The dreaded " * ".

[TheRob]

Ok, let me start off by saying I'm a huge PT fan. Any Canadian in fact. What if Paul Tracy goes on to win the title? Any established driver for that matter. Some people will argue that the field was diluted, thus the *. What do you think?

[evo]

What if Bourdais wins the title? He wouldn't be here if everyone had stayed, but everyone that wants to be here is. Now if the season was, say, 3 races long, like the first IRL title "fight", then maybe an * is appropriate. And Rob, did you ever get my PM?

[Jay]

I don't see why there should be. The only one that left that might have given PT a challenge was Da Matta, and I think Bourdais has filled his shoes as well as could be expected. He's been faster than Paul in quali, and no doubt will be on his tail in the races shortly.

Is the field diluted? From 1995 yes, but I'd say only marginally from last year. The top 12 guys still posts times within about a second of each other, and there has been some very close battles in the races. If you're one of those top 12 and you can win races then you must be doing something right.

Paul's just really hooked up this year. He finally has his whole team behind him and the car he's always wanted. He's never had a racing situation this good, and he's at the peak of his physical fitness. Race wins will naturally come.

[BootsOntheSide]

Fittipaldi was no real loss from the second Newman-Haas, as he'd consistantly failed to live up to what you'd expect from him. But, I think Franchitti could've been a real rival, if Andretti-Green had consistanly supported him and pushed for the CART title.

Tracy has certainly driven better than last eyar, becaus ehe senses a real chance of the title. But, it won't mean as much, ebcause the team who won 96-99 is gone, as are the drivers who won 2000-2002. Da Matta would've been lucky to beat the Penskes and their modified 'Reynske' cars. Brack was only a real threat on ovals, the lack of those in 2003 CART means that he is little loss. Likewise Kanaan.

The decline in the competitiveness of US open-wheel racing since 1995 has been partlybecause of a lack of sponsors for top drivers, partly because the detachment of the top race (the Indy 500) from the top drivers has caused that to lose importance, and partly because NASCAR has grown further, by producing four-wheeled chaos, as the average American wants. We can't say what would happen if teh Average American gained a third brain cell though.

[¡As-de-mim!]

It will matter only to the usual blow hards - the ones who have never done anything but feel qualified to sit on their fat a$$es and judge eveyone else. Besides, its not like there wasn't ample opportunity for anyone with the resources to compete.

[KC]

Should PT become champ, I don't think that anyone can say that he would not deserve it or had it too easy. Every car on the grid is running the same motor and should have equal power. Most of the teams are running the same chassis as well. Its not any one driver's fault on who his competition is. The field might appear diluted, but it is far more equal equipment wise.

[Lee Janotta]

PT still has Bourdais, Fernandez, and a former champion in Vasser to deal with (whatever you think of Vasser, he _did_ win the '96 championship).

In most any series, it's rare to have more than 4 drivers with a real shot at the championship.

[Jay]

Wasn't Junqueira the one everyone thought would have an easy ride with the Championship this year? A number of people thoguht Carpentier might take a run too... Jourdain was also pegged by many to be a contender. Then Bourdais came along and began smoking guys, Moreno came back, Domenguez moved up about 10 places when given equal equipment and a teammate, Servia has had bad luck, but has been close to the top at most sessions. Let's not forget Tagliani who is long overdue for his first win. You get the idea... There are about 10 guys who have a chance of winning any given weekend, and I have a feeling that could be 14 by season's end. If you win a race, you bloody well deserved it! Perhaps more so than last year if you consider how even the cars are now.

[corkholio]

It's not PT's fault that the field is full of w-nkers. Until they start adding asterixs to the winners of the post split Indy 500s, then PT shouldn't get one.

[Snrub]

No way. Of late (with the exception of this year), CART's field has been very strong. Go back around 2000 and I'd argue it was better than F1's. There have been times where there was less talent than others. Right now its a bit lower than we've come to expect of late.

Look at Indy in 1995. Who mounted a real challange JV? If you'd had real competition he couldn't have won from 2 laps down. Never the less he did a great job.

I disagree that Penske totally dominated in 2000, 2001. Look how close the battle was. JPM should have handily won in 2000, but his car kept dying. (huge number of laps lead) In 2002 Da Matta and NH were hooked up. No one could have beaten them. Look what happened to Ganassi in the same chasis/engine package.

Bourdais, Junky, PC, Servia, Tag, Jourdain are all top quality drivers. Vasser, Moreno, Dominguez are strong competitors. Fernadez probably has the talent to be in the first group, but not the car/setups. Hunter-Reay, Haberfield and Manning are up and commers who will likely be in the first group in a couple years. Monterio and Yoong may end up there two or perhaps in the second group.

I still say its a strong group of drivers and as mentioned before the equal engines and two chasis make it closer than normal.

[¡As-de-mim!]

Does Vasser have a * from '96?

[Jordi]

No champion ever has an asterisk. Not even Hermann Lang, who was declared Grand Prix champion in 1939 when H. P. Muller was the champion according to points..

[Ben 93 325is]

I think the talent field this year is one of the strongest we have ever had in CART. These rookies are incredible. The amount of wheel to wheel moments without people losing their cool amazes me this year. How many times was there a pile up on the first lap in the last few years? How many times did Takagi or Bell slap another car at turn one? Has not happened at all this year.

[evo]

Shouldn't Helio get an * from last years Indy 500?

[f1manoz]

I take nothing away from this field of rookies. Most of them have very good records, and the first three races have proven all are worthy of a seat in CART and most of them have been competitive.

It's not PT's fault that certain drivers decided to turn their back on a series where they made their fortune.

[MichaelH]

What's with the Vasser-bashing? he may not have the outright speed of some but he won a championship in a very competitive season, was able to beat Zanardi from time to time and outqualified Juan Montoya more often than not (look at the stats). I don't think he deserves to be in anything but the top group according to Snrubs otherwise very accurate assessment.

[f1manoz]

*applause*



I think Vasser is a very good driver indeed. He may not be the fastest, or the best out there, but he has championships and race wins to his name. Done more on the track than many, many other drivers.

[Jay]

Jimmy is one hell of a mentor too... just ask Alex Zanardi, Juan Montoya and Michel Jourdain about him!

[corkholio]

Originally posted by evo
Shouldn't Helio get an * from last years Indy 500?

Yes, but only because Paul Tracy actually beat him on track.

[corkholio]

Vasser won his championship on merit, no asterix should even come close to his name in the record books.

This is one of CART's weakest fields ever (weaker than support series' F3000 and SWS this year), but in no way should Tracy be penalized for the other owners' inability to find drivers who have something other than their bank account number on their resume. Even had the likes of Penske, Ganassi, and Green not left there is little to suggest that Tracy would not be where he is at this point.

[Snrub]

Vasser is a good guy, I just have not been impressed with him since '96. He's still got it at some times, but a lot of the time he's disappointing.

I don't know what it is about Vasser, but as Jay says he's one hell of a mentor. Drivers rarely get thanked by their team mates who beat them, but Vasser has had it happen three times! I was absolutely dumbfounded to discover that Jourdain is actually fast.

As for F3000, I think it's pretty hard to say they're better, but I wouldn't mind hearing the case for it.

Being ignorant on F3000 it strikes me looking at Junky that not all F3000 champs are automatically a top CART driver. Bourdais and JPM are special. Out of the current field I'd say only Camathias, Lavin, Lemarie would fall into the "shouldn't be here" catagory. Jourdain is the posterboy for all the loser drivers out there, so I tend to think there is more hidden talent in drivers then we're aware of.

'99 JPM vs. Jimmy Qualifying
9 12 9 11 6 10 2 7 15 6 4 1 12 5 3 16 13 16 17 4
8 15 5 1 3 1 5 1 1 2 8 3 1 8 10 1 16 1 6 3
13 for JPM vs 7 for Jimmy.

[corkholio]

Jourdain was already showing his potential during the second half of his rookie year at Peyton/Coyne. As soon as Herdez gave Coyne enough $$$ to buy a used Rahal Reynard (since the Lolas where total POS that year - the Reynard-Lola gap was much larger than the Lola-Reynard gap this year) Jourdain stsrted running in the upper midfield that year, would have scored some more points but Coyne cars seem to self-destruct when they are actually competitive. To make it even more fun Jourdain had Dennis Vittolo for a "teammate". Even if Jourdain was a rookie this year he would still have more than enough talent to smoke Camathias, Lavin, Lemarie, Yoong, and a few others.

[bcobbus]

Putting a * next to the champions name only serves to diminish CART, so why would they do it? The champion is the champion, simply as that! The only way I would see putting an * next to the champions name in motorsports is if there is God forbid another Jochen Rindt situation.

[Fish_Flake]

Let's not forget that when Jourdain entered CART, he was barely 19 and completely unprepared to compete at such a high level, which likely kept him from realizing his full potential as a driver until now. Had he put a couple of years of Atlantics or Indy Lights under his belt and entered CART in 1999, he might have had the experience to be lightning-quick right away.

[evo]

Originally posted by corkholio
Yes, but only because Paul Tracy actually beat him on track.

Yep, that is what I was refering to