2019 Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey

After pitting, Simon no longer leads the other two by the number of positions he needs. Josef looks like The Man.
 
Pagenaud is going to get back by Dixon. Then it's a matter of which teammate Power is helping.
 
Pagenaud is going to get back by Dixon. Then it's a matter of which teammate Power is helping.
I don't think 2nd place points and a 5 spot lead will do it for Simon. He needs the win or Josef to lose a spot, maybe two. Will's closing on the lead.
 
I am probably still more impressed with Pagenaud's performances this year as Josef made a lot more mistakes, but the winning move of the season was probably at Texas where Chevy didn't seem to have much for Honda but Cindric won the race on the pit strategy call to get Josef out front and win the race. Dixon's rare two mechanical failures at Gateway and Portland took a lot away from what this could've been too, but that was bound to happen to the luckiest driver in the series at some point. I am still disappointed Rossi's team kinda just faltered down the stretch.
 
With a car that was much better on longer runs and withstanding tire wear, why didn't they try a significant undercut for Pagenaud rather than waiting for everyone else?

Eh, whatever, the all-encompassing Penske strategy was protecting Newgarden, and they succeeded. Even Pagenaud's crew chief talked that first and foremost.

About the only thing I can compliment NASCAR for with their current direction is that there is less of an obvious pecking order among top performers at top teams. Truex ain't going to be worrying over KB's championship at Homestead, or vice versa.
 
Sorry I couldn't add to the conversation more. I fell asleep about 25 laps into the race.

Had surgery this week and I'm really sore, tired and worn out-staying up all nights from the pain.

But I'll see ya in St. Petersburg.

Have a great winter, guys. Thanks for all the great input that you all give.

Jimmy W1
 
Sorry I couldn't add to the conversation more. I fell asleep about 25 laps into the race.

Had surgery this week and I'm really sore, tired and worn out-staying up all nights from the pain.

But I'll see ya in St. Petersburg.

Have a great winter, guys. Thanks for all the great input that you all give.

Jimmy W1
Hope you're healing up well!
 
Was in and out of sleep during the race. I like it more than Sonoma. Better options for making a pass. Now if only they altered the race length a little to clean up the pit strategies. At least it wasn't a fuel mileage race, but it could have been.
 
I will say this sport needs DRS like F1. Dixon being able to hold of Pagenaud was a bad look
 
I will say this sport needs DRS like F1. Dixon being able to hold of Pagenaud was a bad look
I think P2P is a nice alternative. If Simon hadn't been all over the button in the first 60 laps, he might have had something for Dixie. On the other hand, if he'd been more conservative with it, he might not have caught Scott at all. Pros and cons.
 
I think P2P is a nice alternative. If Simon hadn't been all over the button in the first 60 laps, he might have had something for Dixie. On the other hand, if he'd been more conservative with it, he might not have caught Scott at all. Pros and cons.
Another vote for P2P here. It's better to have something that's incorporated as another strategy piece than something where you can just sail by someone uncontested IMO - a reason why a lot of modern F1 overtakes are not very inspiring or memorable. Indy Lights changed a season or two ago to using P2P in the DRS manner where you have to be within X seconds of someone to use it and for the life of me I can't figure out why or if anyone in the series feels it's really been a positive change.
 
Can't disagree with this at all. Hopefully it's not something that's up for discussion.

MILLER: Eating crow over Laguna finale, and loving it
https://racer.com/2019/09/23/miller-eating-crow-over-laguna-finale-and-loving-it/
Power, who came from seventh and almost pulled off his third win in the last four races, was full of praise afterwards for Herta and the show. “That kid kid going to be handful for along time,” said the Team Penske veteran. “But damn, man, that was really fun out there today, sliding around and leaning on each other.

“But, I’m begging the Laguna management — DO NOT repave this track. It will ruin the racing and you cannot ask for anything better than we had today.”

Pagenaud echoed his teammate’s plea. “Absolutely, do not repave this place — leave it as it is. The track is absolutely perfect. It creates the perfect racing because there’s tire degradation. The last corner is a hairpin and you’re going into a double left-hander and it allows you to run two lanes because the inside is so used up. It opens up opportunities for an inside and outside line like you saw with me and (Alexander) Rossi and Dixon. Tire deg always creates great racing because it differentiates aggressive cars and setup vs. more conservative like we had.”
 
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