Topic: 2007 Racing Season

[mdxtasy]

What's your pick and why?  There's been a lot of movement in the racing world.....so where's your time going to be spent?

[safristi]

LOOK F1 Wins Hands DOWN.......

[neil]

What's your pick and why?  There's been a lot of movement in the racing world.....so where's your time going to be spent?

Mdx5, change your poll to separate CART/IRL.  Champcar and EARL should be separate, then I can vote in good conscience!

[footlong58]

It will be F1 as always for me, but I'd say the one to watch would be NASCAR, even though I'm not a fan of NASCAR... With Toyota coming into the Cup series and Jaun Pablo racing too, possibly Jacques Villenueve and even Paul Tracy, it could and should be interesting with all these "foreigners" mixing it up with the good ol boys from the south...

[neil]

It will be F1 as always for me, but I'd say the one to watch would be NASCAR, even though I'm not a fan of NASCAR... With Toyota coming into the Cup series and Jaun Pablo racing too, possibly Jacques Villenueve and even Paul Tracy, it could and should be interesting with all these "foreigners" mixing it up with the good ol boys from the south...

Tracy ain't goin' cabbin'.  He gave his Supercuts deal to Max Papis.

[mdxtasy]

What's your pick and why?  There's been a lot of movement in the racing world.....so where's your time going to be spent?

Mdx5, change your poll to separate CART/IRL.  Champcar and EARL should be separate, then I can vote in good conscience!

Done.   

[Loudpedal]

No Schui, Kimi at Ferrari, Alonoso at McLaren...I'm looking forward to the 2007 F1 season more than many in recent memory.     

[neil]

What's your pick and why?  There's been a lot of movement in the racing world.....so where's your time going to be spent?

Mdx5, change your poll to separate CART/IRL.  Champcar and EARL should be separate, then I can vote in good conscience!

Done.   

Cool, and now fix the name of the Series, ChampCar/CART will do

[ovr50]

It will be F1 as always for me, but I'd say the one to watch would be NASCAR, even though I'm not a fan of NASCAR... With Toyota coming into the Cup series and Jaun Pablo racing too, possibly Jacques Villenueve and even Paul Tracy, it could and should be interesting with all these "foreigners" mixing it up with the good ol boys from the south...

Actually the number of top NASCAR drivers from the southern states is much less than it used to be, many are now from California, the Midwest, the Northwest and other parts of the US. The old stereotype will die hard tho. 

[Jameel]

No Schui, Kimi at Ferrari, Alonoso at McLaren...I'm looking forward to the 2007 F1 season more than many in recent memory.     

Totally, I can't wait for March 2007.  It's going to be a great season!

[Silent Lucidity]

F1 for me.

I think Ferrari will win both Constructors and drivers title.  

Has Renault named their drivers for next year?

[mdxtasy]

What's your pick and why?  There's been a lot of movement in the racing world.....so where's your time going to be spent?

Mdx5, change your poll to separate CART/IRL.  Champcar and EARL should be separate, then I can vote in good conscience!

Done.   

Cool, and now fix the name of the Series, ChampCar/CART will do

Man...it's not hard to figure out which one you're looking forward to. 

[tpl]

 From the Times

The son of a former British Rail worker is to become the first black man to race in Formula One, The Times has learnt.

Lewis Hamilton, 21, is expected to get his first drive with McLaren Mercedes at the start of the next Grand Prix season in Melbourne. Hamilton — who, at the age of 10, approached McLaren to say that his ambition was to race for them — is seen as one of the most talented drivers of his generation.

If successful, he could become a black sporting icon of the stature of the American golfer Tiger Woods, with the potential to earn millions.

He comes to Formula One from a modest family background. His father, whose parents emigrated to Britain from the Caribbean island of Grenada in the mid-1950s, worked for British Rail before setting up his own successful IT business in London.

He lives with his father at Tewin Wood in Hertfordshire and has a younger brother, Nicolas, who has cerebral palsy. Although his parents have divorced, he is still close to his mother.

Ron Dennis, the McLaren Mercedes team principal, confirmed Hamilton’s selection alongside the world champion, Fernando Alonso, and at the expense of Pedro de la Rosa who returns to testdriver duties. He made the decision in the past few days.

The relationship between Dennis and the Hamilton family began when, aged 10, Hamilton approached Dennis at an awards dinner and told him that his ambition was to race for McLaren in Formula One.

Within a couple of years Dennis had responded, offering advice and financial help — money that has underpinned Hamilton’s successful racing career through karting and junior formulas.

Since those early days Hamilton has been legally contracted to McLaren and the relationship has been mutually beneficial.

Recently Hamilton spoke of the benefits of his long tutelage at McLaren.

“I’ve been taught by Ron and Martin Whitmarsh (managing director) that patience is a key virtue,” he said. “Look at my career; McLaren have made me wait and be patient in everything I’ve done — and I’ve won everything.

“The trust I have in Ron and Martin and in McLaren Mercedes goes way beyond anything else. They have guided me all the way.”

The decision to go with Hamilton, who won this year’s GP2 Series in impressive style, follows months of uncertainty during which Dennis appeared unsure whether to promote Hamilton straight into a race seat in his Formula One team or have him learn his trade as a test driver for a season.

Dennis was particularly concerned at the expected avalanche of media attention that Hamilton is likely to attract as he takes his place as the first driver of Afro-Caribbean descent to race in Formula One.

However, it seems that the combination of Hamilton’s maturity out of the car and brilliance in it have persuad- ed him to take the plunge.

While Dennis may see Hamilton’s elevation as risky, many others have no doubt that the former karting world No 1 and Formula Renault and Formula 3 Euro Series champion is a driver of the highest quality who could be Britain’s best young prospect in the sport since the young Jackie Stewart emerged in the mid-1960s.

In the past year Hamilton has shown all the qualities that are required of an aspiring champion at the top level, combining an aggressive and courageous style (which reminds some of Hamilton’s hero, the great Ayrton Senna) with a cool head under pressure and a fine tactical sense.

He is also, most importantly, frighteningly quick.


About time... now we need a female F1 driver as well

[safristi]

so NOW F1 is goinn' the "TIGER WOODS"..."Blonde Tennis RUSKIE" route...get 'em 5 and drive the LIFE OUTTA THEM.........werked fer Gymnastics ..maybe it will in Car Racing..soon yer gonna HAFTA BE the size of a 11 year female Gymnast  4 foot 7 and 72 lbs  JUST TA FIT INNA FI CIGAR TUBE..... ..bring back the FATTIES EFF ONE..wher ya can see their faces and their arms working the wheel...buncha woosie BUTTON PUSHERS wif BALLS is all we got left.... ..Grenada and Alonso BOTH SPANISH should get along swimmingly......

[neil]

What's your pick and why?  There's been a lot of movement in the racing world.....so where's your time going to be spent?

Mdx5, change your poll to separate CART/IRL.  Champcar and EARL should be separate, then I can vote in good conscience!

Done.   

Cool, and now fix the name of the Series, ChampCar/CART will do

Man...it's not hard to figure out which one you're looking forward to. 

Awesome.  Comeon MD, you of all peeps should have know better!

Ok,  I like F1, heck, I'll even whittle away a dull afternoon with some Cabbin, but Champcar is my passion.

And it's a real good time to be a champcar fan.  I am a CC fan because of 1) They are races I can actually go to.  Went to Edmonton last two years, and when you go, fans gets full access to the pits, paddock, and the drivers.  
2) Canadian races, canuck drivers.  PT, Tags, Ranger, and some good up and comers in the works, like James Hinchcliffe, raced in Atlantics in '06, and is running A1GP right now.

3) The DP01.  Champcar has a new spec chassis for '07, and it looks great.  The biggest problem with both F1 and CC, is disparity between the teams.  For '07 CC has levelled the playing field.  All teams run the same car, with the same power and the same tires.  No team has an advantage of years of aero development, and in fact there is a freeze on such development until 2008.  Being a Spec car, CC had a great opportunity to make the car better for the racing.  It has taken much of the downforce out of the wings, and put it to the undertray, which will allow for less air disturbance allowing followers a better chance of passing.  Onboard starters, paddle shifters complete the upgrades, with replacement parts far less expensive than on the previous Lola.

4)New teams.  Paul Stoddart, of F1 Minardi fame, is coming to champcar.  PCM motorsports coming as well, the grid should be a full 22 cars.

5) New races.  In Canada, MTL is being replaced by Mt Tremblant, and from what I've seen on Star RAcer, it looks like a helluva road course, in a beautiful setting for a Canada Day Festival of Speed.
China, and CC will be back to Europe, running a couple of great road courses, Assen, and likely Zolder.
Las Vegas will host the season opener, racing near Freemont St, With a new race in Phoenix to bookend the season.

6)New TV deal.  CC has finally landed a secure network for broadcast with ABC signing a 5 year deal.  Not sure what this will mean for us in Canada, but it is good for the strength of the series.

So Bring it on!

[safristi]

I th'ot Saskratchewan woz near Monaco............

[Snowman]

When I have time I watch whatever is on. All of the above I guess.

Some of the best racing is the Auz V8 Super Cars http://www.v8supercar.com.au/ and I struggle to understand why TSN or some of the American networks won’t cover it during the off-season on this side of the hemisphere. There is a race on right now! 

[safristi]

Yeah thets rite we'eel let a Canook bastard tell us Ozzz's RULES.......we thowt we hed eet blecked owt in Sodburry.......thenks enyyweyy Schumann.....now go pwderr yer noze....

[rrocket]

Well F1 isn't really racing.  You have to pass opponents to race, no? (not in the pits, the preferred method of passing in F1!!)  The only exciting aspect of F1 is qualifying.  So I DO watch the qualifying..then shut it off.  But overall..it's a HUGE  YAAAAAAWWWNNNN!!!



MotoGP is a VERY compelling series IMO.  Especially with all the different engine configurations.  Plenty of passing and racing.  And these guys are brave too!

And Touring Racing is pretty exciting too.

[tjmx6]

F1 for me thanks.
Been to a couple F1 races in Europe..and been following F1 since the '70's.