United States Grand Prix (1 Viewer)

[CharlesD]

The United States Grand Prix (USGP) is this weekend in Indianapolis, IN. Anyone else going? I've been to the three previous USGPs in Indy. I've been there for all three days previously but that won't work out this year, instead I'll be driving Friday afternoon & Saturday morning and hope to be at the track in time for the first practice session Sat. morning.

The forecast is for rain Saturday and with that and M. Schumacher only having a 3pt. lead over Juan Pablo Montoya should mean a fun weekend!

 

[wally]

Please post a report when you return Charles.

I'm considering attending next year. Assuming it's on the schedule. When/Where did you purchase your tickets? Do they have ticket/hotel packages available?

Go Juan Pablo!

 

[Keith Mickunas]

It is on the schedule next year in June or July. Search for Formula 1's web site and you should be able to find a way to buy tickets. There are also a couple of companies that do package deals including hotels, tickets for all three days, transportation to and from the track, and cocktail parties with some of the drivers. Watch the races on Speed for info on one of them.

 

[Chris Derby]

Is there anybody else that thinks that the USGP could be held at a better track than Indy? Road America, maybe?

 

[CharlesD]

Wally, I ordered my tickets through the Indianapolis Speedway http://imstix.brickyard.com/InetTix/ I've been going since 2000 and have just renewed the same tickets each year.

I'd agree that Road America would be a much better track for the USGP, but Indy is the only track in the US that has the facilities needed for a GP and it took 10s of millions of dollars to get that track ready for the USGP. Tony George is willing to loose huge amounts of money in the short term (on the USGP and the IRL) to get what he wants, I doubt there is anyone else like that out there willing to do the same for RA or any other track in this country.

 

[wally]

Thanks Charles!

Have a great, safe time.

 

[CharlesD]

Well I had a great time at the USGP as always. They say that attendance was up from last year (I can't tell as the area I'm in is always packed) and all of those extra people came from Columbia! There were as many Columbian flags as there were Ferrari flags.

The atmosphere was great with the Columbians singing and chanting and going crazy every time Montoya was shown on the TV screens. They made the brazilin fans look laid back We even got treated to a spontaneous rendition of the Columbian National Anthem just before the race.

It was cold though. My seats are at the back of the lower grandstand right across from the Ferrari pits. The back of the stand is open and faces the direction the wind and weather was coming from. Brrrr. About 1/2 an hour before the race we got a little shower of rain which of course set everyone (esp. the Columbians) cheering. Then a little hail which got everyone worked up.

Big cheers went up as the cars started coming out of the pits to form up on the grid. The pre-start atmosphere is always very exciting at an F1 race as they prepare for the standing start and this time even more so with the World Championship on the line. The start was amazing as always with 20 V-10s screaming off the grid at the same time.

At first Schumacher just kept going backwards with some one passing him almost every lap, much to the delight of the Montoya fans. Then Juan Pablo got his drive through penalty (unfortunately the cameras did not capture the entire incident, and while JPM might have been a little too aggressive it seems like it was a racing incident to me - in any case not a good way to end his Championship bid) putting him behind Schumacher.

Once it started raining for real Schumacher was able to work his way to the front of the filed and was not challenged for the final third of the race. Overall I thought it was a very good race, a lot of excitement on and off track and it is because of races like this that I love F1 so much.

The irony of the USGP is that, in terms of global TV audiences, this is by far the biggest sporting event held in the USA but it is almost completely ignored by Americans. Not that I'm complaining, it means I can great seats for $85 (and much less if you buy from a scalper outside). Try that at the Super Bowl.

 

[Michael St. Clair]

Tickets were the most expensive outside they have ever been. Not cheap like before. We had to pay face value to get seats in J or Northwest Vista, in past years they were easily half off with a little walking and talking. Seats at the finish line were $15-$20 in 2001. Basically, I think no brokers or individuals are speculating on the tickets any more, so supply has dropped to the level of demand.

Of course, the good thing is that we could at least get those seats for face, so many fans know the value of J and Northwest Vista so it's impossible to get those seats directly from the speedway due to perpetual renewals.

I think the crowd was up over last year due to the championship still being alive. Moving the race to June next year should help some.

We had SPEED Channel audio on the scanner and that was great.

I'm sick and tired of the stewards giving out penalties for racing incidents this year. Not a good way to end the chamionship for Montoya. There will always be an asterisk next to this year in my mind.

 

[Chris Derby]

I'm sick and tired of the stewards giving out penalties for racing incidents this year. Not a good way to end the chamionship for Montoya. There will always be an asterisk next to this year in my mind. "

Agreed on the penalty. But don't put the astrisk there just yet. Let's wait and see where JPM finishes in the final race.

 

[Michael St. Clair]

Agreed on the penalty. But don't put the astrisk there just yet. Let's wait and see where JPM finishes in the final race.

Montoya is mathematically eliminated. Only way MS doesn't win the championship is if he finished out of the points (likely only in a DNF) in the last race and Raikkonen finishes on top.

 

[Chris Derby]

I know he was eliminated. If Montoya DNFs or doesn't win, then the penalty might not have made as big of a difference.

I would have liked to have seen the last race be for the championship. I think if JPM and Raikkonen had finished 1-2 and Michael had finished either on the box or 4th, whoever had won the final race would have been champion.

Now we just get to set around and see if Michael breaks and if Kimi can pull it out.

 

[Craig]

Yes, the USGP deserves to be run at a traditional road course. I went up to Watkins Glen a couple of times in the late 70s when the race used to held the first weekend in Oct. Great setting, rolling countryside, leaves turning, etc. They ran the long 3.3 mile course, not the shorter course like Nascar does. Anyway, it was a great experience and a beautiful setting for the race.

 

[Steve Ridges]

What was the deal with Schumacher passing under a yellow? It sure looked suspect but then they never said anymore about it? Did anyone else catch this?

 

[Keith Mickunas]

Steve, he may have completed the pass on the straight, if he was ahead before he entered the turn that was under caution, then there would be no violation. You can bet if there was any real question of it, Williams and McLaren would be raising a big stink about it right now.

 

[CharlesD]

Right. With a local yellow the no passing zone starts at the point the yellow is being waved and extends to the next flag station (green flag). Schumacher was already in front when the cars got to the yellow flag.