...Formula 1 racing in the United States, that is.
There's been talk for a while about F1 in Austin, TX, at the new Circuit of the Americas (which still has what looks to be an awesome Turn 1, but anyway).
Now, F1 in New Jersey starting in 2013... Comparisons made to Spa-Francochamps (Belgium), although the local leadership apparently wants to put people more in the mind of Monaco with a city course (and based on quotes from said leadership). But then, I suspect the references to the premier city course in the world (sorry, St. Petersburg, FL) are more to distinguish it from driving the Jersey Turnpike than anything.
Two major races in a country that hasn't really been motivated to support one in decades, in a ridiculously expensive and technical sport. This could be interesting to watch.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Godspeed, Dan.
I haven't posted in a while, although I've actually made some progress in weaseling my way into motorsports.
But it seems appropriate to say a bit today, after the tragedy in Las Vegas, if there are any words that truly capture it. Maybe it's just a selfish catharsis, but if so, here's hoping the Internet will indulge me, for the moment.
No matter how many safety innovations the engineers make (and trust me, they're always working toward it... Indeed, I was scheduled to attend a motorsports safety and technical conference later this year), there will always be that incident that brings reality back: Motorsports will never be entirely safe. Neither will football, or law enforcement, or any number of other fields where safety engineers and applied researchers (myself included) invest our time.
There are those who will say that Dan Wheldon knew the risks. And they would be right, as much as anyone can know the risks of any activity that s/he engages in.
Dan knew the risks, and so did all of us; the drivers, the crews, the fans, the research geeks, the engineers, and the safety and officiating personnel.
It doesn't change the fact that it's a tragedy, and a horrific loss.
No, there was nothing Dan could have done in this instance, and there was nothing that IndyCar could have done either. People (including drivers) argue that the speeds were too high; those same individuals will always want a faster car. They'll argue that the field was too large (one larger than the previous max of 33 cars, a limit set for a larger track), but no one wants to be the odd man out, and no one could question Dan's right to be there (starting last and already working his way through the field).
My opinion, for what it's worth, is that this will be to IndyCar what Dale Earnhardt's death in 2001 was for NASCAR. It has shaken the sport to its very core, and it will never be the same.
A colleague said that because this was the season-ending race, rather than the season-opener (as in 2001), that the time will give more time to recover. Perhaps, but it also gives more time for doubt and fear. My heart is broken for Dan's family, his friends, but also for the sport.
But it seems appropriate to say a bit today, after the tragedy in Las Vegas, if there are any words that truly capture it. Maybe it's just a selfish catharsis, but if so, here's hoping the Internet will indulge me, for the moment.
No matter how many safety innovations the engineers make (and trust me, they're always working toward it... Indeed, I was scheduled to attend a motorsports safety and technical conference later this year), there will always be that incident that brings reality back: Motorsports will never be entirely safe. Neither will football, or law enforcement, or any number of other fields where safety engineers and applied researchers (myself included) invest our time.
There are those who will say that Dan Wheldon knew the risks. And they would be right, as much as anyone can know the risks of any activity that s/he engages in.
Dan knew the risks, and so did all of us; the drivers, the crews, the fans, the research geeks, the engineers, and the safety and officiating personnel.
It doesn't change the fact that it's a tragedy, and a horrific loss.
No, there was nothing Dan could have done in this instance, and there was nothing that IndyCar could have done either. People (including drivers) argue that the speeds were too high; those same individuals will always want a faster car. They'll argue that the field was too large (one larger than the previous max of 33 cars, a limit set for a larger track), but no one wants to be the odd man out, and no one could question Dan's right to be there (starting last and already working his way through the field).
My opinion, for what it's worth, is that this will be to IndyCar what Dale Earnhardt's death in 2001 was for NASCAR. It has shaken the sport to its very core, and it will never be the same.
A colleague said that because this was the season-ending race, rather than the season-opener (as in 2001), that the time will give more time to recover. Perhaps, but it also gives more time for doubt and fear. My heart is broken for Dan's family, his friends, but also for the sport.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Newman wins at PIR
...and it's probably the best thing that could've happened to Stewart-Haas Racing.
No one can really doubt that Tony Stewart's going to win races. For Ryan Newman, it's been a very. long. time in making it back to Victory Lane. Making the Chase last year was great for him, and for SHR, but in the end, racing is about *winning*. As good as SHR was last year, the possibility was there for it to become a one-sided team. For his part Tony's received kudos for what's been going on since he became co-owner of the former Haas-CNC team, but having wins for both cars, and as both a driver and an owner separately as well as driver/owner... it has the potential to really take the relatively small two-car team (which yes, gets a LOT of technical support from the megateam that is Hendrick Motorsports) to the next level.
Congrats to Ryan, Smoke, Tony Gibson, the #39 crew, and also to Gene Haas, who probably didn't really anticipate this sort of thing when the idea of giving Smoke a 50% stake in his team.
No one can really doubt that Tony Stewart's going to win races. For Ryan Newman, it's been a very. long. time in making it back to Victory Lane. Making the Chase last year was great for him, and for SHR, but in the end, racing is about *winning*. As good as SHR was last year, the possibility was there for it to become a one-sided team. For his part Tony's received kudos for what's been going on since he became co-owner of the former Haas-CNC team, but having wins for both cars, and as both a driver and an owner separately as well as driver/owner... it has the potential to really take the relatively small two-car team (which yes, gets a LOT of technical support from the megateam that is Hendrick Motorsports) to the next level.
Congrats to Ryan, Smoke, Tony Gibson, the #39 crew, and also to Gene Haas, who probably didn't really anticipate this sort of thing when the idea of giving Smoke a 50% stake in his team.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Whoops....
I've sorta let this slip a bit, but since it's a NASCAR off-week, it's as good a time as any to look at some of the other series going on (and let the smoke and debris die down from Atlanta).
Formula 1 gets off to their start in Bahrain, as does IndyCar in Brazil. Maybe.
See, IndyCar has already had to delay qualifying because sections of the Sao Paulo course are too slick and bumpy to control the cars. Seriously... I understand that they really only had a few months to get everything ready, but a part of me still wonders why they even TRY when situations like this come up. These are safety-critical conditions, so they're not really the thing you put off until the end, and yet, it's a pretty common thing for new/revamped facilities and events to have a track or course that isn't drivable.
This. Isn't. Good. Texas was so fast a few years ago that IndyCar canceled the race. Tire issues for Michelin at Indianapolis preceded the loss of the only American Grand Prix. Now, the strengthened IndyCar circuit is hitting the streets of Sao Paulo, only to find that they can't actually drive them. Seven Brazilian drivers are in the field, so this is more than mildly embarrassing. With all the engineering and technical expertise in these sports, can we really not find some way to prepare, or at least evaluate, these courses prior to everyone arriving? Sure, once some rubber's laid down, the courses will probably come in just fine... but I seem to recall some processes for doing that that DON'T involve waiting until the last moment, even when weather comes in and wreaks havoc. There are things that can be done, and again, at least knowing what to expect BEFORE putting drivers and equipment at risk, would be nice.
But such is life. Maybe they just ran out of time in rushing to get things ready. Or maybe they never really took the concept of time seriously in making promises to the sanctioning body. But let's remember: a successful event is dependent on the quality of racing; the quality of racing is dependent on the quality of the course.
Formula 1 gets off to their start in Bahrain, as does IndyCar in Brazil. Maybe.
See, IndyCar has already had to delay qualifying because sections of the Sao Paulo course are too slick and bumpy to control the cars. Seriously... I understand that they really only had a few months to get everything ready, but a part of me still wonders why they even TRY when situations like this come up. These are safety-critical conditions, so they're not really the thing you put off until the end, and yet, it's a pretty common thing for new/revamped facilities and events to have a track or course that isn't drivable.
This. Isn't. Good. Texas was so fast a few years ago that IndyCar canceled the race. Tire issues for Michelin at Indianapolis preceded the loss of the only American Grand Prix. Now, the strengthened IndyCar circuit is hitting the streets of Sao Paulo, only to find that they can't actually drive them. Seven Brazilian drivers are in the field, so this is more than mildly embarrassing. With all the engineering and technical expertise in these sports, can we really not find some way to prepare, or at least evaluate, these courses prior to everyone arriving? Sure, once some rubber's laid down, the courses will probably come in just fine... but I seem to recall some processes for doing that that DON'T involve waiting until the last moment, even when weather comes in and wreaks havoc. There are things that can be done, and again, at least knowing what to expect BEFORE putting drivers and equipment at risk, would be nice.
But such is life. Maybe they just ran out of time in rushing to get things ready. Or maybe they never really took the concept of time seriously in making promises to the sanctioning body. But let's remember: a successful event is dependent on the quality of racing; the quality of racing is dependent on the quality of the course.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Say it with me: The Tach is your friend.
You know, I really shouldn't be amused at the fact that Danica couldn't seem to manage pit road speed.
But the psychologist in me is greatly amused at the evidence of perceptual feedback gone awry. See, ride height impacts the perception of speed; Danica is familiar with Auto Club Speedway.... in an Indy car. Basically, what this is going to translate to is an underestimation of speed in the stock car, because it's going to seem slower (the same phenomenon led to some issues back in the day with taxiing Boeing 747s).
But in the end, the lesson learned: USE THE TACH!! The tachometer is your friend. Maybe someday they'll put speedometers in those cars, but really, would you want to know just how fast you're driving with 42 other crazies? Let's think about this...
As it happened, though, Carl Edwards seemed to have the same issue; the difference is, he knows stock cars... however, he does have good reason to have other things on his mind. Hooray for the Nationwide Series.
But the psychologist in me is greatly amused at the evidence of perceptual feedback gone awry. See, ride height impacts the perception of speed; Danica is familiar with Auto Club Speedway.... in an Indy car. Basically, what this is going to translate to is an underestimation of speed in the stock car, because it's going to seem slower (the same phenomenon led to some issues back in the day with taxiing Boeing 747s).
But in the end, the lesson learned: USE THE TACH!! The tachometer is your friend. Maybe someday they'll put speedometers in those cars, but really, would you want to know just how fast you're driving with 42 other crazies? Let's think about this...
As it happened, though, Carl Edwards seemed to have the same issue; the difference is, he knows stock cars... however, he does have good reason to have other things on his mind. Hooray for the Nationwide Series.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Daytona 500, Endurance version....
...well, not exactly... Drivers didn't swap out, they didn't need to; the red flags provided opportunities for rest. But one good thing about it was that the red flags weren't for 'The Big One' or any other major accidents.
Instead, they were caused by a hole on the apron. Yes, Daytona International Speedway formed a pothole, made worse over time throughout the race. A lesson can be learned by all road engineers. And NASCAR, and ISC, because this isn't the first time this has happened.
Asphalt Cracks + Precipitation + Temperature Changes = Potholes. Even in race tracks. What a concept.
But seriously, couldn't we have some better method for determining how to fill said holes, because they DO occur...
But anyway, beyond that, the new larger restrictor plates seemed to do the job, didn't cause any more chaos than usual, and maybe even helped avoid 'The Big One', since more horsepower was available to keep control of the cars when the draft got a bit unpredictable. The drivers seemed to keep their cool, and so NASCAR had no trouble keeping their word to let them police themselves. The race arguably finished under Green, thanks to the second of three possible Green-White-Checkered restarts, which means that the new rule changes might actually work out... at least they did for one race of thirty-six.
Oh, and congratulations to Jamie McMurray for coming through with a win for EGR.
Instead, they were caused by a hole on the apron. Yes, Daytona International Speedway formed a pothole, made worse over time throughout the race. A lesson can be learned by all road engineers. And NASCAR, and ISC, because this isn't the first time this has happened.
Asphalt Cracks + Precipitation + Temperature Changes = Potholes. Even in race tracks. What a concept.
But seriously, couldn't we have some better method for determining how to fill said holes, because they DO occur...
But anyway, beyond that, the new larger restrictor plates seemed to do the job, didn't cause any more chaos than usual, and maybe even helped avoid 'The Big One', since more horsepower was available to keep control of the cars when the draft got a bit unpredictable. The drivers seemed to keep their cool, and so NASCAR had no trouble keeping their word to let them police themselves. The race arguably finished under Green, thanks to the second of three possible Green-White-Checkered restarts, which means that the new rule changes might actually work out... at least they did for one race of thirty-six.
Oh, and congratulations to Jamie McMurray for coming through with a win for EGR.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Daytona Short Stuff
...yeah, it's another one of those... I should feel guilty. But I don't.
1) Mark Martin and Dale Jr make the front row for the Daytona 500, and then don't really do much in the Duels... can't blame them though, really... they didn't need to do anything at all. But really, damaging the car wasn't cool, Junior. =P Since I didn't see it, I'll have to go with the claim that it was "body" damage, and Lance and Co. will take care of it. We'll know soon enough (Sunday, if you lost track).
Jimmie Johnson and Kasey Kahne went on to win the duels (beating out Kevin Harvick, the Bud Shootout winner, and Tony Stewart, respectively).... So, basically five of the top six starters in the 500 are Chevrolets, with a lone Petty Ford in the mix, and of the five, four are Hendrick-powered..... Hmmmm.....
2) A chick speed geek is required to be a Danica Patrick fan, right? Well, either way, I am. The ARCA race was her first real stock car test, and she came through it in one piece and won some respect. A top-10 finish may not seem that impressive, but the races at Daytona are always crazy, the ARCA one is no exception, and Danica had to pull off some major moves to keep her car intact for that run to the front.
Due to holding her own in the ARCA race, her debut in the NASCAR Nationwide Series has been stepped up to be Saturday... That race is always interesting to watch, and it'll only be more so with Danica joining a field of Sprint Cup regulars. It'll be a real test of her skills, and Tony Eury Jr's crew chief skills to make it through... but then, Tony Jr's had such cases before.
3) NASCAR's upped the number of Green-White-Checkered attempts from one to three, in an effort to finish the races under green... which is why they added the G-W-C in the first place. =P Of course, then they started wrecking under the shootout conditions it created.... Hmmmmm.... Me wonders what might happen this time... current prediction: three times the chaos. but hey, I've been wrong before.
...and that should more or less catch everyone up for a bit, or at least get you traveling over to NASCAR.com to see what I didn't mention. =P It's Daytona, there's always more side stories than laps to the race.
1) Mark Martin and Dale Jr make the front row for the Daytona 500, and then don't really do much in the Duels... can't blame them though, really... they didn't need to do anything at all. But really, damaging the car wasn't cool, Junior. =P Since I didn't see it, I'll have to go with the claim that it was "body" damage, and Lance and Co. will take care of it. We'll know soon enough (Sunday, if you lost track).
Jimmie Johnson and Kasey Kahne went on to win the duels (beating out Kevin Harvick, the Bud Shootout winner, and Tony Stewart, respectively).... So, basically five of the top six starters in the 500 are Chevrolets, with a lone Petty Ford in the mix, and of the five, four are Hendrick-powered..... Hmmmm.....
2) A chick speed geek is required to be a Danica Patrick fan, right? Well, either way, I am. The ARCA race was her first real stock car test, and she came through it in one piece and won some respect. A top-10 finish may not seem that impressive, but the races at Daytona are always crazy, the ARCA one is no exception, and Danica had to pull off some major moves to keep her car intact for that run to the front.
Due to holding her own in the ARCA race, her debut in the NASCAR Nationwide Series has been stepped up to be Saturday... That race is always interesting to watch, and it'll only be more so with Danica joining a field of Sprint Cup regulars. It'll be a real test of her skills, and Tony Eury Jr's crew chief skills to make it through... but then, Tony Jr's had such cases before.
3) NASCAR's upped the number of Green-White-Checkered attempts from one to three, in an effort to finish the races under green... which is why they added the G-W-C in the first place. =P Of course, then they started wrecking under the shootout conditions it created.... Hmmmmm.... Me wonders what might happen this time... current prediction: three times the chaos. but hey, I've been wrong before.
...and that should more or less catch everyone up for a bit, or at least get you traveling over to NASCAR.com to see what I didn't mention. =P It's Daytona, there's always more side stories than laps to the race.
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