There's the usual 2022 F1 thread, but I don't see an Indy car thread for this year, so even though we've just had the second race I'll start one now.
I'll comment more on the first race another time, but a few quick comments on Texas yesterday.
That was another awesome race. Texas always produced drama and action. Thankfully I think there were less wrecks than previously, although the five car one was bad. Running earlier in year, and earlier in the day to keep track temps lower, and the extra running they put on the higher line certainly helped. The second lane was definitely easier to use than the last few years since that chemical for the NASCAR racers was put down. There were some epic out lap, and fresh tire passes where people were clenching their tuchus and relying on the extra down force from the extra speed, plus the new tires to get around the outside. Very cool stuff.
Lesson learned by McLaughlin there on late race oval passes. The more experienced Newgarden nailed it there.
Andretti at sea again, they need to concentrate on some basics and not be distracted by the shiny lights of F1
Jimmie Johnson showing some of the naysayers after last year who were writing him off.
Don't like the guy, but Ferrucci did an outstanding job stepping into JAck HArvey's car after his practice shunt and finishing 9th, way better than the rest of the RLL cars with no practice or quali time, just a few familiarization laps in the morning.
McLaughlin really seems to have found something this year. The Captain does know how to pick 'em, doesn't he?
I know it has only been 2 races but I am concerned about Kirkwood not being able to finish a race. Yes he is a really good driver, but to be great in Indycar you have to be consistent. Plus I think there is much more pressure on him then any of the other rookies. I am also concerned about team Andretti, I don't know if they are stretched to thin amongst all the other series, but they have championship drivers but no the level of car or prep to match.
Tom_Spangler (Forum Supporter) said:
McLaughlin really seems to have found something this year. The Captain does know how to pick 'em, doesn't he?
He sure does. I think that both he and Jimmie show that you can't just step into a single seater after years in bigger cars. I'm living seeing new talent coming into the series, it really looks like THE series to be in right now with F1 such a closed shop.
Not a McLaughlin fan, I don't have anything against him, it's just his personality and lack of interest in cars means he's not one of the drivers who inspire me to root for them. But he's certainly doing impressive things after a year to find his feet.
When Newgarden was being interviewed , McLaughlin came up to him and said his tires were shot. So when he was behind that other car, he didn't want to risk going around the outside through T4.
Are those races (in Texas anyway) always so poorly attended? It looked like maybe a few thousand at best, the stands were very empty.
Something else going on that weekend, or just not at thing in Texas?
They moved the date, and while that might have done a little to diminish attendance, Texas has never really taken to Indycars for some reason. Strange when you consider that A. J. Foyt is a Texas icon.
Other then Indy I think the only other Oval that does well is the Bombarito 500, because they put on a show and have a lot of activities. If you watch what F1 is doing it is becoming more concerts and less action on track. That might be what is needed in indycar.
I don't know the specifics of yesterdays Texas race, but crowds have been poor for decades. It's only the last few years attendance and TV ratings have started to finally recover from 'the split' for the series in general. I know both the crowd and TV viewership for St. Pete's a few weeks ago were both the biggest outside of the Indy 500 for something like eight years. The thing with Texas is, it's been a one lane track for the last few years due to the NASCAR tire compound stuff they put down. That's really hurt the reputation of the track for the spectators I think. IF you look online there are numerouse (like over a page of google results) articles talking about how Indy car may not return to TMS, especially now track president Eddie Gossage has retired, as he was a big supporter of having Indy cars there.
A decade ago NASCAR and Indy car saw themselves as rivals as Indycar was still foundering in post split turmoil, and NASCAR thought it could do no wrong after two decades of increasing popularity. These days both series, and IMSA as well, are doing a good job of working towards the same goal of repopularizing motorsport understanding that a rising tide floats all boats.
My boy Veekay needs to improve on resource management...
Fresh tires (10th, 7th, 4th, 2nd) "my car won't stick to the track anymore and I'm low on fuel but I've got to finish the race with what I have" (2nd, 4th, 7th, 10th) 
Kid, watch Dixon.
In reply to RX Reven' :
Truth. I've listened too and read a number of interviews with people who've been team mates over the years, most recently with Palou. They all say that they learn so much from Scott. They get asked to save fuel or tires but the team, they are confident that's what they are doing, then they see Dixon's data and he's magnitudes better at both, while still being just as quick. Palou said that Dixon was totally open with his team mates sharing data and tips on how to save fuel etc. And even sharing his details, he's still better at it than anyone else. No wonder the guy has so many championships. He's always right there.
Been watching it for a few years now, but only because there are a couple of kids (yeah, still kids to me) that my son raced with in karting who are now in Indycar. I think it's some of the best racing to watch these days. I was never really into ovals, but have learned to respect them much more in the past couple of years. The skill it takes to setup passes and manage the entire race on an oval track is impressive. Tack on doing it at close to 220 mph and it's even more impressive.
-Rob
In reply to L5wolvesf :
I think this will be more of a shake down, not a full test. They are running on the old F1 layout to try and reduce any advantage the selected teams would get for the Indy GP, which uses a slightly different layout. But I bet people will still compare to old F1 lap times. Ugh
Good news, is that the target for the new engines is to start at 800hp, plus 100hp for the hybrid system that wont be in play for the first test. I do believe that the intention is there is at least another 100hp in play over the coming years with development. That means we should be hitting the track with 900 total hp to start, with 1,000 in play for the future. I'm sure there will be limits for ovals though for safety.
In reply to L5wolvesf :
I guess it's great for continuity purposes that Honda and Chevy are committed, but it would be cool if another manufacturer jumped in.
They really need to add another race between March 20 and April 10.
Really great race at Long Beach right now.
racerfink said:
Really great race at Long Beach right now.
And a couple cool military jets did a fly by !
Great ending- I was hoping for some potential passes, but the racing was good.
So impressed with Alex Palou he seems to consistently be at the front and bettering Scott Dixon.
I had some hope early on that Rossi might actually do something, but that faded fast. I wonder if his contact with Rosenquist damaged his car?
Grosjean keeps getting SO close to winning a race. It's a matter of time, IMO. Gotta feel bad for Colton, but as he says, he has nobody but himself to blame.
And Pagenaud wins the award for the weirdest crash in Long Beach history.
I really wish that team Rahal went with Spencer and/or Ferruci. With them missing Sato I think they are going to become invisible in May, probably the rest of the year. Kirkwood looked pretty good, I think he is still get slowed in the pit stops. Team and Andretti need a win they were close yesterday, perhaps they can do it at the indyGP. They tend to do well in qualifying in the Month of May but disappear during the race, maybe this is the year. The last two races have been great finishes, but Barber is usually hard passing track, I wish Barber was the April 24th weekend.
I can't stop thinking that Sato blocked his way to winning the Indy 500 in 2020.
I'm not a big technical expert so I may be judging more on my sense of fair play than on the formal rules but he sure seemed to change his lines and suddenly jerk half a car length over in the last lap to block Dixon.
I really need to get over it as I don't want to not like any of the drivers accept Jimmy Johnson...I assume it's totally cool to not like Jimmy Johnson; right?
For reference, my seventeen year old daughter was ROFLAO when Jimmy's crew chief was frantically explaining over the radio how to back up an Indy car after he got stuck in a wall.
She had already Googled "Jimmy Johnson's Income" before he could get his car going and was throwing out some impressive trash talk.
Tom1200
UltraDork
4/11/22 7:14 p.m.
I was especially amused by the car parked in the planter; I've always joked (as a kerb cutting driver) that those lovely flowers wouldn't survive my Datsun.
Pretty good race overall.
In reply to RX Reven' :
Sato may have blocked his way to that 500, but the place where Pag tried to make that pass was really bad. There's no space there- seems that the only reason the track even goes there is for the looks.
