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It’s the Pits


DizRotus

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1 hour ago, Gilbert said:

 

Love it. Still even today the Indy boyz move like molasses. A typical good F1 pitstop today, is between 2.3 and 2.6s..... there are some that went sub 2.0s, but those are rare.

 

You know better than that 😀

There are 19 guys on an F1 pit crew replacing 4 wheels, and no fuel.  Indy has 6 guys replacing 4 wheels and adding up to 22 gallons of fuel. Indy has one guy per wheel. Indy pit crews will make a lot more aero adjustments also, front and the rear wing adjustments.

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It's tough to pick the greatest post WWII  F1 driver, but this guy was hands down one of the great ones. I loved his racing because he raced clean, and knew only how to drive flat-out. He was innocent by comparison to the field, with an appetite for speed was insatiable. Enzo played him to the bitter end.

 

 

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=== attended half-dozen F1 races at Indy, in the V10 17-19000rpm days. You can talk all you want on how loud a pack of NASCAR is, or the jaw dropping rage of Top Fuel cars but for sheer spine tingling sounds there was Nothing like those V10 cars shrieking at 19K.

And at Indy you find a nice grassy hill around two or three infield corners and be no more than 20-30 yards from the cars, it was really incredible. Other worldly F1 sounds from those days we’re gearing down for the 90 degree right hand turn at the end of the longest grandstand straight. Every downshift was a literal explosion that echoed as if an M80 was exploding. Those cars may have been the pinnacle of of high rpm engineering. We had great times at those races —

 

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2 hours ago, richieb said:

 

=== attended half-dozen F1 races at Indy, in the V10 17-19000rpm days. You can talk all you want on how loud a pack of NASCAR is, or the jaw dropping rage of Top Fuel cars but for sheer spine tingling sounds there was Nothing like those V10 cars shrieking at 19K.

And at Indy you find a nice grassy hill around two or three infield corners and be no more than 20-30 yards from the cars, it was really incredible. Other worldly F1 sounds from those days we’re gearing down for the 90 degree right hand turn at the end of the longest grandstand straight. Every downshift was a literal explosion that echoed as if an M80 was exploding. Those cars may have been the pinnacle of of high rpm engineering. We had great times at those races —

 

Those were incredible machines, and had an awesome sound. I have some video of them screaming down the front straight, under the grandstand, about 220 miles per hour. They were at full throttle for over 22 seconds, no other track had that long of a straight. But that sound echoing under that metal canopy...spine tingling is a proper term. 

 

The mid 90s IndyCars had a very special sound also, 3.0 ltr V-8 turbo, 900 HP, speeds approaching 250 MPH going into turn one. 

 

You being a motorcyclist, did you ever watch the MotoGP bikes race there? Spectacular sound out of only 1000 CCs. They were actually louder than the IndyCar or the F1 car. They were hitting 220 down the straight, and only using about 70% of the straightaway. I really miss the bikes. Watching those guys dragging elbows is something to see.

 

I could talk racing all day!

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After a couple years of using a bronze badge to get into qualifying and the garage area at Indy 500, I finally went to the race last year.  Had decent seats but it was 91and Indiana humidity.  We lasted about 150 laps and had to leave.  Enjoyed the pageantry and what we saw of the race.  The girlfriend and I were just wiped out under a canopy with no air circulation.  Might go again this year with better seats.  It is something to see.  The amount of people is unreal.  Before the race, we walked to the pagoda and took it all in.  Great crowd, friendly.

 

The bronze badge is one of the best bargains. I only used it for qualifying days and it gets us in the garage and up close. Got both me and girlfriend in on it.  The ticket people don’t really look too close when going in.  Got to walk around and absorb the history of the place when it’s not too full compared to race day.  Visited museum.  Also used badge to get into the Friday and Saturday concerts before the race.  It wasn’t groups I would have paid to see.  Last year Train and Blues Traveler played on Friday.  Wasn’t really a Train fan, but became one.  They had the crowd going.  Played some Led Zeppelin songs that were spot on.  Saturday they had Sam Hunt, who I thought I’d enjoy, but didn’t.

 

Really a great experience.  Definitely getting the bronze badge this year.  I just like exploring the place without the crowd and visiting the garage. Best bargain in racing. 

 

Played golf there in April.  The course has 4 holes inside the race track.  Nice course.

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5 hours ago, Ceptorman said:

 

I could talk racing all day!

Me too!  I'm still trying to figure out how AJ drove thru that junkyard in the short chute btwn 1 and 2.  I always shot w/a couple old local guys in there.  They were hunkered down behind the wall and I was peekin over the top w/the motor drive runnin....  There's AJ!  Couldn't believe it.  Grabbed a handful outta my Coors beer Pitcher and have a box full somewhere!  Then there was the time when...  hahaha 

indy1.jpg

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3 hours ago, Dave1290 said:

Me too!  I'm still trying to figure out how AJ drove thru that junkyard in the short chute btwn 1 and 2.  I always shot w/a couple old local guys in there.  They were hunkered down behind the wall and I was peekin over the top w/the motor drive runnin....  There's AJ!  Couldn't believe it.  Grabbed a handful outta my Coors beer Pitcher and have a box full somewhere!  Then there was the time when...  hahaha 

indy1.jpg

Very cool photo. I'll bet you have seen a lot while taking pictures there.

I believe that Foyt win was in 1967, I was still in diapers!

I was there for his 1977 win, and his last qualification session when he announced his retirement in 1993. He was weeping when he said goodbye to the place.

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6 hours ago, Ceptorman said:

Very cool photo. I'll bet you have seen a lot while taking pictures there.

I believe that Foyt win was in 1967, I was still in diapers!

I was there for his 1977 win, and his last qualification session when he announced his retirement in 1993. He was weeping when he said goodbye to the place.

I was weeping as well. I had tears running down my cheeks as this man is my hero.

It was an impromptu decision that A.J. made because his other car driven by Robby Gordon had just crashed and A.J. believed he needed to be a full time owner to mentor his driver.

We always sat under the first "I" in Indianapolis on the old tower and the interview took place on pit lane directly below me.

Ironically right after Robbies crash there was a woman standing in the aisle right next to me (as we were on the top row) who was physically shaken. She asked me if she could sit down and said she was Robby Gordons mom.

This was back in the day where Pole day drew 250,00 people and every seat was filled.

 

 

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