As Summer solstice’s right round thee Corner…
It’s Funny How we Change over the course of our
lifetimes, since when I first began following Motor Racing in earnest Wayback’
in 1986, I was simply consumed by All things Open Wheel, initially Formula 1
before being told about the Indy Cars race at Portland International Raceway by
a supervisor, who also was a member of the local Porsche Club. Although Formula
1 was Top Dawg’ for Mwah then.
As I marveled over how inexplicably I found
myself “Watching,” Err listening to Baku’s Friday (Free Practice) FP2 session,
being the first Formula 1 I’d consumed in over one month, not having “tune In”
since that Farcical Faux Monaco GP poundin’ round Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium’s
Parking lots!
Although I’m told that Miami had something
Monaco doesn’t, that being the bevy ‘O Mermaids Suntanning” themselves upon the
Hot Rocks jutting the Ash-fault pavement adorning that Lake Miami which featured
No Water, Psyche!
Thus I found it weird listening to Kroftie’,
aka David Kroft prattle on about potential 2023 F1 Driver moves, Huh? As it Ain’t
even Summer yet! Yet the traditional (Fathers Day weekend) running of Le Mans
Always makes me think of How we’ve already reached Summer’s Zenith…
And although I was paying much Attenzione to Circuit
de la Sarthe over the weekend, I found myself musing how Le Mans and Road
America were both renown for their Camping! Whilst it was Great Hearing, Err
reading that Mrs. Oilpressure had finally
escaped the confines of Her Hospital Bed for the Greener Pastures of
Road America this past weekend!
https://oilpressure.com/2022/06/11/an-ordeal-not-worth-repeating/
As it was entertaining reading how Romain
Grosjean had told Kevin Lee He’d rather Go for the Brat versus being a
Cheesehead, since He wasn’t a Fan of Wisconsin Cheese. But I was more
interested Hearing Romain say that Road America reminded Him of thee Mighty Spa’,
aka Spa Francorchamps, which are arguably two of the world’s Best Racetracks!
While I know both circuits are also known for
the wafting fragrences of many Campfires and Cooking, as Colton Herta’s
comments are typical of both venues. As Herta mused in a taped recording during
the IndyCarr Radio Network’s race Broadcast how much He enjoyed being able to
smell Sausages and Bacon being Cooked on the Back Straight of Road America…
But back to the racing, as I have to say I was
left feeling quite Deflated, since Alexander Rossi seemed to just Fade after
having been Beaten Out of the Pits during the first Pit Stop by eventual race
winner Josef Newgarden. As Rossi just seemed never able to recover, and then on
the race’s final restart, Marcus Ericsson passed Rossi who was frantically
trying to keep pace with Newgarden, seeing Rossi finish a Dejected third.
As it was a fairly entertaining race, with All
of the multiple race (tyre) strategies, while the five Full course Cautions tended
to make the race feel somewhat Disjointed. Which led me coming up with a new
nickname for Devlin DeFrancesco, calling Him de CrashFesto’ after His run-in
with Will Power, Youch!
Although I suppose we should have been
expecting some Mayhem after the Indy Lights race was Red Flagged for Christian
vogel having launched Himself off the Turn 5 Kerbing and taking out some
80-feet of Catch Fencing, Aye Karumba! Causing the remaining 11 laps of the
race to be run following the IndyCar race’s conclusion.
And know it’s nothing to write Home about, but
Kudos to Beth Paretta, Her Paretta Autosport Squad and Simona de Silvestro for
finishing 21st after starting last in Her first Twisties’ (Road Course)
IndyCar race in seven years!
And although I did “Watch,” Err listen to some
10 Hours of le 24 Heurs du Mans, beginning on my Telie’s Motortrend TV channel,
I left for IndyCar Qualifying from Elkhart Lake before finally listening in
earnest to some seven Hours via Radio Le Mans on Ye Intrawoods’, nee Internet before
calling it a night.
As I seemed to notice that very little was said
overall about the Toyota’s playing Leapfrog with each other, other then noting
who was leading. But Shea Adam’s being more intrigued by some Big Red Button in
the Toyota’s Pits that could remotely “Send” the Cars spoke volumes over how
Dull of a race for the Overall victory was!
Since I Didn’t even bother getting up early for
the finish. Or checking the results until late Sunday evening, following the
replay of the F1 race. Since I was awaiting the Encore Presentation of the
Azerbaijan Grand Prix with the Mothers Shoe Polish lady, and Didn’t want to
accidently find out the results.
Which once again, the Clowns at ESPN were playing
more Games! Since the replay magically shifted from starting at 4PM to 7:30PM
Pacific upon checking my Zap-2-It’ TV Guide again following the conclusion of
the Indy Lights race! And then ESPNews “Scared” Me again, since when tuning in
around 7:20PM Pacific, instead of some UFC/MMA Super Highlights Show, they were
showing a College Baseball Game and I thought Here We Go Again…
But they cut to F1 at 7:28PM and Wallah, “It’s
lights Outs” in Azerbaijan! As cannot say it was a great race, or even worth
waiting until 7:30PM Pacific to “Watch,” but it also wasn’t Boring either.
As you had to “Feel” for Ferrari which saw both
cars retire. With Carlos Sainz Jr. having a Hydraulics issue and Charles
Leclerc’s PU (Power Unit) going Kablamoe spectacularly while leading! As the
High track tempuratures apparently weren’t kind to Ferrari powered cars, since
Alfa Romeo’s GuanYu Zhou and Haas’s Kevin Magnussen both also had to retire due
to PU issues…
Meanwhile the Mercedes were still suffering from
their massive Porpoising issues, with Lewis Hamilton needing assistance getting
out of his car afterwards and complaining of lower Back Pain, whilst Toto Wolff
apologized for giving him a Shitbox car! Even though Mercedes finished 3-4 with
George Russell leading Hamilton again.
While DannyRic’, aka Daniel Ricciardo mentioned
how His Head felt like a Basketball being Bounced low continuously after the race,
saying now He understands what the Silver Arrows Boyz’ are complaining about!
But it was pretty Dull over how Max Verstappen
put a total Beatdown upon the field, cruising home some 15+ seconds ahead of a
Dejected Sergio Perez, even with Red Bull having told Max to not use His DRS in
the closing portion of the race. As it was another 1-2 for Red Bull who are now
on a tear. As I still Don’t know if Perez’s tyre problems were real? Since I
really Hate Team Orders in F1!
Although the most entertaining portion was the
Kerfuffle between the two McLaren Drivers with Lando Norris Whining Ah-Mighty
for His team to tell Ricciardo He’s Faster then You! Before Norris was told to
Hold Station with five laps remaining, before we were left pondering if Norris
was gonna Pull a Didier Pironi on the final lap? Before Picciardo finished
ahead of Norris with the McLaren duo finishing P8-9 respectively.
Meanwhile I wasn’t surprised to learn that the No. 8 Toyota was victorious over it’s Sister No. 7, which apparently Dropped to second after a sensor issue with it’s front Hybrid system delayed it momentarily during Hour 16. As Sebastian Beumi, Brendon Hartley and Ryo Hirakawa won Toyota’s fifth consecutive Le Mans 24 Hours race, Yawn! With the #709’s Ryan Briscoe, Richard Westbrook and Frank Mellaux standing on the Podium’s third step for Scuderia Glickenhaus.