The aspirational differences between competitors are as great as you will find across the sporting experience. You couldn't get much more of a difference than between Eric Young crashing in turn 3 because he was going too fast to SDT literally taking 4minutes for their qualifying run (because two other teams had failed a 3rd attempt).
My favourite moments in memory come on the negative end of things.... Brandon Hurey raising the yellow flag to eliminate ATO from Quals the year after winning the race and the Gamma Phi Beta girl, who, on her 3rd attempt, after seemingly completing the 3rd exchange, amazingly lost control and rolled into the gutter....and out of the race!
Therefore between today and saturday morning it'll be great if people could share their favourite Quals memories in the comments section! I'll be jealous of you all on Saturday!
ZBT chanting "Qual! Qual! Qual!" just praying they make it in
ReplyDeleteThat would be easy. The absolute and clear certainty that Snu will have a great run, followed By knowing they still haven't figured out that it has nothing to do with the race.
ReplyDeletewatching the riders who can't seem to figure out how to brake on a L5 bike sail across the line and foul. or bail out and fall because they don't know how to slow down
ReplyDeleteMy rookie year, watching Naas ride the first and 4th leg for SAE and wrecking between 3 and 4 and his second leg of first try (Eric Young was not the first). Does my memory serve me correct on this? It was 1995!
ReplyDeleteAnd second, Phi Delts missing the race in 1997 (Is that the right year?). I remember sitting in the old grand stand and watching them hit the third attempt pretty quickly rather than going conservative.
If I recalled these incorrectly, please tell me.
Forgot to mention that Naas broke his helmet, got up, and posted a 31 second split to set the record.
DeleteI remember a Kappa or a similar team running into an official during their run and the girl broke her collarbone and was out for the year. That was my favorite.
ReplyDeleteMy fav memory right here
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpYxCn5qT58
It's posted! The 2012 quals schedule: http://iusf.indiana.edu/little500/Heat%20Sheet.pdf.
ReplyDeleteAlso, enjoying seeing riders announcements of times dominate by facebook feed.
A full 76 teams making a run at it. Hard to tell whether a few new teams are men's or women's teams. Anyone know if it's a full field for the women?
ReplyDeleteSo who has predictions for the first two rows of men's and women's teams?
ReplyDeleteHere are my thoughts for men:
1. Corean Legstrong- really putting in the work and eating lots of rice to carb load
2. Beta- "The faster we qual the faster we go back to ripping shots with our sexy pair."
3. Sigma Chi- Look for Will Farrell to go all "Talladega Nights" on the track for that one lap
4. SNU- Frat boys throw down hard during quals in order to rationalize all the binge drinking they will do in the weeks leading up to the race.
5. AKAK- Bortz. Enough said.
6. Cutters- In their post qual interview they will mention how they obviously could have done better but they are training through this trivial event.
there are 37 womens teams (that makes what, 54 mens teams?)
ReplyDeleteAre there seriously 37 Women's teams? Highest number ever by a clear 3 teams. Amazing!
ReplyDeleteIt's because of the later start time;)
ReplyDelete1. Sigma Chi
ReplyDelete2. CSF
3. BKB
4. CUTTERS
5. Beta
6. Phi Delt
7. Delts
8. Air Force
9. Theta Chi
1.SNU (frat)
ReplyDelete2. Cutters
3. Phi Delt
4. Delts
5. Beta
6. Sigma Chi
7. Phi Psi
8. Teter
9. BKB
10. AKAK
i think there are actually only 36 women's teams - anyone else know? it's for sure the biggest women's field so far, but not sure on the exact #
ReplyDeleteWomen's:
ReplyDelete1. Teter
2. Theta
3. Wing It
4. Delta Gamma
5. Army
that record is bogus. It's not even all that fast. They haven't recorded any 1 laps times in severall years. He was fast and I'm sure that would come out to a 30.0 hot lap if there was no exchange. Young was faster, but actually probably too fast for the loose track he rode on. They should have an actual fly lap race to add to the ITT's.
ReplyDeleteyes, anon 10:02, 37 + 54 = 76. #getacalculatorfrattie
ReplyDeleteits definitely a bogus record bc like you said, they don't record the 1 lap times anymore.. stupid to keep a "record" around that can never be broken anymore because it's not tracked and recorded.
ReplyDeleteEric Young was too fast to break the record?
ReplyDeleteHow does that make any sense?
Some one sucking some cutter di....
he had to soft pedal through the turns because the track was shit the last 2 years. if he pedaled through he would crash and hes a great bike handler obviously.
ReplyDeletehe broke it last year. they just didn't record the time
ReplyDelete@Anon 6:02
ReplyDeleteThere is a limit to how fast you can go on the L5 track. Young and Ellis found that out the hard way during their fly laps in 2010 (Young) and 2011 (Ellis). Both crashed in turn 3 during their first attempts.
1. ZBT
ReplyDelete2. Asian team
3. Todd
young went a 29.4 last year on his fly lap. with the exchange
ReplyDeleteI think it was 2005 and the Cutters were about to the track and Woj says to David; "you not going to wear those shoes are you?" David had on some asics running shoes and Woj did not like them.
ReplyDeleteYoung was pushing the line of being too fast and his last two years the track was shit. Hence why he doesn't have itt record either. Plus his exchanges with Clayton and Lusk were about as textbook as the come. Good track conditions in 2010 and cutters would have owned the quals record. Hopefully it's nice Saturday so someone had a shot with all these fast men's teams.
ReplyDeleteIf, if's, and's, and but's were candy and nuts, everyday would be a lot like Christmas.
ReplyDeleteI believe there are 33 girls teams this year, and 43 mens teams.
ReplyDeleteCorrect. AEPhi dropped out Monday so down to 33 for the Women and 43 for the Men.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to all the ladies for getting in the race! Gamma Phi and SDT remain the only Womens team not to make it.
ReplyDelete43 Mens team makes for a fun day at the track! Enjoy all!