Detroit, IRL Belle Island

[NAC]

Oh well as the saying goes

If one person tells you you're a monkey they could be wrong
If ten people tell you you're a monkey, go buy some peanuts

I'm off to bed now. Getting peanuts tomorrow

[Adam43]

Originally Posted by NAC

Question:
When racers crash they are taught to take their hands off the wheel yes / no ?? Also what about their feet??

I too don't think this is relevant. Dixon had spun, not crashed. Until just before you hit something you try your best to stop yourself hitting it!

Apart from all that Scott is not that sort or driver. Yes he is a hard charger but he is fair.

That is what Dario has said too.

[luke]

At first I just thought it was a cruel consistence. When I heard Michael Andretti's instant, brash and hard comments as usual I saw his opinion among others which seem to think he deliberately took out Dario.

Part of me thinks it was deliberate. He braked hard as he had spun. He was at the top of the corner but he then applied full lock after glancing back down the track and steered into Dario. Dixon was quite far up the track and Dario chose that position at the bottom as it was quite clear and I'm sure he didn't expect Dixon to then take his foot off the brake because when you spin or stop on a street circuit when there is very small room you usually keep on the brakes. In Dixon's agreement if he was to, you can't really justify doing a 3 point turn cause he would have taken out many cars. I do think it was deliberate now which is a shame as I used to have a lot of respect for Scott.

I guess he could be hit with a penalty because he already got a final warning from BB for blocking Dario when he was along side, he then took out Buddy then Dario..

Buddy perhaps should have given Dixon room but I don't blame him for not because he was in 2nd, on a street circuit and it was the last lap or 2.

[HCForums]

Has Scott Dixon actually spoken about the incident at all?

We can discuss this for another thousand pages but it won't change the outcome of Sunday's event. Luckily the championship is still wide open but people will most likely remember this moment when they think back of 2007.

Personally I would like to see Dario win the title. As an outsider he won the 500 with a great strategy. He carried the momentum into the next couple of weeks (Iowa/Richmond) but then ran into trouble with two scary wrecks and the Marco situation. He had a difficult second half of the season but certainly deserves to win it.

Dixon was just impressive at the road courses. He had a winning streak with The Glen/Nashville/Mid-Ohio. But in the end it was him who made the desperate move on Buddy. What happened after that isn't even that important. Well, maybe a lap later Dario would have made a bonzia move on Scott, but we will never know that.

I just hope these guys will put on a great show at Chicago and leave the bitter taste of Detroit behind them.

[Knowlesy]

Originally Posted by Refutation

Finishes third, could've just rolled over to the faster guys behind him, and let Helio put him a lap down early, but he put up a great fight with a crappy car this weekend, and finished 3rd, while most everyone made a fool out of themselves. I see Dan's luck as having turned around again lately, considering he isn't getting caught up in the same crap as he was during his little bad stretch there, and to say that he's not as motivated or agressive as he's always been is an insult.

Good Job Dan

Yes, it was a good job.

I felt he hasn't been as motivated was a reasonable thing to say. The only alternative was he has been crap, which I don't truly believe and so I put it down to a little lack of motivation.

I believe he'll fight back next season. You've got to remember he's achieved everything in Indycar. I sometimes get the impression he only really is interested in the 500 now and his eventual transfer to NASCAR.

I wish him well for 2008. He is far better than he's shown this season.

[Adam43]

Originally Posted by Knowlesy

I wish him well for 2008. He is far better than he's shown this season.

I agree generally with your assessment. Crap season, and he's 4th in the standings!

[Knowlesy]

Can't be bad eh?

[mountainstar]

I heard this race cost almost $15 million to put on and with less than 25000 spectators one wonders how long it can continue for, if the locals and penske don't bankroll it.

[deejay]

Originally Posted by luke

Buddy perhaps should have given Dixon room but I don't blame him for not because he was in 2nd, on a street circuit and it was the last lap or 2.

Buddy had run out of fuel. He even apologised after the race for getting in the way. Scott wasn't trying to pass him, he was just trying to avoid him.

[Hazza]

Originally Posted by mountainstar

I heard this race cost almost $15 million to put on and with less than 25000 spectators one wonders how long it can continue for, if the locals and penske don't bankroll it.

Yeah? Well I heard champcar sucks! lol. MI RITE?



Moving on now...

I looked at the incident and thought, well, how well could Scott have seen Dario from where he was? Aside from that, I hope that it wasn't deliberate but it doesn't matter, cos i'll still be pulling for Dario.

[NAC]

Originally Posted by HCForums

Has Scott Dixon actually spoken about the incident at all?

From the Target Chip Ganassi Racing web site

Target Chip Ganassi Racing Driver Quoteboard:

Scott Dixon: “I wasn't trying to pass Buddy (Rice). I was in a good position and would not have risked it. He ran out of fuel. I sideswiped Buddy but tried to keep going. I was just trying to stay ahead of (Dario) Franchitti for valuable points. I would never have done anything intentional to jeopardize our race. Heading to Chicago the points situation is a lot tighter than I wish it was. Today was a good battle for the Target team and Chicago should be a better one especially for the fans."

http://www.chipganassiracing.com/news/index.cfm?cid=3808&series=indycar

[NAC]

Some other quotes

"He clearly took Dario out on purpose," Andretti Green team co-owner Michael Andretti said.
If that was the case, Dixon looks the fool. Franchitti ended up sixth and Dixon eighth, allowing Franchitti to pass Dixon in the overall points standings.

"I know my owners have a different opinion, but Scott and I have raced each other cleanly all year and, going on past form, I don't think he would have done it deliberately," said Franchitti, who will head to Chicagoland Speedway for next week's finale with a three-point edge over Dixon.

http://www.canada.com/windsorstar/columnists/story.html?id=57d9828c-a7fa-4c40-bbdc-6364fb7e5133

Other quotes here from Franchitti, Dixon & Kanaan on the matter

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070903/SPORTS16/709030355/1048/SPORTS

[luke]

Originally Posted by Hazza

Yeah? Well I heard champcar sucks! lol. MI RITE?

This isn't the place for CC bashing...

[D.R.T.]

Originally Posted by Hazza

Moving on now...

Why moving on. Isnt it a concern that a street race without a naming rights sponsor, less 25 k fans could become a long term issue, especially in light of other street race happenings.

[Jonerz]

I think Dario's opinions on Dixon are quite valid. Over Dixon's career he has never been made out to be the villain by any of his opponents. I think Dario's opinions were also fueled by a championship lead, no one likes a sore loser.

Chris

[ZXRobert]

Just to clear something up first; is the general consensus that Dixon merely "let off the brakes"? That's what it looks like most are saying.

To me, looks like he has a damn good head of steam whilst in reverse (gear).

Which is it?

[HCForums]

So Rice actually ran out of fuel. I think that changes the matter. Well, at least the fans had something to discuss/gossip this week, now bring on Chicago.

[Leighton Irwin]

I do not know many of you have actually been on Belle Isle. There is limited space and even more limited access. I doubt if you could accomodate many more than 25,000 plus teams and support staff. Don't forget they were using off site parking and shuttle busses. Only so much of that you can do. If memory serves me right there is only one bridge.

[deejay]

Originally Posted by ZXRobert

Just to clear something up first; is the general consensus that Dixon merely "let off the brakes"? That's what it looks like most are saying.

To me, looks like he has a damn good head of steam whilst in reverse (gear).

Which is it?

Well considering that IRL cars don't have reverse gear...

[deejay]

The suggestion from those people saying Scott blocked Dario on purpose seems to be that he should have instead kept his foot on the brake and come to a stop facing the wrong way down the track with pack coming on him. Meaning at best he’d be at the back of the pack needing marshals to turn him around again (and out of the championship) and at worst he’d have someone driving up his nose.

I think it’s most likely his instinctual reaction was to try and get his car facing the right way down the track, keep the engine running, and at least minimise the damage of the spin.

It’s plausible that his instinctual reaction was in desperation to try and block Dario, but I think it’s the less likely option. Everyone (even Andretti) seems to be in agreement that it would be well out of character for him to do that – which says to me that he probably didn’t.

Just watching the footage I really can't tell, so unless Scott confesses, I guess there'll always be a doubt.

[Joe Taylor]

My initial thought was that it was deliberate, and having seen the replay many times, I still think that he steered a bit too suddenly for it to be an unlucky accident

[climb]

Originally Posted by mountainstar

I heard this race cost almost $15 million to put on and with less than 25000 spectators one wonders how long it can continue for, if the locals and penske don't bankroll it.

You know the costs of this race?

Alongside with what you posted in the CC forum about who pays for Ganassi IRL venture, your recent posts seem to reveal an unknown part of your identity mountainstar, that gets me more and more curious

Your accounting sources within the US racing industry are really impressive.....

[D.R.T.]

Originally Posted by climb

You know the costs of this race?

Using other street races as examples, its not rocket surgery

[JohnSSC]

Yes, neither rocket surgery nor brain science...

However, since costs aren't published for any of the races, coming up with a number like $15 million is a t best a WAG.

[D.R.T.]

Costs are talked about though from those involved, which is where approximates come from.