"Setup" on Speed Starts Thursday w/ Autocrosser Mi

Graham Jagger · **Joined:** Fri Aug 29, 2003 12:53 am **Posts:** 1718

Chuck Branscomb wrote:

If last year is any indication, I wouldn't look forward to your opinion changing much. The editing is all about creating conflict between the drivers and trying to invoke "emotion" in the viewer. Definitely only watchable with a DVR so you can blast through all the pointless and mind-numbing parts.

I tried watching the show instead of recording it this season. Big waste. Recording it the rest of the time. It's a 30 minute show at best. It has no real focus or direction. I'll be surprised if they make it to season 3. It's a shame because I was hoping to get something to watch on Speed other than Nascrap. It's slightly better than the other reality crap they have on Speed. Kendall needs to stick to driving cars.

Gwen Habenicht · **Posted:** Fri Mar 07, 2008 1:46 pm

We’ve been watching too. I’m pretty stoked up that Jr. is giving such a great showing for the autoX crowd. I’m guessing he’s going to win this thing. I’m sure hoping he’ll be one of our instructors at the Extreme School!

DanDurusky · **Joined:** Sun Apr 10, 2005 7:31 pm **Posts:** 686

Jr. showed he can turn a quick lap, but he started on the pole (and what crap all that was). Without race experience, i'd expect him to struggle more when he faces traffic.

Skeen worked his way from the back of the pack (reverse grid) and was reeling him in. As for the challenge, 2 laps isnt enough to sort things out considering the advantage into T1 of the inside car.

My money's on Mean Skeen the Machine.

Chris Halweg · **Posted:** Fri Mar 07, 2008 10:26 pm

For some reason my DVR did not record it last night.

Richard Casto · **Posted:** Fri Mar 21, 2008 3:12 pm

Just watched last nights episode on TiVo. Thank god nobody was around to see me getting all misty eyed after watching Junior explain why he wants to race.

Wes Eargle · **Joined:** Mon Oct 27, 2003 9:47 am **Posts:** 3683

Richard Casto wrote:

Just watched last nights episode on TiVo. Thank god nobody was around to see me getting all misty eyed after watching Junior explain why he wants to race.

Truf.

Chris Brown · **Posted:** Fri Mar 21, 2008 3:57 pm

i don't know what it is about that show, but i get soooo farg'n mad when i watch it. i won't go over all my previous complaints, just new ones.

- they can afford the cars and all the equipment, but can't afford to install some gators at the track...i think they are just waiting to "selectively" assess penalties to the drivers they don't want to win.

- what's up with asking drivers to bow out if they'll take the $$$$ if their replacement wins (they get $$$, replacement gets opportunity to test) - that's crap...why did they let them on the show in the first place if they didn't think they could run

- the drama lama showed up with Mike Jr. good guy though...at least he is genuine

Gwen Habenicht · **Posted:** Fri Mar 21, 2008 4:17 pm

Chris Brown wrote:

i don't know what it is about that show, but i get soooo farg'n mad when i watch it. i won't go over all my previous complaints, just new ones.

- they can afford the cars and all the equipment, but can't afford to install some gators at the track...i think they are just waiting to "selectively" assess penalties to the drivers they don't want to win.

- what's up with asking drivers to bow out if they'll take the $$$$ if their replacement wins (they get $$$, replacement gets opportunity to test) - that's crap...why did they let them on the show in the first place if they didn't think they could run

- the drama lama showed up with Mike Jr. good guy though...at least he is genuine

Chris,
We get crazy every time we watch too. Yet, we always watch for the next episode. My biggest complaint is that they’ve done very little to make each car visually different enough that you know who you’re watching. White helmets, black helmets-fine, doesn’t help with those long shots of the course does it? If you want to know what others are saying go to the Setup Forum on Speed. It’s a hoot! Pretty much what we’ve been saying. If you can afford all the cars, pay the freight and go to a real track, for gosh sake!

As for Jr., drama lama or not, they’ve got these guys on the ragged edge, and this is obviously very important to him. His last real shot, so to speak. I noticed a couple of the guys having trouble staying composed.

Bernie says Mike Skeen is a good guy too, but my money’s on Jr. Hope he wins!

Gwennie

Chris Brown · **Posted:** Fri Mar 21, 2008 4:31 pm

Gwen Baake wrote:

Chris Brown wrote:

i don't know what it is about that show, but i get soooo farg'n mad when i watch it. i won't go over all my previous complaints, just new ones.

- they can afford the cars and all the equipment, but can't afford to install some gators at the track...i think they are just waiting to "selectively" assess penalties to the drivers they don't want to win.

- what's up with asking drivers to bow out if they'll take the $$$$ if their replacement wins (they get $$$, replacement gets opportunity to test) - that's crap...why did they let them on the show in the first place if they didn't think they could run

- the drama lama showed up with Mike Jr. good guy though...at least he is genuine

Chris,
We get crazy every time we watch too. Yet, we always watch for the next episode. My biggest complaint is that they’ve done very little to make each car visually different enough that you know who you’re watching. White helmets, black helmets-fine, doesn’t help with those long shots of the course does it? If you want to know what others are saying go to the Setup Forum on Speed. It’s a hoot! Pretty much what we’ve been saying. If you can afford all the cars, pay the freight and go to a real track, for gosh sake!

As for Jr., drama lama or not, they’ve got these guys on the ragged edge, and this is obviously very important to him. His last real shot, so to speak. I noticed a couple of the guys having trouble staying composed.

Bernie says Mike Skeen is a good guy too, but my money’s on Jr. Hope he wins!

Gwennie

skeen should have been gone after his brake failure...the crap they pulled to get him back in the show was just that, crap. on the re-run with the red-headed guy (can't remember his name) you notice they gave skeen the inside lane???? if anything the other guy should have gotten the inside as he actually finished the race.

no doubt those guys are under the gun, but it's all manufactured drama for me.

the show would be better for me if instead of running the same track over and over, they went and did different types of racing with the same cars...oval track, autocross, road course, nascar, drag, rally...now that would show some driver skill!!!

Richard Casto · **Posted:** Fri Mar 21, 2008 4:41 pm

The previously mentioned BMW forum thread goes into some of the "why" regarding that track. It is short (easy to cover with a smaller number of cameras and it is more likely that longer tracks will just allow cars to get strung out), has no conflicting sponsor signs all over the place and I am guessing cheap. The track is not setup for wheel to wheel racing and is missing much you would get at a normal track (gators, run off and width of track). Apparently later they move from the "Horse Thief Mile" to the "Streets of Willow".

Horse Thief Mile is on the upper right and Streets of Willow are on the bottom right...

Gwen Habenicht · **Posted:** Fri Mar 21, 2008 5:05 pm

Chris Brown wrote:

the show would be better for me if instead of running the same track over and over, they went and did different types of racing with the same cars...oval track, autocross, road course, nascar, drag, rally...now that would show some driver skill!!!

Now that would be a show!!! Call the producers quick! :wink:

Graham Jagger · **Joined:** Fri Aug 29, 2003 12:53 am **Posts:** 1718

Gwen Baake wrote:

Chris Brown wrote:

the show would be better for me if instead of running the same track over and over, they went and did different types of racing with the same cars...oval track, autocross, road course, nascar, drag, rally...now that would show some driver skill!!!

Now that would be a show!!! Call the producers quick! :wink:

They did that already. Last year. The Forza Challenge or whatever it was called. It was interesting. The road course was at Road Atlanta.

They did road course, autocross, oval track, and drag racing.

Gwen Habenicht · **Posted:** Sat Mar 22, 2008 8:53 pm

Graham Jagger wrote:

They did that already. Last year. The Forza Challenge or whatever it was called. It was interesting. The road course was at Road Atlanta.

They did road course, autocross, oval track, and drag racing.

I remember reading something back when they were looking for "contestants", but never saw the finished product. Sorry to have missed it.

Keith Vail · **Posted:** Sun Mar 23, 2008 10:10 am

Gwen Baake wrote:

I remember reading something back when they were looking for "contestants", but never saw the finished product. Sorry to have missed it.

Don't be sorry you missed it. I watched some of it and it was really pitiful. I seem to remember some road race guys saying they were turning faster times around Road Atlanta in their spec Miatas than the fastest drivers were turning in 500 hp Mustangs and Corvettes. I couldn't bare to watch how bad the show was.

Stacy King · **Posted:** Sun Mar 23, 2008 10:34 am

Chris Brown wrote:

skeen should have been gone after his brake failure...the crap they pulled to get him back in the show was just that, crap. on the re-run with the red-headed guy (can't remember his name) you notice they gave skeen the inside lane???? if anything the other guy should have gotten the inside as he actually finished the race.

no doubt those guys are under the gun, but it's all manufactured drama for me.

Why you beein' a hater man? :wink:

There shouldn't have been any shootout anyway. Skeen did finish the race, but by the producer's own rules, there were penalties that should have been given during the last lap which would have put at least one car behind Skeen for brake failure.

The producer's realized they were about to shoot themselves in the foot by getting rid of arguably the best driver out there... but it was the smarts of Skeen's crew chief Ryan Brenneman to remind them of their own rules.

I agree that the shootout was pure manufactured drama, and I feel bad that the other guy was booted, but they did give them 5 laps this time (as opposed to the one lap the week before.

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"Setup" on Speed Starts Thursday w/ Autocrosser Mi

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