tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71009214702957399402024-03-13T00:33:07.381-04:00Ground(ed) EffectsKeeping well-grounded Indycar opinion and keeping tongue stuck firmly in cheek.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger126125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7100921470295739940.post-9314867029574611122019-03-06T13:40:00.003-05:002019-03-06T16:55:05.927-05:00A Welcome Sight - 2019 Indycars
Greetings everybody!I hope everyone has fared well in our open-wheel, semi-hibernative state since our last INDYCAR race back in September of 2018 (some 25 weeks ago).Where I live in Northern Indiana, the winter has been egregiously long and cold. Starting in earnest in mid-November, the wintry weather tends to make one draggy to the point of forgetting what day/week/month it is until that firstUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7100921470295739940.post-29196999998491065632018-09-14T12:56:00.001-04:002018-09-14T12:56:54.153-04:00A Season for All Fans
Two thousand and eighteen. A year in which I imagine, in the long history of the sport of Indycar racing, will be seen as a bright point in a long history of ups and downs. Perhaps seen as one of the finest in terms of the sanctioning body meeting the challenges presented by attempting to satisfy such divergent factions as fans, teams, manufacturers, drivers, venues, sponsors, and media - all Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7100921470295739940.post-86431936125632153092018-08-14T12:30:00.000-04:002018-08-14T12:30:34.756-04:00Pocono - The Other 500
(c) 2017 LAT Photographic - Abbott
While other tracks have cheekily claimed 500 or 550 or 600 in their event titles, Pocono remains the only other true, old-school, 500-miler on the schedule. With the news that Pocono is considering signing for Indycar events beyond 2018, fans of this unique and legendary palace of speed will certainly be relieved if and when it happens.What is it about 'Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7100921470295739940.post-41292467563162523852018-05-31T19:28:00.003-04:002018-06-01T09:41:49.888-04:00The Greatest 33 Update - 2018 Post-race Edition
With just hours left of May on the calendar, and in keeping with all good traditions of May, we humbly submit, in the waning moments of May 2018, the ongoing review of my "Greatest 33" following the completion of another sun-scorched and interesting Indy 500. Making this post every year also seems to serve as a bit of a salve for the sting of realizing one of the greatest weekends on my annualUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7100921470295739940.post-71359458313878117782018-05-23T11:48:00.002-04:002018-05-23T13:48:59.306-04:00Figures Don't Lie, but Liars Figure
Oft attributed (but never actually substantiated) to Mark Twain, this kitchy axiom reflects a sense that the truth via factual numbers can be perverted into something in the interest of supporting a position that might need help outside a purely factual representation.
This seems all too commonplace in the era of mass consumerism as most products and services need something akin to facts to Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7100921470295739940.post-60666755675595388012018-05-17T11:36:00.001-04:002018-05-17T13:49:29.413-04:00Vive La Livery!
The visual sense and how we react to the stimulii is one of a human's most basal conditions. Especially in this modern era of media, we are bombarded with images appealing, repulsive, and everything in between.
McDonald's, for example, is among the most prolific in their study of marketplace and more specifically telling perhaps is their devotion via millions of dollars in research over Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7100921470295739940.post-45034052752121561672018-05-10T16:01:00.001-04:002018-05-10T16:01:20.750-04:00Indycar Lore - 1988 Indy 500
Something recently rekindled my interest in listening to The Talk of Gasoline Alley radio show in May wherein Donald Davidson takes calls about the Indy 500 and fills in many blanks, detailing races and drivers past with astounding clarity and recall.It is, therefore, pertinent to note that I am, in fact, not Donald Davidson. He is a living treasure trove of Indycar and Indy 500 Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7100921470295739940.post-62928329735421555352018-04-09T18:09:00.002-04:002018-04-09T18:34:47.802-04:00W(h)ither The Oval
(c) 2018, Leavitt, LAT
Upon reading this article by Robin Miller for RACER today, I've again returned to my thoughts and this blog in considering the existence of ovals on the Indycar schedule.
On a nearly per-oval-event basis, most longtime and/or devoted Indycar fans offer thoughts on the waning existence and popularity of the "meat and potato" ovals for which there seems little Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7100921470295739940.post-39717658970674666182018-03-12T11:59:00.003-04:002018-03-12T11:59:52.194-04:00Adjectively Speaking
During ABC's TV Broadcast of the Indycar race at St. Pete yesterday, Eddie Cheever made his beloved and dramatic 'one-word' prognostication for the day's event - "chaos". In hindsight, one cannot really argue much with that as the definition accounts for some of the action on track yesterday.
I had several adjectives that described how I was feeling leading up to, during, and afterUnknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7100921470295739940.post-42871905689806399492018-01-18T12:34:00.001-05:002018-01-18T13:00:44.685-05:00Catching Up with Portland International Raceway
The addition of Portland International Raceway to the 2018 Indycar calendar was one that came as some surprise to me and forces me to connect with the sport's past in a new way during this off-season.This track originally existed on the Indycar calendar at a time when I was often preoccupied with the matters of adolescence and young adulthood, and also during the time of year (June) when still Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7100921470295739940.post-82358427417726890022017-09-15T13:05:00.003-04:002017-09-15T13:05:54.501-04:00Dear Aerokits, Thanks for Everything. Sincerely, This Old Fan
As we draw to a close this latest of Indycar seasons, we also dedicate to posterity what may be labelled as the 'Aerokit Era'. I see it as the last remnant of the Randy Bernard era or the second half of the DW12 era (2012 through 2014) pushed on by Derrick Walker, and spanning from 2015 through 2017. How it will be viewed is a matter for time to decide. Marshall Pruett has a fantastic Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7100921470295739940.post-80543836600876250052017-06-22T12:53:00.001-04:002017-06-22T12:53:08.642-04:00Overdue Love for Dr. Trammell and the Holmatro Safety Crew
(c) 2017, Indycar.com video
Recently, in what was simply the cutest letter of appreciation from a fan to Indycar, revealed the depth of understanding even an 9-year-old has for the dangers of the sport. Thankfully the dangers weren't realized in their worst and Lucy got to meet her favorite driver and see that he's OK after a terrifying, flying shunt during the Indy 500.
For driver Scott Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7100921470295739940.post-33333698343374397392017-05-31T13:25:00.000-04:002017-05-31T17:15:20.903-04:00Here I Go Again
Once again, it's that time of year that many of us struggle with. Mere hours after the checkers fall for the newest driver to add their name and likeness to the century-old legend, Indy 500 Seasonal Affective Disorder engulfs those for whom "364 days to the Indy 500" is quite possibly the saddest sporting phrase uttered at any point during the year. Instead of wallowing, I'll somewhat Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7100921470295739940.post-59816413035130316512017-05-22T18:42:00.001-04:002017-05-23T14:22:31.573-04:00News Update and The Greatest 33 Revisited - 2017
Firstly, I'll address the post-Pole Day Monday news which is in various parts disturbing, sad, and hopeful. Following those notable items, I'll forward the lesser, pithy bits I had already planned for this space today.
From the "Sad is the news from Italy" department, Kentucky native son and racer at IMS during the Moto GP days, succumbed to his injuries received after automobile collided Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7100921470295739940.post-12810291693258059562017-05-18T15:04:00.000-04:002017-05-18T15:04:33.323-04:00The Second Race I Attended
If you're currently an Indycar fan or just a fan of the Indy 500, a vast majority of us would recall with great reverence, that first race we attended and became hooked on the entire sensory experience.
How many of us recall the second race in a similar manner, however?
My second race came in 1980, one year after my first. 1979, while a fantastic experience and cementing a lifelong love of theUnknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7100921470295739940.post-63025962699007935662017-05-17T14:07:00.000-04:002017-05-17T14:16:53.895-04:00The Ugliest Car to Qualify at Indy
One of the closest and most exciting finishes in Indy history came in 2006 when Sam Hornish, Jr. passed Marco coming down the front straight within 200 yards of the line on the final lap. Never in the history of the race had the lead changed so closely to the line. My seats were located on the front straight that day just beyond the start/finish line and the noise from the crowd was deafening asUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7100921470295739940.post-34501302606771203332017-05-16T12:59:00.004-04:002017-05-16T12:59:53.507-04:00How Tennis Confirmed That I Could Never Drive an Indycar
I play sports as a way to get some exercise, but more as a way to challenge myself and assess my skills. I love to compete - fairly, cleanly, honestly. I play many sports for the competitive aspects or for the enjoyment of learning a sport new to me, but one sport I play simply for the fun of it is tennis.
Currently my Monday nights are filled with a group of mixed doubles players that Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7100921470295739940.post-87154076421636823522017-05-15T13:13:00.000-04:002017-05-15T13:17:56.945-04:00Wake Up The Echoes
The line "wake up the echoes", as almost everyone from the northern part of Indiana would recall, is a lyric from the Notre Dame Victory March. The line is set within a stanza implores one to recall and revive the glories past;
Cheer, cheer for old Notre Dame,
Wake up the echoes cheering her name,
Send a volley cheer on high,
Shake down the thunder from the sky.
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7100921470295739940.post-71051744693322420062016-03-23T12:48:00.002-04:002016-03-23T17:16:11.842-04:00Lead, Follow, or Get Out of the Way
There is an axiom that floats about the business world, "people will tell you what they want, if you just listen to them". The most successful salespersons and businesses shut up and listen, examine that information, and then figure out how to best provide it.Today the Formula 1 drivers Association also took their concerns to F1 via an open letter to the ownership and directors of thatUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7100921470295739940.post-75905860046024443332016-03-16T14:17:00.002-04:002016-03-16T14:17:59.524-04:00There, Now Don't You Feel Better?
I don't know about you, but I always feel better after the first Indycar race of the season.
The Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg has really grown on me as the season opener. The first Indycar race is always an indicator (especially here in Northern Indiana) of the impending warmer days and excitement to come. Even just seeing the race logo is a warming and welcome sight after Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7100921470295739940.post-60680859319591599312016-01-28T11:26:00.000-05:002016-01-29T03:01:39.298-05:00The Last Of The Mohicans
In the second book of James Fenimore Cooper's 5 novels comprising The Leatherstocking Tales, the character of Uncas is known as the last full-blooded member of the Mohican tribe of Native Americans who becomes allied within other tribes through marriage and also becomes a valued ally of the British forces in their skirmishes with the French over land in what is now known as Connecticut of the Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7100921470295739940.post-76469753225244279392015-08-25T13:42:00.003-04:002015-08-25T13:42:54.838-04:00Not Good Enough
It doesn't seem so very long ago when we were all left in stunned disbelief following the death of Dan Wheldon, October 16, 2011.
Maybe it's because it hasn't been that long really.
Now resigned to the terrible result of another all too fateful moment on Sunday, I finally had to take a moment away from my work duties this morning to read what I wrote in the hours (of shock and Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7100921470295739940.post-13022481787283414002015-08-05T14:24:00.000-04:002015-08-05T15:19:19.120-04:00Alternate Realities, Part II
Back again folks.
During the in-between days where the luster of the Indy 500 becomes patina and the pomp of season culmination not quite here, I dare to fill that space with something that most other outlets do not - rewrite the amazing and rich history of Indycar's biggest event, The Indy 500.
Knowing that between the fates, Racing Gods, and free will, something amazing can and often Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7100921470295739940.post-80510075883293987542015-07-14T12:44:00.002-04:002015-07-14T16:39:18.371-04:00Perception Is Everything
"There are things known,
and things unknown,
and in between
are the doors of perception"
- Aldous Huxley
With a relatively late-in-the-day 4-hour drive home from the Milwaukee Mile Sunday night, and my fully-tired 11-year-old son asleep in the co-pilot's seat, I had some extended solitude with which to consider my very enjoyable weekend in West Allis, Wisconsin.&Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7100921470295739940.post-33576471387213009662015-06-30T13:50:00.000-04:002015-06-30T13:50:10.038-04:00"I have but one question" - Existential Ennui In The Summer Of Our Discontent
"Now is the summer of our discontent
Made glorious winter by this sun of Anton;
And all the clouds that lower'd upon IMS
In the deep bosom of racing buried."
In paraphrasing Shakespeare's Richard III, I am comparing the rise and fall of not only the oft-maligned leadership of Indycar by Anton Hulman George, but Indycar itself.
It is interesting to me that nobody is more Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2