Entries in Baja (1)
Predictable
Sunday, August 15, 2010 at 12:22PM
Yesterday's and this mornings results were predictable. Danica lived down to her expectations and finished 27th having struggled all race and went laps down early on. This was a Nationwide race and on this form she is a shoe-in to get an F1 ride. She does get press coverage though, more than the winner of the race did. If that is why you are racing then I guess it is a great result, but most of us go racing to try and win.
In Brno Mr. Lorenzo continued on his winning way. One English friend called it the dullest race all year, and there have been a few. I expected Valentino to do better with his couple of weeks to recuperate, but no. Looks like Lorenzo has the Championship sewn up baring a major crash. The Moto2 race sounded a far better race, but we won't see that till this afternoon, and we do not get the 125's at all, not that it sounded great. The young English pole setter faded in the race so I guess that was not much fun to watch either Eddie?
The big news is that the last two-stoke class will disappear in 2012 and be replaced by Moto3, they were up all night thinking that up. So instead of three great classes, all worthy in their own right, we have now a distinct system of second and third class citizens. It is a 250cc single, four stroke of twice the size to presumably make the same horsepower. And this is progress? That is what made the two stroke so popular, it was more efficient, and isn't that what being "green" is all about? It was simpler too. I remember Brian Hart who was making an F1 engine at the time being in our garage at Mugello and being astounded that we stripped the engines after each practice and warm up! He said they did not open an engine at the track, too complicated, just got another out of the crate if one went bad.
Of course this is done in the name of cost cutting and progress. At least it is not a one make series. Have the ticket prices been cut as a result of all this cost cutting? How about Dorna's profits? Has anyone asked the punters who pay to watch what they prefer? I for one vote for the two stroke days, and I do not feel alone, or someone living in the past.
Back in Britain Mr. Vergne had to settle for third in the reverse grid F3 sprint race, not much point putting it on pole in that scenario is it?
Here in the US there was an horrendous accident and eight deaths at an off-road race in Baja California. Unprotected spectators hit by a car. That is going to have repercussions. Driver had to run away to escape the wrath of the crowd, but who's fault is it, probably not his. Motor racing in whatever form involves drivers pushing themselves and their equipment to the limit of their performance, and inevitably beyond it. So as a track designer I start with the basis that there will be an accident, now how to mitigate the impact on the driver, and avoid harm to spectators. So, don't blame the driver when he crashes, after all that is what most of the punters have come to see. Ask why were the spectators there without protection? My condolences to the families and the injured. As I said, predictable.
In Brno Mr. Lorenzo continued on his winning way. One English friend called it the dullest race all year, and there have been a few. I expected Valentino to do better with his couple of weeks to recuperate, but no. Looks like Lorenzo has the Championship sewn up baring a major crash. The Moto2 race sounded a far better race, but we won't see that till this afternoon, and we do not get the 125's at all, not that it sounded great. The young English pole setter faded in the race so I guess that was not much fun to watch either Eddie?
The big news is that the last two-stoke class will disappear in 2012 and be replaced by Moto3, they were up all night thinking that up. So instead of three great classes, all worthy in their own right, we have now a distinct system of second and third class citizens. It is a 250cc single, four stroke of twice the size to presumably make the same horsepower. And this is progress? That is what made the two stroke so popular, it was more efficient, and isn't that what being "green" is all about? It was simpler too. I remember Brian Hart who was making an F1 engine at the time being in our garage at Mugello and being astounded that we stripped the engines after each practice and warm up! He said they did not open an engine at the track, too complicated, just got another out of the crate if one went bad.
Of course this is done in the name of cost cutting and progress. At least it is not a one make series. Have the ticket prices been cut as a result of all this cost cutting? How about Dorna's profits? Has anyone asked the punters who pay to watch what they prefer? I for one vote for the two stroke days, and I do not feel alone, or someone living in the past.
Back in Britain Mr. Vergne had to settle for third in the reverse grid F3 sprint race, not much point putting it on pole in that scenario is it?
Here in the US there was an horrendous accident and eight deaths at an off-road race in Baja California. Unprotected spectators hit by a car. That is going to have repercussions. Driver had to run away to escape the wrath of the crowd, but who's fault is it, probably not his. Motor racing in whatever form involves drivers pushing themselves and their equipment to the limit of their performance, and inevitably beyond it. So as a track designer I start with the basis that there will be an accident, now how to mitigate the impact on the driver, and avoid harm to spectators. So, don't blame the driver when he crashes, after all that is what most of the punters have come to see. Ask why were the spectators there without protection? My condolences to the families and the injured. As I said, predictable.