I watched all three major races this weekend: WEC 8 hour race from Sebring on Friday (entirety); IMSA 12 hour race from Sebring on Saturday (bits and pieces during the day, then the final few hours); F1 from Saudi Arabia on Sunday.
F1 Observations:
Red Bull - Imperious on pace, but Verstappen’s driveshaft failure on Saturday, which relegated him to 15th on the grid may portend future reliability gremlins. Perez intimated that both Red Bulls had potential reliability issues in the closing stages of the Bahrain season opener (hence the directive from the pitwall to reduce pace), and also obviously there were issues for both drivers in the final laps of the Saudi race. Liberty Media - to say nothing of the other front-running teams - will want to slow Red Bull down, lest the new fans find something else to watch other than intramural Red Bull conflict. On that note, imagine if Verstappen were to lose the title to Perez due to reliability?
Aston Martin - Lovely to see Alonso at the sharp end again! After a decade in the wilderness, it’s evident that his pace and capability never waned. The trickster has deep experience and the best race craft on the grid - would love to see him win a race this year.
Mercedes - Another race in which (1) Mercedes were comprehensively outpaced by Aston Martin, which is their customer team (AM buys their Power Unit, rear suspension, gearbox, etc. from Mercedes) and (2) Russell outperformed SIR Lewis Hamilton. Russell has beaten LewSIR in both qualifying sessions thus far this year, and the chosen one is out of contract at year end. Will Jim Ratcliffe and Ola Kallenius want to pay Hamilton top dollar when other credible drivers would be willing to take that seat for FAR less? Their votes would overrule Toto’s. Also, IF Hamilton were to leave Merc, where would he go? Not Red Bull; Max will surely have a clause about vetoing a teammate.
Ferrari - The car is slow, and it’s become apparent to me that Binotto’s ouster came courtesy of new Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna. New Team Principal Fed Vasseur has performed a pale imitation of his countryman Jean Todt’s efforts to shield the team from the braying of the Italian media. The Scuderia is already on the back foot politically.
Alpine - Decent race, solidified as the #5 team, so they should scrape the bottom end of the points when both cars from the above 4 teams perform as expected. Eagerly awaiting the cries of Sacre Bleu when the Frenchmen collide on track, which will happen.
Alfa Romeo - Who had Bottas getting outperformed by Zhou Guanyu on their bingo card? Terrible race for the Finn. Who will Audi want to drive their car from 2026? Would it be wise to take a punt on joining them in hopes that they nail the ‘26 regs a la Mercedes in 2014?
AlphaTauri - Tsunoda is outperforming his older, much more mature teammate Nyck DeVries. Unexpected. Also, what about team boss Tost absolutely throwing the engineering team under the bus? Morale must be LOW in Faenza.
Haas - The “Suck My Balls, Mate” duo haven’t collided yet; both have a propensity for self-destructive behavior (collisions, etc.), especially when in a position to score points. Hulkenberg has done very well against Magnussen after 3 years on the bench (occasional super sub appearances aside).
Williams - Logan Sargeant should be a superstar in America? Why isn’t he?
McLaren - Two races, zero points. Zak Brown should be looking for a new job, and Lando Norris will certainly be looking to go elsewhere; his problem is that new boy Oscar Piastri made HIM look weak in the race! Vettel was made to look overrated by Ricciardo in 2014; Ricciardo suffered the same fate against Norris in 2021 and 2022; will the same thing happen to Norris this year? If so, Oscar may get the call up to a top team! Somewhere, Danny Ric is laughing.
FIA / Race Control - Did not cover themselves in glory; fans should finish any sporting broadcast knowing the outcome definitively.
WEC and IMSA Observations:
The WEC race was a real race; the IMSA event was a shambles. The final few hours were punctuated by yellows and safety cars, and the final outcome in any of the IMSA enduros is a lottery driven by safety car restarts. This devalues the race long “narrative” that develops during a quality endurance race. Credit to Toyota for winning against legitimate OEM competition on Friday - they earned it.
Hulk has great 1 lap pace. In the race they are very close.
Sainz has lost the plot.
Lando looks like a stiff
MB. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
SLH loses his pixie elf with a timing that makes no sense at all. Why show up for preseason and the first race just to get canned. Maybe she got tired of carrying his bags while he road his electric scooter.
SLH if only he had been given CAD equipment the car would be a rocket ship. Want's more downforce. Bellyached like mad on how dangerous the low ride heights were. MB won that one. Well you got what you wanted.
GR: "“The car is already capable of that at the moment, we finished ahead of both Ferraris on
merit, we had better pace than them, and we know we’ve got a lot of performance in the
pocket to come in the near future. So in that regard, things are looking good."
MB's technical director Mike Elliott: "“Obviously, Bahrain was a real reality check and to find ourselves in the position we find ourselves in, not being competitive, was a real disappointment,” he said. “A disappointment for the whole team." Do tell. The whole of the 2022 season wasn't enough?
RIC He did that to himself. There's nothing to say if he survived he be better than Norris.
Piastri still made the right choice. With Norris looking like garbage and Norris being touted as the next big thing, Piastri's stock for the future is better than if he went to Alpine.
Fred What can one say?
FIA Make rules where the driver can't see the freakin box and then penalize him. There's a photo showing a car 3-4 rows behind FA that was further out of the box then he was. And no penalty.
Then give him a double secret probation penalty not told until after. Then find out, they didn't follow their own rules in procedure for that penalty. How about if you are going to serve a penalty the crew can't cross the line from the garage until the penalty is served? The crew did touch the car. By mistake. But still some of this stuff seem to be "Gotcha" stuff to make penalties.
Max needs to chill. I know it's competitive juices but take the L (or P2). I'd suggest watching post race NASCAR. "The Cheeze Wiz #194 was running great until we had some mechanical gremlins". Always use "WE" + "US" even if you don't mean it.
I’ll have you know it was entirely too cold for the Krusaders for Keeping Christ to put on their wrestling matches. Much to the disappointment of *Hero and myself, the risk of frostbite was too high.
All and all, *Hero would give the event 5 stars as his diet consisted entirely of Coke Zero, Laffy Taffy, and Moonpies. I would give it 4 stars as I spent $100 on a Racing Electronics headset which was used for less than 50 laps by *Hero
Spot on as usual, Sherman. There was some great racing in the lower end of the field. Too bad those kids weren’t racing for points.
I’m a little confused at the rancour directed at Lewis, though. He’s definitely a prima donna and his whining can be irritating, but I feel he’s matured into a true professional who races hard and fair rarely making errors. Am I missing something?
Whiny, entitled attitude; arrogant remarks, e.g. “my team don’t make mistakes” (that’s verbatim; surrounds last year’s car debacle). For someone so full of himself, so confident he can get that elusive eighth title … why not focus on beating your teammate first? He has lost 2/3 of his recent teammate battles (Rosberg in 2016; Russell in 2022), and his teammate during the interim - Bottas - is getting beaten by Zhou this year. He - and Mercedes - have the British media carrying water for him.
I would argue that during their partnership the points and podiums don't give a clear picture due to DNFs suffered by Hamilton and shambolic team management under Martin Whitmash which seemed to favor Button - both to the point where Hamilton departed company with the team to join Mercedes.
Speaking of little shits, Nico definitely qualifies in that category. Nowhere near the man his father is.
His biggest achievement was getting inside Lewis’ head with that rat fink stunt in Monaco quali. So he goes on to take the title and promptly retires ‘cause he knows he doesn’t have a hope of beating a rejuvenated Hamilton over the long haul.
I think that’s the best thing that could have happened to Lewis. He came back from that experience much stronger mentally.
Can anyone imagine Lewis Hamilton getting out of his car and collapse desperately trying to push it across the finish line to hold a 5th place finish the way Nigel Mansell did, or risking his own life to save a competitor, as did Guy Edwards working to get Nikki Lauda out of his burning Ferrari?
I don't really understand the rancor either, but I'm a long time Hamilton fan. Sure, he is a bit of a tit outside the car, but his driving talent is undeniable. It is unfortunate for F1 to be serving up such a dud in terms of the championship when so many eyes are on the sport now. Bring on MotoGP!!!
The difference between F1 and MotoGP is that in MotoGP there is actual racing for position from P1 all the way down the field. For a lot of F1 history, there's usually been one dominant team every year and then the rest. I'm not particularly a motorcycle guy but the racing in MotoGP is very good.
You surely missed out on the MM93 years of MotoGP. Since his injury, it's been far more entertaining to watch now that there's an actual chance for anyone to be world champion.
I hope he can be competitive again, but I really like not knowing who's going to take home the championship after the first race.
Yes, I was going to bring up MotoGP! (I have to start commenting sooner after these things hit the ‘stack.)
Will the Ducati be dominant (as it appears)? Will the amount of good riders on Ducs cannibalize points from each other and allow someone else to win the championship? How will Pecco and the Beast get along in the factory team? (“Pecco and the Beast” sounds like a morning drive radio show.)
What of Aprilia, are they real contenders?
Will more frustration creep in with Marquez and the situation at Honda? Can he keep from injuring himself while pushing to mask the deficiencies? (They are apparently going to try a Kalex frame!)
The same basic questions arise with Fabio and Yamaha.
MotoA: Thank goodness for Wayne Rainey, who is bringing some respectability back to US closed course motorcycle road racing.
And it’s wonderful that the Legend, Eraldo Ferracci is back in the paddock as team consultant for the Warhorse HSBK Ducati team. Even better was seeing him get a championship last year in the Supersport class with Josh Herrin (first one since Troy Corser won him an AMA Superbike championship in ‘93). It’s hard to find a better human than Mr. Ferracci.
Hamilton: I never had a problem with him, in fact I rooted for him early in his career. Figured it would piss a lot of people off if a black guy did well. (I was not happy with the Timo Glock incident. No blame for Timo; but I really wanted to see Massa win that title.) The reason to root against Merc is that jerk Toto.
That team misses Lauda in so many ways. I think he kept the prima donna tendencies in Hamilton and the arrogance in Wolff in check. Also, look at the performance of the car after the redesign without him. Coincidence?
Lewis was genuine and earnest when he entered F1; he is a completely different person now - everything is fake and fabricated. That’s my beef with him.
Toto is arrogant and entitled; one could make the argument that he inherited Ross Brawn’s excellent team and then was the beneficiary of Merc’s massive head start on the 2014 engine regs. I have a friend who honestly believes that Toto is the best F1 TP of all time, simply due to the stats.
The top drawer of F1 managers over time would include (IMO): Enzo Ferrari, Colin Chapman, Ron Dennis, Frank Williams / Patrick Head, Ross Brawn / Jean Todt, and Christian Horner.
Horner has presided over Red Bull title wins across 3 eras / formulae of the sport (2010-2014; 2021; 2022- ).
Logan's Uncle Harry is a fascinating fellow. Any idea if he is funding some of the Williams ride? Seems like F1 would be more useful to him than Logan in IndyCar or Dalton in Trucks.
I have it on good authority that Stephens, the secretive investment bank owned by billionaire Warren Stephens (he’s the second generation; I went to college with his daughter), has some connection to Logan’s uncle, hence the Stephens logo on the side of the monocoque. There may also be a Dorilton Capital relationship (on either or both sides); I have one friend at Dorilton, but he didn’t work the Williams deal and has not been forthcoming with gossip.
As a pure sponsorship opportunity, the Stephens logo - which also features on the race suits and mechanics’ uniforms - is probably $3-$5MM / year (call that an educated guess).
I think even if Red Bull does have some reliability issues causing them to reduce their pace it won’t matter. That car is so much faster than anything else in the field. Max’s pass of Lewis down the straight looked like cars not even in the same class. I can’t imagine it will last for long though, with some impending rule change to bunch up the field of play for all teams.
Danny Ric laughing his way to bank and not having to drive that shitbox is one of favorite things about this season so far.
Not to mention the usual dumbduckery from the FIA, calling in a safety car when Stroll's broken AM was parked behind a barrier next to a rescue truck. Good for Max, what a surprise. RB has practically already won the constructors' title for this season. The back-and-forth with the 3rd place trophy. This was a typical 'committe decision' instead of someone with balls; same as retiring Ken Block's number 43... for a year. You can use it 2024. 🤦
That was probably unnecessary, but I get the impression that “safety” is paramount on the Jeddah Corniche circuit - it comes across as such a death trap on TV.
That status obviously does not extend to nearby missile attacks.
Regarding why Logan Sargeant isnt making a ugher splash is the first he doesn't have a super cool name like Scott SPEED, named after the chanel with the US broadcasting rights.
I also the the floor for people getting excited is George Russell/Danny Riciardo/Juan Pablo level of talent and success. There have been too many disappointments.
F1: is interesting now that there are four teams with a legitimate chance to win races. When's the last time that happened? (Expected response: only Red Bull can and will win, IDIOT)
IMSA: is great if you're there, especially the Rolex 24, but less so on TV, and I'm not interested enough to follow them through a season. (Expected response: you're too dumb to follow four classes at once, IDIOT)
NASCAR: I want to love it for political reasons. Their fan base isn't trying to take my cars, my guns, or my savings. But: too many commercials, stage racing will always suck, and the current cars seem more fragile than IndyCars. (Expected response: Orange man bad, climate change scary, put your mask back on, follow the science, IDIOT)
IndyCar: has a great product, thrilling and unpredictable. I watch every televised race I can and try to attend at least two events live every season. I do miss Michigan and Fontana and the month-long wait from St. Pete to Texas is killing me. (Expected response: it's a spec series that hasn't been good since 1995, and your mother is a prostitute, IDIOT)
MX-5 Cup: thank heaven for YouTube. Great fun to watch in an SCCA Runoffs way. (Expected response: none)
NASCAR: Stages are just scheduled debris cautions with enough points to incentivize drivers to not cruise til the last fuel run. Attending the Roval weekend the first two years is some of the most fun I've had at a track without needing a helmet.
Indycar & IMSA: Too much of the respective fanbases are fueled by their insecurity about F1 and NASCAR being more popular. Indycar has a solid product (attend several races per year), and I should like IMSA more than I do.
I bums me out that I don’t much care for NASCAR anymore as my nephew is racing trucks at COTA this weekend. Kind of a strange situation. I pretend to care because he’s my homie.
NASCAR is not my number one favourite, but it’s a spectacle worth witnessing at least once. If you do so, there’s a pretty good chance you’ll return for more. I did.
There’s really nothing like that snarling pack thundering down the track to take the green. It’s wonderful.
I was on turn three August 2000 when all three Earnhardt‘s were in the Cup race and Junior was on pole. 43 800+ hp cars coming down the back straight at MIS was something to behold. If that doesn't make your hair stand out, give you goosebumps and just scream out loud I don’t know what will. That was a good day
I can’t deny that. Used to think all that loud V8 tanks jumping curbs thing was awesome. I’ve just gotten so far out of the loop it’s hard to jump back in, especially when I don’t know the players. Used to drink beer and get sunburned all weekend at cup races, but number 3 dying, playoffs and stage racing turned me off. I sound like a redneck
Ignore the fanbase online that's only happy when they're miserable about something, and don't overthink it. And definitely don't fall into the nostalgia trap of thinking things were perfect exactly when you happened to be ~12-25.
Just have fun.
I keep it simple, whether it's the Indy 500 or USAC Sprints at the local dirt track: Am I having enough fun with my wife and camera to justify the time and money involved.
I do enjoy NASCAR, just not as much as I did in years past. I really should go see a race at the Roval. It looks like there's a surprising amount of elevation change in the infield portion.
I will always love IndyCar (cue Whitney Houston) and our fanbase, but I didn't appreciate all the snobby shit-talking our fans did about Jimmie Johnson. Yes, he struggled in 2021, but in 2022 he was competent at the road courses, was one mistake away from a top-ten at Indy, and a threat to win at the short ovals. And no one wins 7 NASCAR championships unless he's an excellent race driver, period. He risked his life and his marriage just to try IndyCar even though he had nothing to prove.
Indycar Fans: Drivers should race a variety like Gurney and Parnelli!
Jimmie: Cool, let's do this!
Indycar Fans: NOT LIKE THAT, JIMMY!!!
Fans that couldn't drive a chainsaw into a snowbank sniffling about Jimmie unlearning 20 years of tin tops to routinely (by the end of the weekend) get within about a second of the fast guys, all while not tearing up much equipment and undertaking it as a retirement project, is peak "I-465 surrounds the center of the universe" thinking. At the second IMS road race in '21, his best race lap was faster than several heavy hitters, including Newgarden.
Our Roval seats were fairly high up at pit out/where they turn into the infield. Absolute sensory overload. Look one direction, it's a normal speedway, another direction, kinda like a road course, yet another, kinda like a street race. I dug it. Plus, the overall fan experience is great. It was impressive how everyone on the staff we encountered were super nice and helpful. Definitely hadn't received the IMS Yellow Shirts customer service training. ;-)
Sadly, NASCAR cutting back practice makes it a hard sell for a weekend road trip for me.
Also, seeing guys like William Byron persistent in their efforts to achieve Low Earth Orbit in the final chicane was amusing:
Jimmie is THE MAN, regardless of his results the last couple of years.
On the topic of IndyCar; it appears to have almost climbed back to the level of CART in the nineties. Those were the glory days where I could get up early to watch an excellent F1 race, and then a couple of hours later watch an equally entertaining Champ car contest at an oval, street, or road track. Great drivers, major sponsors, fantastic competition. So many memorable moments like Zanardi’s airborne/off road pass on Herta through the corkscrew, perpetually angry Robby Gordon intentionally running into Villeneuve AFTER the race at Cleveland, and the Penskes doing three-abreast victory laps like Marlboro branded fighter jets.
I don’t really have a dog in this fight, but Mark Knopfler’s Speedway at Nazareth is indisputably the greatest song about motor racing ever recorded. I think that would be CART?
I saw Michael Andretti race there and Ashley Judd was there at her peak. She was luminously beautiful.
I'm probably alone in this, but I think racing is boring as fuck to watch. Worse than golf.
All I have to contribute is that I enjoy it whenever Lewis Hamilton doesn't win. He is to racing what Patrick Mahommes is to the NFL. It's unbearable the degree to which they're fawned over in the press. I'm sure I'm just a bad person for thinking that, though.
There was a time when F1 racing was fun. Exciting. But that went away with acid washed jeans.
Best drive I think I ever witnessed was Mansell at Silverstone in 1988. Everyone talks about what he did in 87, but that 1988 drive for second place was incredible.
I'd say that the difference between those two was that in 88 not only was he ballsy, but he was also technically brilliant. It was an incredibly smart drive, using his skills, the car and the track to perfection.
Suzuka was undoubtedly a masterful drive. It does make you wonder how he fit into the snug cockpit of an F1 car with balls that big.
Any good Godfather reference is an automatic Like. IndyCar needs a racer named Tattaglia so we can observe that he's a pimp who never could outfight Santino (Ferruci).
I was so unimpressed with the overall appearance of the Porsche GTP car from the jump that it barely registers with me that it hasn't been competitive. The whole operation seems phoned in rather than a truly top level endurance racing effort from one of the sport's all time greats. Can't help but think the underwhelming nature of this program was a direct result of cost cutting measures implemented to help facilitate Porsche's now DOA Formula 1 aspirations.
Speaking of Formula 1, few things have given me more pleasure as of late than seeing a happy and fast Alonso sharing the same track with an underperforming and despondent Sir Lewis.
I've been following Formula 1 since before Jim Clark died, through its ups and downs. Often it's a parade, but I just love the floats (to steal a line). I remember when Alonso was The Man at McLaren and this brash rookie came and refused to bow to him. Alonso then left McLaren in a huff and took many team secrets with him to his next team (Renault?). There was a huge scandal and I thought that such a lack of character would bar him from F1 entirely. However, F1 is the most Darwinian of racing; all is forgiven, if you're quick. I like Lewis (the aforementioned rookie); he's become the elder statesman, now that Seb has left, and he often seems to be thinking of the bigger picture than just his ride. He follows a pretty predictable script by thanking the fans first, no matter what question he's asked by the media. Having said that, his time has passed. It happens to every athlete and even he is no exception. Russell was quicker than him last year and is much quicker this year. Lewis' only choice now is how gracefully he behaves. Nico Rosberg is the smartest man in F1. He ascended the heights, beat the best to become World Champion, retired at the top of his game (if a bit abruptly), and now lives a perfect life with his perfect nuclear family in Monaco. But he's not a very good announcer; apparently he has an online presence but I've never watched. Final observation: I like Lance Stroll (mostly because of his nationality), and he finally has a chance to prove he's a real racer and that daddy just didn't buy him a ride. He has a(nother) mentor and Alonso has proven he has the car. This will be worth watching for me this year.
Fernando was never linked to the “Crashgate” scandal; he was exonerated, in fact, by an ex-Scotland Yard detective that Max Mosley deputized to investigate.
Lance is one of the top drivers on the planet, as all F1 drivers are. He had a bigger leg up than arguably anyone else in history to get there, but if he were to lose his seat, he would probably find one on merit elsewhere at this point.
MB's (The F1 team) Twitter account has a nice little video clip. GR takes the 3rd place trophy, puts it in the passenger seat of his MB street rig with the seatbelt on the trophy.
Drives over to the AM HQ and puts the trophy on the AM trophy stand.
Actually raised my respect for the guy a little bit. He comes across as too used car salesman wearing a white belt and a plaid sports coat.
Supercross from Detroit Saturday night was great. Drama in the 250 class during a heat race between teammates, a veteran and very popular rookie. Heartbreak in the 450 class when Aaron Plessinger, a fan favorite threw it away right before winning his first 450 main.
Completely unrelated, I was reading an article from an older road and track comparing an M2 competition to 1LE. Was really enjoying the article thinking how well written it was and non-idiotic. Not really a shocker when I realized Jack wrote it.
In a just world, given the theme of "Driven to Fail", Jack would show up in the final episode with a bottle of Ketel One discussing a certain senior automotive executive and his skill in a Corvette along with Jack's personal tips on success in today's corporate culture.
Sam Smith's articles are cringeworthy these days. Looking back a bit, they were largely cringeworthy those days too, but sometimes he drove a race car and wrote about it. Now not so much. Seems a nice guy and all but reached a perfect height with Hagerty.
I’m not a fan of Sam’s writing either; it’s a 13 year old boy’s idea of “good” automotive writing. Too many irrelevant asides, twee pronouncements, and fatuous employment of onomatopoeia; in my book there is only ONE writer who use onomatopoeia liberally - Tom Wolfe.
Both of those cars are right up my alley. Kinda feel like I’m going to regret not buying a V8 Camaro while I can. Was thinking about buying an LT1 instead of that 1LE because it might be slightly less conducive to making my wife a widow. Those amazingly high capabilities are a killer for one without common sense or fear of death
Speaking of old R&T articles. They got a paywall up after 3 articles. So I cant find some of the old classics that are linked on this substack. Really sucks.
I've been skimming the comments to see if anyone watched Supercross last weekend. As much as FELD has probably been a detriment to the sport, the competition in the last few years has been great, and the progression in rider technique from just a decade ago is immense. It's probably easy for outsiders to see motocross as a bit of a hick sport, but the fast guys are true phenoms, the modern 450cc motocross bike makes serious power, and the stakes are high.
I still tool around on a dirt bike from time to time, and would like to do an amateur moto or enduro race in the near future, but these days it's hard to find anyone to ride with - as most everyone has moved on to $20k side x sides.
I wrote a huge long winded comment trying to explain blah blah blah blah blah about this and blah blah blah about that and I deleted it and all I want to say is that if you want to talk about a motor sport where it’s 90% the rider and 10% the machine in there is nothing like motocross. These dudes can maintain 190+ beats per minute heart rate for 25 minutes they could show up on a 100% stock dirtbike at local race of some sort and put on a freaking clinic. Can you imagine that jack ass Lewis Hamilton showing up at some regional SCCA race with a bunch of freaking bad ass, older Dudes?! They would make him look like a freaking chump. Ryan Villopoto, or Chad Reed, or James Stewart could show up at a motocross race on a loaned dirt bike and make everybody look silly.
Sadly, a lot of people think about it like it’s monster trucks when it is some of the most talented motorsport dudes on planet earth
I've been told that the only other sport with a higher sustained heart rate is soccer. There's a lot of technique involved in just hanging onto the bike through rough terrain without getting fatigued in a few minutes. I'd like to see a return of the open class in motocross, which would allow 300cc 2 strokes to battle with the 450s as well as the few EV bikes that are available, just to add more variety to the sport.
Most people would understandably not have this on their bucket list, but if you can go to Red Buuuuuuuuuuuuuuud! for the Lucas oil, pro motocross race that’s around Fourth of July weekend every year you will never regret it. Your liver may regret it, but you won’t.
I was fortunate enough to be in the crowd of 250,000 people for last year‘s Motocross des Nations at Red Buuuuuud! this past September. I’ve been at innumerable motorsports events in my life and it was tops. Can you imagine going to a Formula One race and buying a pit pass for 50 bucks? You are hanging out in the pits and fist bumping the fastest dudes on planet earth.
Waaaaay back in the 90s I was at the local motocross track for a regional event. Factory KTM rider Trampas Parker drove in from Louisiana and entered the expert class with the local "pros" (it was the off season I believe). He lined up, the gate dropped, and he simply sat there and waited for the field to complete a lap and then he took off. Over the course of 10 laps he methodically reeled in and passed the entire field. The difference between a local pro and a national factory rider is an order of magnitude.
Those guys have big nuts. My nephew raced dirt bikes for a few years and broke most of the bones in his teenaged body. It takes a special kind of person to take part in that melee.
Yes they are. By a significant margin. The barrier to entry is so low. Any idiot can “drive” one of these things. He can also get a 4-seater so it becomes a family purchase/hobby that he can justify to the wife. Pretty lame, tbh.
Feld treats SX like it’s the circus or Monster Jam. It’s as though they’re deliberately kneecapping any ability to make money in the sport.
I hope WSX continues to grow and forces their hand a bit. Honestly, I don’t know how privateers can make it work these days.
I’m torn on the SXS thing. The machines with 200+ HP look like a blast. I ride a Sportsman XP1000 right now, so I’m a bit spoiled in the power department. My friend has a Pioneer 1000 and a NA RZR 1000 and they’re a total snoozefest in comparison.
I’d love to be able to justify a YZ250X (or even taking my KDX out), but nobody seems interested in bikes anymore. I guess that I should at least be thankful that I have friends still into riding quads. If I was forced to ride solo, I’d probably be in a SXS too.
I knew I liked you. I agree with everything you just said. was even looking at a YZ250X a couple weeks ago with my nephew. What I really want is a gas gas EX350F.
I too was hoping someone mentioned SX. We were at Ford Field last weekend as well. Again Detroit delivers as what will probably be the best round of the season.
I hate the Deegans and their brand (especially with the claiming controversy at Loretta’s), but I don’t think that he was in the wrong on this one. That didn’t stop him from sounding like an idiot in the press conference though.
250E is incredibly weak this year. You have Hunter racing who? Thrasher with a blown knee? I’m looking forward to the shootouts this year to see how that unfolds.
It was a huge bummer to see AP7 lose it like that. I’m not sure what has changed, but he’s had some very good rides this year.
I still don’t have a solid pick for the championship. I’d like to see Tomac take everything, but ideally it continues to be a good battle. Tomac has said repeatedly that he’s focused on the championship and not race wins. Maybe that’s an excuse for his poor performance (at least compared to last year), but then again he’s not that far behind Webb.
Once again, I agree with everything you just said. That doesn’t happen to me very often. It’s kind of a strange feeling. I hate to admit this, but I got so upset when AP7 went down, I clicked the TV off. I was supposed to be at the race, but my buddies backed out and I had to sell my tickets which was easy and I got all my money out of them.
Someone more knowledgeable than me. Why does f1 vary so much? Mercedes dominated for years now red bull is. Aero, engine, all of the above? Rule changes?
It is the only major form of global motorsport that is a development series; the rule book is published, and the teams show up at the race with their best effort at constructing their own cars.
If your car is slow, you need to accept it, get better, or give up.
Other series are spec series (NASCAR, Indycar both have major elements that are spec) or BOP series (sports car racing). The development series arms race is expensive.
F1’s development series status only persists because of F1’s massive global audience and consequent revenue generation: > $2BN in revenue, roughly half of which goes into the prize fund. In excess of 70 million people globally watch a typical F1 race.
Sorry jack for discussing this here, but as you will understand, I'm 17 and there's no way dad's paying for my substack subsccription until I get into college(its an Indian thing). But related to your reddit post. I left reddit a while ago, but a friend sent your thread to me. Related to that: https://twitter.com/DougDeMuro/status/1629721307142295552 that wasnt an isolated incident. Fat creep brad has a habit of getting mad at successful people just because his piece of shit auction site went bust. How ironic that he calls doug a dork. I don't like doug's takes no(mostly because I don't have the time to spend 1 hour watching how a jag xk keyfob works), but you have to agree how hard he has worked. From leaving a corporate desk job at porsche to jalopnik and then to video. It's nice to see him grow. Even if he is a dork, he seems from the outside like a very hardworking dude. On the other hand. Just seeing brownell's pic, you know everything about him. He's literally the closest a 40 year old can get to a discord server mod, if you get my drift.
Both WEC and IMSA are BOP series. There is an issue balancing the IMSA LMDh / GTP cars with the WEC’s Hypercars, however: tire wear.
You would expect Toyota to have the measure of their new OEM competition in terms of reliability, execution, etc. given their unbroken presence in the top class of the WEC through the post-LMP1 doldrums. Ferrari had the pace over a lap, but they were felled by team execution errors (and penalties), as well as poor tire wear, particularly in the second stint. The Porsches were both slow and afflicted with dreadful tire wear. Whereas the Toyota and Ferrari have front axle hybrid deployment, the Porsche - as it is a cheaper, back door path to Le Mans / WEC - has the LMDh / GTP rear axle spec hybrid. So how do you BOP the tire wear?
Cadillac is there or thereabouts in terms of race pace in IMSA.
I watched all three major races this weekend: WEC 8 hour race from Sebring on Friday (entirety); IMSA 12 hour race from Sebring on Saturday (bits and pieces during the day, then the final few hours); F1 from Saudi Arabia on Sunday.
F1 Observations:
Red Bull - Imperious on pace, but Verstappen’s driveshaft failure on Saturday, which relegated him to 15th on the grid may portend future reliability gremlins. Perez intimated that both Red Bulls had potential reliability issues in the closing stages of the Bahrain season opener (hence the directive from the pitwall to reduce pace), and also obviously there were issues for both drivers in the final laps of the Saudi race. Liberty Media - to say nothing of the other front-running teams - will want to slow Red Bull down, lest the new fans find something else to watch other than intramural Red Bull conflict. On that note, imagine if Verstappen were to lose the title to Perez due to reliability?
Aston Martin - Lovely to see Alonso at the sharp end again! After a decade in the wilderness, it’s evident that his pace and capability never waned. The trickster has deep experience and the best race craft on the grid - would love to see him win a race this year.
Mercedes - Another race in which (1) Mercedes were comprehensively outpaced by Aston Martin, which is their customer team (AM buys their Power Unit, rear suspension, gearbox, etc. from Mercedes) and (2) Russell outperformed SIR Lewis Hamilton. Russell has beaten LewSIR in both qualifying sessions thus far this year, and the chosen one is out of contract at year end. Will Jim Ratcliffe and Ola Kallenius want to pay Hamilton top dollar when other credible drivers would be willing to take that seat for FAR less? Their votes would overrule Toto’s. Also, IF Hamilton were to leave Merc, where would he go? Not Red Bull; Max will surely have a clause about vetoing a teammate.
Ferrari - The car is slow, and it’s become apparent to me that Binotto’s ouster came courtesy of new Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna. New Team Principal Fed Vasseur has performed a pale imitation of his countryman Jean Todt’s efforts to shield the team from the braying of the Italian media. The Scuderia is already on the back foot politically.
Alpine - Decent race, solidified as the #5 team, so they should scrape the bottom end of the points when both cars from the above 4 teams perform as expected. Eagerly awaiting the cries of Sacre Bleu when the Frenchmen collide on track, which will happen.
Alfa Romeo - Who had Bottas getting outperformed by Zhou Guanyu on their bingo card? Terrible race for the Finn. Who will Audi want to drive their car from 2026? Would it be wise to take a punt on joining them in hopes that they nail the ‘26 regs a la Mercedes in 2014?
AlphaTauri - Tsunoda is outperforming his older, much more mature teammate Nyck DeVries. Unexpected. Also, what about team boss Tost absolutely throwing the engineering team under the bus? Morale must be LOW in Faenza.
Haas - The “Suck My Balls, Mate” duo haven’t collided yet; both have a propensity for self-destructive behavior (collisions, etc.), especially when in a position to score points. Hulkenberg has done very well against Magnussen after 3 years on the bench (occasional super sub appearances aside).
Williams - Logan Sargeant should be a superstar in America? Why isn’t he?
McLaren - Two races, zero points. Zak Brown should be looking for a new job, and Lando Norris will certainly be looking to go elsewhere; his problem is that new boy Oscar Piastri made HIM look weak in the race! Vettel was made to look overrated by Ricciardo in 2014; Ricciardo suffered the same fate against Norris in 2021 and 2022; will the same thing happen to Norris this year? If so, Oscar may get the call up to a top team! Somewhere, Danny Ric is laughing.
FIA / Race Control - Did not cover themselves in glory; fans should finish any sporting broadcast knowing the outcome definitively.
WEC and IMSA Observations:
The WEC race was a real race; the IMSA event was a shambles. The final few hours were punctuated by yellows and safety cars, and the final outcome in any of the IMSA enduros is a lottery driven by safety car restarts. This devalues the race long “narrative” that develops during a quality endurance race. Credit to Toyota for winning against legitimate OEM competition on Friday - they earned it.
Hulk has great 1 lap pace. In the race they are very close.
Sainz has lost the plot.
Lando looks like a stiff
MB. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
SLH loses his pixie elf with a timing that makes no sense at all. Why show up for preseason and the first race just to get canned. Maybe she got tired of carrying his bags while he road his electric scooter.
SLH if only he had been given CAD equipment the car would be a rocket ship. Want's more downforce. Bellyached like mad on how dangerous the low ride heights were. MB won that one. Well you got what you wanted.
GR: "“The car is already capable of that at the moment, we finished ahead of both Ferraris on
merit, we had better pace than them, and we know we’ve got a lot of performance in the
pocket to come in the near future. So in that regard, things are looking good."
MB's technical director Mike Elliott: "“Obviously, Bahrain was a real reality check and to find ourselves in the position we find ourselves in, not being competitive, was a real disappointment,” he said. “A disappointment for the whole team." Do tell. The whole of the 2022 season wasn't enough?
RIC He did that to himself. There's nothing to say if he survived he be better than Norris.
Piastri still made the right choice. With Norris looking like garbage and Norris being touted as the next big thing, Piastri's stock for the future is better than if he went to Alpine.
Fred What can one say?
FIA Make rules where the driver can't see the freakin box and then penalize him. There's a photo showing a car 3-4 rows behind FA that was further out of the box then he was. And no penalty.
Then give him a double secret probation penalty not told until after. Then find out, they didn't follow their own rules in procedure for that penalty. How about if you are going to serve a penalty the crew can't cross the line from the garage until the penalty is served? The crew did touch the car. By mistake. But still some of this stuff seem to be "Gotcha" stuff to make penalties.
Max needs to chill. I know it's competitive juices but take the L (or P2). I'd suggest watching post race NASCAR. "The Cheeze Wiz #194 was running great until we had some mechanical gremlins". Always use "WE" + "US" even if you don't mean it.
We were told SLH could win in a pedal car.
My nephew is getting pretty successful at auto racing and loves the douche. SLH wallpaper on his phone and dog named Hamilton. It pains me
"Lando looks like a stiff" Pay Driver?
TL;DR
Do u have a scene report from the NASCRAP race?
Any steel chairs used?
I’ll have you know it was entirely too cold for the Krusaders for Keeping Christ to put on their wrestling matches. Much to the disappointment of *Hero and myself, the risk of frostbite was too high.
All and all, *Hero would give the event 5 stars as his diet consisted entirely of Coke Zero, Laffy Taffy, and Moonpies. I would give it 4 stars as I spent $100 on a Racing Electronics headset which was used for less than 50 laps by *Hero
You come across as the biggest boomer in this entire comment section.
And that is a tremendous feat.
I will see you for lunch Friday.
If only people knew the “man” behind Sherman McCoy
If only they had the
RUNDOWN
on the whole situation, then they'd be part of the
CREW
and have something to truly re-
MEMBER
Eh, I know guys like him by the dozen.
Spot on as usual, Sherman. There was some great racing in the lower end of the field. Too bad those kids weren’t racing for points.
I’m a little confused at the rancour directed at Lewis, though. He’s definitely a prima donna and his whining can be irritating, but I feel he’s matured into a true professional who races hard and fair rarely making errors. Am I missing something?
Regarding Lewis:
Whiny, entitled attitude; arrogant remarks, e.g. “my team don’t make mistakes” (that’s verbatim; surrounds last year’s car debacle). For someone so full of himself, so confident he can get that elusive eighth title … why not focus on beating your teammate first? He has lost 2/3 of his recent teammate battles (Rosberg in 2016; Russell in 2022), and his teammate during the interim - Bottas - is getting beaten by Zhou this year. He - and Mercedes - have the British media carrying water for him.
Don't forget that Jenson made Hamilton look a little soft as well, beating him on points and podiums.
I would argue that during their partnership the points and podiums don't give a clear picture due to DNFs suffered by Hamilton and shambolic team management under Martin Whitmash which seemed to favor Button - both to the point where Hamilton departed company with the team to join Mercedes.
Speaking of little shits, Nico definitely qualifies in that category. Nowhere near the man his father is.
His biggest achievement was getting inside Lewis’ head with that rat fink stunt in Monaco quali. So he goes on to take the title and promptly retires ‘cause he knows he doesn’t have a hope of beating a rejuvenated Hamilton over the long haul.
I think that’s the best thing that could have happened to Lewis. He came back from that experience much stronger mentally.
Can anyone imagine Lewis Hamilton getting out of his car and collapse desperately trying to push it across the finish line to hold a 5th place finish the way Nigel Mansell did, or risking his own life to save a competitor, as did Guy Edwards working to get Nikki Lauda out of his burning Ferrari?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqrX4v4nn4I
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=er4Ki8I6Drk
Edit: Or, for the matter, Fausto Coppi and rival Gino Bartali passing a bottle a water at the 1952 Tour de France while climbing the Col du Galibier.
https://italiancyclingjournal.blogspot.com/2010/11/coppi-bartali-and-legendary-photo.html
The irony of Sean Edwards dying in the way he did given what his father did for Niki.
I don't really understand the rancor either, but I'm a long time Hamilton fan. Sure, he is a bit of a tit outside the car, but his driving talent is undeniable. It is unfortunate for F1 to be serving up such a dud in terms of the championship when so many eyes are on the sport now. Bring on MotoGP!!!
The difference between F1 and MotoGP is that in MotoGP there is actual racing for position from P1 all the way down the field. For a lot of F1 history, there's usually been one dominant team every year and then the rest. I'm not particularly a motorcycle guy but the racing in MotoGP is very good.
You surely missed out on the MM93 years of MotoGP. Since his injury, it's been far more entertaining to watch now that there's an actual chance for anyone to be world champion.
I hope he can be competitive again, but I really like not knowing who's going to take home the championship after the first race.
Yes, I was going to bring up MotoGP! (I have to start commenting sooner after these things hit the ‘stack.)
Will the Ducati be dominant (as it appears)? Will the amount of good riders on Ducs cannibalize points from each other and allow someone else to win the championship? How will Pecco and the Beast get along in the factory team? (“Pecco and the Beast” sounds like a morning drive radio show.)
What of Aprilia, are they real contenders?
Will more frustration creep in with Marquez and the situation at Honda? Can he keep from injuring himself while pushing to mask the deficiencies? (They are apparently going to try a Kalex frame!)
The same basic questions arise with Fabio and Yamaha.
I am looking forward to MotoGP this year.
Between that and the superbike series there is an abundance of motorsport for me to enjoy.
Yes! WSBK!
Will Bautista realize he’s Bautista and start sliding on his ass constantly again? Will anyone else on a Ducati show some real form?
Will they allow Kawi the revs taken away from them a few years ago? Is Rea past his prime?
Can Toprak get that Yamaha consistently up with the Duc?
Will Redding’s head finally explode?
I am only starting to watch WSBK, MotoAmerica has some immediate appeal by dint of having met some of the riders at American Supercamp.
MotoA: Thank goodness for Wayne Rainey, who is bringing some respectability back to US closed course motorcycle road racing.
And it’s wonderful that the Legend, Eraldo Ferracci is back in the paddock as team consultant for the Warhorse HSBK Ducati team. Even better was seeing him get a championship last year in the Supersport class with Josh Herrin (first one since Troy Corser won him an AMA Superbike championship in ‘93). It’s hard to find a better human than Mr. Ferracci.
Hamilton: I never had a problem with him, in fact I rooted for him early in his career. Figured it would piss a lot of people off if a black guy did well. (I was not happy with the Timo Glock incident. No blame for Timo; but I really wanted to see Massa win that title.) The reason to root against Merc is that jerk Toto.
That team misses Lauda in so many ways. I think he kept the prima donna tendencies in Hamilton and the arrogance in Wolff in check. Also, look at the performance of the car after the redesign without him. Coincidence?
Lewis was genuine and earnest when he entered F1; he is a completely different person now - everything is fake and fabricated. That’s my beef with him.
Toto is arrogant and entitled; one could make the argument that he inherited Ross Brawn’s excellent team and then was the beneficiary of Merc’s massive head start on the 2014 engine regs. I have a friend who honestly believes that Toto is the best F1 TP of all time, simply due to the stats.
The top drawer of F1 managers over time would include (IMO): Enzo Ferrari, Colin Chapman, Ron Dennis, Frank Williams / Patrick Head, Ross Brawn / Jean Todt, and Christian Horner.
Horner has presided over Red Bull title wins across 3 eras / formulae of the sport (2010-2014; 2021; 2022- ).
Impossible to argue any of that, except your friend’s opinion (Toto thinks your buddy is a genius).
Horner has never met a camera he didn’t like. I do find him entertaining, though.
Impossible to argue in favor or against my claims?
Impossible to argue against!
I’m in agreement with your thoughts there.
Logan's Uncle Harry is a fascinating fellow. Any idea if he is funding some of the Williams ride? Seems like F1 would be more useful to him than Logan in IndyCar or Dalton in Trucks.
I have it on good authority that Stephens, the secretive investment bank owned by billionaire Warren Stephens (he’s the second generation; I went to college with his daughter), has some connection to Logan’s uncle, hence the Stephens logo on the side of the monocoque. There may also be a Dorilton Capital relationship (on either or both sides); I have one friend at Dorilton, but he didn’t work the Williams deal and has not been forthcoming with gossip.
As a pure sponsorship opportunity, the Stephens logo - which also features on the race suits and mechanics’ uniforms - is probably $3-$5MM / year (call that an educated guess).
I think even if Red Bull does have some reliability issues causing them to reduce their pace it won’t matter. That car is so much faster than anything else in the field. Max’s pass of Lewis down the straight looked like cars not even in the same class. I can’t imagine it will last for long though, with some impending rule change to bunch up the field of play for all teams.
Danny Ric laughing his way to bank and not having to drive that shitbox is one of favorite things about this season so far.
It could matter if one Red Bull driver suffers a disproportionate share of reliability issues - fireworks will ensue (on either side).
Danny is off making a sandwich for Max with mayo that was left out in the sun for a few days.
Not to mention the usual dumbduckery from the FIA, calling in a safety car when Stroll's broken AM was parked behind a barrier next to a rescue truck. Good for Max, what a surprise. RB has practically already won the constructors' title for this season. The back-and-forth with the 3rd place trophy. This was a typical 'committe decision' instead of someone with balls; same as retiring Ken Block's number 43... for a year. You can use it 2024. 🤦
That was probably unnecessary, but I get the impression that “safety” is paramount on the Jeddah Corniche circuit - it comes across as such a death trap on TV.
That status obviously does not extend to nearby missile attacks.
Regarding why Logan Sargeant isnt making a ugher splash is the first he doesn't have a super cool name like Scott SPEED, named after the chanel with the US broadcasting rights.
I also the the floor for people getting excited is George Russell/Danny Riciardo/Juan Pablo level of talent and success. There have been too many disappointments.
I can't believe Jack would disparage minivans with such a comparison.
One is a wonderful implement engineered to the nth degree to fulfill its purpose, and the other is a Porsche.
F1: is interesting now that there are four teams with a legitimate chance to win races. When's the last time that happened? (Expected response: only Red Bull can and will win, IDIOT)
IMSA: is great if you're there, especially the Rolex 24, but less so on TV, and I'm not interested enough to follow them through a season. (Expected response: you're too dumb to follow four classes at once, IDIOT)
NASCAR: I want to love it for political reasons. Their fan base isn't trying to take my cars, my guns, or my savings. But: too many commercials, stage racing will always suck, and the current cars seem more fragile than IndyCars. (Expected response: Orange man bad, climate change scary, put your mask back on, follow the science, IDIOT)
IndyCar: has a great product, thrilling and unpredictable. I watch every televised race I can and try to attend at least two events live every season. I do miss Michigan and Fontana and the month-long wait from St. Pete to Texas is killing me. (Expected response: it's a spec series that hasn't been good since 1995, and your mother is a prostitute, IDIOT)
MX-5 Cup: thank heaven for YouTube. Great fun to watch in an SCCA Runoffs way. (Expected response: none)
NASCAR: Stages are just scheduled debris cautions with enough points to incentivize drivers to not cruise til the last fuel run. Attending the Roval weekend the first two years is some of the most fun I've had at a track without needing a helmet.
Indycar & IMSA: Too much of the respective fanbases are fueled by their insecurity about F1 and NASCAR being more popular. Indycar has a solid product (attend several races per year), and I should like IMSA more than I do.
I bums me out that I don’t much care for NASCAR anymore as my nephew is racing trucks at COTA this weekend. Kind of a strange situation. I pretend to care because he’s my homie.
Cars on-track are cool, no matter what, IMO. ;-)
I'm not sure what the fan experience at COTA is like, but NASCAR tanks pounding around road courses are way cool.
NASCAR is not my number one favourite, but it’s a spectacle worth witnessing at least once. If you do so, there’s a pretty good chance you’ll return for more. I did.
There’s really nothing like that snarling pack thundering down the track to take the green. It’s wonderful.
The first 50 laps are fun. The last 50 laps are fun. The middle laps are a good time for a nap.
I was on turn three August 2000 when all three Earnhardt‘s were in the Cup race and Junior was on pole. 43 800+ hp cars coming down the back straight at MIS was something to behold. If that doesn't make your hair stand out, give you goosebumps and just scream out loud I don’t know what will. That was a good day
I can’t deny that. Used to think all that loud V8 tanks jumping curbs thing was awesome. I’ve just gotten so far out of the loop it’s hard to jump back in, especially when I don’t know the players. Used to drink beer and get sunburned all weekend at cup races, but number 3 dying, playoffs and stage racing turned me off. I sound like a redneck
Ignore the fanbase online that's only happy when they're miserable about something, and don't overthink it. And definitely don't fall into the nostalgia trap of thinking things were perfect exactly when you happened to be ~12-25.
Just have fun.
I keep it simple, whether it's the Indy 500 or USAC Sprints at the local dirt track: Am I having enough fun with my wife and camera to justify the time and money involved.
I try but it’s just so different. It’s hard for me to care. Now when I want to watch people turn left, I go to Eldora.
I do enjoy NASCAR, just not as much as I did in years past. I really should go see a race at the Roval. It looks like there's a surprising amount of elevation change in the infield portion.
I will always love IndyCar (cue Whitney Houston) and our fanbase, but I didn't appreciate all the snobby shit-talking our fans did about Jimmie Johnson. Yes, he struggled in 2021, but in 2022 he was competent at the road courses, was one mistake away from a top-ten at Indy, and a threat to win at the short ovals. And no one wins 7 NASCAR championships unless he's an excellent race driver, period. He risked his life and his marriage just to try IndyCar even though he had nothing to prove.
Indycar Fans: Drivers should race a variety like Gurney and Parnelli!
Jimmie: Cool, let's do this!
Indycar Fans: NOT LIKE THAT, JIMMY!!!
Fans that couldn't drive a chainsaw into a snowbank sniffling about Jimmie unlearning 20 years of tin tops to routinely (by the end of the weekend) get within about a second of the fast guys, all while not tearing up much equipment and undertaking it as a retirement project, is peak "I-465 surrounds the center of the universe" thinking. At the second IMS road race in '21, his best race lap was faster than several heavy hitters, including Newgarden.
Our Roval seats were fairly high up at pit out/where they turn into the infield. Absolute sensory overload. Look one direction, it's a normal speedway, another direction, kinda like a road course, yet another, kinda like a street race. I dug it. Plus, the overall fan experience is great. It was impressive how everyone on the staff we encountered were super nice and helpful. Definitely hadn't received the IMS Yellow Shirts customer service training. ;-)
Sadly, NASCAR cutting back practice makes it a hard sell for a weekend road trip for me.
Also, seeing guys like William Byron persistent in their efforts to achieve Low Earth Orbit in the final chicane was amusing:
https://jdellis.smugmug.com/Cars/2019/Roval-Cup-Fri-Practice/i-HStTLtq/A
Jimmie is THE MAN, regardless of his results the last couple of years.
On the topic of IndyCar; it appears to have almost climbed back to the level of CART in the nineties. Those were the glory days where I could get up early to watch an excellent F1 race, and then a couple of hours later watch an equally entertaining Champ car contest at an oval, street, or road track. Great drivers, major sponsors, fantastic competition. So many memorable moments like Zanardi’s airborne/off road pass on Herta through the corkscrew, perpetually angry Robby Gordon intentionally running into Villeneuve AFTER the race at Cleveland, and the Penskes doing three-abreast victory laps like Marlboro branded fighter jets.
And grew up riding dirt bikes, so there’s that
I don’t really have a dog in this fight, but Mark Knopfler’s Speedway at Nazareth is indisputably the greatest song about motor racing ever recorded. I think that would be CART?
I saw Michael Andretti race there and Ashley Judd was there at her peak. She was luminously beautiful.
Agreed! That’s a killer tune and tied for first place with Telegraph road as my favourite Knopfler or Dire Straits song.
Yes to CART as the subject. The tracks and locales he references in the song were on the schedule at the time that the song was written.
Masterful comment, sir. You have my respect and approbation. Or you would if I was 100% sure that I’m using approbation properly.
I'm 90% sure you are.
Well played! Substack needs a "laugh" react. Sorry. I'm just used to being shouted down in any Internet-based discussion.
Masterful comment, sir. You have my respect and approbation. Or you would if I was 100% sure that I’m using approbation properly.
I'm probably alone in this, but I think racing is boring as fuck to watch. Worse than golf.
All I have to contribute is that I enjoy it whenever Lewis Hamilton doesn't win. He is to racing what Patrick Mahommes is to the NFL. It's unbearable the degree to which they're fawned over in the press. I'm sure I'm just a bad person for thinking that, though.
You are not alone. I would much rather be doing something than watching something.
I'd rather go racing than watch it, that's for sure
There was a time when F1 racing was fun. Exciting. But that went away with acid washed jeans.
Best drive I think I ever witnessed was Mansell at Silverstone in 1988. Everyone talks about what he did in 87, but that 1988 drive for second place was incredible.
How about Mansell trying to get by Alesi I think at Suzuka in a monsoon in 93 or 94? Like a pitbull. Brilliant
I'd say that the difference between those two was that in 88 not only was he ballsy, but he was also technically brilliant. It was an incredibly smart drive, using his skills, the car and the track to perfection.
Suzuka was undoubtedly a masterful drive. It does make you wonder how he fit into the snug cockpit of an F1 car with balls that big.
Hamilton comes off as a much more insufferable prick than Mahomes.
Agreed. The better personality comparison is Kapernick, but he sucked.
Mahommes seems like a decent enough guy. He's got an attention-loving wife and an idiot brother to be insufferable for him.
Give MotoGP a shot.
It starts this weekend!
The MotoGP guys crash often enough and hard enough that I am glad they're out there racing and not me.
The level of skill is incredible.
The machines and the tires aren’t bad either.
That photo of Bark from your perspective is tough.
LOOK HOW THEY MASSACRED MY BOY
Any good Godfather reference is an automatic Like. IndyCar needs a racer named Tattaglia so we can observe that he's a pimp who never could outfight Santino (Ferruci).
Bark really needs his own substack where we can pick on Jack. Not that we don't do that here too.
“Couldn’t happened to a nicer minivan vendor, if you ask me.”
Ouch! Think the folks in Zuffenhausen might want to ice that burn...
I was so unimpressed with the overall appearance of the Porsche GTP car from the jump that it barely registers with me that it hasn't been competitive. The whole operation seems phoned in rather than a truly top level endurance racing effort from one of the sport's all time greats. Can't help but think the underwhelming nature of this program was a direct result of cost cutting measures implemented to help facilitate Porsche's now DOA Formula 1 aspirations.
Speaking of Formula 1, few things have given me more pleasure as of late than seeing a happy and fast Alonso sharing the same track with an underperforming and despondent Sir Lewis.
LET'S TAKE AN LMP2 AND PUT A BATTERY IN IT
I’m so torn watching Alonso having success. In a vacuum, I love it. Such a talent, an old guy doing well…
But; Daddy Stroll seems like such a complete a-hole that I don’t want to see him have success.
I've been following Formula 1 since before Jim Clark died, through its ups and downs. Often it's a parade, but I just love the floats (to steal a line). I remember when Alonso was The Man at McLaren and this brash rookie came and refused to bow to him. Alonso then left McLaren in a huff and took many team secrets with him to his next team (Renault?). There was a huge scandal and I thought that such a lack of character would bar him from F1 entirely. However, F1 is the most Darwinian of racing; all is forgiven, if you're quick. I like Lewis (the aforementioned rookie); he's become the elder statesman, now that Seb has left, and he often seems to be thinking of the bigger picture than just his ride. He follows a pretty predictable script by thanking the fans first, no matter what question he's asked by the media. Having said that, his time has passed. It happens to every athlete and even he is no exception. Russell was quicker than him last year and is much quicker this year. Lewis' only choice now is how gracefully he behaves. Nico Rosberg is the smartest man in F1. He ascended the heights, beat the best to become World Champion, retired at the top of his game (if a bit abruptly), and now lives a perfect life with his perfect nuclear family in Monaco. But he's not a very good announcer; apparently he has an online presence but I've never watched. Final observation: I like Lance Stroll (mostly because of his nationality), and he finally has a chance to prove he's a real racer and that daddy just didn't buy him a ride. He has a(nother) mentor and Alonso has proven he has the car. This will be worth watching for me this year.
Fernando was never linked to the “Crashgate” scandal; he was exonerated, in fact, by an ex-Scotland Yard detective that Max Mosley deputized to investigate.
Lance is one of the top drivers on the planet, as all F1 drivers are. He had a bigger leg up than arguably anyone else in history to get there, but if he were to lose his seat, he would probably find one on merit elsewhere at this point.
MB's (The F1 team) Twitter account has a nice little video clip. GR takes the 3rd place trophy, puts it in the passenger seat of his MB street rig with the seatbelt on the trophy.
Drives over to the AM HQ and puts the trophy on the AM trophy stand.
Actually raised my respect for the guy a little bit. He comes across as too used car salesman wearing a white belt and a plaid sports coat.
“Minivan vendor”. Love it! I go nuts every time I see one of those blobs with kiddie seats on the way to soccer practice. My wife thinks I need help….
Tell your wife I say that you are fine and the rest of the world is screwed up.
Supercross from Detroit Saturday night was great. Drama in the 250 class during a heat race between teammates, a veteran and very popular rookie. Heartbreak in the 450 class when Aaron Plessinger, a fan favorite threw it away right before winning his first 450 main.
Completely unrelated, I was reading an article from an older road and track comparing an M2 competition to 1LE. Was really enjoying the article thinking how well written it was and non-idiotic. Not really a shocker when I realized Jack wrote it.
The unedited version was a little more forthright.
Speaking of vintage R&T.
Sam Smith interviewed Krewson in the latest episodes of SS’s new podcast. Didn’t known Krewson’s background, so I found it interesting.
In a just world, given the theme of "Driven to Fail", Jack would show up in the final episode with a bottle of Ketel One discussing a certain senior automotive executive and his skill in a Corvette along with Jack's personal tips on success in today's corporate culture.
Alas, Sam probably needs the paycheck
The poor guy was just forced to interview Rob Kaufman, Hagerty's Rasputin, and NOT mention the Mike Rockenfeller incident.
Sam Smith's articles are cringeworthy these days. Looking back a bit, they were largely cringeworthy those days too, but sometimes he drove a race car and wrote about it. Now not so much. Seems a nice guy and all but reached a perfect height with Hagerty.
I’m not a fan of Sam’s writing either; it’s a 13 year old boy’s idea of “good” automotive writing. Too many irrelevant asides, twee pronouncements, and fatuous employment of onomatopoeia; in my book there is only ONE writer who use onomatopoeia liberally - Tom Wolfe.
Both of those cars are right up my alley. Kinda feel like I’m going to regret not buying a V8 Camaro while I can. Was thinking about buying an LT1 instead of that 1LE because it might be slightly less conducive to making my wife a widow. Those amazingly high capabilities are a killer for one without common sense or fear of death
The non-supercharged 1LE is the car at its best, I think, with the exception of Z/28.
I’m concerned that the limits are so high with the 1LE, that for me to get my kicks I may as well have tags that read widomkr
Speaking of old R&T articles. They got a paywall up after 3 articles. So I cant find some of the old classics that are linked on this substack. Really sucks.
Incognito / private mode also works for many sites
Would like to read it
I've been skimming the comments to see if anyone watched Supercross last weekend. As much as FELD has probably been a detriment to the sport, the competition in the last few years has been great, and the progression in rider technique from just a decade ago is immense. It's probably easy for outsiders to see motocross as a bit of a hick sport, but the fast guys are true phenoms, the modern 450cc motocross bike makes serious power, and the stakes are high.
I still tool around on a dirt bike from time to time, and would like to do an amateur moto or enduro race in the near future, but these days it's hard to find anyone to ride with - as most everyone has moved on to $20k side x sides.
I wrote a huge long winded comment trying to explain blah blah blah blah blah about this and blah blah blah about that and I deleted it and all I want to say is that if you want to talk about a motor sport where it’s 90% the rider and 10% the machine in there is nothing like motocross. These dudes can maintain 190+ beats per minute heart rate for 25 minutes they could show up on a 100% stock dirtbike at local race of some sort and put on a freaking clinic. Can you imagine that jack ass Lewis Hamilton showing up at some regional SCCA race with a bunch of freaking bad ass, older Dudes?! They would make him look like a freaking chump. Ryan Villopoto, or Chad Reed, or James Stewart could show up at a motocross race on a loaned dirt bike and make everybody look silly.
Sadly, a lot of people think about it like it’s monster trucks when it is some of the most talented motorsport dudes on planet earth
I've been told that the only other sport with a higher sustained heart rate is soccer. There's a lot of technique involved in just hanging onto the bike through rough terrain without getting fatigued in a few minutes. I'd like to see a return of the open class in motocross, which would allow 300cc 2 strokes to battle with the 450s as well as the few EV bikes that are available, just to add more variety to the sport.
Most people would understandably not have this on their bucket list, but if you can go to Red Buuuuuuuuuuuuuuud! for the Lucas oil, pro motocross race that’s around Fourth of July weekend every year you will never regret it. Your liver may regret it, but you won’t.
I was fortunate enough to be in the crowd of 250,000 people for last year‘s Motocross des Nations at Red Buuuuuud! this past September. I’ve been at innumerable motorsports events in my life and it was tops. Can you imagine going to a Formula One race and buying a pit pass for 50 bucks? You are hanging out in the pits and fist bumping the fastest dudes on planet earth.
I’m thinking SLH would leave me hanging.
Waaaaay back in the 90s I was at the local motocross track for a regional event. Factory KTM rider Trampas Parker drove in from Louisiana and entered the expert class with the local "pros" (it was the off season I believe). He lined up, the gate dropped, and he simply sat there and waited for the field to complete a lap and then he took off. Over the course of 10 laps he methodically reeled in and passed the entire field. The difference between a local pro and a national factory rider is an order of magnitude.
Those guys have big nuts. My nephew raced dirt bikes for a few years and broke most of the bones in his teenaged body. It takes a special kind of person to take part in that melee.
The guys that ride the Isle of Man TT really have big balls.
Swelling from injury?
I know you’re joking and also about one person a year punches their ticket to the sky.
The sidecar racers are particularly insane...
That’s sad- people are getting off of bikes and into those little go kart looking things? I’m just a little more depressed now, thanks very much.
Yes they are. By a significant margin. The barrier to entry is so low. Any idiot can “drive” one of these things. He can also get a 4-seater so it becomes a family purchase/hobby that he can justify to the wife. Pretty lame, tbh.
Feld treats SX like it’s the circus or Monster Jam. It’s as though they’re deliberately kneecapping any ability to make money in the sport.
I hope WSX continues to grow and forces their hand a bit. Honestly, I don’t know how privateers can make it work these days.
I’m torn on the SXS thing. The machines with 200+ HP look like a blast. I ride a Sportsman XP1000 right now, so I’m a bit spoiled in the power department. My friend has a Pioneer 1000 and a NA RZR 1000 and they’re a total snoozefest in comparison.
I’d love to be able to justify a YZ250X (or even taking my KDX out), but nobody seems interested in bikes anymore. I guess that I should at least be thankful that I have friends still into riding quads. If I was forced to ride solo, I’d probably be in a SXS too.
I knew I liked you. I agree with everything you just said. was even looking at a YZ250X a couple weeks ago with my nephew. What I really want is a gas gas EX350F.
Well whenever you lot are ready to go riding, I just refreshed my RM125
I too was hoping someone mentioned SX. We were at Ford Field last weekend as well. Again Detroit delivers as what will probably be the best round of the season.
I hate the Deegans and their brand (especially with the claiming controversy at Loretta’s), but I don’t think that he was in the wrong on this one. That didn’t stop him from sounding like an idiot in the press conference though.
250E is incredibly weak this year. You have Hunter racing who? Thrasher with a blown knee? I’m looking forward to the shootouts this year to see how that unfolds.
It was a huge bummer to see AP7 lose it like that. I’m not sure what has changed, but he’s had some very good rides this year.
I still don’t have a solid pick for the championship. I’d like to see Tomac take everything, but ideally it continues to be a good battle. Tomac has said repeatedly that he’s focused on the championship and not race wins. Maybe that’s an excuse for his poor performance (at least compared to last year), but then again he’s not that far behind Webb.
Once again, I agree with everything you just said. That doesn’t happen to me very often. It’s kind of a strange feeling. I hate to admit this, but I got so upset when AP7 went down, I clicked the TV off. I was supposed to be at the race, but my buddies backed out and I had to sell my tickets which was easy and I got all my money out of them.
I shoukd probably follow at least some racing, but don't at all. We have some competitive teams in IMPC, I oughta go check them out some time.
Someone more knowledgeable than me. Why does f1 vary so much? Mercedes dominated for years now red bull is. Aero, engine, all of the above? Rule changes?
It is the only major form of global motorsport that is a development series; the rule book is published, and the teams show up at the race with their best effort at constructing their own cars.
If your car is slow, you need to accept it, get better, or give up.
Other series are spec series (NASCAR, Indycar both have major elements that are spec) or BOP series (sports car racing). The development series arms race is expensive.
F1’s development series status only persists because of F1’s massive global audience and consequent revenue generation: > $2BN in revenue, roughly half of which goes into the prize fund. In excess of 70 million people globally watch a typical F1 race.
MotoGP!!!!
Yes, I overlooked it.
I’ve never been able to get into MotoGP (not that I have the time to devote); I’ve also never been interested in motorcycles.
Understood.
Trust me, it’s great.
It's like all the best parts of F1, but faster, with higher stakes.
And this weekend was fantastic! Except for the guys the were injured, obviously.
We won’t hold that against you
Word
WRC Mexico. Lappi seems to have more than his fair share of bad luck.
Sorry jack for discussing this here, but as you will understand, I'm 17 and there's no way dad's paying for my substack subsccription until I get into college(its an Indian thing). But related to your reddit post. I left reddit a while ago, but a friend sent your thread to me. Related to that: https://twitter.com/DougDeMuro/status/1629721307142295552 that wasnt an isolated incident. Fat creep brad has a habit of getting mad at successful people just because his piece of shit auction site went bust. How ironic that he calls doug a dork. I don't like doug's takes no(mostly because I don't have the time to spend 1 hour watching how a jag xk keyfob works), but you have to agree how hard he has worked. From leaving a corporate desk job at porsche to jalopnik and then to video. It's nice to see him grow. Even if he is a dork, he seems from the outside like a very hardworking dude. On the other hand. Just seeing brownell's pic, you know everything about him. He's literally the closest a 40 year old can get to a discord server mod, if you get my drift.
Both WEC and IMSA are BOP series. There is an issue balancing the IMSA LMDh / GTP cars with the WEC’s Hypercars, however: tire wear.
You would expect Toyota to have the measure of their new OEM competition in terms of reliability, execution, etc. given their unbroken presence in the top class of the WEC through the post-LMP1 doldrums. Ferrari had the pace over a lap, but they were felled by team execution errors (and penalties), as well as poor tire wear, particularly in the second stint. The Porsches were both slow and afflicted with dreadful tire wear. Whereas the Toyota and Ferrari have front axle hybrid deployment, the Porsche - as it is a cheaper, back door path to Le Mans / WEC - has the LMDh / GTP rear axle spec hybrid. So how do you BOP the tire wear?
Cadillac is there or thereabouts in terms of race pace in IMSA.