287 replies to this topic

[red stick]

 

Three days to go.  Not much is known.    

 

 

The Event

The INDYCAR iRacing Challenge, a virtual racing event featuring a full field of NTT INDYCAR SERIES drivers, continues this weekend with Saturday's race at virtual Michigan International Speedway beginning at 2:30 p.m. U.S. ET, and will air on NBCSN.

 

In the projected six race series, this is the "Driver's Choice" track.

 

EDIT:  A little more is known, as of Friday.

 

"The Chevrolet 275 will feature exciting, tight action for all 85 laps after the green flag flies at 2:30 p.m. ET Saturday (live on NBCSN). INDYCAR events at the popular track in the Irish Hills of Michigan included wild racing with numerous photo finishes from 1968-2007, as the generous racing surface with multiple lines creates many passing opportunities.

Drivers in this six-round virtual series, which takes place every Saturday through May 2, use identical car setups provided by iRacing. That will place a premium on slipstreaming in packs for position and managing tire wear as fuel loads drop."

 

. . .

 

"The fuel window for this race is expected to be approximately 37 green flag laps, slightly less than half of the race distance. So, depending on the number of caution periods, drivers and their team strategists could decide on two stops for service or try to stretch fuel to finish the race on one stop, creating even more strategic elements. There will be no competition caution to bunch the field Saturday, unlike Round 2 at Barber Motorsports Park."

 

https://www.indycar....higan-EntryList

 

 

The Place

Again, probably your living room, although any area where you may maintain proper social distancing and with a feed will suffice.

 

If Wikipedia is to be believed:

 

 

 

Michigan International Speedway (MIS) is a two-mile (3.2 km) moderate-banked D-shaped speedway located off U.S. Highway 12 on more than 1,400 acres (5.7 km²)^[2] approximately four-mile (6.4 km) south of the village of Brooklyn, in the scenic Irish Hills area of southeastern Michigan. The track is 70 miles west of the center of Detroit, 40 miles from Ann Arbor and 60 miles south and northwest of Lansing and Toledo, Ohio respectively. The track is used primarily for NASCAR events. It is sometimes known as a "sister track" to Texas World Speedway, and was used as the basis of Auto Club Speedway. The track is owned by International Speedway Corporation (ISC). Michigan International Speedway is recognized as one of motorsport's premier facilities because of its wide racing surface and high banking (by open-wheel standards; the 18-degree banking is modest by stock car standards).

 

https://en.wikipedia...tional_Speedway

 

IndyCar last raced here in 2007.

 

 

 

The Field

 

In addition to the usual suspects, Marco Andretti will evidently be enticed out of sim-racing semi-retirement by the prospect of racing on an oval, albeit virtually.  RHR joins as well.  In other news, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., will join the action, driving car number 3.

 

https://motorsports....ut-at-michigan/

https://motorsports....lenge-michigan/

 

As of this date, still no Sato . . .

 

Sorry, Max.    

 

It is anticipated that NBC Sports’ lead INDYCAR broadcast team of Leigh Diffey (play-by-play), Paul Tracy (analyst), and Townsend Bell (analyst) will call the action.

 

 

 

The Spotter's Guide

 

 

 

 

The Verse

 

IndyCar fans have

longed for Michigan Speedway.

Take what you can get. 

 

 

 

Fantasy

 

And finally, when possible, which is to say, you can't as of Wednesday, don't forget to update your entries.  DS27 is drawing out a commanding 65 point lead.

Edited by red stick, 11 April 2020 - 13:45.

[GlenWatkins]

If memory serves me correctly, Penske once owned the track and spent a lot of cash to make improvements during his tenure.  When I lived in Michigan, I had the opportunity to see a NASCAR race and was impressed by the speed that they ran. 

 

Does anyone know what the projected IndyCar qually speed would have been this year?

[sblick]

I saw an IndyCar race there.  I thought they were turning 38 second laps.  The announcer said 250 down the back stretch but I kind of find that hard to believe.  Trying to think of the year maybe early 90s.  

[Branislav]

I can't wait for MIS

 

In other news, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., will join the action, driving car number 3.

NO WAY!  

[PayasYouRace]

I saw an IndyCar race there.  I thought they were turning 38 second laps.  The announcer said 250 down the back stretch but I kind of find that hard to believe.  Trying to think of the year maybe early 90s.  

 

 

 

38 seconds is incredibly slow for Indycar. In the IRL the track record was about 32 seconds from 2003, and in CART it was about 30.

 

250 sounds about right when you consider de Ferran’s average speed record from the very similar Fontana is 241.

 

[jonpollak]

Tony Kanaan 99 with FCR !!!
I was in Tunisia.
Jp

[paulb]

Hopefully, no “competition” yellows for this one.

Fantasy not setup yet.

Edited by paulb, 09 April 2020 - 00:16.

[LucaP]

Why did they stop going to MIS?
Was it low attendaces or poor safety? Can't remember

[red stick]

Fasten your seat belts!
Oval racing awakens
a different crowd!

[PayasYouRace]

Why did they stop going to MIS?
Was it low attendaces or poor safety? Can't remember

 

Attendance really. It was hard to make money out of it. Same with its twin track at Fontana, which lasted a few more years.

[maximilian]

This should be a nailbiter, even without Sato.  Then again, we don't know yet... Sato might be there.  After all, Sato is everywhere.

[red stick]

This should be a nailbiter, even without Sato.  Then again, we don't know yet... Sato might be there.  After all, Sato is everywhere.

The consensus seems to be that Pato would be a decent substitute for Sato fans.  

 

As to the latter, you may have accidentally but unavoidably stumbled into Jon's greatest fear . . .  

 

. . . or at least his most persistent one.  

Edited by red stick, 09 April 2020 - 13:26.

[paulb]

I would not be surprised if iPato does not care much about iracing.

 

So imho, this iSato phase will not repeat itself when the real racing begins. 

[Ross Stonefeld]

It will be interesting to see at what point bad blood in iRacing carries over to the real world. Particularly in the iRaces using most of the full-timers. So I can see aggro from the NASCAR and Indycar races making guys a bit grumpy with each other later in the summer.

 

At minimum expect TV storylines about it. 

[sblick]

Michigan never had the grip that Fontana had.  I remember the speeds being slower at MI.  I assumed that these cars won't have the horsepower or aero they did back then to reach low 30 second laps.  I guess since it is iRacing they won't run Indy low downforce wings. 

[B Squared]

Are there mechanical failures in iRacing? Michigan ate up wheel bearings from what I recall in the 1995 event.

[Ross Stonefeld]

Not that sort of failure, but I think you could blow your engine if you misbehaved?

 

Michigan should be speedway wings, iRacing ovals tend to be. 

 

I think iRacing should do a fixed setup Indy series, for the regulars not as an esports thing, where you have to run the oval package everywhere. Mid-Ohio would be squirrely. In fact, I think when the DW12 first came out it was oval trim only? So when people were trying the car out at Spa it was in stupidly low downforce mode. It looked kinda fun. You really had to work on the lap. 

Edited by Ross Stonefeld, 09 April 2020 - 16:52.

[PayasYouRace]

Michigan never had the grip that Fontana had.  I remember the speeds being slower at MI.  I assumed that these cars won't have the horsepower or aero they did back then to reach low 30 second laps.  I guess since it is iRacing they won't run Indy low downforce wings. 

You have to go back to 1980 to find the slowest pole lap of the CART era, at 37.4 seconds.

 

DW12s will be plenty quick.

[dbltop]

I went to the CART race in 2000,(awesome race) and the pole speed was just shy of 235 mph. That would mean over 240 on the straight.

[Yhamm]

Scott McLaughlin is streaming the practice session right now

[Radoye]

Scott McLaughlin is streaming the practice session right now

So is Pagenaud

[Yhamm]

So is Pagenaud

where at? I can't find him on twitch

[jonpollak]

Here's Jo New's You Tube of practice.

 

 

Jp

[Branislav]

This will be one crazy race

 

My favorites are JJ, Junior and Scotty

[racinggeek]

Well, a little more is known as of this afternoon.

 

It's the Chevrolet 275, going for 85 laps (170 miles). 

 

And the entry list is up. No JJ (sorry, Brani) or Sato, but making their debuts along with Jr. are Marco, RHR, Max Chiltheadroom and James Davison (well, his "official" IndyCar iRacing debut, since he's been doing the series on Speed51.com).

[red stick]

So my Chevy truck ad Fearless Forecast was merely a week early.

Chilton does a non-Indy oval! See what replacing walls with a reset button can do . . .

[prommer]

I think it's a case of Max has been given permission to race on e-Ovals, but I should probably leave that sort of domestic speculation to JP...

[prommer]

And meanwhile, Dale Jr. running the 3...  I mean that's.... wow.

 

#salute

[Peat]

I watched a load of McG's stream last night. He's really going all in with his engineer and spotter.

I saw Wickens was running well, I wondered if it may be a bit traumatic for him tbh.

[jonpollak]

I think it's a case of Max has been given permission to race on e-Ovals, but I should probably leave that sort of domestic speculation to JP...

Lock down here in Reigate is pretty thorough.
I’d imagine Chloe has chained him to the sim chair so she can get her Easter prep done.
Jp

[Branislav]

Well, a little more is known as of this afternoon.

 

It's the Chevrolet 275, going for 85 laps (170 miles). 

 

And the entry list is up. No JJ (sorry, Brani)

 

Maybe he is scared, after all it is oval in open wheel

[jonpollak]

Or Chandra said.. ‘it’s Easter ... pay attention ‘
Jp

[Joseki]

I was following Askew's stream and he was in constant radio chat with his SPAM spotter and engineer. That was pretty cool.

They are also sharing data between the SPAM cars like in a proper racing session.



The race itself is going to be a shitfest of crashes.

[B Squared]

And meanwhile, Dale Jr. running the 3...  I mean that's.... wow.

 

#salute

He has actually raced real cars in the Busch/Xfinity series with number three. Nice, definitely - new? No.

 

BTW, I truly like Jr. and it's cool to see him give this a go.

[DS27]

At least releasing the fantasy picks so late means there's little time to debate and keep changing your mind.  

[jonpollak]

I've noticed that the Legends race (essentially our warm-up act) has Jacques in it this weekend.

 

 

Jp

[maximilian]

Jacques Lazier?  Oh wow, what a blast from the past! 

[red stick]

At least releasing the fantasy picks so late means there's little time to debate and keep changing your mind.  

 

I think Joseki has it right--a virtual oval sounds like a crashfest in the making.  Fantasy picks will be a crapshoot.

 

And, as of this morning, still not open?  Or have I missed something?

Edited by red stick, 10 April 2020 - 12:55.

[B Squared]

That didn't take long - let the JV smears begin......(again & again & again). 

 

Lives life as he wants it seems, appears happy, I'm guessing has a few bucks stashed away, a Formula 1 winner, IndyCar winner, Formula 1 World Champion, IndyCar Champion and Indy 500 winner. I would love to have that resume and be reviled by so many. To me, it would be fun to know that the mere mention of my name draws such ire.

 

edit: clarifying that I don't look at Max's post as a smear. JV as a joke or point of ridicule? yes, I do look at it like that, but no hard feelings mate. 

Edited by B Squared, 10 April 2020 - 12:51.

[maximilian]

The consensus seems to be that Pato would be a decent substitute for Sato fans.  

 

 

Pato is a cool kid, but I am afraid he is no Sato! 

[maximilian]

 

edit: clarifying that I don't look at Max's post as a smear. JV as a joke or point of ridicule? yes, I do look at it like that, but no hard feelings mate. 

 

Oh no, I wasn't poking fun of JV, I was poking fun at JP and JL!

 

Actually, I am a JV "fan" from day 1, and I deeply regret him pissing his career away in crap cars after reaching glory so quickly, and I wish he had returned to IndyCar in a serious capacity after the whole BAR debacle

[red stick]

Pato is a cool kid, but I am afraid he is no Sato! 

 

Give him time!  

[Radoye]

where at? I can't find him on twitch

 

Sorry, didn't notice your post - i found it on the facebook, somebody put the link up on The IndyCar Series group.

 

Here's the whole thing:

 

https://www.facebook..._location=group

[DS27]

I think Joseki has it right--a virtual oval sounds like a crashfest in the making.  Fantasy picks will be a crapshoot.

 

And, as of this morning, still not open?  Or have I missed something?

 

 

They have just opened.  

[red stick]

They have just opened.  

[jonpollak]

Seeing as I can’t afford to pick ScottyMac.
I went total random.
Jp

[red stick]

Seeing as I can’t afford to pick ScottyMac.
I went total random.
Jp

Random may be the word of the weekend . . .

[prommer]

He has actually raced real cars in the Busch/Xfinity series with number three. Nice, definitely - new? No.

 

BTW, I truly like Jr. and it's cool to see him give this a go.

 

Nowhere in my message did I claim it was new.

 

I agree, it's definitely cool, especially at an old school oval like Michigan. 

[jonpollak]

I predict “FULL RANDOMCAR”
Jp

[Ross Stonefeld]

Do they have damage on or QuickRepair or what will the specs be? It's possible no one finishes.