... was run this morning, and again ended in controversy.

Lou qualified well on Saturday and was running good until they black flagged him for an oil leak.

Chip Herr was driving the Tiger Racing Corvette. He qualified 9th and that was were he was when the engine let go.

I was with the AutoSports Delevopment GTO of Stu Hayner. He qualified 14th, worked his way up to 8th in the race, then on the last lap, next to the last turn, slide into the gravel and lost three places to finish 11th.

The controversy was again with the Caddies and Max Papis' last lap manuver that took out Robin Liddell as they were about to enter the back straight on their way to the checker.

Figure that even if the DQ'd him for that manuver, the other two Caddies with Angelleli and Pilgrim were running 3rd & 4th.

I did the incar stuff for Stu Hayner, Chip Herr and Jim Osbourn in the Touring Car race. I'll get some of it up before the week is out. Met up with Louis and had a chance to discuss video/audio techniques. He will have some good stuff of the LG team to post once he gets back.

... now those ALMS cars ... to watch them come down the front straight at about 'a buck fitty' and enter turn one with just a lift of the throttle and a hint of brake is amazing to watch. TV does NOT do it justice.

You know after spending last year on the road with LG and watching all of the different classes...probably one of the most exciting to watch (other that our own team of course) was the Spec Miata's. Those guys make NASCAR drivers look like a bunch of little kids. I've never seen so much beating, tapping, passing, and shoving done. Those guys are absolutely nuts and have probably the most exciting series to watch as far as competition is conserned.

I watched it today, lindell knew max was going to under cut him after lindell already took the inside line going in, then lindell stayed to the inside coming out were was max suppost to go with the run he had!

I was hoping that lou,chip, and stu would place better , but it was good to see them on TV

...I TOTALLY agree....it was AT MOST EQUAL at fault.....but Liddell took a REDICULOUSLY inside defensive line.....his right to do so...but by PINCHING the exit as well...his exit speed was such that I could have made a move in my 3/4 ton deisel truck Max was trying a CLASSIC "outside/inside" move...one that many of us have used THOUSANDS OF TIMES....and Liddell JUST PARKED IT in the turn....Papis had nowhere to go..... :drive:

...oh and Louis....PLEASE take your dad out to the drag strip and teach him how to do a standing start.... ....he REALLY is hit or miss on those things...

Randy....we did take that car to the drag strip last year at the end of the season. Look on LG's main page for a video of the run.

...first of all, it was a joke....

...second, I did see that COOL video....

...third....Lou needs to SPEND THE DAY at the drags...not just a few runs....

Wasn't being an ass....I haven't seen the race....all I heard about was the Caddy thing...Speed is playin a replay tonight on Speed News. Lou miss the start?

While spending a day a the drag strip would be a blast it, with that car would be a costly venture to say the least.

...eh...didn't think you WERE being one... ....just as a Lou fan....it always seems to be something....I wish him the best...just hate to see him have to come back from so much stuff...

Damn it man .....tell me what happened

It looked like Lou stalled it on the launch. Bummer of a way to start the race, but man, he was on fire coming through the field. That was exciting to watch.

I agree with Randy. Max commits to an outside-in run and carries a ton of speed. He gets halfway through the corner and there's a 911 parked right in the way. Now, here is the difference between a pro and a club racer. A club racer is obligated to try to avoid contact (IMHO). Attempting to do so will almost certainly result in spinning the car (ever try abruptly lifting and hitting the brakes in the middle of a corner?) but both cars will live to race another day. A pro will do exactly what Max did.

Maybe I'm biased because I HATE BLOCKING. Seriously. There was at least one other blocking incident in that race that resulted in a car in the wall. Unfortunately in that case it looked like the guy being blocked bore the brunt of the damage. Blocking sucks.

I totally agree....SCCA has the "one move" rule, which is the proper rule....just ENFORCE IT!

Did you see the clip of Chip Herr in the Tiger Corvette LITTERALLY zig-zagging DOWN THE ENTIRE straight to avoid the blocking of the driver in front of him?

THAT was EMBARSSING!

I have had those guys in front of me before....with them always moving over when you stick you nose out to make a move....when I get a cronic blocker I let him do this once, maybe twice if I am in a good mood, in a corner then the next time I move to pass and they try to slam the door....I just leave my nose in there instead of SLAMMING on my brakes...they end up in the weeds, and I wave as I pass..... :drive:

BLOCKING sucks bad, and is for LOSERS!

Amen to the blocking thoughts! A wise CMCer once told me rather than block, the person who is slower should let the faster guy by and get schooled!

I think that Lidell was taking his own, defensive line through the turn, and he got punted. Granted that Max had a better run on that turn, and it occurred to me that Lidell may have slowed up going into the turn for some reason. But I didn't see that he made any blocking manuever. And getting spun on the last lap just sucks.

It was funny that Speed didn't want to show his gesture live, but decided to watch him as Max came around then show a replay of it. I was expecting worse than just a finger point (ok, I was expecting the finger to be pointed differently).

Jason

Randy, I have the in-car from Chips drive in the GT race. A lot of Sonofras in his windshield. I'm working on getting it converted now, so I can post it later on.

...that was Safronas in front of him?...man I would have expected MUCH MORE from a driver of his caliber.....

Like I said...that little piece of driving was FLAT OUT embarassing....

...like I said, I don't think Liddell was blocking up until that point....he was taking defensive lines, which is VERY MUCH a copacetic thing to do....the little adjustment to NOT ONLY take the inside on entry, but move to take the inside ON EXIT as well was:

1. At BEST a dumb move that slowed the car down WAY TOO MUCH for a tight, last lap battle between two close cars. By making such an unexpected move, giving Max little time/space to adjust. Thus, while Max is tasked with making a safe pass, he took away much of Max's options to do so......you CANNOT really expect a professional race driver to sit back and lift/coast while the bozo in front of you figures out what he is doing...

2. At WORST the move to pinch the exit to hinder Papis' run was IN FACT a "double move" and DID constitute blocking by Liddell.

Either way, IMHO that was a racing incident....and this is from a guy who DOES NOT TOLERATE overaggressive driving...just ask anyone who raced in IT/SM in the 2002/3 in the SFR SCCA I basically bitched so much to the SCCA about getting hit from behind in the ITC car by SM's that were faster and started behind us...that we had driver meetings EVERY RACE discussing this subject for quite a while.....they all hated it....

Well they took the points from Max and gave him a fine He kept the win!

That's completely retarded. Did they let Caddy keep the points then if the win stands? Essentially what SCCA just said is "you as a driver can do whatever you want to keep the guy behind you behind you." I'm sure this series will be much more interesting to watch with everyone swerving back and forth trying to keep faster cars at bay.

I think they sripped the points all together

There was a huge crash between that vette and viper becuase of blocking! We all know what can happen doing what we do, but when you start letting driver's do what ever they want to keep others behind them, bad stuff is going to happen!

Im all for "A" blocking move, im in front and its your job to get around me!