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4 Dec 2004, 14:36 (Ref:1170612) | #276 | |||
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Ironically, we now have an Aussie/NZ team in the IRL, but no American team. American open wheel racers are going the way of the dinosaurs I'm afraid, and I could envision the day when they'll only be one or two left in the IRL, just like the other series. It won't be long before Red Bull will have to have an American driver search for IndyCar racing... |
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"I don't feel insecure about 'being girlie'. I do as much media as I can because I want this IRL series to be so kick-butt that NASCAR goes, 'Huh?'" Danica Patrick |
4 Dec 2004, 17:56 (Ref:1170771) | #277 | ||
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Franchitti, Castroneves, Dixon and Kanaan all proved themslves in less-competitive CART rides before coming to the IRL though. And it took Meira 2 years to get a decent full-time ride, and that was at expense of Jourdain having one in CART.
Looking at it from another perspective, how many drivers who've done well in non-oval junior formulae have come into the IRL and flopped? If a few high-profile guys were to struggle, team owners would look towards the US again. |
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5 Dec 2004, 00:53 (Ref:1170957) | #278 | |||
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Ovals are not easy. |
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When asked facetiously if he knew he’d ruined a good story line by beating Patrick, Wheldon responded bluntly, “Don’t care one bit.” |
5 Dec 2004, 07:07 (Ref:1171053) | #279 | |
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Justin Wilson has only done one race at Milwaukee - seems harsh to draw conclusions from that...
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5 Dec 2004, 07:43 (Ref:1171065) | #280 | ||
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True, but it would also be ridiculous to conclude that he and Bourdais find ovals easy... And that was my point.
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When asked facetiously if he knew he’d ruined a good story line by beating Patrick, Wheldon responded bluntly, “Don’t care one bit.” |
5 Dec 2004, 08:52 (Ref:1171096) | #281 | |
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That's true as well.
But this is motor-racing - people will always draw instant conclusions, however inaccurate |
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5 Dec 2004, 10:51 (Ref:1171173) | #282 | |
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There are plenty of instances of purebred roadracers jumping in and going quick on ovals straight away. Junqueira (also an F1 tester) qualified on pole at his first attempt. Manning was quick in his first crack at Rockingham (admittedly he'd done some tin-top oval races), Bourdais has been quick at times, Montoya, Zanardi, Helio Castroneves ....
My point is that it is not a big stretch for a proven roadracer to be rapid on ovals. And I think Justin's comment was that ovals were boring - not easy ..... my bad. |
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5 Dec 2004, 20:25 (Ref:1171650) | #283 | |
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Ovals are not easy but set up is critical and without a good set up or experience to arrive at a good set up you can founder no matter how good you are at road racing. The engineering expertise of a good team can make a difference in supporting their driver.
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6 Dec 2004, 02:07 (Ref:1171886) | #284 | ||
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Nigel Mansell said that there is nothing special about ovals - you get corners like stowe that are the same speed. The only difference is that you come up on them every 10 seconds.
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"Abe will be remembered as a fighter" - RIP Abe. |
6 Dec 2004, 05:43 (Ref:1171984) | #285 | ||
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Nigel who found out the hard way that ovals can seriously bite you when he backed into the wall at Phoenix in his first try there and didn't race again til Long Beach... where he was an inch shorter.
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When asked facetiously if he knew he’d ruined a good story line by beating Patrick, Wheldon responded bluntly, “Don’t care one bit.” |
6 Dec 2004, 05:50 (Ref:1171987) | #286 | ||
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actually to be pedantic KB Wilson also drove at las vegas , so thats 2 ovals , but im being nit picky there
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In Loving memory of Peter Brock I hate it when im driving in a straight line & Seb Vettel runs into me GO THE MIGHTY HAWKS !!!! |
6 Dec 2004, 14:24 (Ref:1172371) | #287 | |
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To be even more nit picky, marcus, I know he drove at Las Vegas - my response was to the poster who suggested Wilson had done a two races at Milwaukee.
But we're spiltting hairs now |
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6 Dec 2004, 14:32 (Ref:1172383) | #288 | |||
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I would bet that if you ask Johnny Herbert, who spent two weeks in May 2002 trying unsuccessfuly to qualify for the Indy 500, that he would tell you that ther is a lot more to it than turnng left... Plus it involves a lot different set of parameters to get the set-ups right... Finally, both CART and OWRS for Sebastien, and only OWRS for Justin have run high downforce packages on the ovals where they have competed.... Seabass -- Lautzenring, Milwaukee, Las Vegas...did he run Rockingham in England? Can't remember if he did... Justin -- Milwaukee and Las Vegas... and finally... If ovals are so "easy" for Seabass, why didn't he run better at Milwaukee??? |
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Finally... One American Open Wheel Series! |
6 Dec 2004, 14:59 (Ref:1172430) | #289 | ||
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Getting around an voal circuit is fairly easily - you just turn left 4 times.
Getting around an oval circuit faster than 20-40 other entries, by getting a good set-up together and finding the absolute optimum turn-in points isn't easy. Winning an oval race by actually beating other cars in wheel-to-wheel action, including planning pit strategies, adjusting them to any yellow flags, and overtaking rivals and backmarkers when being half an inch too far to the left can mean serious injury - no one could say that's easy. Herbert's circumstances were quite tough ultimately, because his team had no experience of that era's cars, and Johnny didn't have as much practice and qualifying time as everyone else thanks to his ALMS commitments. I'm sure that if he did a full IRL season he would do pretty well, even now. |
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6 Dec 2004, 15:08 (Ref:1172444) | #290 | |||
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Johnny drove for Eric Bachaelart's team at Indy, didn't he??? and that particular year, his stable mate...Laurence Redon.... qualified pretty well... Johnny had his decent days, and he had his bad days in that two-week stretch....his big problem was keeping up with the changing track conditions and thus he was behind the curve on how to change the car to adapt to the changes in the track itself as it got hotter, cloudy, windy, etc. from day to day.... Plus Indy is unique, because there are only a couple of "Fast" ways around the place...if you miss your marks in just one of the four corners, your lap time will drop 2-3 mph.....it is a place that requires great precision from the driver to be consistently fast there..... I have no doubt that Johnny could be quick if he ran a full season on ovals....but the point I'm making is that it is not all that easy... In 2002, on some days he was fast enough to make the show....but on qualifying days, he was not....it is not easy to put four laps together as the track changes and make the show.... Last edited by Tim Northcutt; 6 Dec 2004 at 15:15. |
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Finally... One American Open Wheel Series! |
7 Dec 2004, 02:08 (Ref:1173006) | #291 | |||
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And to defend myself, I never meant to suggest that Justin Wilson ran at Milwaukee twice. I do follow both sides rather closely so I know what goes on. I only wanted to point out that he hardly had an easy time of it at Milwaukee. I think it actually scared the **** out of him. |
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When asked facetiously if he knew he’d ruined a good story line by beating Patrick, Wheldon responded bluntly, “Don’t care one bit.” |
7 Dec 2004, 02:12 (Ref:1173010) | #292 | ||
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There is a rumor floating around that Michel Jourdain is looking for an Indy 500 ride with fellow countryman, Adrian Fernandez.
Could he be looking for the rumored seat in a possible third Fernandez car? |
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"I don't feel insecure about 'being girlie'. I do as much media as I can because I want this IRL series to be so kick-butt that NASCAR goes, 'Huh?'" Danica Patrick |
7 Dec 2004, 05:00 (Ref:1173061) | #293 | ||
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I think the biggest proof of Wilson's uncertainty on the Milwaukee oval was that not even the teamtrusted him enough to go out there with their new LOLA instead they senthim in there with their last year's Reynard. As far as Michel going to the IRL it is a move that wouldnt really surprise me or bother me, I think that move will help tip the scale of the Mexican fans who began giving the IRL a serious look after the Fernandez affair.
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Not even death can stop me, and if death takes me by surprise, it's more than welcome. |
7 Dec 2004, 06:19 (Ref:1173083) | #294 | |
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I read in the new autosport I got today that Rahal has completely lost the Centrix sponsorship to Boris Said in Nascar.
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Wolverines! |
7 Dec 2004, 07:20 (Ref:1173104) | #295 | ||
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Also, according to the IndyStar, Team Rahal-Letterman Racing will announce its three-car line-up tomorrow Wednesday, and the drivers will be, as expected, Buddy Rice, Vitor Meira and Danica Patrick. |
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7 Dec 2004, 07:56 (Ref:1173121) | #296 | ||
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So I guess we'll see. |
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Wolverines! |
7 Dec 2004, 08:25 (Ref:1173143) | #297 | ||
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Logically, though, it wouldn't make sense jumping from a strong high-profile team that includes the most recent Indy 500 winner to a part-time NASCAR deal with a driver who hasn't produced anything, really, in terms of results on ovals yet (and, to be frank, most likely never will...). |
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7 Dec 2004, 12:19 (Ref:1173359) | #298 | |
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If sponsors prefer to support a NASCAR nobody to an IndyCar title contender, it really doesn't say a lot for US open-wheel racing. Still, if Rahal still has the money to run 3 cars, it could be their loss.
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"Stacy's mom has got it going on, she's all I want, and I've waited so long. Stacy can't you see, you're just not the girl for me, I know it might be wrong but I'm in love with Stacy's mom" |
7 Dec 2004, 12:25 (Ref:1173362) | #299 | ||
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Being competitive on ovals in NEXTEL Cup competition is something else though. |
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7 Dec 2004, 12:48 (Ref:1173385) | #300 | |
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I'm well aware of Boris Said's excellent record as a road-course ringer, but the fact remains that for 8 of his 10 outings next season he is likely to be near the back, and the sportscar achievements mean very little when you're not sponsoring them. Also, dare I say that he isn't the most marketable driver, considering his Arabic background and confusingly-pronounced surname (to your average American, especially your average NASCAR fan)?
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"Stacy's mom has got it going on, she's all I want, and I've waited so long. Stacy can't you see, you're just not the girl for me, I know it might be wrong but I'm in love with Stacy's mom" |
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