Who Says There Are No Real Men In The IRL Cockpits?
Written by George Katinger · October 18, 2005
After their race ending crash at Fontana this past weekend, accusations have been flying between Danica Patrick and Jacques Lazier over who caused the wreck. Apparently accusations weren’t the only thing flying as the two rode to the infield care center together.
speedtv.com: Danica Slaps - Or Taps - Lazier After Fontana Incident
indystar.com: Was it really a punch? Patrick, Lazier scuffle
sun-sentinel.com: IRL Looking Into Postrace Confrontation
abcnews.go.com: Danica the bully? Patrick confronts Lazier after crash
You go girl! No need to take any guff from Jacques or any other driver concerning on track incidents. Especially when it’s not your fault! I watched the race, and the countless replays, and there is no doubt that she held her line and Lazier’s car drifted up into hers.
There was nothing more disturbing than watching Chip “Gas Bag” Ganassi working hard to keep his nickname in lights and thrashing Danica on live TV. Give us all a break Chip, we saw the same replays you did, it wasn’t her fault!
As to the alleged slapping or tapping, I’ve got to believe it’s more of the IRL’s Danica legend building at work. Just more fodder to consume in the off season! I would only hope it’s true, the IRL could use a few good men in their cockpits next year. Even if they’re only five feet tall and under 100 lbs, with a minor gender difference.
You go girl!!
An aside as to the cost of racing in the IRL; check out the last line in the abcnews posting:
“Steve Chassey, an insurance executive who raced Indy cars in the 1970s and ’80s, estimated Ganassi’s crash damage tab for the season is higher than for the entire Champ Car World Series field.”
You go Tony, keep those team costs down! I’ve read elsewhere that Tony may close down his Vision Racing team and go road racing. It’s cheaper!
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Here’s a first, I’m happy to go to her defence, the blame lay with Lazier.Chip should have kept his mouth shut, he can’t put a spin on this accident the replay clearly shows what happened.I thought her come back regarding Chips damage bill for the season was right on the mark.As for slapping another driver, I only hope it was a better effort than the visor cuffing Schumacher gave Sato at Spa, that was lame, if your going to do it do it properly, off camera behind the pits or not at all.Senna, Moss or Mansel would have.
DanicaDanicaDanicaDanicaDanicaDanicaDanicaDanicaDanica
Sorry, I couldn’t resist. Didn’t we already have discussions about Ganassi’s Toyotas? The reason for the wrecks, Chip is that:
The lump don’t thump
so you look like a chump.
Danica, good job for standing up for yourself. You have every right to ask another driver not to put you in danger. And if you tapped him or slapped him, I say that if Foyt was your team owner he’d have kicked Ganassi’s butt for you.
I have to agree with Danica on this ok the Lazier guy was all like she punced me WELL here’s some news for you look up the word Punch!! yeah so I gotta go with Danica on this one and seriously I don’t think she hit him that hard!! and of course later on Lazier goes o well I guess it was just a tap my 4 year old son can hit harder then that ok I don’t know what he is thinking but like I said I have to go with Danica on this!
You all must not have watched that race but it was clear that little girl still with pimples on her face from all the lollypops she sucks on knew the other car could not move down and further and as its known you have to make sure there is room in a corner I suspect she did this on purpose just to get more free press where all the female fems could root her on.
If I was him when she hit him I would have knocked her on her flat ass.
Real tired of hearing about this slut and reason IRL will die off, 1st they bring in the riceball engines, non American drivers and now a little chick who cannot drive worth a damn, Big deal 11th in season points when only 20 cars compete.
Well that’s a balanced & articulate response…….riceball engines, non American drivers. WOW!
Nice job “Team ZR1″
Quiz me this smart guy:
How many “non-American” drivers are in Champ Car?
Or the NHRA? Or many other series? And how about this, the Champ Car engine is supplied by Ford-COSWORTH. It’s American only because Ford bought the British company COSWORTH.
Can you find a clue your self or may I have permission to send you one?
George, you’re a day late and a dollar short on this story, I got the scoop 24 hours ago.
Check your supermarket checkout line for the exclusive pics showing Lazier being given heart massage and electric shock by an EMT after the “brutal attack” by Patrick.
You really need to step it up George! REALLY :-)
Two drivers crash and both drivers are mad and usually blame the other driver. Why do they put them in the same ambulance?
John
It really is interesting how the vision for IRL didn’t pan out. Instead of Americans on Ovals - We have Brits on Streets.
I don’t have an answer, just an observation.
Enough about the damn wreck……….How about Bryan Herta?…Way to go Bryan great job this year!
I miss having the IRL in Texas in the fall….
ummm HELLO?!!!? “she’s got the right to ask another driver to keep her from danger…” WTF?! WHAT DO YOU THINK RACING IS!? I’ve have been racing for 10 years now and not once have i ever heard another driver ask another to, “please don’t hit me, i don’t want to get hurt.” danica needs to get off her throne and get into the real world. It’s BS that she’s going to get away with hitting, punching, whatever-ing another driver. Plain and simple, DON’T PHYSICALLY TOUCH ANOTHER DRIVER. She needs to realize that out on the track she’s not a girl … she’s driver, now she needs to start acting like one instead of a dumb little bitch like she’s always been.
Marc,
Not that it matters, your story is dated 18 October, same as mine. But I do like your take better than mine, something about ‘probing Danica?”
George you have clearly stirred a hornets nest with this post…..am I the only one who noticed the irony of the poor lass being clobbered by a pink car.
The reason why they were in the same ambulance was cost savings.
Maybe Target ought to sponsor the ambulances too. Their drivers spend a lot of time in them…
Hey Anne! I talked to Danica and she had nothing but nice things to say about you.
(As is common on Springer today she promptly fell into a stream of “You don’t know me!!!!”)
Honest, the name calling here has kind of gotten out of hand.
I like the Laziers, I even sort of like Chip. I’m not as fond of Andretti/Green as I could be (although part of me is happy for them). But I don’t think I’d ever go so far as to call any one of them “Bitch” or something else like that. Even “Flailing Foyt” is tougher than I am as he gets in the car at every race even though we all KNOW he’s going to hit something or someone before it’s over.
I would hope we had more respect for these people than that.
Sorry for the downer guys, but I just couldn’t let some rather wild accusations go without comment. I know I might be attacked personally for what I’ve said, and I’m sure someone will question my genetic makeup or the relationship of my parents (Certainly not first cousins otherwise I’d like stock cars.)
(Now when you start talkin’ NASCAR, that’s a whole ‘nother problem.)
George, You’ve got it pretty close to right with Ganassi - “Gas Bag”. I had several business meetings with him back in the late 70’s and early 80’s. His family is in the construction business in the Pittsburgh area and my company was a supplier to them. In our first meeting it took me about 60 seconds to see that he was really sold on how great he was - my take is that he’s a “figment of his own imagination”.
As for the Patrick - Lazier incident the video on Indycar.com clearly shows who was at fault. They’re in a turn to the left but Lazier is drifting to the right. It’s clearly visible just by looking at the white line as the cars move ahead and even if Danica did pinch him down he still had 4 to 6 feet of room between him and the line.
I give them all credit for getting in those cars and doing what they do, but danica is on a pedistool and it’s kind of sickening. Dan Wheldon didn’t even get half the recognition for winning the Indy 500 that Danica did for leading a lap. I’m sorry, I’m just sick of her thinking that because she’s a girl, she can do whatever she wants. If i was Lazier, i would have laid her out if she touched me. Like i said before, don’t physically touch another driver …. PLAIN AND SIMPLE. Anybody else that would have done what she did, would have been fined already … but i guess IRL doesn’t want to lose the “danica” factor. Whether it be a punch, slap, tap, whatever, it’s wrong. Keep it on the track. She needs to learn how to run with the big boys, otherwise, go back to the mall. :-)
Anne,
Once you get past your anger you make perfect sense. However confrontations between drivers have existed since racing began. I especialy respect your opinion as one who competes.
As for Danica, I think as Wholly has pointed out Danica has been generaly low key in her statements and approaches to racing, it’s the media that is placing the burden of unreasonable expectations on her shoulders. Wheldon’s frustrations are well documented.
Thanks for your comments.
I’d be low key too if i hit another driver and could possibly get fined. Also, I’m a big fan of female drivers .. they have beaten all odds, but as you can tell, I don’t like Danica. A lot of people who know her personally, know that she made it b/c of her last name. Yes, she’s an okay driver, but, it’s her family that had the racing background and put her where she is now. Look at Erin Crocker and Kathryn Legge, they have actually won something!! Kathryn Legge is in the same series Danica has been in, Toyota Atlantic Series, and she’s won a couple of races unlike D.P. Erin Crocker, won a WoO race, HUGE!! Both these girls here get over shadowed by D.P. for what reason, I don’t know. Also, Erin a couple of times has shut down reporters and others that compare to her Danica b/c she’s sick of it too. I’m just tired of the “danica” crap … if she was that good, she would have won a race already … just like Erin and Kathryn. You have to give credit where credit is due and hitting another driver doesn’t deserve anything but fines and a suspension.
Anne -
You’ve certainly got some good details there. Kathryn has certainly been a threat to win many Atlantic races while Danica was consistiently a curiosity. Maybe Bobby grabbed a girl to promote a bit early?
Remember that they (the press) did the same kind of thing with Sarah Fisher and played her up bigger than she was. I believe that Danica just has better equipment than Sarah had.
I admit, I don’t know any of these people but I do know that the press is not exactly fair.
Thanks for your great information!
Wholly
I’ll be interested in seeing how this all works out. If the drivers (and medical personnel) confirm that it was just a conversation then it certainly should be no big deal. But if there was any lack of restraint, fines or suspensions (ok, suspension) should be imposed.
Good call, Anne.
Thank You