This is shaping up to be the best Indy 500 in many years -- with the return of the Champ car teams there will be a full field with top drivers from the pole to the back row. Indy pole day starts up this afternoon. <object width="440" height="361"><param name="movie" value="http://sports.espn.go.com/broadband/player.swf?mediaId=3389108"/><param name="wmode" value="transparent"/><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"/><embed src="http://sports.espn.go.com/broadband/player.swf?mediaId=3389108" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="440" height="361" allowScriptAccess="always"></embed></object> Danica's automatic parallel parking computer goes haywire during practice.
What makes it better than any other? Are the drivers having things thrown at them while they drive? Are the cars rocket powered? Will the last placed driver at every lap be ejected from their vehicle?
The drivers coming over from Champ car are very good so there many more high quality people competing for limited spots -- like the old days. The race itself isn't better per say, but there is quite a bit of tradition with the Indy 500 obviously, which makes it more interesting than say the Houston Grand Prix. The fact that the cars are rocket powered this year and the fans can throw dodge balls and water balloons certainly adds a bit of 21st century excitement.
You need to come up with international names my non-dunking friend -- the top male baby names picked by families from the Florida panhandle in 2008 won't cut it for open wheeled racing. Kam pick yourself because you are a winner.
F1 is the real deal no doubt -- I agree to a point that this is the last shot for open wheeled racing here in the US - well the next couple of years. The IRL has a major star and reunification -- if they can't make it work now they probably never will.
I used to really enjoy CART racing around the mid to late 90's. It was second to F1, but it really had some good talent filtering through, it had a good amount of money in it, some good races and good tracks. Now whats left is a glorified go cart series. Its rated behind pretty much any open wheeled series you could name (even the development series) and as an Aussie, the oval track domination of the current series (What ever the merged series is called( just does nothing for me at all. Bloody hell......I'm like Debbie Downer here! Anyway, whats happened to it has p*ssed me off. Like I said, I used to enjoy it, but not I just cant be bothered with it.
Yeah CART/ Champ was much more advanced and interesting -- the IRL is going to bring in some of their big races primarily road courses in the next couple of years. Houston is supposed to get a race again I believe. I agree all the ovals the IRL runs is completely lame -- the Indy 500 is cool because it is so old, but the new races that are just ovals are boring.
anyone know how to catch this online? They dont play it here in Europe - which I never understood, since they are BIG on formula 1, etc. thanks!
I was only 9 when it happened, but this was probably the greatest finish ever. <object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/gd8uyH5Jzv0&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/gd8uyH5Jzv0&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>
Sullivan pulling off the 360 after passing Andretti... <object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/KCjMxX4IYnc&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/KCjMxX4IYnc&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>
I'm excited, the icing on the cake would be if they could bring back the music from the movie Delta Force for the introduction, that part allways gave me goosebumps. <object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/8lVNTkKTpVM&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/8lVNTkKTpVM&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object> <object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/z5A6oLzKRwc&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/z5A6oLzKRwc&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>
I was born and raised in Indy and don't give a flip about the Indy 500. Never have. I avoided that part of town (Speedway) like the plague during qualifying and race weekends. One of the reasons I never bonded with the race was, in order to encourage people to attend, they would black it out on live local TV. When it came on tape-delay in late evening, I had no interest in watching it. None of my friends or anyone else I knew cared about it either.
I just have trouble getting too excited for driving in ovals. This is what makes F1 so much better than NASCAR or IRL.
