irl - getting better....

**gomick** · 14 Aug 2001, 06:07 (Ref:130111)

personally i think that the irl championship is coming in to its own and is a really interesting series. just watched the kentucky race and some of that racing between lazier, buhl and sharp was brilliant - along with other rounds i have seen, i now make a note to watch each event if possible

Ed G · 14 Aug 2001, 08:01 (Ref:130147)

While the race did have its good moments, the problem I find with the IRL is that there only are 4-5 decent cars and drivers and the rest are just running around for the fun of it. Lazier, Hornish, Buhl, Sharp are the only decent ones... and sometimes somebody else will show up but rarely.

It just doesn't have the depth of CART.

It is nice to see passing happening on ovals though. To be honest I thought it was a good mix of faster cars being able to pass (unlike Chicago) without being too easy to pass (such as at Michigan with the CART race) because of the draft and high banked corners. The IRL races tend to be like that... it makes for good racing... now they just need some good drivers.

And what was up with that one guy... team owner's son...10 laps down...getting in the way almost every lap. That kind of thing shouldn't be happening. It's a good thing he didn't cause an accident

One last comment... it seems to me as if some of the "debris" yellows are political. I have NEVER seen any debris on the track during any of the yellows. These yellows always seem to come whenever some one/group starts dominating the race and the field starts to get too spread out. Case in point was the race (I forget which) where Hornish had nearly lapped the field and 2 times the yellow came out to bring the field back together and allow for pitstops. (Hornish didn't win... I think it was Lazier). I understand yellows are neccesary but without just cause they ruin the flow of the race and give unfair advantage to the back markers.

Blackjack21 · 14 Aug 2001, 16:15 (Ref:130365)

Quote:

While the race did have its good moments, the problem I find with the IRL is that there only are 4-5 decent cars and drivers and the rest are just running around for the fun of it.

Sounds like Formula 1, doesn't it?

Neil C · 14 Aug 2001, 21:14 (Ref:130510)

I've said all season that IRL is coming of age.
Yes the depth of talent is shallow, but my complaint is the lack of diversity in chassis/engines. It looks too much like a one make series.

marcus · 16 Aug 2001, 02:43 (Ref:131087)

I think the racing is great..but some of the drivers are an accident waiting to happen ..and in the past it has happened..I would agree that there are only a handfull of good cars with good drivers but slowly this is coming around and we are seeing better cars and drivers come into the series all the time.

Rick treadway was not getting in the way all the time ..i think he drove a very good race ..he did have some mechanical problems but the main one who kept getting in the way was Buzz calkins..this guy is always slow and really shouldnt be out there.

given time i think rick treadway will be a competitive driver.

getting close for the title now ..Sam hornish jnr and Buddy lazier will battle it out for the title and it should be exciting..sam hornish has been very impressive but im pulling for Buddy to win.

Liz · 16 Aug 2001, 11:10 (Ref:131201)

I've just had an extremely gloating e-mail from a friend saying that she's glad the IRL is taking over at ABC because she doesn't like the "Senna wannabees" and other foreigners in Champ Cars and hopes that now they will all 'go back where they came from'.

I wrote her back and said 'to each his own' which is my position on the IRL.

botsquad · 16 Aug 2001, 16:02 (Ref:131300)

Anthony Lazzarro signing on is, unfortunately, another coup for the irl.
but.
this is what happens when you hold the hole card.
tony has indy...end of story.
he made the decision to use his advantage in a brute force attack.
the end-game is near.

Old Clunker · 19 Aug 2001, 22:49 (Ref:132777)

Quote:

Originally posted by Neil C
I've said all season that IRL is coming of age.
Yes the depth of talent is shallow, but my complaint is the lack of diversity in chassis/engines. It looks too much like a one make series.

The shallow talent part is quite an understatement. Don't you find it strange that virtual strangers to these dufus TG buggies can take them in a few days and in cases a few laps and become winners over the home town boys and girls?? It is of age all right, the age to be picked clean to the bone by any actual competition.

Some of the racing is not bad between 2-4 drivers and looks impressive as all get out when they zoom by the steady stream of back markers which developes one lap into the race. Of these 2-4 drives, except for Hornish, most are still smash and bash artists and quite unpredictable. Ray and Cheever both seem to be bent on causing the maximum amount of mayhem in any given moment.

It's interesting all right if you like betting on the survivors or what lap Blunder Wonder Fisher smashes something. "Oh, I'm so sorry," wears thin after a while.

The IRL thing is getting better all right. The best smash of their series was just a while back at the event held in Atlanta. Now that was a great open, unobstructed clear track heap of junk they built during their very last appearance there. Yessir, gettin' better 'n better

But we have a lot of great CART racin' just ahead

Old Clunker

floid2000 · 21 Aug 2001, 06:22 (Ref:133533)

OUCH ! you're tough OC . I think the Irl is doing a pretty good job.At first I was skeptical but in the last couple of years they've put on some great races.

Jimmyz360 · 21 Aug 2001, 18:54 (Ref:133815)

The truth is IRL has been making the right moves and CART has been making the wrong moves. But IRL still is as gay as nascar, kewl drivers but running in ovals gets stupid and pointless. The only reason IRL is popular is because of Indy 500. I think most people cant tell the difference between the racers like IRL/CART so many ratings are because of a confused audience.

floid2000 · 25 Aug 2001, 06:26 (Ref:135594)

"As gay as Nascar"...........That about sums up your contribution to the discussion.

nkracing · 26 Aug 2001, 17:49 (Ref:136114)

I don't know is IRL getting better. I saw two live coverages this year, on Fox Sports Net here in Latvia. One of them was INDY 500- realy exciting because of CART drivers took part and dominate, other one was at Kansas Speedway- also was good racing with lot of spectators (probably ticket prices was wery low). But I realy don't think they can attract me with only two drivers battling for title already from middle of season and so ugly racecars.

Neil C · 27 Aug 2001, 16:56 (Ref:136562)

Quote:

Originally posted by nkracing
But I realy don't think they can attract me with only two drivers battling for title already from middle of season and so ugly racecars.

You must really hate Formula One then!

Liz, I'm glad to see you have at least moved to a "live and let live" position, though I share your thoughts in general about Boy George.

Ol' Clunker, your post sheds more heat than light.

nkracing · 27 Aug 2001, 18:24 (Ref:136607)

Neil C . "Hate" is not a right word. I'm just not interested in so borring championships as IRL and F-1. For example World Rally Championships in excitement is many steps in front of F-1 and IRL.
And, design of F-1 cars is quite unacceptable for me.