streeties & ovals & roads…

Oh my!

So I had about 20mins on my lunch hour to surf my fave bloggies and take the temperature of the fanbase with regards to the schedule…

Holy crap people! Chillax!

If you really look at the schedule, it’s not that bad. Enough mind numbingly boring ovals to keep all the IRListas happily tugging on their wobbly bits, and they threw us Champ Car snobs another bone by adding a street course and keeping all the street/road courses already there in tact.

Sure there could be few more events, but realistically we aren’t sure yet if the patient (AOW) is fully cured yet or merely in remission. Let’s concentrate on gaining strength and growing the events we already have first.

That said, the real issue is not the venues next year but the product being run and the medium capturing it.

Running on all the best ovals and all the best road/street courses won’t mean diddly squat if we are subjected to the same sub-par production values for the broadcasts next year as we have this year… Likewise, if the ball doesn’t get put in motion towards fixing those lumpy slugs currently being passed off as race cars, then neither a cool track or the perfect tv package are going to amount a hill o’ beans. Nobody will give a shit to show up or watch.

The fan base is on shaky ground as it is. If those that are already committed to supporting the series are losing interest, how the heck are we going to convince others to stay the course or hop on board?

Ok… Writing blogs via blackberry while convenient, is a pain in the ass… So with that I press publish!

Gentlemen… start your…

Travel broker browsers!

So the 2009 schedule came out today.Surely this had to be a hoax! I mean it’s July! That gives me months to plan my schedule, Book hotels, look for flights, apply for credentials. As one who comes from the Champ Car side of the fence, I’m used to hoping for a “tentative” schedule by xmas and learning the driver line up at the first practice in Long Beach… But I digress…

I’m a little underwhelmed really. Yes, yes, my home race is back, yipee! But I would have liked to see Cleveland slip back in there. I would like to see the Aussie race confirmed. I can’t understand the reasoning behind keeping Homestead… Especially as the season finale! Blech!

Kudos to them for opening with St.Petes & Long Beach and for dumping Napville.

More in a bit (heading into a meeting)

If I were a betting man…

… well, actually I’m not a man. (fuck, imagine how much scarier I’d be!?)
But if I was, and I liked to wager, I too would have a little extra cash in my pocket this weekend.

See, I had heard from several people in person at the track, and had it confirmed by David Phillips in his Saturday notebook on Speed, that there were wagers all over the paddock and pitlane betting against Paul’s success this weekend. (obviously if there were detractors there had to be supporters to accept the bets… and they are hopefully enjoying the spoils of their confidence in our boy)

I never once wavered in my support of Paul, no matter how many people said to my face this weekend that he would crash out. Oh ye of little faith…
I knew the first minute he walked into pitlane this weekend that he was focused on success. Nothing else would be acceptable. He has a body language. A look in his eyes. I’ve spent enough time around him that it was clear to me this was the “PT” that was going to be electrifying on Saturday.

When Paul is surrounded by people who believe in him and challenge him to be the best because they want to be the best, and provide him the tools he needs to get the job done, he gets results. Period.

He didn’t have that last year (at least until the last two events) and it started from the top on down.

This weekend there was support. There was the belief that it could be done and he was the man to do it. There was open communication. There were smiles. There was a crew that were on the top of their game. (remind me to tell you the story of Donny)

Forsythe looks like a fool, as do his employees (current and former) for being so petty.
They may think PT is a joke, but when it comes down to it, the jokes on them.

and with that… we bid Edmonton adieu!

My goodness but this was a good weekend. Especially great for me as my friends both on and off the track had wonderful results.

James “Hinch” Hincliffe, even with a bobble or two, still managed to pull off a pole, two podiums and regained the championship points lead.

My friends at Jacombs racing enjoyed 1st & 2nd on the starting grid and 1st and 3rd on the podium! My buddy Tags hoisted his first CTNS trophy on the top spot of the podium. Woohoo! Such a wonderful result for him and the team and a great momentum builder going into Montreal next week! It will be off the hook!

And then there is Paul. I am floating on cloud nine right now. I couldn’t be happier! Seriously. I’m pretty sure I held my breath for the last half hour of the race. As much as I would have loved to see him podium, I’m just so proud of him for racing hard and clean and just doing what he does best… drive the fucking wheels off a race car. He was beaming when I talked to him after the race.

Today I cried happy tears (privately) for Paul. He deserved this. We all did.

OK… must decompress. More later…

live from pit lane…

So my boy is up to 10th!! And its only lap 9. Rahal did some off roading. Will @ower is toast.

Edit:well Will is back after a trip to the garage as is meira. Mutoh just pounded the wall hard but he’s out and ok..moraes is being worked on in the run off at pit in. It’s like the keystone cops!

Edit:without looking at the timing my visual tells me that dixon, wilson & servia are dialed in. Roth is a fucking slug out there. Christ.

Edit:Bwahahahahahah! The Least just punted The Princess!