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Post by Deleted on May 30, 2010 16:22:35 GMT -5
This was a good race, even though Dario Franchitti dominated it. I was very happy with the outcome. I was glad to see Tony Kanaan do so well and Helio screwed up....I said he'd win if nothing happened. I have always liked Dario, even if he drives for racings version of Tom Arnold.
I say we start a letter writing campaign to ABC to replace brain dead Brent Musburger! Again, he proved what an azz hole he is before the race even started. It was good to hear Gomer sing, "Back Home Again in Indiana." When he goes, the Speedway should have a tape of him singing it.
Also, what is the name of the half-azz rock band that plays before the commercials? I have heard better noise after a baked bean dinner! One last gripe...Someone should tell who ever sings the National Anthem that song is ours, not their to add any personal touches to. Sing it with reverence, or don't sing it at all! Jewell was okay, until the end when she went on her "make sounds from a bad porno" trip...Much better than Steven Tyler in 2001, I have to admit!!
Again, WAY TO GO DARIO!!!!!
Best to you all!
Russ (Starting to sound like Clint "The Original Old Curmudgeon" Brawner)
P.S. - Now let us see how long it takes Michael at Indycals to come out with a sheet of the winning car?
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Post by pylonguy2003 on May 30, 2010 16:33:49 GMT -5
I agree Russ! I thought it was a good race. I was glad that the Ed Conway was not hurt too bad in the wreck right at the end. The race was definitely a disaster for Penske. I thought that the coverage was well done although it seemed every time they went side by side something seemed to happen. I even managed to stay awake which for me is usually a major accomplishment!
Tim ;D
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Post by Patrick on May 30, 2010 18:05:20 GMT -5
"...heard better noise after a baked bean diner." THAT is Funkin' funny!!! I have to remember to use that in my 8th grade language Arts class!!!
Thanks, you old Curmudgeon!
Patrick, the meek and tame
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Post by indycals on May 30, 2010 19:14:17 GMT -5
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Post by illeagle10 on May 30, 2010 19:44:50 GMT -5
Some observations: Congrats to Dario, I am happy for him! I was rooting for anyone of the underdogs, yet it again, it was one of the big two! Even though, I thought that the race was pretty good. However, I think the coverage was a little suspect. It seemed every time there was some action was when they were in a commercial break during "Side by Side." I know you can't forsee those things, however, only once did they break in on the commercial. Thank goodness someone came up with "Side by Side" so we could see the action.
Grandstands looked awfully sparse too!
Jim
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Post by stonecold44 on May 30, 2010 20:08:43 GMT -5
Just got back from Indy. I made it home in less than 3 hours even stopping for gas. Anyway, Russ, the singer of the National Anthem was Jewel, whoever she is. I think there was a technical malfunction somewhere during the song because you couldn't hear it over the track speakers for a few lines.
My seat was directly across from Dario's pit, under the penthouse so I was very lucky to get that seat with shade, as hot as it was there. Had a great view of Briscoe's car when it came to a stop after his wreck.
Here are my thoughts on the day:
1) Really hot and I was surprised there weren't more crashes. Maybe a testament to how good the tires are now. Teams were chasing the track and it seemed to help TCG Racing and the Andretti team.
2) Simona DiSilvestro and Ana Beatriz were very consistent all day. Put them with really good teams and they could be in the top 10 soon. Certainly they are on a fast track to catch Danica as far as high finishes here. They are the real deal. Speaking of Ms Patrick, she was loudly booed during driver intros and to her credit, she also was consistent in driving to a 6th place finish.
3) I never thought I'd see so many slip-ups by top teams. Dixon's team lost a wheel during a pit stop, Power took off with the fuel hose still engaged and Helio stalled his car leaving the pits.
4) How has Townsend Bell not hooked on with a top team? He is a darn good driver and has run in the top 10 the last 2 years. Im not sure his black flag was deserved. I have to watch the race to see what he did.
5) To that end, was Graham Rahal's or John Andretti's deserved? Both were for blocking too and that might be a gray area that needs to be explained better. There were more penaties called today than the Flyers got in the Stanley Cup Finals last night.
6) It was painfully obvious that TK and Marco were driving slowly the last 10 laps to save fuel. On one lap I timed Marco at around 202mph. Barely moving compared to what his car was capable of. On the other hand, it made for a great game of who might run out of gas before the checkered flag fell. Too bad there had to be that nasty crash at the end.
7) Last, it was hilarious that Jack Nicholson wanted to keep dropping the green flag. 3 times for a guest starter? Too funny.
If I think of anything else, I'll post it later.
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Post by indycals on May 30, 2010 20:09:11 GMT -5
Grandstands looked awfully sparse too! Jim Grandstands had more people in them than in the last three years. Today was easily the biggest crowd in a long time. The infield keeps getting bigger every year. |
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Post by clm1545 on May 30, 2010 20:45:07 GMT -5
I am not a fan of Mr. Judd or his team owner, however he did seem to have them covered today. Much more legit than his 07 win. It would have been interesting to see what would have happened if the race had finished under green. After the crash I thought, if Weldon passes him under the yellow, he can moan and groan for the rest of his life adout how he got shafted and really did win at Indy, like someone else we all know. Just a thought.
Take Care
Craig
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Post by stonecold44 on May 30, 2010 20:57:03 GMT -5
Grandstands looked awfully sparse too! Jim Grandstands had more people in them than in the last three years. Today was easily the biggest crowd in a long time. The infield keeps getting bigger every year. I thought the crowd was much bigger than the last two years as well. The seating behind the pits was sparse but if they had suite passes, you couldn't blame them for staying inside. A couple of thoughts about the pre-race festivities; The fans show so much respect and appreciation to the members of the Armed Services. Standing ovations and waving....very cool. And man was it quiet during the playing of Taps. Just the way it should be. And not sure about the other sections of seating but the section I was in, and the surrounding ones were all singing with Jim Nabors. It reminded me of how they do it at the Kentucky Derby with My Old Kentucky Home. |
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Post by illeagle10 on May 30, 2010 21:17:01 GMT -5
Grandstands looked awfully sparse too! Jim Grandstands had more people in them than in the last three years. Today was easily the biggest crowd in a long time. The infield keeps getting bigger every year. Sorry to say that I was not there at Indy this year, but sat at home and watched it on the tube. So, being there may have had that perception. From what I saw after watching it for the second time today and after watching other 500s all week, the crowd seemed pretty sparse. The last time I was at Indy was 95, I know that was 15 years ago. I had been to Indy ten consecutive years before that. I used to meet Bill Jorgensen in the pit area back then, because I was only there for the day. My seats were in turn two and we sat shoulder to shoulder each year. Looks like I could have a whole row to myself this year. When you see the replay when you get home you'll see what I mean. Jim |
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Post by Deleted on May 30, 2010 21:32:33 GMT -5
Gregg,
One thing that can be said of the crowds at the Speedway, they are always very observant of taps and the military. One reason you'll never hear Stephen Tyler and Areoshit ever do the National Anthem at the Speedway, ever again.
Count your blessings on not hearing Jewell....She was okay until the last 24 bars of the National Anthem...then she blew it our her butt! Again, I've heard better noise after a baked bean dinner! Man, Old Gomer sounded great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
As for the broadcast team, for which I am always very critical....It wasn't has bad as when they tried the All-American Phony Rusty Wallace. Scott and Eddie did a good job in the booth with Marty/ Not too much over stating the bloody obvious like in the past. I was hoping for Helio, happy for Dario who really respects the Speedway and it's history.
Former Track President Wilbur Shaw once said, "I'm asked every year, who's going to win the race this year?" To which he would shake his head and reply, "If I knew that, why run the race at all?" No one can ever tell who or what will happen or which team will screw the pooch like Penske and Ganassi did this year.
Over all, I liked the race and was happy to see the broadcast honor Jim Rathmann before in the pre-race show....Now, if only we could lose that idiot Musburger...........
Best to you!
Russ
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Post by Deleted on May 30, 2010 21:42:43 GMT -5
After the crash I thought, if Weldon passes him under the yellow, he can moan and groan for the rest of his life adout how he got shafted and really did win at Indy, like someone else we all know. Just a thought. Take Care Craig Craig....Whom everdo you mean, sir? (BWHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!)Could you mean the Great White North Wussy Boy? (LOL!!!!) Best to you! Russ |
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Post by stuboyle on May 31, 2010 1:59:29 GMT -5
2) Simona DiSilvestro and Ana Beatriz were very consistent all day. Did I see Ana loose it avoiding the Conway/Hunter-Reay crash? What was the deal the with that Crash anyway? Was Hunter-Reay driving really slow in fuel conservation while Conway driving very fast that caused it? 3) I never thought I'd see so many slip-ups by top teams. Dixon's team lost a wheel during a pit stop, Power took off with the fuel hose still engaged and Helio stalled his car leaving the pits. Did anyone notice that Power did NOT come back into the pit with the fuel hose stuck in his car, forcing a yellow to come out? I thought that smart but poor sportsmanship in my book. I would have given him a much harsher penalty. 4) How has Townsend Bell not hooked on with a top team? He is a darn good driver and has run in the top 10 the last 2 years. Im not sure his black flag was deserved. I have to watch the race to see what he did. Bell has really seemed to dropped off the radar in the past few years. Its seems like he had some opportunities in the past but just didn't impress but it been too long ago to recall. Another couple of guys who have fallen of the radar include Alex Barron and Buddy Rice. 5) To that end, was Graham Rahal's or John Andretti's deserved? Both were for blocking too and that might be a gray area that needs to be explained better. There were more penaties called today than the Flyers got in the Stanley Cup Finals last night. The penalties were deserved in my opinion. The TV coverage did a good job of replaying the blocks. A few blocks got by without penalties but most got called. 6) It was painfully obvious that TK and Marco were driving slowly the last 10 laps to save fuel. On one lap I timed Marco at around 202mph. Barely moving compared to what his car was capable of. On the other hand, it made for a great game of who might run out of gas before the checkered flag fell. Too bad there had to be that nasty crash at the end. I was wondering that if it had stayed green if Dario would have ran out of fuel? What happened to TK at the end? I though he was in the same fuel conservation mode as everyone else or did he end up pitting. What happened to Tag? Did he get a bad set up tires? He was dramatically slower after a stop midway through the race. All in all, it would have taken 5 screw-ups from the big teams for a smaller team to win and we only 4. |
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Post by professor on May 31, 2010 8:06:31 GMT -5
BLOCKING?
I remember in a F-1 race a few years back, Lauda was criticized for trying to keep a car behind him and not letting them pass to which Lauda said " I thought that was the idea, to keep the others behind you?"
It's part of racing.
Didn't like the results, can't stand Ganassi!
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Post by harveythedog2 on May 31, 2010 8:44:33 GMT -5
Dario was untouchable when in the lead and would run away from everybody. But his car did not handle the same in traffic and he had a hard time even passing Sato's Lotus. Graham got boned IMO. After his drive through for blocking he stayed ahead of Dario until the next caution. I know I heard the loud speaker say that Graham was good to go with around 22 laps left and I was disappointed that he had to come in for fuel. I think if not for the blocking penalty, he may have ended up the winner. I got Michael's new decals for that car so that one is going to be on the table soon.
The run of the day had to be Tony Kanaan though. Passed 7 or 8 cars before getting to turn two. He was ON IT and passed more people yesterday than I have ever seen!
I too would have loved a dark horse to win and Weldon was not on my radar all day long. I don't care for him but he's still got it and if not for the crash at the end could have made the finish really interesting.
I am thankful that I was also in the shade and feel for those that weren't. 96 degrees with a 1 mph wind was not fun. I actually drank a ratio of 5 waters to every beer.
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Post by lance on May 31, 2010 10:02:34 GMT -5
I will always cheer for and be glad to see a Scott win the race, don't care who he drives for. As for the race , I have seen better and seen worse. At least we were in the shade. Never drink white russians the night before the race, seemed like a fun idea at the time. Lance
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Post by stonecold44 on May 31, 2010 10:14:09 GMT -5
I regards to Ana, I was listening to the post race show on the radio and was surprised to hear she had been taken to the hospital for an injury. And I was really surprised and thankful to hear Conway only suffered a broken ankle.
The situation with Will Power....He had to know the hose was still in and that eventually a piece would break off, which it did, causing a yellow. But I agree, there should have been a stiffer penalty because that is a dangerous thing to do. If someone runs over that piece that falls off or it hits them in the head, well, I'm glad that didn't happen.
One thing I forgot to mention earlier.....It sure was nice to see pit stops performed under green flag racing. I complained last year that the teams weren't pushed too hard because of stops done under caution. In fact the last two Indy 500s had no pit stops under yellow, which I'm glad the ABC announcers mentioned.
As for the cars that were trying to "make fuel". Keep in mind that points and money were at stake and to see them drive so slow was almost humorous. I listen to the radio broadcast and the announcers were talking about how Marco's crew was pleading with him to save fuel and he just wanted to go fast. Consider that a lesson learned well. Marco ran out of fuel right after crossing the finish line and had to pull into the area at the pit exit in Turn 1.
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Post by stuboyle on May 31, 2010 11:38:36 GMT -5
BLOCKING? I remember in a F-1 race a few years back, Lauda was criticized for trying to keep a car behind him and not letting them pass to which Lauda said " I thought that was the idea, to keep the others behind you?" It's part of racing. Didn't like the results, can't stand Ganassi! It's now part of racing. It didn't used to be. That doesn't mean we have to allow it. There were a lot of people pushed into the grass on the back stretch. They should have probably called a few more penalties in my opinion. |
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Post by stuboyle on May 31, 2010 11:42:18 GMT -5
The situation with Will Power....He had to know the hose was still in and that eventually a piece would break off, which it did, causing a yellow. But I agree, there should have been a stiffer penalty because that is a dangerous thing to do. If someone runs over that piece that falls off or it hits them in the head, well, I'm glad that didn't happen. One thing I forgot to mention earlier.....It sure was nice to see pit stops performed under green flag racing. I complained last year that the teams weren't pushed too hard because of stops done under caution. In fact the last two Indy 500s had no pit stops under yellow, which I'm glad the ABC announcers mentioned. My problem with Power was more that he stayed out instead of coming immediately back in. They should have not only penalized hit for breaking the fuel hose but not coming in the next lap immediately after it happened. They had to fricken black flag him and put out a yellow! BS in my opinion. I don't blame Power personally, I am sure he was told to stay out. Yes, it was great to see the green flag stops. |
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Post by stuboyle on May 31, 2010 11:42:57 GMT -5
double post
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Post by Deleted on May 31, 2010 13:22:03 GMT -5
I forgot to mention yesterday....It was good to hear Tom Carnegie for an all to brief moment as well. I'll always be proud to say I heard him say, for the finale time, "It's a new track record!!!!!!!!!!!" in 1996. Some things need to stay the same, IMO.
Over all a good race even though it was dominated! Micheal already has the decals available for the winner....That's a new track record in my book!
Best to all!
Russ
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Post by Deleted on May 31, 2010 13:33:44 GMT -5
I forgot to mention yesterday....It was good to hear Tom Carnegie for an all to brief moment as well. I'll always be proud to say I heard him say, for the finale time, "It's a new track record!!!!!!!!!!!" in 1996. Some things need to stay the same, IMO. Over all a good race even though it was dominated! Micheal already has the decals available for the winner....That's a new track record in my book! Best to all! Russ That was a nice touch, I thought he was going to give the command for a minute. So glad that Conway only has a broken leg, that was a frightening wreck! |
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Post by Deleted on May 31, 2010 13:36:34 GMT -5
great picture Michael, will you sell this picture. I'd like to take it to Long Beach next year and have Dario autograph it |
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Post by indycals on May 31, 2010 14:45:26 GMT -5
great picture Michael, will you sell this picture. I'd like to take it to Long Beach next year and have Dario autograph it I could but I actually have several shots that you might like better. I did the winner's photo shoot this morning and got some really nice shots. I hope to have a full gallery up in a few days, I'll post a link to it when it's up. BTW, Jamie McMurray showed up at the photo shoot today to pose with Dario and Chip to commemorate Chip becoming the first car owner to win the Daytona 500 and Indy 500 in the same year. |
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Post by alwaysindy on Jun 1, 2010 19:13:07 GMT -5
What a race...not much to add to what others have said...
CLASS ACT of The Day? Dan Weldon...they stuck a mike in his face and asked about second place, fuel,etc. and the first thing he says is what an HONOR to drive the National Guard car;what Memorial Day is all about;thanks to the National Guard and ALL our troops in Iraq and Afganistan;thanks for allowing him to drive THEIR car...
No matter how you feel about politics and the wars, our freedom to do, and enjoy what we do, was paid for by the lives and deaths of OUR soldiers...God Bless you Mr.Weldon, for reminding us, in the middle of our fun, what the day is all about...
Tim
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Post by stonecold44 on Jun 1, 2010 21:57:08 GMT -5
What a race...not much to add to what others have said... CLASS ACT of The Day? Dan Weldon...they stuck a mike in his face and asked about second place, fuel,etc. and the first thing he says is what an HONOR to drive the National Guard car;what Memorial Day is all about;thanks to the National Guard and ALL our troops in Iraq and Afganistan;thanks for allowing him to drive THEIR car... No matter how you feel about politics and the wars, our freedom to do, and enjoy what we do, was paid for by the lives and deaths of OUR soldiers...God Bless you Mr.Weldon, for reminding us, in the middle of our fun, what the day is all about... Tim Agree with you about Dan Wheldon. He said it best and put the day into perspective. |
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