U.S. Grand Prix ruined because of...

[J Dog]

...tire issues.

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050620/SPORTS0103/506200379/1004/SPORTS

This proves you can pop the Michelin Man with a pin.

[J Dog]

One thing comes out of this: them boys will never come back to the Circle City.

[Draconomicon]

They could have raced anyways, with other tires, but the teams would have gotten a time penality for that. So they thought "Screw the fans" and rather didnt start then taking the penality.

[Royal]

One thing comes out of this: them boys will never come back to the Circle City.

Well you try driving modifyed cars that move fast as jets with shitty tires. See how far that'll take you.

[Dreadstar]

So they thought "Screw the fans" ...
I'll lay you dollars to doughnuts that the fans never even crossed their minds. Not once.

My money is on 50% making a statement to both the Michelin people and the FIA folk, simultaneously, and 50% on not having enough time for the drivers to get properlly used to the new rubber.

Basically, it was a cluster-f*** all around and it's a shame that the fans had to bend over for it. But the fans were probably not even a tertiary concern at that point.

[Royal]

They could have raced anyways, with other tires, but the teams would have gotten a time penality for that. So they thought "Screw the fans" and rather didnt start then taking the penality.

Why should the majority get penalized for threads that don't work & haven't been tested to get the best out of them?

[J Dog]

Well you try driving modifyed cars that move fast as jets with shitty tires. See how far that'll take you.

Let me guess... not that far.

[ghostrider666]

They could have raced anyways, with other tires, but the teams would have gotten a time penality for that. So they thought "Screw the fans" and rather didnt start then taking the penality.

No they couldnt. The "back-up" tires that Michelin airlifted in were no good either. The teams were told this Sun morn about 5:30 AM. Michelin told the teams using their product that they were unsafe & not to run the race as it was. This was the 6th time the US GP was ran at Indy. Its nothing new. Michelin's problems run deeper. Drivers had problems with Mich tires blowing out in Canada & Germany in the last 2 races.
Michelin should be banned (or at least fropped by every team) from F1.

[mgs]

could the tire problem have anything to do with politics?

I mean, tires are made from oil, yes? and maybe the gov't thought it would be rationing more than they expected from the ongoing war and such and maybe a result of this was that some of the tire companies opted for a lower grade oil and such to make tires that are worn out very easily in such a sport....possibility?

[smartalek]

It's a deeply political mess. Formula1 politics, that is. ( out of 10 teams agreed to putting up a temporary chicane before turn 13, which would reduce the speeds going into the turn (turn 13). The FIA (governing body) did not liek the idea so said no. I feel bad for the people that own and run the circuit, as they did not get any apologies or compensation for what happened. This is really bad for formula 1, as they are trying to find a way into America as it is, this is definately not the way to go about doing it.

[Sir Tim Drake]

The FIA is considering penalties (http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/news/story?series=f1&id=2090441) against the teams that didn't race.

I know nothing about auto racing, but that idea seems ridiculous to me. What does FIA think the drivers should have done? Should they have raced with tires that they knew were unsafe?

[howyadoin]

What does FIA think the drivers should have done?They think the entire world should pay for the privelege of kissing FIA's collective ass. Logic doesn't enter into the equation at all.

[Phrozen]

Meh. NASCAR is so much better.

[Royal]

Meh. NASCAR is so much better.

Yes. Cause nothing says motorsports like going around in circles while keeping your foot on the pedal. Hoping & praying to god they make first.

[smartalek]

The FIA is considering penalties (http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/news/story?series=f1&id=2090441) against the teams that didn't race.

I know nothing about auto racing, but that idea seems ridiculous to me. What does FIA think the drivers should have done? Should they have raced with tires that they knew were unsafe?
The drivers would have driven if it the decision was left up to them. DUring the parade lap before the actual racing one driver David Coulthard, was heard over the team radio pleading with his team to let him race. Race car drivers are somewhat insane and will race in any condition in any type of car, that is why the team bosses had to make the decision.

[Dizzy D]

I don't blame the drivers or the teams, I do blame the FIA and Michelin. The last two have done nothing to solve the problems but covering their own ass.

The FIA stated that they couldn't put down the chicane in the 13th turn because it would give an unfair advantage to the Michelin drivers. No, you are making an unsafe part of the track safe. The FIA is too obsessed with its rules and not with the sport as it is. And now they are blaming the teams. Nice!

And Michelin is a major tire company and they don't brought a single tire that was good? Or were unable to find out why their tires sucked and Bridgestone's were OK? Anybody seen if Michelin stock took a dive yesterday? I really hope the teams sue them: they have a contract for tires and Michelin didn't deliver.

And the fans were screwed over most of all: not only did they have to watch the farce of a race, nobody told them what was going on. The moment they saw 6 of the 20 cars starting they should have left and gone to ask their money back.

[DarlingNikki]

i watched the race and was straight up shocked. what a crappy thing to happen. formula one is already on the low end of popularity here in the u.s.

then again, it's mad popular everywhere else, so i doubt it'll suffer much. that is, unless michael schumacher keeps winning.

[thehod]

then again, it's mad popular everywhere else.

Can't see why. Bores the shit outta me.

[The Fury]

Can't see why. Bores the shit outta me.
Crashes.

That's all motor sport is about, the crashes.

As long as no one gets hurt in the crash of course.

[DarlingNikki]

Can't see why. Bores the shit outta me.

you don't have to see why. evidently there are enough folks who find it interesting. i like it because i see many of the same courses on grand turismo.

[Shellhead]

I've read a few articles about this situation, and I kept drawing a blank on the word "chicane." In context, it sounded like some kind of adjustment to the track to keep drivers from going fast in that fourth turn. But I kept thinking about the word chicanery, an old word that I associate with deception. So I tried dictionary.com:

"chicane

n 1: a bridge hand that is void of trumps 2: a movable barrier used in motor racing; sometimes place before a dangerous corner to reduce speed as cars pass in single file 3: the use of tricks to deceive someone (usually to extract money from them) [syn: trickery, chicanery, guile, wile, shenanigan] v 1: defeat someone in an expectation through trickery or deceit [syn: cheat, chouse, shaft, screw, jockey] 2: raise trivial objections [syn: cavil, carp]"

So, a chicane is both a movable barrier used in motor racing and also trickery.

[Royal]

Can't see why. Bores the shit outta me.

Driving a modifyed F-16 around turns that would make everyone's ass clench at almost the speed of sound bores the shit out of you?

You're a bridge fan aren't you?

j/k :)

[howyadoin]

Yes. Cause nothing says motorsports like going around in circles while keeping your foot on the pedal. Hoping & praying to god they make first.Never seen stock cars on a road course?

[Dennis K]

F1 Racing ... *yawn*... where most of the passing takes place in the pits. Great stuff.

[Royal]

Never seen stock cars on a road course?

Stock races are badass because of the accurate driving systems in those cars. You sneeze & you'll end up in a ditch. So Stock is not only a test of endurace of the car, but you as well.

[smartalek]

I am actually partial to wrc rally racing. I think those drivers are the best in the world.

[Sir Tim Drake]

I've read a few articles about this situation, and I kept drawing a blank on the word "chicane." In context, it sounded like some kind of adjustment to the track to keep drivers from going fast in that fourth turn. But I kept thinking about the word chicanery, an old word that I associate with deception. So I tried dictionary.com:

"chicane

n 1: a bridge hand that is void of trumps 2: a movable barrier used in motor racing; sometimes place before a dangerous corner to reduce speed as cars pass in single file 3: the use of tricks to deceive someone (usually to extract money from them) [syn: trickery, chicanery, guile, wile, shenanigan] v 1: defeat someone in an expectation through trickery or deceit [syn: cheat, chouse, shaft, screw, jockey] 2: raise trivial objections [syn: cavil, carp]"

So, a chicane is both a movable barrier used in motor racing and also trickery.

So while they didn't put a chicane on the 13th turn, they did inflict one on the fans.

[ghostrider666]

While I think there's alot of problems with F1's governing body, & the crap they pull, they are NOT to blame for Sun's mess. Michelin's tires are crap. They have been all year. Its the same track they've all raced on for 6 yrs. Nothing's changed. Except Michelin's tires. They asked F1 to change their course so that their inferior product (which by their own admission was unsafe) could compete. Screw 'em. Michelin should be out of F1. And I'm a Kimi fan & hated to see him loose all the points for sitting out. But, its not teh 1st time this season that Michelin's crappy tires have put him out of a race.
And to compare NASCAR's drivers with F1 is like comparing your local pop warner football team with the NE Patriots (with a few exceptions). This weekend is a road corse for the circle-jerkers in Ca. Watch how poorly the hill-billies do when they actually have to shift, brake & turn rite.

[M203]

I am actually partial to wrc rally racing. I think those drivers are the best in the world.

Amen to that. No grip, even stricter rules, production-based vehicles, severe power cap after GrpB got banned, and 200 kay an our through a forest road as wode as your car with trees, cliffs, rocks and fatal dropoffs? THAT takes balls of steel!

[ocelotrevs]

Thing is right, this season has been the best for ages. I stopped watching it last season because I was literally falling asleep infront of the telly. It was going well this season. You have 5 teams with a decent chance of winning a race. With Toyota and Red Bull adding something to the mix. Then this stupidity comes along and ruins everything. Michilen did have correct tyres at the track but due to some red tape (1 set of tyres rule) they couldn't put them on the cars. All the teams did agree to putting a chicane in, with the setting that the Michilen teams wouldn't score points or something. But Ferrari put a spanner in the works so this couldn't happen. Mosley said that if a chicane was put in then the race would be cancelled.
I heard the commentator say that Bridgestone may have had the same problem if it wasn't for telemetry from Firestone. There was something done to the track that made the tyres not worrk properly.
It's down to a whole load of things, too much science in the cars, red tape and stupidity. But if they did race and someone died then there would also have been a kerfuffle

The WRC is the best in my opinion, and back in the day when the BTCC was on top form nowt could touch it. American oval races seem like pissed on crap, watcching cars go around and around and around. With the occasional crash. wow

[smartalek]

I only know of the BTCC because I download fifth gear videos, and Jason Plato is one of the presenters. Is he still running in the BTCC? I read that the racing in the BTCC is some of the most competitive in the world, with actual overtaking.

[ocelotrevs]

I only know of the BTCC because I download fifth gear videos, and Jason Plato is one of the presenters. Is he still running in the BTCC? I read that the racing in the BTCC is some of the most competitive in the world, with actual overtaking.

Yes it is. The last race at Oulton Park had someone taking out there team mates. The rules were relaxed a while back about contact between cars, so it makes for really tight competative racing. In fact all the touring car championships are.
Jason Plato was the former champion he took a break from the championship after he won the championship to have a go at other racing types.
He's now back in the championship

[meethraa]

Personally, I think this was the best F1 race ever, at least since Senna died.

But that's just me...

[J Dog]

Blame Micheiln & FIA (Federation International de Automobile, or something like that). Don't blame F-1 or the mecca of motor sports, Indianapolis Motor Speedway.