Indycar 1995 WatchParty Round 12: The Grand Prix of Cleveland (Start 6pm BST Sunday)

The 1995 saga continues! This week, we plunge on to the shore of Lake Erie for the annual what-the-hell-am-I-watching runway spectacle at Burke Lakefront Airport in Cleveland, Ohio. Michael Andretti arrives from Toronto on a one-race winning streak having stoutly defended himself from the attentions of Bobby Rahal, who sort of materialized behind the leader at half distance in his typical way but went no further, as Michael used all his late-braking, wide-driving, backmarker-nudging skills to keep in front to score a first victory of the year. Jacques Villeneuve carries his points lead to Cleveland having been denied a home win by badly-timed yellows, but he did beat Teo Fabi and a charging Robby Gordon to a third place and humongous 25-point advantage over [checks notes] Rahal, this time.

This being the nostalgic, soft-focus 1995 free of the curse of labour and sin of property alike, we skate past the political stormclouds that were a-brewing in open-wheel racing that summer and instead head straight for ice cream stand selling the delicious confection that is 27 Indycars racing at a converted airport that from above sort of looks like a racing car. Expect passing, attrition, hopefully a big aeroplane in the background and the first-18-separated-by-one-second close competition that Indycar spoils us with. Best of all, you can watch it from your own home and not, say, from a temporary grandstand at the edge of an airport runway in the mid-July heat. You’re welcome!

What happened Friday and Saturday? Qualifying saw Gil de Ferran scoop up his first pole position with the attractive Pennzoil Reynard that never finishes races, with serial front-row hogger Jacques Villeneuve lining up second with his yet-more attractive Player’s Reynard, which has seen Victory Lane three times already this season. Bryan Herta continues his madcap year of attempting to start from each row of the grid with the third-fastest time, a mere four-hundredths of a second slower than De Ferran on pole. Top Lola is Paul Tracy in P6, and once again as Jacques prospers, his championship rivals are upper-midfield at best.


1. Gil de Ferran 57.815, Hall R/M/G
2. Jacques Villeneuve +0.011, Team Green R/F/G
3. Bryan Herta +0.039, Ganassi R/F/G
4. Teo Fabi +0.196, Forsythe R/F/G
5. Andre Ribeiro +0.203, Tasman R/H/F
6. Paul Tracy +0.233, Newman-Haas L/F/G
7. Scott Pruett +0.265, Patrick L/F/F
8. Robby Gordon +0.273, Walker R/F/F
9. Raul Boesel +0.406, Rahal-Hogan L/M/G
10. Michael Andretti +0.414, Newman-Haas L/F/G
11. Bobby Rahal +0.500, Rahal-Hogan L/M/G
12. Mo Gugelmin +0.503, PacWest R/F/G
 
Unser 13th, Vasser 15th, Emmo 17th. Parker Johnstone is back in the Acura-sponsored Reynard-Honda, and Eric Bachelart and Marco Greco continue their part-seasons with Payton/Coyne and Galles respectively.

Here we go then! Cleveland! Video below, regular start time of Sunday, 6pm BST if that’s alright with everyone.

Cleveland Rocks! 

I will  attend inclement weather permitting, but the 4 short months of summer are here in the NE USA I can not forgo outside activities.  Perhaps I'll check in via mobile while frustrating myself when on the links.

Edited by GlenWatkins, 29 May 2020 - 23:25.

I've always wished they'd bring Cleveland back- one of my favourites  (after RA of course...)

Is there a circuit that screams Indycar more than Cleveland?

Thanks, Risil!

Indy?

Yet another race I attended, good days.

Yet another race I attended, good days.

Did I count that correctly? 16 cars within a second of pole in qualifying? I've watched this entire season a few times, but I don't know that I've ever noticed that..

Cleveland Rocks!

I will attend inclement weather permitting, but the 4 short months of summer are here in the NE USA I can not forgo outside activities. Perhaps I'll check in via mobile while frustrating myself when on the links.

Indy?

 What was the circuit like?

Flat, hot (usually), fast and providing a great view of the city skyline and Lake Erie shores. The 1995 season was my first as a spectator after my time with CART.

The first IndyCar race I worked was Cleveland in 1982, it was a different layout than some may be familiar with (see below). For the 1982 race, I was corner captain outside the wall at the far east of the track (asterisk @ lower right), I was assigned blue-flagger and with the cars coming by so close to the hole in the fence, my face was totally blackened by the fluids afterwards; my God, the close proximity to these machines at speed was intoxicating.

With no guardrails, there were large concrete drainage tiles for the corner workers to locate themselves for safety. It was not mandatory to locate ourselves in the tiles. They were off the drivers sight lines and acted like an oven, plus I hated feeling trapped in them if a car came directly at the station. Again as corner captain, when I I worked where the middle asterisk is located, I was afforded the opportunity to sidestep a couple of cars as they missed the previous corner and came at me through the grass. 

The last asterisk at the left is another exciting station I worked. In 1986 I got quite a bit of TV time from one of the cars on-board cameras when there was a long-ish yellow for Bobby Rahal when he spun in his own fluids from a radiator failure and I got to work my right arm out for a while waving the yellow flag. Even after the track layout was modified, I always ended up primarily working the eastern end of the circuit.

At the time, there was a vibrant food and entertainment district called "the flats" near the track and we had a blast each year we attended. 

I remember when I flagged SCCA races in the late 60's and early '70's  you'd stand right out on the corner maybe a foot or less from the track.  Especially remember Blackhawk Farms which was the first race I ever did, at corner 1...   ignorance was bliss!

Here's the spotter's guide for people who haven't visited 1995 for a while, or perhaps are just comforted by familiarity:

The blue #64 Project Indy entry isn't here this weekend, but otherwise accurate.

This happened in the Indy Lights race on the same weekend:

Greg Moore won the race, as normal.

Not related to F3 driver Marcos S...iebert.

2 mins!

Go! And an extended airline metaphor!

Haha omg they did an aeroplane cockpit overlay, that was above and beyond

Not merely points. PPG points!

Paul Tracy has discarded his crutches this weekend!

I live for the return of Uncle Bobby.

Parker cracks the top 20!

Not merely points. PPG points!

Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company points to be specific!

"There are plenty of points to go"

Penskes back in the toilet.

"The United States is beginning to pull away"

Nations Cup?

Here we go!

Tracy/Ribeiro/Pruett off at the -1 corner! Absolute carnage in the championship B-list

Hey, the Pennzoil logo on the Patrick car is yellow now.

Penskes back in the toilet.

Al Unser is climbing out of the toilet!

Andre Ribeiro: still hasn't moved.

They got together on a rear-ender!

Front nosecone!

Edited by ANF, 31 May 2020 - 17:15.

Cleveland has some of the strangest onboard camera shots.

Everytime I hear Teo Fabi's name I think of the beginning of a Harry Belefonte song:

https://www.youtube....h?v=P-4xyg4PU-U

Al in trouble. "Chasing one of those electronic gremlins" is the technical insight from Jack Arute.

"You see the number one on his car because he's still the current reigning champion, but he isn't going to be for long." Ouch, Sam!