thoughts on qualifications

[cosmoose]

I was wondering how everyone would feel about two round qualification?
and is there any chance qualifications be televised next year?
maybe on espn2 or even speed channel. I wouldn't mind if it was on tape delay. To me, this would generate more interest in the upcoming race than 15 second promos.

[LorenzoBandini]

I think there is almost no chance of qualifications being televised, because they are bad TV. WHo would watch it?

The IRL would be better served to save Honda, Toyota, Chevy, 7-11 and Pennzoil commericals for race broadcasts.

If you want to watch quals, sign up for the streaming video from Yahoo!

Personally, I would like to see the IRL do something about quals. Either make them four laps (just like Indy) or dump them all together. Line them up on points, with the top X inverted (where X varies by track length).

Another qualification idea: Make quals for the Indy 500 a full points and purse paying IRL event...

[indyracefan]

...not that I want to see this implimented for all qualifying but I thought it was kinda cool at Texas in 1997 how in qualifying they also had to make a pit-stop as part of the qualifying run.

[cosmoose]

WC, F1, and even cart televise quals. So why are irl fanatics relegated to yahoo streaming?
i think having two round qual. and televising the second round will make viewing interesting. Plus, there can be more indepth interviews, features. etc. I think it'll generate buzz for the race next day.

[hdolan]

I still think that qualifications runs should be made with race setups...make your run and impound the car...all series...

[dirtshoe99]

Get Yahoo Platinum!

Best money I ever spent, not only watch Qualifying but you can watch every second an Indy car is on the track for every event. NVIDIA and many others have TV OUT jacks on your PC's video card and you can pump it through to the TV.

I send my through the VCR first and am able to tape all on track activity for every event.

[jetdoc]

Re: Get Yahoo Platinum!

Originally posted by dirtshoe99
Best money I ever spent, not only watch Qualifying but you can watch every second an Indy car is on the track for every event. NVIDIA and many others have TV OUT jacks on your PC's video card and you can pump it through to the TV.

I send my through the VCR first and am able to tape all on track activity for every event.

Ya know, that's a good idea. I was aware that could be done but hadn't even thought about the idea. I might have to do that from here on out. The only problem I had was with Yahoo Platinum. I never COULD get it to run right so I cancelled my subscription. I don't think it runs on Netscape? I can't run the "Videos" on the IRL website in Netscape but IE runs em just fine. Maybe I'll have to re-subscribe next year and follow the above.

[Doctorindy]

I guess myself personally has grow quite attached from quals (except for Indy) because they seem to be so meaningless.

Since at all the other races besides Indy, all the cars entered qualify regardless of speed, there's no reason IMO to have second round because it's not like they're keeping from getting bumped.

The best thing NASCAR did was eliminate the second round of qualifying. Most guys would simply stand on their first time because if they looked at it on paper for a couple minutes, they could easily figure out who was going to make it in by speed/provisionals if they stood on their time. These days, you'd have only 1 car go out in second round. Heck NASCAR quals is as horrible racing TV as is Happy Hour practice.

There can be too much of a good thing, and I think that showing quals on TV, especially if it's on a Friday, won't get any more interest for the series...

Perhaps they should take the IROC route and just line up by points every week...just kidding, that would actually be amateurish...but I don't have a problem with lining up a rained out quals by points instead of "practice times."

[cosmoose]

i tried yahoo streaming for the first texas race this year. basically there was just one camera mounted on top of the stands and it followed whichever car that the cameraman wanted. And while the cars zooming around the track made for excellent audio, yahoo didn't link the track announcers mic directly to the feed. So it was impossible to decipher what the announcer was saying. There was no stats or graphics either. just a raw feed.
Coverage was not on par with tv broadcast.
Perhaps coverage on other venues were better?

Plus, yahoo platinum subscription is 9.95/month. Multiply that by seven month season and the bill comes to 69.65. There is very little else on yahoo that can't be seen on regular cable channels.

Heck, if TF members don't clamor for qual on tv, who will?

[dirtshoe99]

I agree with DoctorIndy

Unless their is a possibilty of one or two teams going home qualifications, other than starting postion, are irrelevant.

Qualification for the Indy 500 is an event in and of itself, will they or won't they make the greatest spectacle in racing and it is fun.

The IRL could make up the difference in the guaranteed spot by having a large cash run but that would be unlikely and still probably not a lot of fun.

Be patient, a few more teams pile on to bump a few and it will be fun again outside of Indy.

[MD-IRLFAN]

How about they do it like my son's Quarter Midget races and have them draw numbers for starting spots? It would certainly liven things up for the start.

But, seriously, quals can make for some boring TV. Although, at this point, any additional TV time would be an improvement.

[D Byrd]

personally, i think that qualifying should be the final practice session before the race, excluding the pre-race warm-up. one hour, all cars, no limit on laps, but only two sets of tires. line them up based on the average speed of their fifteen best laps, but invert the top six for a one mile track and the top ten for a mile and a half. after the final practice session, impound the cars until a 30 minute pre-race warm-up. start the race on the fuel in the tank, the tires on the car, the wickers in the front wing and the gears in the gearbox. if your car does not go impound, regardless of problem, the car starts at the back. award 2 points for qualifying based on speed in final practice to each of the top six on the mile tracks and each of the top ten on the mile and a half tracks. Take the points away if the car does not go impound, which will eliminate the fake mechanical problems.

i think this would make for interesting television, as well as interesting strategy and gamesmanship.

i'm sure there are flaws here, but i think it would be fun.

obviously, leave indy alone.

[c7]

Originally posted by D Byrd
personally, i think that qualifying should be the final practice session before the race, excluding the pre-race warm-up. one hour, all cars, no limit on laps, but only two sets of tires. line them up based on the average speed of their fifteen best laps, but invert the top six for a one mile track and the top ten for a mile and a half. after the final practice session, impound the cars until a 30 minute pre-race warm-up. start the race on the fuel in the tank, the tires on the car, the wickers in the front wing and the gears in the gearbox. if your car does not go impound, regardless of problem, the car starts at the back. award 2 points for qualifying based on speed in final practice to each of the top six on the mile tracks and each of the top ten on the mile and a half tracks. Take the points away if the car does not go impound, which will eliminate the fake mechanical problems.

i think this would make for interesting television, as well as interesting strategy and gamesmanship.

i'm sure there are flaws here, but i think it would be fun.

obviously, leave indy alone.

Nothing personal, but I think all of that would be too confusing to the avg viewer.

IMHO, no points for qualifying



I say take the IndyRacing Today show and have it during (live or taped) the final practice session. From what I have been reading lately these sessions have been very very racey. They could include much of the same content, but with the addition of the on track activity.

[D Byrd]

the average viewer of a qualifying program is more of a hardcore fan and not just a casual observer.

the reason for the points is that it forces the teams to run the session hard, taking away the reason to not go impound, especially with short fields. qualifying points have always been a problem of haves and have nots, because of special use qualifying motors, short stacked gearboxes and an extra trimmed out car. starting the car as is takes that away, and gives the same amount of qualifying points to half the field.

[c7]

Originally posted by D Byrd
the average viewer of a qualifying program is more of a hardcore fan and not just a casual observer.

the reason for the points is that it forces the teams to run the session hard, taking away the reason to not go impound, especially with short fields. qualifying points have always been a problem of haves and have nots, because of special use qualifying motors, short stacked gearboxes and an extra trimmed out car. starting the car as is takes that away, and gives the same amount of qualifying points to half the field.

I do understand your logic, I just don't see where it helps to grow the overall appeal of the League. The best thing IMHO the IRL does is race, I say promote and grow the interest there first.