Indy
Wednesday, May 25, 2011 at 11:59AM
Allen Petrich explained that unlike F1, Indy has always been the car that qualified, not the driver, so swapping drivers is not uncommon. I can see that an owner could decide to substitute a driver, even in F1 if a driver is injured like Kubica then another driver comes in, or as might happen at Torro Rosso a driver is replaced for not performing. That does not happen between qualifying and the race though. Given Paul Tracy's comment I think what is uncommon is one team buying the spot, sponsorship and all. Do we know if they are going to race AJ's car, as it qualified I guess they have to.
As I surmised, Kimi is off testing at Virginia International Raceway prior to his Nationwide debut, which may now be in doubt, but not in a Nationwide car, a Cup Car, Robbie Gordon's Dodge. Kimi's Cup debut is rumored to be at Sears Point in a few weeks time. Now that makes some sense and will be worth watching. Talk about a fast track to the big time. Piquet Jr. must be wondering what he is doing still driving a truck?
Nasty incident at Ste-Devote in Monaco, and the race isn't until tomorrow! A truck preparing the track caught fire and burnt the asphalt, a promoters nightmare. Always really difficult to get a patch to match the rest of the track, and in a critical spot. I know the best experts are available so even given the extremely short cure time this should be OK. I might be tempted to use concrete to make sure it stays down, but then the grip would be so different, so not a good solution. Trucks on racetracks always make me nervous, fuel leaks being the usual problem, but on a street course what else can you do?
Bernie is ramping up the rhetoric over the new Concorde Agreement. If the teams won't sign it then fine, we will not have one and they can all pay a large fee to come and race. That is always assuming they want to come and race Bernie. The News Corp takeover has all gone very quiet, moves behind the scenes perhaps?
The Financial Times has come out and published accusations that Bahrain sacked a quarter of the circuit's staff. Not only sacked but "detained" with all the connotations that go with that word. This follows on stories of journalists being "detained," so with June 1 a week away it seems the pressure is going to stay on for Bahrain to remain off the calendar.
Trulli has come out and said qualifying is dead now thanks to the tires. Hard to see that in Monaco teams will risk saving sets at the sacrifice of grid position given how hard it is to overtake anyone around here, but after Monaco? Remember, Monaco first practice is Thursday.
As I surmised, Kimi is off testing at Virginia International Raceway prior to his Nationwide debut, which may now be in doubt, but not in a Nationwide car, a Cup Car, Robbie Gordon's Dodge. Kimi's Cup debut is rumored to be at Sears Point in a few weeks time. Now that makes some sense and will be worth watching. Talk about a fast track to the big time. Piquet Jr. must be wondering what he is doing still driving a truck?
Nasty incident at Ste-Devote in Monaco, and the race isn't until tomorrow! A truck preparing the track caught fire and burnt the asphalt, a promoters nightmare. Always really difficult to get a patch to match the rest of the track, and in a critical spot. I know the best experts are available so even given the extremely short cure time this should be OK. I might be tempted to use concrete to make sure it stays down, but then the grip would be so different, so not a good solution. Trucks on racetracks always make me nervous, fuel leaks being the usual problem, but on a street course what else can you do?
Bernie is ramping up the rhetoric over the new Concorde Agreement. If the teams won't sign it then fine, we will not have one and they can all pay a large fee to come and race. That is always assuming they want to come and race Bernie. The News Corp takeover has all gone very quiet, moves behind the scenes perhaps?
The Financial Times has come out and published accusations that Bahrain sacked a quarter of the circuit's staff. Not only sacked but "detained" with all the connotations that go with that word. This follows on stories of journalists being "detained," so with June 1 a week away it seems the pressure is going to stay on for Bahrain to remain off the calendar.
Trulli has come out and said qualifying is dead now thanks to the tires. Hard to see that in Monaco teams will risk saving sets at the sacrifice of grid position given how hard it is to overtake anyone around here, but after Monaco? Remember, Monaco first practice is Thursday.
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