Rahal/Letterman out.....
 

Re: Rahal/Letterman out.....
 

While not running the Indy Cars, he is still doing an ALMS effort with BMW M3's.

Re: Rahal/Letterman out.....
 

guess ethanol got pissed about the brazilian ethanol only supply deal huh????

Re: Rahal/Letterman out.....
 

we'll be lucky to have 33 again this year. This whole deal su(ks! period :thumbsdown:

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It sucks but it's a sign of things to come.

Jim Morrison

Re: Rahal/Letterman out.....
 

It's been coming ever since Honda and Toyota took over the sport and moved it right back into the same predicament that CART was in when the IRL was formed. Why are they running $million leased engines when there is a whole cottage industy of engine builders out there who could be building good motors for less than $75K? It just boggles my mind by how far Tony has let the sport slip away from his founding principles. The motors are just one part of it, too. By 2002, it looked like the sport was turning the corner. Small teams (by Indy car standards) were competitve, there were some American circle trackers in decent rides (along with foreign road racers), fantastic racing, costs seemed to under control to the point that these small teams could survive and compete and several venues that were drawing good crowds such as Texas, Kentucky and Charlotte. The foundation for a great American sport was there. It's gone now.

Re: Rahal/Letterman out.....
 

Unfortunatly The million dollar lease engine is part of the sport. For a NASCAR truck running Toyota their engine lease is over 900k and before the current economic situation GM was in process of rolling out a new truck motor that would put the year lease up from 600k to almost 900k. You do not have to lease your engine in NASCAR but there is no way you could be competive or keep a decent engine up with the ever changing NASCAR specs with out a lease

Re: Rahal/Letterman out.....
 

Blame Penske, and Ganassi. Look at the timeframe, when they got into this series, the Hemelgarn's, and Dryer and Reinbold cars started the decline.

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Why are they running $million leased engines when there is a whole cottage industy of engine builders out there who could be building good motors for less than $75K?


75K times 18 (17 races and a second engine for Indy) =1.35 million.

Cheaper to Lease..

Re: Rahal/Letterman out.....
 

I have never understood why they don't run unlimited engines in Indy? Like back when they tried the 6 cyl chevys, ford cosworth etc. What changed all that?

I lost my love for Indy years ago when Penske dominated it every year and they slowed the cars down so the women could drive em and reduced pit road speed to 55mph????? What the He** is that in a race??? Well it isn't racing, its made for TV entertainment just like NASUCK!:moon:

Re: Rahal/Letterman out.....
 

Umm the slowing down of the cars had nothing to do with the gender behind the wheel. Cars passing 230 on an average and pushing it higher and higher every year...we would be close to 250 right now if they had not been slowed down.

If you return to the unlimited engine rules there would be no way to contain the cars in a crash and it would also not be possible to protect the drivers or the fans.

And pit road speed limits....remember there are people on pit road trying to service the car. It seems like some one gets run over once a year as it is with the speed limits, take those away and it would be far worse then a simple bruse or broken bone

Re: Rahal/Letterman out.....
 

This is a quote from what someone said on the other open wheel form (the one mostly about IndyCar). I know it’s not spot on but I’m with him on this, this will be how the year and rides will look.

[Quote]
“4 AGR - (Kanaan, Patrick, Andretti, Mutoh)
2 Penske - (Briscoe, Power)
2 Ganassi - (Dixon, Francitti)
2 NHL - (Rahal, Doornbos)
2 KVRT - (Morias, Servia)
2 Vision - (Carpenter, Foyt IV)
2 D&R - (Conway, Duno)
1 Coyne - (Junquira)
1 HVM - (Viso)
1 Panther - (Wheldon)
1 LDR - (Matos)
1 Foyt - (Miera)
1 3G - (Barrett)
1 Conquest - (Tagliani)
1 Rubicon/PCM - (Rice)
Thats 24 for sure (IMO)
I also have the following 2 as highly probably
1 HVM - (Wilson)
1 Coyne - (Hunter-Reay)
Thats 26
And i think we will see some bunping at Indy! Take those 26 and add the following:
1 Vision - (Hamilton)
1 LDR - (Sheckter)
1 Hemelgarn - (Lazier)
1 RLR - (Lloyd)
1 Penske - (Castroneves)
1 3M - (Barron)
1 Fisher - (Fisher)
1 Foyt - (Manning)
1 D&R - (Bell)
1 Rubicon/PCM/Schmidt - (Papis)
1 Conquest - (Camara)
1 Team France - (Phillippe)

Thats 38 for Indy. Come on guys, have some faith!” [Quote]

I don’t there in as bad of shape as some of you people think.

Re: Rahal/Letterman out.....
 

Plus Vasser hinted last year that KVRT might run an extra car for him in '09

We have heard this is the year this is the year for so long but there are so many people that want to be part of that race that if there is an open slot it will get filled

Which forum do you visit?

Re: Rahal/Letterman out.....
 

I get all the local sprint stuff on here, but I go to http://www.trackforum.com/ for the IndyCar things.

Re: Rahal/Letterman out.....
 

Take the aero off, and then put in an unlimited engine rule. That would certainly identify the "drivers".

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If it takes 18 engines to get a team through a season they may wanna think about a different engine builder! :O:
David.

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I agree, David! I didn't know a rebuild was up to $75k now. Our last one was about $4k! :O:

Re: Rahal/Letterman out.....
 

Yeah... run what you brung, if you had the (explitive) courage to do so!

Although, that's what I have been hopin for... I think the chances are unlikely.... I grew up at the Speedway... take me back, not to just the Foyts, Andrettis and Unsers - but I'm talking Vogler, Stan Fox - running the Speedway during the day and places like the Prairie that night...

But my heart still goes out to Speedway, I've been there every year since I was born and there's no place I'd rather be during the month of May. It's so much more than just the cars and the drivers... it's a sanctuary - holy ground.... History repeats itself and the greater days are coming...

NASCAR is so corporate now, they are where CART was before it shot itself in the foot....

Re: Rahal/Letterman out.....
 

I agree, NOVI, it's still a magical place and I will be there for as long as I can still physically make it (or until you have to buy a seat license for the right to purchase a ticket!!!) but, now it's the event itself and the surroundings that capture me, not as much the people and drivers involved. I just don't have a connection to Oriel Servia, Morias, Doornbus, Junquira, Mutoh.......................

Re: Rahal/Letterman out.....
 

Nothing you said here smb makes any sense except for slowing down the cars so the women can drive em.

Pit crew members weren't getting ran over at high pit roads speeds. And what does the engine have to do with the crash or protecting drivers and fans???:confused:

Like I said and you confirmed it, it isn't racing anymore its a compition like round ball sports.

Re: Rahal/Letterman out.....
 

Then how fast is to fast?

The quickest way to slow down the cars is reducing the engines

NHRA has been slowly reducing the engine size and fuel percentage for years to get their cars under control

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I don't know Sean, Indy sucks now like Nasuck, open/closed pit roads??? Who decided that the pits were open or closed like a parts store?

Indy used to be about inovation, endurance, speed!!! Drivers that would take the risk to go as fast as possible. Make it 500 miles......... :checkered:

Its not like that anymore:thumbsdown:

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Motormasher, you do have to like the fact that it is hard to name the last person who was killed at Indy. SMB is right, they realized that 250 mph not only puts the drivers at more risk but the fans as well. I don’t know why everyone is bashing the IndyCars. I know that people like Ballou and Yeley are not in it but it still has great racing. I will be attending the Indy 500 and the Kentucky speedway race because I enjoy IndyCar racing.

Re: Rahal/Letterman out.....
 

Tony Renna was the last one I remember and that car actually landed in the grandstand. Thankfully on a practise day when no one was there. Race day? Disaster!!!

Re: Rahal/Letterman out.....
 

Paul Dana was the last indy car driver be killed driving renna was in 2003 at indy and dana was 2006 in homestead. kinda brings this full circle as dana was in the Rahal letterman ethonal car.

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I don't believe Indy has ever been "run what you've brung." They've always had rules and they have changed over the years.

Those changes were often adjustments to changing economic conditions to encourage a growth in entries. Or concerns about keeping the sport healthy. It happened in the 1920s and again in the 1930s, the 1960s and the 1980s. And at many other points in Speedway history. Engines were constructed to conform to those rules.

Now, the Speedway is again reviewing its rules. Looks like turbocharging is coming back. Betcha if an engine builder comes up with a new powerplant that conforms to those rules it would have a good chance of being approved.

Jim Morrison

Re: Rahal/Letterman out.....
 

Cracken that throttle open to 250 mph down the straight a way to catch that car in front of you is what racing is isn't it? You still got to be able to go around 4 corners and make it 500 miles. Isn't that what the driver is suposed to do???

Now your saying "they" are looking at the rules again? Turbos, no turbos, why does it matter? Can you not bring a car with an engine in it and try to make the race?

I really don't want to get into an arguement about what Indy's doing. Like I said earlier I have lost my interest in it. Grass root sprint car, midget and late model racing is way more competitive and a better value for your dollar. I love it!!!:applaud:

Re: Rahal/Letterman out.....
 

I was talking about the Speedway.