American F1 died today

[The Sushi Bandit]

anyone who saw the "Race" knows what i'm talking about.

[maveric]

1. Could you fill in those who didnt watch the "Race".

What happened?

[The Sushi Bandit]

2. Ferrari win six-car Indianapolis race

I was totally SHOCKED!!!


The US Grand Prix began to go wrong when all of the 14 Michelin runners came into the pits at the end of the green flag lap, leaving only Michael Schumacher on ‘pole position’ from Ferrari team mate Rubens Barrichello, the two Jordans of Tiago Monteiro and Narain Karthikeyan, and the two Minardis of Christijan Albers and Patrick Friesacher in front of the shocked 130,000 crowd.


After Ralf Schumacher’s left rear tyre failure on Friday afternoon, Michelin advised their runners that they could not guarantee their tyres for the race. Several ideas were mooted and the Michelin teams agreed to let the Bridgestone runners start ahead of them on the grid and to forego any championship points provided a chicane was erected in Turn 13.

However, the FIA had already stated that changing the track layout was not an option, informing Michelin that their teams could either use their existing tyres and run more slowly through 13, make tyre changes on safety grounds if necessary, or they could start with new tyres and risk being penalised for breaking the regulations.

At the start of the six-car race, Schumacher duly jumped ahead of Barrichello, with Monteiro third and Albers momentarily ousting Karthikeyan for fourth before the Jordan driver asserted himself.

Barrichello made the first of two stops on lap 24, but Schumacher’s stop a lap later occupied 16.8s as a left rear tyre had been damaged by a bottle thrown on to the track by an irate spectator and had to be changed. Barrichello thus led and kept the initiative until his next stop on lap 49.

Again Schumacher stopped a lap later, but this time he was at the end of the pit lane exit, where it feeds into Turn 1, at the very moment that Barrichello arrived there. The Brazilian was obliged to run off the road to avoid a collision, and after that the result was sealed.

Monteiro ran third throughout, with Karthikeyan, Albers and three-stopping Friesacher spread out.

Since nobody else went far enough to be classified, they were the only points scorers, and the race matched the 1961 Dutch Grand Prix as the only one in which all starters have finished.

Schumacher’s 10 point haul brings him up to third, behind Fernando Alonso on 59, and Kimi Raikkonen on 37. Barrichello moves to fourth, ahead of Jarno Trulli’s 27, with 29. Ferrari rise to joint second in the team standings on 63 points.

[Rick Myers]

3. Here's the ESPN story

http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/news/story?series=f1&id=2089850

Basically, only 6 cars ran the race. They use 2 brands of tires, and the Michilin equipped cars were claimed to be unsafe.

I've been to 2 of these races over the past 6 years. Are you telling me they just figured this out?

American F-1 is DONE!!!

[madrchsod]

4. did you listen to the little exchange

between the speednet guys about the track surface?

[The Sushi Bandit]

5. no...what went on?

[Redstone]

6. F1 racing has been utterly irrelevant for a long time.

It doesn't matter.

Redstone

[Codeine]

15. Only Here

It' still the premier motorsport around the globe. This is a blip on the radar, a failure of leadership that will have no real impact on the long-term health of the F1 fanbase world-wide, which is huge and fanatic.

[Telly Savalas]

16. Exactly. Ferrari couldn't afford to shell out $400 million a year

on a motorsport competition that nobody gave a rats ass about.

[Book Lover]

7. Read about it, didn't see it yet

I understand Schumacher stalked off the platform, champagne still corked... What a shame no comprimise was reached, though I understand Ferrari's position, of course.

[frylock]

8. bridgestone-equipped teams had no reason to compromise..

the Michelin teams should have changed to new tyres, and accepted the penalties. Michelin should be ashamed for their pathetic R&D. This wasn't an inaugural race, after all.

For the record, I find the infield course at Indy to be quite boring, and wish they would race at an actual road course; there are many great ones to choose from. But I would imagine the reason it's run at Indy is that it holds more spectators. Good luck selling tickets for next year. A shameful display, all around.

[MaineDem]

9. I agree with you

Bridgestone got it right. Michelin didn't.

I don't like the F1 course at Indy either. I also prefer a real road course like Watkins Glen or even Road Atlanta. I wonder what Tony George will do now that the contract for the F1 race is up for negotiation?

Peter Windsor was on tv last night saying Michelin could have tested at an oval in Britain if they were concerned with the banking in that one turn at Indy. Bridgestone most likely was the benficiary of the testing done at Indy by Firestone before the 500 but Michelin had testing options available to them.

[tyedyeto]

10. I thought it was disgraceful when

fans started throwing bottles and cans onto the track. Those who actually drove should never have had to put up with that. Shows a complete lack of class.

As for Schumacher not popping the champagne on the podium, the original presenters didn't even show up for the presentation.

[ReadTomPaine]

14. Depends on your point of view..

The fans there felt the race was for them since they paid anywhere from hundreds to thousands to travel from around the country and the world to attend.

With the police presence hundreds strong and all other venues of expressing displeasure closed off, this didn't seem too extreme for people there at the time, I'm sure. The police were preparing for worse.

It certainly did pound that last nail into the F1 coffin however. Redstone's comment above was dead on - this event is done. Stick a fork in it.

In fact, any way you look at it this situation was disgraceful. There's plenty of blame for every party but the Bridgestone supplied teams, who didn't do anything but show up from all accounts. Incompetence, greed, disregard and bull headed stubborn egos were all displayed in turn by everyone else around, however. What a mess.

Racing here in the states only seems worthwhile when it's underground, when a new form first emerges or when the race goes antique. Otherwise, it's too filled with the racing establishment's mix of nasty freaks and peculiarities to be of much relevance or entertainment for most save the longtime fans.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

11. I feel like I'm a 9 year old and the UN Assembly General

decreed a worldwide ban on the manufacturing of toys and ice cream.

No, that's not quite right. I don't KNOW how I feel.

I want to beat the living shit out of somebody.

[BiggJawn]

12. Won't help Michelin's sales, either....

Wonder how many riders in the tour de France will be changing?

This is so like something Firestone would pull with SUV tyres...
Oh, wait, they did that already!

Tony George is SUCH a savvy businessman. Why he hasn't turned his skill and laser-sharp acumin to Politics, I don't know....

[MaineDem]

13. Rueters reported Michelin stock is down today in Asia and Europe

I'm not surprised. This is much bigger news in the rest of the world than in the US.

[BiggJawn]

19. As I was Banzai'ing down the hill at almost 35MPH yesterday...

The thought entered my mind "Gee, I'm glad I'm on Panasonics and not Michelins..."

Bet the motorcycle Biebendum stands on during LeTour is shod with Conti's...:7

[DS1]

17. I read about it, how childish

Too many fevered egos

[BarbaRosa]

18. The one bright spot of the day

was that Tiago Monteiro was not about to let anything spoil his first podium.