"F1-lite" still won't cut it.

[Lucky161]

"No, they don't, and if they did, you would be able to name a driver more current than Newman."

Yes, they do.

Reported in an interview with Clint Bowyer by Bruce Martin in the NSSN February 13, 2008.

“We got an opportunity in an asphalt car, an old MB2 car, went to Nashville and probably had the day that made my whole career,” Boyer recalled. “We went over there with little or nothing.”

…. We finished second.”

“That was the day that during a rain delay, Richard Childress was watching on Speed Channel and gave me a call.”

[Jimmy Hendricks]

"“That was the day that during a rain delay, Richard Childress was watching on Speed Channel and gave me a call.”

And, I betcha his first question was "How much money could you bring"?

[Racewriter]

And, I betcha his first question was "How much money could you bring"?

LOL

The guy who owned Clint's car that day was/is a good friend of mine. Clint's story is absolutely true. The car got to Nashville behind a dually and 24' trailer.

[Jimmy Hendricks]

LOL

The guy who owned Clint's car that day was/is a good friend of mine. Clint's story is absolutely true. The car got to Nashville behind a dually and 24' trailer.

There are a lot of stories like that in NASCAR.

Owners see a driver they like, either in person or on TV, and actually have an interest in hiring them. Its a novel concept, I know, in formula car racing. But, its how the link from the "little time" to the "big time" in NASCAR has remained strong for decades.

When was the last time you think a guy like Gerry Forsythe or Dennis Reinbold watched any kind of race on TV?

[Lucky161]

LOL

The guy who owned Clint's car that day was/is a good friend of mine. Clint's story is absolutely true. The car got to Nashville behind a dually and 24' trailer.

Damn! That means it would be reasonable to tow a race car weighing under 2000lbs with a $35K tow rig.

[Racewriter]

Damn! That means it would be reasonable to tow a race car weighing under 2000lbs with a $35K tow rig.

You can tow anything you want with anything you want, Lucky. I've done most of my racing with a cube van and open trailer (had a dually and 48-footer for a year and hated it), but the cost of the tow rig - for big time racing - isn't a huge cost factor.

[carl s]

You can tow anything you want with anything you want, Lucky. I've done most of my racing with a cube van and open trailer (had a dually and 48-footer for a year and hated it), but the cost of the tow rig - for big time racing - isn't a huge cost factor.

can't beat a $400 chrysler limo tow rig

[Lucky161]

can't beat a $400 chrysler limo tow rig

Awesome carl! Paul White's (former USAC SC champ) dad Bill White was famous in Texas when I first started going to races in the early 60s. He towed from Temple TX to Fort Worth and Dallas with an old Hudson sedan with a broken tail light lens and a red rag substituting for the lens.

[BADGER]

Well Badger was in such a hurry, I just threw this list together. I had no doubt that I would miss a few. And there are some that I am not familiar with as well. But I don't think anyone who has knowledge about the sport would say that any on my list didn't have the talent to make it in any kind of racing. That's not saying they all would, just they all could.

Well, since we know no team owner could ever evaluate or test that many names, how about giving us the two or three from that list that you feel are the best talents. No including drivers currently running NASCAR or their feeders.

Essentially all you have done is given me a large list of names, similar to if I were to go to a WKA karting event and pull out a list of good drivers. Being good, and being good enough at the top rungs are entirely different things.

[BlueStang]

Indy cars in the form of "formula cars" stuck to the ground with massive amounts of downforce has run its course... its time for something new... something with relevance to the majority of the rest of American OW racing.

I would guarantee that the majority of Americans have never heard of even the best American short trackers until they turn a wheel in a NASCAR series, just like most Americans have never heard of a Brazilian formula car driver until he wins Indianapolis (or worse, appears on "Dancing with the Stars").

My point is that, while running heavier front-engined cars at Indianapolis would make some people here happy, I don't think the majority of America will care.

Unless the series can pay their drivers the same money that NASCAR can, I doubt the cream of the American short tracker crop is going to care, either.

[Lucky161]

Well, since we know no team owner could ever evaluate or test that many names, how about giving us the two or three from that list that you feel are the best talents. No including drivers currently running NASCAR or their feeders.

Essentially all you have done is given me a large list of names, similar to if I were to go to a WKA karting event and pull out a list of good drivers. Being good, and being good enough at the top rungs are entirely different things.

I'll do that when you show me that a single Indycar owner has even the slightest interest in hiring a short track driver.
Otherwise it's just a pizzing match between us and I am through with that.

[hdolan]

Like it or not, F1 Lite is where the current state of AOW is...it will remain there for a long time to come I suspect...

[carl s]

I'll do that when you show me that a single Indycar owner has even the slightest interest in hiring a short track driver.
Otherwise it's just a pizzing match between us and I am through with that.

OK Lucky, Now your next mission is to go get me a pepperoni pizza ...'and' a holy grail and then list all candidiates in alphabetical order ...

[Indyknut]

I'll do that when you show me that a single Indycar owner has even the slightest interest in hiring a short track driver.
Otherwise it's just a pizzing match between us and I am through with that.

As I recall, of all people, Moe Nunn used to show up at dirt tracks and scout talent.

Of course, he's no longer around as a team owner.

[ChrisB]

Like it or not, F1 Lite is where the current state of AOW is...it will remain there for a long time to come I suspect...

It basically comes down to TG to come to the conclusion that formula cars aren't working, and maybe its time to try something else. Unfortunately, none of the F-wannabe teams who run in his series would ever suggest changing the car to something else.

Unless the series can pay their drivers the same money that NASCAR can

And how did NASCAR get so popular that it can pay so much money? A big part of it was running nearly 40 races a season, they have been almost always on TV every weekend for years now (during racing season,that is)

And a big part of that was that Big Bill France Sr kept the technology and costs within reason.

There's a quote somewhere from Andrew Craig where even he admits that Indy/Champ cars couldn't run as many races as NASCAR because the cars are so expensive and require so much maintenance to setup.

[Jimmy Hendricks]

As I recall, of all people, Moe Nunn used to show up at dirt tracks and scout talent.

Of course, he's no longer around as a team owner.

Yes, Mo had tons of young American oval track talent in his cars over the years.

Let's see, there were the Chesson brothers, whose father wrote him a huge check to run in the Pro Series. And........

Well, at least he scouted the talent.

[Indyknut]

Yes, Mo had tons of young American oval track talent in his cars over the years.

Let's see, there were the Chesson brothers, whose father wrote him a huge check to run in the Pro Series. And........

Well, at least he scouted the talent.

He showed up at dirt tracks. IIRC, he had that shoot out between E. Crocker, Kat Legge and another gal. I don't believe Erin came out fastest.

Point being, he was at least showing up at the tracks looking for talent which answers Lucky's question.

[Lucky161]

He showed up at dirt tracks. IIRC, he had that shoot out between E. Crocker, Kat Legge and another gal. I don't believe Erin came out fastest.

Point being, he was at least showing up at the tracks looking for talent which answers Lucky's question.

Yes it does. Unfortunately his effort like TG's hasn't resulted in any long term positive effect. It COULD be because short trackers simply aren't qualified to race Indycars, but I don't think even the biggest road racing fan truly believes that and most of us on this forum certainly don't. I would like to believe it's because of a number of factors, taken individually that would not be insurmountable, but added together have the effect of a massive conspiracy to keep short trackers out of Indycars. Note, I didn't say there WAS a conspiracy, only that the results are similar to what one would expect if there had been such a conspiracy.

[Jimmy Hendricks]

He showed up at dirt tracks. IIRC, he had that shoot out between E. Crocker, Kat Legge and another gal. I don't believe Erin came out fastest.

No, he and his wife had a women driver shootout at Texas a few years back.

It was Sarah McCune who was the most impressive at the test.

The team folded shortly thereafter.