To pass or not to pass!

enemy-ace · 23 Dec 2002, 16:14 (Ref:456225)

With the amount of talent the CART series has produced, who do you think were or are the scariest?

Question 1 - With 3 laps left, you have the slower car, who is the driver you would least like to have in your mirrors?

For me it would have to be Zanardi. He was not only an incredibly smooth driver who was relentless in pursuit; but once he caught you
he was not adverse to attempting that daring pass. I have wonderful memories of Toronto '98 when he was chasing Andretti, I was timing the intervals between the two and you couldn't help but think that Andretti was doomed. It was like watching a Cheetah hunt it's prey on discovery channel.
Honourable mention goes to Paul Tracy, the master of the chrome horn! His passes on both daMatta and Junqueira at Road America were both great displays of aggressive, cold tire driving.

Question 2 - With 3 laps left you have the faster car, who is the driver you would least like to be chasing?

For me it's Montoya, he was so bloody quick and with excellent car control even on cold tires. I can't count how many times I saw him take a lead and start to pull away. He made that Toyota engine look a lot better than it was.
Honourable mention goes to daMatta, he really impressed me this year with his pace while leading. I believe it was Portland this year when he had Junquera all over his gearbox, but he never turned a wheel wrong. Very Impressive!

Lee Janotta · 23 Dec 2002, 16:20 (Ref:456228)

1. Villeneuve (no explanation needed), Zanardi (ditto), Montoya (ditto again), Emmo (One of the best ever), Mario (knows every move possible), Tracy or Vasser (damn dangerous!)

2. Unser Jr. (would run me clean off the road), all the guys mentioned above except Vasser, plus Rahal (never made mistakes), Roberto Moreno (don't think I'd have the heart to pass him!), or any Japanese driver (they manage to make a single car 3 wide, even when they're many laps down!)

Jordi · 23 Dec 2002, 18:08 (Ref:456277)

1. Zanardi undoubtedly.
2. Any. If I have a faster car, either I'll pass or we'll crash!

macdaddy · 23 Dec 2002, 18:24 (Ref:456287)

Behind me? Zanardi. Every corner I'd be looking in my mirrors and thinking, "Is there where he's gonna pass me?" Second choice maybe Tracy. I'd likewise be thinking, "Is there where he's gonna hit me?"

In front of me? Takagi, Matshusita, Vitolo. I'd be wishing that I had a horn, just to be sure that they knew I was there.

BootsOntheSide · 23 Dec 2002, 19:10 (Ref:456334)

1 Zanardi. Laguna Seca 1998 says it all, herta had no right to expect to be challenged at that corner. Paul Tracy as well, as you wouldn't expect to avoid contact.

2 Defiantely one of the pay-driving atrocities of the past, but with any luck they wouldn't get to be ahead of me anyway. Out of the frontrunners over the years, Montoya is one of the tougher racers,a dn even if you get past him in this race, he'd make you pay next weekend.

mac · 23 Dec 2002, 21:39 (Ref:456414)

Quote:

Originally posted by BootsOntheSide
1 Zanardi. Laguna Seca 1998 says it all, herta had no right to expect to be challenged at that corner.

I'm a stickler for details, but it was 1996.

The Snout · 23 Dec 2002, 23:51 (Ref:456492)

Q1 : Montoya

Q2 : Franchitti. Because if I f*cked up I'd never hear the end of it. Would rather finish 2nd than risk listening to his ****.

BootsOntheSide · 24 Dec 2002, 11:14 (Ref:456703)

I knew that. Second blindingly obvious mistake I've made on here in a few days.

Crash Test · 25 Dec 2002, 05:45 (Ref:457114)

1. Our Paul
2. Out Paul

sgw2 · 25 Dec 2002, 07:18 (Ref:457129)

Seriously Al Unser jr. in 1990-1994 form was frightening to have behind you on any circuit. Rick Mears was Mr. pressure on any oval for the better part of a decade. Zanardi was the same way in 1997-1998 for road courses, but more reckless, as he punted people who he felt were holding him.

Since Unser jr.'s dominance lasted longer and included both ovals and road circuits, I'd have to rank his fear factor greater than Mears or Zanardi.

The worst guy in front is anyone who is inconsistent. Robbie Gordon (for a good driver) was horrible to see in front of you when he was in risk of going a lap down - as is Paul Tracy-, while one Brazilian driver and a Japanese driver (not Hiro) were so bad that charts were kept on them for hummor by fans. I'm sure the list of unqualified and dangerous drivers is quite long. But the worst ones are actually the good drivers on bad days, when they lose their cool and refuse to be polite.

mac · 25 Dec 2002, 08:59 (Ref:457140)

Zanardi very rarely punted people off. Off the top of my head, I can recall only Little Al at Elkhart Lake in 1998 and Helio at Mid Ohio in the same year.

macdaddy · 25 Dec 2002, 20:51 (Ref:457317)

That's what made Zanardi Zanardi. That's what won him races and championships. I'm sure he instilled fear into every driver he ever followed during those great years.

racerkeke · 26 Dec 2002, 17:23 (Ref:457715)

Mac, what about Vancouver, oh, maybe 1997 or '98? The one where he hit five or six guys and ended up on probation after trying to take out the worker at Pit In? I kept watching this and saying, "This is all wrong -- are you SURE this is Alex? Not Paul?"

Zanardi was a bear when he got down in the order enough that he couldn't see a way to win.

keke

gaines · 26 Dec 2002, 17:55 (Ref:457722)

Zanardi and PT have very similar driving styles, Alex was just always much better at picking his spots and made better decisions than Paul. If Paul ever puts together the kind of run he's capable of you'd see Zanardi like numbers. The only problem is, it's probably too late to teach an old PT new tricks(or patience).

mac · 26 Dec 2002, 23:00 (Ref:457860)

The only guy he hit in that race in 1997 was Herta. Zanardi went up the inside of him and they were side by side on the entry to the turn 4 chicane. Herta REFUSED to get out of it and ended up in the wall. If he got out of it, he would have continued on his merry way.

I will concede that Alex drove like a madman that day - but it was AWESOME to watch!

Joey Jo Jo · 27 Dec 2002, 17:54 (Ref:458295)

Zanardi, was always my favorite! He couldn't have been a better champion. He was the most exciting guy to watch both on and off the track. I remember bumping into a young Montoya at the first race in Miami after Alex had left, and was feeling disapointed that Zanardi was no longer in the Target car. Little did I know how awsome he turned out to be as well. I was sorry to see them both leave.
Who was the better driver? Stats?

macdaddy · 27 Dec 2002, 18:48 (Ref:458319)

Didn't Zanardi win his second championship with something like four races remaining? And didn't he obliterate the record for most consecutive poles? Tied for most wins in a season? Montoya was awesome in a ChampCar, but he was no Zanardi. IMO.

Jordi · 27 Dec 2002, 18:59 (Ref:458329)

he obliterated the poles record in 96-97.
A big fault of Alex in 1998 was his inability to score a single pole. In that aspect, Dario (5) and Greg (4) were better.

Montoya: 10 wins, 14 poles, 3 consecutive wins. 1 title, 1 ROTY title. Most wins for a rookie, most poles for a rookie.

Zanardi: 15 wins, 10 or 11 poles (not sure), 4 consecutive wins, 6 consecutive poles...
and then there's 1998: 285 points, 15 podiums out of 19 races, 17 races in the points (would be 18 but for a DQ at Mid-Ohio)

enemy-ace · 27 Dec 2002, 23:03 (Ref:458490)

Quote:

Originally posted by Jordi
Zanardi: 15 wins, 10 or 11 poles (not sure),

10 poles

Joey Jo Jo · 20 Feb 2003, 17:30 (Ref:512550)

Juan also had to contend with a new engine his second year that kept blowing up

evo · 20 Feb 2003, 19:43 (Ref:512669)

1. Probably someone like Zanardi or Tracy who will do anything to get by. A lot of guys at this level (sadly) will not do anything they can to get by and will settle for second. Those are the guys you want behind you in this situation.

2. Anyone named Andretti. Those guys had the tendancy to change lines at the last minute, and then blame the guy behind them for the resulting contact. Having said that of course there is no driver in the world who I would not try to pass. Snout's right about Dario, but I would still try and just ignore him if he complained that I took him out.

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