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Fun Times at Mid-Ohio
Fun Times at Mid-Ohio
It was recommended that I be an asshole and wear my Champ Car Officials'
hat at Mid Ohio on race day. I did, and I also got to be a punk about
it. Not only did I wear the CCWS hat, I had Marco sign it. He was
surprisingly approachable and amicable towards the course marshals,
which was a bit of a shock. He must have gotten that from his uncle
John. He certainly didn't learn it from his dad. He also signed my SCCA
log card, along with a promo photo:
http :// i8.photobucket,com /albums/a37/dedalusdaemon/Mid-Ohio-2008/0717081829.jpg
And, FYI, he laughed his ass off in a rather good-humored way while
signing it. I have to say I warmed up to the kid a bit this weekend -
he's much less of a douche than he's often made out to be.
ANYWAYS... :-D
I was impressed with my first trip to Mid Ohio - it is in a lovely rural
setting with some beautiful communities nearby. Mansfield looked a wee
bit run-down (much like my dearly beloved Utica, NY), but the rural
communities had some very nice neighborhoods from what I saw. People
seemed rather laid back and very friendly. The circuit itself was quite
beautiful and there was a large worker campground with beaucoup shade (a
BIG plus!) I wasn't a fan of the communal showers, but it was better
than nothing. It was like being in High School all over again.
On Friday they put me at Station 2 - on drivers' left roughly halfway up
from pit-out to the keyhole. It is an absolutely wonderful blue-flag
station. It was also the station where I got to see some of the worst
stupidity I've ever seen in fast open-wheel cars. Milka is, in a word, a
f*cking menace. Danica was one of 4 drivers she nearly collected heading
into the keyhole. I had a very experienced and very competent F1
blue-flagger during that practice session and every other driver saw his
flag and responded accordingly. Mad Dog Marty would very nicely get off
the throttle and keep to the left on the straight, or stay to the
outside going through the keyhole. Milka would turn in on them forcing
them to lock up the brakes and take evasive action. I've seen better
driving from 16-year-old Formula BMW brats.
On Saturday they put me at Station 5 - the crows' nest they use for
Start. The view there was outstanding - I could see the cars come out
through Turn 1, go all the way up and around the keyhole, down that
straight before they turn in by China Beach. I may have gotten some
face-time on TV for the ALMS race, as I helped the IMSA starter. He
waved off the field at the start and had me throw the yellow out. After
the start I blue flagged the entire ALMS race, which was really fun.
During Indy Car qualifying I was sent down to the outpost at 4, which is
only a comm station in a fence cut-out. I just watched the cars go
through the keyhole and zoom down towards the crows nest. IOW, I was
bored out of my mind.
I Sunday they stuck me at Station 9, down in the Esses just a couple
turns past China Beach, right before the first Honda walk-over bridge. I
started the Indy race doing yellow and blue flagged the last half of the
race. It wasn't a very good blue-flag station, but I did what I could. I
also got to observe more Milka stupidity at close-range. She simply does
not belong out there. Period. The Indy Lights were interesting, though,
since the track was absolutely soaked. I was on outpost for the race,
just near the camera man, and saw a kid spin going down the hill before
station on the pace lap. I thought I was going to get a bunch of the
younglings visiting me once the green flag waved, but none of them did.
I was sorely disappointed. I was almost as disappointed as I was at how
the race finished and was won (I'll spare you folks the spoiler and let
you see it yourself when they air the race. I promise that it will be an
'OMFG WTF?' ending.)
All in all, it was a wonderful weekend. The racing was great and the
worker experience was a blast. The ALMS race was tons of fun, and the
Indy Car racing was valuable experience. I have to say, though, that
after my most recent experiences with Champ Cars at Road America and F1
at Montreal, the speed of the Indy Cars was quite underwhelming. The new
car can't come soon enough - these current things look like lumbering
whales on road courses. The fastest ALMS prototypes managed to run
similar lap times and looked much nimbler through the corners.
This afternoon I might watch my DVR recording of the Indy Car race, and
sometime soon I'll try to sort through some of the photos I managed to
take (not many - busy schedule).
Cheers!
--
"We always have hope of winning, because the others might lose..."
Monsieur Orgini - The Grand Prix of Gibraltar
It was recommended that I be an asshole and wear my Champ Car Officials'
hat at Mid Ohio on race day. I did, and I also got to be a punk about
it. Not only did I wear the CCWS hat, I had Marco sign it. He was
surprisingly approachable and amicable towards the course marshals,
which was a bit of a shock. He must have gotten that from his uncle
John. He certainly didn't learn it from his dad. He also signed my SCCA
log card, along with a promo photo:
http :// i8.photobucket,com /albums/a37/dedalusdaemon/Mid-Ohio-2008/0717081829.jpg
And, FYI, he laughed his ass off in a rather good-humored way while
signing it. I have to say I warmed up to the kid a bit this weekend -
he's much less of a douche than he's often made out to be.
ANYWAYS... :-D
I was impressed with my first trip to Mid Ohio - it is in a lovely rural
setting with some beautiful communities nearby. Mansfield looked a wee
bit run-down (much like my dearly beloved Utica, NY), but the rural
communities had some very nice neighborhoods from what I saw. People
seemed rather laid back and very friendly. The circuit itself was quite
beautiful and there was a large worker campground with beaucoup shade (a
BIG plus!) I wasn't a fan of the communal showers, but it was better
than nothing. It was like being in High School all over again.
On Friday they put me at Station 2 - on drivers' left roughly halfway up
from pit-out to the keyhole. It is an absolutely wonderful blue-flag
station. It was also the station where I got to see some of the worst
stupidity I've ever seen in fast open-wheel cars. Milka is, in a word, a
f*cking menace. Danica was one of 4 drivers she nearly collected heading
into the keyhole. I had a very experienced and very competent F1
blue-flagger during that practice session and every other driver saw his
flag and responded accordingly. Mad Dog Marty would very nicely get off
the throttle and keep to the left on the straight, or stay to the
outside going through the keyhole. Milka would turn in on them forcing
them to lock up the brakes and take evasive action. I've seen better
driving from 16-year-old Formula BMW brats.
On Saturday they put me at Station 5 - the crows' nest they use for
Start. The view there was outstanding - I could see the cars come out
through Turn 1, go all the way up and around the keyhole, down that
straight before they turn in by China Beach. I may have gotten some
face-time on TV for the ALMS race, as I helped the IMSA starter. He
waved off the field at the start and had me throw the yellow out. After
the start I blue flagged the entire ALMS race, which was really fun.
During Indy Car qualifying I was sent down to the outpost at 4, which is
only a comm station in a fence cut-out. I just watched the cars go
through the keyhole and zoom down towards the crows nest. IOW, I was
bored out of my mind.
I Sunday they stuck me at Station 9, down in the Esses just a couple
turns past China Beach, right before the first Honda walk-over bridge. I
started the Indy race doing yellow and blue flagged the last half of the
race. It wasn't a very good blue-flag station, but I did what I could. I
also got to observe more Milka stupidity at close-range. She simply does
not belong out there. Period. The Indy Lights were interesting, though,
since the track was absolutely soaked. I was on outpost for the race,
just near the camera man, and saw a kid spin going down the hill before
station on the pace lap. I thought I was going to get a bunch of the
younglings visiting me once the green flag waved, but none of them did.
I was sorely disappointed. I was almost as disappointed as I was at how
the race finished and was won (I'll spare you folks the spoiler and let
you see it yourself when they air the race. I promise that it will be an
'OMFG WTF?' ending.)
All in all, it was a wonderful weekend. The racing was great and the
worker experience was a blast. The ALMS race was tons of fun, and the
Indy Car racing was valuable experience. I have to say, though, that
after my most recent experiences with Champ Cars at Road America and F1
at Montreal, the speed of the Indy Cars was quite underwhelming. The new
car can't come soon enough - these current things look like lumbering
whales on road courses. The fastest ALMS prototypes managed to run
similar lap times and looked much nimbler through the corners.
This afternoon I might watch my DVR recording of the Indy Car race, and
sometime soon I'll try to sort through some of the photos I managed to
take (not many - busy schedule).
Cheers!
--
"We always have hope of winning, because the others might lose..."
Monsieur Orgini - The Grand Prix of Gibraltar
Re: Fun Times at Mid-Ohio
forty wrote:
> On Saturday they put me at Station 5 - the crows' nest they use for
> Start. ... I may have gotten some
> face-time on TV for the ALMS race, as I helped the IMSA starter. He
> waved off the field at the start and had me throw the yellow out.
Darn--I deleted the ALMS race from my DVR right after watching it last
night...
Where were you for the Speed Touring and Speed GT races? They're on TV
this Thursday afternoon (SPEED at 12p and 1p, respectively).
BTW--I was a bit surprised they green-flagged it after the first
go-round as the first two rows were strung out almost as bad as the
first time...
Quick asides: I thought Brabham was going pull off another last-minute
pass on the Penske Porsche... I'm surprised the Corvettes only got
about 8-minutes in combined penalties for their pit lane antics (that
flag man was smart to move--they neither of them saw him at all and
surely would have nailed him...).
forty wrote:
> On Saturday they put me at Station 5 - the crows' nest they use for
> Start. ... I may have gotten some
> face-time on TV for the ALMS race, as I helped the IMSA starter. He
> waved off the field at the start and had me throw the yellow out.
Darn--I deleted the ALMS race from my DVR right after watching it last
night...
Where were you for the Speed Touring and Speed GT races? They're on TV
this Thursday afternoon (SPEED at 12p and 1p, respectively).
BTW--I was a bit surprised they green-flagged it after the first
go-round as the first two rows were strung out almost as bad as the
first time...
Quick asides: I thought Brabham was going pull off another last-minute
pass on the Penske Porsche... I'm surprised the Corvettes only got
about 8-minutes in combined penalties for their pit lane antics (that
flag man was smart to move--they neither of them saw him at all and
surely would have nailed him...).
Re: Fun Times at Mid-Ohio
Who Needs Fenders? wrote:
> forty wrote:
>> On Saturday they put me at Station 5 - the crows' nest they use for
>> Start. ... I may have gotten some
>> face-time on TV for the ALMS race, as I helped the IMSA starter. He
>> waved off the field at the start and had me throw the yellow out.
>
> Darn--I deleted the ALMS race from my DVR right after watching it last
> night...
>
> Where were you for the Speed Touring and Speed GT races? They're on TV
> this Thursday afternoon (SPEED at 12p and 1p, respectively).
>
I was at Station 9 for both races. I'm not sure, but I think I was on
blue flag for the TC race (although it wasn't used thanks to the
full-course yellows). Same location, but on comm for GT. You likely
won't see me - the station was virtually invisible from that camera.
> BTW--I was a bit surprised they green-flagged it after the first
> go-round as the first two rows were strung out almost as bad as the
> first time...
>
He almost waved that one off too, but Control wanted to get things
started. It actually was notably better than the first, although still
too strung out.
> Quick asides: I thought Brabham was going pull off another last-minute
> pass on the Penske Porsche... I'm surprised the Corvettes only got
> about 8-minutes in combined penalties for their pit lane antics (that
> flag man was smart to move--they neither of them saw him at all and
> surely would have nailed him...).
>
Oddly enough, we didn't get much of any info on the Corvettes. They kind
of hushed that over the comm net, I imagine. Same story with the De
Ferran car fire in the pits - I had to ask the team's crew members
camping near me to find anything out. Evidently the guy got burned
extensively, but not seriously.
--
"We always have hope of winning, because the others might lose..."
Monsieur Orgini - The Grand Prix of Gibraltar
Who Needs Fenders? wrote:
> forty wrote:
>> On Saturday they put me at Station 5 - the crows' nest they use for
>> Start. ... I may have gotten some
>> face-time on TV for the ALMS race, as I helped the IMSA starter. He
>> waved off the field at the start and had me throw the yellow out.
>
> Darn--I deleted the ALMS race from my DVR right after watching it last
> night...
>
> Where were you for the Speed Touring and Speed GT races? They're on TV
> this Thursday afternoon (SPEED at 12p and 1p, respectively).
>
I was at Station 9 for both races. I'm not sure, but I think I was on
blue flag for the TC race (although it wasn't used thanks to the
full-course yellows). Same location, but on comm for GT. You likely
won't see me - the station was virtually invisible from that camera.
> BTW--I was a bit surprised they green-flagged it after the first
> go-round as the first two rows were strung out almost as bad as the
> first time...
>
He almost waved that one off too, but Control wanted to get things
started. It actually was notably better than the first, although still
too strung out.
> Quick asides: I thought Brabham was going pull off another last-minute
> pass on the Penske Porsche... I'm surprised the Corvettes only got
> about 8-minutes in combined penalties for their pit lane antics (that
> flag man was smart to move--they neither of them saw him at all and
> surely would have nailed him...).
>
Oddly enough, we didn't get much of any info on the Corvettes. They kind
of hushed that over the comm net, I imagine. Same story with the De
Ferran car fire in the pits - I had to ask the team's crew members
camping near me to find anything out. Evidently the guy got burned
extensively, but not seriously.
--
"We always have hope of winning, because the others might lose..."
Monsieur Orgini - The Grand Prix of Gibraltar
Re: Fun Times at Mid-Ohio
forty wrote:
> I was at Station 9 for both races. I'm not sure, but I think I was on
> blue flag for the TC race (although it wasn't used thanks to the
> full-course yellows). Same location, but on comm for GT. You likely
> won't see me - the station was virtually invisible from that camera.
We'll, I'll look anyway when I watch... Doesn't look like the ALMS race
will be replayed...
>> Quick asides: I thought Brabham was going pull off another last-minute
>> pass on the Penske Porsche... I'm surprised the Corvettes only got
>> about 8-minutes in combined penalties for their pit lane antics (that
>> flag man was smart to move--they neither of them saw him at all and
>> surely would have nailed him...).
>
> Oddly enough, we didn't get much of any info on the Corvettes. They kind
> of hushed that over the comm net, I imagine. Same story with the De
> Ferran car fire in the pits - I had to ask the team's crew members
> camping near me to find anything out. Evidently the guy got burned
> extensively, but not seriously.
I know he was burned on his hands and face--I suspect he had some
serious injuries from getting nailed by the rear wing as the car pulled
away.
Not that it was a factor in that incident, I see a few flaws in the
counter-height Armco barrier pit wall: 1) Harder for crews to dive back
over when a fire starts (Jones didn't have a chance--he went down after
getting hit by the wing) and 2) fuel can flow through it back into the
work-area (say, under the storage tank, tires, etc.) whereas with a
concrete wall, it would stay in the pit-lane (granted, a hose break
behind the wall would keep it all back there with concrete and Armco
allows it to flow out into pit lane...).
forty wrote:
> I was at Station 9 for both races. I'm not sure, but I think I was on
> blue flag for the TC race (although it wasn't used thanks to the
> full-course yellows). Same location, but on comm for GT. You likely
> won't see me - the station was virtually invisible from that camera.
We'll, I'll look anyway when I watch... Doesn't look like the ALMS race
will be replayed...
>> Quick asides: I thought Brabham was going pull off another last-minute
>> pass on the Penske Porsche... I'm surprised the Corvettes only got
>> about 8-minutes in combined penalties for their pit lane antics (that
>> flag man was smart to move--they neither of them saw him at all and
>> surely would have nailed him...).
>
> Oddly enough, we didn't get much of any info on the Corvettes. They kind
> of hushed that over the comm net, I imagine. Same story with the De
> Ferran car fire in the pits - I had to ask the team's crew members
> camping near me to find anything out. Evidently the guy got burned
> extensively, but not seriously.
I know he was burned on his hands and face--I suspect he had some
serious injuries from getting nailed by the rear wing as the car pulled
away.
Not that it was a factor in that incident, I see a few flaws in the
counter-height Armco barrier pit wall: 1) Harder for crews to dive back
over when a fire starts (Jones didn't have a chance--he went down after
getting hit by the wing) and 2) fuel can flow through it back into the
work-area (say, under the storage tank, tires, etc.) whereas with a
concrete wall, it would stay in the pit-lane (granted, a hose break
behind the wall would keep it all back there with concrete and Armco
allows it to flow out into pit lane...).
Re: Fun Times at Mid-Ohio
On 21-Jul-2008, forty <cforteR3M0V3@THISgmail,com > wrote:
> This afternoon I might watch my DVR recording of the Indy Car race, and
> sometime soon I'll try to sort through some of the photos I managed to
> take (not many - busy schedule).
My PVR crapped out so i'm watching replays. Hopefully it will fall off of
the internet and onto my harddrive soon.
Steve
--
Ex-President of the river Styx Tourism Board. Our motto was "We're not in
Hell but we can see it from here!"
PS To REPLY there is no U in my address.
On 21-Jul-2008, forty <cforteR3M0V3@THISgmail,com > wrote:
> This afternoon I might watch my DVR recording of the Indy Car race, and
> sometime soon I'll try to sort through some of the photos I managed to
> take (not many - busy schedule).
My PVR crapped out so i'm watching replays. Hopefully it will fall off of
the internet and onto my harddrive soon.
Steve
--
Ex-President of the river Styx Tourism Board. Our motto was "We're not in
Hell but we can see it from here!"
PS To REPLY there is no U in my address.
Re: Fun Times at Mid-Ohio
On Jul 21, 1:32 pm, forty <cforteR3M...@THISgmail,com > wrote:
Thanks for the scoop! I have always wanted to go there as it looks to
be a great location for a race. The grounds look to be very nice and
well kept.
BTW, we really want Marco to be THE nice Andretti and not like his
father. He has great potential: personal and professional!
On Jul 21, 1:32 pm, forty <cforteR3M...@THISgmail,com > wrote:
Thanks for the scoop! I have always wanted to go there as it looks to
be a great location for a race. The grounds look to be very nice and
well kept.
BTW, we really want Marco to be THE nice Andretti and not like his
father. He has great potential: personal and professional!
Re: Fun Times at Mid-Ohio
On Jul 21, 12:32 pm, forty <cforteR3M...@THISgmail,com > wrote:
> It was recommended that I be an asshole and wear my Champ Car Officials'
> hat at Mid Ohio on race day. I did, and I also got to be a punk about
> it. Not only did I wear the CCWS hat, I had Marco sign it. He was
> surprisingly approachable and amicable towards the course marshals,
> which was a bit of a shock. He must have gotten that from his uncle
> John. He certainly didn't learn it from his dad. He also signed my SCCA
> log card, along with a promo photo:
>
> http :// i8.photobucket,com /albums/a37/dedalusdaemon/Mid-Ohio-2008/0717...
>
> And, FYI, he laughed his ass off in a rather good-humored way while
> signing it. I have to say I warmed up to the kid a bit this weekend -
> he's much less of a douche than he's often made out to be.
>
> ANYWAYS... :-D
>
> I was impressed with my first trip to Mid Ohio - it is in a lovely rural
> setting with some beautiful communities nearby. Mansfield looked a wee
> bit run-down (much like my dearly beloved Utica, NY), but the rural
> communities had some very nice neighborhoods from what I saw. People
> seemed rather laid back and very friendly. The circuit itself was quite
> beautiful and there was a large worker campground with beaucoup shade (a
> BIG plus!) I wasn't a fan of the communal showers, but it was better
> than nothing. It was like being in High School all over again.
>
> On Friday they put me at Station 2 - on drivers' left roughly halfway up
> from pit-out to the keyhole. It is an absolutely wonderful blue-flag
> station. It was also the station where I got to see some of the worst
> stupidity I've ever seen in fast open-wheel cars. Milka is, in a word, a
> f*cking menace. Danica was one of 4 drivers she nearly collected heading
> into the keyhole. I had a very experienced and very competent F1
> blue-flagger during that practice session and every other driver saw his
> flag and responded accordingly. Mad Dog Marty would very nicely get off
> the throttle and keep to the left on the straight, or stay to the
> outside going through the keyhole. Milka would turn in on them forcing
> them to lock up the brakes and take evasive action. I've seen better
> driving from 16-year-old Formula BMW brats.
>
> On Saturday they put me at Station 5 - the crows' nest they use for
> Start. The view there was outstanding - I could see the cars come out
> through Turn 1, go all the way up and around the keyhole, down that
> straight before they turn in by China Beach. I may have gotten some
> face-time on TV for the ALMS race, as I helped the IMSA starter. He
> waved off the field at the start and had me throw the yellow out. After
> the start I blue flagged the entire ALMS race, which was really fun.
> During Indy Car qualifying I was sent down to the outpost at 4, which is
> only a comm station in a fence cut-out. I just watched the cars go
> through the keyhole and zoom down towards the crows nest. IOW, I was
> bored out of my mind.
>
> I Sunday they stuck me at Station 9, down in the Esses just a couple
> turns past China Beach, right before the first Honda walk-over bridge. I
> started the Indy race doing yellow and blue flagged the last half of the
> race. It wasn't a very good blue-flag station, but I did what I could. I
> also got to observe more Milka stupidity at close-range. She simply does
> not belong out there. Period. The Indy Lights were interesting, though,
> since the track was absolutely soaked. I was on outpost for the race,
> just near the camera man, and saw a kid spin going down the hill before
> station on the pace lap. I thought I was going to get a bunch of the
> younglings visiting me once the green flag waved, but none of them did.
> I was sorely disappointed. I was almost as disappointed as I was at how
> the race finished and was won (I'll spare you folks the spoiler and let
> you see it yourself when they air the race. I promise that it will be an
> 'OMFG WTF?' ending.)
>
> All in all, it was a wonderful weekend. The racing was great and the
> worker experience was a blast. The ALMS race was tons of fun, and the
> Indy Car racing was valuable experience. I have to say, though, that
> after my most recent experiences with Champ Cars at Road America and F1
> at Montreal, the speed of the Indy Cars was quite underwhelming. The new
> car can't come soon enough - these current things look like lumbering
> whales on road courses. The fastest ALMS prototypes managed to run
> similar lap times and looked much nimbler through the corners.
>
> This afternoon I might watch my DVR recording of the Indy Car race, and
> sometime soon I'll try to sort through some of the photos I managed to
> take (not many - busy schedule).
>
> Cheers!
>
> --
> "We always have hope of winning, because the others might lose..."
>
> Monsieur Orgini - The Grand Prix of Gibraltar
Hi ya Forty. I might have met you (unkowingly) Sunday before the
Indycar race! Stepping over the fence to get a spot to shoot the
start, I was heading for the top of the esses and there were a couple
of corner workers sitting and waiting for the start, and I said "How
we doin?" One of the guys said something like "hoping for a dry race -
something better than the circus we just saw". I thought that was on
target. Was that you? I was wearing a floppy white "Gilligan" hat. My
photo day was better Saturday than Sunday, but Mid Ohio is just an
awesome place to shoot. And to work too, from the sound of your
description.
On Jul 21, 12:32 pm, forty <cforteR3M...@THISgmail,com > wrote:
> It was recommended that I be an asshole and wear my Champ Car Officials'
> hat at Mid Ohio on race day. I did, and I also got to be a punk about
> it. Not only did I wear the CCWS hat, I had Marco sign it. He was
> surprisingly approachable and amicable towards the course marshals,
> which was a bit of a shock. He must have gotten that from his uncle
> John. He certainly didn't learn it from his dad. He also signed my SCCA
> log card, along with a promo photo:
>
> http :// i8.photobucket,com /albums/a37/dedalusdaemon/Mid-Ohio-2008/0717...
>
> And, FYI, he laughed his ass off in a rather good-humored way while
> signing it. I have to say I warmed up to the kid a bit this weekend -
> he's much less of a douche than he's often made out to be.
>
> ANYWAYS... :-D
>
> I was impressed with my first trip to Mid Ohio - it is in a lovely rural
> setting with some beautiful communities nearby. Mansfield looked a wee
> bit run-down (much like my dearly beloved Utica, NY), but the rural
> communities had some very nice neighborhoods from what I saw. People
> seemed rather laid back and very friendly. The circuit itself was quite
> beautiful and there was a large worker campground with beaucoup shade (a
> BIG plus!) I wasn't a fan of the communal showers, but it was better
> than nothing. It was like being in High School all over again.
>
> On Friday they put me at Station 2 - on drivers' left roughly halfway up
> from pit-out to the keyhole. It is an absolutely wonderful blue-flag
> station. It was also the station where I got to see some of the worst
> stupidity I've ever seen in fast open-wheel cars. Milka is, in a word, a
> f*cking menace. Danica was one of 4 drivers she nearly collected heading
> into the keyhole. I had a very experienced and very competent F1
> blue-flagger during that practice session and every other driver saw his
> flag and responded accordingly. Mad Dog Marty would very nicely get off
> the throttle and keep to the left on the straight, or stay to the
> outside going through the keyhole. Milka would turn in on them forcing
> them to lock up the brakes and take evasive action. I've seen better
> driving from 16-year-old Formula BMW brats.
>
> On Saturday they put me at Station 5 - the crows' nest they use for
> Start. The view there was outstanding - I could see the cars come out
> through Turn 1, go all the way up and around the keyhole, down that
> straight before they turn in by China Beach. I may have gotten some
> face-time on TV for the ALMS race, as I helped the IMSA starter. He
> waved off the field at the start and had me throw the yellow out. After
> the start I blue flagged the entire ALMS race, which was really fun.
> During Indy Car qualifying I was sent down to the outpost at 4, which is
> only a comm station in a fence cut-out. I just watched the cars go
> through the keyhole and zoom down towards the crows nest. IOW, I was
> bored out of my mind.
>
> I Sunday they stuck me at Station 9, down in the Esses just a couple
> turns past China Beach, right before the first Honda walk-over bridge. I
> started the Indy race doing yellow and blue flagged the last half of the
> race. It wasn't a very good blue-flag station, but I did what I could. I
> also got to observe more Milka stupidity at close-range. She simply does
> not belong out there. Period. The Indy Lights were interesting, though,
> since the track was absolutely soaked. I was on outpost for the race,
> just near the camera man, and saw a kid spin going down the hill before
> station on the pace lap. I thought I was going to get a bunch of the
> younglings visiting me once the green flag waved, but none of them did.
> I was sorely disappointed. I was almost as disappointed as I was at how
> the race finished and was won (I'll spare you folks the spoiler and let
> you see it yourself when they air the race. I promise that it will be an
> 'OMFG WTF?' ending.)
>
> All in all, it was a wonderful weekend. The racing was great and the
> worker experience was a blast. The ALMS race was tons of fun, and the
> Indy Car racing was valuable experience. I have to say, though, that
> after my most recent experiences with Champ Cars at Road America and F1
> at Montreal, the speed of the Indy Cars was quite underwhelming. The new
> car can't come soon enough - these current things look like lumbering
> whales on road courses. The fastest ALMS prototypes managed to run
> similar lap times and looked much nimbler through the corners.
>
> This afternoon I might watch my DVR recording of the Indy Car race, and
> sometime soon I'll try to sort through some of the photos I managed to
> take (not many - busy schedule).
>
> Cheers!
>
> --
> "We always have hope of winning, because the others might lose..."
>
> Monsieur Orgini - The Grand Prix of Gibraltar
Hi ya Forty. I might have met you (unkowingly) Sunday before the
Indycar race! Stepping over the fence to get a spot to shoot the
start, I was heading for the top of the esses and there were a couple
of corner workers sitting and waiting for the start, and I said "How
we doin?" One of the guys said something like "hoping for a dry race -
something better than the circus we just saw". I thought that was on
target. Was that you? I was wearing a floppy white "Gilligan" hat. My
photo day was better Saturday than Sunday, but Mid Ohio is just an
awesome place to shoot. And to work too, from the sound of your
description.
Re: Fun Times at Mid-Ohio
indyjay42 wrote:
> On Jul 21, 12:32 pm, forty <cforteR3M...@THISgmail,com > wrote:
>> It was recommended that I be an asshole and wear my Champ Car Officials'
>> hat at Mid Ohio on race day. I did, and I also got to be a punk about
>> it. Not only did I wear the CCWS hat, I had Marco sign it. He was
>> surprisingly approachable and amicable towards the course marshals,
>> which was a bit of a shock. He must have gotten that from his uncle
>> John. He certainly didn't learn it from his dad. He also signed my SCCA
>> log card, along with a promo photo:
>>
>> http :// i8.photobucket,com /albums/a37/dedalusdaemon/Mid-Ohio-2008/0717...
>>
>> And, FYI, he laughed his ass off in a rather good-humored way while
>> signing it. I have to say I warmed up to the kid a bit this weekend -
>> he's much less of a douche than he's often made out to be.
>>
>> ANYWAYS... :-D
>>
>> I was impressed with my first trip to Mid Ohio - it is in a lovely rural
>> setting with some beautiful communities nearby. Mansfield looked a wee
>> bit run-down (much like my dearly beloved Utica, NY), but the rural
>> communities had some very nice neighborhoods from what I saw. People
>> seemed rather laid back and very friendly. The circuit itself was quite
>> beautiful and there was a large worker campground with beaucoup shade (a
>> BIG plus!) I wasn't a fan of the communal showers, but it was better
>> than nothing. It was like being in High School all over again.
>>
>> On Friday they put me at Station 2 - on drivers' left roughly halfway up
>> from pit-out to the keyhole. It is an absolutely wonderful blue-flag
>> station. It was also the station where I got to see some of the worst
>> stupidity I've ever seen in fast open-wheel cars. Milka is, in a word, a
>> f*cking menace. Danica was one of 4 drivers she nearly collected heading
>> into the keyhole. I had a very experienced and very competent F1
>> blue-flagger during that practice session and every other driver saw his
>> flag and responded accordingly. Mad Dog Marty would very nicely get off
>> the throttle and keep to the left on the straight, or stay to the
>> outside going through the keyhole. Milka would turn in on them forcing
>> them to lock up the brakes and take evasive action. I've seen better
>> driving from 16-year-old Formula BMW brats.
>>
>> On Saturday they put me at Station 5 - the crows' nest they use for
>> Start. The view there was outstanding - I could see the cars come out
>> through Turn 1, go all the way up and around the keyhole, down that
>> straight before they turn in by China Beach. I may have gotten some
>> face-time on TV for the ALMS race, as I helped the IMSA starter. He
>> waved off the field at the start and had me throw the yellow out. After
>> the start I blue flagged the entire ALMS race, which was really fun.
>> During Indy Car qualifying I was sent down to the outpost at 4, which is
>> only a comm station in a fence cut-out. I just watched the cars go
>> through the keyhole and zoom down towards the crows nest. IOW, I was
>> bored out of my mind.
>>
>> I Sunday they stuck me at Station 9, down in the Esses just a couple
>> turns past China Beach, right before the first Honda walk-over bridge. I
>> started the Indy race doing yellow and blue flagged the last half of the
>> race. It wasn't a very good blue-flag station, but I did what I could. I
>> also got to observe more Milka stupidity at close-range. She simply does
>> not belong out there. Period. The Indy Lights were interesting, though,
>> since the track was absolutely soaked. I was on outpost for the race,
>> just near the camera man, and saw a kid spin going down the hill before
>> station on the pace lap. I thought I was going to get a bunch of the
>> younglings visiting me once the green flag waved, but none of them did.
>> I was sorely disappointed. I was almost as disappointed as I was at how
>> the race finished and was won (I'll spare you folks the spoiler and let
>> you see it yourself when they air the race. I promise that it will be an
>> 'OMFG WTF?' ending.)
>>
>> All in all, it was a wonderful weekend. The racing was great and the
>> worker experience was a blast. The ALMS race was tons of fun, and the
>> Indy Car racing was valuable experience. I have to say, though, that
>> after my most recent experiences with Champ Cars at Road America and F1
>> at Montreal, the speed of the Indy Cars was quite underwhelming. The new
>> car can't come soon enough - these current things look like lumbering
>> whales on road courses. The fastest ALMS prototypes managed to run
>> similar lap times and looked much nimbler through the corners.
>>
>> This afternoon I might watch my DVR recording of the Indy Car race, and
>> sometime soon I'll try to sort through some of the photos I managed to
>> take (not many - busy schedule).
>>
>> Cheers!
>>
>> --
>> "We always have hope of winning, because the others might lose..."
>>
>> Monsieur Orgini - The Grand Prix of Gibraltar
>
> Hi ya Forty. I might have met you (unkowingly) Sunday before the
> Indycar race! Stepping over the fence to get a spot to shoot the
> start, I was heading for the top of the esses and there were a couple
> of corner workers sitting and waiting for the start, and I said "How
> we doin?" One of the guys said something like "hoping for a dry race -
> something better than the circus we just saw". I thought that was on
> target. Was that you? I was wearing a floppy white "Gilligan" hat. My
> photo day was better Saturday than Sunday, but Mid Ohio is just an
> awesome place to shoot. And to work too, from the sound of your
> description.
Hmmm - I don't recall. I was in white coveralls wearing a
black-and-white Champ Car Officials' hat. I might have been the one who
said that, but I'm not too sure. I didn't get much sleep in the
campground the night before thanks to noisy neighbors and the rain, so
my memory of some of those extra details is a wee bit sketchy.
--
"We always have hope of winning, because the others might lose..."
Monsieur Orgini - The Grand Prix of Gibraltar
indyjay42 wrote:
> On Jul 21, 12:32 pm, forty <cforteR3M...@THISgmail,com > wrote:
>> It was recommended that I be an asshole and wear my Champ Car Officials'
>> hat at Mid Ohio on race day. I did, and I also got to be a punk about
>> it. Not only did I wear the CCWS hat, I had Marco sign it. He was
>> surprisingly approachable and amicable towards the course marshals,
>> which was a bit of a shock. He must have gotten that from his uncle
>> John. He certainly didn't learn it from his dad. He also signed my SCCA
>> log card, along with a promo photo:
>>
>> http :// i8.photobucket,com /albums/a37/dedalusdaemon/Mid-Ohio-2008/0717...
>>
>> And, FYI, he laughed his ass off in a rather good-humored way while
>> signing it. I have to say I warmed up to the kid a bit this weekend -
>> he's much less of a douche than he's often made out to be.
>>
>> ANYWAYS... :-D
>>
>> I was impressed with my first trip to Mid Ohio - it is in a lovely rural
>> setting with some beautiful communities nearby. Mansfield looked a wee
>> bit run-down (much like my dearly beloved Utica, NY), but the rural
>> communities had some very nice neighborhoods from what I saw. People
>> seemed rather laid back and very friendly. The circuit itself was quite
>> beautiful and there was a large worker campground with beaucoup shade (a
>> BIG plus!) I wasn't a fan of the communal showers, but it was better
>> than nothing. It was like being in High School all over again.
>>
>> On Friday they put me at Station 2 - on drivers' left roughly halfway up
>> from pit-out to the keyhole. It is an absolutely wonderful blue-flag
>> station. It was also the station where I got to see some of the worst
>> stupidity I've ever seen in fast open-wheel cars. Milka is, in a word, a
>> f*cking menace. Danica was one of 4 drivers she nearly collected heading
>> into the keyhole. I had a very experienced and very competent F1
>> blue-flagger during that practice session and every other driver saw his
>> flag and responded accordingly. Mad Dog Marty would very nicely get off
>> the throttle and keep to the left on the straight, or stay to the
>> outside going through the keyhole. Milka would turn in on them forcing
>> them to lock up the brakes and take evasive action. I've seen better
>> driving from 16-year-old Formula BMW brats.
>>
>> On Saturday they put me at Station 5 - the crows' nest they use for
>> Start. The view there was outstanding - I could see the cars come out
>> through Turn 1, go all the way up and around the keyhole, down that
>> straight before they turn in by China Beach. I may have gotten some
>> face-time on TV for the ALMS race, as I helped the IMSA starter. He
>> waved off the field at the start and had me throw the yellow out. After
>> the start I blue flagged the entire ALMS race, which was really fun.
>> During Indy Car qualifying I was sent down to the outpost at 4, which is
>> only a comm station in a fence cut-out. I just watched the cars go
>> through the keyhole and zoom down towards the crows nest. IOW, I was
>> bored out of my mind.
>>
>> I Sunday they stuck me at Station 9, down in the Esses just a couple
>> turns past China Beach, right before the first Honda walk-over bridge. I
>> started the Indy race doing yellow and blue flagged the last half of the
>> race. It wasn't a very good blue-flag station, but I did what I could. I
>> also got to observe more Milka stupidity at close-range. She simply does
>> not belong out there. Period. The Indy Lights were interesting, though,
>> since the track was absolutely soaked. I was on outpost for the race,
>> just near the camera man, and saw a kid spin going down the hill before
>> station on the pace lap. I thought I was going to get a bunch of the
>> younglings visiting me once the green flag waved, but none of them did.
>> I was sorely disappointed. I was almost as disappointed as I was at how
>> the race finished and was won (I'll spare you folks the spoiler and let
>> you see it yourself when they air the race. I promise that it will be an
>> 'OMFG WTF?' ending.)
>>
>> All in all, it was a wonderful weekend. The racing was great and the
>> worker experience was a blast. The ALMS race was tons of fun, and the
>> Indy Car racing was valuable experience. I have to say, though, that
>> after my most recent experiences with Champ Cars at Road America and F1
>> at Montreal, the speed of the Indy Cars was quite underwhelming. The new
>> car can't come soon enough - these current things look like lumbering
>> whales on road courses. The fastest ALMS prototypes managed to run
>> similar lap times and looked much nimbler through the corners.
>>
>> This afternoon I might watch my DVR recording of the Indy Car race, and
>> sometime soon I'll try to sort through some of the photos I managed to
>> take (not many - busy schedule).
>>
>> Cheers!
>>
>> --
>> "We always have hope of winning, because the others might lose..."
>>
>> Monsieur Orgini - The Grand Prix of Gibraltar
>
> Hi ya Forty. I might have met you (unkowingly) Sunday before the
> Indycar race! Stepping over the fence to get a spot to shoot the
> start, I was heading for the top of the esses and there were a couple
> of corner workers sitting and waiting for the start, and I said "How
> we doin?" One of the guys said something like "hoping for a dry race -
> something better than the circus we just saw". I thought that was on
> target. Was that you? I was wearing a floppy white "Gilligan" hat. My
> photo day was better Saturday than Sunday, but Mid Ohio is just an
> awesome place to shoot. And to work too, from the sound of your
> description.
Hmmm - I don't recall. I was in white coveralls wearing a
black-and-white Champ Car Officials' hat. I might have been the one who
said that, but I'm not too sure. I didn't get much sleep in the
campground the night before thanks to noisy neighbors and the rain, so
my memory of some of those extra details is a wee bit sketchy.
--
"We always have hope of winning, because the others might lose..."
Monsieur Orgini - The Grand Prix of Gibraltar
