Sugarplums, Rainbows and Splenda Sweetness abound at Milwaukee

As where’s Good ‘Ol Homer Simpson to say MMM-MMM, Sprinkles?

 

Whale’ lookie Tahr Folks. My Cable TV Bill just keeps going up and up, Bastardoes! As welcome home Tomaso, we’ve tacked on an additional $7.00 to your overpriced bill, Jackarses!

 

Hmm, what’s my Cable TV provider’s motto? Oh yeah, Spectrum, We Care!

 

So guess it’s a good thingy’ I “watched”, Err listened to over half of Saturday mornings practice session from Milwaukee on FS1 during a leisurely breakfast. But  I just don’t get any “excitement” or Buzz listening to the Booth boyz’, especially Wee Willie Buxom’, aka Will Buxton, or Kevin Lee.

 

Even with FOX owning a third of the series, which I hear they threw IndyCar under the Bus at Portland by moving the race to FS1 since the Live Gold game was going long. As all that IndyCar Radio would say was it was a programming problem when the start was delayed 15mins from 12:22 to 12:37PM Pacific, FOUR!

 

As even Tacoma Bureau Chief Mary ellen asked me why hadn’t they started the race yet? Which I listened to in its entirety via IndyCar Radio on one of the Islands in the Puget sound’s “Archipelago”. Accessible only via Washington State Ferry (WSF) fleet of “Timeless” boat, which even sometimes run on schedule, Toot-tooth!

 

As for Milwaukee, as much as I’d liked for  Palou getting win #9 w’; having boldly told boss Cheep’ He was going to win. Have to say I was Rootin’ for William Steven Power or ScottyMac’ to win instead.

 

As I thought it would be Hilarious for Power to win His second race of the season and really make Penske squirm!

 

Although it was Kyffin Simpson making DJ WillyP’ squirm instead, when giving Him the Kyff-Dog’ Swerve, Youch!

 

While once again I was Rootin’ against my Numero Uno IndyCar Driver Pato Who? During Qualie’, wanting to “See” Davey Malukas “Break His Duck” and claim His first IndyCar pole. Which the Chicago lad came Oh, so tantalizingly close to. Until Alex Palou did what He’s done All season long, claiming His sixth pole of the season, Boo!

 

As this left me begging the question. What would you take? A one year extension at Penske, knowing your toast afterwards. Or a two year deal with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing As it sounds like RLLR clearly wants Power; with Sparky’ making way for the Man from Down Under…

 

Whilst it sounds like it’s a foregone conclusion that Penske will take David Malukas next year, even if He claims to be on a two year contract with Foyt. Which would leave Foyt in a Huge Hole for its second car’s budget! Especially since Team Penske is footing the bill for Malukas’s ride.

 

As Marshall Pruett pointed out that Penske hasn’t taken a young driver with zero poles or wins in 40 years! And yes, Scott McLaughlin was a rookie with zero IndyCar poles or wins. But He was a multi-times Supercars champion with some 57 W’s if I remember correctly.

 

With Pruett noting in His August 8th Racer Silly Season update. For which I was still waiting for the website reboot to be upgraded to the Web Content Accessibility Guideline (WCAG) standards “promised” by the time I returned home; Uhm, Oopsadaisy, Butterfingers!

 

Noting how perhaps Jacob Abel could “Backfill” the second Foyt seat? Although perhaps Sparky’, nee Devlin DeFrancesco could take His pocketbook there?

 

For which perhaps, All of this will merely be conjecture by now? Although DJ WillyP’ politely told Ryan Marin on the winners podium at Portland that He wouldn’t know until after Nashville…

 

As Milwaukee turned into a day ‘O firsts Sunday. Beginning with Mexican Salvador de Alba scoring His maiden Indy NXT win, leading wire-to-wire! With Andretti Global claiming a clean sweep of the podium. Including runner-up Dennis Hauger securing the Indy NXT and Rookie Of the Year (ROY) Championships.

 

Then after Alex Palou had led a staggering 195 of 250 laps. A momentary light shower producing sprinkles on-track set the stage for a dramatic end to the Headliner’s event.

 

As Ed Carpenter Racing’s (ECR) Christian Rasmussen, who’d incurred a speeding penalty earlier, along with ECR teammate Alexander Rossi and others, bolted on fresh Firestone rubber.

 

Thus Rasmussen splendidly carved His way thru the field, making mincemeat of the competition. Before brazenly shooting past race leader Palou to lead the final 16 laps enroute to His first career IndyCar win!

 

As the victory was Oh, So Sweet for Rasmussen driving the Splenda car! Giving ECR its first IndyCar win since I believe Rinus VeeKay won on the IMS Road Course Wayback’ in 2021?

 

As Palou said Himself during His podium interview, Rasmussen simply had fresher rubber and Congrats to Him! With Rossi finishing a disappointed fourth. Giving ECR two Top-five finishes on the legendary Milwaukee Mile!

 

As how can you not be Happy seeing another first time winner in victory lane, Eh? As Congrats Christian Rasmussen! 

Time for IndyCar’s season finale at Nashville

And crowning Alex Palou as this year’s IndyCar champion…

 

Having been on Holiday (again) during the Portland and Milwaukee Double Header weekend’s, I only got to listen to the Portland race via IndyCar Radio. Which was reminiscent of past Portland Snoozer’s after a Hard day’s outing trackside drinking multiple "Adult" beverages in the blazing sunshine Wayback’ in the Good ‘Ol CART Dazes! When Portland’s racetrack still featured the West End Grandstands between Turns 5-7, which now is RV Parking instead…

 

As will Power’s dominant performance Sunday was also sleep inducing, albeit this time with Hang 10’ Hilo laying alongside Mwah on the couch. As the highlight of the Portland weekend was the Great Santini’s improveable maiden Indycar Pole position Saturday, before finishing a distant eighth.

 

Thus, I didn’t listen to any of the Milwaukee action until returning home and “watching”, Err listening to the various Highlight packages via Youtube, which left much of the drama out of these six minutes vignettes. Except for Kevin Lee’s nauseating, annoying totally FAKE excitement, nee Yelling!

 

While Yuhs already know that Pato O’Ward won Saturday’s race, and ScottyMac’, aka Scott McLaughlin won Sunday’s race.

 

Yet largely overlooked was Conor Daly scoring Junco Hollinger Racing’s (JHR) first ever podium when finishing third on Saturday. Before gearbox issues saw Daly soldier to a 17th place finish Sunday.

 

Meanwhile, Santino Ferrucci dazzled us again with two fourth place finishes at the Milwaukee Mile enroute to setting a record for most passes! With Santino saying it’s been a Helluva year for the No. 14, currently sitting comfortably in tenth place in the championship. Leading 11th place Christian Lundgaard by 38-points; 339-301. And trailing ninth place Alexander Rossi by only 11 “markers”. (350-339)

 

Yet I suppose everyone’s waiting for me to comment upon the title fight and the misfortunes of both Championship leader Alex Palou (525 points) and second place Will Power, (492 points) who trails Palou by 33 markers. And with a maximun of 54 points on offer; mathematically third place Scott McLaughlin is the only other title challenger, albeit a longshot 50 points adrift. (475 points) Meaning the championship is Palou’s to lose. Although interestingly, currently both Penske drivers have the first tiebreaker advantage with three wins apiece vs. Palou’s two.

 

Reportedly Palou suffered an Hybrid induced electrical failure upon the grid Sunday which then fried His battery! Leaving the Spaniard stuck in fourth gear and not even able to communicate on the radio to His crew. As the No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing crew had to discharge the Energy Recovery system (ERS) in order to learn the battery was toast! Replace the battery after draining the ERS again and then recharging it in order to get Palou back on track 29-laps behind, before ultimately finishing P19.

 

Yet it was Will Power who shot Himself in the foot once again by mashing the loud pedal on a late race restart and pirouetting into the wall! Lightly damaging His front wing. Before two pitstops – to ultimately decide to replace the front win caused Him to go a lap down, dropping from sixth to 13th place, before finishing tenth. As just the drop from sixth to tenth was a loss of eight points!

 

Points Scoring System

1st = 50, 2nd: 40, 3rd: 35, 4th: 32, 5th: 30, 6th: 28, 7th: 26, 8th: 24, 9th: 22 and 10th: 20.

 

Positions 11 thru 25 decrease by one point from 19 to five.

 

Bonus Points

One point for Pole position. Two points for Most laps led, and One point for leading a lap.

 

According to Raymond Hando of For the Love of Indy, Palou wins the Championship no matter what, with a ninth place finish. For which initially, I hadn’t done the math for. But Yes, Palou’s 33-points plus 22 = 55-points; one more than the maximum of 54.

 

One other interesting wrinkle to Sunday’s season finale on the 1.33 mile Tri-oval. With IndyCar making it’s return to this concrete Oval for the first time since 2008. Is the return of Alternate compound Oval tyres. Which Arse-sumedly at least two laps have to be run on both tyre compounds…

 

Being a longtime Will Power Fan, you’d think I’d be pulling for Him this weekend. But I’d actually like to see Alex Palou score His maiden Oval track win and get the “Monkey” off His back! Whilst I expect Palou to do enough to secure His third IndyCar Championship in four years and then celebrate with His traditional Fried Chicken Fricassee!

 

As until Milwaukee, think I read Racer’s Marshall Pruett saying Palou had an average finishing position of 4.63! As His lone copybook blemish this season was His self-induced accident during Iowa’s first race, before bouncing back to fourth the following day. With His Milwaukee finish of P19 solely due to mechanical woes…

 

As interestingly, Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon and Alex Palou have both been victims of Hybrid powertrain issues this year. So perhaps it’ll be Penske’s turn at Nashville?

 

Meanwhile, Conor Daly and David Malukas both can say Job Done! Having hauled their respective JHR and Meyer Shank Racing (MSR) Nos. 78 & 66 mounts comfortably into the vaunted Leaders Circle Prize fund standings. For which I believe that the race for the 22nd and final position is between Ed Carpenter Racing’s Christian Rasmussen and A.J. Foyt’s Sting Ray Robb? With RLLR’s Pietro Fittipaldi also potentially in the mix…

 

Leaders Circle Points Standings

According to the Indianapolis Star’s Motorsports Beat Reporter Nathan Browne.

 

19. No. 78 Juncos Hollinger Racing: 189 point

20. No. 66 Meyer Shank Racing: 187 points

21. No. 30 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing: 177 points

22. No. 41 A.J. foyt enterprises: 175 points

23. No. 20 Ed Carpenter Racing: 174 points

 

With Dale Coyne Racing’s Nos. 18 & 51 being outside the “Cut” line.

As I really cannot say what the Charter System will do for us other than clarify the 25 IndyCar Fulltime entries eligible for the 22 positions. Since right now, Ganassi’s Nos. 11-4 entries make this clear as Mud on a Rainy day!

 

Although I’d also enjoy seeing Alexander Rossi score His first win in quite some time for McLaren, whom He’s departing from following this race, with Christian Lundgaard taking His seat next year. As who knows where Rossi’s new IndyCar home will be in 2025?

 

As it’s been a whopping 778-days since Rossi last won the Gallagher Grand Prix on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s permanent road course for Andretti Autosport on July 30, 2022, Yikes!

 

And Ditto for Davey’ Malukas scoring His maiden IndyCar win at Nashville. As I still don’t understand why He’s chosen to depart to A.J. Foyt Enterprises next year. Where hopefully He’ll be paired with Ferrucci. Which wisely, it sounds like Larry Foyt’s keen on making happen…

 

As I suppose I could ramble on ‘n on, but instead. We’ll just have to wait another 48Hrs for the dust to settle and see who’s victorious. Since after all, that’s why they run the races…

    

Penske’s latest “Unfair Advantage”

One of Mark Donahue’s Penske Racing Sunoco Trans Am Chevrolet Camaro’s on display at the IMS Hall of Fame museum. (The Tomaso Collection)

 

As Roger says the team will take it’s punches. But shouldn’t that really be chances?

 

Naturally, I was surprised to discover the news about Team Penske’s latest “Unfair Advantage”. Upon learning of Josef Newgarden and Scott McLaughlin’s Disqualifications from St Pete. As I cannot remember the last time an IndyCar race win was taken away from an IndyCar driver, if ever? Which is exactly what happened to Newgarden regarding His season opening St Pete victory this March.

 

Surely Y’all have heard Penske President Tim cindric’s response about software “accidentally” not being removed from the engine’s ECU followingprevious Hybrid testing…

 

For which if you’re a Hard Core IndyCarAfficionado like Mwah, you’ll know that Penske is well renown for it’s frequent Cheating under the phrase “Unfair Advantage”, which the team was legendous’ for doing during the 1960’s Trans Am competition! And presumably other racing series…

 

Thus upon reading this startling revelation, I immediately thought of when Team Penske got caught for having “lightweight” rear wing pylons, which were discovered after rear wing failures As I thought it was Milwaukee? Which Helio Castroneves crashed out from a rear win failure while leading the 2007 Milwaukee race. And Penske teammate Sam Hornish Jr. retired from second place with a “flapping” rear wing.

 

But then the more I think about it, I think perhaps it was at Texas? Although I can no longer remember where this happened. But I do recall the team being found to be using unapproved lightweight rear wing pylons…

 

While I did discover that Castroneves was fined $35,000 and docked 15-points following Post-race Tech after the 2013 Texas IndyCar race He’d won, but that was for having the rear underwing “Diffuser” not “set” correctly. And Castroneves and Team Penske kept their victory…

 

Whilst Thars’ countless examples of Team Penske being caught Cheating in NASCAR. With one of the most recent examples being Joey “sliced Bread” Lagano wearing an “Amphibious” webbed glove to win this year’s Pole at the Daytona 500. Using the glove as an aerodynamic device to aid in extra “Downforce”, before Lagano was subsequently penalized at Atlanta. Losing His runner-up finish and being fined $10,000. With el Capitano’, nee Roger Penske being outraged over this “Egregious” behaviour…

 

The interesting part about Penske’s Push-to-Pass “P2P” infraction is that it was only discovered during Long Beach’s Sunday morning Warm-up session due to a technical glitch with the overall system during the sessions first ten minutes. When only Team Penske drivers had use of the inactivated P2P! When the entire grid should have not been able to utilize the system due to the technical difficulty preventing it’s usage.

 

According to Racer’s Marshall Pruett, naturally the story runs far deeper. With several anonymous sources saying that the software “excuse” doesn’t wash! And the team found a way to get around the ECU, (Engine Control Unit) the engine’s “Brain” preventing unwarranted P2P usage thru the CLU. (Central Logger Unit) The main Data “collecting” system that Chevrolet was quick to distance itself from! Claiming the CLU is each team’s responsibility…

 

Pruett also notes that one rival team sent IndyCar video clips of Penske drivers using P2P way too much during races last year, implying this “Tom-Foolery” was potentially going on for several months, before Penske self incriminated themselves at Long Beach when they shouldn’t have been able to use P2P during the Sunday warm-up’s first ten minutes…

 

As Y’all may wish to read Racer’s Marshall Pruett’s excellent article titled How Team Penske took Push-to-Pass beyond the Limit.

 

As All three Team Penske cars were able to manipulate the P2P, but only Newgarden and McLaughlin used it illegally at St Pete, with Will Power not doing so, and thus only being docked 10 points. With All three entries being fined $25,000 and forfeiting All prize money.

 

As Newgarden drops to 11th in the championship from leading, and McLauglin drops to a lowly P27, ergo last place!

 

Yes, All teams Cheat, or try to get away with as much as possible without getting caught, which is just part of racing. As case-in-point is Meyer shank Racing’s tyre inflation debacle at the 2023 Rolex 24. Or when Justin Wilson won at Texas Motor speedway for Dale coyne Racing with an unapproved part on it’s chassis…

 

But it’s the amount of cheating that Penske’s been caught for over the years, not to mention other major racing teams that makes it All the more intolerable! Especially when you’re the series owner…

 

As how many times over the years has Roger Penske said it’s Humiliating and adoesn’t meet His exacting standards? Or is it simply one reason that Team Penske’s one of the sport’s most successful teams ever? You make the Call.

 

But Inquiring Minds want to Know will Josef Newgarden refuse to give the St Pete winners trophy to Pato O’Ward or not? 

The Year that Jimmy Clark Stole the Show!

Long forgotten Indianapolis Times Front page regaling Jimmy Clark’s Indianapolis 500 victory. (The Tomaso Collection)

 

As the British Invasion was in full force at the Speedway…

 

This just in from No Fenders Offical’ Photographer CARPETS’. Who recently found His old copy of the 1965 Indianapolis Times Newspaper, whose Headline proclaims: Jimmy Clark Wins With Record 150.636. (mph)

 

Underneath it says Parnelli  Second Andretti Third.

 

I had Parnelli autograph it years back.  He cringed at the Headlines,  don't remember what he said, then he laughed and signed it.   ‘Ol Rufus is a great guy.

 

Guess I need to get Mario to sign it now.

 

Having just learned that that’s a collectors item in more than one way. Since the Indianapolis Times ceased publication on October 11, 1965.

 

As CARPETS’ memorabilia made me flash back to the time I got ‘Ol rufus Parnelli Jones “John Handcock” at Pacific Raceways, ironically twenty years ago this summer.

 

During that year’s SOVREN Fourth ‘O July Vintage Race. On a magazine commemorating the Trans Am series, which I’d previously had Dan Gurney autograph…

 

Whilst here’s a long ago No Fenders tome loosely incorporating thee legendous’ Jimmy Clark and Lotus’s victory on the hallowed Milwaukee Mile. When the Flying Scot and Colin Chapman scored the first rear engine USAC victory sixty years ago.

 

http://www.nofenders.net/2012/06/retro-lotus-victorious-during-time-when.html

 

While it’s somewhat hard to believe it’s eleven years now since the Luddi’ Powered by Judd (Lotus) lumps’ failed so miserably!