Conference krakar::f1

Am I right in saying that the Indycars will not be racing at Laguna Seca this
year? If not why not? I saw some pre-season testing on telly there recently. It
would be a shame to lose this one.

Phil.

    Not sure where you got this from - there is definately a Laguna Seca
    race this year on Sept 7, and we are hoping to be there with a mate who
    can get us on a Target/Toyota hospitality pass!
    
    Paul

    Name Change: the term "Indy" belongs to the owners of the Indy circuit.
    Only IRL can use the term. IndyCar is now renamed CART (back to a few
    years ago anyway).

    Yes, there will be a CART race at Laguna this year (Texaco/Havoline
    300, 7 Sept.).  Unlike the last few years, this will not be the season
    finale.  CART will close its 1997 season with the California 500
    Presented By Toyota, at Roger Penske's new 2-mile California Speedway
    in Fontana, about 40 mi. east of Los Angeles.
    
    And, yes, what was CART and became IndyCar is now CART, although CART
    still races Indy cars.  Got it?  :-)
    
    George

RE: .6

Actually, according to the terms of the agreement between CART and 
Indianapolis Motor Speedway, nobody can use the trademark "IndyCar" 
for 5 years.  After that, Indianapolis Motor Speedway owns the term.

CART will most definitely be racing at Laguna Seca this year.

--PSW

The first race of the CART season took place yesterday at the Homestead Oval
track, Miami.  1st was Michael Andretti, 2nd Paul Tracy, 3rd Jimmy Vasser.

Wasn't the most spectacular race (compared to some Indy oval races).
Michael drove a good solid, mature, race - as did Paul Tracy.  They both
moved up from mid-pack on the grid toward the front runners fairly quickly.
And then edged to the very front during the course of the race with
Michael taking the lead when Gil deFeran came together with Dennis Vitola (sp?).

Al Unser jr also made a quick move from the middle to place 5 but his 
engine quit on him.  Interesting to see the old timers do less well in
qualifying but do well in the race - may be something to do with how they use
their practice time and setting up their car for the race.

Mark Blundell finished somewhere lower down (I don't recall where, 12th may
be).  He had an excellent qualifying run, one lap (of the two) in particular
being very fast.  But he dropped back very quickly and was running a lap
down for much of the race.

Martin

I just checked.  Mark Blundell finished 14th.  Zanardi was 7th, by the way.

And, Dennis Vittola who came together with the leader, Gil deFeran, may
be remembered by some - he's the chap that landed (complete with car,
of course) on top of Mansell's car in the pit exit during the 94 Indy 500.

martin

The sound quit after the first 10 minutes of my video tape of the 
Miami CART race so I got to see it but not hear it.  They had several 
replays of the Vitolo/De Ferran incident and also interviews with the 
drivers.  I of course couldn't hear what the drivers had to say, but 
based on the in-car camera shot, De Ferran was some upset at being 
punted out of the lead.  Can anyone who watched the race coverage 
post a summary of what the drivers had to say about the incident?

After watching the various replays, it looked like Vitolo's fault.  
In retrospect, it was probably a questionable move on De Ferran's 
part to attempt to dive low like that around a dicing group of 
back-markers, but De Ferran did have Andretti on his heels.  But the 
accident clearly was caused by Vitolo finding himself coming up fast 
on another car on the high line, suddenly veering down to avoid 
rear-ending that car, and moving into De Ferran's path as a 
consequence.  Vitolo is supposed to be aware enough of the traffic in 
the immediate vicinity, both before and behind, to avoid causing 
incidents like this.  De Ferran was already committed to his line 
before Vitolo moved over--for him to have attempted to change his 
line at that point would have caused him to spin out and crash.

--PSW

One remarkable thing about this race was that Michael Andretti won 
with the Swift chassis, in its very first race.

--PSW

Re. Gil de Ferran / Dennis Vitolo

Dennis Vitolo said that he was passed by Max Papis, who then
slowed down going into turn three. Therefore, Dennis Vitolo
had nowhere to go but to turn, and Gil de Ferran of cource
was already beside him.

I thought it was rather funny to watch how long it took the
realignment during one of the yellows. Confusion all over 
the place.

Willem

    Re: .13

    In what must be a huge embarrassment to CART, the scorers basically
    credited the top three drivers with an extra lap.  This was discovered
    after the fact and CART's official results showed a reduction of one
    lap in the race distance (147 vs. a planned 148).  What this means is
    the cars that were a lap down were really on the lead lap, so it's
    possible that Scott Pruett or Greg Moore were in the lead when the
    checkered flag fell.  Under CART rules, however, the unofficial
    finishing order stands.  Go figure.

    This is amazing.  I mean, even USAC doesn't do this. (Well, not since
    1981 or so.)

    George.

RE: .14

It had something to do with them being waved around the pace car just 
as the pace car was crossing the timing/scoring sensor at the 
start/finish line.

--PSW

    
    Just seen the pictures of Christian Fittipaldi's crash, in the paper.
    Did anybody watch the race? and please let me know exactly what
    happened?. Lets hope that he is OK, I know he has fractured his leg in
    4 places. 
    
    The pictures in the paper looked pretty horrific of his car flying
    through the air and coming to rest on the edge of the track. 
    
    Neal.
    

    
    
    	Yep, watched it on Eurosport, he got touched by Gil De Feran from
    behind. Eurosport said he'd broken his leg ?! The race was full of 
    yellow flag laps due to crashes, spins and engine failures, and was
    eventually won by Scott Pruett, from Greg Moore and Michael Andretti.
    
    Giles.

	I watched some highlights. The surfers paradise street circuit
	must be the worst 'track' to host a major motor race. Narrow 
	roads between high walls are bad for viewing and accidents. 

	On a proper race track, or even an oval, this accident wouldn't
	have amounted to much but in these confined spaces incidents
	get amplified.

	Fittipaldis injuries seem to have resulted not from the
	original impact which took most of the front off the 
	car, but because the noseless car then hit another wall
	and although the speed was much reduced there was no
	'crumple zone' left.

	-John

It was a horrible crash--the whole right side of the car disintegrated, sending 
debris everywhere.  The car then went airborne and slammed nose-first into a 
barrier.  The last report I heard said that the surgery to set Fittipaldi's 
broken leg was successful and that he was expected to be back racing in 3 
months.

All told, this was one of the worst CART races in recent memory--lots of 
incidents and full-course yellows, as well as some confused officiating.

Does Australia have any decent permanent road courses?

--PSW

    
    Another race Paul Tracy should have won. Strange how Alex Zanardi
    managed to still finish fourth after the whole field went by while
    they got him restarted. Al Unser Jr. must be having some severe
    difficulty with his Penske considering he started 17th and never
    finished again. 
    
    Giles.

    Re: .20

    Unser pitted during one of the early yellow flags, and the left rear
    tire wasn't properly secured.  He lost the wheel out on the track and
    toasted the hub.

    Another tough break for Al, although if anyone can struggle back from a
    35-point deficit and contend for the championship, it's him.  The tour
    stops at Long Beach on Sunday, where he's had great success in the
    past, so he may be about to turn the corner and finally get his season
    going.  
    
    George

    
    Long Beach results :-
    
    1	Alex Zanardi
    2	Mauricio Gugelmin
    3	Scott Pruett
    4	Al Unser Jr.
    5	Parker Johnstone
    6	Bryan Herta
    7	Paul Tracy
    8   Raul Boesel
    9	Jimmy Vasser
    10  Bobby Rahal
    11  Adrian Fernandez
    12  Dario Franchitti
    
    
    Once again an incident filled race, quite entertaining, with Gil De
    Feran throwing away a race win by the looks of it.
    
    Giles.

Re 19

Yes we do have some decent road courses, Philip Island, Sandown, Bathurst (now
that would be interesting!) but unfortunately where they race has more to do
with politics and advertising than anything to do with racing or safety.

Phil.