Two Takes on The End of the Race

[Liz]

Montoya: "At the end he [Mikey] was trying to push me off, but I just said to myself, I'M not lifting ... "

Mikey: "We were trying little tricks on each other, but it was a clean race ... "

Now I looked at the ending in slow motion and I saw Mikey hit Montoya's car twice and try to push him into the slower car and into the wall. Is this what Mikey calls "a clean race"?

[Heeltoe6]

So Juan must be lying too:
"It was really very clean and very good," said the smiling victor. "It was fun to race against Michael. I was passing him, he was passing back and I was passing him."
http://www.cart.com/R11/news/CAR20000723nw00002WFC.html

All Mikey and Juan did was bang wheels a little. Wheel bangin itself is clean. Pushing someone into the wall(i.e. fittipaldi) would be an example of what is not clean.

[Dave S]

I didn't hear Juan say anything about being pushed off. I heard him say when he saw the slower car in front of him he wasn't going to lift, "I'd have hit him if I had to." Do you really think he was serious? No offense Liz, but you're letting your obvious hatred of Mikey cloud your judgement. They were awfull close, but intentional ? Nah, I just don't see it. I saw 2 great driver's (& come on, you don't gotta like him) dueling it on the edge. I thought it was a really good race, but then that's only an opinion. Juan himself said it was great fun, & he has complete confidence in running wheel to wheel with Mikey.

[KC]

Both Montoya and Andretti tried numerous times to intimidate one another into lifting and neither did. No harm, no foul. It was a spectacular ending and either driver deserved the win. Andretti came very close to touching Montoya but I don't think they did, Montoya pushed Andretti down the track when he passed Marques right at the line. He admitted as much after the race that he wasn't going to lift even if it meant hitting Marques or Andretti.

[Jared]

Agreed, Dave S. Liz seems to have a rather obvious hatred of Michael. I'll bet it also drove some of these American-bashers crazy when Memo stormed through the field, without a weight-jacker, I might add. He scored as many points yesterday as Mr. Fontana has all year. Memo deserves a ride in '01!

BTW, was it just me, or did Montoya and Andretti actually touch coming out of Turn 4 on the last lap?

[Dave S]

It looked to me like they touched at least a few times in the closing laps. I don't get a sense of 'American Bashing', & I have to admit to not caring too much for Andretti, but you have to admit he's a DRIVER. Montoya obviously thinks so too. He does have his problems, he does whine & has a really arrogant attitude. But if other drivers say they are confy running wheel to wheel with him, that has to carry some weight. I merely point out that accusing him of deliberately trying to kill another driver is way over the top. That said, I damn sure wouldn't want to be on his pit crew!

[Nuvolari]

I was rather suprised by Juan Pablo's post-race comments: He had nothing negative to say about Mikey's tactics in those final, exhilarating laps. I'm no fan of Michael's, but to my eye there was nothing untoward in the dice.

Now, as for Mr. Fittipaldi . . .

Had such an idiotic move been pulled on him, he would still be whining to the television cameras.

[bobdrummond]

In this weeks Autosport, Gordon Kirby reckons Michigan was one of the greatest races in history. Seeing as how I failed to draw breath for the last 15 laps (something TGF et al have failed to cause, ever!), I think he may have a point. British Eurosport made a great effort to ruin it, but the class of Ben Edwards and Jeremy Shaw came through. Great stuff

Kirby also reported that the two did indeed touch on the last lap and both cars have th marks to prove it.

Lads, you're doing over 240mph. Stop it!

[Jared]

I thought I saw a whisp of tire smoke from them coming out of Turn 4.