Category: Auto Racing

The Last Gift- A Tribute

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Note- I first published this two years ago in honor of my late wife, Vicki Silver. In honor of what would have been her 70th birthday today, I’m reposting it. Thanks for reading.

“I just want one thing for Christmas. “

“I know what it is and no, I won’t give you that. It’s dangerous. You could get killed and then I’d be all alone”

We had no clue how ironic that statement would become a few months later.

“What else do you want?” she demanded.

“Nothing. It can be for my birthday too,” I countered, “since it costs about what you’d spend altogether anyway.”

The discussion ended. I gave her no more gift ideas.

On Christmas morning she handed me a thick envelope.

I opened the envelope and then opened the card. A wad of cash fell out. Inside the card she had written, “ Enjoy your 2 -seater ride!”

Ecstatic doesn’t begin to describe my feelings or my love for her at that moment. “Just don’t get killed,” she warned.

Ever since Indycar created their 2-seat stretch race car, I had wanted to ride in it. Now my opportunity was just months away.

I reserved a spot for early May. The morning of my ride she was quiet, fearing the worst as she tended to do. She left for work with just a nod and a reminder to call after the ride. I was about to make a joke that she would definitely get a call from someone, but thought better of it.

I arrived at the Speedway and joined the line at registration. “Please read and sign the waiver,” the girl at the table recited the mantra to each person as she handed out clipboards. No problem. I had signed waivers to get into the pits at races, so this would just take a second. But, wait.. there must be 10 pages here! Reading War and Peace would take less time than it would to get through than this waiver.

Paragraph 3, Page 1 contained the words “maimed or killed”…I checked the next page-“maimed or killed” ,the next “maimed or killed”. The phrase repeated itself throughout.

Scanning the rest of the document, I did not see a sentence saying, “I realize I am about to do something really stupid… “

After signing the waivers we went into a trailer to change into drivers’ suits. I learned that most riders were cashing in a birthday or Christmas gift as well. We had a great time sharing stories about races and tracks until it was time to head to the pits.

This is a very organized operation. The cars are lined up, head scarves, helmets, and gloves get distributed efficiently, the riders are assigned a car and order.

I watched with envy as the other riders got in the cars and returned with a huge smile on their faces. Finally it was my turn. I stepped into the cocoon and lowered myself into the seat. A Mini-Cooper seems spacious now. The crew strapped me in, asking me to scoot lower. Any lower and I wouldn’t be able to see anything. After they lowered my helmet visor, there was an eerie silence and a feeling of isolation for a brief moment before the engine started. Here we go!

We accelerated down pit road. It was fast but not too fast. I’m thinking, “This isn’t so bad”. Then we got on the track. Ignore my previous thought. Pushed to the back of the seat and holding on to the handles, I looked down the backstretch. It didn’t seem so long now. When we turned left I slid to the right side of the tub then back again as the car straightened. I was screaming for joy!

We passed the pits to begin the full speed lap. How do the drivers ever find their pits, I wondered, looking at the blur on my left. On this lap, I noticed that each turn, although supposedly identical, had a different look. The view on the right is white wall, close enough to touch.

In less than three minutes, it was over. The crew unstrapped me and I climbed from the car, wearing the same large grin I saw on the people who went before me. Of course, I dutifully called to tell her how great it was. I’m not sure she understood a word I said.

Just over a month later, the monster appeared. It would not go away; it only exerted its will over her more and more. There were small, short-lived victories, but after four months the monster won. Somehow she knew the 2-seater ride would be her final gift to me. I know it made her happy to give it to me, as we both took great joy in exchanging gifts. It was a reluctant gift given out of unconditional love.

Tales of the Texas Raingers

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Not much you can do when the weather doesn’t want you to race. A long night Saturday followed by a long day Sunday with a little bit of racing thrown in. Without the caution, it is possible the race would gotten to the 125 laps needed to make it official.  More on the caution in a bit. We had two days of positives and concerns.

The positives:

NBC demonstrated once again their superior IndyCar coverage.  Saturday they had a lot of time to fill and did it brilliantly.  Their crew was ready for this possibility,  and the show moved smoothly.

I don’t know whose idea it was for the drivers to go into the stands during the delay Saturday, but it was a great PR move. I can’t think of another major series where that would happen. I have sat through rain delays at races, and having drivers do something like this would have helped my mood tremendously.

The Dallara safety cell did what it was designed to do: minimize injuries and save lives. The Daly/Newgarden crash was one of the scariest I have ever seen. My first concern was that Newgarden’s head had hit the wall. Replays showed it did not. The roll bar prevented that from happening. The car did not get airborne or roll. The domed skid may have had something to do with that. For a driver to escape with just a broken collarbone and hand, amazing. I feared much worse injuries.

The SAFER barrier also helped soften the effect of the crash. A car on its side hitting a concrete wall is not a good thing. Any Gs lessened by the barrier I’m sure helped diminish injuries as well.

The negatives:

I am not an expert in surfaces, but I have never seen a track that would not get dry. Would repaving help? Is there some water source underneath the track that needs to be dealt with? Did all the rain Dallas has had the last few weeks cause some of the problem?

I’m still not sure how James Hinchcliffe is leading the race.  It appeared Ryan Hunter-Reay was first off pit road.  He also stayed out the longest before his first stop. It appears the order given is official and is how the race will restart in August. I will rewatch the DVR to see if I can find the answer.

Pit issues continue to plague Indycar. The incident in Hawksworth’s pit was the latest problem in a series of mishaps that started at the Indianapolis 500.  This was a scary one, with an injury to a crewman. Fortunately, it was not serious. Pit problems seem to be cyclical. I hope some protocols can be revisited to prevent some of these incidents.

Notes:

Delaying the resumption of this race until August 27 could have an impact on the championship dynamics. There are now two ovals back to back. When is the last time that happened?

On to Road America now for Indycar. I will be there and plan to do some live blogs.  It is my first trip there and I am very excited about it.

Good luck to Scott Dixon, Sebastien Bourdais, and Mikhail Aleshin at Le Mans. I wish Fox didn’t make it so difficult to watch this race.

A special feature will be up on Friday.  Have a great week.

 

Tracks on the Bucket list

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My bucket list continues to shrink. Four years ago I checked off the first track on my list, Milwaukee. Last year kind scheduling  allowed the chance to cross off more places. This year it will shrink even more. I wonder what happens if I finish my bucket list. Maybe I don’t want to know. Fortunately, one of the tracks will be pretty near impossible for me to get to.

If Indycar races at a track, I want to go there. However, not all tracks have  historic significance. It is those tracks with a long history of Indycar and sports car racing that hold the most fascination for me. I have been to every track on the current Indycar circuit except for Texas.  Strangely, I don’t care if I ever go there.  One reason is timing. After an entire of Indianapolis and then Detroit, I need a break. Even though Texas is an oval, I think Indycar has outgrown the 1.5 mile cookie cutter ovals like Texas, Chicago, and Kentucky.  I loved Kentucky, but the DW12 can race better elsewhere.

The bucket list tracks I have been to since Milwaukee are Sebring, Long Beach, Toronto, and Phoenix.  A little bit about each one:

Milwaukee- Long before The Indianapolis Motor Speedway was a gleam in Carl Fisher’s eye, cars raced at Milwaukee. History oozes from the track, very much like IMS. Flat urns and short straightaways make this a challenging track. I really enjoyed the racing here. It’s sad that there will most likely be no more racing here.

Toronto- Exhibition Place is a great venue for an Indycar race. The Prince’s Gate is a fantastic landmark as the drivers head for turn 1. The weekend has the same feeling as Indy. The fans are very friendly and knowledgeable. When the track closes, you get to spend the evening in Toronto. This race is a win-win.

Toronto 2013 202

Sebring- I had wanted to go to the Sebring 12 hour race since I was in 5th grade. I finally made it last year. This is not the place for a lot of the creature comforts many tracks have today. It is old fashioned in every sense. Most fans camp here, and the party atmosphere is evident all weekend. I have always found something romantic about endurance racing. Attending one in person only reinforced that feeling. Cell picsFloridaAZ 175

Phoenix- Next to Sebring, Phoenix was the track I had wanted to go to the longest. It had been off the Indycar schedule for years, and I thought I would never get to see a race here. I was overjoyed when Phoenix was announced as part of the 2016 schedule. The setting is beautiful. The oval with a turn 2 dogleg nestles at the foot of the mountains.

This year’s Indycar schedule also allows me to get two more tracks off of my list- Road America and Watkins Glen. These are two of the most historic tracks in The United States, and I was losing hope of ever getting to see a race there. I wll share my impressions after the races there.

The last tracks on my bucket list are in Europe- Spa, Le Mans, and Monaco. I am planning to go to Le mans in 2018. Monaco is most likely not possible unless the date does not conflict with the 500. I’ve got to keep my 50% ratio there. Spa is possible, though a bit of a  far-fetched fantasy. So, what happens when this bucket list is complete? I have other lists involving vacation travel. I should be around for a very long time.

Dual in Detroit- Racing on the River

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The French had their best weekend in Detroit in almost 300 years.  Two poles and a second place for Simon Pagenaud and a victory by Sebastien Bourdais in Race 1 made this a great weekend for the drivers from France. The racing was decent, not always the case here, and this event has grown and improved each of the three years I have been there. Before my first visit, I didn’t think much of the racing or the event here. Detroit did not seem like a place I cared to go to.

This past weekend I saw one really good race on Saturday and a decent race on Sunday. Both were fuel strategy races. Saturday featured great pit calls by Bourdais and Conor Daly. Daly’s call for fuel only on his last race nearly got him the win. Bourdais’s early pit stop and then exiting the pits ahead of everyone on his last stop sealed the win for him.  Conor Daly’s second place was the highlight of the day for many fans. He could possibly win in Toronto if that race plays out in a similar fashion to this one.

Sunday’s race was more processional, probably due to the threat of rain ending before the start. Teams still employed different pit strategies, but the race didn’t allow them to work. it came down to pit cycles. An untimely yellow cost Helio Castroneves a victory as he had to pit during the caution. It’s the same thing that cost the Penske team a win at mid-Ohio last year.  Not pitting when the pit window opens is a risky move. Will Power won with a great pass of Simon Pagenaud.

As for the Detroit event, It has the ingredients that make a city street race successful: first, buy-in not only from the city, but from the people who live and work there. The shuttle bus to the track on Friday was filled with people who were given the afternoon off by their employers to go out to the island. Many had chalet and suite passes.

Second, an army of friendly, welcoming volunteers. Detroit has the friendliest, most helpful volunteers of any track I go to.  Fans receive a greeting when they arrive and a thank you when they leave. The volunteers are an important part of the buy-in from the community.

Another element that makes this event so much fun is the food court. Every year I have attended, the food choices have improved tremendously. This year offered many healthy choices, including fruit bowls, Greek food, and  vegetable bowls.  It was an upgrade from last year, which I thought was the best I’d ever seen at a track.

Notes:

I was disappointed to not see any Alexander Rossi shirts in the Indycar merchandise tents. I don’t know if this is a league or team responsibility, but he was signed early enough to have shirts made. I would think Indycar would want some souvenirs with the Indy 500 winner’s name on it.

If you go to Detroit next year, Grandstand 2 is the place to be. Great view of the pits, the front straight, and turn 1.

Leaving after the race was greatly improved this year. Every bus in the state of Michigan was pressed into duty to get fans back to their cars downtown. Two years ago I stood in line for more than 90 minutes just to get on the bus. This year I was on a bus and headed downtown in about 40 minutes after leaving my seat.

I will watch the Texas race from home this weekend, but I will be at road America in just 17 days. RA is one of my bucket list tracks.  To prevent total race car withdrawal, I will be going to IMS for the vintage racing meet Father’s day weekend. Pictures aplenty from there.  Hopoe to have another post up by Friday at the latest.

 

 

 

The 100th Indianapolis 500- Good to the Last Drop

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Sitting here listening to Jackson Browne’s “Running on Empty” to figure how to describe this race. You want twists? We got ’em. You want turns? Here ya go. How about more twists and turns?  Have all you want. This race was definitely one of the best 500’s I’ve seen.

I can divide the race into three chapters: Hunter-Reay’s race, Helio’s race, anybody’s race. The latter happened to be the one Alexander Rossi won.  Ryan Hunter-Reay looked the strongest in the first part of the race. Through many lead changes and passes, he was out front the most. Tom be taken out by his teammate in the pits is unpardonable. I will discuss Townsend Bell some other time. It seems he is always causing havoc at Indy.

With Hunter-Reay out of contention, Helio Castroneves came to the front with what looked like a strong car. The Penske machine seemed to come to life after his second pit stop. The bump from bell in the pits didn’t affect his car much. Contact with J. R. Hildebrand effectively ended his victory hopes.

Now the last third race. It appeared we would be watching a great duel between Kanaan, Newgarden, and Munoz to the end.  The issue was, the last yellow happened just a bit too early for most to make that pit stop during caution their last one.  Except my friend brad and I thought, for Alexander Rossi. He would need one less stop than everyone else.  He was a bit,off sequence the last half of the race.  That strategy worked. He had enough fuel for not quite half a victory lap.

I have now seen 50 races. Before the start, I was thinking there is nothing that will happen today that i haven’t seen before. Okay, I was wrong.  I will have more posted later this week on my thoughts about the entire event. Enjoy your Memorial Day.

Watching a Race in Style

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My first stop at the Speedway was the new Hulman Club Suites above Grandstand C.  The track opened it to everyone today, even though it is sold out for this year and there is a waiting list for next year. My first thoughts: Impressive. Luxurious. Outstanding track views. Refuge from the elements. Hot food. This is an amazing space.

Outside the clubhouse on the south end  is a full bar. You can enjoy your beverage there or take it back to your seat or table inside.  Inside hot meals are available for purchase.  Three screens keep fans up to date on track activity. In addition to a video screen, another one shows the on track location of each car, and the third screen displays a timing report.

The views from the seating area outside allow viewing of a lot of the track and the pits. The north end offers a view of turns 3 and 4 plus a look down the front stretch into turn 1. I wouldn’t mind having seats here for the race, club or no club.

I hope the photos below give you a sense of  this space. Next week, a posting on changes I’ve seen at the track and one on my favorite race cars.