Club Arnage

Any of our North American CA'ers headed to Mid-Ohio this weekend for the ALMS-Indycar meeting?  Myself and the Mrs. will be in residence early Saturday morning.  Should be a good show.
Fax

Except for Sunday, you mean?  ;D

Won't be there this year.  Hard to swallow their association with the inheritor league, but I had other plans anyway.  You going to Road America?

Hi Chop,
Would like to go to Elkhart, but looks doubtful.  Got alot of stuff on my plate for the next month or so.  Definitely going to try and make it to the Petit though.  The Mid-Ohio weekend looks like good fun despites The Boobs circus being part of the show, full supporting card along with the ALMS. When the Indycars are on the track, its a good time to go checkout the vendors, or grab some grub.
Fax

Fax, I've been meaning to ask you for ages, can you give us your take on the Indy/CART merger?

I vaguely knew something was going on, but it's not big news this side of the pond. I assume this is all down to a collapse in revenues following the lunatic decision to split up the league, so a brief update and your valued (and hopefully ascerbic!) comment upon Mr George's business acumen would be much appreciated.  :D

Cheers, and I hope you're well too!

Andy

Hi Andy,
Collapse in revenues is a understatement.  Basically they reunited in the interest of survival.  Both have suffered from abysmal TV ratings and gate attendance in recent years, and have struggled to put together twenty car grids and attract sponsorship.  The whole thing is really depressing, what we have left after the merger is essentially a watered down, poor man's version of what Indycar racing used to be.  Spec cars and journyman rent-a-schmuck drivers are what Tony George's grand vision has left us with.  There is a glimer of hope with new (yet to be announced) engine regs for 2011, but for the time being we're stuck with the crap spec Dallara chassis- Honda engine combination until then.  If Indycar has any sense it will open things up to multi chassis and engine constructors, as in the good old days, but with the current economic climate, I fear spec cars will be what they'll opt for.
As for The Boob (aka Tony George), he's a complete f**k*ng idiot, there's no way to sugarcoat it.  He took a thriving discipline of the sport and reduced it to the pile-o-pooh we have today, all in the name of his half-baked illiterate ego.
fax

Thanks Fax. Sounds like some disasterous business decisions were taken. What a shame, they had F1 on the ropes ten-odd years ago.

Fifteen years ago Indycar racing was strong enough to lure the reigning world champion away from F1.  Today it can't even keep its existing champ from jumping ship to NASCAR.  CART in the mid-ninties wasn't perfect, but it was a hell of alot better than what Indycar is now.   I have a friend who used to work for the now defunct Cheever Racing, and some of his stories of how the IRL is run are absolutely mind-boggling.  And he'll tell you what most of the people in Indycar racing really think of Danica Patrick, how she ended up in Indycars to start with (considering she hadn't won a race since she was in karts), and the current pimping of her.  It starts with a pissed to the eyeballs Danica, and certain former champion driver, turned to team owner, climbing into a hotel elevator, arm in arm together.
Of the current crop of drivers, Dixon and Kanan have some real talent.  The rest? As I said, journeyman to mediocre rent-a-stiffs. If Greg Moore hadn't been killed at the end of 1999, Helio Castroneves would be back home in Brazil selling sunglasses and tanning lotion on the beaches at Rio. 
Fax

That sounds great Fax, I mean, who amaongst us (the men I mean) wouldn't want to test drive Dannika Patrick given the chance? She's a fit as a burglar's dog.

To be fair, sex and racing has gone hand in fist for ever and a day. I could tell you about a famous Scottish BTCC/saloon car driver and his disappearing act in a brothel when the team were testing in Spain a few years ago; he vanished for well over 24 hours. But I'd probably be sued...

You could tell it, just without revealing his name.

I did!

I've no idea what he actually got up to in there, as I wasn't with him at the time. Worst luck...

Time for a guess a thon.

Cleland? :-X

Wotcher fax,
You still pedalling?
H

Hey BigH.
Can I have one of those beers in your avatar?
Damn they look good right now.

Randy

No problems Randy, help yourself!
H

Aaaahhhh !
That sure hit the spot.
Better go get another one trays though,I'm feeling the need for a good old fashioned Welsh binge this weekend.
Anyone care to join me?

Randy The Welsh.

That ties in very nicely with the "OK who was it" thread Randy ;D

Here's a partial combined grid from the ALMS and Indycar <ack> this weekend.  ALMS cars in bold.  The "best" that American open wheel racing has to offer can't get out of the way of a big, fat sports car.  Keep in mind, the IRL is the series that will be more popular than F1 in 10 years - just ask the idiotgrandson^(TM)  George should be jailed for fraud.

1 DE FERRAN MOTORSPORTS   Gil de Ferran/Simon Pagenaud    1:07.969
   1 Tony Kanaan    1:08.0301
   2 Helio Castroneves    1:08.0731
2 PATRÓN HIGHCROFT RACING   David Brabham/Scott Sharp    1:08.193
   3 Scott Dixon    1:08.2328
3 PENSKE RACING   Timo Bernhard/Romain Dumas    1:08.238
   4 Justin Wilson    1:08.2432
4 ANDRETTI GREEN RACING   Franck Montagny/Marco Andretti    1:08.320
5 AUDI SPORT NORTH AMERICA   Lucas Luhr/Marco Werner    1:08.357
   5 Ryan Briscoe    1:08.4379
   6 Hideki Mutoh    1:08.4521
6 LOWE'S FERNANDEZ RACING   Adrian Fernandez/Luis Diaz    1:08.507
   7 Buddy Rice    1:08.5086
   8 Marco Andretti    1:08.5232
   9 Vitor Meira    1:08.6261
   10 Dan Wheldon    1:08.6627
7 AUDI SPORT NORTH AMERICA   Dindo Capello/Emanuele Pirro    1:08.960
8 PENSKE RACING   Patrick Long/Sascha Maassen    1:09.614
9 DYSON RACING   Chris Dyson/Guy Smith    1:09.912
10 DYSON RACING   Marino Franchitti/Butch Leitzinger    1:10.029   
           24 Mario Moraes                1:10.8747
   25 Marty Roth    1:12.1395
   26 Milka Duno    1:13.3922
26 BLACK SWAN RACING   Tim Pappas/Anthony Lazzaro    1:23.729
27 TAFEL RACING   Alex Figge/Jim Tafel    1:24.047
28 PRIMETIME RACE GROUP   Joel Feinberg/Chris Hall    1:24.957

Hi H, sorry it took so long to get back to you. Yes, still peddling, but not as much as I should, and its showing.  Sporting a few extra kilos of ballast these days.
The ALMS show was terrific Saturday, a few more full course cautions for my taste, but a good hard fought race.  Shame about the fire in the De Ferran pits, I didn't see it, but my cousin Dan was on the pit balcony just down from their pit and said it was pretty damn scary when it broke out.  Fortunately the fire crews are well drilled and delt with it swiftly.
Biggest shock of the weekend was the size of the crowd, it was absolutely massive!  Both Sat & Sunday.  The largest car crowd I've seen at Mid-Ohio since the heyday of CART.  They always attract a huge crowd for the two bike weekends, but this weekends mob was every bit as large, probably larger.  It looked like the Mid-Ohio folks were probably caught off guard a bit by this as well, lines for the bogs, and concession stands were silly long, and were perhaps a little understaffed.
Fax

So Fax, in your opinion were they all there for the ALMS or - to paraphrase you - to watch Uncle Tony George's lame dog 'n' pony show?

Hi Andy, yes, as painful as it is to admit, the place was pretty damn full on Sunday for the Indycars.  I put this down to a couple of reasons.  First of all, with no USGP this year, if your a single seater road racing fan, and live in the midwest, this is about as good as its going to get this season.  Also there was a good supporting card on Sunday, including Speed Touring, and GT races.  I suspect this was done partially to keep some of the sportcar fans around to boost Sunday attendance the numbers.  To be honest I didn't really see that many fans wearing Indycar apparel, there were probably alot casual fans attracted by the "big event" hype.  Looked like far more of a purist road racing crowd on Saturday.
Fax

Wotcher fax,
I rode in something called the Marmotte a couple of weeks ago, and bumped into a lot of your mid-western countrymen over for the event, - sadly once the mountains started the chatting stopped. Apart from the Spanish that is, they managed, somehow, to talk for the whole duration. A magnificent, if brutal ride, - put it on your list of things to do!
H

I always knew you were bluffing with that newbie on a bicycle routine H - didnt fool me for a minute.  You are proper hardcore mate.

F

Fran's right - http://www.cyclosport.org/article.aspx?id=202&eventid=149

H, did you do the Long (174km, 5000ft altitude) or the short (76km, 2000 alt)?

I love this bit, about the arrangements.

Adequate Car Parking Facilities : no
Changing Rooms : no
Showers : no
Food & Drink : no

At least it's honest...

I really don't know what all the fuss is about. I've just been out for a nice cycle ride this evening, it was great. I got my dog to tow me up a steep mile-long hill by means of a retractable lead attached to his collar. I sat on my mountain bike yelling encouraging "MUSH" noises whilst beating him with another lead. At the top of the hill I called in to the local pub where I had a refreshing pint of cider, and the dog had a bowl of water to soothe his hacking cough and bleeding paws. This cycling lark's a piece of piss I tell you.

Hmmm...
The long one mate, and I believe at one point I really did see Jesus. And Elvis, with all of his disciples. The pic is of the last 9km, the wiggly bit in the middle.
It was quite a day.
H

Were you wiggling upwards or downwards?!  :o

What part of God's Country do you come from Randy?

I'm a valley's boy myself born in Merthyr, lived in Abervan and Trelewis.

'British by birth, Welsh by the grace of God'

Leftie, here's a link to some idle banter we had around this subject back in August 2005 (By the cringe, that was 3 years ago.  Where's the time gone!)

http://www.clubarnage.com/forum/index.php?topic=4146.0 (http://www.clubarnage.com/forum/index.php?topic=4146.0)

Last year Honda gave away tens of thousands of tickets.  Hear any talk of that?

I believe I was wiggling upwards Fran, - I'm not sure which way these young chaps were wiggling though.....
H

Snakes alive! Literally.

Why would someone dress like to go on a podium? What must the sponsors think?

Good on you H - you know how to bring a bit of cheer to what would otherwise have been another unexciting day!

 :D

F

If the sponsors are the Polish Tool and Pipework Trades Union then they would be pretty impressed I reckon!  Likewise if they are sponsored by the Krakow Meat and Veg Co-Operative. 

:)

I concur. :)

Dx

Hey Fax
Surprised to see no mention of the pitlane cat-fight........

www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXUd6bn1Vti8

I live in "SUNNY AND VERY FRIGGING HOT" St.petersburg Fl.
Two hours away from the center of my world "SEBRING".
As you saw in that thread from many years ago,I have gained quite an education on my heritage[thanks Steve b.
As well as life in general[thanks Andy Zasre].And have made many lifelong friends,way too many to mention.I went to LeMans in 06 and had the time of my life thanks to CA and especailly DFH.Hope to meet you in person some day.Have you ever given coming to Sebring a thought?I think you would enjoy.
Do I have out there that can back me up on that one?

American by birth,Welsh by the grace of God.

I'll back you up Randy.  Sebring is one of the greatest places on this planet and I can't wait for March '09 when I'm back there again.  ;D

Leftie - get your arse across the pond and go see for yourself.  You'll love it!

Dx

Planning the same trip for next year, lets just hope the weatherforecast is a bit better then the 2007 event. ;)

2006 was lovely weather  ;D

So was most of 2008.  ;D

Dx

Chop, yes, I did hear that Honda handed out a fair number of freebies, and I saw alot of people walking around in those Marlboro racing hats they give away with two tickets to the race when you purchase a carton of smokes.  There was a big crowd Sunday, but I'm not sure that many of them payed to get in.
Hey Matt, regarding the catfight, I wish Milka would've clocked her, instead of just throwing a towel.
Why can't Danica just go away?  A writer for NBC sports wrote a scathing article on their website, http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/25784989/ about Patrick and her antics.  She's wearing out her ten minutes of fame rather quickly.
Fax