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Old 3 Jul 2008, 21:24 (Ref:2243392)   #41
R59
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Join Date: Mar 2003
Heard and McDonald Islands
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R59 should be qualifying in the top 10 on the gridR59 should be qualifying in the top 10 on the grid
Quote:
Originally Posted by mountainstar
An absolutely ridiculous statement. Would it be any different if an American turned up from the USA all the sudden to race F1? No. Nascar is it's own system. Like baseball or football or rugby or any other sport. As an interloper you can't expect to drop right in and bang everything clicks.
That's exactly it. StockCar racing is totally alien to single seater, or sportscar racing. You're working with something that is very agricultural in terms of setup, but needs a good setup to qualify (you have to be on the pace, or you're out with 45 or so cars aiming for 43 slots - plus champions provisionals in the mix!), you have to build the experience to reach the top, and although Dario understands fast, and understands setup, he relies on his crewchief's experience to learn how to work his car. And there, I feel, may be the issue.

Add the fact his team's chosen mount is a Dog, errr I mean Dodge, he was always going to be on an uphill struggle.

When he got the car right in qualifying, it'd often fall back in the race, and that comes from two things - lack of experience, and lack of understanding between the driver, the crewchief, and the car.

Look at the Ganassi cars at Infineon. Everyone expect Dario to go well, but the car was extra-loose and they couldn't hook up a lap. They say that JPM used every last ounce of his skill to qualify his mount as high as he did, and the difference between his time and Dario's wasn't a country mile.

I personally hope that he sticks with StockCars, it's good for the soul, teaches you more about your own abilities than any hypertechnical sportscar/single seater ever will. My personal wish is that he gets a drive with a Chevy or Toyota powered car for the rest of the season, but I'd be happy to see him concentrate on learning the craft in Nationwide, and learning how to "bully" other cars into wreks in CTS!!

Then come 2009, back into Cup.
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