We thought the American Le Mans race opening the Baltimore Grand Prix was a smash and crash event…
However, the IndyCar folks showed them up a bit…
If you have ever driven city streets, any city, then you know why many people opt for SUV’s in an urban environment. Watching the races from Baltimore brought on the hope that the drivers had good lumbar support.
We’ve watched rally car races with less air time…
Indy cars are not built on the premise that they will be leaving the ground. They wings are not for flight but quite the opposite. They force the car down for grip and handling. It is then very odd to see them leaping off curbing in a chicane. Beyond the wings trying to keep them on the surface, the suspensions are not meant to sustain long travel impacts which goes back to the lumbar support.
Ouch.
City streets are often difficult to navigate on a normal day. At least with the races they were all moving in the same direction.
For the most part…
There were squeezes and rubs and spins and total road closures. Well… Perhaps it was just like any other city driving day…
The rough and tumble day in Baltimore for IndyCar took its toll. Race contact or simple mechanical breakage put some of the bigger names in the series in the back or in the garage. Will Power, Scott Dixon, Ryan Hunter-Reay and Dario Franchitti were all out at the finish or many laps down.
The last laps were a dogfight on narrow streets. The checkers came up with Simon Pagenaud in the lead over Josef Newgarden and Sebastien Bourdais. Pagenaud now sits 3rd in overall points with this second win of the season. Helio Castroneves remains in the top spot with a 9th place at Baltimore. Scott Dixon is 2nd overall and his luck at Baltimore did not give him any gain.
Justin Wilson and Simona De Silvestro rounded the top 5 at the finish.
There are three races remaining on the Indy schedule. Two of those are next up and back to back in Houston through the streets around the variety of Reliant sponsored sporting facilities. We have no idea how Shell/Pennzoil got by the Reliant naming rights…
Are Houston’s streets any smoother than Baltimore…? Perhaps the opening statement could be;
“Drivers…. Start your engines! …and set your back massagers…”
The final is on the tri-oval at Fontana. It is Castroneves’ season to lose with a 50 point lead over Scott Dixon. From Dixon to 5th place Ryan Hunter-Reay the separation is only 25 points.
Watching is certainly going to be more comfortable than driving…