openwheel16

Pending

Open Wheel '15

Open Wheel '14

3-1

While we are awaiting the rule change for

Qualifying and the beginning of the season,

a look at a few of America's best open wheel drivers.

As explained by those incredibly concise

gentlemen at F1 - the proposed rule change...

So, I don't want to leave the garage until there is a time

of about a lap and a half on the clock?

3-18

My racing manager insists you do not give either Renault or Haas

my contact information...

Instead, they recommend giving them a broom and dustpan.

I am following, but not as closely...

3-19

Qualifying Revisited

The purpose of Qualifying is to qualify a car, not to disqualify the car.

The rule change is, in it's simplest form - an oxymoron.

There will be few, if any polite remarks from the teams and drivers over the revised

format, so I am not likely to be stepping on anyones toes here...

Here's a suggestion that arose from both the problem and the

current (albeit poor) solution...

Replace the system with a procedure that ensure the teams full access to a well timed

qualification.

1: Remove the ten fastest cars from the qualification process after the first five minutes.

This ensures a clear track for the other twelve cars and gives the ten fastest -

five minutes to set a good out lap.

2. Then take the 15 fastest (including the first ten) after the full fifteen minutes of Q1.

This ensures the slowest fifteen cars a full fifteen minutes to set their best time.

3-23

If any Formula One teams believe they are suffering from information overload, I invite them to examine things from my prospective. After all, Open Wheel is a sport I study, not current affairs, politics, finance, or Art in it's many forms, or writing and writers, or languages, and so many other things.

So - my interest in the qualification process is as a student of the sport, and and well informed student at that.

Most often, the process is used to set the tone and the expectations for the race at hand.

I learned today by a third source that the revised qualification process has been abandoned. My remarks stand. For several reasons. All of the teams are seeking cost cutting measures; and of the teams most needing points - a good qualification is necessary. I would hope that these teams needing points would get the most attention in Q1, the full twenty minutes. In order to do so, the top ten qualifiers must relinquish the

track space. Keep in mind that twenty-two cars strung out along a course during a race is not the same as

those cars competing for the same space along the track to qualify. In short - twenty-two cars on the same course all trying to qualify during Q1 in about ten cars too many. It make sense, financially and otherwise to pull the top qualifiers from Q1 and allow those competing for the points necessary to pay for the program to spend the full allotted time in the most important Q1.

Qualifying Format Abandoned

Also, while I am not a cheerleader - I wish Sochi and Russia and F1 the best. I am encouraged with Russia's foray into the entertainment industries.

Seventy percent of Sochi/F1 Tickets Sold

4-15

Going Large

Going after Edward Snowden and dragging his ass home is something I wanted to do the minute I heard he broke, and something I still regret not doing.

4-16

If it helps, I'll sing!

4-16 post q3

Now following much much more closely!

4-17

A musing on the wonder of photoshop, from an article on the Blogsite Black Flag.

Great race, lots of action and passing! Although, I think a collision caused by a Red Bull, between a German and

a Finn in Ferrari livery has less to do with Russian driving skills and more to do with good ol' karma.

Me: It wasn't your racing line if I was there first. If you nailed your teammate, I picked the right line!

5-11

Best Excuses To Give The Sponsors

Dale Earnhardt Jr. loosing his steering wheel at Talladega

Who loosened the nut behind the steering wheel?

Chevrolet Recall # 89 in a series.

Huge Understeer!

Is is lefty loosie, righty tighty - or what?

Hey guys, 10 and 2 doesn't work anymore.

Two tires, gas, and a pair of visegrips.

Look Ma, one hand!

Expletive Deleted!

Quick, check the rulebook!

Where the Nitrous?

5-14

As only anyone deeply involved in this sport can understand, there was never any question,

and the answer is 'Winning Is Not Enough'; and as only real students of the sport can

understand, we see the end of May for what we should expect it to be.

-Best to Everyone at Monaco

5-15

Guess the winter season paid off.

6-12

I am pleased with the next race - Baku! The scene and the race looks to be exciting.

Although...The thought of three 90 degree left handers in a row at the start of the race

gives me the belief that there will be a rush to the pits at the end of the first lap. Sobering, indeed.

After Baku?

According to various sources holding posts in Her Majesty's Government

(perhaps temporarily) Great Britain could soon be destitute and penniless.

GOD SAVE THE EURO!

I have on authority the Irish are very concerned and send their best regards.

6-18

I did not get very far through the video of the medical cars

circuit before I began to critique the driving. Thirty some years of handling 40 tons on concrete in traffic gives me unique insight into heavier vehicles at higher speeds, and less insight into the way the F1 cars handle.

The supercomputers have had their way...

7-2

Observations:

Almost all of Q3 in the 106's. The cars are faster, although not any more nimble, using more off track space.

Tomorrow is not a pole sitters race, it's high speed - so there's no running away. It could be won off the rumble strips and in the pits.

7-6

July 22, 2016

No change, it is a gentleman's sport.

7-21

Higher Standards A 24/7/365 Commitment Since 1989

Dumb Looks Are Free

I know your busy with all the gossip and Hamilton's latest tat. This will go into the archives

for you to peruse later. The site is linked to the first pic.

I held a Chauffeurs License from 1978 to 1989, when I was Grandfathered into the CDL program. The penalties are as strict as a Superlicense, if not more so.

Dumb looks: That's what I give Policemen when they ask me what I've been drinking.

If you see a CDL and suspect alcohol, somethings really really wrong.

(How to) Overpriced Lawn Mower

I saw the video of the Schumacher/Barrichello incident, and consider Barrichello to be far too accommodative. I consider such a move 'attempted manslaughter'. I have seen and been the victim of such moves many times in my career. If you are insane enough to attempt to try to force #80,000's of truck off the road, your insane enough to try it a second time. On that; I don't believe in second chances.

Drivers make millisecond decisions; that often take a very long time to explain. From experience, these are my decisions.

1. Check seat belt and surroundings, look for obstacles and

bystanders or innocent vehicles.

2. Proceed immediately to opposing side of pavement,

without flinching or waiting for the sound of metal.

3. Push offending vehicle into grass.

4. Continue travel.

Chalk it up to the drivers desire to become an overpriced lawn mower.

July 25, 2016

I wonder if Team Williams has expressed upon Team Mercedes just how pleased they

are with their two drivers? If not, Hockenheim would be precisely the place to do that.

26 August 2016

FOR YOUR EYES ONLY

Top secret stuff...

Probably oughta flip a coin on that one...

Fine, he's James Bond then. Get em Roscoe!

27 August 2016

Shhhh. Top Secret.

August 31

I was headed down the highway the other day when a

truck grille filled my mirror, and the industry is not what it

once was so I got that uneasy feeling you get when your not

too sure about the other driver.

As he passed me - I just smiled.

I met Steve at Colorado National Speedway (where Leslie is taking my grandson for his birthday

Saturday night) in the early '90's. He is very personable and we talked. Shame I never raced him.

Hell of racing career.

9-4

There is - in fact, a queue.

9-16

Mine Is Bigger

Swiss driver Simona de Silvestro dumps Andretti's Formula E for an Aussie V8 Supercar in next years series.

Don't tell Lewis...

Just win, Baby!

10-6

10-8

To Sutton Shop: Invoice and email

(Don't let the Russians read it!)

10-9

Small Victories

Jeff Ward, whom I had raced in Arizona as a kid (and beaten-badly), had tried and failed to qualify for Indianapolis a few years ago; I thought then that if I could beat him on a MX Bike, I could beat him on the track.

I race Honda, and I am proud of that, and them.

I had priced this at a dealer in Maryland, all the while knowing I was coming to Utah, where it is appreciated. The dealer marveled at the fact that I raced without benefit of a monoshock (before it was invented!), and I admitted it was hard on

the body. I think the dealer was just trying to massage my ego while marking the bike up nearly 100%.

10-17

TBD

10-28

Not a clue to what is going on down there...

Oh look, there's Juan Pablo Montoya...

Best...

11-2016

Sutton Shop

My intent is to set this post aside from

the rest of the season and other posts

on this or other pages.

I am acutely aware of how difficult it is

to do all the things you do. It seems as

if your moving faster than the cars you

photograph at times.

I am back in school (home schooled)

learning to code and I came across this

and wanted to share it with you...

I recommend you investigate it first, and try a sample before you get too involved.

email me for questions if you like...

Keep in mind: If I had complaints

(I don't) I would voice them. Mostly

my complaints are about the difficulties

of webpage design- hence schooling.

GNU freeware

piwigo.org

samples:

raia.com

yvonneschleicher

11-11

32.2 fps sq. Discussion closed.

11-13

Umbrellas and compliments.

Win or lose today, Felipe Massa is a winner. A retired winner.

Sometimes, winning is enough.

To only be nineteen years old and to have the skills and the bag of tricks this kid has impresses me. If Verstappen keeps it on the track we will see great things from him.

11-24

Found a little time to chat, about pretty much anything - except Drivers.

Did you notice that... Drivers are really picky about when and where they

talk about other drivers...

It's the end of the season, and my ass isn't on the line, so......

- Drive it like you own it.

We do things on the west coast you don't see elsewhere here in the States.