What was that Paul said there?

[Jay]

Something about circus clowns running Cart? Something about the Chief steward doing a horrible job? I think he said what a lot of people have been thinking for some time about Cart.... yet will Paul get in trouble for stating the obvious?

[macdaddy]

Although I question Herta's penalty, I think that Kniefel has done a great job this season. Tracy may have had a point, but these guys are supposed to be professionals and not one sponsor would be happy to hear what he had to say. The announcers were quick to point out rule 1.7.1:

1.7.1. Conduct Detrimental to the Corporation. The Chairman of the Board or the President is empowered to impose a fine up to two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000 U.S.) and/or impose suspension of any participant or team that is found guilty of conduct detrimental to the corporation or the corporation's clients.

What would NASCAR or F1 do? Inexcusable in my eyes. Reminds me of a young Robby Gordon. Like I say, he had a point, but CART's having a hard enough time as it is as certainly doesn't need Tracy piping off like that in front of an international TV audience.

[enemy-ace]

Tracy was peeved at Castro-Neves for spinning him in the pit-lane. He said that a circus clown could do a better job as chief steward than Kneifel could. Probably not the smartest thing to say, but it was a heated moment. Personally I think Helio should have been penalised for that move, in general he was behaving like a bit of a bully. I wasn't to impressed with him squeezing Dixon to the wall either.
As for wht would F1 do? Just ask J.Villeneuve when he critisised the changes to the cars for the '98 season.

[Liz]

If Michael Andretti had said what Paul said, he'd get no penalty for it. And Paul's right - Kneifel seems to favour certain teams and come down hard on others. (Recall that Kenny Brack received no punishment for ramming 4 different guys off the track during a single race - all "racing incidents" according to Kneifel.)

Why can't they find any Chief Stewards who can interpret the rules without playing favourites? First Kirk Russell and now this guy.

[Joe Fan]

Although I agree that Castroneves should have received a penalty, Paul Tracy has no room to talk. To me he is a schlep that is lucky to still be competing in any open wheel series. If I were a chief steward, I would have banned him a long time ago. Not only from the dangerous moves he has pulled, this guy doesn't have the skill to thread the needle of an open wheel car.

[Laagri]

But why should Castroneves have been penalised? He didn't do anything wrong. There's that rule about staying in the inside lane until the outside one is free, or something like that, and so because the outside lane was full of Paul Tracy he stayed on the inside. Surely it was Paul's duty, as he was on the outside and still needed to pit, to slow down, slip in behind Helio and then pull into his pit. After all, it wouldn't have cost him more than a second.

[jetsetter]

As much as it was in the heat of the moment & the fact he was saying what a lot of people are thinking Tracy will probably get fined because you can't go round publicly criticising officials.

[MaxSport]

I hope the Green team stands up to this joke.