Pick the Podium: IndyCar - St. Pete

[IndyAndy]

According to what I've been reading on the IndyCar forum site, it's been bucketing down all afternoon in St. Pete, with a few tornado warnings thrown in for good measure. Quals have been delayed a couple of times now, with the most recent missed starting time having been 5:20 PM local time (that's 5 minutes ago).

If it gets completely scratched, then the grid will be set by the 2013 season championship final standings: I'll find & post a link to those if it comes to that.

In the meantime, I'll wait to see what happens, like everyone else.

 

[IndyAndy]

Qualifying did happen after all, & Takuma Sato won the Pole: However, this IS Takuma Sato that we're talking about, so I'm not feeling 'brave' enough to pick him for the win.

MY PICKS:

Kanaan
Power
Dixon

 

[Retroram52]

I'll take Hunter-Reay, Kanaan, and Dixon

 

[IndyAndy]

A good start to the season - except for that botched restart. The more times that I saw the replay, the more that I have to agree with Will Power's take on it: That one is on INDYCAR, not Will IMO.

Here's how we did:

Retroram52: 1 point - got Hunter-Reay out of position
IndyAndy: 1 point - got Power out of position

Not an impressive start for either of us: Still plenty of time for others to join in & have a shot at this thing.

Next up: Long Beach, on the weekend of April 12-13.

 

[Retroram52]

Yea Indy. I had a huanch that Power would be involved but didn't act on it. Except for Hunter-Reay, the Andretti cars completely sucked today. Marco is as useless as breasts on a bull. On we go to Long Beach.

 

[forty_three]

Step 1) Will Power does something on track that causes at least one other car to DNF
Step 2) Will Power "golly gee whiz I fee bad for them"
Step 3) Indy Car pretends they didn't see it.



Last year I got to about the third race before I was reminded of why I never buy tickets for Indy and Mid Ohio anymore. At least F1 is a cornucopia of entertainment this year. Because people are dropping out of USCR left and right.

 

[IndyAndy]

Don't get me wrong: I'm no fan of Will by any stretch.

But, IF what he said is true - that INDYCAR told the drivers; "All restarts will be begin exactly HERE & like THUS", and then proceeded to not follow those instructions themselves - then I really can't blame him for what happened.

And, at the end of the day, it wasn't Will or Tim Cindric yelling; "Green! Green! Green!" in those other drivers' radios.

 

[forty_three]

Don't get me wrong: I'm no fan of Will by any stretch.

But, IF what he said is true - that INDYCAR told the drivers; "All restarts will be begin exactly HERE & like THUS", and then proceeded to not follow those instructions themselves - then I really can't blame him for what happened.

And, at the end of the day, it wasn't Will or Tim Cindric yelling; "Green! Green! Green!" in those other drivers' radios.

Team Penske has a better spin department than both political parties combined.

I would think that if Indy Car did tell Power that, they might have told some of the other teams the same thing. How did only he get the message and 20 other cars didn't?

I thought it was telling one of the first statements out of Cindric's mouth was "we didn't brake check Helio".. Tim, no one had accused you of that yet. Nothing sounds guiltier than someone defending themselves from that which they have not been accused.

 

[Retroram52]

I don't trust Penske period!

 

[Schmoopy1000]

What Happened? Did the leader do a brake check before restarting?

If so that is chicken shit in any series.

 

[IndyAndy]

What Happened? Did the leader do a brake check before restarting?

If so that is chicken shit in any series.

sportsillustrated.com

The restart controversy recap is about midway down the article.

 

[Retroram52]

Like I already stated. I don't trust Penske or his drivers.