Penske what-if's...

[millrace]

Anyway, I know its May because the Buddy Lazier fanboys are out in full effect. Seems like he's a really nice guy...but some of you had too many shrooms or something. There are things I respect about his ability, but it all needs to be in proper perspective.

It's always so easy to spot the champ car types who didn't watch Indycars during the split years. You have no idea what you are talking about. The thing about Indianapolis is that it's a year long preparation and a month of. Concentration and ability on display for the best open wheel drivers. You may think you know about so and so and how great he would have been at Indy, but I watched Buddy's Indy 500 career right in the stands and I watched him calmly hunt down a lot of so called star drivers. And I watched him win the 500 and then finish top 5 multiple times. You can say what you will about his credentials in the early 90's, but from '96 on he was always a contender at Indy no matter who else was on the track. And that makes him a star driver and worth the praise he gets.

If Bourdais and Power want to be mentioned in 500 lore, they best get on it. And I'll bet they know this.

[4Wide]

It's always so easy to spot the champ car types who didn't watch Indycars during the split years. You have no idea what you are talking about. The thing about Indianapolis is that it's a year long preparation and a month of. Concentration and ability on display for the best open wheel drivers. You may think you know about so and so and how great he would have been at Indy, but I watched Buddy's Indy 500 career right in the stands and I watched him calmly hunt down a lot of so called star drivers. And I watched him win the 500 and then finish top 5 multiple times. You can say what you will about his credentials in the early 90's, but from '96 on he was always a contender at Indy no matter who else was on the track. And that makes him a star driver and worth the praise he gets.

If Bourdais and Power want to be mentioned in 500 lore, they best get on it. And I'll bet they know this.

It must be harder to spot "champ car types" than you think. I would guess I've missed less than 10 IRL/Indycar races since '96. I'd say I have a pretty damn good idea what I'm talking about. Like it or not, Buddy's best years were when the teams and drivers were at their lowest quality. Prior to this and since Ganassi started bringing his guys back, followed by Penske, Buddy hasn't done as well. I'm sorry about the facts but they are right there on Wiki for all to see. You may look at those facts differently if you choose but they speak for themselves. I keep Buddy's accomplishments in the proper perspective, respectfully. I get that he is your hero (as he is with others)...but all it takes is a little objectivity to realize why they form an S curve on a graph.

[Waiting for May]

It must be harder to spot "champ car types" than you think. I would guess I've missed less than 10 IRL/Indycar races since '96. I'd say I have a pretty damn good idea what I'm talking about. Like it or not, Buddy's best years were when the teams and drivers were at their lowest quality. Prior to this and since Ganassi started bringing his guys back, followed by Penske, Buddy hasn't done as well. I'm sorry about the facts but they are right there on Wiki for all to see. You may look at those facts differently if you choose but they speak for themselves. I keep Buddy's accomplishments in the proper perspective, respectfully. I get that he is your hero (as he is with others)...but all it takes is a little objectivity to realize why they form an S curve on a graph.

What about 2005?

[indyguy2]

BTW - how does anyone know how Buddy Lazier is on the twisties? Based on his CART
record - he was driving some (*ahem*) absolutely craptastic cars on those road and street
courses. Did he *ever* have a decent ride in the CART era? He always drove a year old
car (sometimes 2 years old) and often with Buick power which CART wouldn't let have
the same boost pressure as at Indy basically crippling that engine. His first real break was
driving a Buick at the speedway in 1995 for Menard (and it was also the first time in his
career that he drove an "up-to-date" car - a 95 Lola). Given the equipment he was in,
who can say - I doubt anyone on the pointy end of the grid would have been stellar
in that equipment!

Buddy was an absolute beast at Indy. Some drivers just know how to drive that place.
His record from 96-2000 stands as one of the all time great finishing streaks at the
Brickyard. Sure you can say what you want about the competition level etc. - but
he still did it and there are no asterisks in the record book except in some die-hard fans
minds that can't let the split go. If Buddy had been driving for Rodger in the early
2000s - I'd say he would have had a very good chance of being on the Borg-Warner
multiple times.

Good post.