That’s right kids, she’s back…
Real life intervened this month, so I was unable to make the trip to Mid-Ohio for the race this weekend. Well, I could have driven down yesterday after my 14hr wedding (not MY wedding, the wedding I shot) and then back after the race to start work at 9am on Monday, but I decided my health and well being were more important this weekend. (besides, with PT not running, my motivation to exhaust myself wanes a little)
Anyhoo… on to the race..
GREEN GREEN GREEN!
Clean so far, Sweet move by Dixon on the high side to slide into 4th spot. Go Taku! TK is the only one to not make it cleanly through lap 1, doing a little off roading. Ohh… replay shows that Briscoe locked it up in front of RHR too.
Dashley bringing the heat on Sato, but Taku says “Sayonara friend!”
Damn…. Dashley around Taku on lap 4
*commercial* (this, fyi, is the first time this season I’ve had the opportunity to watch the race on TV and get the Versus coverage! Viewing enhanced!) Speaking of enhanced viewing, check out this sweet set up I’ve got going!
http://tweetphoto.com/37709377
and we’re back! Look at Simona go! Atta girl! Show em how it’s done! (did I mention that Simona took a meeting with KK in Edmonton… ? 😉 )
TK is the first to hit the pits (probably wise since he is in no mans land, and the pitlane will likely be a shitshot during the official window)
Sweet crowd out there today. A big fuck you to all the naysayers that said that the crowd would disappear after the ALMS race yesterday.
*commercial*
and we’re back…
Dashley staying right up on Power, and Sato is managing to hold off Dixie. (boy would I love to see Sato on the podium for KV this weekend)
Off topic: I know I didn’t post a lot (well, anything really) in July during the races. I had a different hat on this year: photographer. That puts a whole different spin on the schedule at the track, is a lot more physical, and therefore a lot more exhausting. by the time I would get back to the hotel, scan through hundreds of shots and upload, my brain was to toasted to form sentences.
*commercial* (wow… nothing really happened during that whole stint…)
So I did write some stuff, here and there, I just haven’t posted it yet. (thoughts on Toronto, Edmonton, The Glen, Milka, Helio, etc.. ) It’s on my computer, my ipod, my blackberry, bits of paper in my backpack, etc… LOL! I will get it sorted and uploaded eventually
*back*
The sound in the bar just got very loud with the baseball game, hindering my viewing of the race substantially. (I believe there is a no-hitter in progress I believe)
Uh oh! Justin is off in a big way as is EJ Viso. (holy shit, cool Helmet on Viso!)
Well, J-Wil is toast. Suspension all bent up. He’s out of the car. Maybe a blessing with that bent up thumb. EJ I believe will be good to go.
Cue the clowns, we’ve got Pitting!
Advantage Sato?
OH, Helio and RHR get together on the exit of pitlane. RHR damaged. Helio apparently thinks his car collapsed like a cats ribcage to attempt that squeeze play.
*commercial*
We’re back in time to see RHR getting back on track after repairs. (broken tow link and new nose) Both EJ and J-Wil out now. Sato not so much advantage as they had major issues on pitlane with the fuel hose, and now as I type, he is in the tires. Seriously?
Seriously
full course caution.. again…*commercial*
Somehow in all that mess, Dashley got around Power. Tags is leading (off sequence, I don’t think he came in for fuel) followed by TK (off sequence, one pitstop) Followed by the actual leaders. Simona in 7th! Good girl!
*back*
Sweet I get a PT sighting at Mid-O after all! LOL!
I stand corrected, Tags pitted just a couple of laps before the field. So he is going for one of those out of sequence pit strategy wins… meh… those leave a bad taste in my mouth. (and I always apply an asterisk to those)
We are back to green.
We are back to yellow. Ironically due to a yellow car in the kitty litter. Jay Howard has beached his car in an unfortunate spot. Gives us a chance to interview Taku.
*the waitress came by at that moment and said “oh, he’s a little cutie” (she is a cute little asian gal herself LOL!)
*commercial*
We’re back. Jack demoing something with a table, but I can no longer hear my tv…
Green green green!
Will TK make a move on Tags? Will Power try to get around Dashley? (don’t think he’ll risk the championship) Will Helio be a jackass and spoil it for Will? (higher odds on that one)
Marco is sniffing all up the back of Simona. Baguette is actually in the fray, good for him.
That AFS car is confusing the hell out of me in the middle of the IndyCars. Keep thinking “what the hell is a FIL car doing in the middle of the pack?”
*commercial*
according to IMS radio TK is in the pits for fuel
and we’re back
According to Versus, we have reached the halfway point of the parade er.. race
wow, only 5 more races this season. Where the hell has this year gone??
*commercial*
OMG… I want a Wonder File!
we’re back… field has spread out like butter on a hot piece of corn off the grill…
How the fuck did Dixie get all the way back to 8th spot? bad pit stop?
No telemetry on Simona’s car.. they are flying blind and manually calculating everything. (she is in 6th currently)
Green flag pit stops happening now. This is where I get confused as hell for a few minutes, especially with out of sequence drivers.
Question now is have the former leaders saved enough fuel to fubar Tagliani’s “advantage”?
TK is in.. again. his strategy is perplexing.
There was a tense moment when the faster cars came up on Milka, who admittedly just surprised the hell out of me, cause I thought they parked her way earlier.
Franchitti coming to the pits. As is Power! Franchitti easily out in front of Will.
and we go to commercial as someone hits the tires… brilliant.
and we’re back… and it’s Rahal. Wow. looked like he the button then locked it up and went off.
And now Dracone is in the kitty litter. Full course Caution. Gives J-Arute a chance to show us the dramatic replay of Tags pit stop… (not really dramatic, but J-Arute is looking for anything interesting to talk about at this point I think)
*commercial*
Restart was pretty wiggly on everyone’s part. Dixon got past Simona. Milka spun but kept it going and got back on track. Dracone got some more rookie debut face time by spinning and stalling on the front straight right in the middle of the road. Full Course Caution.
*commercial*
I’ll take this time to say that this bar while on the surface a great find, is not proving to be that great now. It’s very loud (with the post ballgame crowd) and there is nothing I can eat on the menu. (you would expect new restaurants to be more allergy friendly)
Ok… 15 to go, Dashley, Power, Deathwish, 1, 2, 3 (only someone with a deathwish would man-handle Charles… #just sayin)
Green Green Green! And we are cleanly thru. Will is all up on Dashley. Maybe he will prove me wrong and go for the win.
Briscoe holding up the entire field. What the fuck? there is a gas pedal, use it!
Matos around Andretti the Least for 8th spot. Now trying to pick off Simona. Simona is losing ground for some reason.
12 to go… *commercial*
Off topic: I’m fucking starving.
and we’re back. 9 to go.
I’m surprised Adam Carroll is so far back this weekend. He had a stellar run in his debut at the Glen. Looks like Matoes got around Simona now too. Impressive run by Bertrand Baguette. (of course as I say that RHR gets around him for 10th spot.
7 to go… *commercial* (of course TSN2 doesn’t believe in side by side commercial breaks, so whatever is happening is none of my business! ™pressdog)
back with 4 to go!
Will W-Power make a last minute banzai charge? Or will he be content to take 2nd and the points for the championship? Mistakes now will come back to bite you in the ass at the end of the season.
It wouldn’t be an issue if it was anyone else in the lead, but this duo is battling for the championship. As I say this, Will is taking a peek… maybe trying to force an error?
Alas, Franchitti takes the win, under mucho pressure from Will.
Will is really gutted about not getting the win. He knows he needed it for the championship. Good on him for winning the Road Course trophy!
LOL.. did Dario refuse interviews or something? that was a lot of face time for 4th place… #justsayin
Lot’s of “bests” out there today. Simona finished 8th (her previous best was 9th in T.O.) Conquest best finish this season with an 11th for Baguette.
And with that.. the race is complete. One more road course (Snorenoma) then it’s off to spin in left handed circles till the end of the season. I love the diversity of the series. I hate that it’s bunched up into little segments like this. Not smart. Even I as a road/street course fan am a little bored at this point.
I will be back, hopefully, next weekend to watch/cover Infineon. (maybe shooting that day, so no promises) Then I am live at Chicagoland! Woot! (just flying in for the race) (geez that sounds decadent no?) I’ve never been, so I’m way excited to see it in person.
Ok.. they are giving me “the look” so I’m off to find a warmer, quieter place to write this up.
ciao for now!
So... here's what I'm thinking... 
Simona at KV would be great, the cars are fast, some of the drivers wreck a lot, but Sato’s ran top 3 numerous times. Simona in a KV car, that would be Danica’s worst nightmare!
I’m not so sure about Simona at KV being her best move…unless, of course, she can persuade Mike to come with her from HVM. She is obviously a) the class of the female drivers (if that really matters) and b) capable of consistently running up front in the right situation, team/equipment-wise. I have a good friend turning wrenches at KV, and know that the depth of talent there is great…but I’m impressed with how HVM has been plugging away at it despite all the obvious ‘deficits’ to the bigger teams. Either way, I’d look for her to be even more of a factor next year (providing she gets to stay here). KV’s pool is deeper than HVM, but when something’s working…well, we’ve all seen these sweetheart second-year “great move” deals deliver zilch.
I get what you’re saying, but… she had clutch problems that stopped her from making the Fast 6, her telemetry died at the start of the race… and look at how many times Sato has been top 3 and then wrecked. Mainly, moving to KV would improve her on the ovals, and she”s not a crasher like Sato/Viso/Moreas so that would save KV some money.
Likewise, Dylan, I get what you’re sayin’. Clutches and telemetry problems happen to lots of people though. Guess it was just HVM’s time to get bit by the bad, all in the same weekend. But it didn’t stop her from performing superbly. She and Mike Cannon have clicked, and I’d hate to see that chemistry get unwound for her by moving to another team. But resources are resources, and KV certainly has more to offer.
But ya, I can see where KK would want someone who generally has the car roll back on the truck with all the wheels on and pointing the right direction! Plus she’s got all the elements of bringing positive attention to the team, which only Paul has done (part time, and limited on the ‘positive’ with the non-qual at the Speedway).
EJ has had one podium so far, and he’s quick…but there have been a lot of ‘run-ins’ with people too.
Moraes is like a Jekyll/Hyde deal as far as I can tell. You never seem to know which driver will show up.
Sato’s qualified well and run well at a few places, but the reputation as a crasher precedes him from way back in his career. Personable as all get-out, but so is Milka.
Great KV lineup for next year would be Paul, Servia, and Simona (with Mike as her engineer)…and maybe EJ.
1) I don’t think Simona moving to KV would be a great move for her either. (I would hate to see her get the Kat treatment, though I don’t think that situation would repeat it self)
2) I fucking hate it when “rich” teams poach drivers from the little guys after they have spent their blood, sweat and tears to get them through a season.
I would like to see a sweet deal come together that infused some money into HVM. It’s a great crew, and “Wiggy” is awesome. Look at what they have done with bits and pieces and a roll of duct tape this season so far!! Toss some money and some new bits and bobs their way, and let Simona find her wings with the crew that brought her to the party.
3)I don’t see Paul putting together a deal to run with KV fulltime. Just my gut. (although things did turn around by Edmonton) He seemed much happier with DRR, and I could see him gelling well with Justin for a full season over there. (no offense to Mike) (hell, make it a three car team!)
4) I sooooooo would love to see Cookie back in the line up.
Re: #2 above, put me in for a hearty “me too”. I suppose you can’t blame the driver for thinking it’s the move to make when the offer comes, but as much as I dislike the “rich teams” doing it, I look at the driver’s mettle too when they bail at the first chance. But it’s a mixed bag, isn’t it? I think about both Bruno and J.Wil at DCR (Servia too, for that matter)…but how long can they stay put when the downside/upside is so apparent?
(Too ‘balanced’ to choose, he is – or too sentimental to make the winning choice?)
HVM (when you said “Wiggy” I lost it for a moment, thinking back to a crew chief on Genoa’s ARS/FIL team in 1990 – which, btw, is when I was intro’d to Mike Cannon, who I always really liked a lot. Then I realized you meant KW) would do well to pour some of the resource into a PR and Sponsor-seeking posse (if they don’t already have a good one in play) to get things so well in place that Simona won’t be lured away.
BTW, it’s good to see you back again! 🙂
thanks! feels good to put the camera down for a bit and exercise the word muscles again… 😉
Thanks for the info about Simona. I think she’s done a great job at HVM. If she stays with HVM next season, I hope they’re able to secure more funding.
So now, on a completely unrelated topic…what’s going on here? Extreeeeme makeover?
lol! thanks for the heads up! Apparently my “theme” was discontinued, and replaced with this new one *unbeknown to me!* so I had to do some fancy tweaking last night to find all my stuff and put it back were it’s supposed to go!
oh, and I had to get rid of the fluffy bunny banner, it was making me gag…
LOL at that…I was wonderin’ about it as it lingered awhile (*”who are you and what’s happened to Meesh?”*).
LOL! I blame a combo fatigue, laziness, and zero free time for that!
Does this farking Race Control EVER give an uninterrupted live stream of the race? EVER??? ARRRRGGGGHHH!!!!