Auto racing 2011

[Lady's Human]

Well, there's normally a NASCAR thread, but as there are a few of us who are into anything with engines that go fast (including King of the Hammers?.....watched a lap last weekend, very cool), I figured I'd start a general racing thread.

Thank god Indycar and F1 are back!

Very cool little piece of info from Indycar....

One of the rookies has diabetes. He controls it with an implanted blood sugar monitor. The data from the monitor is displayed on his steering wheel. VERY neat use of technology. If his sugar gets low, he takes a drink.

F-1 has reinstituted the 107% rule....

Sorry HRT, you're too damned slow, get off the track! (the 107% rule is that if your time in quals is 107% or more of the polesitter, you're out of the race)

[Karen]

That is so cool - a diabetes monitor in the steering wheel - excellent! My friend Eva, who has since passed away from old age, was wishing for maybe a wrist-watch which would check her blood sugar, and such things are now much more common now. I am sure she is tickled, from her spot in heaven, but a racecar that monitors blood sugar, no needle-stick required!

[Lady's Human]

THe one bad things about the Indycar race today..........the DVR clipped off the end of the race. Now I have to go look to see who won!

Now that I've seen the results, Congrats to Simona Di Silvestro........her highest finish in a race to date.

Not to TV coverage of Indycar: There are other women driving in the races, and doing better. Why not interview them for a change?

[blue]

Ive got 2 King of the Hammers DVDs and they are very impressive, guys with sponsored buggies worth a $100k to guys who spent years building a buggy that will take the abuse. I remember reading about the first unevent on Pirate4x4 as it was happening in 2002 when it was just a challenge not a race. Now its one of the largest and definitely one of the hardest off road races in the world. It officially started in 2007 with French Horn player JR, a Pirate, beating 12 other drivers to be the First King of the Hammers.

Link to highlights from KOH 2011.

ETA: Link for KOH 2010 Highlights.

The other Auto event I love watching is the Gumball 3000. 3000 miles in 6 days in some of the most exotic cars on the planet. Ridiculously wealthy people partying the entire trip, getting tickets, going to jail, and in an avoidable accident killing a motorist not part of the rally that ended the rally that year. Im actually amazed in the 12 years and counting the rally has been held only one death has occurred. The Gumball is a rally not a race.

The Paris Drakar Rally is also awesome to watch. Everything from motorcycles to semis.

Ive been reading about the Ladoga Challenge in Russia for several years now. Those Russians have never heard of Tread Lightly and they have some impressive cars and driving skills.

NASCAR and the like are impresive to for the engineering that goes in to the cars but I just dont find the driving exiting.

[kokopup]

I am a Fan of Nascar, Indycar, ALMS, Gran-Am, AMA Superbike and FIA World Rally Championship series. I am fortunate that I have events for all but the WRC Rallye right at my front door. I have volunteered at Barber Motorsport park for the last 7 years so I have seen some incredible races. The Indy Series was added to Barber last year so I will be Volunteering there again this year.
I was able to go out to the park last week while all of the teams were testing for the upcoming Indy race, and got to see all the drivers and Cars up close without the crowds, that will be there race day. I am really looking forward to the Races coming up next week Barber.

I really have a love for Rallye racing so I am anticipating Travis Pastrana coming to Nascar. IMO the man that can drive Championship wins at anything he tries, be it Motocross, X games, a WRC rallye car, etc, etc, will do well in Nascar.


http://www.barbermotorsports.com/indy/index.php?adnet=
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Travis_Pastrana

[Lady's Human]

SO did you have fun at Barber, Kokopup?

Watched the race (or tried to, I was wiped). I wis the media would wake up to what Simona DiSilvestro is doing, she drove one heck of a race.

I truly hope F-1 isn't going to be the Sebastian Vettel show, but the kid is quick, and so far untouchable.

[cassiesmom]

Very cool little piece of info from Indycar....

One of the rookies has diabetes. He controls it with an implanted blood sugar monitor. The data from the monitor is displayed on his steering wheel. VERY neat use of technology. If his sugar gets low, he takes a drink.

Wow, I wonder how the display gets the information. Is it attached to the wheel somehow? Or some kind of a chip? Does he have to go to the pit for fluids, or is there some sort of a super-high tech Indy car cup holder? I'm just wondering how he would take a sip going 200 miles per hour. That is very neat use of technology.

I saw on the Indianapolis 500 Web site that you can drive your own car for a lap on the speedway! How cool would that be?! My mom, dad and I went there for the tour, and you can take a lap around the track in a bus. They show you the starting line, the grandstands, the infield, the pits, and they give loads of neat information and facts about the Indy 500, cars, technology, and how the Indy 500 races have contributed to the safety of cars and drivers over the years. My dad absolutely ate it up!

[pomtzu]

Any bets on if they get the NASCAR race going today? Sure doesn't look too promising weather-wise right now. I'm about 10 miles NW of the track, and it's damp and foggy and looks like it could rain at any minute. Showers and t'storms forecast for this afternoon. I'm surprised they got yesterday's race in - with it's slam-bang ending too! Son and DIL are headed down to Dover, with the rain gear packed. I'll watch it from the comfort of my dry house - if they do race!

[Lady's Human]

Wow, I wonder how the display gets the information. Is it attached to the wheel somehow? Or some kind of a chip? Does he have to go to the pit for fluids, or is there some sort of a super-high tech Indy car cup holder? I'm just wondering how he would take a sip going 200 miles per hour. That is very neat use of technology.

Most drivers have fluids of some sort in the car with them (However, gone are the days of the allison boys with a cooler full of coke in the car)

Charlie Kimball (the driver who has diabetes) has a continuous glucose monitor which sends the blood sugar info to the display on his steering wheel through rf.

[Cincy'sMom]

Any bets on if they get the NASCAR race going today? Sure doesn't look too promising weather-wise right now. I'm about 10 miles NW of the track, and it's damp and foggy and looks like it could rain at any minute. Showers and t'storms forecast for this afternoon. I'm surprised they got yesterday's race in - with it's slam-bang ending too! Son and DIL are headed down to Dover, with the rain gear packed. I'll watch it from the comfort of my dry house - if they do race!

That was an interesting finish yesterday. Wow!

Don't know about today. I was thinking about going to the ARCA race here in Toledo today, but it has been raining non-stop since about 6 am. It would be nice if the waether would cooperate either here or in Delaware so that I can see some racing somehow!

[pomtzu]

That was an interesting finish yesterday. Wow!

Don't know about today. I was thinking about going to the ARCA race here in Toledo today, but it has been raining non-stop since about 6 am. It would be nice if the waether would cooperate either here or in Delaware so that I can see some racing somehow!

Okay - looks like we'll be racing afterall, Amy. The sun is trying to come out - for now anyway. I wonder if Kyle and Kevin will behave themselves???

[Asiel]

Okay - looks like we'll be racing afterall, Amy. The sun is trying to come out - for now anyway. I wonder if Kyle and Kevin will behave themselves???

We have nothing like that here. We have the horse races so just the track every Wed. and Sat. nights. Probably too cold for car races here anyway. Last week we had two days of 26 and today we're back to -2 when we got up...it's gone up to 6 degrees but with a gusty north wind so it might as well be winter again.

[aTailOf2Kitties]

I thought Mark Martin really was a "crazy old man" for not taking any tires, glad it worked out for him. Great run by Marcos Ambrose too!

[pomtzu]

I thought Mark Martin really was a "crazy old man" for not taking any tires, glad it worked out for him. Great run by Marcos Ambrose too!

I'm just thankful that it wasn't another Jimmy Johnson win!

[lizbud]

Now that I've seen the results, Congrats to Simona Di Silvestro........her highest finish in a race to date.

Not to TV coverage of Indycar: There are other women driving in the races, and doing better. Why not interview them for a change?

Di Silvestro had a nasty wreck today at practice for the 500. I think
the car flipped twice and burst into flames.

http://www.theindychannel.com/indy50...93/detail.html