2014 GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma - IndyCar

The semifinal event of the 2014 Verizon IndyCar Series season is at wine country called Sonoma Raceway in California.

Last time out, Will Power won it what was a crappy race at the Milwaukee Mile. It further grew his championship lead over Castroneves and Pagenaud. RHR is gonna need major help in this race to have a shot.

Power is also a 3-time winner here, including last year with the controversial call for Scott Dixon getting an unwarrented penalty for hitting a crew member.

The race is Sunday at 4pm.

>Crappy race

I disagree with this honestly but it's a new race and we all need to move on.

Castroneves needs to bring his A-game or i think we are finally seeing Will Power and a championship in the same sentence that doesn't involve the word "choked."

Unless he makes a huge slip up and Castroneves takes advantage, it is Will Power's championship to lose.

BWardboy88 wrote:Unless he makes a huge slip up and Castroneves takes advantage, it is Will Power's championship to lose.

Never count out Will Power to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

Grid for tomorrow:

http://www.imscdn.com/indycar_media/documents/2014-08-23/Go%20Pro%20GP%20of%20Sonoma%20Qual%20Results.pdf

We had an 6.0 earthquake in North Cal about 2 hours epicentered in American Canyon which is 15 miles from track. There are reports of damage to the surrounding highways near the track.

Race will go ahead without issue.

Power spins. Now he's behind Helio, who's had his own problems today.

POWER WILL CHOKE.

I hate to tell you guys this, but with the way Graham Rahal's going, he might potentially win this race, and break our hearts.

BWardboy88 wrote:I hate to tell you guys this, but with the way Graham Rahal's going, he might potentially win this race, and break our hearts.

He'll fuck it up in some way, shape, or form.

crl wrote:

BWardboy88 wrote:I hate to tell you guys this, but with the way Graham Rahal's going, he might potentially win this race, and break our hearts.

He'll fuck it up in some way, shape, or form.

... Yup.

PRAISE THE LORD, IT'S A MIRACLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Good win Dixon, holy crap that finish.

Geez, Will. Desperate much?

crl wrote:Geez, Will. Desperate much?

Can't blame him, but wilson kinda pushed the 12 into the 11 so... THAT 3 WIDE was not going to work!

Wait a minute, Power passed under a yellow? CHOKE.

BWardboy88 wrote:Wait a minute, Power passed under a yellow? CHOKE.

Same with Bourdais.... They all went for it so?

GW Dixon though!

Power driving like a dick... Indycar probably won't do anything because he drives for Penske!

Still not a Dixon fan, but you can't deny his ability to save fuel.

Good win Dixon.

f1fan12 wrote:Power driving like a dick... Indycar probably won't do anything because he drives for Penske!

Wilson touched the 12 into the 11. Not really dick, but can't blame Power for trying.

Lucstar88 wrote:

f1fan12 wrote:Power driving like a dick... Indycar probably won't do anything because he drives for Penske!

Wilson touched the 12 into the 11. Not really dick, but can't blame Power for trying.

Power slamming into Wilson the turn before caused the whole situation...

f1fan12 wrote:

Lucstar88 wrote:

f1fan12 wrote:Power driving like a dick... Indycar probably won't do anything because he drives for Penske!

Wilson touched the 12 into the 11. Not really dick, but can't blame Power for trying.

Power slamming into Wilson the turn before caused the whole situation...

True, but going 3-wide wasn't going to work also

Had to go to work before the finish of the race. I'm guessing Will Power made a total boneheaded move at the finish?

PYLrulz wrote:Had to go to work before the finish of the race.  I'm guessing Will Power made a total boneheaded move at the finish?

Nosedived to the inside of Wilson going into the last corner, causing contact, forcing them both wide, and allowing Bourdais to make it three-wide, which ended with Bourdais's right rear brushing the wall, while Power nipped Wilson at the line, but the yellow was out in that corner because Conway had slowed to a crawl without fuel, so, Power gets 10th, Wilson 9th.

f1fan12 wrote:

Lucstar88 wrote:

f1fan12 wrote:Power driving like a dick... Indycar probably won't do anything because he drives for Penske!

Wilson touched the 12 into the 11. Not really dick, but can't blame Power for trying.

Power slamming into Wilson the turn before caused the whole situation...

He didn't really slam into him, per se. There was some contact, but it was minor contact from what I could see, anyway.

Pretty tame race, right up until the end. I was laughing when everyone was panicking about Rahal winning.

The three wide situation with Wilson, Power and Bourdais could go either way, TBH. Yes, the yellow was out, but it looked like one of the other officials told the guy holding the flag to withdraw it, so there may not be any penalties handed out whatsoever. But we'll see.

Overall, pretty good race.

The 2014 GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma gets a 7.0/10.

They are reordering the finish, in my opinion, give the 12 and 11 penalties for that last turn. (Yes, Bourdais technically advanced his position, because they were 3-wide). Don't penalize the 19. My honest opinion, if they don't, I won't complain :/

PYLrulz wrote:Had to go to work before the finish of the race.  I'm guessing Will Power made a total boneheaded move at the finish?

Him, Bourdias, and Wilson 3 wided to the finish...The controversy is Conway was coming to a stop coming to the line thanks to running out of guess and they threw out the local yellows which all 3 proceeded to ignore in their fight to the line.

I'm in the boat if you don't penalize one you don't penalize them all, but if you do penalize one you penalize them all since it was just honestly in my opinion hard racing to the finish.

Also LOLRAHAL.

Lucstar88 wrote:They are reordering the finish, in my opinion, give the 12 and 11 penalties for that last turn. (Yes, Bourdais technically advanced his position, because they were 3-wide). Don't penalize the 19. My honest opinion, if they don't, I won't complain :/

I don't think they will give penalties, because they were coming to the checkered.

Dixon wins, but he's out of the championship hunt. RHR needs at least 25 cars to be entered in Fontana to have any hope of grabbing the title by winning the race and getting at least three bonus points with Power finishing 25th.

Okay race. Though the strategy was intriguing. Good win Dixon. I thought Rahal would win the race, BTW, but the fuel tank was saying otherwise.

Power pretty much sitting pretty with a 51-point lead, but it's double points at Fontana, which should be interesting between him, Castroneves and Pagenaud for the title.

The 3-wide situation, IMO, was just pure racing for the checkers between Power, Bourdais and Wilson, though it was risky for Power to pull that off. Risks can bring you rewards.

I'll give this race a 6.0/10.

Jack Harvey won the Indy Lights race, but Gabby Chaves took the title in his second season in the series. Chaves gets a large "scholarship" from the title so don't be surprised if we see him in IndyCar next year.

Alpineopossum wrote:Jack Harvey won the Indy Lights race, but Gabby Chaves took the title in his second season in the series. Chaves gets a large "scholarship" from the title so don't be surprised if we see him in IndyCar next year.

Andretti's 5th car?

navycook75 wrote:Still not a Dixon fan, but you can't deny his ability to save fuel.

Good win Dixon.

Speaking of saving fuel, how about Simon Pagenaud? He pitted the lap before Conway, and made it to the finish.