IndyCar thread

[Demo 20,062]

9 minutes ago, Josh said:

The prerace prayer mentioned that the cars are driving on Firestone tires?

 

That is hysterical, and in no way surprising. 

[Josh 12,647]

5 car crash on lap one including Pagenau and Castroneves. Red flagged until they can clean it up

 

[Josh 12,647]

The defending Indy 500 champion is today's St Pete Grand Prix winner

 

[Josh 12,647]

Alex Palou sits on pole for the Indy 500

[IUFootballHappyHappyJoyJoy 758]

God, the Toiletmakers brought the train and the drum all the way down here for the parade and I'm looking at it right from the barbershop window. 

[Josh 12,647]

It's "caption this" time as Josef Newgarden wins the Indy 500 after three red flags in the last 14 laps

 

[AZ Hoosier 7,221]

1 hour ago, Josh said:

It's "caption this" time as Josef Newgarden wins the Indy 500 after three red flags in the last 14 laps

What was that about? Was there a rule change that caused that? Back in "my day", if there was a crash or other reason for a yellow flag, you finished the race under yellow. Maybe not the best situation, but it was what it was.

And while I'm at it, what's with the bunched start? The timing lights were put in place many years ago so that under yellow, the leader could maintain the lead that he had built... now it's just "yeah, you lead for xxx laps, but now it's just a sprint to the finish".

Mind blown.

[Hovadipo 56,262]

Fun, fast race bogged down by some reds at the end. Been trending that way the past handful of years. I was shocked that they flew the last red especially when it meant they to only had one lap to decide it. Still got a last lap pass for the win, pretty sweet.

Pretty thankful to not have witnessed multiple serious injuries/deaths from Lundqvist’s tire getting sent into orbit. Watched the entire thing play out in slow motion and couldn’t believe it. The light pole that the tire hit in the adjacent parking lot was swaying like a palm tree in a hurricane for a few minutes. That could have been horrifying if contact happened about a second earlier. 

Great weather, great weekend, a worthy winner, and another successful Indy. 
 

Oh, one more thought. How freaking cool was Newgarden’s celebration? Try telling me he wasn’t dying to win that thing. 

[Josh 12,647]

2 hours ago, AZ Hoosier said:

What was that about? Was there a rule change that caused that? Back in "my day", if there was a crash or other reason for a yellow flag, you finished the race under yellow. Maybe not the best situation, but it was what it was.

And while I'm at it, what's with the bunched start? The timing lights were put in place many years ago so that under yellow, the leader could maintain the lead that he had built... now it's just "yeah, you lead for xxx laps, but now it's just a sprint to the finish".

Mind blown.

Yeah, they didn't like finishes without racing so they changed the rule a few years back

 

[LIHoosier 26,209]

IndyCar is on the IMS road course tomorrow for Harvest Fest. There's an IU car in the field, starting 7th.

[Josh 12,647]

First race of the season is tomorrow at 12:30.  Sources confirmed Woody will NOT be there

[Josh 12,647]

I gotta say, it's pretty fun watching all these Hondas blow up

[OliviaPope40 6,520]

I could've won the family Indy 500 pool I had O'Ward and got beat by my dad. 

[Dave from Dayton 3,226]

I had Mclaughlin.  Wife had Newgarden.

Really enjoyed the last 10 laps and the slingshots around the leaders.

Great duel.

Smart driving.

Will be in Nashville and B'town on Tuesday....

[Demo 20,062]

10 hours ago, Dave from Dayton said:

I had Mclaughlin.  Wife had Newgarden.

Really enjoyed the last 10 laps and the slingshots around the leaders.

Great duel.

Smart driving.

Will be in Nashville and B'town on Tuesday....

Indy delivers every time. Love it. And it gets extra shine running the same day as Monaco, which as much as I love F1 is invariably terrible, and Charlotte, which is interesting for the 1st hundred and the last hundred and the other 400 is just riding with the occasional yellow. Indy’s a 500 mile sprint race. 

[Hovadipo 56,262]

The talk of new engines, chassis, etc. has me really concerned. They’ve nailed Indy with this car and, even though it always has been in its 108 runnings, it is the best race in the world right now.

[Demo 20,062]

13 minutes ago, Hovadipo said:

The talk of new engines, chassis, etc. has me really concerned. They’ve nailed Indy with this car and, even though it always has been in its 108 runnings, it is the best race in the world right now.

The product is pretty damned spectacular at this point and I'd like to think that the decision makers looking at the '27 regs would be really, really careful with messing with the basics of the aero package. Just take 1 look at what's happened to F1 with the insane turbulence those things create.

I will say this, and I will die on this hill: the 1 change I'd love to see to Indy, and it will never, ever, happen, is that I'd love to see the race moved to Saturday night. I went to the night race at Texas a couple of years ago and I've done the Gateway night race a few times and those cars at night look like freaking rocket ships. It is breathtaking. Those guys running 230 in prime time would be unbelievable both live and on TV. Plus, if you jack the payday up to something ridiculous, say 10 mil, you might get several Kyle Larson's wiling to cross over. Hell, you might even get somebody like Alonso back. I think the potential is there to make it into something even bigger than it is now. But, yeah, no chance.

[Hovadipo 56,262]

28 minutes ago, Demo said:

I will say this, and I will die on this hill: the 1 change I'd love to see to Indy, and it will never, ever, happen, is that I'd love to see the race moved to Saturday night. I went to the night race at Texas a couple of years ago and I've done the Gateway night race a few times and those cars at night look like freaking rocket ships. It is breathtaking. Those guys running 230 in prime time would be unbelievable both live and on TV. Plus, if you jack the payday up to something ridiculous, say 10 mil, you might get several Kyle Larson's wiling to cross over. Hell, you might even get somebody like Alonso back. I think the potential is there to make it into something even bigger than it is now. But, yeah, no chance.

I actually wish they’d move Indy back to earlier in the day as an every year attendee, but these cars are wild at night. I’ve been to night races at Kentucky and Nashville back in the day and nothing compares. I’ve always wished for this for the NASCAR race, but holy crap imagining those logistics in Speedway after a 500 night race gives me palpitations. We had a little more trouble than usual getting out on the south end last night, but there were people still working their way out of the Coke Lot around midnight.

I’m not sure what changed, but this was my 23rd 500 and all of them after the 2020 race with no attendance have been a nightmare logistically.