Scheckter suspended

[SevenGrain]

The IRL announced today that they have suspended Tomas Schecker from on-track activity through May 8 and have fined him an undisclosed amount for unsportsmanlike conduct. This means he will miss the first three days of practice for the 500.

The thing I don't understand is why this action was taken some 12 days after the incident at Nazareth. Is the IRL that indecisive? Did it take that long to come to this conclusion?

This is giving me flashbacks of Indy 1981, or the Presidential Election 2000.

Action should be immediate, or not at all. There is no excuse for lollygagging for nearly two weeks.

[macdaddy]

I agree. I wasn't even thinking about a possible suspension anymore, figuring that such action would have been taken within a day or two. How many more practice days will that leave him before Pole Day? Is the track open every day up until then?

[SevenGrain]

The track is open from May 5- 10th for practice with Pole day being Saturday the 11th and second day qualifying on the 12th.

The track re-opens for practice Wednedsay May 15th - Sat May 18th. Bump Day is on Sunday the 19th.

Track activity resumes on Thursday the 23rd for Carb Day. And then the race is Sunday the 26th.

[Muzza]

If Scheckter ever deserved a penalty - and I think he does not - it should have been applied earlier.

IRL is trying to make a point about driving antics, and it is using Scheckter as an example. The intention may be good, but the method is wrong.

Finding an sacrifical lamb is, again, letting safety being dictated by intuition and emotion. That's not what racing needs.

Side note: congratulations to the IRL for the installation of "soft walls" in Indianapolis. I will be there to see them in action - but I truly hope they will not be needed.

[Speedworx]

Where is the ban that he deserves?

Every races he has caused a crash. He is too dangerous.

[macdaddy]

If the next event weren't the 500, I'm sure that the suspension would have included a race. Maybe he got off lucky there.

[macdaddy]

Maybe I should have rephrased my last sentence.

[The Beer Baron]

lack of practice will might be a concern, he could be qualifying on bubble day...

[Speedworx]

I hope he doesn't make the grid.

[Edd]

Firstly, it seems sensible that the powers-that-be in the IRL have taken time over their Schekter ban decision, rather than making a snap decision like so many other governing bodies.

Shekter's driving has been a little on the dangerous side, and giving him what is, in effect, a mild ban should help him to focus his attentions. European-based single-seater drivers tend to over-estimate the safety of their machines, and it must be noted that repeated crashes in the IRL, especially those caused by a collision, will eventually results in serious injury.

I am sure that Sheckter will learn his lesson from this, and, along with a stern talking to from team boss Eddie Cheever, should calm down.

Although Cheever admits to rating Schekter very highly, he apparently says there is a limit to how long he will continue to clean up after him.

Good luck to Schekter on his return, and may he enjoy a successful and uncontroversial end to the season.

[Dr. Austin]

Edd makes alot of sense. It would not have been very good to throw one of Red Bull's drivers out of the 500 just when the company is ready to make such a huge committment to the league. The whole year is about the 500. Nothing else matters.

So they take a few days practise from him. It won't kill him. His own driving was going to do that if they didn't smack his hand once or twice.

Throwing him out of the 500 was too big of a penalty. Sure, the guy has been a bonehead and caused some accidents, but no one who ever became a champion hasn't. At 225+mph, the stakes are a little different. They had to do something. Now that someone has been hurt, it is impossible to just laugh it off anymore.

This way, he will see they are done fooling around with him. If he tears up a car in practise, I suspect they will just sit him down for the month.

As far as the time period, so what? There was a lull in the racing action and the IRL had plenty of time to think out the best solution. If they tossed Scheckter out of the 500, his entire year would be ruined, and maybe even his career. This doesn't even consider the bind that IRL loyalist Cheever would find himself in on such short notice.

Tomas still gets to run in the 500 if he goes fast enough to get in. He just doesn't have to show up until Thursday. This might work to his advantage anyway. The worst thing for a rookie at the speedway is hanging around and having the pressure build and build. All he has to do is come in and go fast, something he has already proven he can do.

I'm with Ed that taking the time to do it right is better than some of the poorly thought out decisions we see other series making, then rescinding. They had to make sure everyone involved in the process had seen the video and been brought up to date on what was said at the last driver's meeting. Good decisions take time.

Since Barnhart has taken over, the races have run smoothely and efficiently. They go off on time, and they end on time. There are no scoring errors or pace car snafus. It all runs like a fine watch, like any professional series should. So, with this in mind, I am OK with whatever Barnhart does.

[BootsOntheSide]

"It would not have been very good to throw one of Red Bull's drivers out of the 500 just when the company is ready to make such a huge committment to the league. The whole year is about the 500. Nothing else matters. "

Sounds mroe like you think the who year is about money. If he's not same, he shouldn't be racing, even if it'll annoy a sponsor. Tomas hasn't showed himself to be safe yet, and for sure one more crash should result in a suspension. Ironic how the Doctor has supporteed home grown drivers as a crucial part of IRL, yet he has been thrilled over the entry of 2 Brazillians, a Frenchman, a Japanese, and a South African kerb crawling wall smashing lunatic

[DNQ]

gee, Shecketer's had a tough ride recently hasn't he?? First a bit of *ahem* kerb-crawling, then his disatrous IRL debut. Basically he's been primed on racing on road circuits - were there isn't a concrete wall on the side of the track. Once he settles down I am sure he'll prove competent.

Hakkiman, regarding you not wanting him to make the grid - that's not a good thing if you ask me...the more experience he gets equals more improvement.

[Super Tourer]

Scheckter's always been wild. I was involved in Formula Vauxhall Junior in the UK back in '98. Scheckter went through 3 team's in one season and spent a fair amount of time in the steward's office. I remember one particularly wild move on the pit straight at Snetterton which ended in the barrier.

I wouldn't want to race wheel to wheel with him, as he's virtually unpredictable and will always produce a rash move.You only have to look at his less than glittering CV to see what little overall success he has acheived.

At 220MPH speed's you HAVE to be able to trust the guy alongside you. Driving into his team mate/boss - need I say any more. The guy's a danger to himself and everyone else, he need's banning from ovals period.

He's fast but simply too wild.Another trait of his - you can't tell him anything, which is why he never learns.

All IMHO as usual.

[RaceFreak]

Just like his boss...

[macdaddy]

He comes back and turns the third fastest lap on the Friday before Pole Day.
1. Castroneves 232.087
2. Buhl 231.603
3. Scheckter 231.600

My prediction? He'll qualify well, but won't last 50 laps. And he'll take somebody else out with him. (Somebody that Sarah Fisher didn't take out on lap 7).