605 replies to this topic

[jonpollak]

At least IndyCar commentators are informed of commercial breaks and give us info about what was missed during the ads.

 

The 4 most dreaded words in sports broadcasting.

 

"While We Were Away"

 

Jp

[Dolph]

Penske what a super team...

WEC - Two cars on the podium
Indycar - Two cars on the podium
IMSA (12 hours of Sebring next weekend) - Surely favourites and a possible 1-2 could well be on the cards.

 

Daytona 24h win

[aportinga]

I think some people are rather spoiled by F1, and think that everyone else has the cash to run races without commercials when that's very much not the case.  Yeah, they are annoying, but it's that, or there would be no broadcast since there aren't enough people willing to pay to remove the commercials.

 

Well it's not just spoiled. Clearly there are far more commercials then other sports I watch - way more! 

 

The blended "announcers commercials" and cosntant race broadcast commercials just leave me feeling that the racing is just filler.

 

Again - I have a high hate level for commercials - regardless of the program. I pay extra for Hulu (with no coms) to avoid it when I can. I pay the higher tier for "Tune In Live" when I listen to talk radio - to avoid commercials. I pay for the F1 app. Thusly Indycar broadcasts for me are like a vacum cleaner to my dog.

 

So yes it is "being spoiled" but at the same time - it's way more advertising then what you would find during other programing... Yeah I get it - likely the only package Indycar can afford. Hopefully the new TV package is better.

 

For now though, Both F1 and Indycar may have a hard time winning over a sunny weekend morning/afternoon of being outdoors.

[Afterburner]

Interested to hear what Afterburner thought of the race from trackside.

To start with, the weather was probably the best I've ever experienced at a race, so the chance to put a picnic blanket down and just sit in the shade with a cool breeze blowing while race cars surged by was worth the $35 price of admission alone. My wife and I had an absolutely lovely time, and if we'd decided to buy lunch probably would have just stayed in the park for hours after the race ended.

However, you can't count on the weather every time; the last two years it was uncomfortably hot even in the shade, and St. Pete as a venue has some problems common to street circuits that I've addressed elsewhere. There is NOWHERE to comfortably watch this race (read: not standing or being in the sun for its duration) in GA except Pioneer Park, which are the slow Turns 8 and 9. The obvious problem with this is that, short of watching Will Power punt Colton Herta into the tires at Turn 8 there last year, we've seen nothing of importance happen in this spot across three full years of going to this race because it's a slow "follow-the-leader" section. Outside of this spot, there are no shaded viewing mounds or elevated locations in GA (except the overly crowded and unshaded back balcony of the Mahaffey Theater) that let you see above the concrete canyon that is this track—and anywhere that you might conceivably find shade is in a thoroughfare where the views have been intentionally blocked by advertising signage. Grandstand tickets are no good because you're in the sun all race. This is and should be a non-starter for anyone, but is especially so for someone like my wife, who can get a sunburn in the shade even with sunscreen. This means the only place you can legitimately enjoy the race in the shade at all, outside of a hospitality area, is at the dullest part of the track—and you have to claim a spot early too because everyone in GA at this race knows this is the place to go, which means you can spend precious little time exploring the track anyway.

Last year, despite the heat, we enjoyed the chaos of that race and the commentators did a passable job building the tension of the multiple unfolding strategies that were observable in the gaps fluctuating between drivers as they surged through Pioneer Park. This year, I missed hearing Leigh, Townsend, and Hinch call the race, the yellows removed any intrigue, and it was clear that everyone was content to just follow one another all race. Nothing much happened of note, which is to say that the experience was saved by the weather—if it had been as hot as the last two years I think we would've decided in hindsight that staying home and eating the $70 in tickets was the better choice, even at the special $35/ticket Black Friday price. The food options (starting at $18 for chicken tenders and soggy fries before exceeding the price of a sit-down meal if you want something resembling real food) also continued to suck major ass compared to other races, many of which will allow you to bring your own food, so we've just skipped eating at the track lately in favor of a nice sit-down meal afterward.

For two years now I've suggested in my post-race feedback form that the solution to the abysmal GA experience is to extend the track through South/North Straub park like in the 80's, creating two high speed sections that are visible from shaded, elevated areas, as well as a new overtaking zone for people in those areas and the track in general. At the very least, failing that, mount a jumbotron on the outside of the track at Pioneer Park so that we have something to watch other than the "follow-the-leader" action. My wife adroitly pointed out that doing either of these would probably convolute access to the harbor and/or ruin the views afforded at the St. Pete Yacht Club, which I can only presume is the reason this isn't going to happen any time soon if ever at all. Oh well. It's my understanding the Andrettis have a major hand in promoting this race so I guess the experience makes sense in that context.

So in summary, a sub-par event rescued in full by the best weather I've ever experienced at a race. Street circuits suck for the "racing experience" unless it's raining or the drivers are treating it like a Forza lobby.

[GlenWatkins]

Totally agree, AB a 1 minute lap time on this circuit is too short, and will only get shorter with the hybrid mods coming.  And the park definitely needs some type of video feed other than ones cell phone.

[jonpollak]

Newgarden and Scotty Mac were DQ’ed from the race.

Updated Fantasy scores ….


Jp