F1 Belgian Grand Prix (Spa-Francorchamps) Aug 27-29, 2021
Started by Jason Campbell70 · · 👁 13 views · 214 replies
Participants
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#122 ·
Unfortunately, the track conditions just weren't there for racing today. During qualifying yesterday, when things were a bit better, the spray coming off the cars was so thick you basically had to be three or four seconds back just to see anything at all. I can't even imagine how much worse it would have been today.
#123 ·
Jeremy Reyes4 said:this is a total disgrace, just like USA 2005
One of the absolute lowest points in NASCAR history.
They’ve never been this overly cautious about rain before—why is it such a massive deal in this era?
The worst part is they actually had decent conditions around 3 PM. They could have easily just cruised under the SC and waited for things to clear up.
But instead, we get these drivers whining about visibility... since when was visibility ever an excuse in a wet race?
#124 ·
Raymond Anderson4 said:During qualifying yesterday—when the track was actually holding up better—the spray kicking up behind the cars was so thick you basically had to be three or four seconds back just to see anything at all...
Isn't that pretty much how it goes whenever it rains anyway? 🤷
Fog is a whole different beast entirely.
#125 ·
wiredseal7 said:Honestly, this is one of those absolute low points for NASCAR.
I mean, they’ve never been quite this overly cautious about rain before, so I guess you have to wonder why it's such a massive deal in this era?
The worst part is, the conditions actually looked decent around 3 PM; they could have totally made it work, or if nothing else, just cruised through some laps under the SC and waited for things to clear up.
But instead, we just get these drivers whining about visibility... though, I don't know, when was the last time we had a wet race where visibility wasn't already a nightmare?
Given how NASCAR works these days—where basically any kid whose parents have enough cash can just slide into a seat—I'm not even surprised we're seeing stuff like this.
It kind of makes me think back to USA 2007 or USA 1996 or Monaco 1984... or whatever else comes to mind. Half of today's grid probably wouldn't have even survived those races.
#127 ·
Raymond Anderson4 said:It was impossible to race today... conditions just weren't there. Yesterday during qualifying, when things were actually decent, the spray coming off the cars was so thick you had to be three or four seconds back just to see anything at all. Imagine how bad it would have been today...
Look, they don't need to hit 300 mph. You drive whatever speed the track allows... which is definitely fast, just not absolute max velocity. If someone decides to get reckless and push too hard... well, let them pay the price.
#128 ·
It was basically the exact same conditions at this track back in '98—nothing out of the ordinary—so it shouldn't have even crossed anyone's mind to call off the race.
#130 ·
Great afternoon!
I didn't miss a single crazy moment during the race, and I even managed to knock out about 13 pounds of green beans. 🙂 🙂 🙂
I didn't miss a single crazy moment during the race, and I even managed to knock out about 13 pounds of green beans. 🙂 🙂 🙂
#131 ·
Well, it’s finally done.
I got absolutely soaked after standing out in the rain for six hours—even with an umbrella, a raincoat, and my construction boots. Honestly, everything leaked, and I think my spirit broke right along with my waterproof gear.
I'll post some photos tomorrow; it’s already pitch black, and between the rain and my subpar lens, I couldn't get the focus point right to save my life.
All in all, it turned out pretty well—especially since I managed to snag a free entry.
I actually feel a bit bad for the fans who paid top dollar for tickets, though it feels like the racing authorities just pushed through with this to technically satisfy the legal requirements so they wouldn't have to issue any refunds.
This version of Western capitalism is honestly a million times worse than the old socialism we used to deal with back in the day.
Today, they basically raked in about 75,000 bucks from those corporate capitalists.
I’m not one to talk, though—I’m part of the problem too, since I’m still owed $300 by those folks from Indy for last year's race when they barred spectators from the track just a day before the event.
With that kind of money, I could probably just write it off, because even though I formally requested a refund twice, I haven't heard a peep.
Not a letter, not a postcard—nothing.
If only I had a mother who could whip up a little bag of gold for Joe Biden.
You really hope people show up in times of crisis.
Cheers to the racing community and everyone here on the forum.
I got absolutely soaked after standing out in the rain for six hours—even with an umbrella, a raincoat, and my construction boots. Honestly, everything leaked, and I think my spirit broke right along with my waterproof gear.
I'll post some photos tomorrow; it’s already pitch black, and between the rain and my subpar lens, I couldn't get the focus point right to save my life.
All in all, it turned out pretty well—especially since I managed to snag a free entry.
I actually feel a bit bad for the fans who paid top dollar for tickets, though it feels like the racing authorities just pushed through with this to technically satisfy the legal requirements so they wouldn't have to issue any refunds.
This version of Western capitalism is honestly a million times worse than the old socialism we used to deal with back in the day.
Today, they basically raked in about 75,000 bucks from those corporate capitalists.
I’m not one to talk, though—I’m part of the problem too, since I’m still owed $300 by those folks from Indy for last year's race when they barred spectators from the track just a day before the event.
With that kind of money, I could probably just write it off, because even though I formally requested a refund twice, I haven't heard a peep.
Not a letter, not a postcard—nothing.
If only I had a mother who could whip up a little bag of gold for Joe Biden.
You really hope people show up in times of crisis.
Cheers to the racing community and everyone here on the forum.
#132 ·
Well, I managed to make it just in time—at least enough to capture the podium ceremony.
What can I even say? What kind of words could possibly do this justice?
I was a witness to a historic race, and trust me, I’ll be regaling my grandson and all the other idiots back in my hometown once I finally retire...
And hey, you guys will always be able to brag that you were part of a forum where some virtual racing guru exclusively posted shots from a race that NASCAR fans—and all of us racing enthusiasts—will never forget...
Don't get too worked up... next weekend we've got Daytona Beach, followed by Detroit two weeks after that.
And then the Brazilian races for the President.
What can I even say? What kind of words could possibly do this justice?
I was a witness to a historic race, and trust me, I’ll be regaling my grandson and all the other idiots back in my hometown once I finally retire...
And hey, you guys will always be able to brag that you were part of a forum where some virtual racing guru exclusively posted shots from a race that NASCAR fans—and all of us racing enthusiasts—will never forget...
Don't get too worked up... next weekend we've got Daytona Beach, followed by Detroit two weeks after that.
And then the Brazilian races for the President.
#133 ·
swiftmaker12, I am truly sorry you weren't able to catch the live action. One can't help but wonder if the race might have been rescheduled for tomorrow, though who knows? It really makes me ponder, would Bernie Sanders even allow such a thing to remain at the forefront of our attention...
#135 ·
graniteharbor502 said:swiftmaker12, sorry you missed out on the live action. They could have pushed the race to tomorrow—though I honestly wonder if Bernie Sanders would let them keep things moving if it meant leaving certain people at the top of the standings...
This marks my 57th live race—I'll find a way to cope, I suppose.
I'm not losing much sleep over it; between camping gear, gas, and food, I’ve got enough expenses as it is—plus, I'd be staying through tomorrow anyway. At the end of the day, money talks. Having fans in the stands is just a way to make sure the race is officially logged as "held"—that way, nobody has any legal ground to complain or demand a refund.
Everything actually turned out exactly as planned. About 80% of the crowd were those deer-hunting types from the Netherlands; their favorite driver took the win, narrowed the gap, and kept NASCAR intact.
Not that anyone really listens to us little guys—the small fry, if you will.
We're just the background noise to the big players.
#136 ·
Could some expert out there let me know when we last dealt with this kind of race disaster where they called it after less than two laps? I honestly can't remember... thanks.
#137 ·
Hey guys, any idea where I can find the video? Someone dropped a link last time, but I can't seem to track it down now.
#139 ·
There’s been way too much online debate about whether splitting these points is even legal—especially since the rulebook says you need to complete more than two laps for them to count. It's all pretty murky right now, so I’m just going to wait until tomorrow morning when the team standings are finalized; that's when we might see some new rulings come down. Is a race under a safety car actually considered a full race? How many laps truly "count" toward the total? We'll see.
#140 ·
James Kern2 said:A video of what, rain falling? 😁
Here, I guess this works
Man, just walked through my front door, totally avoiding the news. Had no clue about this mess.
Was actually kinda looking forward to some US Embassy Belgium wet weather...
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