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That's right, JayVee, but you know what the one big difference between Texas and what transpired at Indy w/the USGP was? Unlike Max Mosely, who didn't have the courage to be there when it went "belly up", the then CART-president, Joe Heitzler(who had about as much common sense as Tony George does at times) at least had the decency to face the media, along w/driver Michael Andretti, and explain why they cancelled the race. At the time it was a good decision, but it caused a lot of acrimony between CART officials and Speedway Motorsports(which owns Texas Motor Speedway) that has only now quieted down w/ChampCar's successful race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway(another Speedway-owned track) back in Sept. 2004.

Speaking of driver safety, if anyone's read the half-year awards thread, then you'll have read where I mention the SAFER barrier. This one item has been a shining example of where driver safety has become very emphasized in the past 5 years. The SAFER(Steel-and-Foam-Energy-Reducing) barrier has been a standard staple of the IndyCar Series since 2002 when it was installed through all 4 turns at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and has since been installed at every major (oval) speedway throughout the United States. If you're not sure what it looks it, remember what the Turn 13 wall at Indy looked like--a solid wall w/4 lines running through it? If you saw it, that was the SAFER barrier you saw.

The SAFER barrier is simply, five large square steel tubes placed on top of each other and buttressed by large, solid-foam blocks behind it, and secured to the concrete outside wall of any speedway track. Its' purpose is also simple--to reduce the amount of energy(g-forces) exerted on the car(and driver) during a crash. It has been a literal career-saver to many a driver who sufferes an accident during a race, whether it is an IndyCar, F1(at Indy). or NASCAR Nextel Cup event. The example I cited at the end of the awards thread posting is the best example so far this year. While Danica Patrick suffered a mild concussion and left forearm bruise from the crash at Homestead in March, it could, indeed, have been worse had the crash occured further down the track, where there is no SAFER wall to absorb the 153+ G's she experienced in the crash(right-side frontal impact). Ironically, she had been trying to avoid the wreck that occurred moments before when she clipped the left-side wheels of racer Ed Carpenter and headed into the wall. Thankfully, after the car came to rest along the inside wall entering the back-straight, she was able to get out of the car, unassisted and walk to the safety vehicle, which took her to an infield care center for examination. In another irony, of the eight drivers(including Patrick) involved in the wreck, she was the only one who had to stay overnight in a Miami-area hospital for observation.

Bottom line--a wreck like that occurs 4,5, or 6 yrs. ago, and any driver who's caught in it is likely facing more serious injuries from it. Whoever invented the SAFER barrier deserves any driver safety awards that are out there; they truly earned them. Just ask any driver who's "kissed the concrete" during a race the past few yrs., regardless of series.

mlittle wrote:Speaking of driver safety, if anyone's read the half-year awards thread, then you'll have read where I mention the SAFER barrier. This one item has been a shining example of where driver safety has become very emphasized in the past 5 years. The SAFER(Steel-and-Foam-Energy-Reducing) barrier has been a standard staple of the IndyCar Series since 2002 when it was installed through all 4 turns at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and has since been installed at every major (oval) speedway throughout the United States. If you're not sure what it looks it, remember what the Turn 13 wall at Indy looked like--a solid wall w/4 lines running through it? If you saw it, that was the SAFER barrier you saw.

The SAFER barrier is simply, five large square steel tubes placed on top of each other and buttressed by large, solid-foam blocks behind it, and secured to the concrete outside wall of any speedway track. Its' purpose is also simple--to reduce the amount of energy(g-forces) exerted on the car(and driver) during a crash. It has been a literal career-saver to many a driver who sufferes an accident during a race, whether it is an IndyCar, F1(at Indy). or NASCAR Nextel Cup event. The example I cited at the end of the awards thread posting is the best example so far this year. While Danica Patrick suffered a mild concussion and left forearm bruise from the crash at Homestead in March, it could, indeed, have been worse had the crash occured further down the track, where there is no SAFER wall to absorb the 153+ G's she experienced in the crash(right-side frontal impact). Ironically, she had been trying to avoid the wreck that occurred moments before when she clipped the left-side wheels of racer Ed Carpenter and headed into the wall. Thankfully, after the car came to rest along the inside wall entering the back-straight, she was able to get out of the car, unassisted and walk to the safety vehicle, which took her to an infield care center for examination. In another irony, of the eight drivers(including Patrick) involved in the wreck, she was the only one who had to stay overnight in a Miami-area hospital for observation.

Bottom line--a wreck like that occurs 4,5, or 6 yrs. ago, and any driver who's caught in it is likely facing more serious injuries from it. Whoever invented the SAFER barrier deserves any driver safety awards that are out there; they truly earned them. Just ask any driver who's "kissed the concrete" during a race the past few yrs., regardless of series.

Were I a paramedic, I could be excused for trying to get Danica into my ambulance too.

Knock it off, julian. You should see the four-and-a-1/4 carat engagement ring she has on her left ring finger(sorry, my friend, she is indeed engaged) that her fiance gave her late last year.

mlittle wrote:Knock it off, julian. You should see the four-and-a-1/4 carat engagement ring she has on her left ring finger(sorry, my friend, she is indeed engaged) that her fiance gave her late last year.

Sadly I am not a paramedic, sadly I am not of a suitable age, I was but saying , were I a etc., and that is probably based on the fact that my younger brother ( usally referred to as idiot brother , cos he isn't) is a paramedic

And where the hell did you learn a good ol Oz expression " Knock it off" ?

When I was in high school(92'-93') my senior year, we had a couple of exchange students from Australia spend several months in our city...that's probably where I got the expression from, but I used that in conversation before then,so I'm not really sure...

mlittle wrote:When I was in high school(92'-93') my senior year, we had a couple of exchange students from Australia spend several months in our city...that's probably where I got the expression from, but I used that in conversation before then,so I'm not really sure...

ah, so if you really worked on it, and for a small consideration I am prepared to offer private tuition, you could be an honary Ozbear before you come out to Surfers ( which incidentally is the last place you would go to surf)

Julian, I do believe you are an honorary Southerner. Congratulations.

mlittle wrote:Julian, I do believe you are an honorary Southerner. Congratulations.

Well, shucks does that mean I gits ter eat grits n cornpone, n git ter see yer still

In case anybody is wondering who drives for which team, who their sponsors are, etc. here is a current(as of 11 July 2005) listing of the drivers in the IRL IndyCar Series, w/car no., driver, sponsor and chassis/engine make.

Panther Racing:#2 Tomas Enge(R)-Rockstar Energy Drink, Dallara-Chevy; #4 Tomas Scheckter-Pennzoil Platinum, Dallara-Chevy

Marlboro-Team Penske:#3 Helio Castroneves, Dallara-Toyota; #6 Sam Hornish, Jr, Dallara-Toyota(both have same sponsors)

Andretti-Green Racing:#7 Bryan Herta--XM Satellite Radio, Dallara-Honda; #11 Tony Kanaan--Team 7-11, Dallara-Honda; #26 Dan Wheldon--Jim Beam/Klein Tools, Dallara-Honda; #27 Dario Franchitti--ArcaEx, Dallara-Honda

Fernandez Racing:#8 Scott Sharp--Delphi Electronics, Panoz-Honda; #55 Kosuke Matsuura--Panasonic ARTA, Panoz-Honda

Target/Ganassi Racing:#9 Scott Dixon, Panoz-Toyota; #10 Darren Manning, Panoz-Toyota; #33 Ryan Briscoe(R), Panoz-Toyota(all three carry the Target colors)

A.J. Foyt Racing:#14 A.J. Foyt, IV--ABC Supply Co., Dallara-Toyota

Rahal-Letterman Racing:#15 Buddy Rice--Argent/Pioneer, Panoz-Honda; #16 Danica Patrick(R)--Argent/Pioneer, Panoz-Honda; #17 Vitor Meira--Johns Manville/Menards, Panoz-Honda

Vision Racing:#20 Ed Carpenter--Vision Racing, Dallara-Toyota

Dreyer & Reinbold Racing:#24 Roger Yasukawa--RollCoaster, Dallara-Honda

Red Bull/Cheever Racing:#51 Alex Barron--Red Bull/IZOD, Dallara-Toyota; #83 Patrick Carpentier--Red Bull/IZOD, Dallara-Toyota

Ethanol Hemelgarn Racing:#91 Jimmy Kite--Ethanol Racing, Dallara-Toyota

Note: Joining Panther Racing for at least 2 races this year(besides this year's Indy 500) is #95 Buddy Lazier--Pennzoil Panther, Dallara-Chevy

Thank you.

You're welcome, Julian. Welcome to the South.

mlittle wrote:You're welcome, Julian. Welcome to the South.

Pass the Cranky Bird,

Hey, that's what we used to call the Chevy Indy engines they ran the first half of the 2003 IndyCar season...before the geniuses at GM Racing decided to sell their souls to Cosworth for a bow-tie badged engine.