2019 NASCAR/INDYCAR/F1

[CAA Flagship]

Yeah, China was one of the most boring races in a long time with HAM leading wire to wire and nobody challenging. Ferrari couldn't even come up with a counter-strategy on tires to make it interesting. They must be freaking out in Maranello this week. Binotto not getting it done after the firing of Arrivabene. Could be a historically short tenure as Principal.

I haven't seen that many vowels since seeing a class roster in high school.

[93henfan]

Yeah, China was one of the most boring races in a long time with HAM leading wire to wire and nobody challenging. Ferrari couldn't even come up with a counter-strategy on tires to make it interesting. They must be freaking out in Maranello this week. Binotto not getting it done after the firing of Arrivabene. Could be a historically short tenure as Principal.

I haven't seen that many vowels since seeing a class roster in high school.

Ciao, Flaggy!

[∞∞∞]

Just reading up on sports viewership and ratings. Apparently a rise of 3% in NASCAR viewership this year, which somewhat coincides with the 4% increase in motor sport fans in the US last year. It might not be the numbers at the height of the series, but perhaps it's finally found the right market share?

Helping is NASCAR's heavy investment into streaming races.

I do have to say that as far as races go, this year has been more exciting. NASCAR may have been f*cking up rules for years now, but they might have finally gotten the aero-package correct (or at least going in the right direction). That said, there needs to be more than two or three teams that dominate.

[93henfan]

Remainder of FP1 is cancelled at Baku after Charles Leclerc flips up a manhole cover and then George Russell drives over it and destroys the floor of his car. Another tough break for struggling Williams Racing.

[93henfan]

Disaster for Ferrari (again) in Q2 (currently airing on The Deuce). Charles Leclerc with an unforced error after being the class of the field in practice and Q1. Swings wide and plows the outside wall in the castle turn.

His quote on the radio: "I am stupid. I am stupid."

Compounding the issue for Ferrari is that there will only be 7 minutes left in Q2 when the track is clear, and there was so much fluid dumped by Leclerc that Ferrari teammate Vettel, who is not yet qualified, will have to get in a hot run through a powdered track in the tightest turn.

[93henfan]

Vettel sneaks into Q3.

EDIT - Final Qualifying:
1. Bottas
2. Hamilton
3. Vettel

Should be interesting to watch Leclerc come up through the field tomorrow morning. It's only a matter of time until that guy wins a championship. I'm very impressed by him.

[93henfan]

Mercedes goes 1-2 yet again. Bottas passes Hamilton for the championship lead by a point, 87-86.

Baku results:
1. Bottas
2. Hamilton
3. Vettel
4. Verstappen
5. Leclerc

[BDKJMU]

Elliott wins at Talladega! His 4th career win in his 4th season..He was the last Chevy to win last Oct after 13 straight wins by Ford & Toyota.

Was actually a pretty good crowd. I was surprised it looked pretty full at the start. Pretty good race, too.

[93henfan]

Elliott wins at Talladega! His 4th career win in his 4th season..He was the last Chevy to win last year..

Was actually a pretty good crowd. I was surprised it looked pretty full at the start. Pretty good race, too.

Didn't catch a lap. Good thing is my guy locked up his playoff spot in March, so I don't have to watch a meaningful race again on TV for five more months.

I'm going to Dover one last time with my dad next Sunday. He said he wanted to see the 50th anniversary race and then we're not going back. He hasn't missed a race since the first one in 1969, but the sport doesn't interest him much anymore with all the gimmicks. They've made it so difficult to get to the track now, doing away with the shuttle all the locals used to take from the Blue Hen Corporate Center, that we've decided it's not worth it anymore.

[SDHornet]

Remainder of FP1 is cancelled at Baku after Charles Leclerc flips up a manhole cover and then George Russell drives over it and destroys the floor of his car. Another tough break for struggling Williams Racing.

The best part was the tow/lift truck hit a bridge and started pissing hydraulic fluid all over the Williams car.

Pretty metaphoric if you ask me.

I didn't watch the race, will have to watch the replay sometime this week.

[BDKJMU]

For 93:

[93henfan]

For 93:

Glad to see he's not a liberal faggot, or at least one that would protest the office of POTUS, regardless of the Cheeto-in-Chief.

[Ivytalk]

What a fucking corporatist joke today at Dover for the 50th anniversary race. My Lions Club ushering crew sits through the rainy day (under a tent, outside the grandstand) until the message comes over the official radio channel 3 that the race will start at 3:15 and the ushers should Report for duty. We had been saying all day that they should cancel because the Monster Mike would never dry out. But management pulled the drying trucks out. Politically incorrect Richard Petty says “Gentlemen, start your engines” (Danica is gone). The cars file out behind the pace cars at 4:00 and do a few slow laps, then they head for pit road. Rain comes back, and they postpone the thing after all at 4:15. All in the name of selling a few more overpriced hamburgers, souvenir pins, shot glasses, and other tchotchkes. Took us less than an hour to get out of the parking lot, because probably no more than 25,000 drunken butts were in the seats. SMMFH.

[93henfan]

What a fucking corporatist joke today at Dover for the 50th anniversary race. My Lions Club ushering crew sits through the rainy day (under a tent, outside the grandstand) until the message comes over the official radio channel 3 that the race will start at 3:15 and the ushers should Report for duty. We had been saying all day that they should cancel because the Monster Mike would never dry out. But management pulled the drying trucks out. Politically incorrect Richard Petty says “Gentlemen, start your engines” (Danica is gone). The cars file out behind the pace cars at 4:00 and do a few slow laps, then they head for pit road. Rain comes back, and they postpone the thing after all at 4:15. All in the name of selling a few more overpriced hamburgers, souvenir pins, shot glasses, and other tchotchkes. Took us less than an hour to get out of the parking lot, because probably no more than 25,000 drunken butts were in the seats. SMMFH.

That's all on NASCAR (i.e. the France's). Dover Downs has no control over the start of the race. It's all NASCAR, and NASCAR doesn't get any of the burger money. NASCAR's only goal was to keep as many people watching FS1 as possible by not being forthcoming to TV viewers about the weather forecast (any yahoo with a smartphone knew that a second wave of rain was coming at 4 pm, which is why none of my group of 8 left Milford). So, they string it along and roll as many commercials as they can. They got in a solid three hours worth with the live broadcast and then rolled right into a replay of last year's race. NASCAR only answer to sponsors, and they met their commercial quota. Mission accomplished, cold, miserable local Lions Club members be damned.

[Ivytalk]

What a **** corporatist joke today at Dover for the 50th anniversary race. My Lions Club ushering crew sits through the rainy day (under a tent, outside the grandstand) until the message comes over the official radio channel 3 that the race will start at 3:15 and the ushers should Report for duty. We had been saying all day that they should cancel because the Monster Mike would never dry out. But management pulled the drying trucks out. Politically incorrect Richard Petty says “Gentlemen, start your engines” (Danica is gone). The cars file out behind the pace cars at 4:00 and do a few slow laps, then they head for pit road. Rain comes back, and they postpone the thing after all at 4:15. All in the name of selling a few more overpriced hamburgers, souvenir pins, shot glasses, and other tchotchkes. Took us less than an hour to get out of the parking lot, because probably no more than 25,000 drunken butts were in the seats. SMMFH.

That's all on NASCAR (i.e. the France's). Dover Downs has no control over the start of the race. It's all NASCAR, and NASCAR doesn't get any of the burger money. NASCAR's only goal was to keep as many people watching FS1 as possible by not being forthcoming to TV viewers about the weather forecast (any yahoo with a smartphone knew that a second wave of rain was coming at 4 pm, which is why none of my group of 8 left Milford). So, they string it along and roll as many commercials as they can. They got in a solid three hours worth with the live broadcast and then rolled right into a replay of last year's race. NASCAR only answer to sponsors, and they met their commercial quota. Mission accomplished, cold, miserable local Lions Club members be damned.

That’s what I meant. TV was the story. We joked about the Denis McGlynn Memorial Superbox: an empty staff tent outside Gate 17 with 2 folding chairs and no table.

[93henfan]

Damn, Bottas is a man on a mission this year. Another pole over Lewis Hamilton in Barcelona.

I wasn't expecting this year's competition to be between teammates.

Ferrari looked like ass today. Very disappointing for the Wops.

[SDHornet]

Damn, Bottas is a man on a mission this year. Another pole over Lewis Hamilton in Barcelona.

I wasn't expecting this year's competition to be between teammates.

Ferrari looked like ass today. Very disappointing for the Wops.

Yup...and we get to see how Haas shits down their leg in another grand prix.

[93henfan]

Damn, Bottas is a man on a mission this year. Another pole over Lewis Hamilton in Barcelona.

I wasn't expecting this year's competition to be between teammates.

Ferrari looked like ass today. Very disappointing for the Wops.

Yup...and we get to see how Haas shits down their leg in another grand prix.

I'd like to see Haas get up to the level of Red Bull. I'd also like to see them find an American driver. Then I could get on board.

[SDHornet]

Yup...and we get to see how Haas shits down their leg in another grand prix.

I'd like to see Haas get up to the level of Red Bull. I'd also like to see them find an American driver. Then I could get on board.

So should we just give the Constructors Cup to Mercedes already?

Haas with a not so bad showing, they almost crashed each other out though.

I think both Red Bull drivers pass Ferrari in the standings from here on out. Saw a vid basically saying Ferrari has no idea what to do to have a chance at catching MB.

[93henfan]

I'd like to see Haas get up to the level of Red Bull. I'd also like to see them find an American driver. Then I could get on board.

So should we just give the Constructors Cup to Mercedes already?

Haas with a not so bad showing, they almost crashed each other out though.

I think both Red Bull drivers pass Ferrari in the standings from here on out. Saw a vid basically saying Ferrari has no idea what to do to have a chance at catching MB.

Ferrari made a strategic error in the off-season: they focused on straight line speed rather than downforce.

[SDHornet]

So should we just give the Constructors Cup to Mercedes already?

Haas with a not so bad showing, they almost crashed each other out though.

I think both Red Bull drivers pass Ferrari in the standings from here on out. Saw a vid basically saying Ferrari has no idea what to do to have a chance at catching MB.

Ferrari made a strategic error in the off-season: they focused on straight line speed rather than downforce.

I feel like there is an Italian tanks meme hidden somewhere in there...

[BDKJMU]

Bowyer/Newman fight after all the Star Race:

[CAA Flagship]

Ferrari made a strategic error in the off-season: they focused on straight line speed rather than downforce.

I feel like there is an Italian tanks meme hidden somewhere in there...

[93henfan]

[93henfan]

RIP Niki Lauda

I was fortunate enough to have caught a few glimpses of him at the 2017 Canada GP in his advisory role with Mercedes.

If anyone hasn't seen the movie Rush about Lauda, it's well worth catching on Netflix. You don't need to be an F1 fan.

Niki Lauda, who has died aged 70, was a three-time Formula 1 world champion, non-executive chairman of the world champion Mercedes team, and one of the biggest names in motorsport.

He was also a pilot and successful businessman, who set up two airlines and continued to occasionally captain their planes into his late 60s.

But he will be remembered most for the remarkable bravery and resilience he showed in recovering from a fiery crash at the 1976 German Grand Prix at the fearsome Nurburgring.

Lauda - leading the World Championship, having won his first title a year earlier - suffered third-degree burns to his head and face that left him scarred for life, inhaled toxic gases that damaged his lungs, and received the last rites in hospital.

Yet he returned to racing just 40 days later - finishing fourth in the Italian Grand Prix. By the end of the race, his unhealed wounds had soaked his fireproof balaclava in blood. When he tried to remove the balaclava, he found it was stuck to his bandages, and had to resort to ripping it off in one go.

It was one of the bravest acts in the history of sport...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/46781936