LiveBlog: Motegi 2008

Posted by Iannucci | 4/18/2008 | 18 comments »
Bookmark and Share

The first part of the double header is about to kick off in Japan, as is made abundantly clear by the footage of Japanese cheerleaders and Pokemon-looking mascots dancing at the start finish line. Good gracious, you gotta love those wacky folks overseas.

No IndyCar Race Control this week. Bummer. Listening to Mike King on IMS radio and he's saying that there are "weepers" on the track being furiously worked upon, which at this point sounds more manageable than the monsoons that were forecast a few days ago. King says it's an estimated 20 minute delay, although this has yet to be confirmed by Race Director Tony Kanaan.

Seismological note: earthquake in Indiana, earthquake in Japan, but all is calm in Long Beach, California. Go figure.

Meanwhile, ESPN2 is showing "N-Word NOW" with an interview and Adrian Fernandez. Coincidentally, did you know Fernandez won the first CART race at Motegi in 1998? Well you do now.

0: All Arute all the time. Helio says he has a "fun-tastic car". Danica is sitting on her tire to warm it up...and now the obligatory re-run of the swimsuit exhibitionist footage. Marty Reid's viewing is no doubt enhanced.

0: Race Director Kanaan and his associates (Helio and Scott Dixon) are inspecting the track. We don't start until Nariz SAYS we start!

0: Blah blah blah...Graham Rahal being interviewed in Long Beach, by Marty and Scott who are saying they are also in Long Beach. Bobby Rahal has reportedly already left the track. Shades of Bobby-less 2007.

pressdog: Rahal is a sharp guy. Very intelligent. Impressive. Not sure he's actually related to his father.

0: That drying car looks tiny. I guess everything really is smaller in Japan, except for the weepers. At what point do these races get broadcast on The Weather Channel?

0: Tony says it's still wet, might be another half hour. "Obviously it's not just my decision. Scott was there, Helio was there." Anyone else missing from that statement? Maybe Brian Ba...what's his name again?

0: It's prop time with Dr Jack Arute! Yay! It's a rain ghost, and it looks exactly like something my pre-schooler made at Halloween.

0: Dan Wheldon and new wife footage. Dental footage! Race fans demanded it and they got it! Chopper-cam is ON. However the microphone is overloaded by Jack.

pressdog: OMG. Arute overload ... must .... drink ... beer ... Arute's mic problems is GOD trying to cut him off.

0: Oh My! Arute just got Dan to say "Shagalicious, baby!" Our work is done, people.

pressdog: iPod run down. we've arrived at the third ring of hell

MyNameIsIRL: Franck listens to Britney, just like you. you can bond.

pressdog: Give Me More!


0: We're an hour in and recycling broadcast packages. On the track Race Director Kanaan is giving orders to the Brian guy. And there's Al Unser Jr down there with them on the track. Who saw that coming?

0: Many drivers have been interviewed here in Japan, ironically none of them being Hideki Mutoh.

0: Arute now interviewing the IHJ. Talking about the coefficient of friction and longitudinal rotations. Barnhart that is, not Arute. Meanwhile here's live footage of a weeper. Fascinating. We aren't going to be lighting this candle anytime soon.

0: ESPN has run out of video packages, so here's footage of last week's Indy Raining League event. Marty says 30 minutes until we pack it up and try again tomorrow.

0: And...we pack it up. After 2 hours we're done for the night. Let's try it again tomorrow.

18 comments

  1. Zappatista // April 18, 2008 9:01 PM  

    It's on. Too bad it is coooold. This could get ugly...

  2. Zappatista // April 18, 2008 9:02 PM  

    ya, only in Indy....we might be the only ones up, but Marty is about to get muted already!

    enter egg?

  3. SS Minnow // April 18, 2008 9:07 PM  

    Any flashbacks to Indy '92? Cold, damp, cold, cold. Way to many crashes but the end result was pretty cool.

  4. pressdog // April 18, 2008 9:12 PM  

    Within the first 10 minutes we've had the obligatory Dances with Stars and Danica SI montage!

  5. Anonymous // April 18, 2008 9:16 PM  

    I'm a Danica and Helio fan but for f-sake stop with DWTS (it was LAST FALL) and with the SI issue. Enough is enough.

  6. SS Minnow // April 18, 2008 9:31 PM  

    TK the next Jim Cantore?

  7. Anonymous // April 18, 2008 9:42 PM  

    jack must have been reading your blogs posts...austin powers baby

  8. Zappatista // April 18, 2008 9:43 PM  

    Are you freaking kidding me....

    Wheldon=Douche

  9. pressdog // April 18, 2008 9:44 PM  

    Arute boggarting our material. I don't know if I should be honored or outraged.

  10. SS Minnow // April 18, 2008 9:47 PM  

    Too bad the fans that tune into tomorrows telecast probably will not be able to see such fine "reporting".

  11. Nancy // April 18, 2008 9:50 PM  

    I can't tell you how to be...but outraged is my thought. Wait, he never called y'all knuckle typers that you know of...guess it could be a complement...

  12. Anonymous // April 18, 2008 9:57 PM  

    gosh start this race it's 1AM ET...must hold on

  13. pressdog // April 18, 2008 9:59 PM  

    midnight central time. dude.

  14. Nancy // April 18, 2008 10:08 PM  

    Iron hand responding to your demands...did ya see him personally touching the weepers?

  15. Anonymous // April 18, 2008 10:28 PM  

    Many thanks to Honda for refusing to reschedule this race. How cool would it have been to see everyone in The LBC this weekend? I've been awake since the earthquake woke me up at 5:30 this morning. And it was all for not.

  16. Anonymous // April 18, 2008 10:54 PM  

    from IMS Radio...this race is done for the day

  17. Anonymous // April 18, 2008 11:29 PM  

    To the person who said this :

    "Many thanks to Honda for refusing to reschedule this race. How cool would it have been to see everyone in The LBC this weekend? I've been awake since the earthquake woke me up at 5:30 this morning. And it was all for not."


    hey: sour grapes, go suck a lemon!!!

    the FIA would not let Twin Ring reschedule !

    anyways, the race at Motegi is ALWAYS more entertaining than the Long beach race !!

  18. Doug // April 19, 2008 6:40 AM  

    "Talking about the coefficient of friction and longitudinal rotations. Barnhart that is, not Arute."

    Actually, I thought that was pretty cool. :p Hope some of my students were watching. :)