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2008 Long Beach Thoughts

TRACK: Everything seemed to work better with the track by having the ALMS conduct practice on Thursday.

RACE: A bit boring, and a little disappointing for the finale of a series that had such awesome racing in the past.

EVENT: Long Beach is mostly about the parties, and for some fans the issues about racing mean nothing. But for those who do care about racing, the vibe this year was a mixture of emotions.

THE BIG PICTURE: For much of the paddock and press corps, the merger happened too quickly for plans to change for this year. Look for a lot of changes to be made in 2009.

START: Today it pretty much negated the polesitter's advantage, but for a standing start, it was a clean beginning.

POWER: Congratulations, Will, winner of the last Champ Car race. He is developing as a driver, and his new team will probably be part of that.

KV RACING: How galling to watch the prime sellout (and driver and sponsor stealers) win the last Champ Car race, the series they destroyed.

MONTAGNY: A factor with that second place finish, but like Tracy, has nothing to do because his rich team owner doesn't wanna.

DOMINGUEZ: Perhaps the one driver who's performance at Long Beach will be used as a springboard for a future ride.

BERNOLDI: Will be interesting to see how Enrique does in the IRL.

SERVIA: Oriol has been quite a survivor, always seemingly able to find a ride.

PERERA: No surprise Franck did so well, as he was one of the brightest Atlantic drivers in that series history.

TAGLIANI: A great run. A heartbreaking finish. Unlike Servia, Tags ride finding luck may have finally run out.

MARTINEZ: One driver who was never able to latch onto a decent ride.

VASSER: Always nice to see Jimmy back in the car.

TRACY: Perhaps it was fitting that Paul finished his final Champ Car race the way he started -- a balls to the wall, take no prisoners drive.

JUNQUEIRA: Bruno likes ovals. He ran well at Indy before his injury. Combined with Dale Coyne, they very well might a dark horse.

RAHAL: Youth exceeded brains, as Graham lost a golden opportunity for nearly uncontested points, and threw a bunch away.

FIGGE: Alex didn't disappoint -- going off course not once but twice during the race.

PHILIPPE: Where will Nelson end up?

PIZZONIA: Never a factor, but he did get fastest lap. We hope he had fun and got his money's worth.

MORENO: Perhaps it's appropriate Roberto ran the last Champ Car race. After all, he was there back in 1904...

ANNALA: We heard Juho Annala is Finnish for The Slug. At least, that's what we thought we heard...

WILSON: Another one of those Long Beach situations where a driver dominates all the practice and qualifying sessions and then breaks in the race. Tough.

MORAES: Not ready for prime time, but Coyne probably needs his coin to operate the team.

KALKHOVEN: In the end, Captain Kangaroo turned out to be Private Penguin.

TV COVERAGE: What a complete insult for the last ten minutes of coverage. The tape that was made to preserve this event for prosperity was rewound and put in the reuse pile.

PATRICK: Maybe Danica "backed" into her win and she didn't "out drive" the competition. But let's face it, races have been won numerous times, especially recently in all open wheel series, by fuel management. Better drivers have done it (Tony Kanaan at the 1999 U.S. 500) and much worse drivers (can you say Hector Rebaque?), and we don't begrudge them their wins. So, we shouldn't do the same with Danica. Of course, she is still highly overrated, and anything but a "great" driver (her own words).

ATLANTIC: Which was more surprising, Simona De Silvestro winning or a Newman Wachs car in victory circle?

WORD OF THE WEEKEND: Unification -- the next person who says this word with a straight face should be forced to eat real bullshit.

STAT OF THE WEEKEND: 0 -- The number of points awarded for the Champ Car World Series.

HISTORICAL STAT OF THE WEEKEND: 25 -- the number of years CART/Champ Car have run at Long Beach.

QUOTE OF THE WEEKEND: Will Power, perhaps summing everyone's feelings, "I love Champ Car racing. I love the cars. I love the engines. It's great to win here in Long Beach for the last Champ Car race. It is pretty special."

QUOTE OF THE WEEKEND RUNNERUP: Jimmy Vasser stating the obvious and what every driver has said at least once about Paul Tracy, "The 3 car is not cooperating."

SCHEDULE: The End.

Copyright © 2008 by Deep Throttle. All Rights Reserved.



Courtesy of the Champ Car World Series

RACE RESULTS
  Driver Laps
1. Power 83
2. Montagny(R) 83
3. Dominguez 83
4. Bernoldi(R) 83
5. Servia 83
6. Perera(R) 83
7. Tagliani 83
8. Martinez(R) 83
9. Viso(R) 83
10. Vasser 83
11. Tracy 83
12. Junqueira 83
13. Rahal 82
14. Figge 82
15. Philippe 80
16. Pizzonia(R) 80
17. Moreno 63
18. Annala(R) 42
19. Wilson 12
20. Moraes(R) 5

Time of Race
1:45:25.415

Winner's Speed
92.964 mph

Margin of Victory
5.094 sec.

Caution Flags
3 for 9 laps

Lead Changes
4 among 3 drivers

Lap Leaders
Will Power, Roberto Moreno, E.J. Viso

Fastest Race Lap
Antonio Pizzonia

Most Positions Improved
David Martinez

Friday Pole
Justin Wilson

Saturday Pole
Justin Wilson

CURRENT STANDINGS
All points count towards the IRL.
 
 
2008 Thoughts
Long Beach

2007 Thoughts
Preseason Las Vegas Long Beach Houston
Portland Cleveland Mont Tremblant Toronto
Edmonton San Jose Road America Belgium
Holland Surfers Paradise Mexico City Postseason

2006 Thoughts
Preseason Long Beach Houston Monterrey
Milwaukee Portland Cleveland Toronto
Edmonton San Jose Denver Montreal
Road America Surfer's Paradise Mexico City Postseason

2005 Thoughts
Preseason Long Beach Monterrey Milwaukee
Portland Cleveland Toronto Edmonton
San Jose Denver Montreal Las Vegas
Surfer's Paradise Mexico City Postseason

2004 Thoughts
Preseason Long Beach Monterrey Milwaukee
Portland Cleveland Toronto Vancouver
Road America Denver Montreal Laguna Seca
Las Vegas Surfer's Paradise Mexico City Postseason

2003 Thoughts
Preseason St. Petersburg Monterrey Long Beach
Brands Hatch Germany Milwaukee Laguna Seca
Portland Cleveland Toronto Vancouver
Road America Mid-Ohio Montreal Denver
Miami Mexico City Surfer's Paradise Postseason

2002 Thoughts
Preseason Monterrey Long Beach Japan
Milwaukee Laguna Seca Portland Chicago
Toronto Cleveland Vancouver Mid-Ohio
Road America Montreal Denver
England Miami Surfer's Paradise
Fontana Mexico City Postseason

2001 Thoughts
Preseason Mexico Long Beach Nazareth
Japan Milwaukee Detroit Portland
Cleveland Toronto Michigan Chicago
Mid-Ohio Road America Vancouver German
England Houston Laguna Seca
Surfer's Paradise Fontana Postseason

2000 Thoughts
Preseason Miami Long Beach Brazil
Japan Nazareth Milwaukee Detroit
Portland Cleveland Toronto Michigan
Chicago Mid-Ohio Road America Vancouver
Laguna Seca Gateway USGP Houston
Surfer's Paradise Fontana Postseason

1999 Thoughts
Preseason Miami Japan Long Beach
Nazareth Brazil Gateway Milwaukee
Portland Cleveland Road America Toronto
U.S. 500 Detroit Mid-Ohio Chicago
Vancouver Laguna Seca Houston
Surfer's Paradise Fontana Postseason

1998 Thoughts
Preseason Miami Japan Long Beach
Nazareth Brazil Gateway Milwaukee
Detroit Portland Cleveland Toronto
U.S. 500 Mid-Ohio Road America Vancouver
Laguna Seca Houston Surfer's Paradise Fontana

1997 Thoughts
Miami Surfer's Paradise Long Beach Nazareth
Brazil Gateway Milwaukee Detroit
Portland Cleveland Toronto
U.S. 500 Mid-Ohio Road America
Vancouver Laguna Seca Fontana
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