Andretti Autosport Signs Adam Carroll

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by Flyin Ryan

I like Irishmen and nice to see an Irish driver. Although not if it bumps Hunter-Reay, a guy that has won a race this year (the team's first win in 2 years mind) and the series sponsor likes, out of a seat. The article above says Carroll isn't bringing money so there'd be no reason to replace Hunter-Reay with him (since Hunter-Reay doesn't bring money either, but Hunter-Reay has a performance record established so far this season with a win, a runner-up, and is currently the best-placed Andretti driver in the Championship in 4th). It's not like it's even an improvement as far as the type of racing. Hunter-Reay's strong on road courses, his weak point is ovals and Carroll would be worse there than him.

And if Hunter-Reay doesn't leave, is Andretti really going to have 5 cars when he doesn't have enough money at the moment to run the 4th and best-placed car (Hunter-Reay) for the full season?

This situation seems to exemplify some of the problems with the IRL, or whatever it is now called. There's now a series sponsor, yet that sponsor can't retain the driver for the car it sponsors, though this is the driver that's won a race this season. I would have thought IZOD should have been able to have kept Hunter-Reay's seat for him for the entre season? It strikes me as amateurish and doesn't present the series with stability, which is what it needs, especially is this is coming from the series sponsor.

If Caroll isn't bringing money with him, where's it coming from?

[JagtechOhio]

Andretti Autosports had a press conference today, announcing some changes to their sponsorship including Boost going back on Danica's car. Carroll debuts at Watkins Glen (July 4th weekend).

[bjohnsonsmith]

I feel sorry for RHR.

[fasteric]

..IZOD said they will add sponsors to their media buys if some one what to go along..Andretti is trying to keep all their driver employed...Indy will see alot of exposure and u will see sponsors look again at Indy Car and it make sense

[Andy Roberts]

No disrespect to Adam as I think he is an amazing talent and should have been in F1 a long time ago, but RHR should be staying in that car. 1st AA win in 2 years, title sponsor of the series and the guy who had IZOD as his personal sponsor which lead to the title sponsorship, soon to be out of a drive! Disgusting!

[fasteric]

RHR is in the plans...mike doesn't kick the fast guy to the curb

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by Andy Roberts

No disrespect to Adam as I think he is an amazing talent and should have been in F1 a long time ago, but RHR should be staying in that car. 1st AA win in 2 years, title sponsor of the series and the guy who had IZOD as his personal sponsor which lead to the title sponsorship, soon to be out of a drive! Disgusting!

It doesn't say much for IZOD and makes you wonder what they were doing in the first place, getting involved in motor sport.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by fasteric

RHR is in the plans...mike doesn't kick the fast guy to the curb

Are AA planning to run a 5 car team?

[fasteric]

yes..and make Indy Car a great series

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by fasteric

yes..and make Indy Car a great series

Where's the money coming from?

[fasteric]

looking out for new cash and find people that want to buy into racing fast cars

[fasteric]

one..andretti family funds.. mario is very rich..but he has never raced raced on his dime

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by fasteric

looking out for new cash and find people that want to buy into racing fast cars

There's not a lot of money around at the moment, with a lot of the smaller teams struggling. If IZOD can't keep RHR and they are the series sponsor, that does not look good for any other potential sponsors.

Mario may be a rich man but running a 5 car team is going to be ridiculously expensive.

[fasteric]

i always find it funny why racers cant invest in a very small business..a 4-5 million ..its a mcdonalds resturant..why cant it the purse pay..alow every one to make money

[fasteric]

mario was a stock market king and he made the family millions on investments..but he didnt let micheal use his money

[fasteric]

marco was a different deal

[NaBUru38]

I wish that Izod will announce an extended deal with Ryan Hunter-Reay. Perhaps they are delaying it to the last moment not just to allow other companies to pay for his drive, but also to look like good guys.

[bjohnsonsmith]

IZOD should never have let this happen in the first place.

[csirl]

Originally Posted by Flyin Ryan

Two points:

1.) If Carroll is far superior to Bourdais and Zanardi, he would be in F1 right now, period.
2.) We heard the same thing about Doornbos. His best-ever finish was 9th in the IRL in 17 events and he was in a decent car.

I like Irishmen and nice to see an Irish driver. Although not if it bumps Hunter-Reay, a guy that has won a race this year (the team's first win in 2 years mind) and the series sponsor likes, out of a seat. The article above says Carroll isn't bringing money so there'd be no reason to replace Hunter-Reay with him (since Hunter-Reay doesn't bring money either, but Hunter-Reay has a performance record established so far this season with a win, a runner-up, and is currently the best-placed Andretti driver in the Championship in 4th). It's not like it's even an improvement as far as the type of racing. Hunter-Reay's strong on road courses, his weak point is ovals and Carroll would be worse there than him.

And if Hunter-Reay doesn't leave, is Andretti really going to have 5 cars when he doesn't have enough money at the moment to run the 4th and best-placed car (Hunter-Reay) for the full season?

1) Lola was expected to win one of the new spots in F1. Carroll was due to drive for them. There's a lot of politics in F1 & Lola did not get one of the spots. Carroll was then due to drive for one of the new teams, but the deal fell through at the last minute due to the team changing hands just before the season. Team had financial issues and could only hire pay drivers. Carroll comes from a working class background and has zero personal wealth to be a pay driver. Can only be a salaried driver.

2) Doornbos is a far inferior driver than Carroll full stop. Anything you heard about Doornbos was just PR hype.


I dont think you are familiar with Carroll and appreciate his talent level. He's potentially a once in a generation driver in Indycars. As good as you may think HRH is, he's not in the same class as Carroll. Yes, there is a risk that Carroll has never driven Indycars or on ovals, so he could end up being a bust. But given the talent level, he's well worth the risk. The upside is just too great.

I think AA's decision makes sense. Carroll is not bringing funding and is probably being paid a salary, but success attracts money. If Carroll lives up to his billing, AA will get a lot more in sponsorship over the next few years than HRH could ever generate. Above all, AA wants to win.

[Flyin Ryan]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

It doesn't say much for IZOD and makes you wonder what they were doing in the first place, getting involved in motor sport.

IZOD's always been on the car and I think they've been chipping in a bit, but I don't think it was all IZOD. Remember at the beginning of the 2009 season, that Hunter-Reay was out of a ride, IZOD was rumored to be in the title sponsor picture, and they really liked Hunter-Reay, but they weren't willing to foot the bill for him (in a way, I agree, sponsoring the series is one thing and that's a lot of money, but it's not like you tack on extra as charity then). So Tony George puts Hunter-Reay in his second car up until Indy and foots the bill himself until Meira gets injured, Hunter-Reay goes to Foyt, and the second Vision team is dissolved, and financial decisions like that where "he did it for the good of the series" as every journalist and internet message board poster said at the time are one of the reasons Tony George no longer runs the Indy Racing League.

bjohnsonsmith: There's not a lot of money around at the moment, with a lot of the smaller teams struggling. If IZOD can't keep RHR and they are the series sponsor, that does not look good for any other potential sponsors.

Of the full-timers, the #18 Dale Coyne car, #34 and #36 Conquest cars, #8 and #32 KV cars, I'm guessing the #78 HVM car, the #06 Newman-Haas car, and I'm guessing the #24 Dreyer & Reinbold car (because when Scheckter raced last night in that car, Dad's Root Beer was nowhere to be seen) are all ride buyers.

csirl: I think AA's decision makes sense. Carroll is not bringing funding and is probably being paid a salary, but success attracts money.

Hunter-Reay won at Long Beach. Runner-up at Sao Paulo and was leading late. Is currently 6th in the Championship, the best driver in the Championship not driving for either Penske or Ganassi. So that qualifies as success in my book.

csirl: If Carroll lives up to his billing, AA will get a lot more in sponsorship over the next few years than HRH could ever generate.

A decent Irish driver, but one no one has heard of outside of some internet message board posters and the 37 A1GP fans versus a quality American driver that won a race in the series this year and is 6th in the title chase currently. What's the difference between Adam Carroll and Justin Wilson for example, outside of the fact Wilson has F1 experience? Your typical Indycar race watcher or ticket buyer at the racetrack is going to hear Carroll and think "hmm...another British driver I've never heard of and know nothing about, so why should I care about him?". Do you see anyone going gaga over Wilson, who has far more of a name than Carroll? Of the cars running at the finish last night Wilson was last of them 3 laps down.

Hunter-Reay's four victories have never been in the best cars on offer and have always been in those second-tier rides below the top guys, and if you look at the history of his career, the current Andretti Autosport ride is the best car he's ever been in relative to the frontrunners. (If you don't believe me, go look at his career for yourself: http://www.champcarstats.com/drivers...r-ReayRyan.htm , and I'll skewer you if you attempt to tell me American Spirit Team Johansson was even close to a top-flight ride when he won in that car.) And in my opinion, he's made the most out of his opportunity at Andretti this year.

csirl: Above all, AA wants to win.

Again, Hunter-Reay won at Long Beach and was leading late at Sao Paulo. Long Beach was Andretti Autosport's first victory since June 2008 when Tony Kanaan won at Richmond.

You either don't follow Indycar racing at all or you're just stating a bunch of bullsh*t because I pretty much deconstructed your entire argument for Carroll and used your words to show why Hunter-Reay should remain in the car.

[cds_uk]

Flyin Ryan, calm down mate, i think all of us on here agree that RHR deserves to keep his seat, having said that Carroll is more than worthy of a drive in this series, if you have a problem with it i suggest you have a word with Michael, its him that has signed Caroll on talent alone. As good as RHR is i am of the opinion that Carroll is a cut above, you obviously are not, fair enough, you are wrong. . I cant see why you had a pop at Wilson, he is a decnt driver, a race winner in fact, ask Dale Coyne if he thinks he is any good.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by Flyin Ryan

IZOD's always been on the car and I think they've been chipping in a bit, but I don't think it was all IZOD. Remember at the beginning of the 2009 season, that Hunter-Reay was out of a ride, IZOD was rumored to be in the title sponsor picture, and they really liked Hunter-Reay, but they weren't willing to foot the bill for him (in a way, I agree, sponsoring the series is one thing and that's a lot of money, but it's not like you tack on extra as charity then).

What's charity got to do with it?