Las Vegas, anyone?

racerkeke · 12 Sep 2005, 00:22 (Ref:1405159)

Any Ten-Tenths folks planning to be in Vegas for the race on the 24th? Racegypsy and I will be there as part of the course observer crew.

keke

macdaddy · 12 Sep 2005, 01:04 (Ref:1405177)

It was supposed to be an annual adventure for me, but alas I can't make it this year. It's a shame, because I wouldn't have any difficulty getting the time off work (I'm unemployed) - and I don't remember much from last year's race! (I left the track thinking that Dominguez had won).

I hope that they continue racing there. I'll do everything in my power to get there from now on. It's a beautiful speedway (albeit small compared to MIS) and Vegas is... well... Vegas!

BTW - I'm copying this thread into the Trackside Forum, and you may get other replies there.

Flatspot · 12 Sep 2005, 04:01 (Ref:1405230)

Normally yes, this year no as my son is racing in Indiana next weekend and I'm the crew chief. Have a great time !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

macdaddy · 12 Sep 2005, 04:15 (Ref:1405240)

Your son may be drinking milk in Indianapolis some day, Flatspot.

Tony Clifton · 15 Sep 2005, 02:53 (Ref:1408176)

I will be there. On motorhome hill, backstretch.

brightline · 15 Sep 2005, 04:25 (Ref:1408194)

I wish I was going again this year, but a new job & lack of vacation time means no go this season. The weather was beautiful last year. We were sitting about ten rows from the top of the Earnhardt grandstand and it was a great night even though the race started way too late last year! It was a great place to see my first oval race.

Have fun!

macdaddy · 15 Sep 2005, 04:56 (Ref:1408205)

I'm not sure if the race started too late...
Or if I started drinking too early?

Hi, Sue!

Kidding aside, it was a 10:30PM start last year. We were jet-lagged by 3 hours, and my Dad was getting pretty tired before it even started (because it was 1:30AM for us). This year, it starts 2 hours earlier.

Hopefully that'll mean that the crowd will stay longer.
Hopefully that'll mean that they don't repeat the yellow-flag fiasco of last year.

enemy-ace · 15 Sep 2005, 11:00 (Ref:1408404)

Will they be running the same aeor-specs as last year?

rustyfan · 15 Sep 2005, 11:14 (Ref:1408416)

Quote:

Originally Posted by enemy-ace

Will they be running the same aeor-specs as last year?

Hope so - the Bourdais/Junqueira duel towards the end was fantastic. Close, hard racing lap after lap which kept me on the edge of my seat.

macdaddy · 15 Sep 2005, 13:43 (Ref:1408522)

I read somewhere that they will be using the same aero.

enemy-ace · 15 Sep 2005, 13:50 (Ref:1408532)

I didn't particularly care for the type of racing provided by the aero package at Vegas last year. I do think the package they ran at Fontana (year escapes me, but Vasser won in the Shell car) a few years back was a good one though.

racerkeke · 15 Sep 2005, 15:03 (Ref:1408576)

That would have been the original Handford. And I don't recall Vasser ever being in a Shell car?!? Herta? Brack, maybe? I could be wrong though (haven't looked at my media guides yet); I gotta say all the years blur one into the other for me after 20 years with the series.

The newer aero package is more related to the one they used to run at Chicago.

keke

macdaddy · 15 Sep 2005, 15:11 (Ref:1408581)

It was 2002 when Vasser won Fontana, driving the Shell car for Team Rahal.

Photo

macdaddy · 15 Sep 2005, 15:14 (Ref:1408582)

Quote:

(The) event at the 1.5-mile LVMS superspeedway will be known as the Champ Car Hurricane Relief 400, with Champ Car proceeds from the race going to the Red Cross Hurricane Relief Fund.

Additionally, the series will be running online auctions of one-of-a-kind items on its official website...

Story here.

macdaddy · 15 Sep 2005, 15:33 (Ref:1408598)

Quote:

This year's aerodynamic rules are identical to the ones that produced last year's nail biter...

"The base configuration is the same we run on road and street circuits," says Elkins. "One difference is the front wing. Our front wing configuration (has) a main plane and then two different levels of flaps. We allow teams to remove the uppermost flap, and typically they'll run the lowermost flap in a horizontal position because that creates less drag.

"The rear wing, the main plane and the flap are exactly the same (as street and road courses) and are required to be in exactly the same configuration as on a road or street course. But what we've done is reduced the size of the endplate. It is a very specified endplate and must fit a template."

Although teams are permitted to run either the road course or oval-spec chassis underwings, the low drag oval underwing might as well be mandated at LVMS. Even some of the usual areas of chassis adjustment are strictly controlled, and monitored.

"Because it is our only speedway oval," says Elkins, "we've created a maximum front ride height rule so that they can only raise the nose up a particular amount and we've limited the amount of right rear camber they're allowed to run."

Story.

theracegypsy · 15 Sep 2005, 19:01 (Ref:1408752)

Quote:

Originally Posted by macdaddy

Kidding aside, it was a 10:30PM start last year. We were jet-lagged by 3 hours, and my Dad was getting pretty tired before it even started (because it was 1:30AM for us). This year, it starts 2 hours earlier.

Hopefully that'll mean that the crowd will stay longer.
Hopefully that'll mean that they don't repeat the yellow-flag fiasco of last year.

...only 3 hours, have a small thought for me then, I'll be 8 hours adrift!

enemy-ace · 16 Sep 2005, 01:13 (Ref:1408971)

Quote:

Originally Posted by racerkeke

That would have been the original Handford.

I didn't recall it as being a handford style race. I did a little research and it turns out that they ran a short oval setup at Fontana in 2002. It was a good race, the drivers were able to race each and not be the sitting duck in the lead. As they would be in a Handford style race. They weren't overally downforced either, which allowed for actual racing for position.
I wouldn't mind seeing something similiar at Vegas this year.

macdaddy · 16 Sep 2005, 02:01 (Ref:1408982)

Are you sure, enemy-ace? That particular event holds the record for the fastest 500-mile race. A short-oval setup wouldn't lend itself to that. I'm not saying that you're wrong, because I don't know, but the Handford was used in 2000 and 2001.

Omega99 · 16 Sep 2005, 02:39 (Ref:1408989)

There were very few caution periods that race, two or less it seems to me, and I think that made the biggest difference.

macdaddy · 16 Sep 2005, 04:24 (Ref:1409005)

That goes without saying.
But a short-oval setup on a 2-mile superspeedway is something that I don't remember.

enemy-ace · 16 Sep 2005, 14:25 (Ref:1409368)

Quote:

Originally Posted by macdaddy

Are you sure, enemy-ace? That particular event holds the record for the fastest 500-mile race. A short-oval setup wouldn't lend itself to that. I'm not saying that you're wrong, because I don't know, but the Handford was used in 2000 and 2001.

Wouldn't you know, now I can't find the site where it said that they ran a Short Oval package at Fontana in '02. Finding anything on aero packages in general is like a needle in a haystack.
It definitley wasn't a handford device race though. You can easily tell by looking at photos from 2001 Fontana (when they ran the handford wing) vs. 2002 pics. The best way to tell is by looking at a front view of a car. The Handford wing from '01 is very tall (like a wooden plank), whilst the '02 spec wing is much shorter.
IIRC this was near the beginning of CART's chassis freezes which probably explains why they didn't run the Handford wing. This race in particular stands out for me because I thought it to be a really competitive package. Vegas is quick too although shorter, but IMO the older Oval wings package would be better than what they run now.

codename_47 · 16 Sep 2005, 21:37 (Ref:1409609)

What's interesting from my point of view is that they're enabling the push to pass for the first time this year, which could well make the end of the race a thriller.

Whereas lastyear cars got side by side and kind of stalled, this year Power to pass may enable them to complete the pass if it's used right....

That's suddenly raised my interested in this race, as the high downforce stuff really doesn't appeal....(if I wanted that type of racing it'd wouldn't be too hard to find it!

)

Tenoch · 16 Sep 2005, 21:52 (Ref:1409620)

zing

evo · 16 Sep 2005, 22:55 (Ref:1409640)

Quote:

Originally Posted by enemy-ace

Wouldn't you know, now I can't find the site where it said that they ran a Short Oval package at Fontana in '02. Finding anything on aero packages in general is like a needle in a haystack.
It definitley wasn't a handford device race though. You can easily tell by looking at photos from 2001 Fontana (when they ran the handford wing) vs. 2002 pics. The best way to tell is by looking at a front view of a car. The Handford wing from '01 is very tall (like a wooden plank), whilst the '02 spec wing is much shorter.
IIRC this was near the beginning of CART's chassis freezes which probably explains why they didn't run the Handford wing. This race in particular stands out for me because I thought it to be a really competitive package. Vegas is quick too although shorter, but IMO the older Oval wings package would be better than what they run now.

This picture from the 2002 Fontana race clearly shows the Hanford wing on the back of Bruno's car.

http://www.motorsport.com/photos/car...on-tm-0307.jpg

enemy-ace · 17 Sep 2005, 01:39 (Ref:1409700)

That's not a Handford. This is a Hanford!

http://motorsport.com/photos/cart/20...on-ds-0424.jpg

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