Welcome back to Toronto! This is an actual IndyCar race according to my DVR so I guess we’ll be in store for some actual racing?
—Prerace—
Doubt I’ll be watching much of this
HCN looks tired. That doesn’t bode well for the rest of the field
Stadium Super Truck snippet. Oh yes
Walker saying a whole lot of nothing to Miller. Not a huge fan after yesterday’s debacle. Get him off screen and get this race started
Dale Coyne retrospective. What a good dude. We could use more guys like him in IndyCar
55 minutes to get the guys in the car. Too long. What is a good length prerace for you? I need guys in the cars at the 32-ish minute mark
—Race—
GREEN
Standing starts are so damn cool
TK ends up with his nose as close to the tires without touching them as physically possible
Varsha notes the darkening skies
YELLOW
2
Power and Pagenaud running nose to tail…
Aaaand a Power/Pags retrospective almost on cue
Guys taking the opportunity to take fuel already
4
GREEN
Bourdais is on a mission
Drivers are definitely pushing right now.
6
Pagenaud losing positions hand over fist. Onboard sounds like a sick sick engine.
He has to cycle the entire electrical system of the car. That’s got to be a tough act to pull off. Engine is overheating. May be done for the day
Montoya showing good on a street course
Bourdais doesn’t quite have the pace to challenge the leading pack
12
Visible rain drops
13
Wow. JPM into the tires and Aleshin into JPM. I hope he’s ok…
Bourdais also over shoots the corner and Hinch gives JPM’s car a kiss.
Aleshin is ok. Wow. That was nutso
First sighting of rain tires
Bourdais says it’s dry enough for slicks
Rubber marks on Aleshin’s visor and helmet
Steaming racetrack
Bourdais and Newgarden still on slicks. Could be the decision of the race
20
GREEN
21
Festival of cautious driving, Bourdais into the pits for wets finally
Newgarden spins on the front straight, but was able to flip it around into pit lane. Well played
23
Turn 8 is treacherous
No one is pushing right now
Penske, Penske, Ganassi, Ganassi
24
YELLOW
Rear pod on the racing line
I wonder who is driving the pace car today
28
GREEN
OMG I SEE SPRAY… CANCEL THE RACE!!!!!!
I kid I kid…
29
Good battle at the front of the field
These guys are being so conservative through the twisty bits. I bet most of the setups are dry to split. I doubt anyone is running a true wet package
31
Slight block party from HCN. The shock
Power doesn’t have much of anything for HCN right now and the Ganassi boys are inching closer every corner
33
Luca into the tires. Dude, please get it together. You have not covered yourself in glory the past few races
YELLOW
Side note: This will be my worst single weekend performance in fantasy IndyCar history.
Note to past self: Quit making stupid picks
Timed race. 30 minutes remaining.
Again, as with yesterday and a few weeks ago in Houston, why do we force a time shortened race when we have the full TV window? We don’t need a 90 minute post race show. We needed to run both races to full length today
…a weekend of disappointment. At least Bourdais found the checkers earlier today
36/ 28:30
GREEN
HCN still leading
Power falling into the clutches of TK
37
Drivers are getting antsy with the lingering time window
We will not go full distance today. This race will be decided by the clock
Munoz into the runoff
38
Dry line visible. Who will blink first?
It’s been cool to see the wide variance of lines that drivers have taken through the corner. We really didn’t see this much difference during the wet Houston race
42
Power and Helio elbowing each other out of the way. Power comes out the other side the victor
HCN was on the inside and wet portion of the track. There was no way he was going to make that corner without bouncing off of Power.
43
Munoz in for red sidewall slicks
44/17:30
Hawks and Hinch off with Saavedra into the tires.
Goat Rodeo
YELLOW
I can’t wait to get the hell out of Toronto
Everyone left going to slicks
We’re going to have a shoot out of epic proportions
Wilson, Newgarden, Huertas and Filippi stay out on wets. And don’t forget the handful of drivers already on dries ahead of the pitting drivers
Still burning time behind the pace car
Conway first of the slick runners in P5
49
GREEN
Conway pushing through the field
Wilson gapping the field, but Conway has already made it to P3
HUGE slide for Huertas
50
Bourdais stalled at the tires
Conway to the lead. Wilson just couldn’t hold him off
Kanaan rushing through the field as well
51/7:00
YELLOW
That should be it for Conway… DESTROYER OF WORLDS
Looks like the guys who were on the wets were falling through the field and couldn’t get out of the way fast enough
Rahal stalled on the track somewhere
Booth says red, yet the clock is still running
Oops, there we go
RED
52/4:32
Rahal out of the car
I agree with this call. The fans who stuck out this epic failure of a weekend deserve a full speed finish to the day
Gearbox for Rahal
Rahal: “I think you’ll see us on the top step of the podium soon enough” … Riiight…
Cars re-fired
I bet we still finish under yellow
2:33
GREEN
Kanaan around Wilson
HCN with wing damage
WHITE
56
Conway has a huge gap. I’m shocked that finished cleanly
Conway was rewarded for having the balls to come in early for slicks
CKECKERS
Well done Mr. Conway
MORE DONUTS!!!
Nothing better than an open-wheel car roasting rubber
Ed Always has something to complain about…
Ok, that’s all I can handle from Toronto 2014. The actual racing wasn’t awful this weekend, but the arbitration of said racing could have been executed way more professionally. Thanks for reading my friends.
Eric Hall
