It has been 10 years since the goofy F1 race at Indianapolis in 2005 when only six cars, all running on Brigestone tires, took the start of the race when all the other teams boycotted because the Speedway wouldn't make changes to the track when it was proven Michelin tires on the other cars were not of proper construction for the cars to race safely on the track. In celebration of that race that I attended, I'm republishing this column I wrote just after the event.
-STWR
After visiting Indianapolis for the United States Grand Prix, I was originally going to write a column about the differences between Indy and the previous race I attended in Montreal.
That article was immediately scrapped after the pace lap of the 2005 USGP.
There are so many thoughts that I have I think the only way to make sense of it all is to list them, and let you the reader figure out what order they go in:
-There are more cars on an average ISF grid then there were on the starting grid of the USGP
-If I was Michael Schumacher I would have jumped and reveled in the victory.
His competitors gave up. They went off the track crying. It's not his fault.
At the very least I would have sprayed the Champagne.
-Michelin runners could have taken the track and driven slower, or came in for tires with several multiple pit stops. If there was still a danger they could have retired the car "due to electrical problems, hydraulics, gearbox" or any number of other mysterious reasons and no one would have been the wiser
-Why couldn't Brigestone supply all the teams with tires?
-There is lots of talk about installing a chicane. Besides the stupidity of it and the safety issues, a chicane would have been WORSE for the tires because the drivers would have to have braked increasing the chances of flat spotting the tires and wearing them out faster!
-Jacques Villeneuve, Paul Stoddard and other drivers/managers that are blaming Ferrari for this are stupid. If the situation was reversed they wouldn't help Ferrari. Ferrari also had their equipment in working order so they could go racing.
-Maybe the Japanese business model of making reliable tires instead of mega fast experimental tires paid off.
-I think everyone wanted to see a Minardi on the podium!
-Strangely I don't feel screwed over. Ferrari won. Minardi was in the points. I think if the other activities I participated in weren't so much fun and all I was there for was the grand prix I would be disappointed.
-F1 better do A LOT to make up for this. Free tickets, refunds of this years tickets, and a long autograph session for all ticket holders would be a good place to start.
-Making sure all cars start the race in 2006 would be good too.
-I hope the idiots that run the IRL and CCWS finally realize that the fans are the ones that matter and that ultimately they are the ones who control the past, present, and future of open wheel racing.
-On a separate note, if the IRL is now going road racing, why isn't there an IRL race on the infield road course. Answer: because now that CCWS is a shell of its former self, there is no road racing series that can pack 100,000 people into the stands except F1. CART still holds the record of the largest single day sporting event in Wisconsin with over 100,000 fans packing Road America (1997 I believe)
-Indy is a heck of a lot more comfortable to watch and access a grand prix compared to a lot of other racing facilities, including purpose built F1 tracks.
-The fans got screwed again!
-There are lots more angles but if I keep writing them I think my head will explode!
-Just get it right for the fans F1, that is all I ask!
-At least Schumacher won!
-I will go back next year! Into Turn 4...
Steve "The Wrench" Ratchett
