Auto Racing 2025

[Foxbat]

Hope Ericsson is okay, looks like a minor shunt but still, you don't need to increase your crew's workload on a hot weekend:

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[Yespage]

Hope Ericsson is okay, looks like a minor shunt but still, you don't need to increase your crew's workload on a hot weekend:

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He was fine. Got out pretty quickly. I managed to get a pic right after the impact but while still moving. Found a sweetspot atop the garages for track photos. So many obstructions up there, but there is a good spot for shots. And shaded!

Saw Herta back it into the tire barrier yesterday, but no captures of it.

 

[dfergie]

Not auto racing, but close…

View: https://www.youtube.com/live/A-RksMvXCa0?si=seXxKScqPCQmVNXQ

 

[Yespage]

Big hollywood style crash in the NXT race. Both drivers got out and walked away. Close to taking out the flagger stand.

 

[Foxbat]

Pretty surprised by the end of the race! But then that's why they race the cars…

 

[Yespage]

Well, three days, 85 to 92ish degrees. Didn't quite finish baking like a potato. Went through close to 6 gallons of water, a couple large Gatorades, a few sodas...

Veekay, OMG... had an awful Friday and Saturday. Nothing. Neither he no Abel could find speed. At least at Road America, Veekay was near top with the race-day practice speed. Nadda, started second to last! So, they went to the two pit strategy. Started on reds to get passing going early. Newgarden would help when he set his car to "lose control", causing Graham Rahal to roll his eyes as to the most recent reason things would suck for him was spinning out in front of him. Veekay moved up 4 spots (initially 6, but I think he was bumped back to just 4 as to when the yellow camp out).

Good start. Then he proceeded to make passes on the lesser folk, though, to be honest, the talent was somewhat stacked throughout the field. Rosenquist in his Black Sabbath livery was showing quality in the practices, but it didn't come out in the qualifying. I figured he was due. Heard on the speakers that he was looking at a two stop strategy.

Elsewhere on the track, it was the Palou and Lundgaard show up front. Siegal was holding on, as was Herta. Looked like a similar story as last year, with Palou up front and papaya behind. Rasmussen's car conked out, which led to a yellow, which Dixon and Veekay just barely missed getting a great deal on. But, it was a good time to get a Mango smoothie... as small clouds started getting larger, providing some helpful shade in the approaching 90 degree heat.

So, the track was almost entirely covered with cars, as we had the three stop cars and the two stop cars all over the place. So for Veekay, it was appearing we wanted this to stay green now for the rest of the way. He wasn't going to win, with Dixon also on the two stop strategy, no one else on that strategy was going to beat him. As things were going, Palou was so far up front, when he pitted, he was still in front of most of the two-pit cars.

Things jumbled a bit, as Siegal fell back a ways. Rosenquist was solidly in the top ten, and as the last 20 laps dwindled, awaited to see who else had to go, as Veekay started popping up from 13th to 12th, to 11th as cars within reach went in for their third pit stop. Dixon was in fourth or so. Lundgaard pits, Palou pits. Sets up a Palou, Dixon fight, but not much. Palou is on fresher tires and he'd been almost perfect all day. He did catch the dirt on the exit of four. But then all of a sudden, like a video game, he botches the entry into Thunder Valley, slows to a near stop, which gave Dixon the lead. It happened out of the blue. I noticed when 9 popped to the top of the scoring pylon, which I was paying close attention to as I tracked Veekay's ascendance into the top 10. On the broadcast, all of a sudden a slow Palou is on the screen, computer... engine issues? Nope, the replay showed a silly mistake into Turn 9.

Dixon was able to stay ahead, and win the race. Veekay, finished ninth. The interesting thing was it sounded like this was going to be a red race, but blacks would end up mattering more. Which helped explain why Veekay qualified on two pairs of reds. They were going two stops the whole time it seemed. It was a great day for Ganassi, but also Arrow McLaren. Herta made a valiant pass on the last lap to get into fourth, I think, on the entry to the Essess. Meyer-Shank I think split on the strategies, but finished 5th/6th, so a good outcome for them too!

For those who pay the privilege of going to Mid-Ohio and parking on the infield... they are affectively in prison for a couple hours as this facility is not remotely capable (staff/interior access roads/public road capacity/pinch points) of conveying traffic. So, despite the 90 degree heat, we wander over to the paddock and see what is left to see, which oddly enough meant Herta, Palou (again!), Illot, and finally getting a good smart phone shot of Rosenquist's Black Sabbath vehicle. Wandered over to Veekay's car, hoping to get a shot of it as they load onto the truck and then a cart drives up, and a person in a askROI uniform arrives, with their foot in brace. WTF? This was caught in the broadcast, but I didn't see it. A representative from Ganassi showed up and talked to an askROI rep, saying they were sorry for what happen. askROI guy shrugged, this stuff happens sort of response. Holy *bleep* a Gannasi car ran this guy's foot over. Scott Dixon was behind Veekay! OMFG! Then when we were heading to the garage look out, we saw that Kiffin Simpson was immediately behind Veekay, so it was Simpson who ran over the foot. I saw the replay this morning and the askROI crewman really couldn't have been any more deeply into his pit box. Sometimes the workers are on the outer edge, but he was well inside. Dude, finished the tire change, probably (assuming) because the pain hadn't officially registered yet. But once over the wall, his shoe was off, and in the paddock, did look to have easily aggravated it.

NXT wise, from what I saw in Road America and Mid-Ohio, I'm expecting to see Hauger in Indycar next year. I'd say Jacob Abel might be on a bubble as I expect Sting Ray Robb as while he can pay for his ride, he has one top 10 and is effectively one of the worst performers and isn't improving Defrancesco would also be high on my list of you are going to be bumped. I'm uncertain is Graham Rahal is going to quite, which would open a couple seats at RLL. That'd be three or four seats that Hauger can snag assuming he doesn't promote immediately to Penske, with Power probably (?) leaving.

Overall, it was bleeping hot. The clouds on Sat/Sun helped a bit. The race was interesting with the intersecting two strategies both being viable. Also, cheering for a mid-pack guy helps too. Daughter got pics with Palou and Rosenquist on Day One and we got Sting Ray Robb, Will Power, and Santino Ferucci on Day Three... as well as Jack Harvey (he seemed almost confused when my daughter asked). And we saw the crowd completely miss Josef Newgarden walk right through after completing the race day warm-up. I didn't intrude, he looked hot and was headed back to the A/C.

I have pics, but not a lot, this was my daughter's first hot race weekend. So prioritizing her over the photography (well, she is always prioritized, but this was about seeking shade more and making due with what I could). I did find a new sweet spot in the garage barn overlook... and a large bathroom facility in the paddock I had no idea ever existed.