Indy Car and general US Motorsports
- Thread starter cider_and_toast
- Start date
I loved the break away CART series, I'm not too enamoured by Indy though it isn't even a true open wheeled series anymore as the rear wheels a partially enclosed...
The great IRL / CART split destroyed the series for me. At a time in the early 90's when Indy racing had never been more global thanks in part to Mansell moving across the pond but also due to better coverage on Eurosport in the UK and Europe, the last thing it needed was a break away. I think all parties realise now just how much damage was done from which it has never fully recovered.
Dash Racing
Points Scorer
See, for me, having CART and Indy just meant double the fun, and two very different approaches to running open wheel racing to enjoy. My only problem with Indy is the vomit-inducing ugliness of the modern aero kit.
soccerman17
Race Winner
While we all bash F1 and people talk about Formula E being the answer, lets not forget IndyCar. While it does have its issues (ugly aero kits, three separate Indy flips, and a competitive imbalance between Chevy and Honda), there has been some great racing so far this season and likely more to come, especially this weekend at the Indy 500. No, IndyCar will probably never replace F1 for anybody, but it can supplement your open wheel experience and provide some of the best racing around.
P.S. get well soon James Hinchcliffe
P.S. get well soon James Hinchcliffe
soccerman17
Race Winner
No clue how to help there. But if there's one race you're more likely to find live its the Indy 500 this weekend, I strongly urge you to try to watch that.
Supposedly it's on BT Sport but then so was DTM and I've never found it.
http://indycaruk.weebly.com/2015-indycar-schedule--uk-tv.html
http://indycaruk.weebly.com/2015-indycar-schedule--uk-tv.html
It is a near-certainty that you will see more wheel-to-wheel racing in one Indy 500 than in an entire season of F1.Too bad the cars are so ugly. But, so are F1s!
What is Indy anyway, it may be big in America but quite honestly I haven't got a clue about the series or any of it's drivers I just 
.
It is hard not to forget something you didn't know anything about in the first place.
.It is hard not to forget something you didn't know anything about in the first place.
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You often get as many overtakes in one lap during an oval race as you do in a whole F1 race, but it doesn't make it exciting.
soccerman17
Race Winner
Some people don't like the cars. Others don't like the new aero kits, and if that's the case, they look much better in the superspeedway trim this weekend.
A short, modern history for you: IndyCar is the organic path that open-wheel racing has taken in North America, a much different path than that of Europe. In the early 1990s the top series was called CART, and the cars weren't too dissimilar to F1, and not much slower. In 1996 the Indy Racing League split off from CART in order to create a low-cost alternative, as CART was tech-driven and dominated by a few teams. The leader of the IRL was also CEO of Indianapolis Motor Speedway, so of course IRL got the Indy 500. By 2003 CART was bankrupt and was replaced by ChampCar, a cheaper, spec-series alternative. In 2008 IRL and ChampCar agreed on unification and became the IndyCar Series. By the time this happened CART's most famous teams were now racing in the IRL anyways. A few years ago the series went from one engine manufacturer (Honda), to three (Honda, Chevy, and Lotus, who soon dropped out because they were really slow). This year the team has further moved away from being a pure spec series by allowing Honda and Chevy to design their own aero kits to put on the standard car bodies. The series races on ovals, street circuits, and road courses in the US and Canada (formerly Brazil and Japan also), and is traditionally dominated by Team Penske, Chip Ganassi Racing, and Andretti Autosport. These teams are almost a guaranteed to win the points championship every year, but the races are always wide open.What is Indy anyway, it may be big in America but quite honestly I haven't got a clue about the series or any of it's drivers I just
It is hard not to forget something you didn't know anything about in the first place.
As for the Indy 500, well its one of the oldest races in the world, duped in tradition, and one of the purest forms of sport out there. 500 miles, 200 laps, 800 left turns. Seems simple but the racing is always great.
As I said, the racing is always great. Not to chastise you in particular but not enough overtaking and its boring, too much and its meaningless. Passing in the Indy 500 is not meaningless, especially in the last half of the race. Nobody wants to be second, but at the same time a strong run without a result can be enough to launch somebody's career. The race isn't for points, money, or really prestige. The race is for a place in history, your face forever carved into the Borg-Warner trophy, and your legend to always remain a piece of the Indianapolis folklore.
The only comparison I can draw between an American open wheeled series and Formula one is where they raced on the same track, that track was Canada I cannot recall what series it was but I do recall that the cars were at least 13 seconds per lap slower than an F1 car.
I am not saying this means anything it is just something I remember....
I am not saying this means anything it is just something I remember....
Kewee
Race Winner
Just thought I'd add to the conversation regarding IRL and in particular the Indy 500. Indy racing is very close to the hearts of most motorsport fans over here in New Zealand with Scott Dixon a three time IRL Champion, an Indy 500 winner and sitting on pole for this years 500. He's also versatile having won his second 24hour Daytona Sports Car Race earlier this season.
It's impossible to compare Indycar racing with Formula one, I love them both, needless to say I won't get much sleep this weekend.
Drivers competing in oval track racing in the US and the Indy 500 which obviously isn't an oval, face life threatening dangers Formula One drivers haven't faced since the 70's despite that terrible weekend at Imola. Four drivers have died in Indycars since 1996, Formula One wouldn't stand for stats like that anymore. A detail many don't realise about Indy. The obvious point, it's made up of two long straights and two short shute's as they're referred to and something not obvious, four corners that all feel different. A car will almost certainly feel great through one turn, you can be sure it won't feel the same through the other three. The drivers need a completely different skill set than an F1 driver which is why you can't compare. Not only do they have to retain extreme concentration at constant speeds in excess of 200mph they have to have the skill to place their cars precisely in the turns to keep downforce on the front wing. They draft on the straights but stagger in the turns to keep their downforce otherwise they'll skate off into the wall. This is hard tough dangerous racing and the drivers deserve every bit as much respect as the best in F!. I hope for two things, another 500 win for Scotty and the hope he can stay alive for the rest of his open wheel career.
It's impossible to compare Indycar racing with Formula one, I love them both, needless to say I won't get much sleep this weekend.
Drivers competing in oval track racing in the US and the Indy 500 which obviously isn't an oval, face life threatening dangers Formula One drivers haven't faced since the 70's despite that terrible weekend at Imola. Four drivers have died in Indycars since 1996, Formula One wouldn't stand for stats like that anymore. A detail many don't realise about Indy. The obvious point, it's made up of two long straights and two short shute's as they're referred to and something not obvious, four corners that all feel different. A car will almost certainly feel great through one turn, you can be sure it won't feel the same through the other three. The drivers need a completely different skill set than an F1 driver which is why you can't compare. Not only do they have to retain extreme concentration at constant speeds in excess of 200mph they have to have the skill to place their cars precisely in the turns to keep downforce on the front wing. They draft on the straights but stagger in the turns to keep their downforce otherwise they'll skate off into the wall. This is hard tough dangerous racing and the drivers deserve every bit as much respect as the best in F!. I hope for two things, another 500 win for Scotty and the hope he can stay alive for the rest of his open wheel career.
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Olivier
Race Winner
Betting odds:
Scott Dixon #9 ... 9/2
Simon Pagenaud #22 ... 11/2
Helio Castroneves #3 ... 6/1
Will Power #1 ... 6/1
Tony Kanaan #10 ... 13/2
Juan Pablo Montoya #2 ...7/1
Marco Andretti #27 ... 11/1
Carlos Munoz #26 ... 17/1
Sage Karam #8 ... 18/1
Ed Carpenter #20 ... 19/1
Starting grid - as of May 22 2015
___Front Row___
1. #9 Scott Dixon + (C)
2. #1 Will Power (C)
3. #22 Simon Pagenaud (C)
___Second Row___
4. #10 Tony Kanaan + (C)
5. #3 Helio Castroneves + (C)
6. #25 Justin Wilson (H)
___Third Row___
7. #11 Sebastien Bourdais (C)
8. #27 Marco Andretti (H)
9. #21 Josef Newgarden (C)
My money is on Dixon but I'm rooting for the youngsters Newgarden/Munoz/Karam ...
Scott Dixon #9 ... 9/2
Simon Pagenaud #22 ... 11/2
Helio Castroneves #3 ... 6/1
Will Power #1 ... 6/1
Tony Kanaan #10 ... 13/2
Juan Pablo Montoya #2 ...7/1
Marco Andretti #27 ... 11/1
Carlos Munoz #26 ... 17/1
Sage Karam #8 ... 18/1
Ed Carpenter #20 ... 19/1
Starting grid - as of May 22 2015
___Front Row___
1. #9 Scott Dixon + (C)
2. #1 Will Power (C)
3. #22 Simon Pagenaud (C)
___Second Row___
4. #10 Tony Kanaan + (C)
5. #3 Helio Castroneves + (C)
6. #25 Justin Wilson (H)
___Third Row___
7. #11 Sebastien Bourdais (C)
8. #27 Marco Andretti (H)
9. #21 Josef Newgarden (C)
My money is on Dixon but I'm rooting for the youngsters Newgarden/Munoz/Karam ...
If someone wants a sure thing, try this: the 500 will be much less predictable than the Monaco GP.
