The Indianapolis Motor Speedway has a Hall of Fame Museum. They got some Indy 500 winning cars in there. Other famous/important race cars, too. Like the 1957 Corvette SS. With a body made of a magnesium alloy, the car is 900 lbs lighter than a standard 57 Vette. 307 hp engine. The thing about the museum is: They ain't afraid to drive 'em.

In 2011, they were showing off the 1911 Marmon Wasp that won the first Indy 500. It threw a rod. :eek: Yeah, they put it together again.

They took out the '57 Vette SS last weekend at the Brickyard Invitational to make a few show-off laps.

Here's how it started:

Attachment 48074

Here's how it ended:

Attachment 48075

Ouch. Gonna be needing some new ~60 year old guts for that motor.

Prolly pretty embarrassing for the driver, whether or not he had anything to do with it.

Here's the Vette in action (look fast, it didn't last long) in 1957:



It's a beautiful car, too. Lovely plumage.

Story over here.

Bwahahahahaha :smack: hahahahaha :lol: hahahahaha :lol2:
That's right up there with I'll just put the head in.

I don't get it.

When it came to horsepower ratings they lied through their teeth. Sometimes high, but most often low, to con the frowning farts in the big offices. This was only two months before Detroit pulled out of factory racing entirely, because of some high profile deaths.

In the rest of the world they shrug and say it comes with the territory, and it's voluntary. But here, especially in the 50s, we moan, wail, and rent clothing, while looking for someone to blame.

Oh, ok...Underrating hp numbers was common for production cars.

This was a one-off, though. Probably didn't share a single part w/production Vette.

It were purty, though.

You're right, very little in common. But keep in mind none of the cars in the biggies like Sebring and Le Mans are stock models, every one is a purpose built racecar. The mad-men were in their own world and made it up as they went.

Duntov had been fighting an uphill battle with the executives since he took over Corvette. He wanted to build a real sports car and they didn't. He assembled a team of fellow engineers who were also racing enthusiasts, and worked on making cars that could win races. The strategy being winning would drives sales, and sales would drive public demand for cars from the dealer's showroom (or at least with help from the parts department), they could win races with.

That strategy worked eventually, in another 10 years they were winning both A and B production championships every year, but it was living in a minefield for Duntov. Every time he talked to the motor press he had to be careful. Of course he wanted to give the car magazines the best numbers he could, but his statements would make it back to the executive offices too.

So the interviews had a lot of, here's the numbers (wink-wink-nod-nod) and the writers would speculate what the real numbers were... in print. Then independent tests would pop up to confirm speculation.

Over at Ford, the T-bird had no mentor so that evolved into a "personal" car which is fine if that's what you want. The T-bird sold more cars and made more money shareholder value than Corvette did for GM.

I'm glad Duntov won the fight against the executives, bean counters, and 4-door aficionados. :D

Win On Sunday, Sell On Monday™:yesnod:

Brandon Phillips Signs Ball For Heckler
 

Here's the story, over at YahooSports

Here's the pic:

Attachment 48206

Bravo, Brandon Phillips, bravo!

Yeah, Brandon Phillips is pretty much a god around here.

You hit like a girl.

"Y'know what, fukkit. And fuck you."

Attachment 48956

:lol2:

Goddamn, this is awesome.



Link

I wondered why the baseball was getting bigger...

Attachment 49177

"and then, it hit me!"

Nothing to see here, folks, just Yao Ming and Little John Daly...

Attachment 49427

It's all about perspective. For Yao Ming, they are playing a round of mini-golf.

Wish I'd had a Big John Xmas! Looks fun.

Attachment 49934

Again

Heh...

I watched the 1994 Thanksgiving day game last night. The refs loved us then, too. Irvin got a pass interference call that was not even close, and there was a late hit called where Garret still had one foot in bounds (he was filling in for a concussed Aikman.)

What can you do? Not cry when the calls go against you. I struggle with that.

I can't imagine what would be going on if that had happened vs the Eagles.

We create our own self-inflicted wounds... opponents need less help. :right:

~ well you knew someone would be quoting this right about now ~

Enh, what a top-notch team is Green Bay. Eagles already got killed by em and would have lost this one too. Good season.

I'm not crying. That was one hell of an almost catch. Shitty rule. Maybe they'll change it. 2 feet down, ball controlled should be a complete pass.

What irritates me is the Eagles fans on face book gloating about it. I'm unfriending most of them. Dick holes

That rule is bullshit.

I don't care about either team in that game, but to say that wasn't a catch on that play is bad for the sport. Bad for the NFL.

The NFL was worried that people wouldn't tune in this season because of the wife beaters on their payroll, but the fans don't seem to be too concerned about that. It's stuff like that horrible rule that will drive the fans away.

Ask anybody who doesn't know the intricacies of the rule to watch that play, and they will say he caught that pass.

https://www.nfl.info/download/2012me...ule%20book.pdf
So, Dez didn't have it in his control long enough for him to have enough time to have performed an act common to the game. even though he took 3 steps, and lunged. The overlap of his falling to the ground and the possession steps is what makes it NOT a catch. If he had hugged the ball to his body instead of reaching toward the goal line, maybe he could have kept it from moving more than slightly.

fucking shame.

even if they HAD scored. Rodgers would have had time to come back, and we couldn't stop him in the second half. no pressure up the middle, B Carter looked tired, and they were missing tackle after tackle on #17.

At least I'll get to see my guys in the Pro Bowl.

You've gotten a little taste of what cowboys fans have heaped on Eagles fans, since the cowboys became "America's team".

gotten a little taste. yeah... this has never ever happened before, and I'm shocked by it. /sarfreakingcasm

What I'm saying is that if you're the type of prick that wants to gloat over a win, then I need to reevaluate why we are friends in the first place. If you have Dallas fan buddies that act that way, I'd suggest a similar course of action.

facebook should have an 'acquaintance' button.

I never understood the fanatical devotion to any sports team. Unless you actually play ON the team, the phrase "We won! & YOU lost!" has zero meaning.

It comes from the same place as politics. and religion.

respecting others' views, favorite teams, religious belief, etc comes from the same place too.

people that get all bent and froth at the mouth over their political OPINION, are likely to be the same way with respect to their rooting interest in sports.

Except politics has a direct effect on us. Sports doesn't.

and we are much more "owners" of politics than we are of sports teams. we have a direct stake and direct control of the actions the players take.

In politics you vote with your vote. In sports, you vote with your dollar.

Don't like the mayor, let it be known, and vote him out, and you get another mayor.

Don't like the running back, let it be known, and don't buy tickets, and you'll get another rb.

Religion, sports, politics, they're all just a means of division. For whatever reason, humans seem to thrive on division.

Some people/entities vote with their dollars

More likely the team will move to another city to play in a Billion dollar stadium billed to the taxpayers, half of whom don't give a rats ass about football. :eyebrow:

And those count more, because you can keep doing it after the election, whoever wins.

I bought a Dez Bryant Jersey after they got eliminated. Because I was so moved by the way he reacted to that catch being nullified. The guy is pure Cowboys.

Nike authentic. Built to on field specs. Size 56. Fits perfectly.

#88 is also seen on Ophelia Melons' uniform.

Attachment 50117

Attachment 50118

Bryant, you say?

http://cellar.org/2015/anitabryant.jpg

But seriously Jim, well played, that was a decent gesture. :notworthy

Yah, and if they can't sign him next year, I'll just cut his name off and have 3rd base sports put 'IRVIN' on there.

sports politics and #88

A hat trick in football! Whodathunkit?

*******

Watch it again: Seahawks’ Kam Chancellor leaps over line – twice – on Panthers field-goal attempts

I swear there's a cool/funny sports photo at the link, two of them in fact, but I can't find a way to link to the animated gif and have it play here...

Aaaaannnnyhow. Kam Chancellor leapt over the offensive line to block a field goal attempt against the Carolina Panthers last week. He did it twice in a row. The first time, the field goal was no good but there was a Carolina penalty, so repeat the down. The second time Kam leapt over the O-line, tipped the ball and made it miss, but also tipped the kicker, so another do over. The third time, there was no high hurdle and the kick was good. But that is some dramatic athletic ability. Click the link, watch the gifs. Amazing.

.

haaaahahahahaahahahaha!!

I'm more worried about how Belichick is plotting against us in the Super Bowl than I am about this particular MacGuffin.

Doin' it wrong.

Attachment 50443

Attachment 50498

Heh, that ain't Travis Kvapil. Although I can understand the mistake.

FTR, this is Travis Kvapil:

Attachment 50499

I mean, just look at the resemblance, it's uncanny.

Why this is in the news...

I haven't seen this sort of thing on local tv yet, but I think it's cool...

As I understand UT’s current job - multiple tv displays,
this may be just the opposite… multiple views on one display



The technology is explained in the following...



.
Now, game-changing football pass completions (or not)
should take on new and instantaneous interpretations. ;)

.

One of the antenna networks used to do something very similar to that first vid with pro football a few years back.

****NSFW Language****

Meltdown?

Meltdown.

****NSFW Language****

Wally Backman Meltdown Supercut

Non-embeddable, so I had to link to it, instead. Sorries.

If you're a fan of the 55 Chevy, ya might want to not watch, turn away, or get a hanky ready...

...this may make you cry.



He was trying to avoid the almost-out-of-control Camaro, but, one twitch in that heavy sumbitch, and shit went sideways in hurry.

Damn.:sniff:

Larry Dixon gets some air in Gainesville:



Wow! I could almost hear Keith Jackson let loose with a "Whoa Nelly!".

Good thing he was still wearing his heavy winter coat.:smack:

OK, I dare you to even read this account... its one of today's NY Times magazine articles.

I double dog dare you to watch the videos...

Vintage trick shot bowling:

That's fun.

Shades of my childhood.

I do remember these newsreels on tv back in the early 50's.
Bowling and snooker were our pass-times, so my friends and I had a real interest in his trick shots.
But I don't remember ever hearing of Veripapa's actual bowling scores.

Now, I notice his crew cut and army pants.
... the "greatest generation" was still in charge back then.

1948