Meijer IndyCar 300 Presented by Pepsi and Edy’s
Kentucky Motor Speedway, Sparta, Kentucky, USA
200 laps of a 1.5 mile oval
Held 9 August 2008, watched 11 August 2008
Coverage: ESPN2
Commentary: Marty Reid & Scott Goodyear
Pitlane: Jack Arute, Vince Welch, Brienne Pedigo
I managed to catch this last night, earlier than I’d expected, so no GP2 notes for now – maybe I’ll do them if I think I need practice but I won’t normally cover GP2 in that way. That makes this my first attempt at blog comments – wish me luck!
Prerace
Beverage of the pre-race: Tetley tea.
We start with a short season review.
Helio must finish ahead of Dixon to keep title fight open. It won’t be over if he’s behind, but it’ll be asking a lot.
Marty really has too much makeup for HD. I take the US coverage because it is better than the international feed (yes, really).
Quick flashback to Edmonton.
Dixon with Vince Welch. “We always go for wins. TCGR are 1-3 on grid. Meira will do well.” Vince says he’s always a threat.
Helio with Jack Arute. “Do the opposite. Be cautious if need to. Hopefully Meira and others can steal some points from Dixon.”
Points going in:
Dixon 505
Helio -65
Wheldon -115
Kanaan -118
Briscoe -181
etc
Flashback to Edmonton again, this time focus on AGR.
Radio to Danica harshly: “you’d better let TK pass you”. Unsaid: “..or else”.
Didn’t move over, didn’t reply on radio. Marco runs up inside and takes both out.
AGR team-mate crash montage. This could take a while.
Stupid echo on Goodyear’s commentary during montage as if he’s Obi Wan Kenobi!
AGR shut themselves in the truck after the race, team bigwigs and the four drivers, because of all the incidents this year.
Vince with TK: “A lot of yelling, team owner really upset. Did some laundry, now understand each other very well. I wasn’t happy but now we’re good.” TK signed again as he doesn’t want to leave a team that’s struggling, a team he’s been with for years.
Brienne Pedigo (keep wanting to hear ‘Petticoat’ when they cross to her) is with Danica who’s wearing stupid bugeye sunglasses: “Need to have good teammates. Great news TK with us. Lot of help from Tony.”
Will start last due to practice crash.
Marty and Scott doing a talking heads bit, I wasn’t paying attention – I’m accustomed to ITV’s F1 talking heads bit with Mark Blundell boring the pants off everybody, so my brain now automatically tunes out two men in suits with microphones in a race paddock. Read more about this in my upcoming F1 notes.
Michael Andretti: “A little upset at Edmonton race. Nobody working together thru weekend. Need to all work as one for the results.”
Goodyear asks why Graham Rahal drives for a team other than his Dad’s, and suggests Marco should do the same. Scott Goodyear expressed an opinion! This after they finding they aren’t covering many races next year – connected?
Briscoe now. Marty: “Go thru the lows to get to the highs.” Replay. MASSIVE crash a few years back in the Ganassi car. Amazing he survived unscathed.
Came back to IndyCar because “the opportunity to drive for Roger Penske meant the world to me.” Helio says he’s FAST and that they looked to their sportscar programme first, as soon as they knew Hornish was leaving his IRL seat.
I’m not sure why ESPN uses the radio commentary in replays rather than their own TV guys. What’s going on there?
( EDIT – I wasn’t really paying attention to the Penske love-in montage. And I like Penske! I’ve even forgiven him for ditching CART first, I realise now he was trying to end the split from the other side ‘cos CART wasn’t listening when he tried it there. )
*Race Coverage*
Command to start engines from Miss America, she’s not that into it. Marty says the same just after I thunk it!
Engines up.
Two pace cars apparently.
Goodyear: Don’t forget guys are also racing for points in the top ten, not just the title fight here.
Start order:
Dixon, Meira, Wheldon, Mutoh, Briscoe, Helio, TK, Carpenter, Andretti, Foyt the 4, Roth, Servia, Power, RHR, Rice, Fisher, Manning, Duno, Wilson, Rahal, Viso, Camara, Moraes, Bernoldi, Bruno, Patrick
Roth on the nitro in quali?
My tips: Roth to fall back or crash. Wilson to get a good oval finish. Meira to fall back despite what thingy said earlier.
Replays: Edmonton pit miscues. Cue dramatic music. Dramatic music suddenly ends.
Meira’s rookie test and his first start was at Kentucky some years ago. This is his 90th race now and he has a chance. Runs well here.
Cars move two abreast for the start: Sun is setting, glare in eyes at T3+4.
( EDIT – Key to notation: L = lap; S = start position or Q = qualifying position; P = current position; T = turn; )
START – 200 laps to go
Crowds are waving white flags or something. Are we in France? Looks more like old women’s underwear.
Wheldon jumped start, move back a place. TK on move.
L2 Power hit wall – YELLOW
Wheldon passed Meira before the start line. Can do that on restarts but not the race start. In European-based racing you can’t do that EVER.
L4 Power pit. Danica pit.
Power steering broke. Will Power’s steering broke not the power steering broke. Both maybe. Something broke and he only glanced wall. Sending him out.
Showing DP practice crash. Goodyear says wheelnut fail?
GREEN on L5 – Not too long a yellow. They’re learning. Laps go thick and fast here will try my best!
Power back in. Hope these engines get changed with the new car, that buzz is annoying.
L8 Tight, close racing.
L11 Mutoh vs Penskes.
L13 Meira going fast, looking to pass. Must keep Dan back else he’ll help Dixon.
L16 Carpenter Q8 now 5th.
Rahal Q20 now P13.
L18 Rahal pits. Ed Carpenter around Mutoh.
L23 Marco racing Briscoe. Going high..Not quite. Then ran wide. He’s already ahead of Helio.
Roth 17th.
Fisher 18th.
L25 Rahal now out.
TK falling back. Has to lift, car not working. Can’t hold it in the turns, turn-in understeer.
Crashed the race car in testing so using backup.
Teams will do 3 stops if enough yellows help them out, else it will be 4 stops.
Bit about Danica. Fisher racing Duno for position, looks faster than Danica, both ahead of Danica who is still working through the field.
L40 Dixon/Meria/Wheldon running V CLOSE, all are well ahead of the field.
L41 Up To Speed.
Dixon struggling to hear engineer Mike Hull.
Wheldon in Polaroid colours. Wants to know fuel mileage. Car a bit tight.
Marco 4th +3.5s leader, understeer.
Mutoh 5th, understeer, wing adj coming.
Ed 6th – he’s going under Mutoh.
ESPN lost Up To Speed here when the track action got dicey.
L45 Meira around Dixon through Bernoldi – nice move! Dixon had to lift.
Lapping commences.
Back to Ed, still fighting Mutoh, Briscoe catching both of them.
L50 Helio 11th but “I’m stuck”, can’t go faster “even using all of the tools in the car” as Goodyear says. Needs adjustment at next stop.
L51 Green flag pitstops commence with Meira in.
Wheldon beats Vitor out.
Dixon in. Pitlane very busy. TK in. Penskes in.
ESPN missed where Dixon emerged. Eventually we learn he’s leading but we had to see Princess Danica’s stop first despite her running no higher than 20th so far today.
Switching to Guinness.
This side by side box during the ads is a good idea but it’s fuckin tiny. Why all the borders? Ditch the borders and make both screens bigger, you can do that while retaining the leaderboard and still remain within the 4:3 dimensions.
I’m convinced TV people don’t actually watch TV.
L61 15 cars on lead lap. Dixon 1st, Dan 2nd.
L63 Ed, Foyt, Helio 9-10-11
Rahal is back out. Was dropping out of gear, 25th 9 laps down. Getting oval experience (and points if there’s a huge smack).
Mmm, cold Guinness and racing,
Moraes 3L down – why?
L66 Foyt went high, Helio and TK go by, then Foyt way high! Good save to keep it out of the wall. Surprisingly we don’t go yellow.
L71 Arute compares fuel strategy to Olympic rowing… okaaay.. Sidenote: Britain always does well in the rowing so that’s always one of our best hopes for Gold medals.
We keep jumping between Dixon’s fight and Helio v TK, and whoever is around them, which is understandable given the points battle but it would be nice to see the other 20 drivers.
L79 TK makes it around Helio.
L80 YELLOW – debris on the racetrack
Goodyear guessing Fisher/Patrick touched. Rahal back behind wall (unrelated).
Fisher came by Danica, wheel touched wing, possible debris.
13 cars on lead lap now.
Everyone pits.
Marco beat Meira out. RHR spins in pits! Ed up 3 spots. RHR spun his tyres too much, went around. Wilson being pushed down pitlane to his stall.
Viso, Servia, Camara, Patrick, Bernoldi stayed out to get their laps back.
L89 GREEN
Briscoe takes Meira
L90 Andretti under Wheldon
TK under Mutoh.
L92 Petticoat with Rahal: “20th to 12th in 10 laps. Gearbox broke, jumped out of 5th gear twice, looks like Wilson has the same.”
L94 Ed around Rice for P8. Ed’s passing a lot of cars but still lower than before, must be losing time in pits?
Marco caught Dixon.
3way camera! Outside, onboard Dixon, onboard Marco all at once. FOM (F1 world feed TV provider) needs to learn from this.
L100 we’re halfway
Roth slow in 3 & 4, pits. Scott: “Wait, you say Marty is slow?” Other Marty shoots back: “Roth not Reid!”
L100 Vince w/Power: suspension upgright broke, happy he didn’t hit wall.
L103 Marco getting a lot closer and has an overlap outside, can’t complete it.
L104 Bernoldi and Servia in. Oriol wants a good finish to build that Moe Mentum. Americans don’t say ‘mumentum’ like how wot we does do.
Leaders lap Viso, Marco struggles to do it. Viso not giving way! Goodyear advises him to blend out of the throttle. I wonder if EJ will watch the race replay.. half the field hopes so..
L108 Danica pitting.
L120 Dixon had to lift for traffic, Andretti speeds around. Slow car was Conquest car pitting.
Bernoldi.
Whedlon got by too. L122 Meria trying it. Can’t do it.
L132 YELLOW Duno major damage, hit wall. Mutoh had pitted, will drive thru and pit when it re-opens.
L134 pits open, leaders in. Will need to stop again.
Marco holds his lead. Or does he? Timing shows Dixon ahead. JUST gets it on the line on the replay. Has that pit advantage where he doesn’t need to swing around another team. I reckon they should move the teams down one or two boxes to prevent that, at venues where there is room to do so..
Foyt the 4, gearbox problem, behind wall. Goodyear/Reid: Why so many gearbox issues? This is an oval, they are in the top two gears. Maybe track is bumpy.
L140 TK 3rd. Was that in the stops? They need a camera at pit out, where the feeder lane rejoins the track not just where pitlane ends.
L143 Long yellow, could get within fuel window. Helio pits and tops off. Mutoh did it a little earlier.
L145 / 55 to go – GREEN Dixon leads the restart over Marco and TK
TK tries Marco, fails, falls back. Meira gets TK. It cost the Moe Mentum.
L149 Briscoe takes Ed.
Helio moved up to 10th on his high fuel strategy. A Penske with big fuel is faster than light midfielders. I know fuel costs less on an oval but even so…
L157 Mutoh in. I thought he was in under yellow?
TK vs Wheldon – close! Ed and Briscoe do same just behind briefly , but TK & Dan remain side by side…
L162 STILL they are side by side!
RHR now goes for Briscoe, HR recovering from pit spin.
L164 Marco passes Dixon for lead but they are approaching Viso again..
L165 Meira going for Dixon, backs out, spotter shouts, didn’t catch what he said.
Runs again, gets him! Spotter: “Go get ’em!”
Obligatory shot of Michael whenever Marco leads.
L173 TK and Dan at it again! This is for 4th. Dan gets him.
Nice save from RHR who got pushed high.
L179 Meira catching Marco.
L182 Green flag splash and dash stops will be needed for most of the top drivers. Rice blinks first from 9th. Helio is now 9th, last car on lead lap but will NOT have to stop.
L188 Fisher pits. Andretti AND Meira running nose to tail pit. Dixon stays out.
Meria beats Wheldon who also pitted, Andretti ahead of both.
L190 – TEN TO GO
Dixon trying to lap Helio before Scott pits.
L192 Briscoe pits as do TK and Ed.
L193 Dixon pits. Left wheel on grass on entry.
L194 Dixon pauses as Fisher unlaps from Helio, but she’s still a lap back.
FIVE TO GO, Danica unlaps from Helio – can he make it? He’s on mega fuel saving. Several lapped cars are catching him.
4 TO GO Rice unlaps from Helio, Dixon homing in FAST in 2nd
2 To GO Servia unlaps. Leader right behind him! Radio shouting: “Gotta go gotta go, white flag!”
1 TO GO – almost there, almost
last turn – he’s out of fuel! DIXON WINS!!!
Who said fuel strategy wasn’t exciting?
They dodged Sarah going walking pace into T3.
How’s that for payback for Chicago last year? Shades of Motegi for Helio. Twice in one year. It’ll work one day boys.
Postrace
Mike Hull: “Scott is very very good at making fuel, fuel saving.”
Helio, helmet still on – “what can I say?”
Dixon: “It was crazy, team told me nothing about Helio. He ran me into grass on way to pits.”
Helio is smiling. Is asked – What do you have to do? “We took a gamble, saved fuel, didn’t have the car. Just hundreds of yards short. Incredible strategy. 2nd seems to be my place. We’ll keep trying! If there’s still points we’ll go for them. Flashback to Japan. Should I finish the race or what do I do?”
2nd 7 times this year.
Meira 4th, ‘raced all night’ (Arute): “Doing a very good job of improving.”
What are you lacking? “Consistency.”
Marco 3rd: Rough few weeks, satisfied with 3rd?: “We had 2 bad races, today it was myself or Dixon for the win, not a bad run today. Seem to be racing the same guys, Ganassi + Penske.”
Marco only JUST missed out on 2nd at the line, we see it on slowmo replay.
Results:
Dixon, Helio, Marco, Meira, Wheldon, Briscoe, Ed, Briscoe, TK, RHR, Rice, Patrick, Servia, Viso, Junqueira, Fisher, Camara, Moraes, Mutoh, Manning, Foyt (DNF), Duno (DNF), Bernoldi (DNF), Roth (DNF), Wilson (DNF), Rahal (DNF), Power (DNF)
Carpenter 6th: “Good handling car until sun went down, 6th place was good, beat the guys we’re racing in the championship.”
Sarah 15th: “Was 11th until bearing failure! [on final lap] Great fun, I think it went well, so excited about Chicago.”
Points:
Dixon 558
Helio -78
Wheldon -138
TK -147
Briscoe -208
etc
Helio needs 26 points more than Dixon at each remaining event. Surely impossible?
Next IndyCar notes are for the race at Sonoma, California in a fortnight.
Things learned:
– I suddenly like drivers with short names.
– Ed is faster to write than Carpenter.
– I can’t spell ‘Meira’ at speed. I’ll call him Vitor from now on.
– Editing for spelling/grammar/readability seems to take almost as long as writing it in the first place!
– Blogger isn’t great at inserting images. There is a button to upload images but not to find one I’ve already uploaded.
I enjoyed that, it got me more involved in the race. Hopefully it wasn’t too similar in style to anyone else, and hopefully it was readable.
Okay that’s it from me, my next scheduled notes are for the F1 European Grand Prix around the marina of Valencia, Spain on 24 August. The Sonoma notes will be a couple of days behind those.
I may or may not do some other notes as practice beforehand, especially if I don’t have any other content to put up!
See ya.
I Watch Too Much Racing 