[Gregg]

My 2 cents.

We need to differentiate Indy 500s into three distinct categories.

Category one. 1911 to about 1980, where most people reflect back on when they talk about the rich history (examples Ralph DePalma, the Boyle Maserati of Wilbur Shaw and Ted Horn, The Blue Crown Spark Plug Team with Mauri Rose and Bill Holland, Bill Vukovich, the Novi, the Watson and Kurtis-Kraft Roadsters, the Ward-Rathmann duels,Parnelli, Jimmy Clark and the Lotus, and Supertex the first 4-time winner).

Category Two. 1981 to 2005. The CART influence, still some good years but a complete transformation from mostly a diverse mixture of drivers to mostly road course specialists, with a brief respit (the IRL).

Category Three. 2006 on. The Daytonafication of the Indy 500. Spec cars, rental engines, pack racing, plenty of wrecks and winners that come out of nowhere (example, the Mobil Economy Run of 2016).

Category Three has about as much to do with Category One as a dandelion has to do with a rose.


As for this years Indy 500, I can't wait for Indiana Midget Week.

[Aces&Eights]

to Sato, very smart well driven race.
Cars are still so ugly.
Long Live the IRL and the phenomenal drivers and great races of that era!

[Aces&Eights]

Moving on.

[Brickyard]

Originally Posted by Aces&Eights I think with all you anti-American, anti-Dirt Track comments you should go over there, you won't be missed on here. I bet we could get the money together for your ticket on here in less than an hour. You make me sick with your pro-euro anti-American rants and racists accusations. Your man already finished his 2 terms and is gone, along with his frenchy/socialists ideas, I think it's time your term on IOW ended as well. You're in the wrong place, move on and go wrap your arms around that wonderful big euro-world that you believe is so much better than anything we do over here. I don't live in Indiana myself, but the more I learn about it and the pride they have in supporting their local dirt racers, I plan to move there. You, I think, should go overseas so you can be happy. You could put on that beret you've been itching to wear and go drive around in an old 2 cycle renault, eat smelly cheese, drink some wine and complain about those ghastly backward Americans in every cafe you stop in. On IOW we like dirt tracks and open wheel racecars without wings and we could care less about your bigotted, eurotrash, anti-american, historical revisionists oral flatulence. Pi$$ off.

Yep, I hate this country so much. So much in fact that I served 10 years in the infantry and served on a post 9-11 deployment...

Hate dirt tracks too. Hate them so much that I typically go to three or four a year.

Detest non wing sprints.....so much that I go to one or two of their races a year at those said dirt tracks.

No, the problem isn't me. The problem is the unwillingness to educated yourself in the truth and continue to spout lines of ignorance while everything falls down around you. People, such as yourself, when encountered with the truth typically react in just the manner you have.

You can keep blaming Penske, CART, the Pope, and even God Almighty if you choose too. You can even keep saying if only we had 10 People's Champs, 11 Modern Day Cowboys, and 5 Stomp and Steers on the grid and another IRL the ratings would be through the roof and this series would be bigger than Jesus H. Christ himself until your blue in the face if you so desire. Doesn't change the fact that that exact line of thinking is exactly why that series is in the mess it currently finds itself and those drivers you so desire to see at Indy have the toughest time they have ever had in finding a way there. Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe that is what we called "Vision".

Yeah, I know, Dan Gurney was just a business man with a business plan who wasn't a dirt beneath the fingernails, bologna eating, Natural Lite swilling, staying up until 3 am the night before the big event trying to get that right rear just right kind of guy that just completely ruined racing.....never mind the fact that "businessman" with a "business plan" was indeed a dirt beneath the finger nails racer and designer....considered to be one of the all time greats and was well versed in how F1, not content with just being a regional deal, grew itself into a world power.

I posted that link to his plan. The response I got from one? "Oh, I only read a few lines before it became a apparent this guy is just another businessman". Well no ***** Sherlock. If you read more of it you might have learned something. Told me all I needed to know about a few of you. Sometimes the easier thing in life is to remain ignorant and mediocre rather than taking the bull by the horns, learning right and wrong from those who have traveled the trail before us, and fighting your way to the top.

I'll make sure to order a side of Freedom Fries and loudly hum the National Anthem while mowing the lawn so as to not harm your delicate sensibilities.

BTW, no matter how much I might disagree with someone, I would never advocate flying them on a permanent trip out of this country. I don't think much of general public would be able to tolerate some of the fine ***** holes of the world that myself and my friends have had the luxury of visiting. Smooches and Chomps sweetheart.

[mc/rider]

Hmm, I thought this site was about open wheel racing and the Indy 500

[wright59]

Aces&Eights you pretty much confirmed to me everything I have ever read in your posts! You are truly an Idiot!! Have you ever drove a race car or is just your mouth that you run?? It was a great race and some of our best non-wingers ever have run this race! How many have won it?

[BrentTFunk]

Aces and Eights, how many sprint races have you supported this year? How many Indy car races have you ever attended? Just comment about the stuff you know, and please leave your hillbilly ******** in Georgia.

[ModernDayDrifter]

I see nothing wrong with an American wanting more Americans in the race. Let alone an American wanting an American to win the race. Yes, it is international. But why is it so bad that we want to support our country so much that we are bummed out that a foreigner beat out our homeland heroes?

I am happy for ANYONE that wins the Greatest Race in the world, but I AM bummed that an American did not win. I love the diversity, but I love my country and those that represent my country more.

After all, is this not what every country in the world does during the Olympics? You root for your countrymen, but respect the winner regardless of where they come from.

[davidm]

You know what bummed me out about this years 500? We didn't get to see BC run in it again. Man I miss that guy!

[Backitin]

Besides the euro trash ruining the sport, lol I think the big problem Indycar has is that the races before and after the 500 hardly matter to anyone at all. The road course races are usually bad and although I look forward to Indy every year I have no interest in any of the other ovals either.
I think it might be better having your "superbowl" race the last of the season. I literally don't need to pay attention to Indy till next May and I really wont miss anything during the 364 days inbetween.