In the first of a new series, readers are invited to put their case for another racing series F1 fans should watch. I’ll start the ball rolling by banging the drum for IndyCar.
Think ‘IndyCar’ and many European racing fans think ‘ovals’. But this year’s IndyCar championship features more road and street tracks than ovals as the series becomes ever closer in spirit to its CART heyday.
A case in point is the splendid new Barber Motorsport Park in Alabama where the third IndyCar round of 2010 takes place – which I will be watching closely this Sunday evening.
The split and the recovery
There’s no pretending IndyCar racing today is the force it was when I first started following sport in the early nineties.
Back then the American-based championship was so popular that Bernie Ecclestone tried to arrange a head-to-head race between the best drivers of both series, and began importing American racing ideas like refuelling and safety car periods.
But in the mid-nineties the championship split in two, and didn’t re-unify until 2008. In that period fans switched off in their millions and started watching NASCAR instead. Sponsors and, increasingly, drivers, did likewise.
A challenging calendar
Eventually it was the breakaway faction that prevailed and this series, which began in 1996, originally raced exclusively on ovals. It wasn’t until 2005 that road and street tracks were added and today the series enjoys a mix of all three disciplines: eight ovals, five road courses and four street circuits.
And there’s no sanitised Tilke-dromes here. The championship takes in fast, flowing, undulating road courses like Watkins Glen and Sears’ Point. It has classic street tracks such as Long Beach and Toronto.
And if you think all ovals are the same, compare the 2.5-mile, 225mph lap of Indianapolis with the 0.89-mile, traffic-heavy Iowa oval.
The diversity of courses means drivers’ performances tend to wax and wane – drivers like ex-Jaguar F1 driver Justin Wilson excel on road courses while others come to the fore on ovals.
An IndyCar champion has to perform across disciplines and that’s exactly what Dario Franchitti did last year with victories on all three types of circuit.
The 2010 season
Australian Will Power has won the first two races of this season and so far the series has upheld its reputation for exciting races. The first round at a new street course in Brazil, held a few hours after the torpid F1 season opener in Bahrain, concluded with Power edging Ryan Hunter-Reay in an exciting battle for the lead.
It may not have F1’s cutting-edge technology but IndyCar boasts several talented drivers and a challenging mix of tracks. It is also far more fan-friendly than F1 – just look how many IndyCar drivers are on our Twitter Directory.
British fans can watch the third round of the IndyCar championship from Barber Motorsport Park is on Sky Sports at 8.30pm on Sunday 11th April.
If you haven’t got Sky IndyCar broadcast their races live online for free via their Race Control service – another example of the excellent service they provide for fans.
Next month sees the blue-riband Indianapolis 500 on May 30th, a few hours after the Turkish Grand Prix. I’m considering running our first ever non-F1 live blog for the famous race so if you’re interested please let me know in the comments.
2010 IndyCar series
What motorsport would you recommend other F1 fans to follow? If you want to put the case for your favourite non-F1 category write a guest article and send it in. More information here: Write a guest article for F1 Fanatic
Gustav
10th April 2010, 14:32
It may be an interesting series, but it feels like watching second-rated drivers. We still remember how Bourdais (who was a Schumacher in INDY) was trashed by all his team-mates in F1.. Doesn’t mean it couldn’t be good entertainment though, I wonder how Sato is doing over there :)
David A
10th April 2010, 14:46
Bourdais was in the Champ Car World Series, which I felt was weaker than the Indycar Series (with Wheldon, Franchitti, Castroneves, Hornish, Dixon etc) at the time.
Joey-Poey
10th April 2010, 15:09
“Champ Car World Series, which I felt was weaker than the Indycar Series”
SACRILEGE :P
David A
10th April 2010, 23:11
I don’t mean the great Champ Car of the 1990’s with Montoya, Zanardi, Vasser, etc, no! That really would be sacrilege! :P
I meant the years afterwards where drivers like Franchitti and Dixon, plus teams like Penske, AGR and Ganassi moved across to Indycar, leaving Bourdais to win everything!
Five Red Lights
11th April 2010, 5:01
Bourais head screwed his F1 career not his ability. He never showed it because of his attitude. As Martin Brundle once said of him…
“he looks like he’s lost a hundred Francs and found one”
KNF
11th April 2010, 8:18
It didn’t help that almost every single time we managed to hear his car to pit radio he was complaining about something…
macahan
23rd April 2010, 17:39
CART was at one point the place to race. But once they started having financial troubles drivers, teams and sponsors started leaving. For anyone that have not read my previous comments on this. Short story. Bourdais came in to one of the two most powerful teams with the best financial backing at the point where many other teams and drivers was going to IRL and Nascar (mostly the former). Not to downplay Bourdais skills BUT he really didn’t have much of “real” competition during the years he drove in CART has scored his championships. The last one he scored was the last year CART raced. Would be like F1 only having Ferrari and then teams like Torro Rosso, Force India, Williams, Lotus, HRT and Virgin.
Some of the things that is really fun with IRL is free online video streaming of ALL seasons. They provide online access to 4 randomly picked drivers on each session and you can view 2 of these onboard cameras side by side. The onboard cameras have pan capabilities so during a overtake for example the onboard camera pans to follow the car that is being overtaken. Also they can either point it forward or backwards. If there is a car following close behind it will be moved to show behind you and they are good on panning to keep the other car in view in case he does a overtake move as well they pan the camera during pit stops as well.
I wish this be something F1 would pick up on. Also when your onboard you hear the driver/pit communication for that driver.
Last race I watched it on TV AND on my computer following onboard cameras on the computer and overall race event on TV (for some reasons streaming provided about 2-5 sec advance of TV I noticed so you could occasionally see same onboard shot on TV with a few sec time delay from the streaming video).
Steve
10th April 2010, 16:49
Sato has been a disaster after two races. Caused a huge wreck on lap one in Brazil. Sending this from my iPhone at the Nascar race in Phoenix-camping-will be at Long Beach next weekend to watch Indycar.
KNF
11th April 2010, 2:55
Good to know that even after all this time, Taku is capable of crashing in spectacular fashion… ;)
Leigh O'Gorman
10th April 2010, 21:31
Gustav,
You could at least get the series right….
Tim
11th April 2010, 5:29
He wrecked in the first race at the first corner. Are you surprised?
MigueLP
11th April 2010, 17:08
what time does it starts?
macahan
11th April 2010, 20:25
Sato is is doing about as well he did in F1. He is 20th out of 25 (well shared, 3 other drivers has as many points and there are only 2 drivers with less points). Bourdaie raced in Champ series which went belly up and got integrated into Indy. From 2000 on many of the top CART/Champ drivers moved to IRL. Bourdais competed in CART/Champ series from 03 to 07. In 04 some strong team left Champ car series (after CART bancruptcy at end of 03) but the two strongest teams Newman-Haas Racing and Dale Coyne Racing stayed in the newly created Champ car series out of the CART series assets. Several races in the 2007 season were canceled before they were held, Champ Car never had a season where they ran every scheduled race. In 08 Champ Car became part of IRL.
Did I mention that Bourdais drove for Newman-Haas Racing. In it’s 14 years in CART/Champ Newman-Haas won 8 times. 4 of those the last 4 years of the series existance with Bourdais as racer.
Newman-Haas single driver in 10 is currently on 19th position. In 09 they had 4 different drivers driving two or more races. They year end standing was 30, 21, 16 and 7 (with the 16 and 7 finisher driving every race during the year). 08 they finished 11th and 17th. So from being dominant the last 4 years in Champ series they became a midfield running team.
So with this history it’s not hard to see that Bourdais wasn’t that “good”, his team was one of the best financed in a series that was struggling financially and ultimately collapsed and teams leaving to IRL from 02 and forward until the ultimate collapse. So the better competitors left for IRL.
J.Danzig
12th April 2010, 7:06
so if Bourdais was in Button’s Brawn in 09 would Bourdais be world champion instead of Button.I reckon we would all be hailing Bourdais F1 WDC.
Enigma
12th April 2010, 13:34
Sato was 20th because he had retired in first two races. He was 6th in qualifying in Barber.
Jess
12th April 2010, 17:14
Badly, Very Badly
TommyB
10th April 2010, 14:33
Looking forward to this season :) First 2 races have been brilliant and the Indy 500 is always a highlight of the racing season for me.
mfDB
11th April 2010, 0:56
Agreed, it’s been a great season so far.
donwatters
11th April 2010, 14:47
I, too, have really enjoyed the first two races and am looking forward to the race at Barber later today. I am not, though, a big oval fan…except for the 500.
Gustav
10th April 2010, 14:33
Sorry, Bourdais drove CART.. But potato potato, right?
Leigh O'Gorman
10th April 2010, 21:33
Nope, quite different by the end. Champ Car excised all it’s ovals for 14 races around airports, car parks and a few leftover tracks from its heyday
f1aroo
10th April 2010, 14:41
“Power leads the field in round two at Miami”
.
Round 2 was at St. Petersburg, Florida, not Miami. Beautiful bayside circuit similar to Monaco. Lots of overtaking in IRL. Fan-friendly drivers. This week at Barber will be more processional due to narrow course but the 25 metre elevation change makes for great scenery.
Watch for the f1fanatic.co.uk sign
Enigma
10th April 2010, 14:50
It’s great series. I think there should be a live blog for every race!
theRoswellite
10th April 2010, 14:56
It will be interesting to see if this site(the readers) takes to Indycar racing. My immediate reaction is always…do those cars all look the same? But, obviously the racing can be excellent and the talent level is usually high.
Bring on the coverage, you’ll have my support.
Just a note to Gustav….don’t be too dismissive of the drivers in this series or NASCAR. I agree with you that F1 seems to attract the very top drivers and features them in the very best competition. But, many drivers in both these racing series are very skilled, and the skills they have are often shaped by the type of cars they drive and the tracks they compete on. Historically, many drivers have moved both ways across the Atlantic.
gpfan
10th April 2010, 15:33
The cars all look the same, because they are. Think horse racing: Indy equals standard-bred. F1 equals thoroughbred!
As someone who drove on the Toronto track Thursday morning, on the way to work and has attended a few ChampCar/Cart/Indy races and worked some of these races, I still have zero interest in the series.
Now, Formula Atlantic, on the other hand… :D
GWbridge
10th April 2010, 19:12
Of course, Formula One championships are almost always won by the superior machine, not necessarily the best drivers. Not to knock Schumacher (at least not severely), but (genius or not) he won most of those championships in a car that was clearly superior that sported customized tires that were not available to any other team that could have competed on an equal footing. I don’t know why people interested in DRIVING SKILL always look down on any series that has more equally matched equipment. Where is Schumi running now with equipment that is just a bit slower than the fastest cars? Consistently behind a much less experienced (but excellent) driver named Rosberg, too.
MigueLP
10th April 2010, 19:39
“customized tyres” that makes me laugh mclaren fan right everybody knows that bridgestone road or race tyres are really bad every team on f1 tried to switch for michelin because michelin were superior only the teams with less disposable income were still on bridgestone rubber stop with the jealucy
GWbridge
11th April 2010, 0:55
MigueLP: Don’t be foolish and abusive. You belong at the PlanetF1 forum where everyone hates each other. Fact: Ferrari had a de facto exclusive contract with Bridgestone who designed tires expressly to match the Ferrari chassis. Doesn’t matter who your favorite team is. The facts are the facts. My loyalties tend to got to the drivers, not the machinery. The driver is the one with talent, cunning and bravery. The driver also demonstrates responsible driving, concern for the safety of other competitors and good sportsmanship. If a driver doesn’t have all of these qualities, he won’t have my respect. No machine ever won a race.
Shaun Field
10th April 2010, 15:00
I know what series you should all watch. Your local club racing series! Best racing action you’ll find anywhere, plus its normally cheap or even free to get in.
Fergal
11th April 2010, 15:20
Not a bad idea. Why don’t you put together an article for Keith on that kind of thing? I’d really be interested to learn more.
Hey
10th April 2010, 15:04
Sounds excellent, but my Sky+ recorder is booked and my parents own the TV on Sunday nights. :'( WAH!!
David A
10th April 2010, 15:14
Aww, that’s a shame. Time to start begging! :D
If it doesn’t work, then that also means you will never get to watch NASCAR for free on some channel called Open Access (number 190 I think).
Adrian
11th April 2010, 9:13
Just go to http://www.indycar.com to register and watch live for free.
Joey-Poey
10th April 2010, 15:20
I had no idea they offered live feeds of the races! Thank you SO much for pointing that out. I’ve been pulling out my hair trying to find torrents of the races as I don’t have cable (and since St. Petersburg was delayed, wound up not being on regular TV anyway). This at least allows me to see races if they’re not on at the same time as F1.
I’m probably a reverse of many here in that I grew up on CART and have only recently become an F1 convert. I can attest to what you say of it being only a shadow of it’s former greatness. I started watching Indy car racing around 91-92. I still remember watching when “Little Al” won the ’92 500 by (at that time) the closest margin ever. I can’t look at Scott Goodyear calling the race without thinking of how many times he came that close to winning it. And frankly, the 500 is pretty much the only oval race I’m interested in watching anymore. There’s something unique about it that never loses the charm.
But Indy, even though it’s finally unified, just ain’t what it used to be. It can still be terrifically exciting, but it just doesn’t seem to have the stars it once did. I love Kanaan, Castro-Neves and the like, but some of the IRL imports are… well, still lacking to be honest. BUT, at least names like Rahal and Andretti are still involved. I’m eager to see how things go as they get a little older and more experienced. If only there was an Unser still in it…
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
10th April 2010, 16:27
It’s not as good as a TV feed – sometimes the better part of the action is missed and there aren’t many replays. But the video stream is uninterrupted (there’s only ads on the audio) and it’s free. so you can’t really complain. F1 should definitely start offering something similar, at least in markets where not all the sessions are live.
hvk101
11th April 2010, 5:35
On a side note, MotoGP and IndyCar have decent official YouTube channels. It would be great if we had an official Formula 1 YouTube and not just the “race edits” on the official F1 site.
Paul A
11th April 2010, 14:33
Agree that F1 should offer something similar. Here in Canada, we’re normally lucky as we have the BBC feed on TSN and the same FOM images, different commentary, on Speed (with a bit of luck you can switch to avoid the advertizing.) But once in a while TSN goes to TSN2 (widely unavailable) and Speed goes to FoxSport (not available in Canada at all.) Then we’re relegated to Live Timing, which is a very poor second best.
macahan
11th April 2010, 20:29
The great thing about Indy Car racing is they provide FREE online streaming of the race. Go to indycar.com and signup and watch it online if you can’t watch it on TV (broadcasted normally on Versus / Vs. in the US).
One thing that is a bit confusing and irritating is that many teams have one, two or even as many as 4 drivers. But some drivers will only race a single race or two in the year. Lot of movement and changes.
Tiomkin
10th April 2010, 15:29
I know it has 2 wheels missing but MotoGP is where REAL racing is. Lots of action right from the beginning to the checkered flag!
gpfan
10th April 2010, 15:42
MotoGP is magic!
I have come to the conclusion that most here are, like me, mad for all forms of motorsport (except NASCAR. I wouldn’t pollute my eyes with that drivel).
My fave races to work (marshall) were bike races. Non-stop action and plenty of thrills, spills, and talent on display. Sadly, the Americans (AMA et al) have found a way to destroy even that! Maybe giving control of the racing series to the NASCAR hierarchy had something to do with that… :(
gpfan
10th April 2010, 15:44
Shoot! Forgot to ‘slip’ in a nautical reference ….
beneboy
10th April 2010, 15:42
Agreed !
http://www.motogp.com/
http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/motorsport/moto-gp/
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
10th April 2010, 16:27
Tiomkin – if you want to do a pro-MotoGP article give me a shout.
Tiomkin
10th April 2010, 16:50
I’ll give it serious thought Keith.
Praveen Titus
10th April 2010, 18:37
This is a great article series! Great work, Keith!
It’s great to know that F1 Fanatic likes IndyCar. I’m all for it and I believe motorsport fans should follow as many racing series as possible as each has something unique to offer – IndyCar is by far the best, though it should rather be called Formula Dallara-Honda!
MotoGP is great, but one sport that’s never included in mainstream motorsport circles is Motocross. I watched the first round of the FIM Motocross World Championship held at Sevlievo, Bulgaria on TV, and liked it. Like Moto GP, they have an Italian champion as well, Antonio Cairoli.
But what really amazed me, being an Indian, is watching the WMX action where the women really seem to ride the jumps like the guys! It’s probably the only form of motorsport where women have a separate platform to prove themselves.
beneboy
11th April 2010, 18:55
There’s also the Trials World Championship, although it’s not technically racing and is officially the slowest form of motorbike sport it is absolutely thrilling.
I’d recommend it to anyone, especially if you’ve never watched trials riding before. The things those guys can do with a motorbike leaves me speechless every time.
If anyone is in the UK there will be a round held at Fort William in the Scottish Highlands in June of this year and a three day family ticket is only £99.95.
http://ukworldtrial.com/advancedtickets.html?page=shop.browse&category_id=1
Praveen Titus
12th April 2010, 18:47
Trials is indeed massively exciting. The outdoor events are especially thrilling, and it’s a sport of technique and physical astuteness. It’s all about positioning the body and balancing it on the seat-less Montesa or Gas Gas machines.
Speedway racing is great fun as well – another technical sport. But again, none of these seem to be recognized among mainline motorsports.
Thanks for the ticket info – Beneboy. But I don’t think I can make it. But I just hope these ‘alternate’ motorsports gain more coverage and popularity, since from what we’ve experienced, they’re EXCITING and UNIQUE.
Gavin Campbell
10th April 2010, 18:50
Have to say I live with a moto gp fan, and hes really turned me onto it (and i’ve got him back into F1). Im really looking forward to the race this weekend in quatar :)
Was never much of a bike fan growing up (i used to live in northern ireland and the northwest 200 is there and i never went!!!) and was always into F1. But i do have to say my second favourite series is moto gp, but then it is the pinnacle of bike motorsport.
Checkpoint 10
10th April 2010, 15:36
I’m an American and I was raised on mid-1990s IndyCar racing. Back then I got much more enjoyment out of it than I do from Formula 1 nowadays. It was the ultimate multi-dimensional sport, with numerous chassis/engine/tire combinations, large grids, every kind of circuit you can imagine, and a great mix of young, experienced and legendary drivers. The race unfolded differently each weekend—it’s not like Formula 1 where the strategies are more or less standardized. And different cars are strong on different weekends. I really think IndyCar can get back to where it was, if only they could allow multiple constructors again. That would make it interesting enough for more reputable drivers to join, and if they hang onto the absolutely spectacular tracks such as Sears Point, Watkins Glen, and go back to Cleveland and Laguna Seca, you’ve got yourself a series that can rival F1.
Joey-Poey
10th April 2010, 16:02
I agree whole-heartedly. That was part of why I didn’t like IRL when they split.
Kapow32
10th April 2010, 16:14
they do allow multiple constructors, however the series got so bad that dallara/honda are the only ones bothering to make chassis/engine
p.s. quals are on right now, watch race control!
Aleksandar_Serbia
10th April 2010, 16:23
I loved Champar in its glory days, but rivaling F1 is what had got it canceled.
Any series that tries to rival F1 will self destruct. The problem with trying to go heads on with F1 is that it has history, best marquees of auto moto, and a globally established audience.
When champcar started to become expensive, Honda realized it will soon have a budget of building an F1 engine, and they pulled put.
None of those series have pedigree of F1, they are entertaining, but lack the subtle knowledge of what customers want.
Just having the track is not enough and Bernie knows that, that is why he keeps changing the venues, he knows people want variety, in track layouts, chassis development, known marquees and national variety of drivers.
F1 is global while those series are mostly restricted to US, and think that people will buy that kind of restricted view on racing.
That is why F1 succeeds and they fail.
GWbridge
10th April 2010, 19:19
If history is important, why abandon all of the classic venues in Formula One history?
Aleksandar_Serbia
10th April 2010, 19:52
Of course not all, F1 still has Monaco and Monza, but the thing is that F1 is foremost a business and the laurels of the past are not what brings the cash in!
Sponsors are 99 percent of F1 and if a new country wants to market itself, they bring on a venue!
Just look at Turkey, do you think that is a moto racing mecca?
Of course not, most people there probably only herd of Michael, they build the track because of country recognition, not enthusiasts like you and me who quarrel over little tech novelties.
Today the only thing that matters is can you bring sponsors to the track.
Invoke
10th April 2010, 15:37
The live feed is excellent!
Obviously being an American series the commentary is constantly interrupted by numerous adverts which is horrible, but they never cut away from the racing so you can still watch (think radio advertisements). Alternatively, you can switch to an onboard camera which is actually operated by someone and the camera follows the action as it happens. In this mode there is no commentary or adverts, just the engine sounds and radio transmission for the driver your watching…
At the last race I was watching on board from Patrick’s car, the camera was facing backwards. She had a long line of cars behind her as she struggled with her tyres. I watched the last 10 – 12 laps of the race from this angle, and could see Franchitti (I think it was) bullying his way through the line of cars and eventually past Patrick, and as he drove past, the camera followed the overtake in real time. This is definitely something F1 could do with, I really enjoyed it, and it made me feel more a part of the action!
I suggest everyone give it a try, it’s free after all!
kapow
10th April 2010, 15:41
Thanks to Keith’s tweet, i watched the St. Petersburg round on the onboard of Danica Patrick. some funny uncensored comments from both driver and pitwall!
The Race Control live feed has really impressed me and I may just “attend” some more future races.
Also, though it’s quite long away, but i’m also intrigued by their call for designs for the 2012 spec. Should be interesting how it’ll turn out (and compare to F1)
Scott Deal
10th April 2010, 16:03
I have long been a fan of F1. I went to the inaugural F1 event in Indy some years ago. It was fantastic to hear/see those cars around my home track. Likewise I’ve been to 22 Indy 500 races. While the thrill of F1 exists there is nothing quite like seeing 33 cars pile into turn one and come out alive. If you have the means I highly recommend it. As a series though F1 easily outpaces all aspect of indycar except for fan interaction/access. You may find the lack of ovetaking in F1 off putting but the reason is that you have the top of the top designing and driving the cars. The gap is so small as to prevent overtaking.
slr
10th April 2010, 16:16
I’ve only ever watch IndyCar when theres nothing else on.
I last watched it back in August, when I think, they raced the Infineon Raceway. It looked quite boring to me. But was probably down the look of the track, it was such an eye sore.
R.E.M.
10th April 2010, 22:06
Infineon is very much like Hungaroring, twisty, dull scenery and just a dull race in any series.
sato113
10th April 2010, 16:31
why is sato’s car in a Lotus livery??? does Fernandes own that team too?
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
10th April 2010, 16:40
See: Sato to drive Lotus IndyCar
sato113
10th April 2010, 22:59
cheers!!! a bit odd tho. :)
Dr. Gonzo
10th April 2010, 17:26
Sato’s #5 KV Racing Technology “Lotus-Cosworth” car is actually a Dallara chassis powered by a Honda engine (as are all Indycars) and, stranger still, Dallara made the HRT F1 car! :D
Untitled258
10th April 2010, 16:37
I always try to get watch the indy, but the online stream on there website never works too well, it seems to show about 5 minutes of what is happening, then freeze, i had no idea why!!! :-(
Invoke
10th April 2010, 17:04
That’s odd, maybe it’s your connection? I have no trouble with it here in England on an ADSL connection, it seems to automatically adjust the bandwidth on the fly to suit what your connection can handle. Works very well for me.
Untitled258
10th April 2010, 18:06
I dont have issues with any thing else, i can stream stuff on the BBC iplayer in HD fine, and the same with things like 4od. Ill see what happens in the next race.
Leigh O'Gorman
11th April 2010, 10:33
It may be that it’s the one race with the biggest pull on their server – sometimes it can interfere with their webcasts
mitchibob
10th April 2010, 16:45
I definitely went off Indy when it all went Oval, although I have to thank you for bringing me up to date and pointing out the excellent online coverage. F1 should really take note of this. Decent live stream of the coverage, plus fairly decent live timing, all nicely cross browser, and free. I’m not interested in getting Sky, so having this online like this is a serious bonus.
I’m just watching qualifying. Not great coverage, and not particularly exciting, but let’s see what the race is like tomorrow. Definitely an interesting circuit.
I like the horse racing metaphor… especially when you see that the likes of Justin Wilson and Dario Franchitti are both basically in Indy because they’re too tall for F1.
Miguel
10th April 2010, 16:47
Great blog Keith, so true. As both a huge IndyCar and Formula 1 fan, and reader of your blog, I’m very glad you never showcase any arrogance many F1 fans do regarding IndyCars.
Good to see you’ve join the fight to get IndyCar racing more out there brother.
Daffid
10th April 2010, 16:50
Now it’s reunited should definitely be worth watching. I remember the great Franchitti v Montoya season in 1999, and being stunned that Franchitti’s team didn’t move his team mate Paul Tracy over to allow Dario to take the championship in the last race. When they said no team orders they really meant it!
(IIRC Tracy was 2 places ahead, so would have taken a bit of a fiddle, but can you imagine an F1 team not fixing that with a long pit-stop?)
Steve L
10th April 2010, 16:55
Thank you Keith! I’ve been hooked on this series (CART & IRL) since the 1986 Indy 500, and will be going for the first time this May. I really appreciate your article, well done as always.
Joey-Poey
10th April 2010, 17:02
Quite jealous! I’ve been watching Indy since the early 90’s and still haven’t been to the 500. And I’m only right down in Cincy, just 2 hours away. Someday, though…
silencer
10th April 2010, 17:07
keith, why don’t you try do a live blog on indy race weekend…
right now I’m trying to find any torrent on indyrace.. just wanna to see what the buzz is all about on this indyrace as in my country the cable TV only show live motoGP, F1 race and delay telecast on WRC
the last time I saw indy racing car was on slyvester stalone’S movie called Driven :D
dj
10th April 2010, 17:23
No need for torrent…it’s a FREE live feed,plus six in car cams ,and a heli cam,2pit cams…to bad F1 doesn’t give you this for FREE
Joey-Poey
10th April 2010, 18:15
Oh god, never speak of Driven again. That was an abomination worse than Days of Thunder. At least Days of Thunder was charmingly cheesy. Driven was the only movie I ever seriously considered walking out of.
nick
10th April 2010, 19:21
I rented it on my xbox on a lazy sunday for a laugh. The only good bit about the film was pointing out who the other cars were to my wife.
It had the old racing-film foe-par that when a driver wants to over take, they knock the car down a gear (as if in a road car on a country lane)
maybe this is what f1 needs to spice up the show.. hey boys.. all you need to do to overtake is knock it down a cog… thats it.. problem solved!!
Adrian
11th April 2010, 9:23
There is a road course race today, and a street course next week. Check then out.
F1NATIC
10th April 2010, 17:15
Since WRC is not televised live at least here in the US the other series I do follow with enthusiasm is MotoGP. it is not only the equivalent of F1 on two wheels. whether win or lose Rossi puts a great show, and if there is something he has showed us is that F1 must allow drivers to celebrate victories and play jokes on their rivals to engage more with fans. His donkey tactics, his several helmets, and celebrations have been great. It adds to the value of entertainment. F1 should allow play like that to add to the fire of competition amongst drivers.
Brakius
10th April 2010, 18:32
One other thing F1 could take from MotoGP, HDTV! Looks like they jumped on the bandwagon and will be providing HD content this season in the states.
F1 is really missing out compared to most other series. With exorbitant fees you’d think they could offer just a little bit more to the fan.
US_Peter
10th April 2010, 19:15
It’s not about the fans… it’s about Bernie’s pocketbook.
Lee Sharp
10th April 2010, 17:44
Anyone who watched the final race of last season knows that those who say oval racing is boring and easy don’t know what they are talking about. Franchitti winning title after gambling on there not being a safety car period at the end of the race and timing his stops to perfection. The first ever time in the history of the series there was no full course caution for an entire race.
I have been watching for a few years now and i must say there are many many times when i look forward to the race in the evening after an F1 precession during the afternoon.
Real racing, real race tracks and as pointed out more non ovals than ovals for those of you who dont get oval racing.
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
11th April 2010, 11:01
Each to their own – I thought that was a rather boring way to win a championship to be honest which is why I didn’t mention it!
It’s such a shame they don’t race at superspeedways like Michigan any more. The 2000 race at Michigan is one of the great moments in racing I’ve ever seen. It’s up there with Dijon ’79, Silverstone ’87 and Suzuka ’05.
Andretti and Montoya swapping positions over the final laps, each trying to find the way of being ahead at the finishing line. And just when it looks like Andretti’s got it, Montoya pulls off something really quite special:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25bHlzCbLuA
Icthyes
10th April 2010, 18:03
There’s an interesting parallel between Indy Car and F1. Even in Canada, which has a race, there is a bare minimum of advertising and coverage for F1, so I imagine it must be even worse in the USA. But back in the UK, Indy Car suffered from the same lack of exposure, relegated to the least-watched of the original 5 free-to-air channels, often delayed to the middle of the night, with no real pre-show or post-race analysis or any of the things that makes the BBC’s F1 coverage so much more than just the race.
The criticisms also seem to be parallel. F1 fans deride Indy for being on ovals (which is unfair, seeing what a good balance now exists between different kinds of circuits). Similarly, I’ve heard Americans deride F1 for the fact that they don’t run on ovals and so don’t test that skill. Also, whilst F1 fans may decry some of Indy’s artificiality, there is more action, and F1 at the moment is hardly “pure” either, for much less rewards on the action front.
Both F1 fans and Indy fans should watch each other’s sport and learn to appreciate what makes them different and what makes them good. The sports have a lot in common but also a good deal to learn from each other.
Joey-Poey
10th April 2010, 18:17
I nominate this for Cotd.
HounslowBusGarage
10th April 2010, 20:57
Ditto.
I’m glad that Keith opened the subject of Indy. I thought the last race at St Petes was excellent. Unfortunately I didn’t see Sao Paulo, but the last few races of last season were exceptional.
What could F1 learn fron this series? Maybe spec cars aren’t such a bad thing, maybe refuelling is okay, maybe an oval/road track/street circuit mix is a good idea.
On the subject of other races series I enjoy, I would have waxed lyrical about the DTM series, but I can’t find which UK TV station would actually be broadcasting it this season. There has to be one TV channel – after all there will be at least six Brit drivers involved this year.
mfDB
11th April 2010, 1:05
Me too, I wanted to say something similar, but Icthyes said it perfectly. I have always been into both, but F1 has always been more important (I’m American too!). It’s worth watching both series if you can…
Daniel
10th April 2010, 18:12
Well, it’s not only your mistake, many well prepared people like you do the same, but, anyway, I have to make this small correction…
It’s not “Sao Paolo” (“Paolo” is rather an italian name than a portuguese one), but “São Paulo”, with “U” not “O” and with a “~”, that, in portuguese, we call “til”, and can be frequently found over the “N” in spanish words (like the country’s name itself, “ESPAÑA”), but I have no ideia how this symbol is called in english… Well, I just saw in Wikipedia it is called “tilde” in English…
Apart from that, perfect article, as usual! Brazilian fans have never given up on CART/ChampCar/IRL/IndyCars even during the series’ worst moments, because we always have competititve drivers taking place, including many recent champions, like Gil de Ferran (CART), Cristiano da Matta (CART) and Tony Kanaan (IRL), plus three times Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves…
Mike
10th April 2010, 18:25
Like a lot of people here, I really have no interest in the Oval tracks. Maybe I’ll watch them if I’m bored but not likely.
Something to check out though is the new chassis designs being proposed for the coming years. Some are pretty bizarre but the Lola and Swift ones look fantastic imo.
http://www.indycar.com/tech/content/34186-indycar-2012/
xabregas
10th April 2010, 18:49
I watch indycar series and usualy gives good racing. They have there own kers and actualy it gave more oportunities to overtaking manouvers. May not have Vetels or Hamiltons, but but have Castro Neves, Justin Wilson, Danica Patrick and so one, and some of the races on the ovals were (last year) breath taking.
GWbridge
11th April 2010, 1:08
The Push To Pass is not a KERS system with any sort of electrical assist. It’s just an engine management software command that give the engine more power. All the cars have the same engine and software, so no one has an unfair advantage.
YeaMon
10th April 2010, 19:12
If you’re disappointed by the entertainment the IRL puts on, then there’s not many racing series that can please you. The speed is amazing, the drivers are (for the most part) talented, and there’s some great side by side racing. The schedule is diverse in courses and geography. For those of you who have no interest in ovals (considering half the people who say that have never watch an oval race) give it a chance. The finishes have a high chance of being amazingly close.
Give the IRL a shot. It’s a great open wheel series.
nick
10th April 2010, 19:29
I was an oval scoffer for many years, then back in the late 90’s when euro sport used to show CART free on satellite I saw what all the fuss was about.
I dropped sky sports (soon to be sky all together seems I am paying 25 quid to basically watch poor final seasons of lost and 24) and dont have the lifestyle to be able to watch live so I am just having to catch highlights this season which is a real shame.
I am catching the NASCAR on openacess which I also like… but not to the same extent. while the racing is good (the road racing is brilliant… bring on more than 2 I say) but the oval races are too long. You just cant sit and watch 3 hours + of it.
GWbridge
10th April 2010, 19:22
The Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series is always very competitive and fun to watch. Great international and American drivers. Great action. And guess who owns it?
US_Peter
10th April 2010, 19:29
I’m not putting down IndyCar in general, but as to the argument of oval racing vs. road/street racing, ovals just don’t get me excited about racing. I realize they can produce just as competitive a race, and have close finishes. That’s not what racing’s all about for me. When I watch a race (especially when on-board cameras are shown), I like to imagine being in that drivers shoes, and steering around interesting curves is just more pleasure inducing than an oval. Left, left, left, left. Even when a Formula 1 race is processional, it still sends more tingles down my spine than watching drivers go in a big circle. I’m not writing from complete ignorance and lack of exposure either, as an American I’ve watched the Indy 500 many times over the years, and it’s never gotten me nearly as excited as watching even some of the more boring F1 races.
That said I’ll definitely check out some of the road and street races this year, and probably even the Indy 500 simply ’cause it’s a tradition. I had no idea about the live feed (thanks Keith for the heads up on that), and don’t get Versus which shows most of the races here in the US.
Cube
10th April 2010, 19:37
I’ll pass thanks. I can’t be bothered to follow yet another series. I have a hard time getting into new sports. I stopped following WTCC because its boring.
I’ll stick to sports I know.
WRC, BTCC, F1 & MOTOGP
Gilvan
10th April 2010, 20:39
I think Indycar is an interesting idea. I have been such a devoted F1 fan for the best part of the last 20 years that I never really thought of any other racing competition.
There is a lot F1 can learn from Indy, in terms of delivering racing and entertainment to the fans. Broadcasting the race on their website is a great idea, not to mention they are shown in HD (for the life of me, I don’t know why F1 is not). I have a couple of questions, I am sure you informed guys you be able to shed a light on.
So what do the teams do then, if the chassis, tyres and engine are spec. Are they allowed to develop it at all? What do they do? Bolt the tyres on, strap the driver in and watch?
Leigh O'Gorman
11th April 2010, 10:42
“So what do the teams do then, if the chassis, tyres and engine are spec. Are they allowed to develop it at all? What do they do? Bolt the tyres on, strap the driver in and watch?”
Pretty much yeah – although there’s nothing in the rules stopping a multiple chassis, the economy simply does exist to provide that right now and Dallara provide their chassis “as is”.
Gilvan
11th April 2010, 11:25
Its fair to say then that the main differential between teams is driver skill then? Interesting.
Kris H
10th April 2010, 21:41
Certainly worth watching the progress of Simona de Silversto of Switzerland. She’s been instantly quicker than Danica Patrick right from the first time she sat in the car and should only get better. She’s already cracked the top 12 qualifying once and just missed today by a tenth or so.
manatcna
10th April 2010, 21:59
Where can I watch?
Is this only on Sky?
Leigh O'Gorman
11th April 2010, 10:44
It’s shown live on Sky Sports 3 – the race is on from 8.30pm (GMT) tonight
Damon
10th April 2010, 22:05
I am a huge IndyCar fan and have been one for as long as I’ve been a fan of F1, which is almost 17 years now.
I’ve got far more memories of spectacular IndyCar/ChampCar races than F1 races.
Now tell me you don’t want to see these monsters do some real ballsy racing on this AMAZING race track:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2amoWpv0b8
WOAHAOAHWHAOAHAOWHAWAWAAA!!!!!
Aaren
10th April 2010, 22:41
I think a Live blog for the Indy car race would be great.
Mike "the bike" Schumacher
10th April 2010, 22:44
TRAITOR >:(
Although I guess it’s better to have an open mind ;)
Thats the reason why F1 doesn’t sell in America and Indy car doesn’t sell here we are too narrow minded.
ajokay
10th April 2010, 23:00
I would if i could, but I can’t find torrents of the races anywhere, and I’m not paying for Sky.
Invoke
10th April 2010, 23:29
But it’s broadcast live on the indycar.com website for free.
ajokay
11th April 2010, 10:51
Having just read all of the article, and your reply, so it is! This is very good news :)
Jose Arellano
11th April 2010, 0:42
if just the cars where not so ugly…
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
11th April 2010, 11:04
Are you talking about IndyCar or F1 cars?
Because those Dallara chassis are no lookers but at least they’ve not got F1’s ghastly, out-of-proportion wings.
Adam Tate
11th April 2010, 1:48
As an F1 fan from Texas, I’ve never been to a Formula one race, but I have been to several Indy races at Texas Motor Speedway and they are fantastic. Though I much prefer street and road corses, Indy always puts on a good show. After the last race I attended they opened up the garages to the fans, I got to touch one of the cars and meet Ryan Hunter-Reay. Go up and see the cars and the drivers right after a race. When was the last time you EVER heard of that happening in F1? Indycar is doing a lot of things right and will only get better when in 2012 they adopt a new formula and have multiple engine manufacturers and a new car. It has a lot to offer F1 fans, and although F1 is still my first love, it could learn a thing or two, or three from the IRL.
the Sri Lankan
11th April 2010, 1:48
hey guys, do you know where i can download full races to view for the IRL?
wasiF1
11th April 2010, 2:07
Nice article but I can’t imagine myself watching any other form of motorsports other than F1.
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
11th April 2010, 11:05
You don’t know what you’re missing. There’s so much more to motorsport than F1. I urge you to give it a try.
wasiF1
11th April 2010, 12:16
Thanks for the tip, but Keith here in Asia we only get to see live F1, Moto GP, GP2, & V8 Australia & etc. & they do sometime feature other forms of racing highlights like WRC, Nascar, World super bike, & many more but as I am a student plus also have a job it’s impossible for me to watch other forms of racing but F1. & only Moto GP & F1 are popular in my country.
Hatham Al-Shabibi
11th April 2010, 3:00
Indycar is great, despite the perception of “B” drivers. I live in Tampa so I was able to get media credentials for the St. Pete race and the series is becoming very fan-friendly again. The drivers literally walk to the paddock next to fans. You have the Danica factor, of course, but drivers like Castroneves, Kanaan, Wheldon, Dixon, Power, etc. are really good at what they do. The St. Pete track is gorgeous!
AlonsoWDC
11th April 2010, 3:12
The state of open wheel racing in America (as in, the IndyCar Series) remains in its crumbling state since the split. The merger in 2008 was needed but the series has only gotten that much more irrelevant in a market where racing really isn’t that notable on the sports scene at-large. NASCAR is still more or less received as a niche hole in the sports media, and it is by and large the most relevant racing in the US.
I’m American and I have watched AOW since the early-mid 1990s. But I have never been more disinterested in it than I am now. You may like the idea of a schedule (as lacking as it currently is aside) that has such a two-sided face, particularly considering the novelty of oval racing in Europe. And that’s fine. But don’t endorse the sport. It’s just awful and I fear it may be dying or at the least, entering another era of disarray. There was a race last summer (Edmonton, perhaps) where essentially 15% of the paltry ~200.000 estimated television audience came solely from the Indianapolis metropolitan area.
No one could care.
J.Danzig
12th April 2010, 7:37
F1 and IndyCar and in very similar states.Since 1995 u could probably chose any year u like-In F1 it has been held up by Ferrari,Mclaren,William’s and u could possibly throw Sauber in there,these are the only teams will play F1 – every one else just comes and goes.IndyCar racing Penske,Newman Hass,Chip Ganassi and Team Green now Andretti Autosport are the only teams that can play IndyCar Racing everyone else just comes and goes.
Jonesracing82
11th April 2010, 3:14
i would most certainly watch it, if it was shown here in oz, sadly it’s not! and the races are at about 3am on a sunday night and have work on mondays grrr, “V8 Supercars” is another great catagory
Silverkeg
11th April 2010, 5:08
I agree, I would love to watch it, but the coverage the Australian media gives to any motorsport series other then V8 Supercars, Formula1 and MotoGP is shameful. I dont think I’ve seen one mention of Will Power’s amazing success this season after breaking his back last year or of fellow Australian Ryan Briscoe almost winning the series last year. Daniel Ricciardo, Australia’s next F1 driver and hopefully champion hasn’t had any local coverage, either in his success in British F3 or the F1 young drivers test. I believe if Australian’s knew about these amazing talents, they would fully support them, but with not even a mention on Australian media, they are unknowns to anyone other then fanatics. thanks for the great website keith and don’t forget about V8Supercars ;)
Patrick
11th April 2010, 4:50
Guys, IndyCar is not the IndyCar that Jacques Villeneuve came through. Today they are spec cars with spec engines and ride buyers. It is a waste of a series and a waste of time. Take it from someone who grew up with the IndyCar World Series to Champ Car to IRL, what it is now is a far cry from racing, technology or intrigue.
As much as I think F1 is headed down a wrong road, IndyCar has already been down that road and there is no coming back.
It gets ratings far below infomercials and is less interesting than one as well.
Patrick
11th April 2010, 6:39
let me add that these terrible cars are also about 5 or more years old. there is so much to dislike it makes me think F1 in its current state is perfect. and that is saying something!!
J.Danzig
12th April 2010, 6:55
true, I did’nt realise there was no ride buyers in F1 or GP2.
Piffles
11th April 2010, 5:40
Both Series in their current state are pathetic in comparison to what they once were. Nevertheless, the first two Indycar rounds were entertaining to watch. However, I just have a huge problem with the interviews they do that consist in shamelessly plugging sponsors and asking personal family questions. It’s all so fake it sometimes puts me off the racing.
PATRICK(UK)
12th April 2010, 13:49
I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU THAT INDYCAR live coverage commentators are a joke….they spend too much time yapping about irrelevant matters …and waste time on trivialities instead of telling and cmmentating on the action on track…it a complete joke when you compare to the very proffessional and factual live on, right on time BBC commentary we get from FORMULA ONE.
Mike
11th April 2010, 6:58
As long as we’re plugging other series we watch are there going to be articles on the Le mans series or maybe V8 supercars. Those are fantastic races.
Johnny86
11th April 2010, 7:34
Indycar is technically inferior to f1 but it does provide exciting races…and f1 must adopt a system like push to pass button…moreover f1 should reduce its dependence on aerodynamics produced downforce
Karan
11th April 2010, 10:10
I absolutely love the Indycar Series. Playing Indycar Series on PS2 is the best experience ever.
I would love a “motorsport review” every week or fortnightly, which rounds up the races in Indycar Series and GP2.
matt90
13th April 2010, 20:20
Brilliant idea. Even if it was brief it would be good. Could maybe include LMES and ALMS and possibly even WRC and DTM.
Patrickl
11th April 2010, 11:19
If I’m going to watch a spec series I think I’d rather watch GP2 than IndyCar. I don’t see much IndyCar anymore, but the races I do see I see lots of “has beens” and those who will “never be” drive short sprints between safety car sessions.
Indeed there is lots of action with crashes, cars spinning of and people tripping over each other in the pitlane and even overtaking, but it’s not really the action I’m looking for.
With GP2 at least you have a sense that these drivers could go on to be F1 chapions one day. Somehow the kids in GP2 even seem more mature than the drivers in IndyCar. I’ve seen some stunning drives in GP2.
I always liked DTM, but since they don’t show that on Dutch TV anymore, I don’t see much of that anymore either.
Gilvan
11th April 2010, 11:43
In 20 years I have never as much as given a thought about any other form of motorsport. F1 has always been my one and first love. But I think I am being narrow minded, I will give Indycar a go, their first two races of the season are up on youtube on this channelhttp://www.youtube.com/user/sphaera666#p. I think MotoGP would also be interesting, you often hear about how good the racing is there. Thanks for the eye openning Keith!
STRFerrari4Ever
11th April 2010, 14:22
I watch Indy Car quite regularly and I do enjoy it like last year the race at Mid Ohio Sports Course was action packed with crashes and daring passing moves. The only thing I dislike about Indy Car is the Honda engines they just get on my nerves for some reason, I can’t stand their sound.
Talladega Knight
11th April 2010, 14:52
I have never watched IndyCar before, even though one of my fellow countrymen seems to excel in the sport; I am Scottish by the way. Watched NASCAR before, but didn’t like it, although there is a very good film starring Will Ferrell called ‘Taladega Nights,’ which is very funny, you should all see it. My second favourite motorsport is DTM where I support Paul di Resta, who is related to Dario Franchitti somehow? You should all watch DTM which is light years better than BTCC. Although I stil am a die-hard McLaren fan!
Michel S.
11th April 2010, 14:54
Yes, please, to a live blog for Indy 500. I am really impressed that they use standard Flash for their Race Control *and* do not limit the broadcast to US viewers. Worth supporting, even if F1 has better drivers; the latter could use some reminders of what racing is all about.
Coupled with an F1Fanatic live blog, I’d say their only worry would be that fans might start preferring it to watching live on track! I guess nothing beats the fumes and roar of the real deal, though.
GST
11th April 2010, 14:57
All the cars look and sound the same. It’s a one make series. Where’s the variety? Where’s the difference in car design, technology and aerodynamics?
carlos
11th April 2010, 15:06
F1 is about cars and who has the $400 million to excel. Indy is about the drivers and who can drive better on similar cars.First race in Sao Paulo proved this point. It was a skill race more than a car race. It was refreshing to see the drivers competing.
carlos
11th April 2010, 15:00
Here is an interesting look at the track. I looks really nice. Could this be a “thinking man” track? If F1 was not so elitist they could get a car in there and try it out. Instead we get Bahrain and Singapore.
http://www.barbermotorsports.com/flash-map.php
Alexf1man
11th April 2010, 17:08
What about MotoGP? It has some good moments, even though it’s bikes.
bob
11th April 2010, 17:37
I think F1, Moto GP, WTCC, GP2, BTCC are more interesting. Indycar is made for USA not Europe
Plink Plonk Plunk
11th April 2010, 19:20
Thanks for posting this Keith.
Indy Car may not have all the glamour and technical advances that F1 has, but it doesnt have all the unnecessary drama either.
Would like to see them run at Spa in the future as they start racing abroad more. Looking forward to my home race at Long Beach in a weeks time.
I would be interested in a live blog during these races. Barber should be a great track for this series. Isnt this the track that USF1 was, supposibly, going to do some testing on?
AB
11th April 2010, 20:08
I am a big fan of F-1, but I like IndyCar too. I also like WSBK. I know many people like MotoGP, Rossi and so on, but for me WSBK is more interesting then MotoGP.
DomPrez
11th April 2010, 20:46
watching indy race now, wishing there was a live blog :(
RubinhoFan
11th April 2010, 20:51
Just watching the race now the camera coverage is terrible and the race seems worse then the bahrain GP
Untitled258
11th April 2010, 21:05
Ok, i have the indy car on now, and it seems to be streaming well. The only problem is i have the MotoGP on too, which i do prefer to Indy, its hard to watch them both at the same time!! :(
Untitled258
11th April 2010, 21:13
I prefer to watch MotoGP even, not indy.
Rob Knight
11th April 2010, 22:07
I watched the first 25 laps of the Indy Grand Prix of Alabama and it wasn’t the racing that made it boring but the footage which was mostly ariel shots meaning the cars were merely dots on the screen driving around the circuit! There needs to be lots more ground level shots and also onboard shots like Formula 1 for it to be as good as F1.
Untitled258
11th April 2010, 22:14
Yep, kind of annoying! Also the fact they don’t show the replays :(
Still, pretty decent non the less.
Enigma
12th April 2010, 13:37
The TV coverage is very good, but race control isn’t. You can watch the onboards if you want though, from 4 drivers every race.
US_Peter
11th April 2010, 22:23
Yeah, I’m watching the whole thing just to give it a shot, but that streaming coverage is really annoying. The announcers are calling passes and action that isn’t being shown on the live stream which is very frustrating. It’s also interesting how much less precise they are about fuel strategy, and just all of the technical aspects in general in comparison to F1. Looks like after dominating the whole race Marco Andretti won’t win due to his team underestimating the amount of fuel he would use in the 2nd and 3rd stints. Their pit stops also look a lot more amateur compared to F1, but that said, they’re still surprisingly fast.
US_Peter
11th April 2010, 22:25
As an American F1 fan, it’d be great to see Andretti get himself a Formula 1 drive. Would he be the first third generation F1 driver? I know he tested with Honda a couple times in the ’06/’07 winter and was just over a second slower than Button. I wonder why he hasn’t tried a little harder to get into F1.
GWbridge
13th April 2010, 1:04
Peter, I don’t know why any American driver would want to drive in F1 and put up with all of the verbal abuse, prejudicial treatment, and disrespectful treatment he or she would have to endure. Some drivers have a life in the country where they live. Remember, Mario was born in Italy, had strong ties to the European racing scene, and Formula One was a life-long dream for him. Michael was always under enormous pressure to live up to his father’s career. That was not unexpected and probably self-imposed by Michael, but he had a life and a family in the USA and was never really fully comitted to F1. He never moved to Europe, but he was always treated as an outsider and probably didn’t get a fair deal all the way around. Jump forward to Marco who grew up as a priveleged son of very wealthy family in the USA. He’s a talented driver, but does he have the kind of drive that his Italian-immigrant grandfather had? Let Marco be Marco. We should have let Michael be Michael. I am just very pleased that there are so many Andrettis who are happy, healthy and successful where they are at present. And that includes Michael’s cousin John who will be in the 500 again this year.
AB
11th April 2010, 22:47
IndyCar race in Barber wasnt the most interesting race this season, but still more interesting then F-1 in Bahrain.
Mike
11th April 2010, 22:52
The TV coverage of the race is far better than the streaming coverage on their website in case anyone from Europe was wondering.
I just got done watching the race and thought it was pretty good. Kinda petered out towards the end. But it kept me entertained instead of working on homework.
Untitled258
11th April 2010, 22:55
Thats just more fustrating to know! I want replays! Maybe i should get sky or something. Ive been considoring getting the xbox360 sky player, too expensive though i think, i cant get regular sky in my flat :(
dj
12th April 2010, 0:15
The funny thing is, these Euro’s couldn’t Fig. out how to change cams online…6 in car cams,2pit lane cams ,4 track level cams…an their watch the race from the Heli cam…too funny ,next time maybe one of us should tell them how to change cams…but not from me…i ask for a free VPN from England an they never pass on this info
F1Yankee
11th April 2010, 23:33
i’d like to blog here during indianapolis. if it goes well can we get a montreal / le mans combo? :)
AlanP
12th April 2010, 0:52
I watched both the indycar Race and all three of the motoGp races. indycar race wasn’t bad at all, not too much passing, but certainly more than F1 @Bahrain!!
As per usual the 125 and new moto2 were excellent, lots of passing and riders mixing it up. motoGP was also better than usual, no one rider seemed to ride away with it which happened a lot last year. WSBK was also on this year and this gives far more action, more equal riders on more equal machinery than motoGP as well and is worth watching! Loads of brits on good machinery in WSBK too!
AlanP
12th April 2010, 0:52
Bah! I said this year, I meant this weekend!
Jev
12th April 2010, 1:47
what is the equivalent to indy? is it gp2/formula 2 or gp3/formula 3?
think i’ve watched some in the past, indy/irl/champ (sorry but i can’t tell the difference), is it good to watch now?
pitt layne
12th April 2010, 9:26
Indy Car is a shadow of its former self. It will no longer be what it was. American audiences pumped up the ratings because the races were exciting, the venues diverse, and there were far more American drivers mixed in with real champion veterans. Fittipaldi, Mansell, Andretti. The feeder series, Indy Lights and Atlantics, gave homegrowns a ladder to follow through to Indy Cars. Now all American talent heads to NASCAR style racing. More ratings and more money. Without a feeder series and “former” WDC coming over for effect the popularity will stagnate. Now it’s just a series of neverwills and second gens. Remember, Senna tested an IndyCar at Firebird Raceway in Arizona back in the day.
Andrew G
12th April 2010, 12:05
A few people have already mentioned it but I will agree that it would be good if we got Indy car races televised here in Australia. Especially considering an Australian is winning and another almost won the series last year. Maybe one day.
Derek
12th April 2010, 16:39
I watched it for two years 1993/4 when our Nigell went over and showed them how to do it! He drove for Newman Hass with the Andrettis Mario & Micheal.
mitchibob
13th April 2010, 0:41
wasn’t he out injured for 3 races and still won?
Chaz
12th April 2010, 18:35
I don’t mind Indy but struggle with any motor racing series that races around ovals. I prefer it when they race around a circuit. The same applies to Nascar. In truth I’m more a fan of open wheel first off but I do like 2 wheel racing like motogp and WSBK and also enjoy jetsprint and powerboat racing to name a few as the list could go on and on lol.
But as I say many other forms of motorsport are very entertaining including something I watched the other day on MotorTV that had these mega powered pick-up trucks racing flat out around an oversized BMX dirt track flying over bumps with big air and smashing and flipping over into each other like bumper cars, completely mental. I wish I could remeber the name of the series…
mitchibob
13th April 2010, 0:40
OK.. after watching some of race yesterday, I have to say, Indycar is still NOTHING on F1. Regardless of overtaking, etc., the American commentary is just absolute drivel, and the action wasn’t much better. After Sato ‘stalled’ and the ridiculous procession that followed, I completely lost interest.
Just so glad the Qatar MotoGP race made up for it with proper excitement…. Stoner crashing out has already turned this season of MotoGP into one to watch, because he’s not going to do that often, and has something to chase already! But crashes were far from the highlight of that race… but just incredible rides from a number of riders.
Eric
13th April 2010, 1:02
Don’t call it Indycar, call it what it is “Danicar” All for the glory of that over rated snotty b&*ch Danica Patrick. Bunch of second rate, wanna be F1 drivers who act like they are better than Senna or Shumacher!! And consider this Keith… FOUR GIRLS race in the series!! Really how competitive can it be?? Not to sound sexist but the reality is women are not as good as men in racing, History has proven this. And the majority of the series is based on Danica. I am an American and was a fan of CART and CHAMPCAR, it was ruined by Tony George and the hyped up Danica. Now the IRL is a joke of series with no where near the talent of GP2 much less F1!!!!!!!!!
mitchibob
13th April 2010, 3:09
“Danicar”… … couldn’t have said it better myself! :-)
GWbridge
13th April 2010, 5:31
Eric, that’s quite a lot of drivel to pack into one paragraph. As for women in racing, Danica is a real racer and usually finishes ahead of most of the men. In fact, she finished 5th in the final standings out of 40 drivers. Doesn’t sound as if you have a handle on ANY of your facts. Simona de Silvestro has been very competitive and feisty on the track. It’s only a matter of time until some woman has the combination of talent, backers and luck it takes to make any champion.
Eric
13th April 2010, 22:19
Danica is a real racer and usually finishes ahead of most of the men.?? Really GW? What the hell does that say about the talent level in that series??? And by the way I can’t remember.. How many women champions has there been??? Oh yea right NONE!
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
13th April 2010, 8:21
I’ve never seen any indication of this whatsoever. Generally they comes across as an unpretentious bunch who are a lot more media-friendly than F1 drivers are.
I think you’re onto a loser the moment you start using phrases like “not to sound sexist, but…”
We’ve only ever seen a tiny number of women competing in the top level of motorsport. A tiny fraction compared to the number of male drivers. No way near enough to draw any worthwhile conclusions about whether women can be as competitive as men in top-flight motor racing.
pride
13th April 2010, 4:53
F1 should learn from indy cars on race courses. Very close racing as f1 used to be,equal cars were you can more easily see who is the best, high definition, nice website, etc. I think that if indy creat equal cars but with the technolgy of f1 in the new cars in engine and transmission and do just 1 oval race it can easily surpass f1. Do races just in Europe, U.S. and Canada on the best circuits rather than those asian boring mega construction entertainment parks rather than race circuits. Barber Motorsport circuit is amazing, as good as silverstone, spa, monza, brands hatch, nurburgring, gilles villeneuve, watkins glen
Joel
13th April 2010, 16:37
I followed Indycar, then CART, and then gave up. Now with Tony George gone I’m willing to test the waters again, but honestly, those cars are the ugliest racing cars in the history of mankind. When those cars are gone, the last vestiges of the old republic will be swept away, and I will give it a chance again…
Joel
Jerry
14th April 2010, 14:52
Unfortunately, when people think of American racing, they usually refer to Nascar or oval racing; neither of which I would waste my time watching. CART was a fantastic series until it was ruined by “Boy George” taking his Indy 500 and going home sulking. The IndyCar Series is trying a comeback, but the chassis/engine combination is horrible and the new designs aren’t much better. I will watch the series on street/permanent road courses, but won’t bother with any of the ovals (which are meant for dirt track racers anyway). As far as Danica and Milka, one hopes Simona will far overshadow their inabilities/lack of talent (other than female) and give the media something else to focus on. I still prefer F1; even with all the circuses and politics.