2010 Silly Season

[JagtechOhio]

Right freakin' on...but I think this is another chapter of the "follow the money" story. So while the talent level is vastly inconsistent, the IRL does a poor job of garnering public recognition for the few legitimate stars they have now.

To a question from the opposite side of yours...what is preventing F1 from courting Dixon or Briscoe? Either of them seem to have the capabiltiy and youth to grow into a position in the big leagues to me. Many in the current IRL lineup will always be little leaguers at best.

[csirl]

Originally Posted by JagtechOhio

To a question from the opposite side of yours...what is preventing F1 from courting Dixon or Briscoe? Either of them seem to have the capabiltiy and youth to grow into a position in the big leagues to me. Many in the current IRL lineup will always be little leaguers at best.

Dixon had no experience of top class racing before going to Indylights. Only fairly low level local stuff in Australia and NZ. F1 teams would baulk at his lack of experience of top level racing. Would be akin to suggesting that someone who played Pop Warner football should be signed by an NFL team.

Briscoe had a very good career in F3 and some F1 testing experience and looked set for a career in F1. I think the big knock against him is his lack of success in F3000 (now called GP2) which is the main F1 feeder series as well as mediocore results in A1GP. A driver with F1 talent would be expected to win races in F3000/GP2 and dominate A1GP.

It doesnt help the cause of Indycar drivers when you have Rahal, who was a total failure at A1GP and Marco Andretti and others who were very ordinary in A1GP being regarded as big talents in Indycars. It gives the impression that the Indycar field is very week.

From the perspective of people not involved in US motorsports - Indycars has slipped from being second to F1 to being regarded as having less talented drivers than GP2, A1GP and even WSR.

I think its a great shame. I've love to see US motorsports attracting the best talent.

[Alwaysfirst]

Rumours that Alex Lloyd is close to a deal with Newman/Haas for the last 2 races of this season & the whole of next season, possibly with HER sponsorship.

Also rumours that Andretti/Green may run a 5th car at Infineon for Franck Montagny...which may suggest they are trying him out for a race seat next year...

[Tim Northcutt]

Originally Posted by drdisque

Dan Wheldon has a multiyear contract with Panther. Unless he buys out his contract/mutually parts ways, he will be in that car next year.

Same deal with Dixon - unless someone buys out his contract, he'll be in a Ganassi car next year.

Same deal with Rahal.

No way Doornbos will be with NHL next year. Those 2 Newman Wachs drivers need a year in Indy Lights before they'll be anywhere close to ready for the IndyCar Series.

I think Doornbos will be in the HVM car next year. I doubt Viso's money will hold out next year. The Venezuelan gov't is very short on Dollars and Euros to pay foreign debts and needs every dollar they can get out of PDVSA instead of spending it on racing.

There won't be a second Vision car unless someone brings a check - it won't be any of those drivers you listed.

Dreyer & Reinbold always manages to put a deal together - however I don't think it will be any of the drivers you listed except perhaps Scheckter. I have a feeling that Conway will be gone after this year.

I think there will be a second Coyne car next year. If you have some funding I think it's definitely the best car available for it.

Considering Junior Strous essentially stiffed PDM/American Spirit out of a few thousand dollars, I doubt he'll be driving their IndyCar next year.

Only two comments...

When Doornbos left NHL last week, Tim May at the Columbus Dispatch called Graham Rahal for comment and to ask a few other questions for his story on the subject...

The article noted that Rahal is in the third and final year of his current contract with NHL, and he hinted that De Ferran has expressed some interest in him, but wouldn't comment directly on it.

Regarding Wheldon, it has become apparent that neigh=ther he, nor Panther, are very happy campers right now...I don't expect them to stay together next season.

[DanicaFan]

Another comment on those who insist that Dixon will sign for DeFerran (if he even has an IRL team next year) I heard on an interview with Dixon after winning the race on my local Fox news sports channel was this....

Dixon said he enjoyed Target and Chip Ganassi and that this place is a "career" team.

I dont think he has any intentions of leaving anytime soon.

[JagtechOhio]

CS,

I think very ordinary is an apt description for everybody in the 5th-10th range in the points standing, Rahal and Andretti included. Franchitti is too old to do much else, add Power to the two I mentioned and I can see them as being at least worth a look. No need to poke me in the eye over it though.

F1 also-rans that show up here won't attract much attention either. Even a guy like JV would make a small splash upon appearance, but wouldn't hang unless he blew everybody's doors. Same for "SeaBass".

Seems the cloth that Emmo and Mansell were cut from is rather threadbare. And racing might be in the family bloodlines, but that sure doesn't mean the talent is intergenerational. A pity.

[Tim Northcutt]

Originally Posted by DanicaFan

Another comment on those who insist that Dixon will sign for DeFerran (if he even has an IRL team next year) I heard on an interview with Dixon after winning the race on my local Fox news sports channel was this....

Dixon said he enjoyed Target and Chip Ganassi and that this place is a "career" team.

I dont think he has any intentions of leaving anytime soon.

This story on Dixon indicates that as well:

http://www.versus.com/nw/article/vi...ruce_martin.tpl

[DanicaFan]

Dixon is also still under contract with Ganassi thru 2010.

[Tim Northcutt]

Originally Posted by DanicaFan

Dixon is also still under contract with Ganassi thru 2010.

I thought I read somewhere that 2010 is an option year in Dixon's contract?

Can't remember where I saw that, but I do remember reading it.

[cds_uk]

Originally Posted by Alwaysfirst

Also rumours that Andretti/Green may run a 5th car at Infineon for Franck Montagny...which may suggest they are trying him out for a race seat next year...

Thats what i want to hear, get Franck in there, classy guy, first rate driver, just what the series needs, another AGR car up the front right off the bat.

[instant classic]

any word on Bourdais yet?

[Taprobane]

Maybe the IRL guys should be hunting out more of the nearly men of F1. Theres plenty of them about.

Another thing that I found telling was that guy like Jamie Green, Paul Di Resta and Oliver Jarvis preferred to go to DTM (touring cars) than consider a hop across the pond to keep their single seater careers going. It just shows how little value the guys in the F1 paddock believe Indycar has.

[JagtechOhio]

Tap, with the present state of affairs, I wouldn't doubt that for a minute.

[Hazard]

Originally Posted by Taprobane

Maybe the IRL guys should be hunting out more of the nearly men of F1. Theres plenty of them about.

Another thing that I found telling was that guy like Jamie Green, Paul Di Resta and Oliver Jarvis preferred to go to DTM (touring cars) than consider a hop across the pond to keep their single seater careers going. It just shows how little value the guys in the F1 paddock believe Indycar has.

If you don't have a Ganassi or Penske drive, it's barely worth it.

Di Resta would have no reason to leave Mercedes, he's a prime candidate for F1 now that Mercedes are finally spreading their engines around.

Green and Jarvis may eventually get to Indycar.

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by Taprobane

Maybe the IRL guys should be hunting out more of the nearly men of F1. Theres plenty of them about.

Another thing that I found telling was that guy like Jamie Green, Paul Di Resta and Oliver Jarvis preferred to go to DTM (touring cars) than consider a hop across the pond to keep their single seater careers going. It just shows how little value the guys in the F1 paddock believe Indycar has.

I think much of that thinking is to align yourself with a manufacturer in F1 and to stay in Europe near the action.

Going to the USA is kind of a point of no return and by going there you have kind of signaled your intentions.

[drdisque]

Also, if you struggle in IndyCar (for example how Robert Doornbos has) you will have no hope of ever getting any sort of competitive drive back in Europe. Your only option at that point is sports cars.

IndyCar however IS good for drivers whose careers have stalled at the GP2 level like Viso. He obviously wasn't going to F1 - IndyCar gives him an opportunity to follow a different path, race in the biggest race in the world, and race a diverse schedule of unique tracks and be closer to home. IMHO, that's better than tooling around Europe on the F1 undercard running midpack.

[csirl]

Are most Indycar teams still focused more on the size of the drivers wallet than their talent? If they are, then this eventually kill of the series - very short sighted.

At the moment, we have the inexplicable situation whereby a large proportion of the Indycar field is made up of not even 4th rate non-US drivers who damage the series credibility. And genuine young talent - such as Jonathon Summerton, who's currently in the running for a F1 drive in 2010 - can't get a drive. Surely it would be better for Indycars to have Summerton racing than someone like Mike Conway?

[Alwaysfirst]

Mike Conway isn't a 4th rate driver IMO. People seem to forget that he came straight out of F3 into much more powerful cars & has spent the year running on tracks & types of tracks (Ovals) that he's never run on before. I think that many drivers would struggle in that situation...and he has occasionally shown flashes of real speed. Often that's been before making a mistake but he seems to be improving. I'm hoping he keeps his ride next year as I'm interested to see how he does with a bit more experience at this level.

And yes I do think that there should be places on the grid for drivers like Summerton, Hinchcliffe, Lloyd (who may be finally getting a full-time ride), Cunningham & so on...but as long as sponsorship is hard to come by & the team owners don't want to spend much of their own cash then pay drivers will be a factor. They always have & that shows no sign of changing.

[Taprobane]

Mike Conway is a long way from the bottom of the list talent wise. He hasn't had a great year but he's never driven round ovals before. I think with a year or two of experience he could be a real asset to the series.

[Alwaysfirst]

I'm hoping that Milka Duno doesnt get a ride though. Last weekend was just embarasing how slow she was. If a driver in Indycar is going slower than half the field in Indy Lights then they shouldn't be racing IMO.

[awrb]

The only way I'd like to see Duno not get a seat is if the grid is full for the whole season. If there's a spare car, and she's got the cash, let her in. The more cars the better.

[Tim Northcutt]

Originally Posted by Alwaysfirst

I'm hoping that Milka Duno doesnt get a ride though. Last weekend was just embarasing how slow she was. If a driver in Indycar is going slower than half the field in Indy Lights then they shouldn't be racing IMO.

As long as Citgo keeps writing checks for her, she'll have at least a partial season ride somewhere (sigh)

[JHamilton]

Originally Posted by Tim Northcutt

As long as Citgo keeps writing checks for her, she'll have at least a partial season ride somewhere (sigh)

Yep, but I wish these owner's would resist the temptation. Milka is a rolling chicane in an indycar and would be better represented in a DP. Citgo isn't the most popular company in the US anyway...

[Tim Northcutt]

Originally Posted by JHamilton

Yep, but I wish these owner's would resist the temptation. Milka is a rolling chicane in an indycar and would be better represented in a DP. Citgo isn't the most popular company in the US anyway...

Agreed on all counts, JHamilton...

[Jimmy Magnusson]

Originally Posted by csirl

Are most Indycar teams still focused more on the size of the drivers wallet than their talent? If they are, then this eventually kill of the series - very short sighted.

At the moment, we have the inexplicable situation whereby a large proportion of the Indycar field is made up of not even 4th rate non-US drivers who damage the series credibility. And genuine young talent - such as Jonathon Summerton, who's currently in the running for a F1 drive in 2010 - can't get a drive. Surely it would be better for Indycars to have Summerton racing than someone like Mike Conway?

Conway is probably better than Summerton, but I'll let you guess why IndyCar teams may choose to be "short-sighted"...