DataGrange Motorsport

Should Perhaps Lew Ham Consider Skipping Out on Racing at Albert Hall Altogether?

Some blokes simply never learn …

One would believe that McLaren driver and former F1WC Lewis Hamilton would simply hug his British Typhoon fighter jet close to the deck as he approached the Australian continent, fly under the radar, and strike his target without notice.

Nah …

One year after McLaren’s embarrassing screw-up at Australia involving the fast one pulled over Toyota’s Jarno Trulli, and Hamilton’s even more humiliating turning the corner on his own team after the stewards point the dirty stick at him, the at times petulant ace again steps in the bucket after a disappointing Albert Hall result. Lew Ham’s 2010 complaints do nothing but sully his otherwise compelling race brand and the impressive victory by teammate Jenson Button.

What’s the beef? Nothing, really. To wit, Red Bull, Ferrari, and Hamilton, all racing on intermediates due to the damp track conditions, easily bested Button in the early stages at Australia. McLaren in reaction made a bet on a drying racing line and brought Button in early for fresh hard rubber. Button caught everyone out with his move, and then wisely nursed his tires in midrace in order to save the same for a strong finish. Hamilton, on the other hand, stripped clean both his hard and soft tire sets on two separate runs in his desperate attempt to catch the leaders.

Hamilton loosed his sniping comments during the postrace session, calling foul over the fact that the team imposed two stops on him compared to Button’s one, and that such a decision cost him a chance at victory. Such a reaction by Hamilton was both rash and irrational. McLaren had the perfect chance to study the performance of two differing tire compounds, given the early suffering of Button. Why not risk a new strategy with Button? Why risk putting both cars on the Button tire strategy, if the same turned out a bust? As for Lew Ham, why blame the team for your misforture? Once the Button tire strategy proved true, you were a cooked goose. McLaren’s decision forced you into a pressing race that doomed both you and your tires to failure. No other way around it, chum.

By over-reacting to McLaren’s real-time experiment, and wholly forgetting that the mercurial lucky horseshoe will surely turn your way and against Button on a future day, you deserve this week’s Big Spanky! Ugh!

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Denny Hamlin (11, far right) Pulls off a Remarkable Houdini Act to Escape With Victory at the Paper Clip.

In a race dominated early by Kevin Harvick (29), Jeff Gordon (24), and Kurt Busch (2), the Joe Gibbs Racing cars  of Denny Hamlin (11), Kyle Busch (18), and Joey Logano (20) rise to the fore as the interminable race finally dips beneath the 100 laps to go mark. Hamlin mechanically checks out on the field and many fans return back to their Monday morning workload, believing that the race will result in a standard Martinsville parade finish.

Those dedicated fans who stay tuned in on the race luckily sit in on perhaps the most thrilling finish in recent Martinsville history …

With 24 laps remaining, Jeff Burton (31) finds his form and rapidly closes in on Hamlin, yet his hard banging charge to the front comes with a cost after he drops a right front tire with only 16 laps to go, bringing out a caution condition. The JGR cars, both running out front and the clearly the class of the field, appear poised to close out the day, yet to the sheer horror of both longtime race observers and television commentators, both Hamlin and Busch surrender the point in order to enter pit lane for new rubber. On its face, the late race decision appears utterly ridiculous to most enthusiasts, given that less than five laps will remain on the counter when the race returns green, yet JGR instead bets upon a Green-White-Checker finish and how four fresh tires will settle all scores.

With only four laps to go, the race restarts with J. Gordon and Matt Kenseth (17) battling for the lead while JGR dunces Ky. Busch and Hamlin launch from P8 and P9. Hamlin brazenly bangs his way up to P4 in one lap on new rubber, yet the dubious JGR tire plan stands out like a polka dotted mini-skirt at church until Paul Menard’s (98) side-by-side contact with Ky. Busch in Turn 3 on the same lap sends the latter spinning into the wall, bringing out a caution and JGR’s anticipated Green-White-Checker condition.

Green-White-Checker

Suddenly looking like a group of wizened racing sages in the pits, Hamlin’s crew titters with glee as their car starts at P4 for the final dash. Front row racers J. Gordon and Ryan Newman (39) break away at green with a rough exchange of side sheet metal, yet Kenseth, starting on the inside along Hamlin on Row 2, promptly succeeds at breaking J. Gordon loose with a nudge. Gordon’s wobble swiftly scatters Newman and leaves a hole wide enough for both Kenseth and the pursuing Hamlin to join the hunt along the inside line. Kenseth surges past the unstable Gordon before moving up the track to cut off the latter’s charge, and the scrambling Gordon desperately takes his final shot at victory by nudging Kenseth’s rear valence. The upset proves enough to break Kenseth loose, who in turn sails up the track towards the wall, and the stage center action simply kicks the door wide open for Hamlin, who in an instant goes from dunce to darling while dashing away for a simply unfathomable and dramatic victory at the Paper Clip.

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With 36 laps remaining, off cycle racers Vitor Meira (14) and E.J. Viso (8) both promote to the race lead after staying on track during a caution condition, yet recently serviced Will Power (12) sits poised in P3 with plans to promote when the first two take their own final service. Meira clearly must stop again, yet Viso, who stopped just prior to the Lap 64 caution, holds out hope that his fuel load will carry him through as he fights off the pack over the remaining laps.

Meira comes in as anticipated with 28 laps remaining and the sea seemingly parts for the star crossed Viso, yet moments later, the racing world shakes its head in disbelief as the 8 car suddenly drops its drive and slows on track. As Viso complains of gearbox failure, Power (12 Penske Honda) streaks past to into the lead before gamely holding off a gallant charge by Justin Wilson (22) over the remaining laps for his second consecutive victory (third career) on the IndyCar circuit. Power, finally driving full time for Team Penske, serves notice to both his teammates and the remaining field of his challenge for the title in 2010.

Diehard Ford enthusiasts should check out our new Ford Performance Model E-Book, a true collectible, at Classic Car Gear.

Kamui Kobayashi (23 Sauber, white car on left) Careens Into Sebastien Buemi (16 Toro Rosso) After Dropping His Front Wing on Lap 1.

Intermittent rains await the F1 horde at Albert Park as Red Bull-Renault places both of its drivers, Sebastian Vettel (5) and Mark Webber (6) on the front row.

Vettel wins a thrilling start marked by an outstanding gap shoot by Felipe Massa (7 Ferrari) past teammate Fernando Alonso (8) and an aggressive chop by the latter across the bow of Jenson Button (1 McLaren) that backfires before spinning Alonso out of contention.

As Vettel runs away with the race, a pesky early shower suddenly places all racers back on their heels, yet as the track begins to dry, McLaren, in a brilliant tactical move, calls in Button for slicks a full lap before the others can respond in turn. Button’s sheer speed on the soft compounds allows him to leapfrog the field save for Vettel, who races out front with a commanding fifteen second lead. McLaren calls in Hamilton (2) to take on another set of softs at Lap 22, a decision that later provokes controversy, yet the racing world gapes at their collective screens in amazement moments later when Vettel suffers catastrophic brake failure on Lap 26 … the second time in as many races that an untimely mechanical removes him from an insurmountable lead margin. Button, nursing his old tires and showing outstanding form, in the meantime easily marks the field out front as Hamilton valiantly charges hard back through the field. Grizzled race fans contemplate a strategic victory by Hamilton on the belief that Button, Robert Kubica (11 Renault), and the Ferraris will have to stop for new rubber, yet the leaders manage to preserve their tires and continue to show great form without the need for service. Hamilton’s hard charge finally wears out his tires, and his podium chances instantly vaporize on the penultimate lap after close pursuing Webber botches the braking in a late curve and plows into Hamilton’s rear end.

McLaren’s outstanding early call for slicks, as well as Vettel’s misfortune, earns Button (1 McLaren Mercedes) a glorious victory at Australia (Kubica P2, Massa P3) only marred by Hamilton’s unsporting and sniping complaint afterwards that his McLaren crew cost him a podium finish by not keeping him on the same tire strategy as his winning teammate. Gee, Lewis, what if your tires had held up instead of fading? … but then again, why even bother with that ol’ hindsight thingy.

Diehard Ford enthusiasts should check out our new Ford Performance Model E-Book, a true collectible, at Classic Car Gear.

Team Corvette or the Keystone Kops?

This week’s dunce cap in motor sport easily goes to the Corvette Racing C6 duo and its unfathomable blunder in the early hours at the 2010 12 Hours of Sebring.

Early in the fourth hour, the number 3 entry pits for service and a driver change, and as Jan Magnussen climbs into the vehicle, the partner 4 car driven by Emmanuel Collard begins its entry on the pit lane. An otherwise typical Sebring pit scene suddenly unfolds in horror for Corvette fans a moment later when the entering 4 car inexplicably careens into the left side front clip of its exiting 3 car teammate. The 4 car (Collard) suffers extensive damage that sends the same to the garage, while the partner 3, attempting a circuit with extensive left side sheet metal damage, returns to pit lane a lap later with a cut down left front tire.

Collard later explains away his premature entry on pit lane to low fuel pressure, yet the entire blame for the debacle rests with the crew chief of Corvette Racing. Surely Corvette employs radio contact with its drivers. Surely Corvette Racing knew Collard was low on fuel and making his way to pit lane. Surely Corvette Racing has a pit lane release sequence for its exiting vehicles.

Perhaps not.

We cannot fathom in any fashion any reason as to why Corvette Racing did not tell Collard that Magnussen was still in his stall, did not tell Collard to slow on approach, and most of all, did not tell Collard to stop short and await Magnussen’s exit. Collard expects an empty stall upon entry, and Corvette Racing let him down.

Diehard Ford enthusiasts should check out our new Ford Performance Model E-Book, a true collectible, at Classic Car Gear.

The Irrepressible Jimmie J Snares Career Victory No. 50 at Thunder Valley.

Spring Bristol will stand out as another day when the dominant car on the day again plays bridesmaid to the ever standard late race run by the irrepressible 48.

Kurt Busch (2) and his Dodge utterly dominate the afternoon on the concrete oval, yet a caution condition with only 18 laps remaining generates groans among the learned NASCAR set, now all familiar with the script: a sudden surge to the front by defending series’ champion Jimmie Johnson (48).

And Johnson refuses to disappoint his fans or detractors. With ten laps to go, Greg Biffle (16) and Matt Kenseth (17) lead the pack on the final restart as Busch and Johnson sit poised to pounce back in Row 3. Biffle breaks away, yet a scramble at the front allows Tony Stewart (14) and Johnson racing room to chase Biffle while Busch draws the short straw and gets caught behind traffic on the bottom line. Busch can only press on in frustration as Stewart runs down Biffle with eight laps remaining, yet Johnson promptly pulls into the 14 car’s slipstream and the racing world resigns itself to the predictable finish. Johnson rushes past Stewart on the outside banking with seven laps to go, easily marks the gap between him and a desperately charging Busch, and picks up his first career victory on the concrete Bristol oval and NASCAR notch number 50 for his all-time register. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (88) fans gasp in relief with his seventh place finish, his first respectable result since Daytona.

Diehard Ford enthusiasts should check out our new Ford Performance Model E-Book, a true collectible, at Classic Car Gear.

The Peugeot Diesels Breeze Away Without a Challenge For its First-Ever Works Victory at Sebring.

Despite the pageantry and breath taking technology on display, the 12 Hours of Sebring did not offer diehard race fans a juicy works’ battle … the true lifeblood of sports car racing’s appeal … yet the March classic nonetheless still filled its billing as one of motor sport’s crown jewels.

The French Peugeot Diesels, defenders at both the Sarthe and Petit Le Mans, pulled away early as the 07 (Wurz) and 08 entries (Bourdais) handily shake off phantom challenges from the British Lola/Judd and Aston Martin camps. As the 08 Peugeot entry takes its turn at the point during the third hour, the race admittedly takes on the tedium inherent with a works’ dominated showcase, yet the racing world stares in shock in the fourth hour when a momentous pit road collision-blunder between the Chevrolet Corvette GT entries dooms both cars to backmarker status.

The Peugeots, fortunately racing without team orders, finally end the ritualistic pacing in the eleventh hour and the 07 entry, propelled by newcomer Anthony Davidson’s surprising speed, proves out as the swifter entry in the closing moments. The 08 entry remains poised to make one last go for the flag, yet a fatal 360 degree spin on cold tires after its final pit with 38 minutes to go dooms their effort, allowing the 07 speedster (Peugeot, A. Wurz-M. Gene-A. Davidson, 908 HDI FAP) to rush away for a fourteen second victory, the first works’ triumph for the French make at the airport circuit.

As for the sibling classes, Team Cytosport (Porsche RS Spyder) takes P2, Rizi Competizione (Ferrari 430 GT2) snares GT, Level 5 (Oreca FLM09) wins LMPC, and Alex Job Racing (Porsche 911 GT3) closes out GTC. The Porsche 911 corps, the ever stalwart backbone of global sports car racing, again put in a miserable performance as their cars continue to suffer at the hands of track misfortune and heavy handed restrictions aimed at encouraging other makes to enter the series.

Diehard Ford enthusiasts should check out our new Ford Performance Model E-Book, a true collectible, at Classic Car Gear.

Now that both Formula 1 and IndyCar are both turning wheels in anger, we here at DataGrange Motorsport can once again revisit our favorite pastime … awarding the Big Spanky for the week’s racing blunders and boners. Please stay tuned all season … and remember, kids, … it’s all in fun.

Big Spanky #1 for Red Bull Racing

Who Dropped the Wrench on the Exhaust Header at RBR?

The F1 racing world now glows neon amidst the glories of Fernando Alonso’s fabulous debut victory for the Scuderia at Bahrain, yet most fans who watched the race in the small hours clearly witnessed the significant power advantage Vettel’s Renault airpump enjoyed over the Ferrari motors. Many minds in racing fandom expressed disappointment when Vettel’s broken exhaust header denied the young Teuton a sure handed victory, yet those same emotions devolved into shock after we heard race commentary suggesting that RBR implemented a new exhaust header design on its cars just days before travel to the island kingdom AND WITHOUT ANY TESTING ON THE SAME.  Are you kidding us?  Why stop there? Are we sure the failure wasn’t simply the case of a pair of missing pantyhose stuffed up the header as a hiding place? Vettel has the makings of a true F1WC … can RBR at least hand the youngster a break and do something about their release version management? A classic instance of team management not reining in the technorati at the moment of truth.

Big Spanky #2 for Ryan Briscoe

I Thought I Was Pushing the Brake Pedal ...

RBR’s hyper-tinkering to the demise of Vettel at Bahrain considerably fades when compared to the sheer botchery executed by star-crossed Penske ace Ryan Briscoe down at the Sambadrome in Sao Paolo. We here at DGMS are a bit tough on Briscoe given his titanic pit exit blunder at Motegi last season, thus gifting the IndyCar trophy to Ganassi … and Briscoe does nothing to salvage his reputation after another inexplicable miscue in Brazil. With only twelve minutes remaining in the race and under heckling from highly skilled yet still unproven Ryan Hunter-Reay, Briscoe should have easily withstood the pressure and blocked his way to victory on the narrow Sao Paolo circuit. We hate to admit it, but Briscoe again showed his true form by utterly blowing the braking mark on a tight right hander, thus sliding straightaway into the facing tire wall and deeper into racing ignominy. Briscoe cracked under the strain, just as he did at Motegi, and he cracked with the unbloodied RHR nipping at his heels. Will Power salvaged the day for Penske, yet brows must be raised over Briscoe’s questionable performance.

Diehard Ford enthusiasts should check out our new Ford Performance Model E-Book, a true collectible, at Classic Car Gear.

A Horrific Shunt at the Start Results in Mario Moraes (32) Perilously Resting Atop the Roll Cage of Marco Andretti (26). Andretti Escapes Unharmed from the Incident.

The Izod Indy Car Series launches its season in the Southern Hemisphere down at Sao Paolo and the action heats up in the maiden moments as a rolling start shunt in the midpack causes Mario Moraes (32) to break loose. Moraes makes contact with Marco Andretti (26), vaults into the air, and then lands atop the latter’s driver cage. The racing world holds its collective breath as track crews require an interminable seven minutes to pull Moraes’ car off Andretti, hopelessly trapped within his roll cage, yet the latter climbs from his car shaken, yet unharmed.

Ganassi’s Dario Franchitti (10) assumes control early in the race until a pit cycle places female pilot Simona de Silvestro (78) at the point on Lap 27 ahead of Franchitti, who takes on service. Franchitti swiftly moves into position to resume the lead, yet catches a surprise a lap later when Ryan Hunter-Reay (37), now driving for Andretti, finds the groove and surges past both Franchitti and de Silvestro into P1. Hunter-Reay appears the car to beat as all cars pit for wet tires, yet a cloudburst over the Sambadrome suddenly opens and deluges the circuit, bringing out a red flag condition.

The extended rain and track drainage period forces Race Control to declare the event a timed contest, and the Ganassi drivers, Franchitti and Scott Dixon (9), move to the front on radials as the remaining field elects to switch back to slick tires. The Target cars battle for the point for a brief period before pitting for slicks, and with 29 minutes to go, Hunter-Reay cycles back to the lead, closely followed by Ryan Briscoe (6), Raphael Matos (2), and Will Power (12). Hunter-Reay and Briscoe exchange the lead with dramatic inside slide moves on three separate occasions, yet with 12 minutes remaining, leader Briscoe finally cracks under the strain of close pursuer Hunter-Reay, misses his corner mark, and slides into a tire wall to end his afternoon. Hunter-Reay appears to have the race well in hand with only six minutes to go, yet a determined Power suddenly comes alive and swiftly closes on the race leader. Hunter-Reay battles the wheel and the pursuing Penske to stay out in front, yet Power (12 Penske Honda) finally takes his chance with three and a half minutes to go, dives deep and inside of Hunter-Reay on the final backstretch curve, and sprints away for a surprise victory at the Sambadrome, an unexpected gift for Team Penske which only moments earlier muttered in sheer disbelief at Briscoe’s gaffe in front of Hunter-Reay.

Diehard Ford enthusiasts should check out our new Ford Performance Model E-Book, a true collectible, at Classic Car Gear.

Penske's Will Power (12) Survives the Rain Before Besting Ryan Hunter-Reay in the Closing Moments for the Dramatic Race Victory.

Fernando Alonso Rides the Sirocco to Victory in his Debut Appearance for the Scuderia.

The 2010 F1 season launches on the island kingdom of Bahrain with a wide array of changes, most notably the return of seven time WC Michael Schumacher, again driving for Ross Brawn in the new Mercedes GP (formerly Brawn GP) chassis. F1 also features four new teams on the grid (Lotus, HRT, Mercedes, and Virgin), one major disappointment in the USGP team failing to answer the bell, and a new sporting regulation that bans midrace refueling.

Red Bull’s Sebastien Vettel (5) earns the pole and immediately sprints out to an early lead over the Ferrari duo of Fernando Alonso (8), making his Scuderia debut, and Felipe Massa (7), his first race after suffering a critical head injury at Hungary during the prior season. The leaders all change tires without incident and Vettel holds his own at the point through the midrace before Alonso’s car comes in with 20 laps remaining, gradually cutting into the German’s margin. Just as Alonso pulls up on Vettel’s warning light, the latter complains of a sudden loss of power. Alonso streaks past as Vettel suffers from a cracked exhaust header and both Massa and McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton (2) also take advantage of Red Bull’s misfortune. Alonso (8 Scuderia Ferrari) faces no other challenges as he cruises away to victory in his debut performance at Ferrari … teammate Massa and Hamilton close out the podium, while a determined Vettel manages to hold on for a P4 scoring result.

Diehard Ford enthusiasts should check out our new Ford Performance Model E-Book, a true collectible, at Classic Car Gear.