A mediocre driver (relatively speaking) teamed with a prima-donna. What genius ...

Danica has proven that with a lot of money, a great car, a great crew and a great team feeding information to keep her car competitive, she is definitely capapble of running mid pack. If there was ever a series of haves and have nots, that would be IRL/Champ.

And I've yet to see an Andretti cause any accident. Every other driver is a stupid idiot and got in their way.

I'm sorry folks, I'm old school ... a purist.

I hate what big business has done to my sport. It has taken something that was calculating and methodical and turned into wrestle-mania.

Jeff Gordon is another prime example.

He was recruited and being brought along as Bill Davis Racing could afford to move through the ranks. They were making steady progress and would have easily been a force to reckon with, until big money and big business took over. It was the day NASCAR died.

Look at NASCAR today ... I read on Jayski about a week ago that 80% of the drivers that have accumulated points this year in all NASCAR oval series have less than 2 years in their respective series. 80%!

Instead of a great driver courting a good sponsor, it's become big business looking for a face ... we'll send him to driving school.

OK ... I'll stop at that ...

I like that fact she doesn't kiss ass to all the men(wait, boys pretending to be men), and she's can win any weekend just like anybody else.

Now the girl that is just putting her nose to the wheel and getting after it with no hoopla is...... wait i'm having a senior moment Dammit!

She just won the first ALMS race for a woman in P2. Help me out here?

...like Andretti won't be focused on HIS son and his developement next year....Marco looks good so far! Danica will will a third, fourth our fifth wheel on that team....

Howdy,



Danica has won in IRL?

Mark

Amen, Mitch! I felt the same way about Gordon. I agree, that was the beginning of the end.

Robert Yates Racing - and old school man I admire - is under sponsor pressure to pick young drivers to replace departing veteran Dale Jarrett and now departing Elliott Sadler.

Kinda reading between the lines from what Doug Yates says, sounds like RYR would like to find at least one wiley old veteran to help the team move forward, but the sponsors these days want young faces to market. They'd hire Ward Burton in a heartbeat, only if he brings a sponsor with him.

So, a team rebuilding (RYR) will have to take on inexperienced drivers who'll tear up a bunch of sheetmetal, run mid-pack, won't contribute to the learning curve, just to get the big $$$ to try to rebuild with. Then, I can see said sponsor whining because they aren't up front and winning

The irony is Hendrick Motor Sports was put on the map by veterans - Gordon was their first youngster.

Not as big a fan as I used to be....

She has a chance to win just like anybody else! Just like I wrote the first time!

Howdy,



Is this sorta like "they're all winners just for making it into the race"?

She's a good driver, nobody is questioning that.

But, like you point out, every driver there is good. Normally the folks getting press in such an area are the ones who are winning. Danika is getting the press because she has tits. Even if Kevin thinks they're small.

:-)

Mark

I'd take small in her case. It's an improvement......



Sorry for being cynical. I think she drives well, but she hasn't proven that she's worth the press she gets (in my mind). And, I don't think she's all that cute (and I've seen her in person from a distance of less than 5 feet and not in a big crowd either. Of course she wouldn't think I'm all that cute, but I don't really give a crap, I'm not getting press..... ). She's getting mileage out of being female and having mediocre to average results. I'd love to see her win one or two, I don't have anything against her. I just wish she'd either win races and "earn" the press she gets, or we'd quit hearing about her so much.

Maybe I should say:

"If she looked like Sarah Fisher, she'd be treated like Sarah Fisher" (and I think Sarah can drive extremely well and I don't think Sarah is what you'd call ugly, she's just not 5'1" and 98 lbs).

She did - didn't win anything..... She hasn't won anything since hitting the media's radar - maybe since her karting days for all I know.

Don't get me wrong - she is a GOOD driver, but if she were a man you wouldn't be hearing anything. Sarah Fisher never got the breaks of running with a top notch team like Team Rahal, but I think she could give Danica a run for the money.

I'm not a fan of the IRL - never have been and never will be. I don't think much of oval track racing anymore, especially with their "spec" race cars (Champ Car is basically a spec series too, but at least they can turn right more than twice a year). You can tell the real race car drivers when the IRL and NASCAR head to the road courses.....