Comments on: Random Thoughts On Texas

By: gnome

gnome — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 22:01:25 +0000

I look forward to the Texas race every year – it’s easily my favorite. This year, the racing just wasn’t very good (although, I’ll admit we TV-viewers didn’t get to see the Target cars cut up through the field).

I agree with George and the others that Texas wasn’t the place to try this. New Hampshire, Richmond, Nashville – those smaller tracks may play better to this format. Texas deserves to be a longer race (and, apparently that draws a better crowd!)

By: JB

JB — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 01:08:22 +0000

You’re just pissed off some Buttass didn’t win even with a boatload of gimmicks to help them.

By: JB

JB — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 01:07:40 +0000

Somebody check their DVR to see how many minutes of their 4.5 hour broadcast the drivers were in the cars.

Absolutely no way you should have to use a draw to talk to everyone with as much time they had in that broadcast. Hell, they should have had time to interview the guy who made Mike Conway breakfast.

By: Brian

Brian — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 17:49:28 +0000

“More than driver introductions, the one crash, or the close racing, what got the crowd the most excited was the firehawk with the t-shirt cannon and the prospect for a free T-shirt” with advertising.

~ That’s sad/pathetic ~

By: Brian

Brian — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 17:45:15 +0000

I asked myself on race night if Carpenter’s car, Wilson’s car, Hinch’s car, Servia’s car, Simona’s car, Tracy’s car, etcetera were going to get any air time!
Sponsors want to see “Motegi Racing” and “Dollar General” and “Telemundo” on TV!
Versus’s direction is sorely lacking.

By: Brian

Brian — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 17:40:57 +0000

You’re the only person whom I’ve read point out what I also had known: that Dario had objected to the chance/luck LONG before the tire-turning time.

By: Brian

Brian — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 17:38:32 +0000

Whanica has a deal with William Rast eyewear, Tagliani has a deal with Gatorz, Briscoe has a deal (see ads in magazines) yet doesn’t, like the other Penske racers, wear shades unnecessarily in interviews. Either the Penske trio has been coached or they have good sense. I thought it ridiculous for so many to wear shades in the shade in the evening inside the TMS bowl.
Versus’s booth crew & reporters, pre-race show and race commentary, were good. But camera direction was dumb and long-distance, surveillance photography, hunting for focus, and unfocused pit stop views were miserable. I want to see everything focused and in high-definition.

By: indygrrl

indygrrl — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 15:55:26 +0000

I think KV is going to see an increase in the “wholeness” of their vehicles as TK lends his experience and wisdom to the team.

By: Edward

Edward — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 04:07:32 +0000

Firstly, a semi-apology for some of what I wrote last week. Not for the part that INDYCAR fans can be myopic-as we saw this week, so are drivers and team owners as well-but for the vehemence which didnt’ need to be said here. However…

To Bent Wickerbill: You may have been trying to be funny with your blind person comments, but as someone who knows several blind people-including my ex, who is a Licensed Master Social Worker-I didn’t find your comments funny at all. I can also tell you that the visually impaired people I know are just as capable-if not more so-than many of the sighted people I know. Next time, try making your point without resorting to cheap denigration of the physically impaired. Now, on to more pleasant-somewhat-stuff.

I did find the races exciting. Beacause I understand racing and it’s nuances, I tend to find most, if not all racing exciting.

On Saturday night, I was okay with the random draw, but as time has gone on, I’m liking it less and less. It felt like instead of Bob Jenkins and Kevin Lee, Pat Sajak and Vanna White should have been on stage because to me, the whole thing looked like “Wheel of Fortune”, no pun intended. I understand that racing is entertainment and I do give credit to Randy Bernard and Eddie Gossage for trying this, but like you, George, and others who have commented here, I’m not sure it worked. I’m not sure what the answer is, I just don’t believe that what happened Saturday was the answer.

One more slightly negative comment. While I do understand Dario Franchitti & Chip Ganassi’s views on the draw, I didnt’ feel it was necessary to bring it up over and over again. It didn’t change anything. Just put your head down and get it done.

On another positive note, I did like Dan Wheldon as an analyst and do think he has a future if he wants it, but I did feel like he did talk a little too much. You’ve got three people in the booth.Give everyone a chance to speak and you’ll be better off. The biggest surpise to me was Takuma Sato and E.J. Viso with top 10 finishes, Viso with two of them! I’m not sure what’s more surprising, their finishing in the top 10 or their finishing at all!

By: Mike R

Mike R — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 19:21:12 +0000

Agree about the sunglasses. Disagree about the twin format itself, but very much agree that there should be inversion of something rather than a blind draw. As far as the staged thing for the draw, I reckon it’s an attempt to replicate what goes on at Daytona for the Cup drivers in their shootout thing. Bad part is the points-paying-race part (versus a show without championship repercussions). If they want the draw, then they should draw by finish in groups, i.e. the top six finishers draw for the last six starting spots on the grid…they’ll be mixed among themselves at the back…then continue that format up through the field. Or just straight inverting. But Dario (who I’m no particular fan of) did get shanked on that deal.