Quote:
Originally Posted by mountainstar
My point about creating wealth and then going racing is aimed at those without the resources or connections at a young age. If you are 18 and working a minimum wage job or are in college, you will not be racing open wheel formula cars unless daddy is writing big checks. Even if you save up for a 3 day school at Skippy, well after that what do you do? In my opinion to even get your name recognized at all or get decent start up experience you need at least $100k to get going. Haydenfan is a good example here. I remember when he ran in Skippy. He and dad blew a sizable chunk of change and to what end?
Zak Brown is a great example. I remember when he was scraping around getting bottom of the barrel rides back in the early 1990's, going nowhere. He started his own motorsport marketing business and turned himself into a major multi millionaire and now he does whatever the hell he wants and has the clout and connections now to seek out alternative funding as well. Very smart guy.
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Don't get me started on those two seasons of doom. We could have continued up the ladder (well if you call F2000 a move up from Skip Barber), but running midpack for the type of money we were spending was not worth it. I was improving, just not at the level that our finances allowed. You have those drivers we all talk about. "Give him another season or two and he'll be a superstar." Tell me you haven't said that about a driver? I felt given the right situation I could have been a front runner. But we, and most drivers, didn't have those fund for the extra year.
Zak Brown is quick too though. Just seems that even when he was starting out money was the same issue all face now, because he can peddle a GT car at his age, better than people 15 years his elder. You look at the amateur classes in the Blancpain Endurance Championship and FIA GT1 (we're getting off topic aren't we mod?), and there are a few really good drivers that seem to be living their dream just a decade or two later than they had wished.
But trying to stay a bit on topic. I know Zack Veach hasn't shown on the track that he's anything special, but he has worked his butt off to get into racing. Having a family to spend money doesn't help, but he seems to work to repay some of that cash. He has found sponsors and has written a book (stupid book. Read it, not very useful unless you live that lifestyle that he does.), but that is something that Paul Tracy never did. Come to think of it, getting off topic again, could PT read? I mean he never came across as the brightest guy on the grid. But back to the young drivers. Some of these kids are impressive. A bit robotic, but I'd try to make personal lube sounds like a great product (actually.... oh never mind) if it helped me race. My only sponsor was a local Ford dealership (amounted to a free use of a car for a weekend of my choice, for which I borrowed a Ford GT; they didn't write the contract very well, and what amounted to the costs of driving to the races, flights were what the rich do) and I hawked that place like no other. I sent my overalls to a place to get about 6 logos of the place sewn on. One guy wanted to interview me for some website and asked if my name was that of the dealership. But it helped my racing.
Back on topic.
Here's the results from the 2 practice sessions today from Detroit (going there Sunday). FP1 was wet and only a couple of a guys went out.
1. Savaadra
2. Vautier
3. Yacaman
4. Guerrieri
5. Dempsey
6. Goncalvez
7. Munoz
8. Garcia
9. Day
10. Carbone
11. Webb (he's a huge disappointment this season)
12. Ostella (running in a TMR/BHA combined entry as his car was beyond quick repair from Indy)
13. Ebrahim (the other big disappointment. No wonder he spent 3 lackluster years in F2. F2!)
14. Younessi (old guy who vaulted a fortune made from a Harley dealership into a racing team.)
Yes, only 14 cars. But with Ostella running a joint entry, I am not worried about the grid falling too far down. Still wish for another 5-6 cars as while the top 5-6 are competitive as can be, a extra cars just look better. Even if it was the likes of EuroBrun and Zakspeed, people loved the huge grids found in F1 during the 80's.