Well, talk about "Welcome to last week !".......

I started watching the show Set Up on Speed and low and behold saw where the autocross community is being represented by Mike this season .......and, if I heard them correctly, has won 2 out of 3 of the events he has been in thus far.

Even better; Mike won this particular race I was watching and a crew chief of another driver boasted that if his driver would have had a few more laps that he could have easily taken Mike ~ the hosts asked Mike if he felt that would have been the case and he confidently said "no". More words were said and before you know it the hosts had just these two boys on the track to race ~ telling the other guy that if he couldn't beat Mike that he would be out.

Long story short; Mike won, the other guy wasn't kicked off but his crew chief was besically told to not to be so arrogant, as it could cost his driver next time

Congratz to Mike !

I have been watching that show too. I am starting to hate it. It was much better last year. The producer of the show Scott with the grey beard is an abrasive ass! He is REALLY starting to get on my nerves. His comments and rulemaking WHILE THE RACE is on makes me want to choke him. That and the camera angles and cut shots are STUPID! They show the action, unfortunately mostly banging, in jerky cut tight scenes where you get a glimpse of body contact, but you can't see the beginning or end of the incident to make a determination of what happened and who was at fault!

I have to agree with you Randy, why is Scott being so abrasive? Is that supposed to make this more fun? Making up rules during the race too is really irritating too.

While I agree with the comments above, I am still enjoying the show. There is something fun about having someone I've met, talked to and raced with be on TV. I hope Jr. won.

I also hope Kevin starts to do a bit better and can stay away from so much contact. Although, I really can't tell if he really has had a lot of contact or if they are just making look like he has. Anyway I hope he did well also.

I use past tense because I assume the entire series has already been shot like most reality shows.

It was shot last fall. For more info right from the participants:

http://sccaforums.com/forums/4/287196/ShowThread.aspx

I'm enjoying it, but it's also annoying me for all the reasons previously mentioned.

I have to echo your frustrations........

I liked last season as well and hoped that this season would be improved upon with some feedback.
.......well, it seems that its heading in the opposite direction.

I liked last week when Mike won and explained, "How about those autocrossers?". Or something like that. I remember when Mike first started autocrossing with VMSC.

It is rather funny, I have to say I'm not too impressed watching drivers at a AutoX but Mike is one of those guys that just amazes you.

Mike does have amazing car control, but...all I've seen of him is up front. I wonder what happens when he gets "rubbed" by a rolling "cone". I guess we'll see soon enough!

A promo shows Junior talking over the radio asking Courtney (his crew chief and also an autocrosser) to apologize for something (???) he did:

http://www.scottgillen.com/

Last week, pretty much the same promo was up but after Mike said the same thing, there was a voice-over of Courtney saying something like, "He didn't mean to do that."

I think all the other editing in that didn't have anything at all to do with Mike but some, uh, disagreement between Kevin Dietz and that Dannon guy which was covered on the second episode. Gotta love the drama of the editing room!

Pat <-- remembers when Mike drove a Civic and was called "Mike" and not "Junior"

I talked to Courtney at an event yesterday. He was driving McGeorge's A/SP Z06. He said he had a blast doing the show although he went about 6 weeks without a paycheck. So far, I like the way they communicate with each other. No screaming or confusion. Courtney said thay really wanted to stay calm when racing, and it wasn't until the show came on that he saw how excited the some of the other teams were getting.

Absoulutely....That guy is a complete ass and sort of ruins the show for me some too.

For the record the first race last Thursday, I started 9th, and finished 4th. I was driving the Bridgestone car. Keep watching though, as I may not have as good a starting position ever again.... Thanks guys for all of the support. Now if I could only afford to go racing on my own dime.
Jr.

I missed almost all of the show on the 6th. At a VMSC bored, (yes bored), meeting. I wanted to watch it last night, and it didn't come on at 10PM. Those bastards.

After I got over Scott being himself during the early part of the show, I started to enjoy it! I think the show would be better if rules were not made up as they went along though, especially by a Hollywood guy!

I'm rooting for Mr. Second Chance Geico guy! I think he is a class act with talent.

Is that a hint as to your results on this show ?

Howdy,



The same guy also did the "Build or Bust" shows on Speed a few years back. Same abrasive know-it-all blatent drama-inducing style.

I like the show overall (and I liked the Build or Bust show overall), but the guy would do himself a lot of favors if he'd have the initial idea and maybe do the editing, but stay the hell off camera.

I mean, he's the one who's chosing what footage to air and he _still_ comes off as this much of an ass? On two totally different shows? So either he wants to look like an ass (bad) or that's the best he could make himself look (even worse).

Mark

Good points Mark! I vote for him to be "off camera!"

I STILL can't get over the guy....although he seems to be on camera less lately. His pious rulings during the race and after the race random rulings are getting stupider and stupider....

Still can't figure out what is going on track with the quick cut ins and cut outs. It has been a BIT better, but still a crappily produced show.....

I am SURE that there was plenty of footage, and action, that would make for a great show, he just fucked it up with his presence, stupid rules, and "artsy" editing...

Kendall is an ass too. I didn't like him when he raced SCCA. But the way the show was ending the other night...."Sending you home would be cruel, you've been so perfect.... You ARE going home racing is cruel", then Scott deciding to let that driver race Kevin to decide who goes home AND giving them all night to think it over.

Yeah....perfect example of how the freakin' rule change a minute kills the flow of that show.

You are correct, Kendall lecturing the drivers about respect make me almost pee my pants! The guy NEVER saw a car he wouldn't punt into the weeds to take a position.....

Wow, the end of the show was hard to watch. Ernesto Roco is well known as an AI racer in his red Mustang out west, and I'm sure many of you attending the NASA nationals know of him too from his outstanding performances there. He won the nationals the first year if I remember right! The show ends with Ernesto going off an embankment shortly after the race start and Tommy Kendall calling for an ambulance since Ernesto was not moving and slumped against his steering wheel. It looked like quite a drop, hope he is ok! It's going to be a long week.....

Mike Jr., always follow your dreams. That is the secret to life! One of my favorite movies has a scene where a daughter says of her father, "he says very few people are actually awake in life. These people live in a constant state of amazment."

Yeah I had noticed him cruising mid to back of the pack. Kinda surprised due to his reputation and record. I was wondering if his success had to due with the MONSTER of a car he seems to have built for himself. Bringing a machine gun to a knife fight kind of deal.

Can you see what happened? The problem with the damn show is they cut the scenes so tight, you don't get a sense of what led up to the incident nor what was the aftermath....

Regardless, I hope he is OK as well.

It appeared that on the second lap going into the esses Ernesto was carrying too much speed and tank slapped through them, did not recover, then headed off track into a not so good place.

Agreed!

I can totally understand where he is coming from. I would never trade college for anything but I think if I HAD that option of Barber Dodge vs. 4 Years of Hobart.... knowing what I know now, it would be a VERY hard choice. At least my father REALLY likes racing and has given me the gearhead bug thru genetics! Thank God for that!

I'm really pulling for Jr in the show. That Mike kid in the Geico car also seems to have some real talent somehow I think it could come down to those two.

Bret

I guess Kendall has more heart than I thought. He seemed genuinely touched when he was talking to Mike.

Did anyone see the show tonight and the wreck that they closed with? That looked pretty bad.

I hope that guy is alright! My wife was watching with me, I hate when she sees stuff like that because I'm afraid she will

A. Decide being on the race track is too dangerous for me

or

B. She'll realize how much life insurance she has on me and cut my brake lines!

That car went over so fast it looked like two open wheel cars touching.

Yeah, it definitely seemed like the RR wheel of the car that rolled touched the LF wheel of the other car the way the rear corner of the car jumped like that. I've never seen a closed-wheel racer do that before.

That was a very scary crash no doubt! And ending upside down too. Sure was cool to see Brady leading though!

Ya know... interestingly.. my wife has never watched that show with me... but, for some reason she did tonight.

Same thing came out of her mouth... along with 'It's time for you to get a cage in your car'

Thanks SETUP!

Didn't I hear them say Junior took the lead just before the crash? So after they clean up the mess, there will be a 4 lap shootout? Looking good for Junior so far.

That crash was scary. I didn't realize they were carrying that much speed through there. That guy must've flipped 6 times or more. Hope he's ok.

I have 3 observations/opinions to make after watching the final episode of Set Up. 1. If they MUST have a chick announcer, flagger, or what ever on the show, find one that understands a little about the sport. The on-the-job training got old. 2. Pontiac Solstices are rather fragile as road race cars. Or ay least the intercoolers are. 3. Mike was shafted.

Brady did an awesome job! In it till the end!

I shut it off and went to bed as soon as they cut Junior.

I agree with all but number 3...althought the manner in which the rules are constantly changed are stupid on that show.

I would also add that apparently the brakes on the Solstice must really suck.

That final race was rediculous with all the yellow flags and restarts for the sake of TV drama.

I realize that it's TV and that the TV show is ratings driven and that the producers have "line" they walk keeping it "real" and entertaining ... but ...

All the restarts, reformats, reboots and mulligans were just a little over the top. While walking this line, they need to realize their audience is a little more discerning than a typical reality show junky.

My 2 cents ...

Congrats to ALL that participated. That was a heckuva commitment. Not sure I would have the balls to do that.

With all that was on the line, Mike was screwed. He was attempting a pass that even other drivers wouldn't assign blame to, and losses his car? That was just plain wrong. Dramatic, but wrong. If it wasn't Mike, at least the guy that won seems like a good guy, and the best of luck to him. Next year though, ditch that chick! Or put her in a bikini. Something that will keep her goofy questions from wearing on me. Goofy questions from a girl in a bikini are not as goofy. Damn good job to Mike and Courtney, I enjoyed watching you guys.

"We" (on this site) are generally more racing savvy than the average public. Jamie serves a purpose on the show - to ask all the questions wives would if they didn't think we wouldn't think they were stupid for asking.

And Mike (while a good driver) got what he deserved. Using "rubbin's racinn" is a lame excuse from someone who's never been w2w. 50 feet of locked up brakes THEN a hit? Bad place, bad time, bad move.

Though I suppose I would be surprised about how much one can pick up by watching ESPN.

I agree....I know there are a lot of Mike's fans/buddies/nuthuggers on here, and no doubt he is a good driver, but that move he got punted for was S.T.O.O.P.I.D.....THERE WAS NO WAY THAT MOVE WAS GOING TO WORK/STICK. That was a MORONIC move! Now I agree the freakin rule changes by the minute were annoying, and giving the car to the other driver was a melodramatic TV ploy at best....it wouldn't have mattered in any case....he would have been DQ'd in any self respecting racing series know to man!

....to top it off his cavalier attitude that "rubbin's racing" was just stupid...he would have had my nose right up against his nose with that attitude...

I agree on the lowest common denominator way the show was edited/produced.

As for the Solstice being fragile....I dunno....don't have enough data to make a call on that....most of the "drivers" on the show used their car as a battering ram.....so what do you expect???

Mike got what he deserved.....he made a jackass move.....he lost his shot...dunno...

The best parts were Mike telling "Tommy fuckin Kendall" that he shouldn't tell him about rough driving....

And the biggest moron Scott getting told "you are done" and "get out of here" while he ran alongside the winner while doing donuts....only better finish would have been Scott getting tagged and sent to the hospital

"fans/buddies/nuthuggers"? I'm not sure that was called for. Yeah, the "rubbin is racin" line wasn't well received, but the trumped up "going for it", and "this is what you've been working for", advice Tommy was giving the drivers wasn't given in order to have them drive timidly.

Depends on what category you fall into. Not saying which it may be, but the declarations of being "screwed" and "turning off the TV in disgust" because of the incident surely implies some of that.

The show WAS PLUMB FULL of irritating rule changes/declarations/incidents.....showing such emotion because of this one, implies some level of "preference" to the driver in question.

If the driver in question read into "going for it" and "this is what you've been working for" comments to mean drive over your head, why should that be accepted and/or condoned. Seems more like a non W2W driver not understanding W2W driving at all. Sure he was faster than the other guy....sure he couldn't get around him....if I had a dollar for everytime that happens to me, I could finance my ALMS career! The faster driver DOES NOT ALWAYS win in road racing.....imagine that! Patience, picking your spots, race craft all are huge....AND don't alway work!

Coming into a turn with his inside wheels at the racing surfaces edge, on a turn where the inside line is DOG SLOW....locking up the brakes for 30 feet and pounding the guy on line into the weeds is POOR driving. Sorry, no two ways about it. His comments about how "I was in the same place the last few laps....he should have known I was there....." was another example of non W2W experience showing. The PASSING driver is responsible for making the pass SAFELY. If he can't, the lead driver has EVERY RIGHT to take the proper line in the turn. Divebombing up to the guys door with tires smoking is NOT "having the line"....

I'm one of Mike's buddies but in no way would hug his nuts. I'd hug his wife's cans, though.

Haven't seen the episode yet but heard second hand that Mike wished he didn't make the move considering how much of the race was still left.

Pat

Howdy,

I was rooting for Mike, but I also agree (from what they showed of it) that that move was a bit over the top... The brakes locked up thing didn't seem to be too out of the ordinary (since they disabled the ABS on all the cars) compared to other drivers, but he really wasn't alongside the guy prior to corner entry or even during corner entry.

I thought Jr. handled the afterwards interview stuff reasonably well overall... Adrenaline pumping, race face on, etc. and he defended the move fairly rationally despite the "drama inducing" setup.

Looked to me like a lack of w2w experience bit him there and he learned that sometimes you have to be more patient. I imagine he's learned something from it. Hopefully he can put together some type of program to get some more seat time and can use that plus the exposure from the show to start moving up.

Mark

I consider Mike to be a "buddy", and although I feel that another new rule at that point was BS, I still enjoyed the show. Was he screwed? I think so. But I saw many other cases of it during the show that did not involve Mike. None were as severe as Mikes but maybe none were as deserved. I sure wish he was running at the end though. Good call Pat!

I saw the episode earlier today, and seriously, Mike's move wasn't *that* bad. Slid 50 feet with the brakes locked up? Puh-leeze. If they didn't disable the ABS on those cars (and it's universal knowledge that the Solstices suck without ABS), we'd all be swinging from Mike's nutsack now. Still a little optimistic given the number of laps left in the race, but with $100K on the line and Tommy Kendall pumping Junior up before the race ... If you guys only knew what I did in the "race" at the end of my first SCCA school so I could get my second school waived and save a $300 entry fee.

But this show was just a contridiction the whole way. Layup, and go home. Push too hard, and go home. One wheel off, go home. WTF? And that dark-haired chick lasted only one less race than Mike Skeen and Mike Johnson, and she only survived because of the random penalties thrown at other drivers so they would finish behind her. I laughed when she claimed on the previous episode where she had a pinched nerve and was taking herself out. No, it didn't have anything to do with being uncompetitive and driving around aimlessly like a rolling chicane.

Pat

Bad enough to take out two cars.And if they ran time trials, you may be right. RACING is a whole different world. Definitely a rookie move that screwed two guys.

So what that ABS was disabled? His wasn't the only one...

What you did in the race wasn't nearly as bad as what'd you'd done earlier in the weekend. You're lucky Gillen wasn't the Chief Steward.

Which two? What was wrong with Brady's car?



Right, and how many drivers locked up their brakes and/or made contact, and they weren't pulled from their cars and told to "go home"? Junior was the only one.

Pat