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20 Jun 2010, 15:13 (Ref:2715094) | #101 | ||
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Star Mazda and USF2000 are starting to look like one-horse races - maybe a consequence of both series having fairly small fields.
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20 Jun 2010, 17:16 (Ref:2715146) | #102 | |||
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Friday - 2 practice sessions, Round 7 qualifying and race Saturday - Round 8 qualifying Sunday - Round 8 race It would have been better if Round 7 had been on Saturday instead of Friday, but at least with Round 8 on Sunday it's an improvement on the treatment that IndyCar support categories have been receiving lately. |
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21 Jun 2010, 10:43 (Ref:2715591) | #103 | ||
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I dont understand why Star Mazda #'s are down this year - usually good field's...
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23 Jun 2010, 14:31 (Ref:2716876) | #104 | ||
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Convincing corporate marketing managers to pay $US400,000-450,000 for a championship with no free-to-air TV coverage and limited pay-TV coverage during a global economic downturn might have something to do with it.
The fact that the first prize of a drive in the 2011 Atlantic Championship is looking decidedly shaky might be another factor. |
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23 Jun 2010, 15:06 (Ref:2716902) | #105 | ||
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The prize for the Star Mazda champion has been changed to a Mazda seat in a higher class, like this year's Grand-Am Rolex GT-class RX-8 for 2009 Atlantic and Star Mazda champions Edwards and Christopoulos.
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Nitropteron - Fly fast or get crushed! by NaBUrean Prodooktionz naburu38.itch.io |
24 Jun 2010, 14:16 (Ref:2717433) | #106 | ||
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Thanks - I didn't notice the official news release on the Star Mazda website back in February because it was a stupid PDF download instead of a simple HTML link.
A Grand-Am GT season co-drive is better than a poke in the eye with a blunt stick (as we say in Australia), but it isn't in the same league as an Indy Lights ride, which would be the logical next step up the ladder for these guys. I can't see drivers flocking to Star Mazda in 2011 if the same first prize is on offer. |
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25 Jun 2010, 05:42 (Ref:2717671) | #107 | ||
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Well, i guess you dont have to take the 1st prize on offer if you dont want too...
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25 Jun 2010, 14:51 (Ref:2717861) | #108 | ||
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My point is that the series loses some of its attraction if the first prize is a drive in a category that isn't the logical next step up the ladder.
I was about to say that Star Mazda's loss is Jim Russell's gain, but according to JR's website its 2010 'Championship Series', which was supposed to have a fully funded European F2 season drive as its first prize, has been replaced - apparently because there are only six applicants - by the 'Race of Champions', a six-round "invitational" (ha) series with a one-off drive in the Infineon Indy Lights race as the carrot. Last edited by Morris Dancer; 25 Jun 2010 at 15:04. |
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25 Jun 2010, 15:44 (Ref:2717880) | #109 | |||
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Only nine drivers took part in the first Friday practice session for this weekend's USF2000 rounds at Thunderbolt Raceway (New Jersey Motorsports Park), whereas the entry list for the F2000 Championship Series rounds at Watkins Glen the following weekend (July 2-4) is rumoured to be close to 40! Last edited by Morris Dancer; 25 Jun 2010 at 15:49. |
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26 Jun 2010, 00:28 (Ref:2718036) | #110 | |||
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That being said, two F2000 series can doubtfully survive in this market but regardless of which one does survive they will be absorbed into the Road To Indy ladder system. IRL is working on a number of initiatives with Road to Indy to boost the attractiveness of the whole program and I wouldn't bet against Dan Andersen in the long run. He made the original F2000 series what it was and he will work his damdest to make USF2000 work. 2011 will be more telling for both series than 2010, and that applies to more than just these two series. |
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26 Jun 2010, 04:16 (Ref:2718057) | #111 | ||
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Wolverines! |
26 Jun 2010, 04:22 (Ref:2718058) | #112 | ||
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Driving is a trade of which learning never ends and being in a series with 40 cars and having lots of knowledgeable, skilled and at a minimum experienced drivers around is better than 9 clueless guys in another series. If the "young stars" can't beat the old farts then that star isn't bright yet. Press releases and fluff aside, you have to do the times and get to the finish. |
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26 Jun 2010, 04:29 (Ref:2718059) | #113 | ||
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I have known or know of some people that have worked there and I am sure it is good training and a good system and the car I think is good, but again, not many people have the sacks of cash needed for it. |
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26 Jun 2010, 13:15 (Ref:2718205) | #114 | ||
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The IRL wants its own sub-Star Mazda series, therefore will try to make USF2000 work.
Keep in mind that, despite the Road to Indy stag, these series also develop drivers for other road racing series (most notably ALMS and Grand-Am), just like it happens in Europe with FR and F3. |
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26 Jun 2010, 15:40 (Ref:2718244) | #115 | |||
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I suppose that's the weakness of a car maker-sponsored one-make development series. |
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26 Jun 2010, 19:13 (Ref:2718310) | #116 | ||
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27 Jun 2010, 12:56 (Ref:2718512) | #117 | ||
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True. As I said, it's a weakness of a series funded by a car maker that isn't involved in the next step up the ladder.
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27 Jun 2010, 21:56 (Ref:2718955) | #118 | ||
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Now that the oval stage is over, the Star Mazda grid size returned to an acceptable 22 for New Jersey's Mazda festival.
Star Mazda - New Jersey race 1 1. Caio Lara 2. Anders Krohn 3. Conor Daly 4. Connor De Phillippi 5. Mikael Grenier 6. Tristan Vautier 7. Joao Horto 8. Chris Miller 9. Jorge Goncalvez 10. Juan Piedrahita 11. Tatiana Calderon 12. Nick Andries 13. Gerry Kraut 14. J.W. Roberts 15. Carlos Conde 16. Carlos Linares 17. Larry Pegram 18. Dom Bastien 19. Walt Bowlin 20. Rusty Mitchell 21. Patrick O'Neill 22. David Ostella Star Mazda - New Jersey race 2 1. Tristan Vautier 2. Joao Horto 3. Anders Krohn 4. Conor Daly 5. Jorge Goncalvez 6. Caio Lara 7. David Ostella 8. Connor De Phillippi 9. Tatiana Calderon 10. Rusty Mitchell 11. Carlos Linares 12. Nick Andries 13. Juan Piedrahita 14. Chris Miller 15. Patrick O'Neill 16. Larry Pegram 17. J.W. Roberts 18. Carlos Conde 19. Dom Bastien 20. Gerry Kraut 21. Mikael Grenier 22. Walt Bowlin |
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Nitropteron - Fly fast or get crushed! by NaBUrean Prodooktionz naburu38.itch.io |
28 Jun 2010, 10:20 (Ref:2719166) | #119 | ||
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Good to see 2 different race winners - Conor still got a healthy points lead...
STANDINGS (after 7 of 13) Conor Daly - 289 Anders Krohn - 248 Joao Horto - 234 Tristan Vautier - 226 Caio Lara - 223 Connor de Phillippi - 220 Mikael Grenier - 210 Jorge Goncalvez - 209 Rusty Mitchell - 181 Chris Miller - 173 |
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28 Jun 2010, 18:13 (Ref:2719428) | #120 | ||
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One step below, the USF2000 grid only gets thinner.
USF2000 - New Jersey race 1 1. Sage Karam 2. Patrick McKenna 3. Mikhail Goikhberg 4. Zach Veach 5. MartÃ*n Scuncio 6. MartÃ*n Sala 7. Raphael Abbate 8. Javier Barrales 9. Ardie Greenamyer (and that's it) USF2000 - New Jersey race 2 1. Patrick McKenna 2. Mikhail Goikhberg 3. Raphael Abbate 4. MartÃ*n Sala 5. Zach Veach 6. MartÃ*n Scuncio 7. Javier Barrales 8. Ardie Greenamyer 9. Sage Karam Standings after 1. Sage Karam, 160 2. Patrick McKenna, 149 3. Mikhail Goikhberg, 120 4. Raphael Abbate, 100 5. MartÃ*n Scuncio, 88 6. Zach Veach, 72 Next rounds of both Star Mazda and USF2000 are in the Autobahn Country Club in Joliet, in five weeks. |
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29 Jun 2010, 11:07 (Ref:2719781) | #121 | ||
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Good that Sage Karam dnf'd race 2 - keeps the series half interesting....1 car in the national class
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1 Jul 2010, 13:54 (Ref:2720776) | #122 | |||
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1 Jul 2010, 17:25 (Ref:2720848) | #123 | ||
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I guess that they feared of totalling their cars, which is more likely than in a road course.
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Nitropteron - Fly fast or get crushed! by NaBUrean Prodooktionz naburu38.itch.io |
2 Jul 2010, 03:27 (Ref:2720984) | #124 | ||
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If they're really that worried about ovals (which still seems strange) then they might as well run in the F2000 Championship Series, which is all road circuits.
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2 Jul 2010, 17:28 (Ref:2721220) | #125 | ||
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Speaking of the F2000 Championship Series, they are visiting Watkins Glen with one 14-lap race on Saturday at 10am and another one on Sunday at 11am.
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