Indiana Jones and the Yard of Bricks

Star Wars... two sets of three.

 

Three Spiderman films, and by the end of next year there will have been three Batman movies...

Pirates of the Caribbean originally came in three parts...

Raiders of the Lost Ark originally had two follow ups...

What does any of this have to do with racing?

Hollywood loves a twist. And the movie of the Brickyard 400 always throws up a surprise.

Juan Pablo Montoya should have won the last two races at the Brickyard but let both races slip through his fingers. Will this weekend’s race be part three of the trilogy or the much needed franchise reboot? Montoya needs to hold on to this one, or "Indy, no more parachutes!"

Another cast member hoping to turn a great weekend at the box office into a successful follow up has to be Stewart Haas Racing. After starting and finishing in first and second at New Hampshire, (how many times do the front row of the grid finish in that order in a Cup race) the sequel needs feature another set of strong performances but, for the sake of their championship chances, with the “leading man” getting the spoils this time, not his “sidekick”.

The Brickyard is a wonderful setting for a NASCAR rollercoaster storyline...

I can’t wait to see who’s name is on top of the list come the credits!

British Grand Prix - Final Thought

Among the topics in my last post, entitled "British Grand Prix - Quick Thoughts", you will not find any mention of the Red Bull team order issue. This is because I wanted to give the issue more than a quick thought. I wanted to take the time to deliberate, consider if you will.

This is the end result of those deliberations...

Its rubbish, but that's F1 for you.

I have decided that I can't be bothered to take more than a passing glance at the topic as it's just not worth it. I have discussed the legality of team orders in F1 before and I disagree with team orders on all levels.

The FIA and some of the F1 teams disagree with me.

I hate team orders but in F1 they are legal so there is no discussion.

The only thought I have is a moment of pity for Mark Webber who wanted to go racing but was denied the chance by his own sport and team.

Good for you Mark, I too like motor "racing", it's just a pity you are in the wrong sport!

British Grand Prix - Quick Thoughts

The FIA giveth and they taketh away... eth...

They give the drivers KERS and DRS to help with overtaking... and then take away the chance of overtaking by handing out “causing an avoidable incident” penalties like they are going out of fashion... which they are! I agreed with Martin Brundle when he said “staying in bed” would have avoided causing an incident and the race Stewards should let them “have a go”. There is a difference between trying and failing, and taking someone out!

The pity of the penalties is that the drivers are learning to race and give each other room again. There were some really good two wide, wheel to wheel overtaking moves at Silverstone. The Stewards need to take a leaf out of NASCAR’s book and give the drivers room to race without getting penalised for trying!

All this talk of exhausts is exhausting...

Do the research, write the rules, clarify the rules, give the teams’ reasonable notice, AND GET ON WITH IT!


Silverstone, anonymous or what?

The new layout at Silverstone is dull. Dull to look at as there are no features round the circuit to give it character, and dull for racing, as the main overtaking points were on the old part of the circuit.


Binoculars now a necessity?

Usually the tarmac that is the racing surface, the bit between the white lines and the grandstands, the bit that the paying public sit in, are close enough together that the aforementioned paying public can see what is happening on the tarmac bit between the white lines. At Silverstone the track and the grandstands have separate postcodes! I could not believe how far back they have moved the stands along what used to be the old start finish straight from Luffield and down to Copse. What I can’t work out is why as that part of the track has not changed, or if it has not enough to warrant moving the public back that much.

The best thing about the new Silverstone...

What I like most about Silverstone’s deal to hold the British GP for the foreseeable future is that it leaves Donington and all other UK tracks alone. The thought of such a wonderful piece of tarmac, and such a nice place to watch racing as Donington being ruined for the sake of a Grand Prix broke my heart. At least now Britain only has one dull F1 circuit with huge run offs and no personality and not two!


Rant over... for now...

Falling A Bit Flat

**APPOLOGIES FOR THE LATENESS OF THIS POST - I HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING INTERNET ACCESS ISSUES**

I watched every lap of the Daytona night race, and have been trying to figure out why I ended the race feeling a bit underwhelmed.

Firstly I thought it was down to the fact that I watched the race live...

Not a particularly odd prospect and not one that would usually leave me feeling disappointed...

Until you bear in mind that the race ended at three thirty in the morning so I was ready for some sleep... but that wasn’t it.

Then I realised...

No slingshot. Not even an attempt. Not even given a thought. Since the COT was introduced into Cup racing we have seen the slingshot, the ability to pass one-on-one on the last lap at Daytona and Talladega, make a comeback. Until this race that is.

I have never minded the two car bump drafting we are currently seeing at the ‘plate tracks, however when it gets to the point where drivers plan in advance who they are going to work with, and stay together until the end without any thought of changing, it has gone a bit too far.

When we hear the pushing drivers saying to their partner “I will push you to the flag”, something’s gone wrong. Help each other, sure, but on the last lap it should be everyman for themselves.

The trouble is if the pushing driver falls off of the front cars bumper they go backwards so quickly that they might have not bothered starting the race in the first place.

It was interesting to see Kyle Petty and Wally Dallenbach try the two car draft in the pre race show. It showed how hard it was and how little the driver behind sees when pushing. It was also interesting to see the Stewart Haas cars in the windtunnel, although I would have liked an hour on this in detail, as I am very interested by the effects of the draft and the bump draft with the latest car.

And so the season rolls on getting ever closer to the Chase.

Next up for me, the British GP from Silverstone...

Speaking of a bit flat...

R.E.S.P.E.C.T... Find out what it means to me...

If there is one thing Tony Stewart, “Smoke”, does not do... it’s blow smoke...

You always know where you stand with Stewart.

You may not like where you stand, you may not agree with where you stand... but you always know.

I like that!

To be successful in NASCAR you need respect, and you need to be respected.

You need to respect your car, and the track. You need to respect other drivers space on track.

I have said this before and I will say this again, I love NASCAR road racing.

Watching the heavy overpowered, under tyred, under braked stock cars racing on the undulating kerbs of Sonoma is one of the highlights of my NASCAR year (next to the Daytona 500 and Bristol and this and that). Maybe it’s because I live on this side of the pond and over here we live on road racing, maybe it’s watching the Cup drivers put on a better road racing show than most of Europe can manage, whatever it is, it makes me smile.

By European standards a NASCAR road race is just not cricket. Do what Vickers or Stewart did over here and the MSA would take away your race licence and never give it back. Most European road racing is delicate, open wheelers that dare not go close to each other let alone touch or touring cars trying to do what the Cup guys do at Sonoma but in cars that are just not right. It’s like comparing American wrestling to Europe’s best ballet dancers. Delicate, I think not. Fun, you betcha!

The issue of blocking is one that is blighting some European racing. I have always liked that NASCAR have maintained oval grooves, spotters and the oval etiquette at the two road courses. The idea that there is more than one racing line, and just because you are on the inside for the first corner does not necessarily mean you are on the inside for the second is a principle that F1 is learning and the BTCC should relearn! With 18 laps to go, Kasey Kahne and Carl Edwards showed us how it’s done!

Am I the only one who thinks it a bit odd that the track that creates the best old fashioned bump-‘n-run racing is... not Martinsville or Bristol but... a road course?

Talk about one extreme to the other, Sonoma last weekend, and Daytona under the lights this!

So from one of the tightest, hardest hitting tracks on the calendar to a restrictor plate track where success relies on working with others...

Dance partners anyone?