St. Petersburg Streets Race Weekend Thread

Just read our very own Tim Northcutt's - "A Learning Curve, but no Carnage" (http://lastturnclub.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=329&Itemid=71)review race 1 and preview race 2 on lastturnclub.com Props to you Tim.

Thought I would share what I PMed to Tim


Love your style, easy to read and you get the big picture, something generally missing you get when other reporter hacks that get a story from another source and put their own spin on it (generally wrong) or maybe they are at the track but just don’t get it or see the bigger picture.

Keep them coming


Well worth a read :)

Is anyone else having trouble getting the feed off indycar.com ??


edit
No problem with timing just the live feed

It isn't working for me either. Meant to be Lights practise right now?

It isn't working for me either. Meant to be Lights practise right now?

Thanks DF. Hope they get it fixed for the race

Yeah, having problems here too.

The question this weekend is, will the Indycars or sportscars set the best time on this track.

Last year, the IndyCars did...although I do recall some of the top LMP qualifiers did have better times than some of the IRL backmarkers when qualifying times were compared.

Today, Marco Werner put his Audi on the pole at St. Pete in the ALMS event with a time of 1:02.825

Helio Castroneves' Pole time in 2007 was 1:01.683

Unless it rains in quals tomorrow, expect the Indcar guys to be quicker than the sportscars.

Justin Wilson was fastest in practise this morning.

The video feed is working for me now, Indy Lights are on the track.

I just got back from the track...some pics.

http://f1rush.spaces.live.com/photos/cns!5E73812D357B6B40!163/

I just got back from the track...some pics.

http://f1rush.spaces.live.com/photos/cns!5E73812D357B6B40!163/

Thanks for sharing, some good pics there.

Got to say P1 & 2 are looking a bit diffrent than expected with some front runners back a fair way

With no experience in those cars or with this track Power and Wilson are looking strong.

In fact I think their experience is going to shine through in the actual race. They have seen a lot of situations and things on street/road courses and that background will give them an advantage over some of the drivers that see these types of tracks three or four times a year. Yeah, some of the old IRL guys have seen just as many street courses but many have not.

If they knew the cars better I say these two are sitting in the front row. If their setups hold up and they stay out of touble then I say both are in the top 5...errr 7 at least.

2112, when you were taking pics in the paddock of the cars heading out to practice, I must have been standing right next to you! I was right there.

If anyone is interested, the Opes Prime livery is off of the Conquest cars. Was that expected? Did I miss something?

2112, when you were taking pics in the paddock of the cars heading out to practice, I must have been standing right next to you! I was right there.

If anyone is interested, the Opes Prime livery is off of the Conquest cars. Was that expected? Did I miss something?

This thread (http://www.ten-tenths.com/forum/showthread.php?t=105266&page=4) may shed some light on that situation SPR. A whole topic of Opes Prime from V8 Supercars

2112, when you were taking pics in the paddock of the cars heading out to practice, I must have been standing right next to you! I was right there.

If anyone is interested, the Opes Prime livery is off of the Conquest cars. Was that expected? Did I miss something?

Most of the pictures of the ICS were mid-day...coming in from practice...I was generally behind Newman-Haas...which was the main entrance to the paddock. If that helps.:)

Hunter-Reay fastest in practise, ahead of Kanaan, Bernoldi and Mutoh, Power and Rahal. Kanaan is the only guy you'd expect to be in the top six up there albiet only half the field run in the sessions. Lots of spins in this session too. Could be quite a fun race.

session 2: Briscoe, Marco Andretti, Servia, Wilson, Dixon & Wheldon.

Really like the stream. Next best thing if it can't be on TV. Good stuff.

CCWS guys showing strong. Not bad for having driven the cars one other time. Don't underestimate their experience.

Danica booted early and already complaining about being stuck in traffic. As if that isn't her teams fault for dumping her into traffic every time...not that I really think it would have helped. She is outclassed with all the new drivers and especially when they get off the oval.

The question this weekend is, will the Indycars or sportscars set the best time on this track.


FWIW...

The sportscars were much closer this year.....

The best time of any IRL session was clocked by Will Power at 1:02.1, but the "official" fast time(since all times from previous sessions are wiped out in IRL quals) was 1:02.5ish by Kanaan....Very, very close....

Power nearly had it.

I did'nt think the CC guys would be that fast.

STARTING GRID

1.TONY KANAAN
9th Career Pole
83rd Career Start
http://scoring.indycar.com/images/cars/indycar/tkanaan.jpg

http://www.btinternet.com/~n.s.hudson/blankstrip.gif2.WILL POWER
http://www.btinternet.com/~n.s.hudson/blankstrip.gif2nd Career Start
http://www.btinternet.com/~n.s.hudson/blankstrip.gifhttp://scoring.indycar.com/images/cars/indycar/wpower.jpg

3.JUSTIN WILSON
2nd Career Start
http://scoring.indycar.com/images/cars/indycar/jwilson.jpg

http://www.btinternet.com/~n.s.hudson/blankstrip.gif4. HELIO CASTRONEVES
http://www.btinternet.com/~n.s.hudson/blankstrip.gif99th Career Start
http://www.btinternet.com/~n.s.hudson/blankstrip.gifhttp://scoring.indycar.com/images/cars/indycar/hcastroneves.jpg

5. RYAN BRISCOE
21st Career Start
http://scoring.indycar.com/images/cars/indycar/rbriscoe.jpg

http://www.btinternet.com/~n.s.hudson/blankstrip.gif6.RYAN HUNTER-REAY
http://www.btinternet.com/~n.s.hudson/blankstrip.gif8th Career Start
http://www.btinternet.com/~n.s.hudson/blankstrip.gifhttp://scoring.indycar.com/images/cars/indycar/rhunter-reay.jpg

7.ORIOL SERVIA
2nd Career Start
http://scoring.indycar.com/images/cars/indycar/oservia.jpg

http://www.btinternet.com/~n.s.hudson/blankstrip.gif8.DAN WHELDON
http://www.btinternet.com/~n.s.hudson/blankstrip.gif82nd Career Start
http://www.btinternet.com/~n.s.hudson/blankstrip.gifhttp://scoring.indycar.com/images/cars/indycar/dwheldon.jpg

9.GRAHAM RAHAL
INDYCAR DEBUT
http://scoring.indycar.com/images/cars/indycar/grahal.jpg

http://www.btinternet.com/~n.s.hudson/blankstrip.gif10.FRANCK PERERA
http://www.btinternet.com/~n.s.hudson/blankstrip.gif2nd Career Start
http://www.btinternet.com/~n.s.hudson/blankstrip.gifhttp://scoring.indycar.com/images/cars/indycar/fperera.jpg

11.DARREN MANNING
43rd Career Start
http://scoring.indycar.com/images/cars/indycar/dmanning.jpg

http://www.btinternet.com/~n.s.hudson/blankstrip.gif12. MARCO ANDRETTI
http://www.btinternet.com/~n.s.hudson/blankstrip.gif33rd Career Start
http://www.btinternet.com/~n.s.hudson/blankstrip.gifhttp://scoring.indycar.com/images/cars/indycar/maandretti.jpg

13. SCOTT DIXON
81st Career Start
http://scoring.indycar.com/images/cars/indycar/sdixon.jpg

http://www.btinternet.com/~n.s.hudson/blankstrip.gif14. HIDEKI MUTOH
http://www.btinternet.com/~n.s.hudson/blankstrip.gif3rd Career Start
http://www.btinternet.com/~n.s.hudson/blankstrip.gifhttp://scoring.indycar.com/images/cars/indycar/hmutoh.jpg

15.ERNESTO VISO
2nd Career Start
http://scoring.indycar.com/images/cars/indycar/eviso.jpg

http://www.btinternet.com/~n.s.hudson/blankstrip.gif16.BUDDY RICE
http://www.btinternet.com/~n.s.hudson/blankstrip.gif82nd Career Start
http://www.btinternet.com/~n.s.hudson/blankstrip.gifhttp://scoring.indycar.com/images/cars/indycar/brice.jpg

17.VITOR MEIRA
78th Career Start
http://scoring.indycar.com/images/cars/indycar/vmeira.jpg

http://www.btinternet.com/~n.s.hudson/blankstrip.gif18.ENRIQUE BERNOLDI
http://www.btinternet.com/~n.s.hudson/blankstrip.gif2nd Career Start
http://www.btinternet.com/~n.s.hudson/blankstrip.gifhttp://scoring.indycar.com/images/cars/indycar/ebernoldi.jpg

19. DANICA PATRICK
49th Career Start
http://scoring.indycar.com/images/cars/indycar/dpatrick.jpg

http://www.btinternet.com/~n.s.hudson/blankstrip.gif20.JAY HOWARD
http://www.btinternet.com/~n.s.hudson/blankstrip.gif2nd Career Start
http://www.btinternet.com/~n.s.hudson/blankstrip.gifhttp://scoring.indycar.com/images/cars/indycar/jhoward.jpg

21. ED CARPENTER
67th Career Start
http://scoring.indycar.com/images/cars/indycar/ecarpenter.jpg

http://www.btinternet.com/~n.s.hudson/blankstrip.gif22.MARIO MORAES
http://www.btinternet.com/~n.s.hudson/blankstrip.gif2nd Career Start
http://www.btinternet.com/~n.s.hudson/blankstrip.gifhttp://scoring.indycar.com/images/cars/indycar/mmoraes.jpg

23.TOWNSEND BELL
13th Career Start
http://scoring.indycar.com/images/cars/indycar/tbell.jpg

http://www.btinternet.com/~n.s.hudson/blankstrip.gif24. AJ FOYT IV
http://www.btinternet.com/~n.s.hudson/blankstrip.gif67th Career Start
http://www.btinternet.com/~n.s.hudson/blankstrip.gifhttp://scoring.indycar.com/images/cars/indycar/afoytiv.jpg

25. MARTY ROTH
11th Career Start
http://scoring.indycar.com/images/cars/indycar/mroth.jpg

http://www.btinternet.com/~n.s.hudson/blankstrip.gif26.BRUNO JUNQUEIRA
http://www.btinternet.com/~n.s.hudson/blankstrip.gif6th Career Start
http://www.btinternet.com/~n.s.hudson/blankstrip.gifhttp://scoring.indycar.com/images/cars/indycar/bjunqueira.jpg

http://www.btinternet.com/~n.s.hudson/blankstrip.gif

50% of the top 10 are (recent) Champcar converts...that's more like it :D

(All of the teams are ex-Champcar teams within the last 7 years :p)

Marco and Dixon well down yet both have gone well at St Petes in the past.
Danica showing her true ability?
I had always wondered just how good the Champcar boys were after the migration of the top teams (Ganassi etc) to the IRL.
Now I know just how competitive the series really was.
What is also interesting is the competitiveness of the rookies from Europe. Their road course experience is certainly levelling the field.

The guys who are used to road/street racing have really shone this time. Perera is especially impressive in context of his lack of experience. Maybe the established IRL teams won't dominate long-term as much as we thought?

Well that's a little different than many of us thought over in the Pick Em contest. Great to see that it's not as predictable as we have thought.

Very exciting for tomorrow's race

marcus - was going to mention from the last race that I love the graphic line up, awesome.

Did anyone catch the news about Surfers during the stream? Seems like it will be part of this season but not for series points. Instead it will count towards "a championship inside a championship".

There will be five races during the season (I assume non-ovals) that count toward this separate individual award with the culmination being Surfers. That way Chicago keeps the points finale and Surfers still matters as part of 2008.


Oh, and if you think the Champ Car boys are done in St Petes think again. They will be even better in traffic.

Mighty performance by the CC guys.

everyone expected an improvement but no one expected this. Something to be quite proud of and says quite alot about the previous CC championships.

Mighty performance by the CC guys.

everyone expected an improvement but no one expected this. Something to be quite proud of and says quite alot about the previous CC championships.

Speak for yourself there D.R.T, although it was expected to be pole rather than P2...:p

Practice 2 time would have had him on pole easily.:rotate:

This track could see the first win by a former champcar team,they all stuggle on ovals last week,now they are racing ona street they seem to be good.

Great to see many ex-Champ Car teams up near the front. Likely due to the fact it's a street course, where they've spent the majority of the last six years, but perhaps the teams are already getting to grips with the cars.

However, I think it will take time for the performances to come through on the ovals.

honourable mentions certainly go out to Power, Wilson and KV Racing for almost being the only team with 2 cars in the top 6 and being so competitive as ex Champcar guys.

:woot: both Aussie boys going well.

great stuff from Will and Ryan :woot::gogirl:I hope Ryan can have more luck than last race

when is it on ESPN australian time?

It's raining.

It's raining.For a second I was afraid that meant they wouldn't run (guess that is just ovals) but I see they have the rain tires on. Advantage transition drivers.

But, as in F1, the race has started with the Pace Car still on track.

Why that's great news, get rid of the pace car and watch Mr Dixon win this thing in the wet. He is a rain master


Lets go racing

Great coverage so far....

Bla bla bla Danica Patrick bla bla bla Danica Patrick bla bla bla etc.

Nice of them to throw a Danica Yellow. Still, gets her out of the way of Wilson at least.

Danica pits! Danica pits!

Oh yeah, so did Dixon and Andretti........

unfortunate for Brisco

last 1/3 of the race to go, anyone willing to pic a winner?

Castroneves by the looks of it.... also, since when was Viso known as "EJ"??

edit: with that yellow Rahal may be able to stick it out, if the race is cut to 2 hours!

Pass on EJ answer

My money is still on Dixon

18mins to go if timed

Rahal

dam, got to go drop the kids off at school but really want to see the end

Lap times looking good for Rahal. Who else won a race on their IndyCar debut?

Bummer for Bell.

Yellow for Perera/Meira/Bell contact. Saves Rahal who was tight on fuel. Dixon with technical problem.

We still like Dixon. Good attitude. Good driver.

Nice one Rahal. Six of the top 10 were "transitioning" drivers after the Wheldon/Howard incident on the final lap.

Boy there's a ton of talent in this series now.

One race, one win. Impressive.

Dam again, missed the finish. Well done to Graham

Castroneves by the looks of it.... also, since when was Viso known as "EJ"??

edit: with that yellow Rahal may be able to stick it out, if the race is cut to 2 hours!

Ernesto José. But never heard that EJ before.

Congrats to Graham......spun early, climbed back into the chase, good pit and fuel strategy and strong at the end....excellent win.

well i must say Graham is awesome, and great to see he did this earning a ride not on his dad's team.
a rahal andretti battle will go on again for decades it seems!

but 1 AJ Foyt IV has no business in a race car- he is worse or as bad as Milka Duno, 2) ed Carpenter should go back to sprints and stay there, he is another road hazard...
3) Danica- go to skip barber so a season and learn road racing, she was a disaster all day.

MP356A- you are right Indy car is only going to rise again..

Congrats to Graham on an excellent race!!

While much had been made of the possibility of "carnage" in the first oval race, the possibility for "carnage" in a street race in the wet was very real. When you consider most of the IRL guys had little recent road course experience and even less experience in the wet, they did a terrific job today up and down the grid.

I was thinking back to the Mont Tremblant race last season when they were dropping like flies - this group kept their heads down and for the most part kept the bonehead moves to a minimum.

And while I would agree that Danica was not at her best she still recovered to tenth. Aj IV, well, not much I can say but he is no way as bad as Milka and Ed Carpenter did a terrific job for someone who likely has NEVER raced in the wet before today.

So before you start pointing fingers at "bad" drivers, try to keep some perspective as to relative experience under the conditions.

Well done to Graham for an outstanding win.

I just hope it doesn't turn into something like NASCAR where people like Graham and other CCWS refugees are only competitive on road courses.

:eek: never seen that comming on his IndyCar debut, well done Graham. Tony's St Pete duck continues.

Well done to Graham for an outstanding win.

I just hope it doesn't turn into something like NASCAR where people like Graham and other CCWS refugees are only competitive on road courses.The oval experience will come. Give the teams a chance to learn the car as setups have a much to do with ovals as the driving. The drivers will be up to speed on the ovals before the year is out.

For now the street/roads are what they know best. Like the broadcast said, IndyCar has run 11 non-oval races ever. These teams did 14 last year alone.

I think the people you need to worry about are all the young IndyCar drivers with near exclusive oval experience. If the schedule expands like they are saying and is more of a balance between ovals and non-ovals then the ones in trouble are your Patricks, Foytes and Capenters. Those 'refugees' will only be competitive on ovals.

this was my first time watchng a irl race, interesting enuf, vry nice to see the "rookies" doing well...

I have to say though, the front end shape of these cars are not up there with the prettiest cars ever imo. This is a judgement onmy part, but the pointy needle look doesnt doit for me...not a valid comment vis-a-vis my watching my first irl race? Anyway, just a commment and I would have to say that Castro Neves's comments post race were nice, that he expected good teams to do well no matter what and that it will be a "cool" year with the new competition.

I do admit that the politics of the irl and the turnleftthing of it never had me interested before, but I am probably a good example of a regular fan appreciating the influx of talent that hopefully make races and teh seasons as interesting as before the split, with the unique balance of ovals and road courses that demand a unique blend of team and driver talents.

heres to a good season and beyond

congrats to Graham:cool:
that kid can wheel 'em!
nice to see a "former" CCWS driver win the first road/street course race of the year right ahead of the 2 time defending winner.

hmmmmmmmm......

Stayed up to watch it over here in the UK and really enjoyed it. The weather certainly mixed the pack up and Rahal's strategy certainly helped him take the flag first. I am no expert but i could not see the sense in TK HC coming in for a splash of fuel early on. It appeared to put them both at a disadvantage. I think the unification looks promising and the Champcar guys are clearly going to be competitive on the road course.

yay, I dindt expect a CCWS 'refugee' to win so early. I'm gonna go watch the highlights video on the website.

a good race and results in the youngest ever winner

How old was Phillipe when he won at Surfers

20 years, two months and 29 days

been outback oz for the last week so this post is a bit late, but, great to see 26 cars on the grid :beer:

congrats to graham rahal on his race win :winner: - ryan briscoe :banghead: