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Written by:
Jeff Olson
Senior writer, RACER Magazine http://www.racer.com/speedtv
Senior writer, RACER Magazine http://www.racer.com/speedtv
03/28/2008 - 07:13 AM
Homestead, Fla.
The established IndyCar Series powers have some new challengers this year, and everyone is better off for it. (LAT photo) » More Photos
You’ve got mail. (And some of it is even clean enough for publication.) With the new-look IndyCar season opener bearing down and the in-box filling up, it’s time to take a look at the pressing issues of the day via e-mail:
Some of us don’t share your optimism about unification. Tell the truth. It isn’t good for the sport. It’s not going to fix anything, just make it worse. -- Steve-O, Charlotte.
Wrong. After more than a decade, everyone is pulling in the same direction. As one team owner said yesterday, “We have a future now. Before we were just going in all different directions, but now we have something to work toward. There was no future in what we were doing. Now there is one.”
It won’t be pretty at first, and there will be growing pains, and it might take five to 10 years to see tangible results, but this is the foundation for taking the sport forward. Had the two series continued apart for another decade -- if they could have lasted another decade -- it would have destroyed open-wheel, single-seat, open-cockpit racing in the U.S.
Behind the scenes, drivers are thrilled that it’s been resolved and they’re back together in one series. It’s a major challenge for the former Champ Car teams, but there are some remarkably talented and capable people in the business. They’re all on the same side now. It’s one of the great racing stories of our time. Why not be optimistic about it?
Here we go again, more whining from Danica. Why is she complaining about weight again? -- Bbop24, Lawton, Okla.
Because she’s got a legitimate gripe. IndyCar officials have changed the minimum weight rules to include the driver, which doesn’t do any favors to the smallest ones. She has a right to complain about it, and I doubt you’d complain about her complaining if she were a man. Why is it that whenever Patrick raises a legitimate concern she gets ripped for it, but if a male driver does the same thing he’s fighting for his cause?
That said, I agree that too much is made of weight. Steve Kinser, the greatest racer in the history of race cars, never watched his carbs, and Tony Stewart isn’t going to be fighting for the featherweight championship anytime soon. Weight is an issue in open-wheel racing, always will be, but it’s not the most important issue. It doesn’t determine who wins or loses.
A lot has changed in Indy cars, but enough remains the same for the likes of Dixon to remain the drivers to beat. (LAT photo) » More Photos
What’s the biggest change that the Champ Car guys will notice? -- Jon K., Lexington, Ky.
First thing they’ve noticed is fit. The cockpit of the Dallara is less roomy than the DP01. The key element isn’t legroom but arm and shoulder room, and several of the former Champ Car guys -- namely Graham Rahal and Justin Wilson -- are tall. It’s a question of comfort and maneuverability.
The most critical issue, though, is what they’re facing this weekend -- high-speed, heavy-downforce, close-quarters oval racing. Many have never been on an oval; none has ever experienced this big-wing formula on an oval. They’ll be much more in their element next week on the streets of St. Pete, but the first side-by-side race on a banked oval will be a difficult task.
Nobody watches Indy racing because you don’t have no Americans. … Who wants to watch some Pablo from Peru go around in circles? -- NASCARNut, whereabouts unknown
Funny how you people never jumped on the Buddy Rice bandwagon when he won Indy in 2004. Or Sam Hornish Jr. when he won in '06. Again and again I hear whining about foreign drivers. The IndyCar Series now has several bankable American racers (Patrick, Rice, Marco Andretti, Graham Rahal,
Real race fans don’t care where the racers come from. They just want to watch them race.
All you do is bitch about NASCAR. You’re just jealous. -- NASCARNut, whereabouts unknown
What can I say? It’s an easy target. My best power naps happen during NASCAR telecasts. It’s the ultimate sedative, better than televised golf or those wildlife specials on Animal Planet. I’m usually out before they complete a lap, if they can do so without crashing.
Now that open-wheel is back together, who’s going to win the IRL championship? -- Jim, Noblesville, Ind.
This is just a gut feeling, but the gut says this is Tony Kanaan’s year again. He’s at the prime of his career, he’s in the final year of his contract, and he’s arguably the best racer of his time. Scott Dixon also gets a nod of approval, and it’s possible that we could be witnessing one of the great back-and-forth rivalries of open-wheel history. There are others, but these two are atop the A-list.
A lot has changed in Indy cars, but enough remains the same for the likes of Dixon to remain the drivers to beat. (LAT photo) » More Photos
Do any of the new guys have a chance of winning a race in the first year? -- indy1107, Alton, Ill.
Definitely, but most likely it will happen later in the season on a road or street course. I’d say Wilson, Rahal, Oriol Servia and Will Power all have a shot at victory, possibly at Mid-Ohio or Sonoma later in the summer. But don’t be surprised if these guys and others have game next week at St. Pete.
You need to raise the issue of danger in the first race. It’s going to be mayhem. -- Clevelandrox, Masillon, Ohio
Never apply danger to a race before it happens. It usually doesn’t pan out and only adds to the pre-race consternation. I (and others) have a bad feeling about Texas Motor Speedway every year, but it usually goes unspoken. (And Texas often turns out to be the best oval show of the year.) True, pack racing on high-banked ovals is inherently dangerous, and when you add eight fresh drivers into the mix, it appears to be trouble in the making. But too much has been made of the potential for trouble.
When you fear a race, you’re usually underestimating the skill of the participants. The newcomers know they’re inexperienced here; therefore they aren’t going to push the issue. Likewise, the veterans know who to run with and who to avoid. It might not be an attractive race, but I don’t sense disaster. They’re all fully aware of the potential for trouble. They’re smarter than you think.
Dude, what’s up with your photo? Who soiled your Corn Flakes? -- Tigger74, whereabouts unknown
Dude, that’s not me. The real me is pleasant, smiling and 24 years old. The real me looks like Matthew McConaughey, only smarter and less annoying. I’m having a new photo painted as we speak.
I’m (deleted) sick of your (deleted deleted). Tony George ruined racing and people like you don’t even care. … You’re a (deleting) joke. -- Champcar4ever, San Diego
Mom? Is that you?
You CART apologist. You never point out that they started it, not TG. You’re a (deleted) with no (deletion). Go (delete) yourself. -- irl18, Danville, Ill.
Thank you, Mr. Vice President.
What’s your favorite thing in the entire racing world? -- Steubenator, Madison, Wis.
An empty e-mail box and a nice quiet NASCAR race on a Sunday afternoon.
Jeff Olson is a Senior Writer for RACER magazine. For details about the current issue, visit www.racer.com.
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