Franchitti Moves On . . . to NASCAR
Written by Douglas Brown · October 3, 2007
I realize ya gotta go where the money is . . . but come on, Dario!
Autosport: AGR confirm Franchitti departure
AP: Franchitti Set to Start Stock Car Career
Can a driver snub the IRL in a worse way? Win the Indy 500, take the Championship for with Andretti Green
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12 Responses to “Franchitti Moves On . . . to NASCAR”
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The IRL has been dead for a while. Someone should unplug the life support (Tony G). I would not blame Dario for wanting to actually be on TV for something other than a spectacular wreck. THe US covers nascar. Dario is not good enough for F1. It is the logical choice. ALMS(excelent) and Rolex(garbage) are for retired drivers. I hate nascar but maybe it will change driver diversity continues to grow. More road courses, better manufacturers. Shame we don’t have DTM or something else for people to drive in. The cart split ruined us and gave nascar the spotlight. F%ck Tony G. Open wheel racing used to be great in the US and he ruined it.
Well said Douglas!
I agree w/ Gary. I will not watch either IRL or NASCAR - boring oval racing. I’m a Champ Car fan, but don’t even know if they’ll survive. I’ll stick with F1. They even have issues, with only two teams capable of consistent winning. They’d better figure out how to level the playing field, as I’m about to check out of this series too.
Dario deserves to find his way in this sport. IRL is a display of what used to be, not a future sport. The US fans AND Tony G. are to blame, not just Tony G.. American fans want their sports to be spoon fed to them fast and with entertainment… We have done it to ourselves… Problem is, he’s not American and the fans will be as unhappy with him as they are with “The Columbian”…
Dario has accomplished everything available in the IRL, at this point all he can do in the series is repeat what went before.
He wants a new challenge. That’s a problem? How?
A problem for the IRL and TG certainly. And it will get worse when the total damage is assessed when the income redistribution plan is fully underway in 2008.
If TG thinks sh*t canning the purse structure and taking cash from the rich to give to the poor is the way to go he’s smokin” some serious crack.
For those with short memories, Dario was the continually highest paid driver in the AGR stable despite:
Doing poorly in 2003, 2004, 2005 & 2006 yet retained both his job and that salary
Being instrumental in the loss of Indy 500 winner and season champion Dan Wheldon who wanted and couldn’t get matching remuneration, yet retained both his job and that salary
Injuring himself in an off season motorcycle accident causing the Team to find a replacement yet retained both his job and that salary (which he admitted the team had no contractual obligation to do)
Injuring himself at Goowood causing the Team to find a replacement, yet retained both his job and that salary
Making a rookie mistake while leading the championship by crashing into a driver mathematically out of it and a teammate no less, yet retained both his job and that salary
Losing a whopping 65 point lead and making 3 rookie mistakes in a single race (unnecessarily getting into the marbles and losing positions, running over a pylon and crashing into Meara), yet retained both his job and that salary
Lucking into a win in the Indy 500 due to a Team
advised pit stop which he opposed yet retained both his job and that salary
Leaving a team with the most wins in the IRL, the highest winning percentage of any team competing in the Indy 500, a team that has won 3 out of 4 championships in their 4 year existence, then wanting an early out from a contract to go to a competitors team
Yes, that’s a REAL class act alright!
My earlier post of course should have read “Goodwood” and reported “3 championships in the last 4 years of their 5 year existence”.
I am suprised indy cars have survived the split this far. Now with the talant all going to rive those lousy, no good, wothless, but somehow still popular Stockcars, how many more blows can the split indycar series take. It looks like one will have to fail in order to get them all back together.
They’re not losing their best drivers. This isn’t that big of a hit. Old drivers go to that series, yes because it’s more money, but mostly beause it’s easier to get old and fat there without it effecting performance.
THAT WILL SHOW THE SKILLS OF IRL DRIVERS…THAT WHAT THEY HAVE PROBLEMS IN NASCAR IT TAKE A REAL DRIVER NOT A CRY BABY…MONTOYA HAS WON A RACE.AJ HAS NEW CAR OWNER GIVE HIM A WHILE…SCOTT DID OK…THE NASCAR DRIVER WERE TO COME TO IRL THEY WOULD WIN EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO GET YOUR STORY CORRECT
THANKS DAVID IN TEXAS….
PS AJ FOYETT AND JOHNNY RUTHERFORD COULD DO BOTH
Maybe he just wants to pass someone instead of following on a road course all day
Well first of all, ‘who would blame him for wanting to leave the IRL?”
Second, lets see how he goes before we rush to judge. I see no reason why he can’t be competitive (other than Ganassi), I doubt think anybody doubts his ability.