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Robby Gordon says Patrick has an unfair advantage (Indy 500)
Sports Illustrated ^ | 5/28/05 | Various

Posted on 05/28/2005 10:58:33 PM PDT by BurbankKarl

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) -- Robby Gordon accused Danica Patrick of having an unfair advantage in the Indianapolis 500 and said Saturday he will not compete in the race again unless the field is equalized.

Gordon, a former open-wheel driver now in NASCAR, contends that Patrick is at an advantage over the rest of the competitors because she only weighs 100 pounds. Because all the cars weigh the same, Patrick's is lighter on the race track.

"The lighter the car, the faster it goes," Gordon said. "Do the math. Put her in the car at her weight, then put me or Tony Stewart in the car at 200 pounds and our car is at least 100 pounds heavier.

"I won't race against her until the IRL does something to take that advantage away."

The Indy Racing League does not consider the weight of the driver in its race specifications. The car has to weigh at least 1,525 pounds before the fuel and driver are added, and teams in Indy have estimated that Patrick will gain close to 1 mph in speed because of her small stature.

Although her rivals in Sunday's race have said she doesn't have a huge advantage, pole-sitter Tony Kanaan told reporters he would like the Indy Racing League to look into the issue.

"Right off the bat, a guy my size is spotting her 105 pounds," Gordon said. "That's the reason she's so much faster."

(Excerpt) Read more at sportsillustrated.cnn.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 2005brickyard; boohoo; carrace; danica; danicapatrick; indianapolis; indy500; nascar; patrick
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To: vidbizz

Exactly. Mr. G. needs to hit the gym. He also needs to dump the 50 pounds of crap out of his whiny attitude.


101 posted on 05/29/2005 9:51:30 AM PDT by getmeouttaPalmBeachCounty_FL (H.R. 698 - go drop anchor somewhere else)
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To: The Coopster
Bottom line - she's an attractive girl,

In YOUR opinion.

whether you're angry about it or not. And if you don't think so - fine.

Angry ? Uhhh... no, I'm not angry. And I still think this person looks like an emaciated teen aged boy and that standards of physical beauty in a woman obviously differ. There are extremes at both ends of the scale, and I would suggest this person falls into a potential eating disorder group.
102 posted on 05/29/2005 9:52:39 AM PDT by pyx (Rule #1. The LEFT lies. Rule #2. See Rule #1.)
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To: pyx

Hey, if she wins the race, she can buy some hips.


103 posted on 05/29/2005 9:54:46 AM PDT by djf (Sheep logic, or why sheep aren't mathematicians: I'll give up my freedom to preserve freedom)
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To: djf
ROFL !
104 posted on 05/29/2005 9:56:13 AM PDT by pyx (Rule #1. The LEFT lies. Rule #2. See Rule #1.)
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To: BurbankKarl

While I agree he's whining, he's got a point.

Apparently very few posters on this thread have ever competed in auto racing. I used to drag race and my car ran very consistant times in the 1/4. When my buddy got in it, it ran consistantly 1.5 tenths faster. I'd get the car into the last few heats, he'd hop in and we'd get into the money. The difference was he was a good 70 pounds lighter. Small change we're talking here, we'd win 50-75 dollars, but it was beer and food money.


105 posted on 05/29/2005 9:56:30 AM PDT by Malsua
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I still remember Janet Guthrie...


106 posted on 05/29/2005 10:05:56 AM PDT by Tony in Hawaii (Lookin' for the joke with a microscope)
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To: The Coopster
OUCH!

She makes my teeth sweat.

107 posted on 05/29/2005 10:06:16 AM PDT by TomB ("The terrorist wraps himself in the world's grievances to cloak his true motives." - S. Rushdie)
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To: AD from SpringBay

Myself, I am so tired of the restrictions in racing...

The objective in racing should be to engineer unfair advantages in machine capabilities over other cars and combine it with a human driver who can use it.

I remember the huge whining over turbine engines in Indy racing... Mario Andretti liked the turbine engine idea, but racing has now become so P.C., it makes me sick.

NASCAR sucks too! Too many bitchy losers. Only American cars with tight restrictions on the engines. That is not racing, it is affirmative action for substandard mechanics and drivers.

Sebring 12-hour classic - - now there's a race...


108 posted on 05/29/2005 10:08:27 AM PDT by Sir Francis Dashwood (LET'S ROLL!)
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To: Malsua

For sure it could make a difference in drag racing, a short event. But this is a race that goes almost 3 hours.


109 posted on 05/29/2005 10:09:15 AM PDT by djf (Sheep logic, or why sheep aren't mathematicians: I'll give up my freedom to preserve freedom)
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To: FreepOnTheBorderlands
Just as with Affirmative Action,...

Myself, I am so tired of the restrictions in racing. Other than body type and size, racing should be wide open and unrestricted

The objective in racing should be to engineer unfair advantages in machine capabilities over other cars and combine it with a human driver who can use it.

I remember the huge whining over turbine engines in Indy racing... Mario Andretti liked the turbine engine idea, but racing has now become so P.C., it makes me sick.

NASCAR sucks! Too many bitchy losers. Only American cars with tight restrictions on the engines. That is not racing, it is affirmative action for substandard mechanics and drivers.

Sebring 12-hour classic - - now there's a race...

110 posted on 05/29/2005 10:15:58 AM PDT by Sir Francis Dashwood (LET'S ROLL!)
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To: pyx
In YOUR opinion.

No, in the very of the general public. Contrary to what you said, the idea of beauty is pretty universal.

111 posted on 05/29/2005 10:25:49 AM PDT by JeffAtlanta
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To: Malsua

When I first heard Patrick was 5'2 and 105 pounds, I didn't think she had the strength to drive 500 miles. Now all I'm hearing is that her size is an advantage. I guess we'll all know by the end of the day.


112 posted on 05/29/2005 10:28:37 AM PDT by Cowboy Bob (Question Liberalism)
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To: Malsua

When I first heard Patrick was 5'2 and 105 pounds, I didn't think she had the strength to drive 500 miles. Now all I'm hearing is that her size is an advantage. I guess we'll all know by the end of the day.


113 posted on 05/29/2005 10:29:38 AM PDT by Cowboy Bob (Question Liberalism)
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To: Sir Francis Dashwood
racing has now become so P.C., it makes me sick.

How has racing become PC?

114 posted on 05/29/2005 10:29:46 AM PDT by JeffAtlanta
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To: BurbankKarl; Diva Betsy Ross

DBR
When you return from the race, you've gotta read this. Sheesh!


115 posted on 05/29/2005 10:30:27 AM PDT by MoJo2001 (Support Our Troops-->It's The Least Any Of Us Can Do...www.proudpatriots.org)
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To: cyborg

I read that this morning too and was just composing my WHAT A DORK YOU ARE letter to Robbie Gordon. He has always been one of my favorite drives - having some expertise in road course racing (which is my favorite).

Why doesn't he:

1. Lose weight
2. Complain about the other drivers that don't weigh 200#s
3. Shut up, you little dork.

That's my thoughts so far - - - ..


116 posted on 05/29/2005 10:58:43 AM PDT by Dashing Dasher (Unthinkably good things can happen, even late in the game.)
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To: Lee'sGhost
...a highly regarded area of the female anatomy...

Diplomatic. I like it.

117 posted on 05/29/2005 11:02:38 AM PDT by Petronski (A champion of dance, my moves will put you in a trance, and I never leave the disco alone.)
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To: djf
For sure it could make a difference in drag racing, a short event. But this is a race that goes almost 3 hours

So the advantage is compounded over time.

Would it be fair for her to haul 90 extra pounds of fuel? That'd be what, 11-12 gallons? I don't know how many gallons per lap they use, but having one or more laps per fuel stop certainly would make a difference over 500 miles. Not sure what goes first though, tires or fuel. I don't watch roundy round. I find it incredibly boring.

118 posted on 05/29/2005 11:41:54 AM PDT by Malsua
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To: Kangaroo Court

So does this mean she'll have to add weight or is the rule just for NASCAR and the 500 is not NASCAR? This is really two questions as I know absolutely nothing about racing.


119 posted on 05/29/2005 12:55:16 PM PDT by pepperdog
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To: JeffAtlanta
No, in the very of the general public. Contrary to what you said, the idea of beauty is pretty universal.

Jeff,
I'll play nice. :)
The CONCEPT of beauty may indeed be universal. However, what the physical attributes are that CONSTITUTE meeting that concept, is simply an opinion and no more.
Photos of flat-chested and hipless people standing spread-eagled with 'Come hither' expressions may indeed be considered physical beauties to some, but to me, they seem to border on the homo-erotic. And therein lies the rub, its MY opinion -- I own it. And, like an @$$hole, of which I am also the proud owner, everyone has one. :)

Ms. Patrick may well be the best of the best when it comes to race-car driving ability -- its just that she's just not that "hot" when it comes to exuding feminine charms because quite frankly, her visible assets resemble those of a teenaged boy. Failing to see that somewhat obvious resemblence, may indeed be in the eye of the beholder and if so, he might want to check in with his optician. :)
120 posted on 05/29/2005 2:56:55 PM PDT by pyx (Rule #1. The LEFT lies. Rule #2. See Rule #1.)
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