387 replies to this topic

[Risil]

The Indycar circus crosses(?) the Mississippi River one final(?) time in 2023 for a race at the oval formerly known as Gateway, now winningly named the Worldwide Technology Raceway, in which Josef Newgarden will seek to AVENGE his HUMILIATION by doing the same thing he does at every oval: lead laps, get hassled momentarily by some second-rater, swat them away, win. Alex Palou has dominated the championship but Newgarden has a chance to make it 5 out of 5 for ovals this year and if that’s what it takes to inject some narrative and purpose to this Sunday afternoon I am prepared to run it into the ground.

Speaking of what’s being run into the ground (ha ha this is lame), Sunday is likely to be decided by who handles the Exciting and Tyre-Related scenario of Firestone bringing two race compounds and making everyone run both of them like this is some wine-and-cheese-eating, psychoanalyst-having, Wallace-Stevens-reading road course event. Neither of the compounds will be made out of the old favourite dodgy recipe Guayule, which for some reason my feeble brain always attempts to read as Gruyere, but on the stresses of a fast and tight oval, who knows what the tyres will do? Degrade most likely. Produce pitstops. Somebody will get the setup right and win by a lap. I know who that will be.

Last week saw a tactical, thoughtful, tepid, technical race that was bookended by some extraordinary events: Devlin DeFrancesco (who?) judging his braking about 20 yards righter than everyone else at the first corner and very briefly leading an Indycar race; established oval maestro and championship clinger-on Josef Newgarden being eliminated in the world’s slow-motionest pile-up; Scott Dixon fuel mileaging his way to the front like it’s 2015 again; and Graham Rahal storming his way to the front and narrowly failing to win like it’s, er, 2015 again. Alex Palou recovered to seventh and the championship refused to change.

Any other news coming into the weekend? Yes, loads. Linas Lundqvist is back in the pink Michael Shank car as the team’s non-owner driver while Simon Pagenaud recuperates(?). The other team-owning Michael of Andretti Autosport notoriety has hired Indy specialist and disaster recovery expert (not to mention best F1 nonentity this side of Teo Fabi) Marcus Ericsson to produce some results and hopefully bring some order and know-how to the absolute state of a team that considers Kyle Kirkwood to be the steady and reliable one. That means we potentially have only three races to enjoy the iconic Huski Chocolate livery and wonder whether you can buy it anywhere except that ski resort Myrvold went to. Oh, and Will Power and Scott Dixon reportedly turned 800 laps in fairly extreme conditions at Sebring in the week with the new hybrid motors, which it turns out will be on the cars next year. Well, tempora labuntur.

Anyway here’s the schedule. This being the Gateway to the West, or somesuch, it’s CDT so add on 6 hours for the UK start and 7 for western Europe. Take away hours if you’re actually in the West and not just pondering the mystically liminal significance of the big brown god that washes everything out to the Gulf of Mexico. Do I sound like OvDrone? I wish. Anyway, we’ve got Indycar, Indy Lights and excitingly a USAC Silver Crown race that probably won’t be televised anywhere you’ve heard of.

Saturday, 26 August
10.00am: Indycar practice 1
11.45: Indy NXT qualifying
1.00pm: Indycar qualifying
2.35: Indy NXT race
4.00: Indycar lay-down-rubber sessions
4.45: Indycar practice 2
 
Sunday, 27 August
12.15pm: USAC Silver Crown race!!
2.35: Indycar race
 
So that’s that. It’s the last oval race of the year, so enjoy the tactics and setup tweaks and smooth driving and occasional madness. Gateway-Portland-Laguna Seca feels very 1998, doesn’t it?

[red stick]

Don't they cross the Mississippi to go to Oregon and California?

 

#Thurmangeographyobservation

#waterfeatureconfusion

 

Remember, television coverage starts at 30 minutes after the hour, and the green flag is scheduled to follow six (6) minutes later.

Edited by red stick, 24 August 2023 - 19:56.

[Risil]

Which side is St Louis on?

[red stick]

St. Louis is west of the Mississippi.  Madison, Illinois, is east of the Mississippi.

[Risil]

Hmm, they'll probably be crossing it repeatedly then.

[red stick]

Happy to help!

[loki]

Which side is St Louis on?

 

 

St. Louis is west of the Mississippi.  Madison, Illinois, is east of the Mississippi.

 

Let’s not forget East St Louis, IL.  The east side of the river can be pretty dicey or at least it was when I was there last.  Think of it as a hillbilly Amsterdam with the exception of fritessaus and rowdy Englishmen.  On one trip our drum tech was involuntarily separated from his wallet.  It’s a Den Wallen of single wides and coffee shops in the alley out back.

[red stick]

People who insist on bringing East St. Louis, Illinois, into any St. Louis, Missouri, discussion are just spoiling for a fight . . .    

[Risil]

I'm detecting a determined Forget East St Louis lobby here

[red stick]

So.

Newgarden versus the field.

Place your bets. 

[red stick]

I'm detecting a determined Forget East St Louis lobby here

Been there.  Forgot that.

[B Squared]

I believe in the movie Vacation, The Griswold's first ran into major trouble in East St Louis when they end up having the wheels stolen and "honky lips" painted on the rear flank of the Family Truckster.

[prommer]

What's our St. Louis local food specialty going to be?  A quick goog search suggests "frozen custard concretes" served upside down (!?)

[FLB]

What's our St. Louis local food specialty going to be?  

Budweiser.

[GlenWatkins]

Nope St Louis style ribs!

And don't forget the ice cream cone originated in St Louis!

[eibyyz]

Imo's Pizza.  The pizza that cuts itself!  

[aportinga]

People who insist on bringing East St. Louis, Illinois, into any St. Louis, Missouri, discussion are just spoiling for a fight . . .    

 

What if we bring the St Louis City Museum into it?

 

Seriously - that place is an incredible trip!

[aportinga]

I believe in the movie Vacation, The Griswold's first ran into major trouble in East St Louis when they end up having the wheels stolen and "honky lips" painted on the rear flank of the Family Truckster.

 

"Roll em up!"

[Myrvold]

That means we potentially have only three races to enjoy the iconic Huski Chocolate livery and wonder whether you can buy it anywhere except that ski resort Myrvold went to.

 

Oh. That reminds me. I was supposed to go to that random pub in the middle of the city I live in (which is close to Oslo) that has a Huski Chocolate wooden ad-thingy on the outside. I wonder if they actually have Huski or not.

 

Also. Not sure if I should be scared or flattered to be mentioned in the OP, and that someone remembers my Huski-adventures

[PayasYouRace]

So apart from that Champ Car season where there was only one oval race, has anyone ever won every oval round of the championship?

[FLB]

Oh. That reminds me. I was supposed to go to that random pub in the middle of the city I live in (which is close to Oslo) that has a Huski Chocolate wooden ad-thingy on the outside. I wonder if they actually have Huski or not.

 

Also. Not sure if I should be scared or flattered to be mentioned in the OP, and that someone remembers my Huski-adventures

Semi-OT. 

 

 

Look at Ericsson's picture in the Andretti announcement. I think Huski's staying...

 

Andretti Autosport sur X : "We are excited to announce that Marcus Ericsson will join the team’s @IndyCar driver lineup in 2024. Welcome to Andretti, Marcus " / X (twitter.com)

[red stick]

So apart from that Champ Car season where there was only one oval race, has anyone ever won every oval round of the championship?

No, if we can believe Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee. The question was addressed on the last Trackside. Not even Foyt . . .

Edited by red stick, 25 August 2023 - 04:22.

[loki]

What's our St. Louis local food specialty going to be?  A quick goog search suggests "frozen custard concretes" served upside down (!?)

Used to be OT Hodge’s Chile Parlor was the bomb.  The death of the patriarch and family infighting ended the more than 100 year run.

[Risil]

Also. Not sure if I should be scared or flattered to be mentioned in the OP, and that someone remembers my Huski-adventures

Your Huski Chocolate Nordic investigative journalism was a forum high point!

[aportinga]

No, if we can believe Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee. The question was addressed on the last Trackside. Not even Foyt . . .

 

But Foyt ran many seasons when 90% and more of the season was all ovals. Am I correct?

 

Unfortunately we only have a handful these days.

Edited by aportinga, 25 August 2023 - 13:03.

[red stick]

I think the belief was that if anybody had accomplished it, probably in the 70's, it would have been Foyt or an Unser. So there is a chance at history this weekend.

[Risil]

Foyt came quite close in the 1979 USAC championship with diminished opposition

[Risil]

Come to think of it, it would be pretty extraordinary if Newgarden scores 5 wins in a season and still gets nowhere near the championship title. In the last 10 years or so 3-4 wins has normally been enough.

[Collombin]

Foyt came quite close in the 1979 USAC championship with diminished opposition

Rex Mays scored more points than every other driver in every race in the 1941 championship.

[Risil]

Why do I feel like there's a "but" on the way!

[Collombin]

Why do I feel like there's a "but" on the way!

A couple - he didn't win Indy but got more points than anyone else because the winning car was a shared drive, and it was only a three race championship.

I think it's the nearest we'll get though.

[Myrvold]

Your Huski Chocolate Nordic investigative journalism was a forum high point!

 

[red stick]

Come to think of it, it would be pretty extraordinary if Newgarden scores 5 wins in a season and still gets nowhere near the championship title. In the last 10 years or so 3-4 wins has normally been enough.

It's not the wins, it's the consistency. Newgarden has finishes in the teens and twenties to go with the wins; Palou has yet to finish a race worse than eighth.

I suppose the real question should be when was the last time that happened.

Edited by red stick, 25 August 2023 - 15:02.

[Collombin]

Come to think of it, it would be pretty extraordinary if Newgarden scores 5 wins in a season and still gets nowhere near the championship title. In the last 10 years or so 3-4 wins has normally been enough.

Ongais 1978 vibes, 8th with 5 wins. That's 5 more than the champion.

[PayasYouRace]

Also, those years that the USAC championship consisted only of the Indy 500 don’t count either.

[potmotr]

Can't wait to see Mr Bommarito, Mr John Bommarito, again. 

[red stick]

Relevant oval statistical history.

https://racer.com/20...r-oval-history/

[Jim Thurman]

Relevant oval statistical history.

https://racer.com/20...r-oval-history/

When one gets mentioned in the same breath as DePalma and Foyt, that's quite something.

[henke1972]

Oh. That reminds me. I was supposed to go to that random pub in the middle of the city I live in (which is close to Oslo) that has a Huski Chocolate wooden ad-thingy on the outside. I wonder if they actually have Huski or not.

Also. Not sure if I should be scared or flattered to be mentioned in the OP, and that someone remembers my Huski-adventures

I have also seen Huski chocolate milk at some rare occations at a supermarket in Gothenburg, Sweden. When I was on parentes leave 2019 I quite often strolled around in city centre and fid from time to time tried a Huski. It tasted like...mmm...basically chocolate milk.

[jonpollak]

Sorry I’m late…

https://youtu.be/NWO...mmOM1eOH-2EnYlU

Jp

[red stick]

It's not the wins, it's the consistency. Newgarden has finishes in the teens and twenties to go with the wins; Palou has yet to finish a race worse than eighth.

I suppose the real question should be when was the last time that happened.

An unscientific peek at the standings shows that Franchitti's 2007 campaign was close: 17 races, 4 wins, 11 podiums, 16 finishes of 8th or better, and one 13th.  His 2009 and 2010 championship campaigns were similar, but each had two finishes outside the top ten.

 

It's the #10.  

 

Dixon's best year was 2018--17 races, an 11th, a 12th, and everything else within the top 6.

 

 

Mears in 1979 competed in 14 races, with 9 podiums, 13 top 5s, and a 7th.      

Edited by red stick, 25 August 2023 - 20:34.

[potmotr]

Palou could not get out of bed for the last three races and he'll still probably win right?

[August]

Palou could not get out of bed for the last three races and he'll still probably win right?

Dixon would need two wins (incl. the automatic bonus point for leading a lap) if Palou scored no points. Or 2x 3rd places and a 4th (without bonus points). Or something between those scenarios.

Edited by August, 25 August 2023 - 21:45.

[eab]

Dixon would need two wins with maximum points plus a 16th place if Palou scored no points. Or 2x 3rd places and a 4th (without bonus points). Or something between those scenarios.

Two wins imply 40 points for a win, but you get 50, so the mission for Dixon is a little bit less impossible. Just a little.

[August]

Two wins imply 40 points for a win, but you get 50, so the mission for Dixon is a little bit less impossible. Just a little.

Edited my post. Would just need two wins.

[Risil]

You get something like 10 points for starting though, so 40 is a fair reflection of how easy it'll be to close the gap barring injury or Palou somehow being called up to F1.

[eab]

Indeed, easy peasy. I mean, even Pato is still mathematically in it.

[LolaB0860]

You get 0 points if you withdraw the car after practice or quali (unless you take pole in which case you get 1 point), but 5 points if you start the race from 25-27th place and crash out of the race during the first corner of the first lap

 

However even for 27th place retirement you can actually in theory score 7 points, because you get 2 points for most laps led... or is it 8, since you get one point by leading a single random lap somewhere...

Edited by LolaB0860, 25 August 2023 - 22:28.

[August]

One point for winning the pole, one point for leading a lap, and two points for most laps led (on top of the one for leading a lap). So in theory the last classified car can earn 9 points.

[Myrvold]

I have also seen Huski chocolate milk at some rare occations at a supermarket in Gothenburg, Sweden. When I was on parentes leave 2019 I quite often strolled around in city centre and fid from time to time tried a Huski. It tasted like...mmm...basically chocolate milk.

 

I think I've posted it before, but I got my hand on a couple of packs with Huski. The Protein Chocolate was surprisingly smooth and tasy. I really liked that one. While the regular one tasted ok, but nothing I'd buy again.

Too bad Huski doesn't sell choco milk on their site anymore either.

 

I've kept one of each on a shelf though.