Indycar 1995 WatchParty Round 3: The Slick 50 200 @ Phoenix (kickoff at 6pm BST Sunday)
#1
Posted 28 March 2020 - 22:20
A single week in April 1995 separates the street race at Surfers Paradise from the awkwardly named Slick 50 200 at Phoenix International Raceway. The conceivably-jetlagged Indycar circus arrives at the track that custom and geography oblige us to call “the one-mile oval in the desert” with the mental image of Chip Ganassi’s aged parent massaging his aching muscles into submission with the shower head he swiped from his en suite at the Surfers Paradise Marriott. Or is that just me? In any case, there will almost certainly be no shower-related discussion from Paul, Sam and Bobby because we have an intriguing and action-packed race ahead of us and it may be possible for Bobby Unser to travel from Albuquerque to Phoenix in one day. And why would he talk about the shower he has at home? To recap: short oval, fast cars, lots of traffic, cacti, no shower heads. You got me?
What’s Phoenix like?
Phoenix is an anticlockwise one-mile oval track but no two oval tracks are the same. Phoenix’s unique thing is two distinct turns (a wider and shallower bend at one end and a tighter and steeper bend at the other) and, because the circuit has to add up to 360 degrees, a bent but flat-out back straight. Does being in the desert make a difference? I dunno. We can’t possibly know this in 1995, but this will in fact be the last race CART ever holds at Phoenix, as the track joined New Hampshire and Indianapolis in defecting to the Indy Racing League for 1996. So enjoy it while you can!
The last two races at Phoenix have been dominated by Team Penske, with 1994 starting the way it went on with an Emmo and Al Junior 1-2 and Paul Tracy in the wall. 1993 saw Paul Tracy sprinting away into a two-lap lead, and a first-ever Indycar victory, before losing the rear trying to put another lap on Jimmy Vasser and handing a last-ever Indycar victory to Mario Andretti instead. Phoenix has events! We’ll probably have some events this time!
What happened in qualifying?
Hold onto your hats: Michael Andretti is not on pole. He lines up on the inside of the third row, one position behind his newly-heroic teammate Paul Tracy. Occupying Mikey’s normal pole position is near-rookie Bryan Herta, who blew away the competition with a qualifying time a full mile-and-a-half-an-hour faster than 1994 winner Emerson Fittipaldi in second. (Speaking of 1994 you will definitely see Jacques Villeneuve cutting Hiro Matsushita’s Lola in half at least once during the broadcast.)
1. Bryan Herta 19.785, Ganassi R/F/G
2. Emerson Fittipaldi +0.172, Team Penske P/M/G
3. Jacques Villeneuve +0.209, Team Green R/F/G
4. Paul Tracy +0.264, Newman-Haas + L/F/G
5. Michael Andretti +0.269, Newman-Haas L/F/G
6. Scott Pruett +0.331, Patrick Racing L/F/F
7. Jimmy Vasser +0.333, Ganassi R/F/G
8. Raul Boesel +0.342, Rahal-Hogan L/M/G
9. Robby Gordon +0.337, Walker Racing R/F/G
10. Gil de Ferran R +0.353, Hall R/M/G
11. Mo Gugelmin +0.392, PacWest R/F/G
12. Adrian Fernandez +0.412, Galles L/M/G
Stefan Johansson, who could’ve won last time out, starts 13th. Bobby Rahal is a stealth-ready 15th, and Al Unser Jr a classic Al Unser Jr 17th. 1987 winner Roberto Guerrero returns with Pagan Racing but starts in p25 of 27.
Your Youtube video is here:
We’ll get underway at the earlier time of 6pm BST Sunday. Clocks are changing in Europe overnight so I propose we figure out what 6pm is tomorrow morning. Enjoy!
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#2
Posted 28 March 2020 - 22:27
Spotter's guide here. By my reckoning we're still waiting for an appearance from Mr PHOTO NOT AVAILABLE himself, Parker Johnstone.
Alternates: Arie Luyendyk is driving the Dick Simon #22 in lieu of Carlos Guerrero, the Project Indy #64 isn't here after showing up at round 1 with Christian Danner and round 2 with Buddy Lazier. And whatever this spotter's guide says Marco Greco won't show up in the second Galles car till next week.
#3
Posted 28 March 2020 - 22:32
Thanks for doing this Risil!
Looking forward to an oval and real cars.
It will be a cracker if the race is more impressive than Colin’s and Emmo’s sideburns.
Edited by paulb, 28 March 2020 - 22:33.
#4
Posted 28 March 2020 - 22:33
Fun fact: tomorrow's pole man Bryan Herta won't be Colton's dad for another 5 years.
#5
Posted 29 March 2020 - 09:32
OP says 6pm GMT.
That’s a 7pm BST start
Jp
#6
Posted 29 March 2020 - 10:46
#7
Posted 29 March 2020 - 10:55
Count me in y'all. Been so busy with so many new things this year ( good ones! ) that I haven't had time to be here, buuuuuut with the god Pan having his damn way with the world, I am in need of some fun times here with y'all. Shame I missed the E-Indycar last night but I guess we'll have that every week or so?
I think the Tarot is not in order for this one right?
7pm it is. Wait when's the Nascar iRacing race ? I'll figure it out.
#8
Posted 29 March 2020 - 11:02
Uh oh, we've got a clash with the NASCAR iRacing. I'm trying to make it a reasonable time for people who are watching from Araby. I'm not going to watch two iraces in one weekend but I know it's popular! What do y'all think?
#9
Posted 29 March 2020 - 11:12
Well the Nascar iRace starts at 6pm UK time, and I don't know how much it lasts, I guess an hour and a half ? Something like that.
#10
Posted 29 March 2020 - 11:41
Jp
#11
Posted 29 March 2020 - 12:53
Cactus-adjacent Omani IndyCat appreciates the image and thought. I say 6 pm stands; infidel racing be damned.
#12
Posted 29 March 2020 - 13:02
#13
Posted 29 March 2020 - 13:29
In case anyone wants some pre-race Phoenix, Youtube has a proper trove of non-Indycar, non-Winston Cup stuff from Phoenix in the 1990s. Here's a supermodified race from 1992. Supermodifieds have powerful engines, open wheels, front and rear wings and big slick tyres, but they are not Indycars. What are they?
#14
Posted 29 March 2020 - 16:01
#15
Posted 29 March 2020 - 16:11
8:10 in the PM out here and I'm well into the lager. Poisonous lizards are house pets.
#16
Posted 29 March 2020 - 16:21
8:10 in the PM out here and I'm well into the lager. Poisonous lizards are house pets.
The leash laws there must be draconian.
Or is it more Darwinian?
#17
Posted 29 March 2020 - 16:25
The leash laws there must be draconian.
Or is it more Darwinian?
It's God's will, darlin'.
#18
Posted 29 March 2020 - 16:44
It's God's will, darlin'.
Darwinian. Got it!
#19
Posted 29 March 2020 - 16:44
15 mins! Time to practice your best shocked face that Bryan Herta is starting on pole. (He scored a lot of poles in Indy Lights. But this is his 8th Indycar start and his best qualifying performance so far was 7th at Milwaukee 1994. I'm really invested in the Bryan Herta journey.)
#21
Posted 29 March 2020 - 17:00
Here we go! START.
#22
Posted 29 March 2020 - 17:00
Always Broadcast Crashes getting in early with the, er, crashes.
#23
Posted 29 March 2020 - 17:00
We retrospectivelyINDYCAR NOW
#24
Posted 29 March 2020 - 17:01
Herta has kind of a James Franco look in the OP. Evening, all!
#25
Posted 29 March 2020 - 17:01
Paul Page stop stealing my Bryan Herta talking points.
#26
Posted 29 March 2020 - 17:01
#27
Posted 29 March 2020 - 17:01
Evening! First Mo Nunn mention of the broadcast.
#28
Posted 29 March 2020 - 17:02
It just looks like a towel...
#29
Posted 29 March 2020 - 17:02
Newman-Haas look like they've put a giant beer mat over Tracy's front wing.
#30
Posted 29 March 2020 - 17:02
That's a lotta default dirt color right there. But check out that '95 vintage green on the inside of the corners.
#31
Posted 29 March 2020 - 17:03
I thought the cactus were big crowds
#32
Posted 29 March 2020 - 17:03
#33
Posted 29 March 2020 - 17:04
"The youngster Scott Pruett"
When did racing commentators stop routinely referring to 35-year-olds as "youngsters"?
#34
Posted 29 March 2020 - 17:04
Sam Posey is really rocking the Jimmy Stewart meets the Augusta Masters look.
#35
Posted 29 March 2020 - 17:05
#36
Posted 29 March 2020 - 17:05
I thought the cactus were big crowds
SOFA!!!
#37
Posted 29 March 2020 - 17:06
Villnuvv this week then.
#38
Posted 29 March 2020 - 17:06
I wonder where they get this music from.
#39
Posted 29 March 2020 - 17:07
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#40
Posted 29 March 2020 - 17:07
All these years later, Fernandez had a nice run yesterday in some sim racing.
#41
Posted 29 March 2020 - 17:07
Villnuvv this week then.
I am hoping they continue their charming tradition of just having endless different goes at it.
#42
Posted 29 March 2020 - 17:07
My distaste for Robby Gordon is still alive some 20+ years on. Feels good.
#43
Posted 29 March 2020 - 17:08
#44
Posted 29 March 2020 - 17:08
Green!
#45
Posted 29 March 2020 - 17:09
#46
Posted 29 March 2020 - 17:09
Ford 1-2-3!
#47
Posted 29 March 2020 - 17:10
#48
Posted 29 March 2020 - 17:10
wind disturbment!
#49
Posted 29 March 2020 - 17:10
Paul Page is not getting on the Bryan Herta hype train.
#50
Posted 29 March 2020 - 17:10