Comments on: Random Thoughts On Edmonton

By: Bill

Bill — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 11:45:24 +0000

I just read your observations, so, way late, but had to chime in:
1, You called it exactly correct re: Helio NOT blocking, but holding his racing line.

1, You said Danica was blocking Kanaan at Texas last year.
What race were you watching? It was Tony Kanaan repeatedly chopping, blocking and otherwise driving like a dangerous jerk, not Patrick.

By: AZZO45

AZZO45 — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 15:17:14 +0000

Totally agree. If HCN was throwin’ punches NHL style… different story. Besides Charles was SMILING the whole time. He was calming HCN down & allowing some R&D to be performed for IZOD (collar testing)

By: AZZO45

AZZO45 — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 15:14:34 +0000

Cleveland’s airport was pretty Perhaps it was the boats & the lake… & oh yeah the AWESOME racing action (that Edmonton doesn’t have as much as…)

By: AZZO45

AZZO45 — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 15:10:22 +0000

Believe you are wrong here jp… Cottman’s domain is Indy Lights only.

By: indygrrl

indygrrl — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 15:10:20 +0000

Get rid of Barnhardt and replace him with Roy Hobbson. Everyone loves Hobbson. Raise your spatulas high!

What’s wrong with Duno bashing–they might as well put a hunk of safer barrier out there with a skateboard under it, it would probably stay out of the way more.

By: Forrest Tanaka

Forrest Tanaka — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 06:50:24 +0000

Dixon took the inside lane into turn 2 while passing Will Power. That’s precisely what the rules allow and encourage. Castroneves took the inside lane into turn 1 while passing nobody, as there was nobody to pass. This is specifically *not* allowed. The two moves aren’t comparable, so Barnhart would be inconsistent to penalize both of these moves.

Someone mentioned Moraes always getting away with blocks. I’ve seen him chop people (entering a turn on the OUTSIDE lane, then moving to the inside at the apex while someone was passing him). To support an accusation of inconsistency against Barnhart, it’d be interesting to come up with video of specific instances where Moraes entered a turn on the inside lane while passing nobody. That would make a good case.

Someone else mentioned Danica chopping someone. Chopping isn’t blocking, since a chop requires the first driver to enter a turn in the OUTSIDE lane. Why one is penalized and the other isn’t, I can’t explain.

Duno a rolling block? Only if she enters every corner on the inside lane while passing nobody.

People all over the Internet seem to want to conflate chopping and being slow with the IndyCar definition of blocking, and Barnhart’s been quite consistent and specific in his explanation, as his words after Detroit 2008, Edmonton 2010, and Indy 2010 have been nearly identical. People also want to use the Formula 1 definition of blocking, but the FIA and IndyCar have different definitions of blocking.

By: Andy Bernstein

Andy Bernstein — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 21:14:51 +0000

Jim Bob,

Credit to you for a voice of reason.

Click on my name above if you’d like to read more.

By: S S Minnow

S S Minnow — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 21:14:36 +0000

Does anyone have an email address fopr Brian Barhart so that we may voice our comments to him?

So who did win the Edmonton race if Dixon thereafter then blocked Powers in turn 2?

By: billytheskink

billytheskink — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 14:32:42 +0000

Get rid of Barnhardt and replace him with Bill Elliot. Everyone loves Bill Elliot.

By: Jim Bob

Jim Bob — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 06:05:32 +0000

Barnhart Bashing seems as in vogue nowadays as Duno Bashing.

Guess what George? Tony Cotman thought it was a block. Al Unser Jr. thought it was a block. Most every driver in the series thought it was a block.

Helio got what he deserved. He has blocked more times in his Indy Car career and barely ever been penalized, then most NFL offensive lineman do in a NFL game. Its probably why the guy has never won a championship. If he paid more attention to driving his car and not mirror-driving, he might have more good finishes and score more points.

The constant whining about Barnhart has to stop. Seems like every guy either CART or Champ Car or Indy Car have put in that position has been treated the same way and thought of the same way. Its a thankless job. All of these drivers whine and cry like girls and many of their owners are no better.

So we get rid of Barnhart and replace him with Unser Jr? Then what? He makes the same call and then we can start ripping Little Al for being a drunk and a “Penske Guy” too. Or we can say that Unser Jr is “too close to the current drivers/series” to be objective. Or we can say that Unser Jr has a grudge to get back at certain drivers he may have raced against or certain team owners he raced against.

Nothing will change. Just because Robin Miller has gotten some of you into a froth with his constant and borderline goofy obsession with Barnhart and his love for his BFF Cotman, doesn’t mean Robin knows what the hell he is talking about. Shocking as it is, Robin sometimes has axes to grind and agendas to carry on.

Not saying he was right or wrong in this deal. Its a subjective call. If he didn’t make it, he’d be getting ripped by Ganassi and everybody for being a Penske puppet. He can’t win.