Two Tintop accidents: One survives - One doesn’t...

By now I’m sure Y’all have seen the countless replays of ‘ANT’s (Anthony Davidson) wicked looking crash aboard his Toyota TS030 on Saturday at Circuit de la Sarthe - which thankfully ‘ANT walked away from literally, albeit suffering two broken vertebrae...

Q+A with Anthony Davidson

Unfortunately, things didn’t go so well for Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRLC) Navigator Gareth Roberts, as the24-year ol Welshman was pronounced dead after an incident on Saturday’s second stage of the Targa Florio Rally - which organizers then cancelled the remaining stages out of respect for the fallen competitor...

Navigator killed in Rally

Portland’s LOSS is Milwaukee’s Gain...

So I know I’m the ONLY ‘Juan who cares ‘bout my Hometrack Portland International Raceway still getting STIFFED by IndyCar... What was that ‘bout Randy “The CandyMann” Bernard wanting to return to tradition? As in you’ve managed to give away Portland’s traditional Father’s Day weekend race date to the venerable Milwaukee Mile instead! And thus I won’t bother lamenting too much more over how it’s NOW been five years this past Sunday since the last major Open Wheel Racing event was held at PIR, which NO! Doesn’t stand for Phoenix Int’l Raceway, albeit I’m not sure which ‘Juan came first; Hya! (HINT: Can you say Valley of the Sun?)

May be IndyCar should stay away from the Northwest After all

Yet, interestingly? Phoenix’s ‘lil Bullring Ovaltrack last held an “INDYCAR” sanctioned race there in 2005, while Portland’s last gasp came with the much maligned ‘N pummeled ’07 Champ Car World Series race, which you’re painfully aware that your Humble Scribe endured all 3-days of, even having stayed thru the warbled tones of mighty Mazda Miata KillerBeez buzzing around the track and providing the backdrop for Robin Miller’s live SPEED channel TV report - which I’m in the middle of recapping right now...

And NO! I don’t wish to see Milwaukee fade away again, after apparently last year’s event was very poorly attended; Hmm? Sounds like the same song that’s been sung to me for years over Portland’s demise - as the headlines screamed last year;

Milwaukee race in doubt?

As I’m hoping that Mikey Andretti and his Sports Marketing Company can breathe new life back into the Old lady with today’s event - and that IndyCar will give him more than one year to succeed...

Yet, if Loudon can come back after a 13-year hiatus, I guess it’s still semi-feasible that Portland could once again host an Indy Car Series race, too? Just please Mr. Bernard – DON’T make us wait another eight years Yuhs Hear!

Portland’s Centennial

AUTHOR’S NOTE

I’ll let Y’all in on a ‘lil secret... When it would RAIN up here at Portland Int’l Raceway’s CART/Champ Car races, which were traditionally held on Father’s Day weekend; guess what? They’d actually run the entire race in the RAIN! As in Portland’s a permanent road course which includes an overtaking zone known as the Festival Curves. Just had to get a chuckle outta Milwaukee’s rain delay - having stole our race weekend - as we’re pretty accustomed to precipitation up here in the Pacific Northwest...

RETRO: Lotus Victorious – During a Time when Real Diversity existed...

Author’s Note

Ah; So many stories, so little time... Thus, once again your humble No Fenders scribe is busy poondin’ his ‘nucel’s bloody whilst trying to free another story from the tenuous grip of that devilish NoFenderz Wormhole Vortex; CRIKEYS!

Thus this story was begun one year ago after having returned from the second Centennial Indy 500 of 2011 - yet seems perfectly suited to today’s landscape, having just spent time with Jean Alesi’s Engineer - along with watching the “SLOTUSES” being black-flagged for being too slow at Indy... Although I found it quite amusing that F1 Superstar Jimmy Clark’s 1964 Lotus T-34 was given the primo display spot at the IMS Hall of Fame museum - which usually has the Marmon Wasp in the museum’s entry way, albeit last year Roger Ward’s beautiful Watson Roadster  commandeered the spot...

Meanwhile, I’d haveda most definitely say I’ve cooled a bit upon Mr. CandyMann, especially after the Las Vegas debacle & TWIT-er Gate...

So, there appeared to be some good things evolving from the new INDYCAR leadership, i.e.; Mr. CandyMann, aka Randy Bernard, (Prior to OwnerGate, when Mr. Bernard’s tweet was heard round the world...) along with the return of a most popular ‘lil Bullring One-mile Oval Shortrack known affectionately as The Milwaukee Mile, which I believe I use to have a CART T-Shirt for denoting its Centennial way back when? Whale at least I know I had an ex-friend bring me back a Milwaukee Mile T-Shirt a zillion Moons ago; but I digress...

As I’m all for Milwaukee’s return to the Indy Car Series calendar (PERMANENTLY) – and wish it great success; (And that’s coming from a Dyed-in-the-Wool CART Twisty fan...) even if it only draws a “Minuscule” crowd, i.e.; 40,000 attendance equals a Sell-out? As I WON’T lament too much upon how Portland International Raceway once Outdrew that number – other then to say I still really think Indy Cars MISSING the Boat on this one!

Hey IndyCar, I think Portland’s still available!

Jimmy Clark’s 1964 T-34 on display at the IMS Hall of Fame museum during the 96^th running of the Indy 500. (DOP)

Thus, interestingly, nearly a Half Century ago (almost 49-years – with the race’s return last Father’s Day weekend) the Milwaukee Fairgrounds witnessed history being made, in what Dan Gurney’s Eagle Eyes website denotes as: The Day the Front-engine Roadster Died...

When eventual Double World Champion Jimmy Clark thoroughly dominated the day’s race, (August 18, 1963) and gave Team Lotus its first USAC National Championship (IndyCar) victory, along with the first ever USAC rear-engine victory...

Milwaukee: The day the Dinosaur’s died

Now I’m all for the return of multiple engine Manufacturer’s in 2012 and I find it interesting that Honda (HPD) has opted to go against the norm - with its single turbocharger layout vs. Chevrolet (General Motors/Ilmor) and Lotus (Lotus/Judd) choosing the twin-turbocharger route; which obviously was chosen for developing the most Horsepower possible in the new 2.2-liter (maximum displacement) V-6 era.

Although obviously the SLOTUSES were sufficiently DOWN on horsepower at Indy; as I’ve heard some pretty disparaging remarks towards the ‘Luddi lump!

And since I don’t expect “Symona-Symona” (Simona de Silvestro) and the HVM Racing Glow in the Dark ‘SLOTUS to win this weekend’s Milwaukee event... Let’s harken back nearly 50-years ago, to those halcyon days ‘O Indy Cars - when the REAL Lotuses were ultra competitive and GASP! Even took the Pole at Mother Speedway!

Thus, or ease of reference material, I’ll focus upon the year 1964, the very year that thee Flying Scot secured Pole at Indianapolis for Colin Chapman and Lotus at the  48^th running of the Indianapolis 500...

Side view of thee Flying Scot’s ’64 I500 nount. (DOP)

1964 INDY 500 NOTES

Jack Brabham and Ron Tauranac’s Motor Racing Developments rear engine BT-12-Offenhauser was entered by John Zink and driven by Sir ‘Blackjack. (Jack Brabham)

Mickey Thompson’s even more radical Skateboard was entered for Sports Car drivers Masten Gregory & Indy Rookie Dave MacDonald. While Rolla Vollstedt’s (Vollstedt/Offy) racecar was driven by Len Sutton - as even perennial Roadster builder A.J. Watson dipped his toes into the rear-engine craze by bolting the upstart Ford DOHC V-8 behind the flanks of a bulbous Funny-car which was chauffeured by Roger Ward...

Smokey Yunick’s Hurst Floor Shift Special – wadded-up by NASCAR driver Bobby Johns now is currently on display at America’s Car Museum in Tacoma, WA...

As the influx of “Powered by Ford” rear engine “funny Cars” led to the Blue Oval sweeping the front row of the grid with its powerful (Ford Fairlane-based) DOHC V-8; with Team Lotuses Jimmy Clark on Pole. Bobby Marshman, a.k.a. “The American Jim Clark” second and Ward claiming the outside of Row 1 in P3; while Dan Gurney in the second Team Lotus-Ford wound-up starting sixth – being separated by the field’s fastest two Watson/Offy Roadsters of Parnelli Jones & A.J. Foyt fourth and fifth respectively...

4xth Indy 500 Entrants

1) Four Wheel  Roadster

(1) Fergeson-Novi

(11) Rear-engine “Funny Cars”

(1) Brabham-Offenhauser

 (1) Hallibrand/Ford

(2) Huffaker/Offenhauser

(1) Lotus Type 29 Ford

(2) Lotus Type 34 Ford

 (2) Thompson/Ford

 (1) Vollstedt/Offenhauser

(1) Watson-Ford

(21) Front engine Roadsters

(1) Epperly/ Offenhauser

(2) Kurtis-Novi

 (1) Kurtits/ Offenhauser

(1) Kuzma/ Offenhauser

(3) Trevis/ Offenhauser

(1) Walter/Offenhauser

(12) Watson/Offenhauser

So why do I bring all of this up? Whale, as ‘Juan ‘O the UNLUV’ed 40-something’s with Confuzers - remember us Mr. Barnes? (Careful ‘Big Feller, don’t go all Smack Happy on TWIT-er over us, as after all you could get fined; Hya!) Instead of that vaunted male 18-34 Testosterone dripping Rat pack... I’m afraid that Mr. Bernard & Co. nee, IndyCar will try mightily ‘Spinning the new ‘GEN-X Dallara DW12 Indy Car as different next year when the vaunted Aero kit’s finally become available... To which I’ll continue referring them as the Body-by-Mennen “AFX Aurora” Aerokit era – which won’t be multiple Chassis “Makes,” but instead what they truly represent, as in can Y’all say 100% Dallara’s!

So please IndyCar, DON’T try DUMBING DOWN the series by tellin’ us there’s Lotus, or Loti, (As I sincerely wish to see Lotus return next year; provided it’s a proper effort and its engine is competitive horsepower-wise...) Chevrolet’s and Honda racecar’s Ontrack... Let’s just call them what they really are, i.e.; Dallara-Honda, Dallara-Lotus & Dallara-Chevrolet’s. (As I’ll denote all entries this way...)

But you know what Randy Bernard said. We heard from you, the Fans – that you wanted competition, so we’ve come up with this solution... Uhm, NO! We wanted REAL competition – as in true multiple chassis & engine Manufacturer’s – like the Good ‘Ol Dazes. But hey, at least it’s a start, right? Now will somebody just tell me how long Dallara will be the exclusive Safety Cell provider?

As two and a quarter engines and one SPEC chassis is better than nothin,’ now go Get ‘em Simona...

(DOP: Photos Courtesy of No Fenders ‘Offical Photographer ‘CARPETS)

May be Ganassi should add Sawzall to its Sponsorship portfolio?

As wouldn’t Yuhs know it, Dashley LePew (Dario Franchitti) who runs in the colours of Suave, Charmin and Kleenex -Sob, POOR Dashley... Who just bumped Justin ‘BIG UNIT Wilson off of his provisional Pole position at the Milwaukee Mile musta found some additional speed after  sawing off said body part after the lanky Englishman’s victory at Texas, eh?

Recall that Dashley claimed he’d have cut off an appendage to make up the perceived advantage Justin’s car had at Texas.

''I asked my engineers how much downforce would that have given him. They gave me the number and I said I would cut a body part off for that amount of downforce during the race.”

Hmm? All smiles ‘N roses today after snatching the Pole from Wilson who wound-up second provisionally - prior to his 10-spot grid penalty for an unapproved engine change after testing at Iowa.

So I wunder which body part Dashley cut off and how much weight it saved him?

Business as usual - Bahrain upholds Doctors Convictions...

Ah, doesn’t the Bahrain Grand Prix seem like such a long time ago? When your humble scribe refused to watch his first Formula 1 race due to its politically motivated incarnation to paint life in the Kingdom as a happy, shiny place...

Thus, why am I not surprised one iota to have awakened to the news this morning that nine Shiites Doctors convictions were ridiculously upheld! As they were part of the twenty Doctors charged for reportedly helping the Citizens uprising against the Kingdom by gasp; treating wounded civilians - in what the BICI report has condemned as police brutality!

Nine Bahraini Doctors convictions upheld in Political trials

As these sentences are atrocious at best, as some were charged for “Illegal Gatherings” at Uhm? I dunno - the bleeping Public Hospital they worked for... And hence will spend between one month to five years incarcerated for their sins.

As 18 of the 20 Doctors have reported to Human Rights advocate groups that they were TORTURED whilst in prison awaiting their appeals. Hmm? What’s that ‘bout bringing Democracy to Bahrain? Oh Never Mind! That’s right, the United States has dropped its weapons selling ban to the Sunni ruling monarchy after taking a seven month break...

Meanwhile, it was indeed funny? Funny Ha Ha strange to read how there was a staggering twelve people in the stands for the GP2 race the week after the F1 circus had left town, which isn’t exactly a rousing endorsement towards sporting events in Bahrain.

Bahrain GP2 race watched by 12-fans

Not to mention a very reasonable article denoting why F1 really shouldn’t have gone to Bahrain this year...

Reflections on Bahrain

Did Britain’s PM receive favours from Murdoch?

For the most part I’ve been loathe to read any of the ad-nausium Hackgate stories in the Guardian ever since we learned of the extremely unscrupulous measures employed by Mr. Rupert Murdoch’s sultry News of the World tabloids unravelings - which I say Tally Ho! Throw the lot of them in the slammer or whatever jail cells are called in England.

Yet it seems somewhat despicable that Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron could potentially be in cahoots with Messer Murdoch - which is simply shocking; NOT! Feigned gasp of surprise here...

As I only bring this matter up since ironically? Mr. Murdoch simply happens to be the Capitalist trying to take 100% control over the British Sky TV Network which is conveniently hosting this year’s round of PAY Formula 1 races on the British Telie, after it was wrangled away from BBC, and now Murdoch’s Sky Italia network has done a similar Pay for F1 television deal in Italy - as Uncle Bernaughty and his crony Banker bosses continue to milk the golden goose to death! Coincidence?

David Cameron denies deals with Murdoch

As I would simply be loathe to be forced to pay $480-pounds per year to simply watch a few hours of Grand Prix on the weekends. As could this abomination of greed be coming stateside in the future? As after all it’s Murdoch’s FOX TV conglomerate that owns the rights to the US telecasts...

LE MANS: The Original Hybrid Racing car overshadowed by this year’s Toyota v Audi battle...

Although this AIN’T an original thought - I’d like to wholeheartedly concur with duh Speed Freaks Skattmann - who noted in a recent Skatmann Skat how the original Hybrid Sports Car Prototype is being completely forgotten... As I seem to get a wee bit torqued off every time SPEED runs its cheesy 24 Heurs du Mans tease for this year’s race by claiming the Toyota TS030 is ground breaking revolutionary technology... Uh, NO SPEED Dork Heads! It was a privateer who beat the Japanese giant to the punch three years ago when Corsa Motorsports debuted its Ginetta/Zytech hybrid powered American Le Mans Series LMP1 Prototype!

As I even seemed to vaguely recall that ‘Juan ‘O my favourite Swedes “Stevie Johnson,” aka Stefan Johansson was one of the cars pilots...

Hybrid Electrifies Racing Circuit

And although Corsa’s ultimate intentions were to run at Circuit de la Sarthe - I’m guessing the teething issues of this new racecar technology put the squeeze upon the team’s budget and hence they never made it to France - as far as I can tell...

So why all the hoopla over Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy not being the first of its kind? Well as my favourite Sports Car race is just around the bend, albeit I tend to think of it as signaling Summer Solstice - which means the days will become shorter... Toyota is making its Sports Car return in this year’s 80^th running of the 24 Heurs French classic with a pair of its (somewhat) revolutionary TS030 hybrid LMP1 prototype... As this brace of ultra upscale Priuses were  P4-5 in the just concluded June 3^rd Test Day outing with three of Audi’s four Panzerwagons ahead of them; which interestingly Audi too will campaign a pair of its own turbo diesel hybrid R18 E-tron Quattro’s this year...

LE MANS: Audi quickest, but also crash during Test Day

The Toyota driver line-ups consist of Alexander Wurz, Nicolas Lapierre and Kazuki Nakajima in the No. 7 and Stéphane Sarrazin, ‘ANT, (Anthony Davidson) and Sebastien Buemi in the No. 8.

Audi’s four car armada consists of the two hybrid entries No. 1 and No.2 - the No. 1 plate affixed to last year’s winning trio with the Supergroup of Thee Scottish Terrier, (Alan McNish) “Mr. Lemans,” (Tom Kristensen) and Rinaldo Capello behind the wheel of the No. 2 - with the other half of the German quartet being last year’s winning R18’s with Marc Gene and Mike “Rocky” Rockenfeller spearheading the No. 3 and No. 4 respectively...

Another interesting LMP1 chassis is the Rebellion Racing No. 12 Lola B12/60-Toyota with Nicolas Prost, Neal Jani and ‘Quick Nick Heidfeld at the controls...

Having already been slated to miss the Milwaukee round of this year’s Indy Car Series before being bumped by Thy Leggy ‘Juan, nee  Katherine Legge for all remaining Ovals; le ‘Hamburgular, aka Sebastain Bourdais will partner Seiji Ara and Nicolas Minassian in the legendary Homeboy Henri Pescarolo’s No. 17 LMP1 Dome S102.5/Judd... Hmm? Ironically the makers of SeaBasses ex-Lotus-by-Judd IndyCar lump...   

In the ‘Seester car, the No. 15 Oak/ Pescarolo Judd is ex-IndyCar driver Bertrand Baguette - while the meat in the Pescarolo sandwiches No. 16 is apparently the rebodied and re-engined ex-Aston Martin LMP1 prototype...

And other ex-Formula 1 piloto’s abound with names such as Jean-Christophe Boullion, Karun “Cowboy” Chandhok, Stefan Johansson, Jean-Denis Deletraz, Martin “BillyBob” Brundle, (and son Alex) Shinji Nakano, “Fishy fellah,” (Giancarlo Fisichella) Gianmaria Bruni, Olivier Beretta, Jan Magnussen and Pedro Lamy.

And just a few other drivers of note include past winner David Brabham, Ryan “Razzle Dazzle” Dalziel and Elton Julian, who was a promising ‘Yank Formula 1 test driver who almost made it into F1 with the Larrousse team - which would have preceded “Mikey” Andretti’s adventurous stint at  McLaren as Ayrton Senna’s teammate...

Two other chassis/driver combo’s of note are the No. 61 AF Corse Waltrip Ferrari 458 Italia GTE “Pro Am” category contender with Brian Vickers making his Le Mans debut; whilst there will be great curiosity over the No. 0 - the controversial Delta Wing Project 56 Sports Car being campaigned by Highcroft racing with lead driver Marino Franchitti behind the keyboard.

OOPS! Almost forgot that  very pleasant Senor who said Hola to me at this year’s Legends Day at Indianapolis who told me he’d be piloting the Aston Martin at Le Mans in ‘bout three weeks time... His name is Adrian Fernandez and he’s part of the No. 97 Aston Martin Vantage driver trio...

2012 Le Mans entry list

You can catch SPEED’s 24 Heurs du Mans round-the-clock TV coverage beginning tomorrow (6/15) with the airing of The Road to Le Mans at 7PM PACIFIC; reportedly focusing upon Toyota’s return, which I think is being replayed at 4:30AM PACIFIC Saturday morning - prior to the race beginning on June 16^th at 5:30AM PACIFIC - and wrapping up at6:30AM PACIFIC the following morning...

But as always: CHECK YOUR LOCAL LISTINGS!