Discussion
Slightly Indycar related. Alex Palou is still the McLaren F1 team's test/reserve driver. I suspect he's not going to show up so it's highly likely that O'Ward is going to get an FP1 outing at some point.
Some Teams are running out of time for their mandatory 2 FP1 sessions too! https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/f1-teams-facing-...
Some Teams are running out of time for their mandatory 2 FP1 sessions too! https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/f1-teams-facing-...
paulguitar said:
They've got a screaming commentator as well.
Just why?
I know, he’s Crofty but with an American accent! Just why?
Indy definitely missed a trick, by not having the F1 restart rule that you can’t pass before the line. Watching them all pile into that tight final corner time and time again, when it was always blindingly obvious what was about to happen.
Muzzer79 said:
Mikey G said:
Its funny how Indycar can do without tyre warmers and get no issues with refuelling yet F1 cant do either.
F1 could still do refueling. But it didn't really add much to the show - the strategists sussed it out to the point where everyone was doing pretty much the same thing and F1 didn't have the jeopardy of full-circuit yellow flags and safety cars, like Indycar does. Perhaps they shouldTyre warmers, fully agree with you - no reason why F1 can't follow this - they just don't want to.
F1 never restricted the fuel tank size. Strategists sussed it was better to have a large fuel tank.
Edited by entropy on Tuesday 12th September 15:45
https://www.juncoshollinger.com/juncos-hollinger-r...
McLaren and Juncos Hollinger enter into a strategic partnership.
McLaren and Juncos Hollinger enter into a strategic partnership.
scrw. said:
Looking to do the Indy500 in '24, anyone got recommendations for an agent to sort out a package deal from the UK? Looking to do the qualy days and the race, flights, hotel & car rental in 1 go for 3.
ta
I'll be making trip #7 across the Atlantic to the 500 next year. We're only hitting race weekend this time but have done practice and qualifications in the past. I've never bothered with any agent and always organised myself. ta
The critical part of the whole thing is accommodation which needs booking asap. If you are planning on arriving for Fast Friday which will be 17th May - and you should - then you should be able to get a "long term" rate for some of the downtown hotels. This will allow you to dodge the big price hikes of race weekend.
Get in contact with the speedway now and sort tickets and parking. At this point you'll probably end up with parking in either the huge Coke Lot or the North 40. Not ideal in race day but perfectly serviceable. If you stay downtown there is a shuttle bus option but I can't tell you much about what it's like as I've not tried it for the 500. (I did use it once for the Brickyard 400 and it was perfectly fine but patience required when leaving).
You'll probably want to get Bronze Badges as these will get you into the track and into the garage area on everyday except race day. Great value. Silver badges are pricey (But less than a Silverstone F1 grandstand ticket) but will get you on pit road for all practice and qualification sessions which is mega.
Flights are easy. BA, American and Delta/Virgin can all get you to Indianapolis via an internal connecting flight. It's not a particularly difficult drive down from Chicago. The 1st hour is a pain around the edge of Chicago as the interstate appears to be in a permanent state of disassembly and reassembly but after that it an easy run.
Don't leave on Monday after the race. Stay just incase there is a rain out. If there isn't make sure you head to Lawrenceburg which is on the east Indiana border. On Monday night the World of Outlaw Sprint Cars race ok the high banked 1/3 mile speedway and it's a spectacular show.
Other race events in the area during the lead up to the 500 are Carb Night (Friday of race week) at IRP (USAC Silver crown) and usually USAC Sprint Cars at Circle City (Wednesday and Thursday of race week).
Edited by realjv on Tuesday 3rd October 19:52
Thanks Realjv! I have been talking to some agents as I am crap at logistics, for thursday to tuesday after race day they are all quoting around £2500-3000 per person, but need to tweak the offerings they have come back with on the race ticket front. Is there much to do in the area in the week up to the race? One agent has offered an option of 3 nights in Chicago mid week which sounds like an option if there isn't much happening.
scrw. said:
Thanks Realjv! I have been talking to some agents as I am crap at logistics, for thursday to tuesday after race day they are all quoting around £2500-3000 per person, but need to tweak the offerings they have come back with on the race ticket front. Is there much to do in the area in the week up to the race? One agent has offered an option of 3 nights in Chicago mid week which sounds like an option if there isn't much happening.
We'll be flying out on the Thursday before race weekend (23rd) and back on the Tuesday after (28th) and at the moment I'm projecting that we'll be at about £1600-1700 each.Flights £900-1000
Accommodation £350 each
Car £150
Race tickets £120
So qualifications are on Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th May.
Monday 20th will be a practice day. Probably a 2-3hr session in the afternoon as that gives teams who content for pole on Sunday afternoon enough time to swap the car back to race setup and potentially do an engine change as well prior.
There will be no track activity at the Speedway Tuesday-Thursday.
Friday is Carb Day with the final 2hr Indycar practice session, pit stop competition, concerts and lots of drinking.
Saturday - Full field autograph session and public drivers meeting at the Speedway. Downtown is the 500 Festival Parade which all the drivers will take part in. If it is your first time definitely make sure you see the parade. Get yourself a nice front row seat somewhere along the route.
https://500festival.com/parade/
There isn't much going on Tuesday-Thursday of race week in Indianapolis itself. Indy is nice city but it is not a mega metropolis like Chicago. The Art Museum (Newfields) is pretty good and the outdoor sculpture park is a nice green space for a wander. If you are lucky the minor league Indianapolis Indians will be in town and you can catch a game. Highly recommended, the stadium sits right in downtown Indy and its great value.
Clearly the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum is a must do, however I'm not sure what state it will be in next May as its about to undergo a massive renovation.
As I said in my earlier post there is loads of racing in the week leading up to the 500. You can almost go racing every single evening at a local short track if you choose to. (We have and it was brilliant!).
So in summary, Indy is a nice city but its doesn't have the big city buzz and all the attractions that come with it. I really like Chicago and wasting 2 or 3 days there is easy.
realjv said:
We'll be flying out on the Thursday before race weekend (23rd) and back on the Tuesday after (28th) and at the moment I'm projecting that we'll be at about £1600-1700 each.
Flights £900-1000
Accommodation £350 each
Car £150
Race tickets £120
Probably cheaper for everything than a grand stand seat at the Vegas grand prix then!Flights £900-1000
Accommodation £350 each
Car £150
Race tickets £120
I think Grosjean has been taking advice from Palau and Massa - https://www.crash.net/indycar/news/1037361/1/romai...
FourWheelDrift said:
I think Grosjean has been taking advice from Palau and Massa - https://www.crash.net/indycar/news/1037361/1/romai...
This is an odd one, I don't really see on what grounds he has any claim.Based on the racer.com story the team offered him a contract extension which he signed but then started crashing and being rubbish before the team signed. With the drop in form the team eventually decided not to sign. Is he making a 'bad faith' sort of argument that the team mislead him? Seems odd that you can be punished for a contract you didn't sign.
realjv said:
FourWheelDrift said:
I think Grosjean has been taking advice from Palau and Massa - https://www.crash.net/indycar/news/1037361/1/romai...
This is an odd one, I don't really see on what grounds he has any claim.Based on the racer.com story the team offered him a contract extension which he signed but then started crashing and being rubbish before the team signed. With the drop in form the team eventually decided not to sign. Is he making a 'bad faith' sort of argument that the team mislead him? Seems odd that you can be punished for a contract you didn't sign.
Back to visiting the 500, have a deal for thursday - tuesday inc Carb day, Legends day (with hospitality suite) & the race for just over 2k each which isn't too bad. Raceday is either C or Paddock stand, with the following upgrade options:
Tower Terrace Ticket Upgrade = +£30 per person
Southwest Vista Ticket Upgrade = +£50 per person
E Stand Ticket Upgrade = +£350 per person
Paddock Penthouse Ticket Upgrade = +£575 per person
are any of them worth it or is sitting opposite the pits a good option?
Tower Terrace Ticket Upgrade = +£30 per person
Southwest Vista Ticket Upgrade = +£50 per person
E Stand Ticket Upgrade = +£350 per person
Paddock Penthouse Ticket Upgrade = +£575 per person
are any of them worth it or is sitting opposite the pits a good option?
scrw. said:
Back to visiting the 500, have a deal for thursday - tuesday inc Carb day, Legends day (with hospitality suite) & the race for just over 2k each which isn't too bad. Raceday is either C or Paddock stand, with the following upgrade options:
Tower Terrace Ticket Upgrade = +£30 per person
Southwest Vista Ticket Upgrade = +£50 per person
E Stand Ticket Upgrade = +£350 per person
Paddock Penthouse Ticket Upgrade = +£575 per person
are any of them worth it or is sitting opposite the pits a good option?
Tower Terrace - It really depends on exactly where you are in Paddock/C vs Tower Terrace. Tower Terrace seats will probably be higher which is good but you are further away due to pitlane etc between you and the track. Also if you are close to the Yard of Bricks in Tower you will not be able to see T1 as the Pagoda blocks the view.Tower Terrace Ticket Upgrade = +£30 per person
Southwest Vista Ticket Upgrade = +£50 per person
E Stand Ticket Upgrade = +£350 per person
Paddock Penthouse Ticket Upgrade = +£575 per person
are any of them worth it or is sitting opposite the pits a good option?
SW Vista - This is a decent upgrade. You will most likely be able to see more track clearly than in Paddock/C. You should be able to see from the entry to T1 all the way through the exit of T2. You will not be able to see the Yard of Bricks or anything up the main straight.
E Stand - That is a big price bump which is way out of proportion to the face value of the tickets. Stand E is really good if you are close to T1 enterance, if you are further around T1 then it is not worth the money and you are better off in the SW Vista. Stand E Penthouse seats are amongst the best giving you a wide panaramic view over about 1/2 the track.
Paddock Penthouse - Again that price bump is way out of proportion to the face value of the tickets. The height will give you a good view of what is happening in the pits and you will be able to see more of the front straight than sitting lower in Paddock/C.
The large price premium for E Stand and Paddock Penthouse will be because the tickets are very difficult to get. Almost all of them get renewed every year in these areas by the previous buyers. It takes about 15-20 years to work your way up the rankings in order to get a chance of buying the small number that become available each year.
Remember Carb Day is non-reserved seating in all open stands (Not every stand will be open) so the price bump is for race day only. But this also means there is nothing stopping you sitting in Stand B/E Penthouse on Carb Day.
Many thanks, also found this tool too https://www.seats3d.com/racetracks/indianapolis_mo...
Think we will go for the SW vista
Think we will go for the SW vista
https://www.motorsport.com/indycar/news/indycar-ca...
So Callum Ilott is out of Juncos Hollinger
Something of a surprise, given his talent and pace in the last 1.5 years - I really thought he'd be in the running for a top seat.
Lots of talk though about his receiving abuse and death threats from South America over a couple of incidents with Canapino in '23.
Rumour is that this is one of the seats that Grosjean could be looking at.
I hope Ilott moves on to bigger and better things - I have rated him since he came in to Indycar.
So Callum Ilott is out of Juncos Hollinger
Something of a surprise, given his talent and pace in the last 1.5 years - I really thought he'd be in the running for a top seat.
Lots of talk though about his receiving abuse and death threats from South America over a couple of incidents with Canapino in '23.
Rumour is that this is one of the seats that Grosjean could be looking at.
I hope Ilott moves on to bigger and better things - I have rated him since he came in to Indycar.
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