Well, managed to throw my lower back out working yesterday. So, now I'm literally on a cane and barely able to even walk. Gd it! Been looking forward to this all freakin' week and now this.
Did some testing last night and I am going to race, just don't know how much I'll be doing anything besides staying out of the way of others and logging laps. I managed a full stint last night but towards the end it was pretty brutal.
Just mentioning it so others are aware that I'll be promptly moving out of your way if you're at my rear. I don't have the fight in me to go too hard...just hoping to be able to complete as many laps as I can under power....maybe even make it to the end if I can.
Such is my luck...
Onward [half broken] horse....onward!!!
_________________ Proud 2017 Indy 500 Rookie of the Year
Richard Wilks Racing Legend
Number of posts : 2212 Age : 40 Location : Portugal Registration date : 2015-01-07
Well, made it almost to the half way point. Was having fun near the back of the pack mixing it up with Bruno and Jason, all of us on a very similar pace. Lost concentration due to the sudden return of back pain that had subsided for a while during practice and quali. ...half spun and tore off the front wing. Went into the pits, the crew was going to take about 5 minutes to fix it. Decided I better just park it before I lost concentration again and caused issue for someone else.
Was a blast while it lasted.
_________________ Proud 2017 Indy 500 Rookie of the Year
Alberto Ibañez Racing Legend
Number of posts : 16788 Age : 121 Location : International Simracing Organisation Registration date : 2010-09-17
Well, Mid Ohio curse continues for me... Connection lost.
I wish to appologise to mr. Hackman for kiss.. I think it was a slight missunderstanding there, I was sure you are much faster than me, and you suprised me when showed in my mirros instead in front of me.. it was not on purpose, sorry again.
Otherwise, it was fun while it lastet, even a bit lonely though. But what a mod, what a track.. pure pleasure.. thank you all.
_________________ And Function Function is the key - Fugazi
David Sabre Racing Legend
Number of posts : 5340 Age : 60 Location : england Registration date : 2012-02-25
Pfew, that was the best result I could hope for! The '87 March felt like a dog here, I never found its sweet spot, but I'm very glad I survived this race in one piece. I knew this track would be Lola country, so of course very happy that I could score a podium here. Had a race long battle with Jundt, which included one pass in the grass. I was very clear with him then that I was not going to be bullied off the track. I do not enjoy mirror driving, and I think I made myself clear on that. But we hade nice tug-o-war battle, in the end it came down to the last lap with me prevailing.
Maybe an '88 car would make things easier for me, but Grant was at another planet here. Congrats.
_________________ "I'm going for first!" "...the man's an animal..."
Happy and proud 1988 CART Champion! ~ 2017
Michael Drechsler Pro Driver
Number of posts : 671 Age : 46 Location : Aachen, Germany Registration date : 2016-03-11
I kinda survived this one, but that's about it, and what I actually expected. Still suffering from a cold, just about an hour each night since friday for training, and just finding a key to car balance. Still not there, but beginning to find some trust in the car. What else? Goal was to finish the race (check), mostly unscathed (no check here), and maybe fetch a point or two (also no check).
Well, slowly finding some trust in the car and a way around the track, I qualified 17th, just .002 slower than John Thiim ahead of me, the time was easily in the car, just couldn't get the sectors together. My usual mode. I applied some of the ideas I developed during qualifying on my race setup, seemed to work, did some rough fuel math, and off the race went. Took me a whole to find my rhythm, was picking up speed with time, and moving as far forward as 15th, then I made my first pitstop, I started with a little fuel less for a slightly different pit stop rhythm, but lost a bit my rhythm after the first stop. But soon, I was in my flow again, could pass Jason White and nibble some off the distance to the car ahead of me off, but then, things worked a bit against me when Jakob Fredrikkson was about to lap me. Brain fade on my side, wanted to go to the outside, but should have stayed on my line. Got a nudge to the left rear and I immediately felt the car was askew, so I went right into the pits. That cost me 88 seconds plus the time in the pit lane, when I returned, I was about a minute behind Jason White and Bruno Chacon. The car was fine again, and I was able to get a bit closer to them for a while, but at about lap 45 or so, I felt that my cold was still affecting me and I couldn't keep the pace. In the end, my laptimes got worse and worse, in the end unable to go under 1.22. I'm totally drenched in sweat and exhausted now. Not sure if it would have been enough to keep ahead of Jason and Bruno without that extra 70 seconds, it would have been tight. Else, the race had some good moments, even if I was just racing the slow end of the race...
_________________
Real men drive pink cars!
Jan Kowalski Pro Driver
Number of posts : 777 Age : 34 Location : Germany Registration date : 2008-11-28
I lost the podium in the last third of the race after my pit stop. Somehow they did one pit stop less or were too quick. Stucked in traffic 4-5 laps and couldnt get into rhythm to close the gap