How will you remember 2011 in motorsport?

Because we are now nearing the end of the year, I feel a topic such as this is only appropriate.

The 2011 motorsport season will be a difficult one to forget for anybody envolved with racing. While five years may not look like a long time, it was within that short interval that any driver in the IZOD IndyCar Series was killed in the act. On that fateful day of October 16, where a bright sun overlooked the pavement that was called the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Dan Wheldon was taken from us in an eleven car crash, eleven laps into what was scheduled to be a 200 lap race. This was a man who could have taken up Dale Earnhardt and Ayrton Senna. Like the greats all three of them came to be, and while such an accident was probably bound to happen as it were, nobody expected the loss of a man who just won the greatest motorsport event in the United States, combined with the rarity of any death in motorsport in our standards. And now, coming upon the end of the year, we give him our last goodbyes.

On a more pleasant note, NASCAR will remember the 2011 Sprint Cup season as it's most competitive season to date. I'll remember it with a few defining bullet points:

- The year Kyle Busch was rightfully given what he deserved
- The year names such as Ambrose, Smith and Menard finally found victory lane
- Trevor Bayne's "win some, lose some" season
- Jeff Gordon comes back to win races like only he could.
- Dale Earnhardt Jr. loses races like only he could.
- And the year Jimmie Johnson didn't win the damned championship.

Cheers to a brand new racing season!

I can't remember what I didn't see.

The only two things I'll remember are the 2011 Indy 500 finish and that Fateful day in October at Las Vegas. Thats something that I still have trouble coming to grips with.

This was also the year we lost Marco Simoncelli, the Italian MotoGP newcomer in just his 2nd year with San Carlo Gresini. He was unique in the garage with his cheerful attitude and sense of humor, also his slight afro. We lost him on October 23, but he lives in every MotoGP fan's heart. The circuit in Misano was named after him in his honor.

Anyway, my favorite drivers finished 1st, 2nd and 3rd in their biggest races of the year in their respected series: Trevor Bayne winning the Great American Race, J.R. Hildebrand with a silver in the. Indy 500, (which painsme to this day) and Landon Cassill finishing 3rd in the DRIVE4COPD 300 in N'wide thanks to Bowyer trying and failing to win.

F1? Same old, same old. Vettel dominates again. He's becoming the next Schumi.

Casey Lester wrote:

F1? Same old, same old. Vettel dominates again. He's becoming the next Schumi.

THE GERMANS ARE OUT TO TAKE OVER FORMULA 1!

What happened to Dan was a tragedy, and he was one of the best of the decade in Indycar...but up there with Earnhardt, the best NASCAR driver of all time, and SENNA, the best F1 driver of all time? No.

This year was also the year when V8 Supercar driver Jason Richards lost his battle with cancer. He was a good driver. He was a cheerful driver.

2011 Nascar season was fun as hell
Based Ambrose winning
Based Menard winning
Based Carpenter winning
Trevor Bayne trolling the 500
Indy 500 finish (Though i still feel horrible for Hildebrand)
Vettel confirming himself for Schumi status. Declares open season on F1 2011.
Pretty cool battle for the Cup championship
JIMMIE...LOSES, WE'RE OFF SCRIPT! WE'RE OF SCRIPT! CODE BLACK! CODE BLACK!
Kyle Busch finally getting kicked to the curb for being an a**hole.
The year that the Nascar media has reached the point of no return on their stupidity.
Some fun failure throughout the year including Kennedy, Neuenberger and others.

On a sadder note...
Losing Based Wheldon in a wreck that made that god awful Driven movie look semi-realistic ;_;
Simoncelli's dying in his horrendous MotoGP crash
Jason Richards losing battle with cancer
The late part of 2011 taking many names from the racing world. Wheldon, Simoncelli, Husemann, Richards and a few others.

I will remember much good from the season, Bayne, Smith, Ambrose, Menard, and Carpenter with first time wins, a great championship battle involving no one named Jimmie Johnson. The Indy 500 had a great finish too, but that's overshadowed by the 16th of October, 2011. The world lost who I consider among Indycar's greatest all time: Dan Wheldon. Not only he lost his life, but many others, Simoncelli, Richards, etc. So, upon reflection, I qas quite entartained at times, but was reminded that such entertainment comes at a heavy price.

So much to remember.

-Trevor Bayne winning the Daytona 500. I called that at the beginning of speedweeks.
-Ambrose, Smith, and Menard's wins.
-Ambrose finally getting his win at Montreal.
-Brad Keselowski's break out season.
-Trevor Bayne finally backing up his Daytona win with the Nationwide win at Texas.
-Reed Sorenson "winning" at Road America.
-Ed Carpenter's awesome win at Kentucky.
-What I thought was going to be an Oriol Servia win at NHMS.
-James Hinchcliffe ****ing up at Mid-Ohio and it almost paying off for him.
-VETTEL DOMINATES WITH A BILLION POLES.
-Kurt Busch losing his Penske ride.
-Kyle Busch being parked the Texas weekend.

Unfortunately losing Dan Wheldon, Jason Richards, Rick Huseman, Marco Simoncelli and 3 members of Rick Ware Racing. I'm really upset about the Wheldon death though. Watching it live was horrifying, especially knowing he was dead as soon as he hit the wall.

It's been a season of greats and unfortunately a season of tragedies. It'll be a season to remember for years to come.

Tyson Lautenschlager wrote:

So much to remember.

-Trevor Bayne winning the Daytona 500. I called that at the beginning of speedweeks.
-Ambrose, Smith, and Menard's wins.
-Ambrose finally getting his win at Montreal.
-Brad Keselowski's break out season.
-Trevor Bayne finally backing up his Daytona win with the Nationwide win at Texas.
-Reed Sorenson "winning" at Road America.
-Ed Carpenter's awesome win at Kentucky.
-What I thought was going to be an Oriol Servia win at NHMS.
-James Hinchcliffe ****ing up at Mid-Ohio and it almost paying off for him.
-VETTEL DOMINATES WITH A BILLION POLES.
-Kurt Busch losing his Penske ride.
-Kyle Busch being parked the Texas weekend.

Unfortunately losing Dan Wheldon, Jason Richards, Rick Huseman, Marco Simoncelli and 3 members of Rick Ware Racing. I'm really upset about the Wheldon death though. Watching it live was horrifying, especially knowing he was dead as soon as he hit the wall.

It's been a season of greats and unfortunately a season of tragedies. It'll be a season to remember for years to come.

This. He was dead when he hit the catchfence POST? I thought he died like 10 minutes later or something like that, but how unlucky can you be to take A CATCHFENCE SUPPORT RAIL to the helmet in an IndyCar? Well, that's why Wade Cunningham will forever be looked down upon in IndyCar. That's why you don't hold someone down in Lights for almost 10 years and then bring him up. He had a career before, but nobody took him somehow.

-Trevor Bayne pulling the upset at Daytona.
-Regan Smith getting the win he deserved.
-Paul Menard showing that he is more than just a pay driver.
-Marcos Ambrose becoming a winner in the Nextel Cup series.
-Casey Les-I mean Brad Keselowski winning 2 races with a broken ankle.
-Kyle Busch being put in his place at Texas.
-Tony Stewart OMGHAXing the Chase.
-Jeff Gordon winning #85.
-Memorial Day weekend heartbreaks.
-Vettel OMGHAXing F1
-Ed Carpenter's win at Kentucky

and sadly, losing Dan Wheldon, Jason Richards, Rick Huseman, and Marco Simoncelli.

Pretty much what everyone else said already. Yes, I know I'm lazy.

2011 was the year of Corvette and Audi triumphant over adversity at Le Mans.

Casey Lester wrote:

Tyson Lautenschlager wrote:

So much to remember.

-Trevor Bayne winning the Daytona 500. I called that at the beginning of speedweeks.
-Ambrose, Smith, and Menard's wins.
-Ambrose finally getting his win at Montreal.
-Brad Keselowski's break out season.
-Trevor Bayne finally backing up his Daytona win with the Nationwide win at Texas.
-Reed Sorenson "winning" at Road America.
-Ed Carpenter's awesome win at Kentucky.
-What I thought was going to be an Oriol Servia win at NHMS.
-James Hinchcliffe ****ing up at Mid-Ohio and it almost paying off for him.
-VETTEL DOMINATES WITH A BILLION POLES.
-Kurt Busch losing his Penske ride.
-Kyle Busch being parked the Texas weekend.

Unfortunately losing Dan Wheldon, Jason Richards, Rick Huseman, Marco Simoncelli and 3 members of Rick Ware Racing. I'm really upset about the Wheldon death though. Watching it live was horrifying, especially knowing he was dead as soon as he hit the wall.

It's been a season of greats and unfortunately a season of tragedies. It'll be a season to remember for years to come.

This. He was dead when he hit the catchfence POST? I thought he died like 10 minutes later or something like that, but how unlucky can you be to take A CATCHFENCE SUPPORT RAIL to the helmet in an IndyCar? Well, that's why Wade Cunningham will forever be looked down upon in IndyCar. That's why you don't hold someone down in Lights for almost 10 years and then bring him up. He had a career before, but nobody took him somehow.

Cunningham wasn't in the race.. Were you thinking of Saavedra?

Tyson Lautenschlager wrote:

Casey Lester wrote:

Tyson Lautenschlager wrote:

So much to remember.

-Trevor Bayne winning the Daytona 500. I called that at the beginning of speedweeks.
-Ambrose, Smith, and Menard's wins.
-Ambrose finally getting his win at Montreal.
-Brad Keselowski's break out season.
-Trevor Bayne finally backing up his Daytona win with the Nationwide win at Texas.
-Reed Sorenson "winning" at Road America.
-Ed Carpenter's awesome win at Kentucky.
-What I thought was going to be an Oriol Servia win at NHMS.
-James Hinchcliffe ****ing up at Mid-Ohio and it almost paying off for him.
-VETTEL DOMINATES WITH A BILLION POLES.
-Kurt Busch losing his Penske ride.
-Kyle Busch being parked the Texas weekend.

Unfortunately losing Dan Wheldon, Jason Richards, Rick Huseman, Marco Simoncelli and 3 members of Rick Ware Racing. I'm really upset about the Wheldon death though. Watching it live was horrifying, especially knowing he was dead as soon as he hit the wall.

It's been a season of greats and unfortunately a season of tragedies. It'll be a season to remember for years to come.

This. He was dead when he hit the catchfence POST? I thought he died like 10 minutes later or something like that, but how unlucky can you be to take A CATCHFENCE SUPPORT RAIL to the helmet in an IndyCar? Well, that's why Wade Cunningham will forever be looked down upon in IndyCar. That's why you don't hold someone down in Lights for almost 10 years and then bring him up. He had a career before, but nobody took him somehow.

Cunningham wasn't in the race.. Were you thinking of Saavedra?

Cunningham was in the race....Driving for AFS/Sam Schmidt. He and Hinch made contact to start it off. On TV they incorrectly identified him as Saavedra.

That said, Trying to blame him for Dan's death is ****ing stupid. That post reads as incredibly ignorant, unfounded, and untrue.

If anything should be looked down for causing his death was racing at a track that raced like Talladega but was a narrow as Bristol.

moppenheimer wrote:

Cunningham was in the race....Driving for AFS/Sam Schmidt. He and Hinch made contact to start it off. On TV they incorrectly identified him as Saavedra.

That said, Trying to blame him for Dan's death is ****ing stupid.

This. No offense, Ty, but it's a bit like claiming it was Sterling Marlin's fault Dale Earnhardt died.

AAROdynamic426 wrote:

moppenheimer wrote:

Cunningham was in the race....Driving for AFS/Sam Schmidt. He and Hinch made contact to start it off. On TV they incorrectly identified him as Saavedra.

That said, Trying to blame him for Dan's death is ****ing stupid.

This. No offense, Ty, but it's a bit like claiming it was Sterling Marlin's fault Dale Earnhardt died.

*Casey.

Alta wrote:

If anything should be looked down for causing his death was racing at a track that raced like Talladega but was a narrow as Bristol.

Truth. IndyCar at Las Vegas =

There were so many different reasons for the crash to start...

If you dont want to feel like a dips***, don't act like a dips***.
Crapfest Deleted. Drop it.