Indy 500 goes for F1 style quali shoot out

[John S]

It would appear that American racers do take F1 seriously,   well seriously enough to adopt a nine car final shoot out for pole at the Brickyard. 

http://www.indycar.com/news/show/55-izod-indycar-series/35271-new-indy-quals-points-payday-prestige/

[cosworth151]

Noooooooooooooo!!!!!!! 

Please, get rid of this rodeo clown & bring back Tony George!

[Jericoke]

So they're adding ANOTHER round of qualifying to Indy?  The entire month of May isn't enough?

It's going to be quicker to qualify for the World Cup at this rate.

[cosworth151]

No, they're cutting it down even more. They had already cut it down to two days (22-23 May), now they're cutting one of those in half.

[Jericoke]

No, they're cutting it down even more. They had already cut it down to two days (22-23 May), now they're cutting one of those in half.

I know they'd been cutting back qualifying at Indy.  When it was the first race of the year, it made sense to give the cars a serious shakedown and chance to get things right.  Now that it's 'just another race', it's sort of awkward to spend that much time out of the spotlight (casual fans aren't going to tune in for speed week).

But at the end of the day, racing is as much about the fans in the seats as it is those at home.  Why mess with Indy?

Or if you're going to mess with it, really mess with it.  Open it back up.  Make it count in the F1 world championship again ;-)  Even if they had to use IRL spec cars, I bet Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull would show up.  Hell... F1 teams could probably turn a better profit if they could design and sell IRL spec chassis (that is, make the IRL spec match F1...)

[John S]

Or if you're going to mess with it, really mess with it.  Open it back up.  Make it count in the F1 world championship again ;-) 

If you let the F1 boys back in they will run away with the Indy 500, because of the performance difference the F1 cars should be finished before the Indy cars get to the three quarter mark. 

Indy series is run to very small budgets even when compared to the lowest teams in F1 so it would be impossible to combine the specs for either.

[Jericoke]

Or if you're going to mess with it, really mess with it.  Open it back up.  Make it count in the F1 world championship again ;-) 

If you let the F1 boys back in they will run away with the Indy 500, because of the performance difference the F1 cars should be finished before the Indy cars get to the three quarter mark. 

Indy series is run to very small budgets even when compared to the lowest teams in F1 so it would be impossible to combine the specs for either.

I don't really see it happening, but a girl can dream.

I'm suggesting that Indy 500 count towards the F1 championship, but that the F1 teams run IRL spec cars.  By building their own cars, they could become suppliers to the IRL series, meaning that the teams would have choices, and bring back some of the old style IndyCar where everyone wasn't running the same chassis/engine.

Certainly not all F1 teams could afford a second chassis programme, but they could easily buy IRL spec equipment, perhaps even partner with existing IRL teams to share budgets.

It also helps the 500, which has waned in viewer interest.  Whatever your views of Ferrari are as an F1 fan, surely the IRL would love to have Ferrari involved.

[Scott]

If you let the F1 boys back in they will run away with the Indy 500, because of the performance difference the F1 cars should be finished before the Indy cars get to the three quarter mark. 

Well lets look at it if Indy was opened up to the F1 cars, but the F1 cars weren't allowed to go out of F1 specifications...

I'm not sure F1 cars have what it takes to make it through 200 laps of the Brickyard, and unless they were allowed to copy the IRL aero, they might find it a bit daunting with their front and rear wing configuration.  The other thing would be that they would have to refuel, even with the bigger tanks.  Indy rules would apply in the pits of course, so you would only have 5-6 guys over the wall (not sure what the rules are presently in the IRL for pit crews).  No tire warmers, no blue flags and a rolling start.

And to top it off, the F1 drivers would have to be taught how to say 'I want to first thank my (cough, cough) _Marlboro Shell Santander Alice Scuderia Ferrari team for such great work they've done today...' for the post race interview   

[Jericoke]

I'm not sure F1 cars have what it takes to make it through 200 laps of the Brickyard, and unless they were allowed to copy the IRL aero, they might find it a bit daunting with their front and rear wing configuration.

I seem to recall that the speed trap at the USGP at Indy was at the end of the oval straightaway, and that the F1 cars were going about 20 mph slower than Indy cars.  Of course, the F1 cars were configured for the infield section, or as Murray Walker put it, "The F1 cars have barn doors for wings, and the IndyCars have tea trays"

There was a couple of years where ChampCar ran at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, so you could compare the times directly.  The Arrows qualifying time (last place) was 2 seconds faster than the CART pole time.

[John S]

I don't really see it happening, but a girl can dream.

I'm suggesting that Indy 500 count towards the F1 championship, but that the F1 teams run IRL spec cars.  By building their own cars, they could become suppliers to the IRL series, meaning that the teams would have choices, and bring back some of the old style IndyCar where everyone wasn't running the same chassis/engine.

Certainly not all F1 teams could afford a second chassis programme, but they could easily buy IRL spec equipment, perhaps even partner with existing IRL teams to share budgets.

It also helps the 500, which has waned in viewer interest.  Whatever your views of Ferrari are as an F1 fan, surely the IRL would love to have Ferrari involved.

The Indy 500 fell off the F1 calendar precisely because it required different cars, or at least heavily modified cars, so without big money sponsors wanting the top F1 teams to run at Indy it'll never happen. Apart from F1 there is only money in chassis supply if you can get the numbers up, like all other open wheel series around the world Indy teams do not want hugely expensive F1 style chassis.

Yeah you are probably right Scott, on the oval most of the high tech stuff on F1 cars makes very little difference, I was reaaly just trying to make a point, very clumsily it seems, about the different levels of sophistication and expenditure in the two series.

[cosworth151]

Indy was on the calendar in the 50's because F1, which was under much wiser management at the time, knew that it needed a race in the U.S. When Sebring, then Riverside and finally Watkins Glen went on the schedule The 500 was no longer needed.

[lkjohnson1950]

No one seems to realize that the one thing Indy still has going for it is it's tradition. The more they muck about with that the more they damage the race. This form of qualifying is what they use on the IRL road courses. The shootout adds a bit of drama to qualifying day. Indy doesn't need it. Indy needs changes in the rules to allow variety and innovation. This is almost as dumb as The Chase in NASCAR. Without the Chase, Jimmie Johnson would not have any championships!!

Lonny

[Dare]

I remember when bubble day was the day
to watch,seeing the cars lined up waiting
for one more try with 15 minutes left
can't be beaten

[cosworth151]

This is almost as dumb as The Chase in NASCAR.

Now the Drugstore Cowboy is talking about bringing something like that to the IRL, too. 

[Jericoke]

This is almost as dumb as The Chase in NASCAR.

Now the Drugstore Cowboy is talking about bringing something like that to the IRL, too. 

I've been watching F1 for 15 years now.  In that time, I've seen a healthy mix of WDCs coming down to the wire, as well as WDCs decided early.

One thing I've learned is that both scenarios are very exciting.  When the last race counts for all the marbles, the tension is tremendous.  Everyone is second and third guessing everything.  Alternatively, once things are wrapped up, there's nothing on the line, and everyone just DRIVES.  They take chances and risks because, why not?  The tension might not be present, but the spectacle can be spectacular.

There just insn't a need for a 'playoff' in long distance motorsports.