[VRR][B-SPEC] 2017 Straight Talk IndyCar Series Season

[Eva]

Last day of the Hidden Valley test has happened, and results from the three sessions are below.

Spoiler: Open Practice 4-18 December 2016 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

Spoiler: Open Practice 5-18 December 2016 1:00-3:00 p.m.

Spoiler: Open Practice 6-18 December 2016 4:00-6:00 p.m.

Spoiler: Tags

@swiftsmith @DCybertron @Kingofweasles @ECGadget @Pezzarinho17 @RedDragon @Smurfybug @Formidable @GTRacer22 @DcrRaikkonen @nascarfan1400 @Harsk100 @optiongamers @tbwhhs @Suzumiya @AJHG1000 @YayoiGT2 @NearCptNitro @catamount39 @KuniKino****a @Niku Driver HC @quietgirl @ukfan758 @GranTurismo916 @BKGlover @Luis Torres @RESHIRAM5 @GTracerEHTeam @Clayton Hardy @amaterasu @vetteman24 @AudiMan2011 @Michelin @DurWinning @Whitetail

 

[catamount39]

I need to retire...

 

[Eva]

#ForzaFerrari Cavallino Rampante FTW...That is all.

 

[ECGadget]

Hey, I didn't do too bad. I put it down to a good team, great crew and boss and fantastic teammates.



I would not be good with interviews.

 

[Eva]

Hey, I didn't do too bad. I put it down to a good team, great crew and boss and fantastic teammates.



I would not be good with interviews.

Hey, with all the potential hardware, I'd say they would speak on your behalf.

 

[nascarfan1400]

Looks like another C- year for Sebby -.-

 

[ECGadget]

Hey, with all the potential hardware, I'd say they would speak on your behalf.

Just a question, as stupid as it may be: what is the (R) for?

 

[Niku Driver HC]

#ForzaFerrari Cavallino Rampante FTW...That is all.

I guess that's the only thing which can be assured after these two sets of practice sessions, really. That and the fact Aston has a good chance at getting in Ferrari and Chevy's ways if Aston can help it...

 

[RACECAR]

Just a question, as stupid as it may be: what is the (R) for?

I could be wrong, but I think it stands for Rookie.

 

[catamount39]

Looks like another C- year for Sebby -.-

I feel your pain...

 

[Clayton Hardy]

Looks like another C- year for Sebby -.-

Hey now, C- all year round is still better than A+ for 5 races.

 

[Eva]

Just a question, as stupid as it may be: what is the (R) for?

As @RACECAR previously said, it is an indicator for those eligible for Rookie of the Year this year.

I guess that's the only thing which can be assured after these two sets of practice sessions, really. That and the fact Aston has a good chance at getting in Ferrari and Chevy's ways if Aston can help it...

Which is funny because the only consistently good driver I've seen from the Aston Martin camp is Rogers.

Hey now, C- all year round is still better than A+ for 5 races.

You took that on yourself. So enjoy DNQing races this year!

 

[Niku Driver HC]

Which is funny because the only consistently good driver I've seen from the Aston Martin camp is Rogers.

And Evans? I saw his name quite frequently on the top spots for all three of the latest practice sessions. Having two drivers near the top may not be enough to win a Manufacturers championship, but I'll be darned if I can't call them contenders to the Drivers' one as of right now...

 

[Eva]

And Evans? I saw his name quite frequently on the top spots for all three of the latest practice sessions. Having two drivers near the top may not be enough to win a Manufacturers championship, but I'll be darned if I can't call them contenders to the Drivers' one as of right now...

He had one good draft lap in the sessions he topped, not to mention I hadn't fixed his chassis stats to make it match the rest of the roster.

 

[Niku Driver HC]

He had one good draft lap in the sessions he topped, not to mention I hadn't fixed his chassis stats to make it match the rest of the roster.

Well then, I stand corrected, guess Rogers is the only decent AMR driver produced so far. But my point about him being a good Drivers' championship contender can still stand, if anything... He has the pace.

 

[Com Fox]

I'm all over the place should make the season exciting for me.

 

[AudiMan2011]

Consistently crap both days. Hooo boy this is going to be a long season.

 

[BKGlover]

I'd have to look at Day 1, but Day 2 makes it look like our Fords prefer long sessions. Maybe there's a hope in hell, maybe our cars exchange raw speed for consistency, maybe it becomes a war of attrition and we outlast...

...OR...maybe I could stop spouting the unintelligent BS and shut my mouth.

 

[catamount39]

...maybe it becomes a war of attrition...

*remembers is the factory Aston Martin team and sees these words* We're 🤬.

 

[RACECAR]

Up and down with the front never found. In other words, business as usual for me.

 

[Eva]

Some news coming this week regarding calendar adjustments for 2017 as well as engine news. Stay tuned

 

[Sakura]

Spoiler: Ishibashi "Not Amused" By Audi Pace

One team sat out of the Hidden Valley test, the Osaka-based Impulse Racing squad. Team owner Sakura Ishibashi was not amused by the performance of Audi during the test, in which top ten times were very sparce. "I want to say that Audi was just running a reliability program during the test, but I genuinely don't know. If that isn't the case, then we are in genuine trouble this season." Ishibashi commented from her home. "If it were a sandbagging exercise, I'm not amused by it. If Audi were going to enter this season with no effort, they may have done a better service not entering at all." Audi, as announced earlier in the offseason, would be leaving the series alongside Aston Martin at the conclusion of the 2017 season. When asked what supplier she would have went with if Audi had not participated in 2017, her response was very straight forward. "Hands down I would have went to Honda. Jerome and myself have experience with the Honda V6TT, and would have been in decent company with Eiffel Tower, Cat Devil, and Rainbow Road to get things done."

 

[Pezzarinho17]

@Angel William Manor and another entrant (there are 35 on the list) didn't run in the first session. Not that anything can be changed now, but can you shed any light on it?

 

[Eva]

@Angel William Manor and another entrant (there are 35 on the list) didn't run in the first session. Not that anything can be changed now, but can you shed any light on it?

They simply didn't run laps. Manor ran an installation lap and parked it the rest of the session.

 

[Pezzarinho17]

Lazy boy!

 

[Eva]

Lazy boy!

He won't be able to do that in Vegas!

 

[AudiMan2011]

Spoiler: Slater Seeks Answers After Disappointing Test Pace

The first preparations for the 2017 STICS season at Hidden Valley left Audi squad Ecurie Ecosse looking for answers after both days saw the British team languishing towards the bottom of the timesheets. Driver Gary Slater said, "I really can't understand why we were so slow. Even in our qualifying simulations we were hopelessly off pace. I went and spoke to Clayton after the second day's final session and he was just as stumped as we were in regards to his own team. We'll look to co-operate with Cherokee in seeking answers from Audi before we have to fly out to Vegas for the Monster Shootout.

 

[Eva]

First news bit of the week...looking for interested applicants for the VRR General Assembly. Looking to accept up to three new applicants to handle votes on important matters with the different VRR B-Spec series.

Second news bit of the week...

Spoiler: Firestone To Remain Tire Supplier

One question that loomed over 2017 was if it would be the last for Firestone, who has supported American open wheel racing for now over a century. Today, that question was answered with a strong, resounding no as Firestone was announced as the series' exclusive tire sponsor under a new contract that expires after the 2020 season. VRR CEO Evangeline Porter and Firestone representative Mark Allen were on hand for a press conference in VRR's headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio:
"Without a doubt, everyone at Firestone believes in the Indianapolis 500 and the VRR Straight Talk IndyCar Series. Since the first Indianapolis 500, we've participated in every one, and we've been proud to carry so many legends to victory in the original great American race." Allen said. "VRR had floated the idea of allowing multiple tire suppliers, which did not settle well with us. We felt like that was a signal that the series and Angel were unhappy with our contributions. So we sat and we talked. She shared her ambitions and her objectives for the series moving forward, and how we could contribute to those. With this, we feel more involved with the process and the competition, instead of being a gear in the machine. We were given the ability to play more with what we have in hand with what Dallara and the engine suppliers are producing. These Dallara HV17 cars will be taking on road courses faster than we've seen an IndyCar ever go, and we finally see a unified ambition to be the fastest series in the world, on ovals and on road and street courses. We get to play a big part in that, and our experience allows us to be very well prepared for whatever is necessary for the goals VRR sets."
"It's impossible to overlook Firestone and how important they are to the series. This deal was not the easiest to put together, there was a lot of research that needed to be done to see what was possible from their end comfortably in comparison to what is possible from Dallara and the engine suppliers. What we will see from 2017 onwards is a faster, ultra competitive, and more entertaining series with none of the gimmicks you see in stock cars or touring cars. We have a very potential-filled grid, with that potential being echoed by the engine suppliers and now our tire sponsor. I look forward to putting the plans we've discussed in action for the future and now." Porter said to press today.
Some questions were taken, among which was the expected speed at Indianapolis and the eventual goal: "For this year, I am expecting to see the speeds at Indy remain similar to what it was last year. 234 to 236 is the margin we are looking at. Our ambition for the series is a bit of a return to what it was like before the aerodynamic wave caught on, not with speed being a primary concern. I want to push what is possible at Indianapolis for tires and that eventual goal is to make tires last as much as 200 miles at a time. I am very aware that fuel will never last this long, and my ambition doesn't extend beyond Indy itself. Some of the most intriguing races are based on pit strategy. But at Indy, it's more or less always been a fuel number race with the current formula. We want to highlight this by minimizing the tire influence. Then we can start talking how to extend fuel mileage efficiently everywhere with what we get at Indy."

 

[Kingofweasles]

Out-of-Character Comment: I've been away for quite a bit, so forgive me for the massive wall'o'text incoming in 3..2...1...

Spoiler: Andrew Draco on...

VRR Indycar testing at Hidden Valley Raceway: "Well if the time sheets didn't give too much away, I'm really enjoying the new-for-2017 package. The updates to the chassis and the new Ferrari engine seem to really suit my driving style, so compared to some of the races last year I'm definitely enjoying just motoring around now. It's a lot more throttle-sensitive and you have to be on top of things a lot more... It almost kind of reminds me of racing Winged Sprint Cars on Pavement a little. My kind of car, you know? I'm curious how it'll react on a track with a lot of grip, because even with nearly 40 cars out testing over two days I never felt like the track was "Rubbered In" and there wasn't a real line through the twistier sections.

"I mainly focused on trying to get as many trouble-free miles under my belt over the last few days, because I'll admit that road racing has never been my strong suit. I've really made an effort to try and re-learn the art of turning left & right equally well by hitting up Black Rose Racing's simulator a couple of times a week, and I think it's starting to pay off. The only thing I regret is not getting a lap under 1 Minute, especially on the mock Qualifying runs and also because two of the other Ferrari-powered cars [Patrick Marcelli & Nicole Liechti] were able to."

"I can't thank the Black Rose Racing team for giving me this opportunity and keeping me on for next year and for Ferrari for making such a strong engine right out of the blocks though. I can't wait to see what the new livery will look like either..."

Challenges of the off-season and racing in two different series in 2017: "Well physically speaking you've got to stay on top of things, keep working out, stay fighting fit. But luckily for me at least, with the VRR GT Endurance Championship, I'll be driving something a little different than the usual and I've always found that helps both sides of things. To be honest, I heard a lot of people talking about how they don't like the lack of off-time but for me it's great because with my schedule, [Friend and VRR GT Co-Driver] Jean's schedule, me getting more and more involved with the creation of a clothing company with another friend plus chasing sponsors on top of all of that... It's been flat-out, but I got to tell you I'm loving every minute of it.

"A lot of it is the fact that it's hard to stay on top of the game. Yesterday everybody at Black Rose Racing were doing a lot of work, a lot of studying on how we're gonna improve for next year. We just did our end-of-season review last week and tried to focus on the specific tracks that everybody needs to work on. It sounds kind of crazy when you look at how before Calder Park [The VRR Indycar season opener on Febuary 4th], I'm driving something for the whole month. But that's kind of what it is now: With the testing schedule, I think these last two days were pretty much it before the season starts without counting the Monster Shoot-Out. So while that's going to save some money for the teams, you're gonna have to be on your game before running at "The Thunderdome".

The Phantom Motors VRR GT Endurance project: "I've been a part of the birth of the Phantom Motors team in some way or another for the past couple of months, helping Gabe develop his idea into a reality... So to get the opportunity to drive his car as well is pretty cool. I've known Jean a long time; We're both go-kart guys and Jean's a top-notch individual. But what struck me the most, what swayed me to do it outside of getting more seat-time on road courses was the fact even with Black Rose's connections with Ferrari being fairly deep, it was important for him that I that I should be driving it. I feel pretty lucky 'cause Jean could have chosen practically anybody for the role."

New Indycar Teammates for 2017: "Well, I haven't had much talk with Alan [Herrera] yet, but I feel like I'm starting to gel with Steve Gnash. I know Angie [Evangeline Porter] had been working on bringing him over for a while, and while I know everybody at Black Rose Racing would've loved to have him driving for the full season, but with all of the personnel shuffling around with every driver from last year moving on except myself, somebody had to get the part-time gig... I hope he does well enough to stay on for 2018 though.

"Anyway, I know I'm talking your ears off, so I'm going back to my trailer."

 

[Sakura]

Spoiler: Impulse Racing To Attend Vegas, Sebring

The holdout team from the Hidden Valley test has confirmed that it will be participating in full force starting with the 2017 Monster Energy Showdown and Monster Shootout in early January. Impulse Racing principal Asumi Matsuo confirmed that the team would also be present at the test at Sebring International Raceway in mid January. "We felt that the Hidden Valley test would not have done much for us given how small the track is and how crowded it would have been. Sebring is far larger and more open for valuable data." Matsuo said to reporters mid day Tuesday.