We Were Warned...

At this moment, www.trackforum.com is down.

They warned us. They told us this was coming. They said that this update package was necessary and the time was very soon. It's for our own good.

But 'fess up now: how many of you TF'ers are staring wide-eyed at the blank browser window, hands trembling just a little, that nervous vein on your neck standing out, wondering exactly how you are supposed to cope with the withdrawal? You know who you are, you 10,000+ post-count members.

I know a thing or two about being responsible for the uptime at a high-traffic web site, and believe me no one want this racing communication institution up more than the operators -- especially when they are paid per-view for every Chevy ad you see.

So switch to decaf, practice your cleansing breath exercises, pet a cat, open a window... perhaps even go outside. Trackforum... it will be back.

Simona Wristwatch, Anyone?

If you're a bit weary of the typical Indycar merch, like T-shirts, hats, and bum bags, then get a gander at this bit of bling from Team Stargate Worlds: a BRM watch themed for the Simona de Silvestro fan.

It'll set you back a cool $6,995.00, but hey... they take Visa. Now if I was a 24-year-old fan, I'd only drop that kind of cash if it came with a smooch on the cheek from the driver herself, but your mileage may vary.

You can part ways with your cash over at www.usrtonline.com.

Barber By-The-Numbers: 53,555

Another successful inaugural Indycar race is in the books, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that the usual game of "guess the attendance" -- where one blogger announces that there were 142,000 paid racefans in attendance while another says that there was only 46 including himself -- was completely unnecessary. The Birmingham News is reporting 53,555 in attendance, a very solid number.

"Crowd estimates for the weekend totaled 84,000, with 53,555 for the main race on Sunday. Angstadt said the turnouts were higher at the league's first two races of the year in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and St. Petersburg, but he said attendance in Birmingham was excellent for an inaugural year."

While I certainly don't think that big numbers are everything, the crowd was much larger than I thought would turn up for in the middle of rural Alabama for a non-NASCAR event.

And just to close out Pressdog's new drinking game... "beautiful beautiful beautiful".

Wild Idea for an Indy Lights Venue: Cooper Park Complex

Here's a proposed new oval speedway that's getting lots of buzz here in Central Ohio: the Cooper Park Complex. With it's easy access to the interstate and state-of-the-art facilities, wouldn't this be a great (if not downright wild) venue for Indy Lights?

When the Columbus Clippers baseball team moved downtown into their tony new ballpark, it opened the door for the Cooper Park concept on the site of the old Cooper Stadium. Looks like the proposed track will be a 1/2 mile bullring, with perfect banking for Indy Lights.

The proposal appears to feature a large parking garage and several restaurants with fake names but which are obvious stand-ins for a Rally's, Olive Garden, and a Quaker Steak 'n' Lube. There's also a Marriott Suites, although I'm not sure who wants a room overlooking a race track in this town.

Jeff Gordon Inc. is a partner on the project, and they seem to be downplaying the noise factor in order to get past city counsel. This may be a tough sell, but the proposed Automotive Research and Technology Center may bring in a few jobs that would be tough for the city to pass up.

Check out the video -- I suggest skipping the first 45 seconds, it's unnecessary. :)



Will we see Indy Lights at Jeff's new playground? Unlikely, but it's fun to dream.