Naughty Or Nice For 2015 Verizon IndyCar Series Placed Under The Tree

Scott Dixon on 'pit-out' at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach ... a race he finally won for the first time in his IndyCar career. This race win helped Dixon to achieve his fourth American Open-Wheel Racing championship secured on lap 51 by never giving up the lead for the win of the final race, GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma held at Sonoma Raceway. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2015)

Naughty Or Nice For 2015 Verizon IndyCar Series Placed Under The Tree

To many who have followed professional American open-wheel automobile racing over these last fifty plus years, in terms of talent in the paddocks on both teams and drivers, the 2015 season would easily rank in the top five all-time seasons.

The 2015 season was the first season that featured the new rules governing aerodynamic body panels manufactured by Dallara but utilizing input and designs dictated/negotiated by the manufacturer of the engines used by each team - Chevrolet or Honda. Once each team was given the solution of body and wing parts to use on the racing platform, within limits, the teams could decide upon the configurations and settings allowed.

One million possible adjustment combinations with the Honda/Dallara aero-package. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2015)

Early in the season, the cars that ran Honda seemed to be a bit behind Chevrolet on in and out cornering speed ... to wit Honda put forth, (paraphrased) our wing and body panels can be configured in about a million different ways given all of the options available. The problem with this potential breadth of choice options, once a proper engineering set up has become competitive with the more simple approach settled on by Chevrolet, about 999,000 options for adjustment become useless or irrelevant.

So on this issue ... who's Nice or Naughty?

The manufacturer, the engineering staff who figured out the best set-ups?, or the overall rules package crafted by the Verizon IndyCar Management?

In an effort to place the gifts of this season under the tree, Josh Farmer's Championship Racing Radio in show #4, with Edmund Jenks, seeks to discuss the Best (Nice) and Worst (Naughty) of this 2015 breakout season that began with an out of country race cancellation in Brazil without having a make-up race be run at any time for the balance of the season.

The discussion in show #4, however, will not focus on Verizon IndyCar Management but, rather, the races run, teams, and drivers.

Management, for the most part, may qualify for a lump of coal beginning with their policy of "Race Control By Committee" which had the person who was in charge of this policy - Derrick Walker - resign from the position after 2/3ds of the season had been put to bed ... with cookies and milk.

Championship Racing Radio 4: Naughty or Nice?

Time of show: (45 minutes at the maximum)
Intro: (Less than 5 minutes) introduce ourselves.
Rest of show: Best/worst of the 2015 IndyCar season in the theme of Naughty or Nice list. We both talk about who we think is the best driver


●    Nice List

○    Best Driver – Target Chip Ganassi Racing's Scott Dixon - The driver from Auckland, New Zealand kept his cool and capitalized on an unbelievable mistake by Team Penske midway through the race. That allowed Dixon to win his fourth Verizon IndyCar Series championship with a victory in season finale's Go Pro Grand Prix of Sonoma race (ht: Bruce Martin)

○    Best Race – Farmer - MAVTv500, Auto Club Speedway | Jenks - Honda Indy Grand Prix Of Alabama, Barber Motorsports Park (road/street course) - MAVTv500, Auto Club Speedway (superspeedway, oval course)

○    Best Rookie – Farmer - Bryan Herta Autosport's Gabby Chaves | Jenks - Bryan Herta Autosport's Gabby Chaves – Total Laps was 2nd best after Ryan Hunter Reay (2211 – RHR 2218) - Target Chip Ganassi Racing's Sage Karam - Honorable Mention 12 races – 2 Top 5 / 2 top 10 – excitement generated – No ride this season with 3 seats open – SPM / KV Racing / Dale Coyne

○    Best Move –  Penske Racing's Will Power – Sonoma for the Verizon P1 Pole Award - Will Power saw the performance CFH Racing's Josef Newgarden was able to do by placing Black sidewall tires on his Dallara so Will ordered up a set be placed on his Chevy and with the last seconds of qualifications winding down, snatched the Verizon P1 Pole Award away from Newgarden.

○    Most Improved driver – Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing's Graham Rahal – He improved so much as a driver, it made him marriageable – Courtney Force and Graham got married Nov. 21, 2015 and are honeymooning in Fiji and New Zealand.

Ryan Briscoe before he took to the track at the MAVTv500, Auto Club Speedway. Image Credit: Ken Manfred (2015)

○    Best underdog – Farmer - Schmidt Peterson Motorsports' Conor Daly (points for Detroit) - Dale Coyne Racing's Tristan Vautier (showed great promise behind substitution runs) | Jenks - Schmidt Peterson Motorsports' Ryan Briscoe – 8 Races – ½ season – 1 Top 5 / 4 Top 10 / 2 DNF … one DNF at ACS on last lap caused by Ryan Hunter Reay


●    Naughty List

○    Worst Driver – Farmer - Dale Coyne Racing's Francesco Dracone (never finished in the Top 20) | Jenks - KV Racing Technology's Stefano Colitti – 16 Races with 5 DNF / Dale Coyne Racing's Francesco Dracone – 5 Races with 2 DNF - Josh Farmer compared Francesco Dracone as being "as slow as Milka Duno." Edmund Jenks asked Josh, "So you believe that Dracone is Milka Duno without the mascara? ... as far as we know, right?

○    Worst Race – Indy Grand Prix of Louisiana "NOLA"

Penske Racing's Simon Pagenaud leaves the track after contesting space with Ryan Hunter-Reay and take a mud ride. This image, with Andretti Autosport's Marco Andretti in the foreground, was taken at the beginning of an accident that colored the late stages of the shortened race at NOLA. Image Credit: Bret Kelley - VICS (2015)

○    Worst Move - Farmer - Andretti Autosport's Ryan Hunter-Reay (2015 P6) - The final full course YELLOW Flag came from a massive incident between Sebastien Bourdais, Ryan Hunter-Reay (RHR), and Simon Pageneud (on the outside) as the drivers attempted to go three-wide in turn 3. RHR ended up pushing Pagenaud off of the track | Jenks - Penske Racing's Will Power - Diving move in Turn 10 at St. Petersburg on teammate Juan Pablo Montoya with many laps remaining in the race. It turns out that these two drivers got together during the final race of the season at Sonoma Raceway. Given that both drivers were in the hunt for the championship, one wonders if these points were able to be retained, would Scott Dixon have his 4th IndyCar crown.

Pageneud slid off the track into the mud, and then back on the track in the next right-hand corner 4, collecting Hunter-Reay and Bourdais sending all three cars across the grass.

Bourdais slides to the tire wall and hits broadsides cracking the hull of his No. 11 Dallara (all preceding crash images by Bret Kelley for IndyCar)

Penske Racing's Helio Castroneves in the pits at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. Qualified well at many 2015 venues but just could not make the performances stick. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2015)

○    Most disappointing driver - Farmer - Penske Racing's Simon Pagenaud (high hopes not realized - 2015 P11) - CFH Racing's Ed Carpenter (better set up with Conway last year - 2015 P27) | Jenks - Penske Racing's Helio Castroneves (2015 P5) - What was more surprising: Helio going without a win for only the second time in the past 16 IndyCar seasons, or his comparative disappearance at Indianapolis, where he's always expected to vie for the win? It's probably his not visiting Victory Lane, especially considering it was one of Helio's best-ever seasons in terms of qualifying. His four poles were complemented by the fact he never started worse than fifth through the first 11 races and his average starting spot was a dazzling fourth for 16 races. He lost Long Beach only because of a long pit stop to avoid contact. As for Indianapolis, other than his thrilling duel with RHR in 2014, the three-time winner has not been a factor at IMS the past few Mays but this year was more puzzling because of Chevy's obvious advantage. Finishing seventh and leading only two laps is not what three-time Indy kings are made of and it was the only oval he never really looked like a factor (ht: Racer, Robin Miller)

After a 14 months total transformation that shrouded the exterior with ribbons of stainless steel and an interior pack with priceless vehicles and cutting edge technology, the Peterson Automotive Museum at the gateway of Los Angeles famed museum row has reopened on time on budget and packed with hundreds of new sites sounds and experiences for visitors of all ages. This image is what one sees traveling South on Fairfax just before Wilshire Blvd.. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2015) #thepetersenmuseum #petersen #mpg #thepetersen

A photo posted by Edmund Jenks (@the_edje) on Dec 3, 2015 at 7:43pm PST

●    Anything else that we might want to cover - If anyone finds themselves in the Los Angeles area over the holidays, make a special trip to the newly renovated and re-opened Petersen Automotive Museum which resumed operations December 7, 2015.

Named 10 best automotive museums in the world by CNN.

Precious Metal display room at the Petersen Museum. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2015)

The Petersen Automotive Museum

EVERYDAY 10AM - 6PM

6060 WILSHIRE BLVD
LOS ANGELES, CA 90036

(323) 930-CARS (2277)

Here's hoping that all who happen to follow Verizon IndyCar Series never see a lump of coal and are always thought of by Santa Claus as ... Nice!

Merry Christmas to all, and to all, a good night.


... notes from The EDJE



TAGS: Verizon IndyCar Series, Graham Rahal, Scott Dixon, Helio Castroneves, Stefano Colitti, Francesco Dracone, Will Power, Verizon P1 Pole Award, Barber Motorsports Park, Auto Club Speedway, Derrick Walker, Josh Farmer, Championship Racing Radio, Edmund Jenks, Petersen Automotive Museum, 

Embarrassment And Riches Color Rahal's #MAVTv500 Win In Fontana

Graham Rahal survives a record setting race (83 lead changes) to win for Honda power and aerodynamics. Race winners at Auto Club Speedway, participate in a recently implemented tradition (2009) while in Gatorade Victory Lane: the ringing of "Mobell" ... a full-scale replica of the hundreds of bells that line California's El Camino Real. The 700-mile-long El Camino Real linked California’s 21 Franciscan missions, which were founded by Father Junipero Serra in the late 18th century. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2015)

Embarrassment And Riches Color Rahal's #MAVTv500 Win In Fontana

If one were just talking about the level of professionalism and talent found throughout the paddocks and race track of the teams that had come to compete in the 4th MAVTv 500 at the record holding superspeedway, Auto Club Speedway, we would be saying "Embarrassment Of Riches."

But we cannot ignore the embarrassment bestowed upon the riches that were on display for a record-setting 500 miles for 250 laps that recorded 80 lead changes, four and five wide lane competition for the lead where a driver was able to breakthrough a seven year, 124-race winless drought to take the trophy for a Honda-powered and aerodynamically-wrapped Dallara, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing's Graham Rahal.

Three of the four Dallara IndyCars in this image from the beginning of the MAVTv 500 will not complete all 250 Laps. From L-R, #14 Takuma Sato led for 8 times for 31 laps but got squirrely and took out #1 Will Power, #5 Ryan Briscoe led 5 times for 7 Laps collided with #28 Ryan Hunter-Reay and flipped on Lap 249 of 250,  #15 Graham Rahal goes on to win (third car from the left - Red), and #67 Josef Newgarden was taken out as his teammate #20 Ed Carpenter slide up to the outer lane of the track. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2015)

The embarrassment was that this monumental display of automobile racing talent put on by the teams and drivers of the Verizon IndyCar Series was only physically witnessed by (depending on who one listens to) 3,000 / 5,000 / well under 10,000 people who had come out to watch the race in the Fontana, California afternoon sun at Auto Club Speedway (ACS). A racing facility as large as ACS routinely hosts and supports crowds as large as 70,000 to 80,000 for its annual NASCAR stock car race in Southern California, where the market has 15 million people, is no problem.

This shortfall in attendance can most legitimately be placed on the racing series management.

The first point-of-order to consider is the movement of the date and the change in the importance of the scheduling of the race at Auto Club Speedway, itself. Over the previous three years, IndyCar had chopped the schedule to end before the beginning of Professional Football season for it was perceived by management that this kind of direct competition for entertainment dollars was not good for gate and television receipts. The season had to end by late August or early September to accommodate this view.

Helio Castroneves comes in hot for a pitstop and locks up his tires in order to get to 60mph pit speed. The first half of the race was caution-free with 43 lead changes and heading for a record for all-time average speed. The first yellow came out on Lap 136 when the cars driven by Castroneves and Briscoe made light contact on the backstretch. Five other caution periods followed, including two for debris. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2015)

As to the change of importance of the MAVTv 500, during the previous three years this race was the last race of the season, and in each case, since the points race was so tight, the race decided who would be crowned the champion of the season.

Lastly, the MAVTv 500 was a race ... again, for three years ... that started in the late afternoon sun and transitioned into the evening giving the race on a high-speed oval some additional mystery due to changes in the light, temperature, and strategy employed by the teams in order to finish on top.

In 2015, it was decided that the MAVTv 500 was to be moved to an all-afternoon race at the end of June when the summertime heat was beginning to get its legs in the desert climate Los Angeles is known for.

Normally, temperatures are in the mid-eighties but the weather pattern became humid and hotter just before the race was to be run where two days before practice took place on Friday, June 26, 2015, the temperature broke through the 100 degree mark. On raceday, however, the track was blessed with a little monsoonal cloud cover reducing the near 100 degree predicted temperature to be only about 90 degrees.

The MAVTv 500 was just race number 11 in a shortened 16 race season for points and the championship. The way the season was planned by management was 17 races for points to decide the championship, but just before the season was to start, the race to begin the season in Sao Paulo, Brazil was cancelled. No make up race for points was ever scheduled.

The MAVTv 500's previous significance as Season Finale, with the pomp and circumstance of evolving day-part change -- to "just another" oval race to begin a stretch of oval races at The Milwaukee Mile on July 12 - Iowa Speedway on July 18 - & Pocono's Tri-Oval on August 23 over the summer months was just too big a change for the public to handle.

Further, with very little promotion to bring awareness to these changes in the months leading up to the race date by IndyCar management, there was very little that the racing venue could do to unbake this cake ... and evidence suggests that everyone at Auto Club Speedway did their best against these scheduling change odds placed upon them by IndyCar.

Graham Rahal, driving the No. 15 Mi-Jack Honda for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (center), won under caution as the cars driven by Ryan Briscoe and Ryan Hunter-Reay made contact in a pack battling for position coming to the white flag. Tony Kanaan finished second in the No. 10 NTT Data Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet (left) and Marco Andretti placed third in the No. 27 Snapple Andretti Autosport Honda (right). Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2015)

The riches were enjoyed by those who were there or watched on television. On the web, most all of the comments were in support of the MAVTv 500 being one of the most entertaining races held in years where full crowd attention appeared to be focused on the track for all of the 250 laps of competition. Cheers could even be heard throughout Auto Club Speedway by the (depending on who one listens to) 3,000 / 5,000 / well under 10,000 people at the track when a RED Flag was displayed in order to preserve the final four laps to competition as opposed to having the race cars circle the track to end the race under a YELLOW Flag. This could be pointed to as the best decision Race Control and series management made in support of the MAVTv 500 ... save a non-penalty call for the race winner Graham Rahal.

The No. 15 entry driven by Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing's Graham Rahal will face a post-race review for potential penalty because of a Lap 187 pit stop in which the gravity-fed fuel coupling broke off still attached to the car as Rahal sped away. It dislodged, forcing a caution for debris.

Big Race-Control-By-Committee meeting takes place in pitlane between Derrick Walker and Brian Barnhart while one car qualifies and Sebastien Bourdais waits for the signal to go out on his qualifying run. Wasn't the main purpose during this timeframe qualifications for the MAVTv 500 as opposed to sorting out the finer points of Race Control ... or was this just a social call? Where's the decorum? Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2015)

To be blunt, this has been nothing but an embarrassment of series management - and things need to change from a culture that believes:

** It is perfectly ok to plan a series for 17 races that ends before there can be the threat of any competition for the entertainment dollar by Pro Football.

** Plans a race that happens on the West coast over the same weekend as a major NASCAR road race in wine country (and this is not calculated as competition for the entertainment dollar)

** Loses a race to cancellation at the beginning of the season, and is just fine to not schedule a make-up points race. If Series management isn't serious against the plan how does one expect the fan to be serious?

** Race-Control-By-Committee without having one race car driver with real racing competition under his/her belt on the committee - let alone that experience tells us that too many cooks spoil the broth.

** With a country that has a population of over 300 million people, bringing back, and adding, Brian Barnhart to the Race-Control-By-Committee.

** Increased use of post-competition penalty assessment when many infractions cited in this way were clearly visible as on-track infractions.

** Lack of clear understanding of the discretionary usage of YELLOW, RED, and BLACK Flag track condition employment.

** Series Management through the reliance on information from outside consultants - do they also have as clients ... Pro Football?

** Guts the importance of "Bump-Day" at Indianapolis 500 on the premise the only thing that matters is the Month of May in Indianapolis - because outside of two races, the rest of the season is window dressing and ultimately does not really matter against plan. After all, "our country club is the only country club."

... add your own perceived professional racing series embarrassment here.

The MAVTv 500 at Auto Club Speedway was heralded by some as one of the most exciting races in the sport's history, which was reflected by a more than 100 percent increase in overnight television ratings. The 250-lap event at Fontana, drew a 0.37 overnight rating as reported by Nielsen - up from a 0.18 rating in 2014. It was exhilarating to watch these incredible drivers race each other so closely, so fast, for so long, without putting a wheel wrong, and we all were enjoying the thrills. The most common word used to describe the action was “insane.” Image Credit: Timo Hulett - TRACTALK Pulications (2015)

This template of thinking must change to a corporate and racing competition culture:

** That adheres to a full race season points schedule (and 20 races would be nice).

** Where the season championship points race is of prime importance over the course of seven to eight months.

** The absolute fear of competition of other sports, especially Pro Football, be damned.

** Automobile craft and innovation is fostered.

** The development and recruitment of talent is paramount.

... add your own perceived culture improvement here.

Robin Miller, of Racer Magazine and the NBCSN broadcast team, had been somewhat quiet until race end at the MAVTv 500 where he placed out a challenge to all of the team owners to wrest control of the management, and thereby the culture, of professional open-wheel racing from Mark Miles and the country club crowd that calls Indianapolis their home.

The riches shown by the drivers and teams this season has been something to behold. The last 20 laps of racing at the INDY 500 were probably some of the most exciting and professional on display - ever ... as could be said for the MAVTv 500.

Those who have the greatest investment in the outcomes need to begin the process of inculcating a culture of determination and competency as opposed to a culture of control, dictate, and fear of  entertainment competition.

We need to honor the talent and efforts of these drivers and teams.

... notes from The EDJE


TAGS: Verizon IndyCar Series, MAVTv 500, #MAVTv500, Auto Club Speedway, @ACSUpdates, Race Control, INDY 500, Robin Miller, Mark Miles, Brian Barnhart, Derrick Walker, Country Club, The EDJE, Milwaukee Mile, Iowa Speedway, Pocono Raceway, Tri-Oval, Bullring, Banked, IndyCar,

99th Indianapolis 500 Qualifications Exemplify A Disastrous Start To 2015

Verizon P1 Pole Winner sticker as it was placed on Target Chip Ganassi Racing's Scott Dixon's No. 9 Chevrolet-powered Dallara IndyCar. Notice the lack of attention to detail on how the sticker was placed. Image Credit: Joe Skibinski

99th Indianapolis 500 Qualifications Exemplify A Disastrous Start To 2015

After having a fairly interesting week of watching the Verizon IndyCar Series work in, and understand, the new aerodynamics kits for large oval racing that were added to their Dallara DW12 racing platforms, and after the weather elements washed out any chance of holding the scheduled 4-lap qualification runs used to decide where the drivers would line up for the INDY 500 race, then, lastly, a third Chevy chassis spun and turned around backwards causing the chassis to lift off of the track surface, Race Control saw fit to shut down all of the team and driver development understanding achieved over hundreds of laps logged at the old Brickyard.

The third Chevy-powered accident damage on Ed Carpenter's Dallara DW12. It was feared that the new aerodynamics body work led to having cars become airborne when they spin and present the rear of the car toward the wind. Image Credit: Mike Young

One might say ... IndyCar Race Control "Bricked" the 99th Indianapolis 500 qualifications.

The 2015 season at this point has had more going wrong with the competition and fan enjoyment than at almost anytime during these merger years.

To understand and gain a perspective on how the decisions made for Sunday's augmented qualifications session played out, one needs a brief review of the 2015 season.

2015 Verizon IndyCar Series season had its opener in Brazil canceled ...

its second scheduled race at St. Pete ended up in a non-passing crash fest with the first time implementation of new aerodynamics body work with restricted testing imposed on all teams ...

its third scheduled race, Indy Grand Prix of Louisiana, at NOLA (a brand new venue) ran almost having more laps run under YELLOW Flag with the rest of the timed-race laps being a mud bath ...

Long Beach Formula E Race winner Nelson Piquet Jr. - NEXTEV TCR Formula E Team - at the beginning of the FIA Formula E electric car open-wheel race as he negotiates Turn 3 at the end of Shoreline Drive at Pine Ave.. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2014)

the fourth scheduled race at The Beach becoming a snoozer as a lack of passing ruled the day (two weeks earlier the FIA sanctioned Formula E had more interesting competition) ...

the fifth scheduled race at Barber Motorsports Park finally had some excitement - and passing, imagine that - passing ...

and finally, if this idiocy of INDY500 decision-making keeps up, the crown jewel of Speedway, Indiana during the month of May might become the Grand Prix of Indiana as opposed to the INDY 500 because, again, the Race Control by committee crowd allowed competition to break out (OH! ... and it was a road race).

Announcement of modified and augmented INDY 500 qualification's procedure at IMS delivered by CEO Mark Miles (L) and Race Control Director Derrick Walker (R). Image Credit: Bret Kelley

This excerpted and edited from Racer Viewpoints -

MILLER: Barnum & Bailey spotted at IMS
By Robin Miller - Sunday, 17 May 2015

It wasn’t as big a circus as 1997, when every bit of integrity and competition got kicked to the curb so the Indy Racing League could avoid the public relations nightmare of not starting the fastest 33 qualifiers.

But Sunday’s sideshow at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway would have surely brought a little smirk to Barnum & Bailey. A lot of panic, a little knee jerk, possibly some politics, a little confusion and a lot of “WTF?” summed up a very forgettable and embarrassing day in IMS history. From the time Ed Carpenter flipped in morning practice to the inane Last Row battle, it looked more like the Speedrome instead of Speedway.
----
Carpenter’s crash was the third in which a Chevrolet­powered Dallara driver wound up on his head. Helio Castroneves got upside down on Wednesday, followed by Josef Newgarden on Thursday. All three drivers escaped injury but not speculation. Why were their Indy cars suddenly sailing?

The finger was pointed at the new aero kits with the angled tire ramps and ramps inside the rear wheel pods or the vertical wickers on the nose but was countered by the Physics Police who reasoned as long as there are tunnels under a car and it goes backward there is going to be lift. Everyone seemed to have a theory except IndyCar, which offered nothing publicly until Sunday. “We knew the cause of the first two wrecks were very different and that probably obscured the overall concern,” said Hulman & Company CEO Mark Miles, who at least chose Indy qualifying over golf this weekend.

IndyCar did mandate those vertical wickers be removed from all Chevys, but not the Hondas, after Helio flew.

Of course Carpenter crashed with no wicker but using the extra boost for qualifying while Castroneves had the wicker and normal horsepower before a tank­slapper sent him into the wall. Newgarden had no wicker and no added boost in a crash caused by a deflated tire. Even though Carpenter snapped loose before climbing the wall backwards and flipping over, it was his accident that suddenly sent IndyCar officials into DefCon 1. So when IndyCar sent out the word that it was taking away the extra power for qualifying and all the cars would have to start the race in the aero package they used to qualify (which instantly slowed the cars by several miles an hour), it created some predictable emotions in Gasoline Alley.

“We look like a bunch of pussies,” said one driver.
----
“It’s amateur hour, they’re throwing darts at a board,” said a former IndyCar champion of the process.

Honda drivers and teams bit their tongue but the obvious question was why did Honda have to abide by the edict?

Competition director Derrick Walker replied: “Just because we’ve seen three incidents happen with a Chevrolet doesn’t mean that there aren’t three Hondas out there that are likely to happen [fly while going backward] or could happen. I can assure you that Honda doesn’t believe that they have any issue, but then again, they will admit right now that we don’t have that answer.
----
Was it more about safety or competition? Chevy has clearly been ahead of Honda in pace this season and this month (with or without extra boost) so it’s not like Honda lost any advantage, other than its cars weren’t flipping at any speed or under any configuration.

Three accidents force a total change in philosophy? Sending drivers out with a combination they hadn’t run all month for a short practice session before qualifying hardly seemed safe but that’s what happened.

Some people blamed IndyCar for not doing more testing with the oval­track kits, which prompted one veteran mechanic to say: “We could have run for two weeks but unless somebody spun backwards, how would we know if there was a problem?”

Of course nobody wants to see anybody hurt when it can be prevented and nobody crashed Sunday afternoon ...
----
And naturally the day ended with some head shaking stupidity. Instead of letting the Fast 9 at least get one chance to battle for the pole, the hearty but tiny gathering of fans that hung around had to endure the dramatic duel to see which one of the 34 drivers was [to be] sent home. IndyCar opted to have the slowest four drivers go back out to eliminate one of them in an effort to keep the insulting “Bump Day” theme alive.

How pathetic.

There’s no Jim Nabors this year so my suggestion is scrap “Back Home Again in Indiana” for “Send in the Clowns.”
[Reference]

Charlie Kimball and former champion Dario Franchitti pose for fan pictures at IMS. Image Credit: Forrest Mellott

Robin Miller (Racing, Viewpoints) was very correct to cite the 1997 IRL embarrassing INDY500 event because - and this is the reason - The Hulman/George decision-making Race Control by committee of 2015 was what had the event of last weekend's 99th INDY 500 qualifications feel so similar and familiar.

We are reliving the Tony George inspired competitive attitudes that the IRL gave American Open Wheel Racing right now in 2015. We have a racing series that is being run by a committee of pussies and one of them has been brought back (TGBB) after being replaced (with reason) a few years ago ... need we say more?

Robin Miller​ spanks the system but does not call them out as morphing into the IRL of old ... running the present day.

Comment/Observation From FB:
Ira Fierberg · Friends with Dicken Wear and 82 others - If you watched the coverage on Sunday, Roger Penske was interviewed and several times during the interview he referred to the sanctioning body as "The IRL"!

Can the reinstatement of Tony George as Chief "Clown & Mucky-Muck" be too far behind?

... notes from The EDJE


TAGS: Verizon IndyCar Series, 99th INDY 500, Indianapolis, Qualifications, Aerodynamics, Chevrolet-­powered, Honda-powered, Dallara, Testing, Hulman & Company, Mark Miles, Derrick Walker, Race Control, Boost, The EDJE,

IndyCar Off To A Shaky Start For 2015

Philip Lane ‏@Re1axinmood - According to reports Brazil is cancelled - @IndyCar could at least update the website. Do they know something we don't?

IndyCar Off To A Shaky Start For 2015

This last full week of January 2015 saw more damaging action in American Open Wheel Racing off the track in two days than most can remember here in the 2010's ... maybe longer.

On Wednesday, January 28, it was announced that the committee approach that was implemented last year, which effectively diluted the strong influence of Race Director Beaux Barfirld and prompted the aforementioned Mr. Barfield to resign before the end of the 2014 season and accept a Race Director position at IMSA's Tudor United Sports Car Championship, will remain in place with the once replaced Tony George confidant Brian Barnhart as Race Director.

On Thursday, January 29, a shorter season designed to avoid, at all costs, at having IndyCar races being run during American professional football games was made a little shorter with the announcement of the first race of the season set to be run March 8th, 2015, was being cancelled by the race promoter due to track improvement delays and a change of government in Sao Paulo Brazil.

In order of actual damage to the sport of American Open Wheel Racing at the highest professional levels, the second announcement was the greater threat, but the image of IndyCar and its professional stability has taken a perceivable step backwards.

Races scheduled and cancelled at the last minute tends to speak for itself as it relates to the decision-making powers of upper-management. Stable venues are everywhere and having races run on a consistent basis year-in-year-out helps to build an audience and tradition.

Sadly, losing Brazil is just another in a long line of situations that have trashed the year-in-year-out paradigm momentum that has proven to work but is shunned by IndyCar management throughout the years.

Further, the re-appointment of, the once replaced, Brian Barnhart as Director of Race Control, when this country has about 330,000,000 (that's 330 million, or 1/3 of a billion) additional human beings living here, shows a complete lack of evolution that would be critical to building and sustaining a sport at its highest professional standards.

Lastly, the elephant that still sits in the room (because very little allowable on-track testing has taken place) - the addition of add-on aerodynamic body parts (aero-kits) to the tested and appreciated Dallara DW12 platform which has proven itself to be the only durable element in American Open Wheel Racing.

Presentation given during the the season 2014 Verizon IndyCar Series finale held at Auto Club Speedway, Fontana, California by engineers at Honda Racing HPD transport. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2014)

This was to be the year of differentiation through the addition of aero-kits but the actual process has this competitive factor potentially diluted and equalized. All parts have to be manufactured exclusively by Dallara with the majority of the parts already deemed as standard. If the parts are standard to all cars, and manufactured by a single source, secrecy and variance are placed at a minimum. The jury has not even been formed on this season element.

On Brian Barnhart:

Second-year steward system to support race director Brian Barnhart. Image & Caption Credit: IndyCar via Twitter

This excerpted and edited from Oilpressure - 

Brian’s Song: The Return & Other Tidbits
By: George Phillips

Since the news broke less than forty-eight hours ago that Brian Barnhart would be named as Race Director for the Verizon IndyCar Series, there has been nothing but hand-wringing on social media for the past two days.

Wednesday morning – John Oreovicz, of ESPN, tweeted out a tease that Wednesday afternoon, IndyCar fans would be told news that would make us think it was either April Fool’s Day or Groundhog Day. I had no idea what it was. I surmised that either the aero kits were going to be delayed or else the opening race at Brasilia had been cancelled.
----
An hour or so after the teasing tweet, Curt Cavin broke the news about Barnhart. I’ve been on Twitter since 2009, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a (bleep)-storm as I saw that day. The Legions of the Miserable were out in force. One thing was apparent – IndyCar fans are still very passionate; even in January.

I will admit, my initial reaction was not much different from those I was reading – it just wasn’t as strong. I wasn’t horrified like some, but I wasn’t particularly overjoyed either. Like everyone, I’ve taken my share of shots at Barnhart – some cheaper than others. Let’s face it – he’s a very easy target.

Most people associate Barnhart with a quick trigger for penalties and a very rigid and inflexible stance. He’s been given nicknames like The Iron Hand of Justice and TGBB (The Great Brian Barnhart). Those detractors are not incorrect in that association, but my bad taste comes from a slightly different direction.

Lately, I’ve referred to this current administration as returning to the “bunker mentality” of the Tony George administration. That is what I most associate Barnhart with – that bunker mentality. In the Tony George regime, my perception was that Barnhart was Tony George’s right-hand man and that he really enjoyed being that close to the throne. The two of them pretty much made all decisions, and if no one liked it – tough! To me, it seemed that their viewpoint was “this would be a great series, if we didn’t have all these fans we had to deal with”.
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When Tony George was ousted in 2009 and subsequently replaced by Randy Bernard in 2010, Brian Barnhart was operating alone without his main supporter. I am not a psychologist, so I don’t know if George’s absence exacerbated Barnhart’s behavior – but it sure seemed that Barnhart’s race officiating became a lot more visible…and more horrendous.

To make things worse, the more Barnhart was criticized – the more he dug in. His word was final, and he knew it. If anyone questioned his calls, his resolve strengthened and he turned a deaf ear to the criticism. Fans, owners and even drivers were scoffed at. They knew nothing and should not even be listened to – at least that was my perception.

After the debacle at New Hampshire in 2011, it was reported that Randy Bernard had fired Barnhart during the offseason. As it turned out, that wasn’t quite true. He was removed as Director of Race Control, but was still head of Racing Operations. Last year, he was in the rotation to serve as one of three stewards at IndyCar races.
---
[Barnhart's] new title effectively makes him Chief Steward of the total three stewards at any given race. It’s unclear to me if he is one vote of three or the deciding vote. Whatever the case, he no longer has the last word. That now belongs to Derrick Walker, his boss.
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Once the penalty has been enforced, they can’t really give the positions lost back to the driver. I suppose that remains to be seen.
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I believe in second chances and all, but I also think that it’s pretty tough to change your core personality. To quote coach Bill Parcells – “You are what you are”.
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The other night on Trackside, Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee made it a point to mention that even though this is not popular with fans, no one in the paddock is complaining. Barnhart is well-respected there – which is where it counts. I always questioned the integrity of a Chief Steward that had a Twitter account and wanted to be popular.
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So while I think it’s tough to change your core personality, it can be controlled with hard work and discipline. People do learn from their mistakes. Over time, it becomes easier to control your emotions and resist your natural instinct.
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Now that Barnhart has returned and we lost the Brazil race, I’m hoping the aero kits are still on deck for St. Petersburg. Stay tuned.
[Reference Here]

Beaux Barfield steps aside as he sends off Justin Wilson for his MAVTV qualifying run during the season 2014 Verizon IndyCar Series finale held at Auto Club Speedway, Fontana, California. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2014)

And this excerpted and edited from Racer - 

PRUETT: Holding judgment on Brian Barnhart
For Racer - Viewpoints: Marshall Pruett

I was hoping for Unicorn Jesus. Instead, according to the Internet, we got Osama bin Hitler.

Before we fall into familiar, time-honored roles of painting Brian Barnhart as evil incarnate—the fire-breathing hellspawn sent to earth to destroy IndyCar from high atop the Race Control tower, let’s steer the conversation in a direction that involves fewer pentagrams and scribblings of 666.

The lows from Barnhart’s tenure as IndyCar’s Race director are well known. From holding an oval race in the rain at Loudon to assigning penalties based on his ability to read minds and judge the intent of the offending driver, Barnhart’s mistakes—and limitations—have been the source of countless columns.

In the three years since Barnhart was taken off the frontline, he was retooled as a steward serving the Race Director, and by all accounts, his experience and attention to detail impressed everyone involved. Call it a private, internal career and image makeover, and with those inside IndyCar experiencing the best side of Barnhart, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to see him elevated to his former position.
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Do I believe, on a personal level, that he has been unfairly targeted and blamed for many things that weren’t his fault? Absolutely.
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If the best referee is one who acts in the best interest of the game and rules fairly once all the facts are known, you’re left with two more examples of how not to referee. You have the guy who swallows the whistle and calls nothing or, in the case of Barnhart through 2011, the ref who carries a few extra whistles in his pocket because they explode from over-use.

That’s Barnhart’s reputation as Race Director. Penalties, penalties, and more penalties, no matter how small the crime, and to compound the problem, his past body of work involved attempts to judge the mindset of the drivers who ran afoul of his sensibilities.

The classic case was at Long Beach in 2011 when numerous drivers spun cars from behind in the hairpin leading onto the front straight, but only some were penalized due to the Race Director’s amazing ability to divine intent from genuine error.
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This little walk down memory lane wasn’t to rehash Barnhart’s checkered past in Race Control, but rather, to illustrate the clear and easily defined pros and cons associated with IndyCar’s new chief steward. Applauded for his body of work from 2012-2014, and worrisome in the latter stages of his first go-round in the position through 2011.

It leads me to one conclusion: IndyCar knows exactly who and what they are getting, and if Barnhart is at the center of more controversy due to his trigger-happy shortcomings, blame the series.
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Simply put: This dog has a history of biting, yet its owners are confident he’s been rehabilitated and no longer needs a muzzle. If they’re wrong and the paddock ends up with more puncture wounds, don’t get mad at the dog for the owner’s bad judgment.
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IndyCar president of competition Derrick Walker knows Barnhart, spent time on the receiving end of Good Brian and Bad Brian as an entrant, and will play an active part in making sure Race Control is a more balanced officiating environment than the one Barnhart previously led.

If I’m wrong, and IndyCar’s officiating safeguards aren’t properly implemented, stockpile all the holy water and crosses you can find.
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Until we get to the point where Barnhart has done something new to warrant a digital lynching, it might be worth putting your faith in Walker to place his new Race Director in a position to succeed.​
[Reference Here]

What is the definition of … INSANITY?

We all will be treated to MORE WILLFUL EGO from Race Control as opposed to less.

So, so stupid this IndyCar Series decision is:

A definite step backwards!

Lack of evolution and competitive maturity of the IndyCar sport – I contend, the only real aerodynamic effect that will matter in this 2015 season will be the HOT AIR of penalties emanating from the Race Control tower … not the monolithic nature found in the DW12 aero-kits manufactured exclusively by Dallara, the requested kits by Chevy and Honda (also manufactured exclusively by Dallara), and lastly, the team modified suggestions that are then fed and discussed with Chevy and Honda (also manufactured exclusively by Dallara)!

The Utah Data Center is one of the U.S. Defense Department’s largest ongoing construction projects in the continental United States. This Intelligence Community facility will host the power, space, cooling, and communications needed to support specialized computing. The center sits on approximately 247 acres, includes 1.2 million square feet of enclosed space, and is completing acceptance testing. Image Credit: TechCrunch via popularresistance.org

Anyone have an “in” at the NSA?

The depth of the point being made centers around the minor variances in the nature of the aero-kits (the vast majority of the aero-kits will be standard and dictated by Dallara as per Honda engineers during the VICS finale at ACS). More races will be decided by Race Control with this latest appointment (based upon a well known history) than will be decided by the potential and perceived advantages provided through variances of the added aero-kits.

As seen on Facebook - a short dialog between one fan to another:

Laura Malone‎ to Beaux Barfield
· Des Moines, IA ·
As IndyCar goes absolutely nuts over the new race director AND has its first race for 2015 canceled, I can only imagine that you are smoking a cigar and laughing and laughing and laughing (you will be missed!)

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Beaux Barfield to Laura Malone
· Houston, TX ·
I love IndyCar. And I have a lot of friends there whom I wish all the best. But none of what's happening is dire - sad and frustrating - but not dire. I am comfortable with the decisions I have made. And yes, I am smoking a cigar

    ** Erin Campbell - Said perfectly, babe.
 
... notes from The EDJE

Team Falken Tire Turns Heads And Wheels At The Inaugural Baltimore Grand Prix

Derrick Walker's Team Falken Tire as it tracks around the city street course at the Inaugural Baltimore Grand Prix. Image Credit: The American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patron


Team Falken Tire Turns Heads And Wheels At The Inaugural Baltimore Grand Prix

Yes, just as it was in Mid-Ohio, at least three other teams with six driver pairings were supposed to lock the Derrick Walker managed Team Falken Tire out of any podium finish in the seventh round sold out ALMS GT Class race through the streets of Baltimore. The drivers Bryan Sellers and Wolf Henzler captured their second and most impressive victory in their Porsche 911 GT3 RSR this weekend at the 2011 Inaugural Baltimore Grand Prix.

The team's first order of business was to move up from its P5 qualifying position, while remaining clear of being involved in any collection of machinery, that has a tendency of happening on a tight and bumpy closed street course. Sure enough, just after the Green Flag dropped to start the race, driver Wolf Henzler, who started the first stint, managed to wiggle through carnage in Turn-1 of the narrow 2.04-mile circuit, picking up two positions before the first lap was over.

Team Falken Tire's Wolf Henzler maintains the inside passage at race start (left-inside) to gain two positions on the opening lap of the Baltimore Grand Prix. Image Credit: The American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patron

Henzler showed a strong pace and his equipment proved to handle well on the rough temporary course near Camden Yards baseball stadium in downtown Baltimore. After putting the pressure on the leaders for many laps, the German driver then pulled a daring outside pass toward the lead around Turn-1 and got the position ... now P3.

At the mandatory pit stop for a tire change, fuel, and a driver change on Lap 35, the Team Falken Tire pit crew, lead by crew chief Nico Castellaccio, performed the quickest pit stop of the whole GT field and sent team-mate Brian Sellers out with one hour to go in the timed race.

A few laps transpired and the action on the track was placed under a Full Course caution to fix a loose manhole cover ... after the restart, Sellers took advantage of contact between the final two top running GT Class cars (the #55 BMW and #3 Corvette). The Turn 1 incident and penalty issued to Tommy Milner driving the #3 Corvette created enough separation where the Walker Racing managed driver led the remainder of the race and took the checkered flag for the second time this year.

Team Falken Tire's Brian Sellers leads the GT Class during the Inaugural Baltimore Grand Prix. Image Credit: The American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patron

The team’s first victory came at Mid-Ohio earlier this year where the Walker Racing led Team Falken Tire drivers took advantage of their superior Falken rain tires to survive monsoon conditions at the picturesque road course. This win thrust Derrick Walker back into the limelight where he had been before in his previous life as a ChampCar World Series team owner. On 7 April 2007, Walker won his first race as a team owner since 1999 with the then Team Australia's Will Power (the IndyCar winner of the 2011 Inaugural Baltimore Grand Prix) won the CCWS's inaugural (and only) Las Vegas GP.

Funny how the cream always rises to the top in these inaugural races ... even when the cream becomes separated.

Derrick Walker's Team Falken Tire takes the trophy in the GT Class (photo left) at the podium ceremony at the Baltimore Grand Prix. Image Credit: The American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patron

Results - 71 laps (Class Leaders In BOLD):

Pos - Class - Drivers - Team/Car - Time/Gap

1. P1 Al Masaood/Kane Dyson Lola-Mazda 2h01m03.170s
2. P1 Dyson/Smith Dyson Lola-Mazda + 6.961s

3. PC Marcelli/Drissi Intersport FLM + 25.760s
4. PC Lux/Julian Genoa FLM + 58.462s
5. PC Bennett/Montecalvo CORE Autosport FLM + 1m00.861s

6. GT Henzler/Sellers Falken Porsche + 1m16.935s
7. PC Jeannette/Gonzalez CORE Autosport FLM + 1m19.921s
8. GT Muller/Hand BMW + 1 lap
9. GT Gavin/Magnussen Corvette + 1 lap
10. PC Nicolosi/Boon Performance Tech FLM + 1 lap
11. GT Miller/Maassen Miller Porsche + 1 lap
12. GT Auberlen/Werner BMW + 1 lap
13. GT Melo/Vilander Risi Ferrari + 1 lap
14. GT Beretta/Milner Corvette + 1 lap
15. P1 Burgess/McMurry Autocon Lola-AER + 3 laps
16. GT Neiman/Law Flying Lizard Porsche + 3 laps
17. GT Sharp/van Overbeek Extreme Speed Ferrari + 3 laps
18. GT Brown/Cosmo Extreme Speed Ferrari + 3 laps

19. GTC Pappas/Bleekemolen Black Swan Porsche + 4 laps
20. GTC Sweedler/Keen Alex Job Porsche + 4 laps
21. GTC Potter/Stanton Magnus Porsche + 4 laps
22. GTC LeSaffre/Davis Green Hornet Porsche + 4 laps
23. GTC von Moltke/Bunting TRG Porsche + 4 laps
24. GTC Ende/Pumpelly TRG Porsche + 4 laps
25. P1 Dumas/Graf Muscle Milk Lola-Aston + 7 laps
26. GT Bergmeister/Long Flying Lizard Porsche + 15 laps

Retirements:

PC Ducote/Ducote Intersport FLM 52 laps
PC Dobson/Lewis PR1 Mathiasen FLM 14 laps
GT Jones/Moran RSR Jaguar 1 lap
GT Junqueira/Wilden RSR Jaguar 0 laps
(ht: chart - autosport.com)

The American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patron will now head west to Monterey, California for the ModSpace American Le Mans Series Monterey presented by Patron. The six-hour race will take place at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on September 17th, and will be broadcast live on ESPN3.com at 3:15 PM ET, and tape delayed on ESPN2 on September 18th at 1PM ET.

... notes from The EDJE


[Article first published as Team Falken Tire Turns Heads And Wheels At The Inaugural Baltimore Grand Prix on Technorati]