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

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Not really much to say about the race other than both cars made the finish, @Sakura bringing the car home in 13th certainly is one of the few positives we picked up from today. Thankfully I was able to race in a pack for most of the race so bringing up the rear wasn't as much of a lonely gig as I'd expected.

Now I'm just looking to go home and look forward to racing there, with hopefully some better results to bring to the home crowd.
 
BKGlover
...one detail I just noticed in the OP, Christobal is still on the driver's roster.
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Well it's not like he is present in the races, so odds are that's just a minor list copying oversight. Easily fixable, but not many will cry if it stays there...

I might post my full thoughts later, but for now I can say it was a fun first race, this backwards Indy oval race. For the most part it was a 4-car battle coupled with countless other battles further down the pack, but I supposed the cautions minimized the escape chances as they happened. Lots of position changes, but not many lead changes. That's how I'd describe it...
Still, it was a breakaway near the end that settled it, plus a weird camera cut when the best battle was happening near the checkered flag... Whose idea was that? :lol:
 
Santos from 2nd to 19th :banghead:, looks like we had terrible pitstops and kept running the high line.
 
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*pulls into pitlane and stops in pitbox*YEAH BOI! YEAH! YEAH! YEAH! We don't suck! WE DON'T SUCK! 4th! Dam that was fun! LOOK OUT INDY HERE WE COME!

Edit: After being done shouting. :P
"Everybody did great today, we fought like hell ane managed to get ourselves out of the hole we dug ourselves in qualifying. Fanfreakingtastic way to comeback after last year, and hopefully we keep this momentum going."
 
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Well everything started great so that's something over last year but that was the most disappointing result I've dealt with to a race. I was leading, freaking leading, and ended up last of the finishing cars. What the actual hell happened, surely the crew couldn't have messed up adjustments that bad, contact on pit road maybe? I just don't get it.
 
Eh Team
Well everything started great so that's something over last year but that was the most disappointing result I've dealt with to a race. I was leading, freaking leading, and ended up last of the finishing cars. What the actual hell happened, surely the crew couldn't have messed up adjustments that bad, contact on pit road maybe? I just don't get it.
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Thinking it was either an attempt at strategy stopping, or perhaps a slow leak in a tire as nothing had gone well since the last restart.
 
"Not exactly the best feeling in the world. I had the car to get to them and stay there, and then engine just blew up without warning. We'll try to rally back next weekend and get the result we know we can."
 
"YEAH!! That was a tough race as we had to pass so many cars with our starting position. The 81 helped out on that front as I kind of just followed her through the field. The team had great stops and gained me a few spots which was a huge help as it was hard to make passes out there. I got to thank all the sponsors for their support. On to race 2."
 
VRR: How do you feel about this year's start compared to last year?
SEB: *shrugs* Still not where we want to be. I want to be fighting for 10th in points, not 24th.
 
Chevrolet and Polaris Motorsports were sent scrambling after three of the four Polaris Motorsports cars had engines let go in a 5 lap span, taking out Jamie Ngaire-Jardine, Diego Jaramillo, and Stephanie Porter-Kelley with seemingly no warning. "There apparently wasn't a warning on any of our engine failures." Porter-Kelley responded to media after climbing out of her retired car Sunday night. "None of us were in a high fuel mix, so the engines weren't being run as hard as they could have. It's a shame that it took out Diego and Jamie. They were climbing up towards the top ten, which is disappointing. We have a week to figure out what let go in the engines and correct the issue." Jacob Descoteau finished 14th in the race, keeping Polaris from a completely dismal season opener.
 
Two tidbits of news for your Monday.
Three road course races get to be guinea pigs for a group qualifying system set to be implemented in 2018. Mid-Ohio, Montreal, and Magny-Cours will see the program introduced there, with the entire field being given 15 minutes to set the fastest lap possible at the same time. VRR has said if successful, the group qualifying system would be seen at all road and street course races in 2018 as well as short oval venues.
The start of the season has gone well, if the viewership numbers are anything to go by. The 2017 Monster Shootout in January saw 1,235,000* views worldwide, whereas the season opener at Calder Park saw 2,730,000* viewers around the globe. In comparison to the 2016 season opener, Surfer's Paradise saw just shy of three million views at 2,990,000* views worldwide.
*-Each real life view equals 65,000 fictional views.
 
For my first race in STICS, I'm happy to have climbed as many spots as I did to finish 12th. The coverage made it look like we had a quiet, uneventful race, but I was pumped the whole way through and it's a shame the event was only 250 miles. I felt like I could have eventually caught the leading pack, so I have to thank the Cosworth guys really putting together a great package for small teams like my crew over at Sovereign.
 
"It's a big disappointment for me. Right from the start it was just mega; The #77 Coca-Cola Cherry Special was perfect right up until around Lap 42, when the tires started to go off more than my crew-chief at Black Rose Racing Team expected. I kind of let the #43 go by without a fight and tried to keep it in the window for our first stop while letting Alan (Herrera) catch a draft off of me.

"From there, I could try and get a run on the leader, but I didn't have the car to make it safely stick because it got loose as the fuel burned off. So as much as I hated it, I tried to just keep my cool, keep the gap at around two tenths and try to undercut the #43... And then the engine just lets go on Lap 77 and I spin on my own oil right into the wall. I'm a touch sore, but it's nothing major.

"All you can do is just shrug your shoulders, say to yourself 'A least I know I can run with the big boys & girls out there' in the shower and carry on to the next race. On the plus side, congrats to Alan for bring it home and getting close at the end despite our unavoidable contact... And you know, I hope we come back here next year; I'm not sure what it is, but I really think 'The Thunderdome' has a funky kind of charm that a lot of ovals out there don't really have anymore."
 
Eva
A bit of a delay on the Clark race video. It currently isn't uploaded and although I'm hoping it is available tomorrow, I honestly have no idea currently.
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What, no practice & qualifying results to fill the time before the race video is uploaded? :sly:
 
Kingofweasles
What, no practice & qualifying results to fill the time before the race video is uploaded? :sly:
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My intention was to post them once I knew the race video was uploaded and ready.
 
Clark race video won't be posted until next weekend. Also, due to a mistake from the commentary crew, the race won't have commentary. Also a few bits of news...
The season opener for 2017 will be sticking around in the same role for 2018, according to VRR CEO Angel Porter. The Calder Park Thunderdome saw it's first international event since the 1990s last weekend, and both track officials and VRR officials were impressed with how the racing went as well as the crowd. The event was a sellout, and with Foster's dedicated to remaining on board for the event, Calder Park have jumped at the opportunity to keep the series' season opener in Australia at least another year.
New Hampshire Motor Speedway has flirted with the VRR Straight Talk IndyCar Series before, but it looks more likely that the one mile oval will get an event with Sylvania backing in 2018. Rumors state that the event is set to take Watkins Glen's spot on the calendar after the Canadian races, with Watkins Glen's event moved to later in the year.
VRR is clamoring to return to Japan after cutting Motegi from the calendar for 2017. Suzuka and Okayama are in ongoing conversations with top VRR brass about a race not at the beginning of the season, but closer to the end of the season. There is no gauge as to how far along these talks are, although Okayama has apparently pulled ahead as a favorite. If confirmed, the Japanese round is expected to join a near 28 race calendar.
 
While the drivers for Impulse Racing are still a mystery, and will likely stay a mystery until after the Indianapolis 500, Impulse Racing has began securing funding for 2018 and the expanding team efforts. Panasonic will be returning in a primary sponsorship capacity in 2018, with Samsung becoming secondary sponsor for the #3 car in 2018. Dairy Queen will remain on board as an associate sponsor, as will Okuma and Namco Bandai Holdings. Impulse has also secured funding for a fourth car scheduled to run at select American events including the 2018 VRR Indianapolis 500. Krispy Kreme will be the primary sponsor of that fourth car, with Slim Jim, Fanta, Menard's and Acer jumping on board as associate sponsors. Ishibashi has not yet confirmed any additional drivers, but reconfirmed that she would try securing current team drivers Jerome Torres and Tyler Parker before looking elsewhere.
 
To set in stone everything for 2018 and on right now is not only ridiculous, but impossible. Some bits are easy, sponsors and suppliers to name a couple, but we've run one points race and can gather nothing substantial from it. Ray was great until he wasn't, I was crap until I wasn't, the two Fords and Sovereign's Cosworth showed some life, but we still have 25 races to go, and I'm putting myself under heavy scrutinization on all aspects.

Add to that the unknown fluidity of the engine situation, meaning the 2018 V8 engine I've got on the draft table may never see the light, and the designed fluidity of Starion's roster situation, designed as in all contracts are set for a year but are basically built like a lease agreement, and little is truly certain. All we can do is work in what we do have and do know, and make an effort towards what we want. We want to keep Ford's confidence and factory status, we would like to have a full-time third seat, The Y and I have an understanding as I went to them and offered something new even though they'd reeeeeally like it if I adopted their newer logo, Ray Taylor and Cliff Legeaux are welcome to remain with the team as long as they want or until they find a situation improving their standing, AND I'm in talks with some companies and entities for future sponsorship possibilities.
 
KYOTO, JAPAN--10th place. That's the result Kunimitsu Kino****a was able to pull together after starting 29th for the season opening race of the 2017 VRR Straight Talk IndyCar Series season. After a 2016 season filled with dismal results from her entire team, outside of a spectacular and haunting Indianapolis 500 win, a good start for 2017 is exactly what Kino****a needed. "As hard as we worked in 2016, for the results we got out of it, we were despondent near the end of the season." Kino****a commented from her team's American base in Spokane, Washington, "Qualifying at Calder was not well for me personally. The backwards nature of the event I think threw a lot of people off. But when it got down to the racing, everything just felt smooth." Smooth, a description that Kino****a herself noted went away after last year's Indianapolis 500 when teammate Henna Venalainen perished in a crash before the halfway point. "For seven months, I was asking myself and anyone I could what was going wrong. We were finishing races like we needed to. We just never had the pace. Like 100% wasn't being put in by anyone. Henna's passing I think threw everyone off and when that happens at a place like Indy, your ability to recover is slim. Add on top of it that all four cars had to somehow overcome it made it a bigger deal." Outside of Sakura Ishibashi's podium at Belle Isle and Camyron Jackson's podium at Barcelona, Cat Devil Racing only saw the top ten 8 times after Indianapolis, most of those being achieved by an "angered and motivated" Ishibashi. With 2017's season now ongoing, Kino****a is hoping for more results like Calder Park, where the team shows that it still belongs at the forefront of American open wheel racing. With proven race winners Kino****a and Jacob Birmingham accompanying Camyron Jackson and Nii Aryeetey, Japan's representation in IndyCar may bare some weight.
 
No tag alert here either, just the standard-issue "X gonna give to ya attached a file on (insert thread name here)" alert.

Having no commentary is a minus for me, because I tend to get distracted from watching a video featuring engine sounds only. Must've been quite the mistake for the entire commentary track to be wiped out from the video...

Oh hell yeah, I like this season. I like this season A LOT. No victory and being beaten by a rookie would be rather sad, but how can I be sad when consistency has offered me a 1st place on the Drivers' standings? Keep at it, #76, keep at it...
 
Ecurie Ecosse driver Gary Slater launched a blistering verbal attack towards VRR officials and organizers at Clark Raceway after being involved in a nasty accident with B.K Glover as the 79 was leaving the pitlane. "The pits here need a major rethink." Slater said to media after being treated for bruising at the track's medical center. "You've got traffic leaving the pits merging directly into the path of cars bearing down on them at 150 something miles an hour forcing them to take evasive action. If I had hit Glover at any other angle than where he was, the impact could have killed him or left him severely incapacitated. If we're to race here again then they need to seriously sort out the safety of the pit exit so this doesn't happen again."
 
"Pretty crazy day at the office all things considered... Where to start?

"Well, first off we got lucky with starting in the top 10 after all of the issues others had in practice & qualifying, because the #77 Ray Ban Special didn't feel too good and I'm not exactly the best road racer out there... But somehow, the car that felt nervous & twitchy in qualifying was great at the start; Sliding into 6th felt great and being able actually pull away from the Orange & Yellow blob in my mirrors (Jacob Descoteau) was a nice confidence-booster.

"So I just sort of settled into a groove and waited until the first round of pit-stops. Honestly, while I don't mind the twisty nature of this track, I think VRR needs to do something about cramming so many cars into such a tight pitlane in the future... The crash on Lap 27 and my teammate Alan (Herrera) basically being backed up right behind the pace shows just how dangerous the pit exit is. Oh yeah, and Kuni Kino****a needs to get her eyes checked, because running into the back of me coming out of the pits was just asinine.

"The crazy thing was even after that incident and getting caught out by the yellows when I had to make a second stop to check on the car and top up on fuel, the #77 still felt pretty good and when the caution came out on Lap 46, the Black Rose Racing Team brain trust were able to help me leap-frog back into the top 10 and I was able to dice with the #10 (Gary Slater) for a while. I really thought that we were going to get hung out to dry on the last round of pit-stops, but the last caution played right into our hands and it felt like nobody was really content with trying to pass anywhere, so I basically just puttered around to the finish.

"I'm quite happy with 5th place though; It's my best-ever result on a road course and considering the up-and-down kind of day we had, it's a nice way to wash out the disappointment from Calder Park and get some points up on the board... But Like I said at the last race, it's a long season and all you can do is carry on to the next race with your head held high."
 
*jumps out from car with helmet still on pumping fists in air* PODIUM BABY! PODIUM! WE ARE AMAZING! That's how to celebrate a birthday motha******s! Wooh! To the pub!
 
Wooooooooooooo! I can't believe it! We've won! Thank you guys, thank you!

What a fantastic result for the team! Santos got us on the front row, continuing his amazing qualifying performance in his (and our) first season. We had great pitstops and were able to move back up front thanks to a few safety cars and then lead the second half. If it weren't for Santos' amazing talent, we wouldn't be in victory lane today. Thanks to our sponsor, Bud Light and our engine partner, Chevrolet for their amazing work that also helped make this team what it is. Also, congratulations to Nico Costa-Monteiro and Ryan Perlstein for their amazing drives that landed them on the podium this weekend. The team is really looking forward to what we can do the rest of this season.
 
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