Milka Duno On Probation

DanicaFan · 25 Jul 2010, 17:07 (Ref:2732591)

Milka Duno is now on probation with the IRL for the remainder of the season due to her lack of performance. She wasnt able to qualify the last 2 races because she was so far off pace.

She must meet the minimum performance standards for each race. On road/street courses its time, 107% of the lead car and on the ovals, its 10mph compared to the lead car. Plus she has to watch her interaction between the other drivers.

I just wish they would of pulled her from the series myself.

awrb · 25 Jul 2010, 17:21 (Ref:2732606)

An iteresting situation now, but i hope she can make up that little bit of speed to keep up. If she doesn't that could mean we loose her but also Alex Lloyd and the whole Dale Coyne team. Just hope they can find money elsewhere.

ensign14 · 25 Jul 2010, 19:04 (Ref:2732693)

Unless CITGO decides that Pastor Maldonado is a better Venezulan bet. Maybe Milka's been keeping the seat warm until he got more experience.

broadrun96 · 25 Jul 2010, 19:44 (Ref:2732725)

Seems kinda weak to say you aren't fast enough to feel you're safe on track but not pull her off. Either enforce the rules package for her across the series or sit her, but this 'probation' package is ridiculous and wouldn't last 30 minutes if she appeals to any labor board. But I'm sure that would earn her a seat on the pitbox watching the race, which is what I would have done and pulled her race license.

ensign14 · 25 Jul 2010, 21:13 (Ref:2732822)

Quote:

Originally Posted by broadrun96

Seems kinda weak to say you aren't fast enough to feel you're safe on track but not pull her off. Either enforce the rules package for her across the series or sit her, but this 'probation' package is ridiculous and wouldn't last 30 minutes if she appeals to any labor board.

The probation might be to PREVENT an appeal to a labor board, which probably wouldn't succeed anyway (US courts are reluctant to interfere with the way governing bodies run their sport, although the CART teams did succeed over USAC in 1979). But if they HAD yanked her licence, she might have said that she didn't receive fair warning. This way, IRL will have a paper trail to explain why she was sat down.

fieldodreams79 · 25 Jul 2010, 21:21 (Ref:2732832)

Quote:

Originally Posted by DanicaFan

Milka Duno is now on probation with the IRL for the remainder of the season due to her lack of performance.

rich07 · 25 Jul 2010, 23:14 (Ref:2732923)

Quote:

Originally Posted by DanicaFan

Milka Duno is now on probation with the IRL for the remainder of the season due to her lack of performance.

Dejavu? This surely cant be the first time, cant be anyone else I can think of.

DanicaFan · 26 Jul 2010, 08:50 (Ref:2733153)

The thing that upsets me is they didnt do this with Marty Roth last year when they pulled him off the track for good. He was bad but he was better than Milka. A double standard for the IRL again.

Armco Bender · 26 Jul 2010, 09:22 (Ref:2733166)

Quote:

Unless CITGO decides that Pastor Maldonado is a better Venezulan bet.

He's heading for F1.

Taprobane · 26 Jul 2010, 09:56 (Ref:2733184)

Can you imagine if they stuck Pastor in there, the difference would be hilarious...

**bjohnsonsmith** · 26 Jul 2010, 15:39 (Ref:2733395)

Quote:

Originally Posted by broadrun96

Seems kinda weak to say you aren't fast enough to feel you're safe on track but not pull her off. Either enforce the rules package for her across the series or sit her, but this 'probation' package is ridiculous and wouldn't last 30 minutes if she appeals to any labor board. But I'm sure that would earn her a seat on the pitbox watching the race, which is what I would have done and pulled her race license.

It does seem rather weak but it's better than annoying CITGO and Dale Coyne losing their main sponsor, though the sooner Milka goes the better, she's an embarrassment.

JHamilton · 27 Jul 2010, 16:41 (Ref:2734055)

Quote:

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

It does seem rather weak but it's better than annoying CITGO and Dale Coyne losing their main sponsor, though the sooner Milka goes the better, she's an embarrassment.

I'm sorry for Dale Coyne, but Citgo can take a hike too.

**bjohnsonsmith** · 27 Jul 2010, 17:00 (Ref:2734062)

Quote:

Originally Posted by JHamilton

I'm sorry for Dale Coyne, but Citgo can take a hike too.

It's clear Milka Dunno is not up to the task, so I hope Citgo pull the plug on them for something that is clearly beyond Dale Coyne's control.

cmk · 28 Jul 2010, 04:56 (Ref:2734413)

CITGO comes with Milka, so they are highly unlikely to tell her to take a hike. They have sponsored her during her entire lackluster driving career in North America, so I don't see that changing. I seem to remember that she had a personal connection to the upper levels of the firm, but all I can find now are more sordid rumours.

Interestingly, EJ Viso is sponsored by the parent company of CITGO, Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A.

**bjohnsonsmith** · 28 Jul 2010, 05:31 (Ref:2734420)

Quote:

Originally Posted by cmk

CITGO comes with Milka, so they are highly unlikely to tell her to take a hike. They have sponsored her during her entire lackluster driving career in North America, so I don't see that changing. I seem to remember that she had a personal connection to the upper levels of the firm, but all I can find now are more sordid rumours.

Interestingly, EJ Viso is sponsored by the parent company of CITGO, Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A.

Intriguing? PDVSA is certainly on the side pod of his KV car, exactly what the connection with KV Racing is I'm not sure but CITGO are a subsiduary of PDVSA.

CITGO themselves they can't be happy with the situation and as for her personal connections with CITGO, I don't think I really want to know.

JagtechOhio · 28 Jul 2010, 08:45 (Ref:2734480)

Speak for yourself...I want photographic evidence.

cds_uk · 30 Jul 2010, 18:08 (Ref:2735946)

I don't for one minute think that Milka is a top drawer driver but could her lacklustre performances of late be down to the car, she seems to have got slower and slower as the season has worn on, but i cant remember her being 8 seconds off the pace at any stage last year, could it be as simple as a damged tub or something?

**bjohnsonsmith** · 30 Jul 2010, 18:24 (Ref:2735957)

Quote:

Originally Posted by cds_uk

I don't for one minute think that Milka is a top drawer driver but could her lacklustre performances of late be down to the car, she seems to have got slower and slower as the season has worn on, but i cant remember her being 8 seconds off the pace at any stage last year, could it be as simple as a damged tub or something?

I don't think so.

Andy Roberts · 2 Aug 2010, 02:33 (Ref:2737906)

Alex set the car up for her on the morning of the Mid-Ohio test. How did she go in the afternoon?

V8thunderfan · 9 Aug 2010, 16:18 (Ref:2742003)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andy Roberts

Alex set the car up for her on the morning of the Mid-Ohio test. How did she go in the afternoon?

She was caught pretty quick by the front runners they called her in to the pits as they got within blue flag distance.
She had a scare being lapped by the leaders late in the race when trying to leave room for Power (I think) while the other Penske came steaming past on the outside going to the pit road.

She could do with a good driver coach. I don't remember her as slow as this I can only think she needs to learn to set the car up herself. Is the probation is making her drive slower to be super careful? It did seem so at Mid Ohio holding in the pits while the leaders went passed etc..

I don't think she should be removed from the series, she isn't the first slightly questionable driver at the back of a CART/Indycar field. I can't see her staying in 2011 anyway.

JagtechOhio · 9 Aug 2010, 16:40 (Ref:2742021)

V8,

I think all of that is very fair-minded and accurate. Brian Barnhart and Duno's team have been working to keep her from impeding other cars and still enable her to compete.

She was well within 107% at Mid Ohio, and held up in the pits until the pack was clear.

Power and Castroneves just happened to catch her at a bad spot: Power got by, Cindric called Helio in and he dove for pit lane.

If many other drivers were under the same microscope, similar witch hunts could be started. There are a few responsible for many accidents and yellow flags, and Duno is not one of them.

V8thunderfan · 9 Aug 2010, 17:37 (Ref:2742052)

Quote:

Originally Posted by JagtechOhio

V8,

Power and Castroneves just happened to catch her at a bad spot: Power got by, Cindric called Helio in and he dove for pit lane.

If many other drivers were under the same microscope, similar witch hunts could be started. There are a few responsible for many accidents and yellow flags, and Duno is not one of them.

Totally agree,
Mid Ohio is a tough narrow track to allow people past at the best of times too and by all accounts she didn't hold anybody up or run them off the road.

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