I have tried to stay positive....................

2000e39 · 08-16-2004 06:32 PM

Man this stuff is getting stupid. Someone needs to pay off Shuey or something. I know F1 is not fixed because nobody is making money!
Boring, boring, boring, boring! I could not even watch it after 10 laps. I fell asleep again. I need to start following ALMS again or something. Do you think BMW or Mercedes could pay off Shuey? I dont think I am not going to wake up early to watch this crap anymore.

**RickKap** · 08-16-2004 07:53 PM

next season??

**EricHall** · 08-17-2004 02:21 PM

Although ALMS is not much better. The Audi R8 has been pretty dominent. Plus, there are only 3 cars in P1 and 3 in P2. The vette's have been totally dominent in GTS. GT is the only category with any action. I watched them live in Portland, and it was fun and exciting with lots of passing and position fighting. But the end results were pretty predictable. I think that it could get better in '06 because of rules changes, but until then, it will be a thin field.
I think that the Daytona Prototypes in the Rolex Grand Am are the best bet going now for non-production sports cars. There have been different winners for most of the races and a lot of DP cars out there.
As soon as I saw that MS was .5 seconds faster in qualifying, and he did not have to pit until after RB and some other cars, I knew the race was over. Ferarri is just in a league of its own right now with no hope in sight.
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Terry · 08-17-2004 03:25 PM

another form of mechanical restriction. So just say Michael dominated at Hungaroring (oh wait, he did!) next race he runs more weight or a smaller front wing, lower rev limit, etc. etc. Rewards weight is difficult with a formula open-wheel chassis, but either of the above two would work just fine. Notice how all of the most competitive race series in the world utilize the rewards weight. Hell, didn't Speed World Challenge just lower the rpm limiter for the dominating E46s???

F1 (FIA) should gulp its pride and realize Ferrari has figured out the series and will continue to dominate into the future unless they incorporate a 'domination-compensator' or something ;)

Cheers,

Terry

**///My5UV** · 08-17-2004 11:35 PM

Should rerun on HDNet a couple more times this week.
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02 LeMansBlue/Silverstone M5
98 EstorilBlue/Grey M3

**Stl_Don** · 08-18-2004 10:51 AM

Among them are 2.4L V8, one set of tires / race, front & rear wing changes, engines must last two races.

All intended to slow the cars and save money. <hr> <A HREF = "http://stl_don.home.att.net"><img src = "http://members.roadfly.com/stl_don/kitten_sig.jpg"></A>
 pretty cool eyes

**EricHall** · 08-18-2004 11:36 AM

Rewards weight works well when you are shooting for parity in the cars. That is not what F1 is about.
They mentioned during the last race that a good thing to do would be to restrict the downforce, mostly on the front tires. One of the big problems is the loss of downforce when the car gets right behind another car ("aero push" in NA$CAR terms). This makes passing very difficult, you just can't turn in. If the cars had a reduction in downforce, they would have to rely more on mechanical grip (Yes Jim, I know that this still favors Ferraristone) and this would allow them to more easily overtake. Right now, if a good car, or even a marginal car, gets in front, the other cars cannot pass unless the lead driver makes a mistake.
I am no expert, but there are two things that I would like to see happen.
1) more competitive on-the-track car racing
2) keep the spirit of F1:Developing the most advanced cars on the face of the planet.

I realize this still leaves the door open for a team to dominate. This is not all bad. But even if a team is dominating, if there were better on-the-track racing, it would still be exciting. Plus, it is fun to root for the underdog and see the big guy fall on his (spoon) face ;-)<html>
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====================================== Eric Hall 1994 740iL Schwarz / Pergament 80k Albany, OR eric@[remove.this.before.emailing]@tdsway.comNo matter where you go... There you are! Buckaroo Bonzai€™=55=™€ BMWCCA #304714 Roadfly Inner Circle #48238 <img src="http://members.roadfly.com/erichall/SigGraphic.gif" alt="">
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**caylan** · 08-19-2004 09:30 AM

tape the show, watch it Sunday evening, 1st 1/2 hrs news part then first 5-10 laps, then doze off (goto bed) & watch the rest of the race intermittently for the next 2 weeks prior to the next race.

I can't sit thru entire race live or on tape anymore...

2000e39 · 08-19-2004 10:50 PM

Jim Derrig 93 750 · 08-20-2004 11:42 AM

. . . am I that predictable :D Sigh. There is nothing new under the sun.

Seriously Eric, the Ferraristone problem is easily eliminated with a single-tire rule, and I agree the aero-to-mechanical grip ratio is way out of balance. Reducing front wing area and difuser length would help a lot in both respects.

As for staying "high tech," consider this: The essence of racing (or any competitive sport) is risk--not knowing what will happen next. The goal of technology is to increase control and decrease risk. That is why F1 currently is a "nothing happens" formula. Perfect cars drawing geometrically perfect lines around the track, all under perfect control.

Perfection is dull.

Racing = risk. Technology = no risk. Do we have a problem and if so what can be done? I think that technological competition will have to be restricted to certain, discreet areas, the development of which does not necessarily result in risk reduction. Drivetrain (w/o driver aids) is the obvious area. Suspension and chassis should be okay (increased speed will offset increased control). These areas also are the most accessible to fans. Forget the electronics and ditch tires and aero (none of which anybody really understands anyway).

**EricHall** · 08-20-2004 12:08 PM

I agree with the tire thing, but that also comes down to money, like everything else. I suppose it is easier for the FIA to get some money out of two manufacturers than one. However, you could still have both manufacturers, one makes soft compound tires and the other makes hard.
I guess it is a good question: Is it racing or is it technology development? There comes a point where it goes from being both to where one dominates. We all know that that last 5% improvement is extremely difficult and expensive to acheive. I think that we are pretty much there with this type of car. It might be time to look at more restrictions. Smaller engines, no electronic stuff, smaller wings, bigger drivers :)
I dunno, but I am actually glad I am not the guy having to make these decisions. You are guaranteed to make some people really mad no matter what you do.<html>
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**caylan** · 08-20-2004 03:38 PM

Thread: I have tried to stay positive....................
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