Fantasy Football - Footballguys Forums
Welcome to Our Forums. Once you've registered and logged in, you're primed to talk football, among other topics, with the sharpest and most experienced fantasy players on the internet.
Indy 500 - any other FBG's going ? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter SwampDawg
- Start date
Sullie
Footballguy
I've been going for a few years now with my son, my neighbor (across the street) and his co-worker. So, years ago, my neighbor asked me if I wanted to go. I love cars and sports, not much into automobile racing. I honestly didn't want to go but I didn't want to be rude either plus I wanted to at least say I went at least one time since I live here and all. I had a great time, absolutely LOVED it and I hate crowds and I didn't know what the hell was going on. With the numbers on the cars, watching the board, a radio, it's a much better experience than it was for me those 7 or 8 years ago.
The next year I took a gamble and took my son with us (he was in 2nd grade, getting ready for 8th grade now) and I was worried he would hate it, would cry/whine, want to leave early, etc but I took a risk. When his face lit up as soon as we got to our seats when Mario raced by with a passenger, I knew he was hooked too. So this has become our Christmas day now, we look forward to it every year, again, I would have never imagined in a million years I would be into it but I cannot tell you how much I love this race. My neighbor has not missed a race since the 60's or '70's.
The next year I took a gamble and took my son with us (he was in 2nd grade, getting ready for 8th grade now) and I was worried he would hate it, would cry/whine, want to leave early, etc but I took a risk. When his face lit up as soon as we got to our seats when Mario raced by with a passenger, I knew he was hooked too. So this has become our Christmas day now, we look forward to it every year, again, I would have never imagined in a million years I would be into it but I cannot tell you how much I love this race. My neighbor has not missed a race since the 60's or '70's.
SwampDawg
Footballguy
Awesome...many people start that way. Over the years we have taken tons of people who have no connection to the sport as a fan and they are amazed by the sheer size and magnitude of the event. Sort of like going to the Kentucky Derby. My dad started going in 1953 and went until 2006, I started in 1971 at not even a year old and have only missed afew that got rained out and run the following weekend. Started both my boys going at age 5 (now 14 and 11) and they love it, my one son loves racing of any sort and karts so he was a given. My other son is a very good traditional athlete but can't sit still long enough or has any interest in watching sports on TV but he totally looks forward to going to Indy.
boilerdave
Footballguy
I'll be there. I went to the race for the first time in 1970 and haven't missed one since.
The race is an event that can't be described and tv doesn't begin to do it justice. It needs to be experienced. The sea of 300,000 people in the grandstands, the pre-race homage to Memorial Day and the screaming fast cars and fearless badass drivers flying down the main straightaway at 220+ MPH into a 90 degree turn
The race is an event that can't be described and tv doesn't begin to do it justice. It needs to be experienced. The sea of 300,000 people in the grandstands, the pre-race homage to Memorial Day and the screaming fast cars and fearless badass drivers flying down the main straightaway at 220+ MPH into a 90 degree turn
boilerdave
Footballguy
SwampDawg
Footballguy
Eephus
Footballguy
your namesake posted on TF todayI'll be there. I went to the race for the first time in 1970 and haven't missed one since.
The race is an event that can't be described and tv doesn't begin to do it justice. It needs to be experienced. The sea of 300,000 people in the grandstands, the pre-race homage to Memorial Day and the screaming fast cars and fearless badass drivers flying down the main straightaway at 220+ MPH into a 90 degree turn
SwampDawg
Footballguy
You guys TF posters ? Been over there since the old Indy Star boards went away, profile says since 2001 but been longer then that and way more active there then here. Met a bunch of great guys over there IRL.
boilerdave
Footballguy
That’s me. I’m boilerdave there too.Eephus said:
boilerdave
Footballguy
Stand E. 1st turn.SwampDawg said:
Eephus
Footballguy
I've been mostly lurking there since the turn of the century after the demise of the old rec.autos.sport.indy board on CompuServe. My average TF post count is only 22 per year which is an afternoon's work for me here.SwampDawg said:
There's a lot of good info there along with some guys with some verrry strongly held opinions. It's not as crazy as it was during the Split days but there are definitely some posters with whom I probably have only one thing in common.
GregR
Footballguy
Don't know that I'd enjoy attending, but watching the 500 was always a family tradition. My dad was really into it. We'd have to listen to it on the radio because we were in the zone where the TV broadcast was blacked out. Then they would air the TV broadcast later in the day and we'd generally watch that as well.
Kind of disappointed how it has dropped off as an interest for a lot of the rest of the country.
Kind of disappointed how it has dropped off as an interest for a lot of the rest of the country.
SwampDawg
Footballguy
I'm in Penthouse Paddock right across from Gasoline Alley. Every year I try an upgrade a couple of my 8 tickets to E Penthouse, even with over 50 years seniority (my dad and I have the same name so I just took over the tickets) I can't get in there.
SwampDawg
Footballguy
Yea it use to get pretty wild. Amazing the people that lurk there, it would be like Roger Godell in the Shark Pool here. I actually got to know Doug Boles back when he was an owner at Panther to the point I got hot passes left for me at Nazareth and Richmond by the team for a few years, all from conversations on TF that turned into some phone calls and help on their website. I haven't seen him in a few years but pretty sure he would still remember me, he's a pretty amazing guy that way, the speedway is in good hands.
I go by CrewChief over there, feel free to insult any of my posts...lol
boilerdave
Footballguy
I agree Doug Boles is amazing. I have a Bronze Badge so I get out to the track a lot during the month. I see Doug every day out mingling and interacting with the fans, he loves the place and it shows.
boilerdave
Footballguy
We're in Stand E / Row P...they are fantastic seats. My buddy has had them in his family since 1964 or something like that. We're under the shade of the Penthouse all day and have a great view as they come out of Turn 4 and down the front stretch then in to and the South Chute. The only drawback is we can't see the flyover.
Eephus
Footballguy
Legend has it that there were more seat cancellations between 1964-65 than in any year before or since (including 95-96). I have no idea if this is true but I've seen it repeated in multiple places over the years.
boilerdave
Footballguy
I believe it. A lot of people never went a 500 again after witnessing the Sachs-MacDonalds crash.
Sullie
Footballguy
Our telephone/network vendor had a suite at the track along Gasoline Alley. Earlier this week they dropped off a swag bag (backpack with hats and typical company branded gear) along with 4 pit passes that got us into the suite and you could go into the pit area where the cars and drivers were. I've had such a busy week at work (I work in IT) that I thought I was going to have to cancel my vacation days but I worked my butt off, got all the emergencies and disasters taken care of and I was able to keep my vacation days.
Anyway, so as a surprise for my son, I asked for two passes and took him to Carb Day and I have to say I did not expect what we saw. First off, everyone was so damn nice it was amazing. Secondly, my son brought it up actually, but security was somewhat lax. We had our tickets, wristbands and all that but I mean, people (fans) were surrounding drivers, they were signing autographs (my son got Takuma Sato's autograph) and, I mean don't get me wrong it was an amazing experience as a fan, but deep down I was kind of worried for the drivers and crew in this world full of nutbags we live in. There was A LOT of security but I mean it just takes one ding dong to ruin it for everyone, I just hope nothing ever happens because it's absolutely incredible. Anyway, fantastic day, we had a lot of fun, oh, and my son is convinced we saw Russell Wilson because the guy looked exactly like him, he had a couple of huge guys with him (lineman sized) and a group of people surrounding him, I'm not so sure myself but my son thinks I'm an idiot for doubting him.
Anyway, so as a surprise for my son, I asked for two passes and took him to Carb Day and I have to say I did not expect what we saw. First off, everyone was so damn nice it was amazing. Secondly, my son brought it up actually, but security was somewhat lax. We had our tickets, wristbands and all that but I mean, people (fans) were surrounding drivers, they were signing autographs (my son got Takuma Sato's autograph) and, I mean don't get me wrong it was an amazing experience as a fan, but deep down I was kind of worried for the drivers and crew in this world full of nutbags we live in. There was A LOT of security but I mean it just takes one ding dong to ruin it for everyone, I just hope nothing ever happens because it's absolutely incredible. Anyway, fantastic day, we had a lot of fun, oh, and my son is convinced we saw Russell Wilson because the guy looked exactly like him, he had a couple of huge guys with him (lineman sized) and a group of people surrounding him, I'm not so sure myself but my son thinks I'm an idiot for doubting him.
Eephus
Footballguy
It's looking like another Penske year. Chevy has an edge over Honda on pace and I trust Penske more than the other Chevy teams on setups and pit stops. It's tough to say which of the four Penske cars to pick because I'm sure they'll split their strategies to cover as many bases as possible. I'll go with Pagenaud just because with Spencer Pigot as a dark horse.
As always, hoping first for a safe race. Passing seems like it's going to be harder than in recent years so hoping second to avoid a parade.
As always, hoping first for a safe race. Passing seems like it's going to be harder than in recent years so hoping second to avoid a parade.
T J
Footballguy
That's where I'll be with my family as well. My wife's cousin lives in Speedway walking distance to the track. We spend the night there Saturday and then walk over in the morning. Good stuff.
Ps....for those unfamiliar, Speedway is the name of the area where the track itself is.
boilerdave
Footballguy
boilerdave
Footballguy
Will Power’s public personality doesn’t make him a fan favorite but he is a deserved Indianapolis 500 Champion.
the new aero package coupled with the high heat today made for less close racing than the past few years but it was still damn entertaining and big fun.
the new aero package coupled with the high heat today made for less close racing than the past few years but it was still damn entertaining and big fun.
Sullie
Footballguy
I agree, I was rooting for Ed Carpenter just because he ran such a great race, his car was set up well, he's been so close so many times, I would have liked to have seen him or TK win but Will Power certainly deserved it, great race but I agree, it seems like the new cars are set up better for smaller tracks. Watching the cars spaced out 6 car links, single file, for long periods of time isn't good for Indy.
As a side note, I really wish they would put the electronic position numbers back on the car, that was a fantastic idea that should have been left alone, why they took that off is beyond me.
Oh and is it me or did attendance seem up this year? I know it's been steadily increasing for the last 4-5 years but this year it just seemed like it was insanely packed. We've been parking in the same spot for years (my neighbor has been parking there since the 60's) and this year it was filled up. We usually park about 1.5 - 2 miles away, this year we ended up about 2.5 - 3 miles away. Not a huge deal but, to me, it seemed noticeably more crowded.
Last edited by a moderator:
boilerdave
Footballguy
I was rooting for Ed Carpenter too. I hope he wins one before his career is over.
They had technical issues with electrical position numbers during the race before Indianapolis and couldn't get the problem resolved so they took them off the cars. I expect them to return at some point this season.
I think the crowd was bigger this year than it was last year but smaller than 2016...the 100th Running.
boilerdave
Footballguy
I picked Helio with Bourdais as my dark horse (I consider him to be on a dark horse team...though he's certainly not a dark horse driver).
we both picked the right team just the wrong drivers.
GregR
Footballguy
Enjoyed the race.
They really need to incorporate more driver's view shots during moments where there's some intense passing or a cluster of activity going on. Preferably a driver at the back of it so you can see it happen in front of you. There were one or two times they showed those where I was nearly climbing out of my seat at how close it felt to a wreck happening. But they didn't show those nearly enough. I imagine the timing of it is tough, have to recognize it's happening and switch over fast, but it makes the viewing so much more interesting.
They really need to incorporate more driver's view shots during moments where there's some intense passing or a cluster of activity going on. Preferably a driver at the back of it so you can see it happen in front of you. There were one or two times they showed those where I was nearly climbing out of my seat at how close it felt to a wreck happening. But they didn't show those nearly enough. I imagine the timing of it is tough, have to recognize it's happening and switch over fast, but it makes the viewing so much more interesting.
ffball-novice
Footballguy
Last year set next to a guy on a flight, who lives in AZ, bought a house in that area just so he and buddies would have a hang out place for race times.
Trackforum name: newID
ffball-novice
Footballguy
SwampDawg
Footballguy
Overall I thought it was a pretty good race. The new aero package is definitely harder to drive and it showed with the veterans getting caught in one car incidents. I'm sure there will be complaints about not getting the 50+ lead changes that had become common and I don't want it going back to the late 80's, early 90's of 5 cars on the lead lap but I thought it was a good show. Rossi & Rahal showed you can make passes, you just need to work hard and have the car just right. Guessing they will tweak it a little for next year to get a little more ability to pass.
My son was happy with the Power win and he is a deserving winner. Would have loved to see TK win another one for AJ, his restarts are a thing of beauty and it looked like he could have had a chance until that tire puncture pushed him back and then the late race spin finished it.
Off to renew the seats for next year.
My son was happy with the Power win and he is a deserving winner. Would have loved to see TK win another one for AJ, his restarts are a thing of beauty and it looked like he could have had a chance until that tire puncture pushed him back and then the late race spin finished it.
Off to renew the seats for next year.
T J
Footballguy
I had picked Newgarden. I think he'll win one in the next couple of years.
As far as the race, count me amongst those who found it very lackluster. Ya, you could pass, but only cars that were just slower. You didn't see that whip around passing that a drafting slingshot provides. I didn't like the spaced out single file racing. Love the race and have been going for maybe the last 20 years, but I was disappointed in the racing, due to the car changes.
As far as the race, count me amongst those who found it very lackluster. Ya, you could pass, but only cars that were just slower. You didn't see that whip around passing that a drafting slingshot provides. I didn't like the spaced out single file racing. Love the race and have been going for maybe the last 20 years, but I was disappointed in the racing, due to the car changes.
Eephus
Footballguy
I suspect there would have been more passing if temperatures were lower but not as much as the slingshot racing produced by the original DW12 aero package. There's a lot of middle ground between the two extremes but it's a non-trivial engineering challenge to strike the proper balance. The theory was that reducing downforce would also reduce turbulence and make it easier to run closer. Downforce was definitely down but 33 cars running 220mph would produce turbulence even without wings.
The in-car telemetry on the TV broadcast showed how much drivers had to get off throttle in the turns on race day. There was a huge difference between similar shots during qualification when everybody was flat.
You wouldn't think a 10% speed increase would cause that much difference but the Indy Lights cars were able to pass in the corners and put on a great show while running 195mph.
The in-car telemetry on the TV broadcast showed how much drivers had to get off throttle in the turns on race day. There was a huge difference between similar shots during qualification when everybody was flat.
You wouldn't think a 10% speed increase would cause that much difference but the Indy Lights cars were able to pass in the corners and put on a great show while running 195mph.
boilerdave
Footballguy
The Texas Indycar race is Saturday night. It's usually a pretty good race (wheel to wheel at extremely high speed) although I'm not sure what to expect this year with the new cars.
boilerdave
Footballguy
I thought the Texas race was good. There were a lot of similarities to the 500....extremely hot temps, still sorting out the new cars and Rossi provided the exciting passing moves.
A big take a way was Scott Dixon moved to third on the all-time winning-est Indycar drivers list behind the 2 GOATs....Foyt and Andretti.
A big take a way was Scott Dixon moved to third on the all-time winning-est Indycar drivers list behind the 2 GOATs....Foyt and Andretti.
Eephus
Footballguy
It would have been interesting to see what would have happened if Rossi was able to get around Pagenaud during the last stint. I don't think he would have been able to chase down Dixon but I'm curious if he'd have been able to pull out a gap over Pagenaud.
It's always hard to assess absolute pace while in traffic and Simon's defensive line was slowing both of them down. That's racing and I don't have a problem with that but if Rossi was unable to make a pass on a substantially slower car, then that's something they'll need to work on for next year.
It's always hard to assess absolute pace while in traffic and Simon's defensive line was slowing both of them down. That's racing and I don't have a problem with that but if Rossi was unable to make a pass on a substantially slower car, then that's something they'll need to work on for next year.
SwampDawg
Footballguy
Until I saw that after the Detroit race I was not aware he was that high, and I believe they said all but 1 of those wins was driving for the Chipster. Given his age (37) if he runs anoter 3 to 5 years it is possible he jumps Mario for #2 all time.
Eephus
Footballguy
SwampDawg
Footballguy
He also wasted 3 years with the Toyota engine where he won like one race. Wouldn't be surprised at all if he wins one or 2 more this year at which point 2 wins a year for the next 3 years gets him right there to Mario. Mario of course lost a couple prime years to F1.
boilerdave
Footballguy
It was very difficult for the leaders to lap the slower cars at Phoenix. I’ll be disappointed if that problem continues at the Iowa and St Louis short ovals this year.
boilerdave
Footballguy
Elkhart Lake this weekend. Probably my second favorite race of the season and definitely my favorite road race. Several long straightaways, high speed corners and elevation changes.
I went up there for a couple of CART races in the 80's and plan to get back. It's fun walking through the woods to different viewing spots on the course (and eating brats).
I went up there for a couple of CART races in the 80's and plan to get back. It's fun walking through the woods to different viewing spots on the course (and eating brats).
Eephus
Footballguy
I haven't been to Road America since moving to California. Had good times with my dad way back in the day. The sound of the CanAm cars heading down to turn 5 still echos in my memory.
Full course cautions are always the potential problem with any short race at Road America. It's 4 miles around so a four lap yellow to get everyone lined up and pitted takes a big chunk out of the race and opens things up for a fuel mileage race.
Eephus
Footballguy
Monday morning shocker as the Speedway, Indycar and their media arm IMS productions are all sold to Roger Penske's organization. The Hulman family has owned it since the 1940s.
Penske has the capital and knows the business better than anyone so it's much better than a sale to some private equity firm. The only potential downside is Penske is 82 years old and probably won't live forever.
Penske has the capital and knows the business better than anyone so it's much better than a sale to some private equity firm. The only potential downside is Penske is 82 years old and probably won't live forever.
E Street Brat
Footballguy
So I guess the day to day operations of the racing team will be turned over to someone else. Surely he can't run the series and the team at the same time.
Not a big Roger fan, butI enjoy the IRL and hope he can bring the series to its full potential.
Not really a shocker. What is left of the Hulman fortune is being liquidated for cash. Penske has more passion for the sport and has a ton of respect for the history. It is all good.
