Indianapolis 500

[WhiteBlue]

I have watched some NASCAR and Indy racing last month and it is true you get on track racing. But still the oval tracks are so boring. passing isn't a big deal there and it generally doesn't mean a lot until you come to the last 10 laps. that part can be lively, I admit.

the other thing I don't like about ovals is the danger they pose. T-boning and other nasty accidents are more probable if you have walls, banking and no run offs. more fatal accidents happen. this isn't even due to a lack of safety policies. it is simply immanent to ovals. HANS was invented in the US and Indy chassis for a long time have been stronger than F1 cars. still you get more pilots hurt.

when we had the tyre debate after Turkey I also learned that oval racing routinely overstresses the tyre construction unless drivers treat tyres very carefully. all of this doesn't endear ovals to me. on the other hand I do not want to spoil people's fun. everybody can enjoy what he likes best. I guess the fans will vote with their money between NASCAR and Indycars. I would put my money on NASCAR.

[Carlos]

I'll chime and say the same, IndyCar should resurge to prominence. Rev Limiter spotted one of the important ingredients that made it great, diversity, the series will thrive with a few more engine manufacturers onboard, especially if a couple chassis builders compete.

Just to finish commenting on the Indy 500, Scott Dixon certainly dominated for the win, out front for over 100 laps. I've gotten over Danica Patrick a little now that I remember Vitor Meira flew in formation with her, hovering in place for about 40 laps, then made his move before she had thought of it, going to the lead group and finished second.
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Rand Gibbons

[Ciro Pabón]

... But still the oval tracks are so boring. passing isn't a big deal there and it generally doesn't mean a lot until you come to the last 10 laps. that part can be lively, I admit.

WhiteBlue, my friend, please, I beg, read this, it has convinced a lot of F1 hardcore fans:

Social Science at 190 MPH on NASCAR's Biggest Superspeedways

After reading that, it's easy to understand that oval racing is a team sport, that depends a lot on your reputation among the other guys. A guy like Schumacher in his last years is hopeless in ovals because of that: he was too good to cooperate with him (he will catch you in the last laps) and wasn't too loved by other drivers.

For me, this explains in part why JPM hasn't shined: it's not your ability, it's how many people wants to work with you.

The team work is what differentiates oval competitions from circuit racing. Once you appreciate that, the first 1900 laps are not that boring (my wife hates the sport, btw). Most people appreciate only the last 10 laps, when the "team racing" breaks and it's everyone for himself. It does not has to be like that, once you understand the subtleties of the first couple of thousands laps.

Let's not forget that for over 1000 years all races were oval races. Of course, the best driver in history was spaniard (South America was underdeveloped then!), Cayo Apuleyo Diocles, who kept meticulous records: he won 1,463 races. Of these, 815 were ones were he took the lead at the start and kept it, proving the importance of a good clean start. Nevertheless, there was plenty of scope for catching up and passing: in 502 of his wins, Diocles snatched victory in the last lap. Diocles started with the Whites, moved to the Greens and when he became really famous, ran for the Reds (like Alonso?)

Roman Circus Maximus, antecessor of Indy. Since 300 B.C. until 1400 A.C. there were only four teams: the Red, the Green, the White and the Blue


To me, circuit racing is like tennis ("mano a mano"), oval racing is like football ("Go team!").

Both can be nice to watch, even if some people believe that 90 minutes, always running, always moving the ball, apparently for nothing, football (or soccer for the US friends) is as boring as hell. That's why I predict a bright future for Indy Cars: they have a balance of tracks. With faith, sow and sow and you will see.

[WhiteBlue]

Good post, Ciro. I knew the draft article from the last time when it came up at Gp.com.

I have already agreed that oval racing may be subtle and nice to some. that is also true for cricket. and that is often compared to paint drying.

so I just take the liberty to prefer street and track racing. it is really all down to aquired taste I guess.

one thing which I like is discussing with people who watch many different sports. they usually can provide interesting perspectives.

the only race in America I have ever seen was the 2002 USGP. I saw that from turn 1 and there was plenty of action.

Indianapolis Motorspeedway is sure impressive but having a choice I would probably watch an F1 race their than the Indy 500. now that will probably earn me an outcry from our American users

[Belatti]

I can argue for hours about CART being the "most competitive and challenging racing series in the world, demanding a level of versatility that not even Formula One could match". And I'm not inventing anything here. When was the last time you were on the edge of your seat in a race that wasn't a demolition derby, like last Monaco? The only excitement we can derive (be frank, c'mon, you guys) from F1 is crashes in the rain!

Well, usually I´m always in the edge of my seat when I watch F1. Just for calculating seconds of a pitstop knowing that the other guy is approaching in the track and that HURRY UP OR YOU WONT COME OUT AHEAD!!! But maybe it´s only me, maybe I´m a bit too fanatic of F1. Even more than TC and there I´m telling you a BIG thing!

The thing is that I WANT to like Indy... BUT... I don´t know, I always blame the horrible TV coverage I get from ESPN, the BIG amount of Yellow flags with infinite commercials in the middle of the race and the lack of TV shows in the middle week so I can get to know teams, drivers and technical features.

Maybe it would be good to have "al Tano Fazzini" (a guy I hate and love at the same time ) speaking at Indy races, that would made things more interesting. I mean, he can find relationships between a V8 engine design and your grandmother cake baking recipes

So, at the end of the day, I suffer what our friend WhiteBlue suffers, just want to watch street and track racing.

[warmandog]

Hi All. after reading the must.
i must says.
im not a formula 1 guru and not a indy or champcar/nascar hollic.
but for sure i can teel you, the worst day of my life , its when i cant watch a live formula1 race. my soul reamaing empty the all day cause of that.
i've tried to watch nascar or indy. but friends its so pathetic. those cars going round and those yellow flags all over. its like a nightmares. no sence. and also is true. EE.UU have a pathetic live coverage!!!
guys from fox sports latine " Tano Fazzini, adrian Puente, Fernando Tornelo " make you extract the must from each race live covered by them.
a me also... keep eating my nail when leaders do a pit stop and also count and calculate the second loose or gained by each front runner.
okay f1 hasnt fixed the overtaking part. but is way more exiting than those other openwhell racing from us. and also dont discard A1GP.. this is getting better than indy racing.
IMHO
regards

Alex C.