Indy 500 versus Monaco Grand Prix F1 events today
Awesome day! After several hours spent watching both the Indy 500 and the Monaco Grand Prix F1 events live, we have an observation. Well, two. First, we should be outdoors in the sun and fresh air. Except that this is the top raceday of the year!
But second, we enjoyed the Indy 500 a lot more than the F1 race. That will be controversial to some F1 die-hards, of which we consider ourselves a member. But the bottom line is that the Indy 500 coverage is far better, with better camera angles, better background stories, better interviews, and plenty of human interest coverage for fans both before and during the event. And there was plenty of passing – what racing is all about. 35 leads changes by 10 drivers!
Furthermore, the drivers are far more approachable than F1 drivers are. We get to know them better, in interviews we get to see their faces: smile or frown, admit their past failures (such as the Tony Kanaan interview), discuss their hopes, and see their families – of which there are far less blond bimbos. These are by and large real people – and isn’t that exactly why so many of us like Rubens Barrichello?
These are all the types of things we don’t see in F1.
And then there was the tribute to Dan Wheldon. Beautiful.
We’ll admit that we don’t find oval racing particularly interesting – but this is Indianapolis and we feel a great sense of the shear speed involved with plenty of in-car cameras. We’d be happier to see the IndyCar spend most of their time on road courses, but unfortunately that doesn’t seem to be their direction. And we’d be especially happy to see them come to the Circuit of the Americas… but unfortunately their next new location will be a street race in Houston. Few people will find Houston awesome.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway – in LEGOs
Thanks to TechRepublic for making dozens of pictures from the Brickworld 2010 conference available, which just ended last week. Here’s just one example of some of the creations built at the conference.
2010 Indy 500 Mike Conway Huge Airborne Crash into the Catchfence
Unbelievable – and thankfully he survived with only a broken leg.
ABC didn’t do so well – they focused on Ashley Judd running thru the pits without her shoes and with ***** flopping. Who could care less? ABC should have kept us closely informed about pulling Mike Conway out of the wreckage and then about his condition.
Ohio S2000 owners contribute to the Mid-Ohio IndyCar event
Ohio S2K owners supplied the cars for the Mid-Ohio IndyCar race today: http://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=714542
30-35 owners were needed to drive the race drivers and other VIPs around the track just before the event started. IndyCar supplied special decals for their cars several weeks in advance.
Driving around town for those weeks helped promote the race. And you never know who you are going to run into before an IndyCar event:
Each participating member also gets tickets to the event and a special parking area for their cars throughout the event.
Have we had enough of Danica Patrick yet?
Racy tasteless ads. Breasts front and center, undressing, girl-on-girl. Is this a smart career move? Danica Patrick is one of the highest paid sports celebrities today. But aren’t ads like this undermining the respect that women breaking into traditional men’s sports are trying to obtain?
Caught speeding
In the shower
Danica Patrick “Beaver” Super Bowl Ad
And then there’s one they couldn’t show… even in though it was the Super Bowl. And it’s a good thing they didn’t. The infamous Danica Patrick Beaver ad.
I will say that this is an example of Danica going too far. This does nothing but denigrate her.
Honda to Serve as Single IndyCar Engine Supplier in 2006
Torrance, Calif. 12/15/2005 –
Honda Performance Development (HPD), a subsidiary of American Honda Motor Co., will become the single provider of engines in 2006 for the Indy Racing League IndyCar Series, HPD President Robert Clarke announced today.
Honda joined the IRL at the start of the 2003 season, and earlier this year announced a new plan to continue as an engine supplier in IndyCar racing through the 2009 season. With the recent announcement of Toyota’s withdrawal from IRL competition, HPD will prepare and maintain the Honda Indy V-8 engines used by all teams for competition in the IndyCar Series and the Indianapolis 500.
“Providing engines for the entire IndyCar field is a dramatically different role for Honda from that as one competitor in a multi-manufacturer championship,” Clarke said. “It is an opportunity that provides numerous new challenges, not only for HPD, but for several departments at American Honda as well.
“Certainly, manufacturing and preparing sufficient primary and backup engines for all 33 starters at the Indianapolis 500 will be a major effort,” Clarke added, “and it is vitally important, given our new circumstances, that we treat and care for all IndyCar competitors equally. We are confident of meeting this need and look forward to working with the IRL to grow the IndyCar Series in the seasons to come.” To assist in supplying engines to the full IndyCar field, HPD is continuing its technical partnership with Ilmor Engineering of Plymouth, Mich.
“Since 2000, we have offered some of the most competitive racing in the world under an exclusive tire arrangement with Firestone, and taking our engine program to the same ‘exclusive’ format we believe will take IndyCar Series racing to an entirely new level of competition beginning in 2006,” said Brian Barnhart, president and chief operating officer of the IRL. “We appreciate the enthusiasm shown and work done by Honda to ensure having the ability to supply the entire IndyCar Series field. Robert Clarke and everyone at HPD have been true partners during this process.”
In three years of IndyCar competition, Honda drivers and teams have compiled an unmatched record of achievement. They include IRL Manufacturers’ Championships for Honda in 2004 and 2005; a pair of Indianapolis 500 triumphs (Buddy Rice in 2004 and Dan Wheldon in 2005); two Drivers’ Championships (Tony Kanaan in 2004 and Wheldon in 2005); three Rookie of the Year awards (Wheldon in 2003, Kosuke Matsuura in 2004 and Danica Patrick in 2005); and a total of 27 IndyCar Series race victories.
Wired News: IndyCar data logging
http://www.wired.com/news/autotech/0,2554,65359,00.html?tw=rss.CAR Good article on how IndyCar teams rely on ever-increasing instrumentation and data logging built into the cars. Includes links to the manufacturer of the most commonly used data logging product.