Tag: Indycar

Sonoma Practice Day-Nothing Learned

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The last weekend of the IndyCar season is off to a slow start. The first practice session mainly featured cars sitting on pit road.  Helios  Castroneves led the session, running only 4 laps. Scott Dixon was near the bottom, doing a few very slow laps early, then going out near the end but only getting to eighteenth place.

The second round of practice had more action.  It was another clean session until Conor Daly lost an engine with about ten minutes to go heading toward the hairpin. After a brief halt practice resumed but ended quickly when Alexander Rossi suddenly stopped just past the start/finish line. Castroneves again led the session, followed by his Penske teammates who are fighting for the title.

While Hondas were strong in the morning, Ryan Hunter-Reay was the only one in the top five in the afternoon.

I don’t think much was learned today about how the weekend will go. Tomorrow morning’s practice should tell us a lot. Someone other than Power or Pagenaud winning the pole is in Pagenaud’s favor.  Power needs every point he can get.

Notes:

The new scoring pylon, a four sided digital screen, is great. Much more readable than the old pylon.

It was a decent Friday crowd, maybe slightly better than last year.

I was thinking today that a spotter guide will be a required item at St. Pete next March. There are almost as many possible combinations for 2017 as there scenarios f o r who will. win the championship.

I had a great day seeing friends, some who I will not see again until next year.

S

Sonoma Preview- Simon has a Simple Task

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The IndyCar season closes Sunday at Sonoma Raceway with a two man race for the Series title.  Simon Pagenaud has a pretty easy job to win the championship- just stay close to Will Power all day.  Power has been very quick here winning the pole the last two years. In -race issues, a self inflicted spin in 2014 and contact with Juan Pablo Montoya last year took him out of contention for the win.

After spotting the field a race, Power has scored the most points in the races he has started. I don’t think he will be able to get enough points to beat Pagenaud, assuming both drivers run their usual race.  Power will probably lose the title by fewer than the 43 points he trails by now though.

Scott Dixon, while too far back to win his fifth title, could factor into who wins the Astor Cup. Dixon has won the last two races here with great pit strategy.  If he takes the lead,  Pagenaud simply has to follow one spot behind Power the rest of the race.

I think it’s great when the points I reader wins the last race. It puts an exclamation mark  on the season.  We could be in for an interesting game of who chases who on Sunday.

Notes:

Sonoma Raceway has a new four-sided scoring tower and video board to enjoy g dance viewing and tracking the race.

First points as they prepare for practice- Power -43.

While I’m sad to see the season end, I am grateful I attended a personal record number of races and am very excited for next year.

My race and season reviews will probably come out late next week. I am spending extended time in California visiting family.  As always, thanks for  reading.

Lunch With a Legend

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Sunday morning’s routine never varied.We ate a big breakfast at home, went to the restaurant to take inventory, restock and help Dad prepare for Monday. Then we went back home to read the Sunday Star before deciding how to spend the rest of the day. The Sunday before Thanksgiving in 1962 was no different.

I usually began with the sports section, looking for a column by George Moore, the racing writer for the Indianapolis Star at that time. I had gone to my first Indianapolis 500 that May, and I wanted to know everything about racing I could. There was nothing by him that day. I would then turn to the auto section. Cleo Kern, the automotive writer, always had something in Sunday’s paper about a new car and what was going on with dealerships in town.

A news blurb got my attention.  It was about Harry Hartz, one of the greatest drivers to never win the Indianapolis 500, joining a Chrysler-Plymouth dealership not too far from where I lived. The article gave a brief review of his racing career. I remarked to my dad, “This guy must have been a great driver.”  He asked who I was talking about. “Harry Hartz.”

“Oh yeah. He comes into the restaurant a couple times a week for lunch.”

Stunned stony silence was my only response. How long had this been happening? All summer while I was out of school?

” I don’t have school Friday since it’s Thanksgiving break. Will he be in then?”

“I don’t know.”

“Well, if he comes in, can you call home and tell me?” The restaurant was an easy walk from our house.

” I don’t want to bother him.”

” I sure would like to meet him.”  No response.

Nothing more was said about it through that holiday weekend and into December. Dad’s word was usually pretty final, but he somehow always found a way to make his kids happy. So life went on through December. Then it was time for Christmas Break.

The second day of break, the phone rang. It was Dad.  “Harry Hartz is coming for lunch today. Would you guys want to come and eat with him? He’ll be here at 11:30.”

Was this a trick question? This was so typical of Dad. He may not have liked what we were interested in, but he would find a way to support us.  I knew this was not an impromptu meeting. He probably planned it the day after Thanksgiving.

My brother and I were at the restaurant at 11.  Harry and a colleague walked in. I was struck by how small he was. I had not given much thought at the time that drivers were usually small. We shook hands and sat down for lunch.  I wish I had recorded that conversation. I remember we discussed the pros and cons of riding mechanics and about the board tracks that were popular when he drove. He was a great guy and seemed genuinely happy to be talking with young fans. Before he left, he signed the above photo for my brother and me and promised to get us a copy of Floyd Clymer’s Indy 500 yearbook.

We met one more time, at the Speedway the following May. I was amazed that he saw me first and approached me. We had a brief talk before he had to go to a meeting.  Meeting him inspired me to delve deeper into the history of the race. I have come to admire the great drivers who were never fortunate to win the 500 but were always a threat every May- Rex Mays, Ted Horn, Jack McGrath, and  Michael Andretti. I’m planning an off-season blog on the greatest 33 non winners.

I owe a lot to my dad for arranging the meeting. It was the equivalent of having lunch with A. J. Foyt or Al Unser today. The photo hangs on my wall, and  I still have the yearbook (below). They are the oldest and most cherished. memorabilia I have .

 

 

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Harry Hartz Indianapolis 500 record:

1922  2nd

1923    2nd

1924    4th

1925     4th

1926      2nd

1927       25th

1930       Winning car owner- Billy Arnold, driver

1932       Winning car owner-Fred Frame, driver

King of the Mountain- Dixon Rules at Watkins Glen- Part 1

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After a frustrating stretch of races, Scott Dixon returned to form this weekend with a completely dominating performance. He led all but one practice/qualifying session, sat on the pole, and controlled the race from start to finish. Dixon’s lead grew to the point that he was exiting turn 11 as Max Chilton, in second at the time, was entering turn 9. The win is a bit of a consolation prize for him. Dixon is tied with Helio Castroneves for third in points, but cannot catch leader Simon Pagenaud  for the title.

The entire weekend was better than I expected it to be.  So much was against this event.  Indycar did not announce it until May when the Boston street race was cancelled leaving a huge hole in the schedule. Thanks to the efforts of Jay Frye and Watkins Glen president Michael Printup,  a deal came together rather quickly.  Would any fans show up? Would the race be any good? Fans were excited to have Watkins Glen back on the schedule, but it was Labor Day weekend. Many people probably had some type of plan already moving forward.

Attendance both Saturday and Sunday exceeded my expectations.  Granted, it was still a small crowd, but given the circumstances, a very respectable turnout both days. It is a good baseline to grow the event from. Some  grandstands had quite a few people in them. I heard 600 campsites were sold. There were plenty left. I did notice as I left the track that the parking are behind the Argetsinger Grandstand, outside the esses, was full.

The race was better than anticipated as well. I thought we might see two full course cautions widely spaced.  There were two very close together and another one near but not close enough to the final pit window. This made the end a fuel saving race. No one is better at winning that game than Scott Dixon. As for the fuel gamblers, Conor Daly just made it to the finish for fourth place,  James Hinchcliffe could not finish the final lap, dropping from second to eighteenth. What a rough ten days it’s been for Schmidt Peterson Motorsports.

The Track and Its Surroundings

Watkins Glen International sits atop a mountain. The views are stunning.  Mountains dressed in greenery are visible for miles.  The track itself has deep drop-offs and and tree lined sections. Somehow, Indycar has managed to add the two most beautiful tracks, Road America and Watkins Glen, to the schedule in the same year.

Getting around the track was fairly simple.The infield is mostly flat. Roads are clearly marked and they all have names. I either walked or drove my car to a new spot if my destination was a really far walk. Some campers brought their bicycles to use. The track provided golf cart shuttles, some for fans with mobility challenges.  Several times as I was walking to the paddock, a golf cart  driver would stop and ask if I would like a ride.

Food choices were fairly standard track fare.  I thought the prices were reasonable.  There seemed to be enough stands open to accommodate the crowd.

I visited with a friend who was camping for the weekend.  I had heard from some other people that the camping prices were a bit high. I have never camped at a track, so, I have no way to compare. One person said $480, another said $600.  The camp sites are clearly marked in several ways.  There are street signs with a range of sites along the road, E200-220, example. There is a laminate placard with the site number at the spot. Some site had the number burned out of the grass. My friend told me the number of her campsite. I found it easily. Each campsite had a small firepit available.

The Season Finale

After a week off, Indycar goes to Sonoma for The GoPro GRAND Prix to end the season.  it will take a full catastrophe for Pagenaud to lose the title. There is now the uncertainty of Will Power’s ability to race.  He has another concussion evaluation this week. He might miss this week’s test at Sonoma. If he can’t race,  the championship goes to Simon before the race.

I will end with some more photos from the weekend. The shots of the cars going through turn 5 does not do justice to the speed they carried through here. The other pictures are of the view from the track.

 

Watkins Glen Day Two-More Exploring, Messy Qualifying, and a Hot Lap Ride

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A. chilly foggy morning slowly became a warm sunny day. I arrived at the track in time for Indy Lights qualifying.  I watched from the Jackie Stewart stand, which is becoming my viewing spot of choice. When IndyCar practice began, I ventured to some other spots. I started at the bus stop then walked to the Carousel, turn 5. This is a very fast corner. The cars scream around it and head to the descent to turn 6.  I decided to watch the Indy Lights race from the Argestener stand outside the track at the beginning of the esses. It gives a view of turn 1 and turns 2 and 3, but that is all. Very limited viewing. I went back to the Stewart stand for IndyCar qualifying.

What a messy situation. There were four penalties called, changing those who advanced.  The penalty on Mikhail Aleshin seemed a bit marginal to be generous. Both Schmidt cars were penalized. Schmidt’s Indy Lights entry was also penalized in qualifying earlier in the day.  Scott Di x on won the pole, obliterating the track record.

Then it was time for my hot lap ride. My two favorite rides to date have been Sonoma and Road America. Add this one to that list. The elevation changes were steeper and deeper than I expected.  I felt a pull in my stomach climbing the hill in the esses. I felt the car write the letter S.  The drop from turn 5 to 6 was a huge descent. The corners of the boot had us straining our seat belts. It was a great ride.

Tomorrow I think the winner comes from the first row. I see the field getting strung out quickly. I think there will w two full course cautions that will make things interesting.

As an added service, I’ll be tweeting out points as they run every lap and a half.  I’m kidding of course. Tuesday morning will be my weekend wrap up. Have a great evening.

 

 

Watkins Glen First Day Thoughts

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Come on, IndyCar, be fair. First I fall in love with Road America-madly, deeply, in love. Then you put Watkins Glen, on the schedule. Now that do I do? Can I be this in love with two tracks at the same time? Those of you who went to Road America for the first time this year, beware. The Glen is every bit as great.

Of course, it’s different. It sits on top of a hill instead of in a forest. There are still tree lined portions, but not as many elevation changes. It is an incredibly fast track. The views looking out from the the track magnificent. You can see for miles.

I am still exploring viewing positions. So far May favorite is the inside esses grandstand.. It offers a great view of turns 2-4. From the top row you can as l so catch a glimpse of turn 1 and also follow the cars as they approach turn 5. The Stewart grandstand gives a great view of turns 9, 1,  and 11. You can also see the cars enter the boot and catch glimpses as they head back to 9.

The gift shop is very nice. They have a great clothing selection with many different and unique designs. It is centrally located.

I have a pace car ride tomorrow afternoon. It will p provide a better look at the track and allow a fairer comparison with Road America.  I will share my findings tomorrow.  Still dazed at all the home runs IndyCar has hit this year

Rocketships, Redemption, Retention-Texas 2016

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What a great race at Texas!  The last lap became a battle of the rocketships. A driver who lost a late lead here four years ago won. The points leader stayed on top and also extended his lead. It was a wild night at Texas Motor Speedway.  The second great oval race in as many weeks produced the fifth closest finish in Indycar history.  Here are some musings from this semi-authoritative source:

Rocketships-

During his ten minute practice, Graham Rahal referred to his car as a “(Not safe for TV) rocketship.”  After the race, James Hinchcliffe called his car a rocketship.  The two rocketships crossed the line virutally together.  Rahal may have had a bigger margin if he hadn’t raised his arm in celebration before the stripe. He made a great over/under move to get to the bottom of the track to get ahead of Hinchcliffe.

Redemption-

Toward the end of the 2012 race at Texas, Rahal had a 10 second lead over Justin Wilson when he brushed the wall in Turn 4.  He continued, but the car had lost its handling. Wilson swept by him to win the race.  Saturday night, he slipped by the leader on the last lap to win. Some tracks seem forgiving in that regard.

Retention-

Simon Pagenaud just might have sewn up the title in this race.  Even though he only added eight points to his lead, and the outcome is still very much in doubt, his decision to drop back from the four wide fight for the lead was a champion’s move.  It was a very different form of points racing.  Still, I admire his desire to fight for a win he didn’t really need until he decided it was best to settle for fourth.

More Thoughts on Texas-

Track president Eddie Gossage went all out in efforts to draw a crowd Saturday. He offered deeply discounted tickets and refreshments, free admission to first responders.  It was great to see a track president tell fans he was sorry about the rainout and the delay in restarting the race, and then do what he could to make it up to them.

Kevin Lee did an outstanding job filling in for Leigh Diffey as the broadcast booth anchor. I hope he gets more opportunities in the future.  It was another great broadcast by NBCSN. I really liked the camera on the wall that showed the cars flashing by. My only issue with the tv crew was talking about points as they run. That is by far my least favorite part of a race telecast. It is a totally irrelevant statistic that means nothing. The only points that matter are the points when they finish.

Was this Ed Carpenter’s last drive? After his accident he said he is excited to be back next year, but we will see.  I think Ed will be a great owner, and that is where his focus should be.

Four of the five ovals on this year’s schedule had great racing. Phoenix was the lone exception. No one could pass, not even to get by to lap a car. I’m glad the other ovals worked out so well.

Points-

Pagenaud leads Will Power by- twenty-eight points now with two natural terrain courses left.  Pagenaud and Power both excel on this type of track, so the battle for the title is still very much on.

Tony Kanaan is now third in the standings. Surprisingly,  Josef Newgarden is only ten points behind Kanaan in fifth despite his last place finish at Texas and top ten runs by both Kanaan and Helio Castroneves, now fourth in points.

 

 

 

Sunshine in the Storm

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Fans packed the stands at Kokomo Speedway and waited patiently as light rain fell.  The rain stopped, the sun appeared,  and the celebration of Bryan Clauson’s life began. The dry window lasted just long enough for the essential part of the program to get in. Bryan’s father, Tim, and his fiancee, Lauren, shared  moving stories. Levi Jones spoke about how much he enjoyed racing against Bryan. Robin Miller told the story he’s told before, how Randy Bernard found a way to get a sprint car driver to the Indianapolis 500. Then the rain began. It was not about to stop this time. The afternoon ended with tornadoes touching down south of the track. Although rain-shortened, the celebration was meaningful to those who were there. I talked to many out of state fans who had come to honor Bryan and stay for the Smackdown weekend.

There was irony in the celebration. It was the one year anniversary of Justin Wilson’s death. Like Justin, Bryan was an organ donor. His organs have saved or improved seven lives. The family has a goal to sign up 2,00 new organ donors. To register, go to RegisterMe.org/Campaign/BryanClauson.

I had planned to stay for the race last evening, but it was obvious that the program would be cancelled. I will make another trip there another time.  The track was a soggy mess when I arrived, and the weather didn’t help. I hope the rest of the weekend’s program can be run.

Bryan celebration 040

Bryan celebration 044
Tim Clauson talks about his son, Bryan
Bryan celebration 046
Lauren Stewart (L) speaks about Bryan’s fear of grasshoppers. Bryan’s mother, Diana, (R) waits to speak

 

Texas, Act II

Saturday night Indycar picks up on lap 72 of the rain delayed race at Texas Motor Speedway. James Hinchcliffe will lead the field back to green around 9:30 Eastern Time. The race is on NBCSN. 177 laps remain. The current running order contains some interesting things. The Pocono podium is in spots 2-4. Ryan. Hunter-Reay is second, Mikhail Aleshin third, and Will Power fourth. Points leader Simon Pagenaud is 15th at the moment.

Power could possibly leave Texas as the points leader, but I think he will need to wait until Watkins Glen for that to happen. Other things to watch for:

This is likely Honda’s last chance to get to victory lane this year. They missed a great opportunity at Pocono.

Will pit lane be kind to Helio Castroneves? The accident at Pocono was just one of the many pit woes that have befallen him this year. He has been caught by yellow flags three times and was hit exiting the pits  by Townsend Bell at Indianapolis.

The 2017 Schedule

Four things are significant about the schedule release yesterday. First, it was released in August.  This is great for team planning and approaching sponsors, who are just now planning next year’s advertising budgets. Second, the consistency of the same tracks as this year. Third, the consistency of dates. This is the first schedule in a long time with these consistencies.Fourth, adding the oval at Gateway. The 2018 schedule should be similar with one or two additions.

I hope after this year, Phoenix can move to right after Long Beach. that would be a great expense saving for the teams. There is still a late summer gap between Mid-Ohio and Pocono, suitable for adding a race in the west. Mark Miles continues to talk of an early season race overseas.  I’ll believe it when the first car rolls out of the pits for practice wherever it may be.

With Gateway, the schedule has six oval, six natural terrain, and five street circuit races. This is  a perfect mix, one third of the schedule of each type of track. When new tracks are added, I hope Indycar keeps the proportions of track types in mind.  This schedule is the best in a long time.

Power Play- Pocono Review

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Power won when power was lost. Will Power found the right downforce adjustment and took the lead late to win the ABC Supply 500 at Pocono Raceway.  What looked to be a duel to the finish between Mikhail Aleshin and Ryan Hunter-Reay failed to happen when Hunter-Reay lost power on lap 164. He was able to coast to the pits and get restarted, but his chance at victory was mostly gone. An Aleshin/Hunter-Reay duel would have been a fight between the pole sitter and the car that started last. This was one of the best races of the year.

Mikhail Aleshin appeared to have his first IndyCar victory well in hand, but he seemed to not be getting the fuel mileage the Chevrolets were. Most of stints were less than 30 laps. Will Power had early handling issues in traffic, but the car and the race came to him. He won the race off pit road on the last stop and held off a hard charging Aleshin to win.

What can you say about Ryan Hunter-Reay? He started last and came through the field to lead by lap 49.  He was then in contention all day until an electrical hiccup on lap 64 put him down a lap. Hunter-Reay then got his lap back with the late yellow and charged back to finish third. Basically, he passed the entire field twice. I know many fans don’t care for him, but I think he is one of the most under appreciated talents in Indy car. He can put a car pretty much anywhere and isn’t afraid to do it. He was definitely the driver of the day.

The worst incident of the day was a scary crash in pit lane on lap 64. Helio Castroneves was very fortunate Alexander Rossi’s car hit him where it did. A few inches more toward the cockpit would have been disastrous. I watched the replay several times. Rossi’s car was not as close to Castroneves’ cockpit as it first seemed. I saw several people on twitter calling for cockpit coverings. While I think some type of protection needs to be added, I’m not sure any device would be strong enough to keep an entire car out of that area. I am not in favor of completely enclosing the cockpit.

Power and Simon Pagenaud each now have four wins this year. Whoever wins his fifth race first will most likely win the title. Pagenaud’s oval woes continue. With one more oval next Saturday his twenty point lead could totally vanish heading to the final two races. Power has now finished first or second in six straight races. I think he has to be considered the title favorite now.

Notes:

  • Mikhail Aleshin has suddenly become a rising star in IndyCar. After his horrific crash at Fontana two years ago and sitting out last year until Sonoma, he is doing a fantastic job this season. His story is an inspiring comeback that is flying under the radar.
  • Will Texas be Ed Carpenter’s last race as a driver? He has not had a great year in the car, although Josef Newgarden continues to shine. Ed seems to reaching the point most owner-drivers eventually come to- step out of the car and run the team.
  • Andretti Autosport is unveiling a new sponsor and livery for next year at noon today.
  • Thursday is the highly anticipated announcement of Gateway Motorsports Park’s return to the IndyCar schedule. I expect a night race in August.
  • Tomorrow is the Celebration of Life for Bryan Clauson at Kokomo Speedway. The celebration is at 1 pm, followed by racing at 6:30pm the entire day is free. Please bring towels and/or blankets to the celebration to help out the local humane society. Chevy and Stew thank you. Although admission is free, a pit pass for the evening is $30.  I will share my experience there later this week