Seat location makes a difference. We were directly in front of turn 16, which is where the road course rejoins the main straight. We could see fairly deep into the back stretch, all the turns leading up to turn 16, then watch the bikes head towards the distant finish line. The preliminary races had better competition than the main race, from where we sat, but there were a couple of top riders sidelined due to previous injuries.
IMHO, if IMS and NASCAR want to improve the Brickyard race, they need to run on the road course instead of the oval.
Glad this trip was more enjoyable for you. Do they still have ice racing in Indy? I don't keep up with that or moto-x anymore. Went to an ice race years ago and found it quite exciting.
Quote from: Mr442 on August 20, 2012, 09:50:34 AM
. . .
IMHO, if IMS and NASCAR want to improve the Brickyard race, they need to run on the road course instead of the oval.
I know a whole LOT of NASCAR critics who would heartily endorse such a change; and probably cross over to NASCAR if it were implemented. (At least at the Brickyard). :biggrin:
Quote from: me on August 20, 2012, 04:52:42 PM
Glad this trip was more enjoyable for you. Do they still have ice racing in Indy? I don't keep up with that or moto-x anymore. Went to an ice race years ago and found it quite exciting.
Ice Racing??? I have no idea, but I will keep my eyes open and an ear to the ground. That would be a lot of fun to watch. Don't know about anything else, but I thought they were still doing moto x once a year in the dome. OK, I know, Lucas Oil Stadium. :rolleyes:
Quote from: Mr442 on August 21, 2012, 12:06:30 PM
Ice Racing??? I have no idea, but I will keep my eyes open and an ear to the ground. That would be a lot of fun to watch. Don't know about anything else, but I thought they were still doing moto x once a year in the dome. OK, I know, Lucas Oil Stadium. :rolleyes:
That was where I seen the ice races years ago. It was a lot of fun to watch. There are no whooptie doos or jumps of course but it's exciting none the less. I do know I wouldn't want to have one of those tires they use run over me. :no: If you ever get a chance to go to one do. :yes:
WANT TO SEE GOOD ICE RACING!
GOOGLE SOME OF THE SOVIET ICE BIKE RACES!
Quote from: incognito on August 21, 2012, 01:00:41 PM
WANT TO SEE GOOD ICE RACING!
GOOGLE SOME OF THE SOVIET ICE BIKE RACES!
Thanks Don I don't know why I didn't think of that.
Although the bikes in this one are more like the ones I got to see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQiQp96aLhw
The actual race was more like this one because the track was larger http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZ0GqWGXWVI
Here's an article on the history of ice racing. http://www.icespeedwaymovie.com/history.php?lang=en
I have seen some ice racing on TV, and it was great.
Quote from: Mr442 on August 21, 2012, 02:06:02 PM
I have seen some ice racing on TV, and it was great.
:yes:
I actually once knew a guy who raced bikes on ice professionally. (Of course, he had a day job as the engineer in an office building which is how he afforded racing).
He had one of those big ford freight vans that he hauled his bikes around in winters in Chicago.
I have to say those studded tires scared the juice outta me when I first laid eyes on them. :spooked: :yes:
Had the pleasure of seeing him race several times from the crew's view, and it was unreal each and every time I saw it.
Those guys lay those bikes over every bit as far as the Moto GP guys do, but on ice. :eek:
Had plenty of opportunities to give it a spin myself, but never could summon up the courage to do more than sit on one and rev the engines. (Ice rash doesn't sound any better than road rash to me, but it has a much higher likelihood of happening in my mind).
I've skated on ice playing hockey for decades, and in my prime I could move fast enough to outpace most competitors. And I crashed and burned a few times along the way. I had no desire to do so at a speed any higher than my legs could get me moving. . . :spooked:
Those men and women have a lot more courage than I do when it comes to racing bikes on ice. And I am not ashamed to admit it either!
Ya, even though those leathers are well padded in the knees they can only stop so much and it doesn't take many races to wear that one knee thin either even in moto-x so I can imagine how quick they wear thin in ice or GP racing.