Sam Sweepstakes
August 19, 2003
Robin Miller cleverly refers to the Hornish affair as “Sam Sweepstakes” in his article where he also contends that Sam has all but told us that he is headed to NASCAR, and more specifically Penske. However, if Penske were to bring Sam into NASCAR the same way he did Ryan Newman, “starting him in ARCA and Busch with only a couple of Cup appearances,” that would not be a full season for Sam. But I guess comparing the IRL season Sam is used to vs. the grueling NASCAR schedule is like comparing apples to oranges.
Also of interest is Chip Ganassi’s sour relationship with Sam’s agent John Caponigro. The Ganassi camp has admitted that Sam’s $3 million for the first year demands are out of their price range…which is hard to believe considering the money machine that that team is.
Darrell Russell interview
August 19, 2003
There is hope for IT geek wannabe race car drivers everywhere….
“Darrell Russell has quite a resume. From raising mini-donkeys on his Hockley, Texas, farm, to working for a Fortune 500 company as a computer information technology specialist, Russell has proven to be very versatile.”
NHRA.com: Russell relishing role with Joe Amato Racing
Montreal preview
August 19, 2003
Selected quotes and previews of the race
Schumacher determined to end drought
August 19, 2003
Michael is talking about his winning drought, as in not having won since June 15 in Canada. For him to win will require an end to the weather drought, and some nice rainy race day conditions where his Bridgestone tires will not be a detriment to his driving skills. No one is better than Michael in the rain.
Schumacher determined to end winning drought
Tony George: driver at heart
August 19, 2003
It turns out that the Czar of the IRL and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a racer at heart after all. The imfamous Tony George would love to get back behind the wheel “in a minute” if he could find the time. I wasn’t even aware that he ever had a driving “career”…
PennLive.com: George — driving force behind IRL
Ralf goes before the court
August 19, 2003
GrandPrix.com covers the Ralf Schumacher hearing in Paris…
….decision due tomorrow….
More Spencer vs. Busch ramblings
August 19, 2003
Mark DeCotis put together an eloquent piece on why (whether you like Jimmy or not) his punching Kurt Busch (whether he “deserved it” or not) was the wrong move for everyone involved, including himself…
Selected quotes:
“Had Spencer had any sense he would have kept his hands in his pockets, given Busch a dirty look or two, and waited until Saturday night to put a fender into Busch to get even.”
“However, it’s obvious from Sunday’s fight that Spencer is lacking in the common sense gene and now must endure the punishment and stew in the reality of Busch being one up in the feud.”
“Either way, the incident does not portray NASCAR, which has worked mightily over the years to shed its redneck image and take its place among the nation’s elite professional sports, in the best light.”
“Perhaps Spencer was just doing his part to bring more excitement back into the sport. But there are better ways to do it.” (like winning a race)
I also dig Ed Hinton’s comparison of “old NASCAR” and “new NASCAR”
Best quotes of last two weeks
August 18, 2003
Flavio Briattore comments on Jacques Villeneuve…
“I don’t want Villeneuve even if he offers to drive for Renault for free. I’ve got good drivers, who work hard and show respect. I don’t want a star driver who doesn’t show respect to people. And besides, he’s not that fast.”
…outstanding….
NASCAR inconsistent with punishment?
August 18, 2003
Jim Utter has constructed an almost flawless argument in his attached article comparing the sanctions imposed on Jimmy Spencer this week and Tony Stewart and his incident(s) last year. If you can’t see the difference Jim, let me expand your thinking on the topic…
Nigel on qualifying format
August 18, 2003
I think it’s great former champs like Nigel Mansell offer opinions on the current state of F1’s affairs. But I also wish they would consider the level of interest from the TV fans as well as those at the race. The current format undoubtedly offers more interest in the way of unknown factors due to the team’s inability to work on the cars after qualifying. They have to race with the car they qualifyed with. There is no doubt in my mind, under the old format, F1 was a race of two cars, one set up for qualifying, then totally retuned for racing. What is the point of that? It’s very much akin to drag racing, see how fast we go in a limited distance, but don’t go any further!