The Indy 500 (practice and Qual thread)

[climb]

Originally Posted by Knowlesy

There is a rumour Sam Hornish may be entered in the third Penske and David Stremme take his place for the Coca Cola 600.

I'd be surprised at this.

Italiaracing is even mnore audacious, hinting that Sam's return to Indycar could be not just a one-race one:

http://italiaracing.net/notizia.asp?id=18718&cat=3

[ThePenguin]

Originally Posted by climb

Italiaracing is even mnore audacious, hinting that Sam's return to Indycar could be not just a one-race one:

http://italiaracing.net/notizia.asp?id=18718&cat=3

I would love to see the ex-open wheel guys come back, and with the way things are going for them in the cup, this now seems possible.

[Alwaysfirst]

More on the Davey Hamilton story: http://www.kingdomracing.net/

I'm waiting until I see this on the Indycar website before I fully believe this. I will admit to being a bit skeptical about this one though. Saying that, good luck to them. I don't really agree with their message but I like Davey Hamilton & I would be only too happy to see him back on track.

[climb]

Given the problems he suffered in the past, and his brilliant performance last year, I think he fully deserves an entry

[cos]

PCM and Dominguez eyeing up Indy and the rest of the season:
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/66743

[JackBlahBlah]

Will Power To Win

[Alwaysfirst]

So Dominguez & Camera are now in for Indy. There are rumours that Beck wants Perera or Barron for his car now which would mean that Yasukawa would be out. However, as Perera is still Conquest's backup driver I wouldn't be surprised to see a T car entered for him once the other 2 Conquest drivers has qualified. Walker has also said that there is still a chance that he will have a car ready in time.

http://walkerracing.com/media/displa...id=442&lang=en

Walker is supposed to have good relations with Sarah Fisher so he may use a spare chassis from her. Borrowing a car off Penske may be another option. We will see....

[indycool]

I don't think the relations are good between Walker and Sarah Fisher and I believe that's the last place he'd go.

The Beck rumors are that he'd like to get two in the show, both Yasukawa and Barron. If Perera is going to have a chance, he's going to have to get a car for a rookie test.

[Pro Racer]

can't wait for indy, would love the Aussies to go well here.

[Goodlookin]

Just have a funny feeling about Lloyd. Remember IndyPro last year?

[Team Blitz]

Indy Car should have found a way to incorporate the Cosworth Champ Car motor somehow, some way into the Indy 500. In fact, into the whole series.

As it is, we'll be seeing a spec chassis and a spec Honda motor. In every blessed car.

Booo-ooo-oooring to the nth degree.

If this isn't remedied, I don't think fan interest will be sustained. It will devolve into IROC openwheel racing, and that's just not going to cut it IMO.

For the first time since 1967, there is no Cosworth motor in either F1 or Indy Cars. 40 years heritage discarded by a casual rules change. Sad really.

[JohnSSC]

No more or less boring than having a Cosworth engine only in a spec chassis in the competing series.

It took more than a dozen years to get open wheel into the fix it is in. It is going to take more than a dozen weeks to get it out.

[Team Blitz]

John, agreed. But my point was POST-"merger". If this was really a combination of the two series, rather than a mere takeover, then there was an opportunity to at least add some drama at the 500 and within the series of TWO competing engines. There are enough "smart people" in the sport who could have figured a formula to have both motors run in the "combined" series. If time is what they need to fix things, they'd better not squander any more of it IMO. Norm

[indycool]

Team Blitz, it's a little more complicated than that. First of all, would a Cosworth w/turbo match up with engine mounts on a Dallara? Second, without any testing at all and three months before the "500," how can you think it practical in any way that some engineer come up with some kind of equivalency formula on a sheet of paper and say, "run 'em?" Third, the DP-01 had NEVER tested on an oval and, indeed, an oval kit is not even available for it. Fourth, the Cosworth would not be badged and that would not be cool with Honda.

If you think that anyone has "squandered" any time since the blendification occurred, do you realize that the CC teams had to prepare cars in four weeks for the opener? Do you realize how much went into getting equipment into the hands of CC teams in order to compete at Homestead? Do you realize that the former IRL teams were matched up with the former CC teams to offer basic setup information just to get it done?

IMO, there's no time being "squandered," CC went bankrupt and it was NOT a merger and the ICS absorbed the former CC teams with expediting and dignity. I put your whine about Cosworth far down the list of then priorities that the ICS has had in making 2008 work.

[Team Blitz]

Yes, squandered. Merger talks had been going on formally and informally for well over a year. Olive branching was well documented. A formula for merger should have been studied, and equalization of existing equipment should have been a top concern. Standing back and waiting for CC to topple was an ignorant "strategy".

The average sports fan thinks the 500 this year will be some kind of major breakthrough now that the series are, um, "combined".

Rather than enhancing the diversity of equipment on the grid, the stranglehold has merely tightened. At least Danica has provided some sizzle for the casual fan to want to tune in and view equipment of another kind.

One chassis. One motor. Meet the new boss.....

Literally the same as the old boss.

[indycool]

Sure, talks had been going on and going off, as I understand it, since last September. But no deal was cut till late February. There wasn't any reason to believe that these talks would yield anything different than the old talks, so why should anyone bother with equalization formulas? And the DP-01 was NEVER tested on an oval and an oval kit was never built. There's no getting around that.

How can you say sitting back and waiting for CC to topple was an "ignorant" strategy? CC was not viable without the "500." Most of its better teams had moved. CART wasn't a mistake when it was formed because with the death of Tony Hulman and the USAC plane crash, there was a leadership vacuum. But CC WAS a mistake, going ahead for the wrong reasons with its leadership thinking that CW was a large fanbase.

Getting the sport together was the priority. That is now done. It can grow BACK to diversity in cars and interested manufacturers, already has in venues, but all of that wasn't going to happen in a month, whether that tudges your pudgit or not.

[Team Blitz]

Hey, I hope you're right, Cool.

Somehow, I think Honda will exert a grip on its turf for several more years.

Car Of Tomorrow sameness now in Indy Cars, for the long haul I'm afraid.

I hope I'm wrong.

The reason to have laid the plans for a TWO motor 2008 Indy 500 would have been for Indy Cars' OWN benefit, not Cosworth's. Now on Carburation Day, we'll have the spectacular drama in the pits of Honda techs downloading updates from a single CPU to 33 cars via air cards! Oooooooohhhh, thrilling!

"Look Chris, I think, yes, there it is. Tachi is about to hit the key on his PC. Wait, he's hesitating. Must not have enough bars on his cell display. OK, he's nodding now. There it is! He's just hit the Enter Key! And the crowd goes wild here at The Brickyard!"

[indycool]

IMO, the ICS is in a better position now to grow more attention and thus to attract manufacturers of both cars and engines. If what I read on the fora is right, it's a new car in 2010. Makes sense....a couple years to build up the series and create a market for chassis and engine builders to get in. It just isn't gonna happen overnight.

[mp356a]

I like the idea of many engine manufacturers and engine configurations and chassis combo’s but I would like to see the series pick a tire and stick with it.
Tire wars ruin racing IMHO.
The disparity between the haves and have-nots is too great and the racing lines get too narrow from all the clag.
Again, this is my opinion...
Mike

[Down F0rce]

Hemelgarn and Buddy Lazier are in.

http://www.indycar.com/news/?story_id=11154

[OpenWheel4ever]

Davey Hamilton back with Vision Racing. He will drive the #22 car.

Tony George also fired Larry Curry, the team manager.

http://www.visionracing.com/news/index.cfm?cid=16361

[Stefvh]

Phil Giebler with playa del racing renamed American Dream Motorsport.

[Down F0rce]

Kingdom Racing fell through I take it? Hamilton was originally signed to them. Good news about Giebler though, he led a lap last year didn't he, the only rookie to do so...?

[courageous]

Lazier, Dominguez, Hamilton & Giebler now brings the entry up to 36 named entries with PDM, Beck & the 2nd Panther still TBA (I am ignoring the 3rd Penske).
Bump day is almost certain.

[Down F0rce]

PDM will probably be Jimmy Kite, and Beck will probably be Yazukawa. I doubt the Penske will be driven by anyone.

It's looking less and less likley we will see PT in this race. His best bet would be getting the third Panther ride but even then he would probably still be behind the Andrettis, Penskes et al.