What Happened to Al Jr.?

[Tulsa4]

I was watching the Michigan race last Sunday...and one moment Al Jr. was leading...and then right after the leaders pitted, he drops back? Was that because he began running lean and couldn't keep up due to fuel??? Seems like there was a discussion about their pit strategy the race before. Why wouldn't he pit with the rest of the group when he was somewhere in the top 3 or 4? Maybe he just didn't have the car. I never did hear where he ended up finishing.

Donal

[mnkywrch]

Team Kelley is to pit strategy as the French are to military strategy.

[richie]

That's a question that everbody was asking. He certainly had a very good car. He was running 2nd or 3rd right before the pit stop but the crew told him to stay out. Bad strategy two races in a row. What a shame! I think he was good enough to win, or at least a top 5, at both races!

[Shadow101]

Originally posted by mnkywrch
Team Kelley is to pit strategy as the French are to military strategy.

I think Jimmy Vasser may also include TCGR after they screwed him out of a top 3 at Indy in 2000. Good analogy

[markinsand]

although ABC claimed they had 'radio problems' and lil al said he couldn't hear them , I could hear lil al and his crew and this is what i got out of it

i picked up on the scanner during the last caution, lil al was pissed immediately.. .

an exact quote "seems whatever decision we make today is the wrong one, these guys are going to blow by us"

they told him to calm down and set his fuel to 6, lil al replied and rather bitter

"what did you say, i can't hear you speak up"

they responded and then he seemed calm and that was that...and soon enough everyone blew by him...

[BigWheelHawaii]

Originally posted by mnkywrch
Team Kelley is to pit strategy as the French are to military strategy.

Mahalo,,,, Monkey,,,,


You can be a pain in the south side, at times,,,, but that was big time funny,,,,


That's a Bingo Winner, for sure,,,, now more Windex for the computer screen... Dam' between you and RW, I've got to get some of them plastic sheets that cover my computer screen, kind of like "tear offs"......


Bingo, for humor,,, Monkey....

[speedy badger]

My brother and I were watching that last restart and could not believe that Little Al did not pit. I have no idea how anyone in the Team Kelly pits would think that a car that had to seriously conserve fuel to get to the end could race with a group of cars on full-rich!

He would have been better off even if he had pitted a lap after the leaders but still under yellow. His team mate was just about the last driver in line on that restart and he finished fourth.

That call gets the bone-head call of the week!

[Bob Leore]

One of the best pit crews in the IRL and the idiots decide to keep him out to play sitting duck. Dumbest move of the year, considering how well he had run to that point.

Bob

[Truth Detector]

Originally posted by Shadow101
I think Jimmy Vasser may also include TCGR after they screwed him out of a top 3 at Indy in 2000.

Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight....

[Shadow101]

Originally posted by Truth Detector
Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight....

Wow, I finally got a response from vaunted Truth Detector. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! My life is complete.

[AlJRFAN]

The stagety is killing me this year, i want to know where sign ups are! I could certianlly do a better job than of late!

[NDGator]

I would suppose that Al pitting with precious Scotty would have caused the precious to have some unknown hardship, so Al was left high and dry two weeks in a row.

Do you really have a more plausible solution.

Spock would say this is logical, not sure about Spook

[MMorrill]

Seems Al is on a roll that Team Kelley doesn't want to sustain.

The problem I have with their pit "strategy" is that they're not really committed to it. At Michigan, the only reason you would stay out like that, and at that point of the race, is if you believe you'll get enough yellow to make it to the finish running full boost under green. With four lines at Michigan, it certainly wouldn't be track position

At Nashville, there was also mention of track position as the reasoning for staying out, but the pit stops that Al has been getting most of the season has been giving him extra positions all season long, why not stop with everyone else? I though the pit crew was a strong point for the Corteco team.

Running conservative boost at 200+ mph tracks is a losing proposition.

[JBaiza]

MMorrill

Those are some good observations and no much can be argued with there. One just has to wonder what Al Jr. could be doing with a team that was on top of their game in the IRL.

[$noopy]

Originally posted by JBaiza
MMorrill

Those are some good observations and no much can be argued with there. One just has to wonder what Al Jr. could be doing with a team that was on top of their game in the IRL.

How dare you question the Kelley team leadership being on top of their game? They managed to keep Al Jr. from beating Scott didn't they. That surely was what they were trying to do. No other explanation for it.
Seriously, if I were Corteco, I'd be asking for a refund and move Al to another team that would want him to win. Throwing away two great runs in a row is totally unacceptable!:mad: :mad: