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Post by indy on Apr 15, 2016 10:55:42 GMT -5
Pace Car Driver: Roger Penske
Chevrolet recommended a pretty good choice.
Jordan
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Post by SWT500 on Apr 15, 2016 11:17:02 GMT -5
Too much office politics to suit me. Mr. Penske is indeed a great choice but it APPEARS that everyone is beholding to Chevrolet. I cannot help but remember that about 12 years ago, the bow tie was getting spanked by Honda. Instead of getting better, they just quit, took their ball and went home. Perhaps the series has forgotten that as well.  |
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Post by mjjracer on Apr 15, 2016 13:13:40 GMT -5
No problem at all with the selection of Penske as pace car driver. He has played a huge role in making Indy and the series what it is. (Is that damning with faint praise?) Like SWT500, I too think everyone is kissing Chevy's pinkie ring.
IMS/Indycar seems to have forgotten about the years Honda held this series together. What would have happened if Honda said "This series is dying. Adios!"? And then all those years when Honda was the sole engine manufacturer, was a Honda ever used as a pace car? Not a chance. With the intro of the new NSX, that would have been the perfect selection for this year.
I think it must be a Indiana thing. In 2012 I visited Indy for Indiana Sprint Week. On the loooonnngg drive to Haubstadt we past the biggest auto plant I have ever seen, I'm sure a major employer for southern Indiana. It was a Toyota plant. At Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt, Toyota was a major sponsor and provided the pace truck. But every other vehicle on the track, like the push trucks were Ford, Chevy, Ram and an occasional Jeep. My guess was that a number of these guys in the trucks were employed by Toyota. Yet, they took their money from Toyota and bought a Ford.
I don't get it. But I don't get Kansas either.
MJ
P.S. When I came back last year, Toyota no longer was a sponsor or provider of the pace truck. No doubt they received no return on that investment and decided not to throw good money after bad. I'm starting to wonder when Honda is going to feel that way.
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Post by ohnothimagen on Apr 15, 2016 13:38:18 GMT -5
The last time Indy 500 "tried" to have a car that was technically an import (Dodge Avenger I think it was) the UAW came unglued as did local politicians and they started putting on the pressure. So IMS hastily dumped the Dodge / Mitsubishi and tried to find enough Vipers to do the job. The local celebs still had to drive around in the Mitsus during May, but you didn't see one on the track.
Toyota is a major employer in southwest Indiana, Subaru is in Lafayette, and there is a new Honda plant near Greensburg and several supplier plants around too. Doesn't matter though because as you correctly point out these guys still put their money in a Ford, Chevy, Ram and Jeep. Back when the imports were first starting to hurt the auto industry you saw tons of bumper stickers here in Indiana "I buy what I build." Not so today.
I will freely admit that I am primarily an F-1 fan, and sports cars, but I will watch an Indy car race once in a while. I have a hard time getting interested in a series that does seem, at least on the surface, to play favorites. I've all but stopped watching qualifications (when you can even find them) because it's always Penske in the first three or four spots. I don't see Indy being any different. Roger can pace his own cars starting three abreast in row one, and probably inside row two.
I have to agree and wonder when Honda will say they've had enough?
Rex
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Post by mjjracer on Apr 15, 2016 15:26:26 GMT -5
The last time Indy 500 "tried" to have a car that was technically an import (Dodge Avenger I think it was) the UAW came unglued as did local politicians and they started putting on the pressure. So IMS hastily dumped the Dodge / Mitsubishi and tried to find enough Vipers to do the job. The local celebs still had to drive around in the Mitsus during May, but you didn't see one on the track. Toyota is a major employer in southwest Indiana, Subaru is in Lafayette, and there is a new Honda plant near Greensburg and several supplier plants around too. Doesn't matter though because as you correctly point out these guys still put their money in a Ford, Chevy, Ram and Jeep. Back when the imports were first starting to hurt the auto industry you saw tons of bumper stickers here in Indiana "I buy what I build." Not so today. I will freely admit that I am primarily an F-1 fan, and sports cars, but I will watch an Indy car race once in a while. I have a hard time getting interested in a series that does seem, at least on the surface, to play favorites. I've all but stopped watching qualifications (when you can even find them) because it's always Penske in the first three or four spots. I don't see Indy being any different. Roger can pace his own cars starting three abreast in row one, and probably inside row two. I have to agree and wonder when Honda will say they've had enough? Rex Excellent post, Rex. Though I don't disagree with you at all, I would point out that F1 is not above playing favorites: Ferrari always receives more than any other team, regardless of the championship: www.racer.com/f1/item/127980-formula-1-team-payments-for-2016-revealedAnd as far as sportscars, at least in the USA, Nascar/DP/IMSA have long favored the Chevys in DP. I'm just saying favorites are found in all areas of motorsports, though I would agree that Indycar has it's nose far further up Chevy's you-know-what than the rest. MJ |
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Post by chromehorn08 on Apr 15, 2016 15:42:57 GMT -5
Chevy made a better car. Honda didn't was given a chance to catch up and they failed. So I don't get the playing favorites thing at all. But what do I know....
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Post by joe on Apr 15, 2016 17:07:07 GMT -5
Here in Ohio especially in the middle and southwestern part of the state Honda is a major employer. While at one time GM was but now most if not all of GM has closed down. One of the ex GM plants in Columbus is now a casino. At least Mid Ohio has a pace car that is Honda.With the race comped heavily by Honda and sponsored by Honda. It was great to see Rahal win last year in front of his home town fans At least here in Ohio we build and support Honda
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Post by Deleted on Apr 16, 2016 8:32:49 GMT -5
The pace car?
You have seen the race cars, right?
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
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Post by indydog on Apr 16, 2016 8:41:40 GMT -5
The last time Indy 500 "tried" to have a car that was technically an import (Dodge Avenger I think it was) the UAW came unglued as did local politicians and they started putting on the pressure. So IMS hastily dumped the Dodge / Mitsubishi and tried to find enough Vipers to do the job. The local celebs still had to drive around in the Mitsus during May, but you didn't see one on the track. Rex It was in 1991 and the car they chose was the Dodge Stealth. The Stealth was basically a rebadged Mitsubishi 3000GT. IMS approached Dodge about using the Viper instead, but there were only 3 in existence at the time (1 being a test mule). Dodge scrambled and was able to put together enough parts for (I think) 5 Vipers. That's why the celebs and such drove around in Stealths. Ironically, the first production year for the Viper was 1992. So I suppose you could say the 91 race had a prototype as the pace car. |
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Post by alterrenner on Apr 16, 2016 10:32:38 GMT -5
I was going to post about globalization, and how there are no "American" cars, no "Japanese" cars, and how many of the most iconic "American" cars were build in Canada, but decided to let it go..
By the way, I'm a long-time (since 1984) employee of Nissan of North American, an American company.
I"m more than happy to see Roger Penske as the Pace Car driver.
Let's just go for a safe and exciting 100 running of the Memorial Day Classic.
--Frank
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Post by ohnothimagen on Apr 19, 2016 8:50:02 GMT -5
The last time Indy 500 "tried" to have a car that was technically an import (Dodge Avenger I think it was) the UAW came unglued as did local politicians and they started putting on the pressure. So IMS hastily dumped the Dodge / Mitsubishi and tried to find enough Vipers to do the job. The local celebs still had to drive around in the Mitsus during May, but you didn't see one on the track. Rex It was in 1991 and the car they chose was the Dodge Stealth. The Stealth was basically a rebadged Mitsubishi 3000GT. IMS approached Dodge about using the Viper instead, but there were only 3 in existence at the time (1 being a test mule). Dodge scrambled and was able to put together enough parts for (I think) 5 Vipers. That's why the celebs and such drove around in Stealths. Ironically, the first production year for the Viper was 1992. So I suppose you could say the 91 race had a prototype as the pace car. Yes, sorry. It was the Stealth, but I never paid that much attention to the pace cars anyway  . So now it's just a matter of "gee, will it be a 'vette or a Camaro?" |
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. So now it's just a matter of "gee, will it be a 'vette or a Camaro?"