The 2012 IndyCar Series thread

[nome66]

dang it rained a day late!

[Wizzie]

All I've got to say is the race was ok, but the organizers need to get rid of that silly chicane in the first few corners! Just a simple left-right corner, that's all.

Either that or get rid of the stupid double-file restarts on street circuits. Although that would have denied us that epic restart by Takuma Sato

[Cynon]

The whole turbogate means that Honda will win Indy. Why was GM bitching? Because otherwise they would have won Indy.

[F1000X]

Well, yeah. I wrote Dave Despain a rage filled e-mail with my meme picture hoping he would put it on Windtunnel and OF COURSE, Bob Varsha is filling in for him, and spent the entire episode talking about Nascar race. I hate Nascar. You've ruined Speed TV. HATE.

[CoopsII]

http://sports.ndtv.com/formula-1/news/i ... in-indycar

Rubens has commented that Felipe wont be joining him in IndyCar any time soon but I think Id rather he did then see his career fizzle out in shabby cars (like this years Ferrari ). IndyCar, although not as big as F1, shouldnt be seen as a massive step down, its a great series.

[Wizzie]

MSR drop Howard for Indy

You know the series is in trouble when it struggles to get a full entry list for one of the biggest races on Earth

[Ferrarist]

MSR drop Howard for Indy

You know the series is in trouble when it struggles to get a full entry list for one of the biggest races on Earth

That's a dilemma for Indy. Any other racing series would be happy to get a grid of 24+ all-new cars. But then again, there might not be enough cars for the biggest race of the year. They really should have opened up the chassis market, for Lola, Swift and so on to enter.

[Wizzie]

MSR drop Howard for Indy

You know the series is in trouble when it struggles to get a full entry list for one of the biggest races on Earth

That's a dilemma for Indy. Any other racing series would be happy to get a grid of 24+ all-new cars. But then again, there might not be enough cars for the biggest race of the year. They really should have opened up the chassis market, for Lola, Swift and so on to enter.

The thing is, it's not Dallara that's the problem. It's just that the engine manufacturers (Read: Lotus) can't get their bloody act together.

[AndreaModa]

That should have been obvious from the start. I find it odd that only GM and Honda have properly stepped up to the plate, I would have expected at least one or two other manufacturers to supply engines, even with the American car makers in the mess they have been these past few years. Maybe Toyota, Ford and few others? It's not like it's a very cost-intensive exercise (relatively of course), in comparison to running an entire team, with the exposure the company would get which would only be marginally less.

[Yannick]

The whole turbogate means that Honda will win Indy. Why was GM bitching? Because otherwise they would have won Indy.

Well, after all of this, I hope Chevy win Indy anyway.

But how many cars are going to be there? 31? 32? 33? And on which row will the Loti lot be starting?

[nome66]

well the rows are 3 wide..... so the 3 loti (except maybe bordais) will bring up the caboose

[F1000X]

well the rows are 3 wide..... so the 3 loti (except maybe bordais) will bring up the caboose

Nah. I'd say if Lotus does manage to get 3 cars into the race, not all of them are gonna be on the back row.




But none of them will finish.

[deCrasheris]

well the rows are 3 wide..... so the 3 loti (except maybe bordais) will bring up the caboose

Nah. I'd say if Lotus does manage to get 3 cars into the race, not all of them are gonna be on the back row.




But none of them will finish.

Lotus looks like they're only going to have 2 cars in the 500 after this came out today.

http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/ ... ith-chevy/

Also, I'm excited to see what Bourdais can do if the Chevy deal comes to fruition.

[nome66]

see i called it. i said to meself one way or another Bordais won't be on the back row!
CALLED IT

...so this is probably the end of lotus. why won't Mazda stop teasing us and supply engines already. they've gotta hold on 2/3 of the feeders and the best running team in the ALMS, who did i mention runs a twin turbo v6

[Faustus]

see i called it. i said to meself one way or another Bordais won't be on the back row!
CALLED IT

...so this is probably the end of lotus. why won't Mazda stop teasing us and supply engines already. they've gotta hold on 2/3 of the feeders and the best running team in the ALMS, who did i mention runs a twin turbo v6

I think you'll find that Dyson Racing runs a single-turbo Mazda straight-4.

[Faustus]

well the rows are 3 wide..... so the 3 loti (except maybe bordais) will bring up the caboose

Nah. I'd say if Lotus does manage to get 3 cars into the race, not all of them are gonna be on the back row.




But none of them will finish.

Lotus looks like they're only going to have 2 cars in the 500 after this came out today.

http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/ ... ith-chevy/

Also, I'm excited to see what Bourdais can do if the Chevy deal comes to fruition.

Crap, I thought this would take longer. Lotus out by the end of the year?

[F1000X]

see i called it. i said to meself one way or another Bordais won't be on the back row!
CALLED IT

...so this is probably the end of lotus. why won't Mazda stop teasing us and supply engines already. they've gotta hold on 2/3 of the feeders and the best running team in the ALMS, who did i mention runs a twin turbo v6

I think you'll find that Dyson Racing runs a single-turbo Mazda straight-4.

The MZR-R. Kind of a shame it replaced the rotary in the series a couple years back.

[nome66]

see i called it. i said to meself one way or another Bordais won't be on the back row!
CALLED IT

...so this is probably the end of lotus. why won't Mazda stop teasing us and supply engines already. they've gotta hold on 2/3 of the feeders and the best running team in the ALMS, who did i mention runs a twin turbo v6

I think you'll find that Dyson Racing runs a single-turbo Mazda straight-4.

uuuhh yea i totally said that.
i'd be satisfied with either mazda or ford. or re-brand some of the chevy motors as buick. or just ford. with twin turbo v8s. and some lola chassis thrown in for good measure.

[mario]

That should have been obvious from the start. I find it odd that only GM and Honda have properly stepped up to the plate, I would have expected at least one or two other manufacturers to supply engines, even with the American car makers in the mess they have been these past few years. Maybe Toyota, Ford and few others? It's not like it's a very cost-intensive exercise (relatively of course), in comparison to running an entire team, with the exposure the company would get which would only be marginally less.

You would have thought that Ford might have been prepared to back an IndyCar engine program as part of their traditional rivalry with GM - they could have even chosen to outsource the program to Cosworth, as they have in the past, given Cosworth's experience in the past with turbocharged engines. It is a little surprising that there are only two manufacturers who have pressed ahead (most of the development work has been done by Engine Developments Ltd. (aka Judd) with some input from Lotus Engineering, which is different to the Honda and GM efforts); then again, it has to be said that the recent management of IndyCar has probably put off some of the major manufacturers with their vacillating attitude.
Either way, I think that Faustus is right to wonder whether Lotus really will last the year in IndyCar given the complaints levelled at the engine (particularly the power deficit it is believed to run at). The only way I can see any team wanting to continue with Lotus would be if Lotus were willing to pay a large amount of cash - although under Bahar's management Lotus have been accused of being quick to promise cash, but slow to pay up...

[wmetcalf68]

My dad is working with Jean Alesi in the Indy 500! I might get his auto graph!

[JeremyMcClean]

My dad is working with Jean Alesi in the Indy 500! I might get his auto graph!

What does your dad do anyways?

[Sunshine_Baby_[IT]]

My dad is working with Jean Alesi in the Indy 500! I might get his auto graph!

Lucky you!

[Faustus]

http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/ ... s-lawsuit/

Marshall Pruett's very interesting article on the Dragon/Lotus business. Lotus was apparently supposed to pay for 2 chassis for Dragon, as well as providing sponsor money, although Dragon still had to pay for the engines.

[Wizzie]

http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/indycar-inside-the-dragon-lotus-lawsuit/

Marshall Pruett's very interesting article on the Dragon/Lotus business. Lotus was apparently supposed to pay for 2 chassis for Dragon, as well as providing sponsor money, although Dragon still had to pay for the engines.

Go home, Danny Bahar! And take all your muppet friends at Lotus with you

[eurobrun]

Lotus you fools.

[wmetcalf68]

My dad is working with Jean Alesi in the Indy 500! I might get his auto graph!

What does your dad do anyways?

He works with racing, Indy Lights and IndyCar! He is chief mechanic for Team E in Indy Lights, and he will get to work with Alesi at the 500 (IndyCar) I think I also previously said he has worked with a certain Mimmo (Domenico) Schiattarella and Roberto Moreno with Project Indy in CART/IndyCar

[wmetcalf68]

My dad is working with Jean Alesi in the Indy 500! I might get his auto graph!

Lucky you!

Yes

[Yannick]

Sorry guys but I shudder to think of the Alesi / Fan Force United situation. How is a rookie team who knows only "tight and loose" going to be able to set up a car for a seasoned driver who knows nothing about ovals but communicates in terms of "oversteer and understeer"? Newman / Haas would have had experiences of getting F1 drivers up to speed in IndyCars but a rookie team - and with the slowest engine at that?

Here's hoping he'll stay out of trouble and that the slow Loti get parked for "handling" fairly early on.

I shall not be watching this.

[Sublime_FA11C]

Alesi is/was a Lotus tester. He wouldn't stick his seasoned nose into Indy500 unless he felt he could drive competitively.

[CoopsII]

Its official, Alesi for Indy!
http://www.indycar.com/en/News/2012/05- ... i-for-Indy
The Indy 500 just. Got. Interesting!

[Faustus]

£10 says Alesi doesn't qualify if there are more than 33 cars. Lotus engine, team inexperienced with the current IndyCar (with no offence intended towards your father or his colleagues wmetcalf68) and no oval experience adds up to slow.

[DanielPT]

£10 says Alesi doesn't qualify if there are more than 33 cars. Lotus engine, team inexperienced with the current IndyCar (with no offence intended towards your father or his colleagues wmetcalf68) and no oval experience adds up to slow.

I, blinded by Alesi fandom, will accept that bet. You can pay me if/when you visit Portugal.

[Faustus]

£10 says Alesi doesn't qualify if there are more than 33 cars. Lotus engine, team inexperienced with the current IndyCar (with no offence intended towards your father or his colleagues wmetcalf68) and no oval experience adds up to slow.

I, blinded by Alesi fandom, will accept that bet. You can pay me if/when you visit Portugal.

Accepted! I'll be in Porto in November to see my paternal family, if not earlier, if something bad happens to my grandmother, so we can settle up then.
Any other takers?

[mario]

£10 says Alesi doesn't qualify if there are more than 33 cars. Lotus engine, team inexperienced with the current IndyCar (with no offence intended towards your father or his colleagues wmetcalf68) and no oval experience adds up to slow.

Will there even be 33 entrants? Is it not the case that they are struggling to get enough entrants for the Indy 500? Jay Howard was supposed to drive for Michael Shank Racing, but with the team unable to secure an engine deal the team have now released him onto the market. Now, at the time it was reported that this would bring the field below the traditional 33 car entry list, so I assume that Alesi's deal only brings the field back up to 33 entries, unless Jay Howard can find another team with a spare seat. http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/99310

[CoopsII]

Any other takees?

Hell yeah. This is Jean Alesi we're talking about.

I think he'll win it.

[Wizzie]

Tags gets Honda engine for Indy.

[Faustus]

Alesi fails in his first attempt at the Rookie Orientation test. Apparently he will get another crack at it.

http://www.autonewsinfo.com/2012/05/11/ ... 47303.html

[DanielPT]

Alesi fails in his first attempt at the Rookie Orientation test. Apparently he will get another crack at it.

http://www.autonewsinfo.com/2012/05/11/ ... 47303.html

I am still confident!

[CoopsII]

Alesi fails in his first attempt at the Rookie Orientation test. Apparently he will get another crack at it.

You're right in that he failed but it was his first time on the track, on any oval, in that car, and he only did 18 laps.

Dont worry, he'll win, its in the bag.

[Faustus]

Alesi fails in his first attempt at the Rookie Orientation test. Apparently he will get another crack at it.

You're right in that he failed but it was his first time on the track, on any oval, in that car, and he only did 18 laps.

Dont worry, he'll win, its in the bag.

My dear CoopsII, if you truly believed that I might consider selling you these magic beans that I've got.