM
The look on Will Power's face half way through his "I really didn't know he was there/I didn't think it was that bad/it was only one move" excuse as they began to show the replay of him trying to drive his teammate off the track was absolutely priceless....
:rofl:
JohnHKart
07-16-14, 01:35 AM
Ah yes, without Googling, I remember this race well, Road America 1996, almost Al jr's last win, until he blew up on the last lap I think. Zanardi booting off DeFerran and Gil almost in tears saying there was no reason for him to do that! Robby going nuts at his crappy engine and peeling out of the pits. Great stuff!
TravelGal
07-16-14, 12:00 PM
Ah yes, without Googling, I remember this race well, Road America 1996, almost Al jr's last win, until he blew up on the last lap I think. Zanardi booting off DeFerran and Gil almost in tears saying there was no reason for him to do that! Robby going nuts at his crappy engine and peeling out of the pits. Great stuff!
I can't believe how incredibly sad reading this made me feel. If Kiwifan is reading this thread, he'll get it. I can manage to watch what's on TV now and appreciate the better camera work and small things but reading and remembering the days where there was action and product on the track. That opens the wound all over again. :(
Kiwifan
07-16-14, 02:22 PM
I can't believe how incredibly sad reading this made me feel. If Kiwifan is reading this thread, he'll get it. I can manage to watch what's on TV now and appreciate the better camera work and small things but reading and remembering the days where there was action and product on the track. That opens the wound all over again. :(
I read it last night and was going to reply to the video but I was too wound up and thought my words may have seemed like they were directed to the Chief. Maybe if it was Smacked but not here...
So many memories flooded back when I saw that clip, my first CART race in colour and so clear on digital TV, Vasha, Danny boy, ICR2, Microsoft's "CART", (With Danny telling me I was so slow "was I peddling my bike!" when I played that PC game with my son)
The thing that I first noticed was how many people showed up back in the day, funny that.
Thanks Gal, you are never far from my thoughts. :)
Rusty.
I can't believe how incredibly sad reading this made me feel. If Kiwifan is reading this thread, he'll get it. I can manage to watch what's on TV now and appreciate the better camera work and small things but reading and remembering the days where there was action and product on the track. That opens the wound all over again. :(
Sometimes I think YouTube is the scourge of the universe; other times the savior. Especially when it comes to CART. I don't watch now, but I truly don't begrudge anyone earning a living doing something they love or begrudge anyone watching, even loving it if they want. But I'm sometimes really surprised at how much I miss CART.
Mary
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