2019 Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey

FLRacingFan

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Newgarden finishes 4th or better, or at least 4 spots ahead of Rossi and 3 ahead of Pagenaud, and he's a lock.

Rossi needs max bonus points, and be at least 4 spots ahead Newgarden.

Pagenaud needs max bonus points, and be at least 1 ahead of Rossi, and 5 ahead of Newgarden.

Other scenarios are available but they're tough to eyeball since the points system isn't linear.

Dixon needs a blimp to crash on the other three, early and often.
 
Not sure this place will be any more conducive to passing than in the past, but I'll be damned if this doesn't look fun to drive.

 
Race is interesting but the racing isn't -- and I like the announcers.
 
I'm surprised Pagenaud has more speed than Rossi. At what point does their focus become helping themselves and not just "the team".
 
Rossi is really struggling, he shouldn't be dropping anywhere near this much time.

Rosenqvist vs. Newgarden could be really interesting and make the possibility of Simon pulling this off a lot more realistic.
 
Don't agree, this is playing well. Some real battles, tire management is big. This is good and much better than Portland a few weeks ago.
I'd like Portland better if they'd make that first chicane less tight. Move the entrance back and open up the inside radii so the starts aren't wreckfests.
 
that looked too easy


so unnecessary... :rolleyes:
No offense intended, I was quite serious. These are the same announcers they've had all season, so I assumed from your comment that you were unfamiliar with them.

Yeah, at some point Josef is going to have to stand his ground.
 
The problem with over-tech analysis in Cup and Indy is when the Booth has to continually explain what's going on, you take the feel of the race away from the audience and put it in the hands of the announcers.

NASCAR is better at looking past the forced-barrage crap analysis and seeing it play out on the track, especially with a more visceral track and pit imagery throughout the race than glimpses of action in Indy Car.
 
I doubt the fault with the #27 team is the driver, and they just didn't bring the goods during the past couple months. Part of me thinks Andretti is lucky they got Rossi's renewal done when they did.

I talked to a couple AA guys around the Portland event, and there seemed to be this default confidence they were about to turn it around and wins were coming. Didn't even come close.
 
No offense intended, I was quite serious. These are the same announcers they've had all season, so I assumed from your comment that you were unfamiliar with them.

Yeah, at some point Josef is going to have to stand his ground,

I know these announcers quite well, having followed Tracy in his racing days and being a huge fan of Leigh Diffey whom I consider to be the best current announcer in motorsports.
 
Don't agree, this is playing well. Some real battles, tire management is big. This is good and much better than Portland a few weeks ago.
Agreed, the formula for a good IndyCar road course race is long runs on a surface that eats the tires. Most of these venues were constructed many decades ago for much slower sports cars and smaller formula cars, maybe motorcycles too. Passing stats won't be through the roof but this is about as good as we could've hoped for so far.
 
I can't tell if Pagenaud is actually pushing hard or sort of pretending to and waiting for a better chance to jump in front via pit strategy.

I wish he'd get in front and really make this interesting. I like Newgarden but am just not a fan of backing into championships
 
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