6 @ the Glen

Chevyguy · 18 Jun 2004, 20:17 (Ref:1008246)

Business as usual up front in practice. #10 follow by #01. Got $5 U.S. saying Ganassi takes pole again. The Crawford team seemed to get with the program this time in the first session. Must have been Wallace and Leitzinger. Already, Speedsource is up in the top ten. I think if you're planning to run a DP, you just have to get a Riley.

Tim Northcutt · 18 Jun 2004, 20:26 (Ref:1008257)

But don't put that Pontiac in it...unless you want to face the possibility of an expensive engine change for next year....

I'm going over to the GARRA site to look at some times....I'll be back in a minute or two....

Danske · 19 Jun 2004, 15:56 (Ref:1008715)

Well, qualifying is coming up in an hour or so, and we'll find out the truth of the situation. Pruett was quoted as saying they were set back by the car being way off in the first practice session.

Looks like the weather might be a wildcard for the race again this year.

Danske · 19 Jun 2004, 18:04 (Ref:1008805)

Hmm, looks like the #01 may have broke something. Only 3 laps turned in qualifying. The #02 in 3rd. Not even a Ganassi car in the front row.

Chevyguy · 19 Jun 2004, 22:06 (Ref:1009000)

Yeah, I guess I lost five bucks. I can't beleive Ganassi would drop the ball after their first race win. They can still win the race, but I would like this to play into the hands of the other teams. They're gonna have some trouble getting around some of those fellas up front. Most of the star drivers will be getting in later in the race, Barber and Duno starting again. Here's fingers crossed for the Crawfords. I'm betting on MSR this race, those guys are due.

Danske · 19 Jun 2004, 22:52 (Ref:1009036)

Well, G&W is the highest placed team in the championship without a win, and they've averaged exactly one place better than MSR so far. They're more due than MSR.

Chevyguy · 20 Jun 2004, 08:30 (Ref:1009195)

Ya know, I thought about that after I posted last time, they're also on front row. They always seem to be in the right spot at the end of the race. Great drivers. I think both of those teams will pick up a win this year. I'm wondering what it will take for the #27 car to win. They have been pace setters at EVERY event they have entered. That is, when Leinhard isn't driving. Sorry Freddy. They got 7th on the grid. A Doran will win this one, I'm almost sure of it. Angelli is going to melt the brakes on that Riley.

So Danske, are you a fan of the DP formula? You seem to have alot of interest.

Danske · 20 Jun 2004, 15:40 (Ref:1009486)

Kevin Doran's quotes didn't seem to give much hope for them doing well in this race. He mentioned a lack of testing in particular. At least they'll have power steering today.

Would you believe that the DPs are what got me involved in racing sites on the internet? I was just a TV watcher before then, but had to find out more about them. Not quite as bad as walking into a CART bar with an IRL t-shirt, but close.

I'm not going to defend the cars themselves as the bestest ever, but the competition between the teams has been very interesting to me.

Now if they could just get the durn race properly started! Wow, maybe a whole lap under green now.

More problems for the #01 and Angelelli is starting to check out.

gttouring · 20 Jun 2004, 15:50 (Ref:1009492)

I lve the long course at the Glen- it really makes the circuit more challenging and it is so beautiful and classic looking...if Winston i mean Nextel cup had real minerals it would use the whole course...
and all the bumps in the first few- FIRST laps doesn't show well for the bulk of the field's talent... Leitzinger- it is a miracle that ALMS or a LMES team doesn't want you, even Speed GT-

paul-collins · 20 Jun 2004, 17:51 (Ref:1009586)

Quote:

Originally posted by gttouring
Leitzinger- it is a miracle that ALMS or a LMES team doesn't want you, even Speed GT-

Um, what are you talking about?

Chevyguy · 20 Jun 2004, 18:46 (Ref:1009750)

Ouch! Paul caught you on that one big time!

Well it seems now the 01 and 54 are running up front on the lead lap. I'm glad everyone's enjoying USGP coverage, I'm dying here.

gttouring · 20 Jun 2004, 19:23 (Ref:1009823)

DUH!i am a moron!
of course - but i thought they let him go ... that is why he was doing GA
i guess he is double dipping?
good on ya butch.
Sorry about that.

sometimes i have my head up my donkey

paul-collins · 20 Jun 2004, 19:58 (Ref:1009936)

What you should notice is that in fact Crawford and Dyson are very close in their operations - EFR was a long time Dyson driver, there's Butch, and of course Andy is married to Jan's daughter...

paul-collins · 20 Jun 2004, 20:31 (Ref:1009990)

What you should notice is that in fact Crawford and Dyson are very close in their operations - EFR was a long time Dyson driver, there's Butch, and of course Andy is married to Jan's daughter...

gttouring · 20 Jun 2004, 21:04 (Ref:1010063)

i must say the race has been quite good, a;though it still seems very amateuriish- concerning the wrecks and spins...I bet i could spin like that on TV

Chevyguy · 20 Jun 2004, 23:12 (Ref:1010231)

I bet I could too. Those SGS cars have got to go. Sure it's nice having forty cars, but those guys are nothing but moving chicanes. Alot of mouth has come from the Doncaster camp about how the DPs "dive bomb" them. I'm all about the faster car having the responsibility of a clean pass, but when this slower car moves right down on top of you, where you gonna go? The SGS drivers, particularly the Doncaster crew, have got to learn that they are not the fastest thing on track when racing the Rolex series. There's alot of amatuers and hobbiests in SGS, and the DP class has a massive wealth of driver talent. Maybe with new DPs coming soon, the SGS cars will be gone next year.

From their worst qualifying effort to two laps down, Pruett and Papis still finished in first big time. I guess they didn't drop the ball after all. In the end, finishing position is all that counts, and they got the best one. I wish lots of luck to chassis builders other than Riley selling cars next year.

Danske · 21 Jun 2004, 03:30 (Ref:1010309)

Well, a dead alternator for the G&W #81 and Luhr helped the MSR #6 around backwards and into a barrier. Who'd have imagined that anyone would have been wanting more yellows near the end (SunTrust and anyone else running out of gas)?

With G&W running both a DP and an SGS car I wonder what they have to say about the class struggle in Grand-Am. Probably that they would never do anything wrong in either class.

Tim Northcutt · 21 Jun 2004, 13:33 (Ref:1010735)

Many of us predicted that once the Riley cars got whatever bugs worked out that they would dominate...

With Team Ganassi finishing 1-3 and SunTrust in 2nd, guess we can look forward to future domination....

Pruitt & Papis drove through the field like they were standing still....

Unbelievably dominant....

Cadete · 21 Jun 2004, 13:42 (Ref:1010747)

About the GT class, what put the Maserati so far away from the leaders? Problems or was it simply slow?

Burd · 21 Jun 2004, 14:24 (Ref:1010800)

Quote:

Originally posted by gttouring
i must say the race has been quite good, a;though it still seems very amateuriish- concerning the wrecks and spins...I bet i could spin like that on TV

The poor Maserati was run into about 146 times...

cybersdorf · 21 Jun 2004, 14:42 (Ref:1010821)

So what is it, the speed difference, or doe SGS have all the inexperienced crews?

Fogelhund · 21 Jun 2004, 15:11 (Ref:1010865)

Actually, there are quite a few very talented and experienced drivers in SGS. Certainly with names such as Andy Lally, Mike Rockenfeller, Randy Pobst.... being involved the class hardly lacks for driver talent. There are a number of lesser talents in the class, but the same could be said for GT and DP. The Doncaster folks are pretty experienced and successful, its not as if these are some of the Club Racing folks who have moved up a class.

As far as removing SGS, keep in mind that there will only be one GT class next year, and it is expected to be around SGS level of performance.

There has been quite a bit of unacceptable contact in the series all year, and not just from inexperienced drivers either.

Danske · 21 Jun 2004, 17:00 (Ref:1011035)

Quote:

Originally posted by Cadete
About the GT class, what put the Maserati so far away from the leaders? Problems or was it simply slow?

Early in the race the Maserati put in some 1:56 laps after being shuffled to the back of the field in the starting fracas, but later never broke 2:00. To compare, the #21 BMW put in 1:55s the whole race. I can't point to anything specific that slowed the Maserati, but the race notes do say they had some electrical problems and they surely had contact along the way.

billnchristy · 21 Jun 2004, 18:01 (Ref:1011112)

Some pictures from the weekend.

Im having all sorts of computer problems, so more to come!

I took about 500 or so shots this weekend and will weed that done to 150 or so when all is said and done.

http://www.pbase.com/billnchristy/saturday_

enjoy

Chevyguy · 21 Jun 2004, 23:28 (Ref:1011487)

Thamks William, for those sharing those very nice shots. Look forward to the rest. Did you have a good time at the race?

Fogelhund, I agree with your comments on driver talent. I beleive the good SGS drivers are the minority, while the good drivers in DP are a majority.

Cybers, it seems to me that even some of the very good SGS drivers are not paying attention while the DPs come storming through. I thuink it's actual a lack of speed difference on the straights that causes the SGS driver to underestimate just how good the DPs are under braking. I'm probably going to stir up trouble with this one, but I beleive the DPs look easier to control than the LMPs under hard braking. The SGS drivers aren't realizing that they can be passed so fast under braking, that they just turn on top of the DPs. Starts and restarts are so congested, and everyone so desperate, that they are having alot of problems getting smooth starts.

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