KK speaks on Allmendinger

[SportscarBruce]

F1 drivers are very talented at what they do. So are stock car drivers, WRC drivers, WOO drivers, open wheel drivers.

Endurance sports car racing is the purest, most relevent form of motorsport competition because the challenges parallel those encountered in real life. You have to manage a very high performance car on closed off rural roads, downtown street circuits, and natural terrain road courses. The driver must also watch for, and interact with, faster and slower cars. He drives in all weather conditions in day and night. The driver must also develop a sympathy for the equipment he's driving, he has to make it last. Lastly each car has two or three drivers so the setup isn't custom fitted.

[Richard Kimble]

That'd be AWESOME!

Except I thought most racers liked racing.

jono

You have to admit, it was in poor taste and certainly in the mold of all CC and CART bigwigs of days of yore.

Really hard to like these guys, although I am not trying too hard.

[JSR]

http://www.formula1.com/

[SportscarBruce]

The most exciting, courage demanding series...

WARNING:This video is not for the fainthearted.

[debris on the track]

The most exciting, courage demanding series...

WARNING:This video is not for the fainthearted.

OUCH!

[JSR]

The most exciting, courage demanding series...

WARNING:This video is not for the fainthearted.

That is good stuff. I was at 5 of those races.



http://www.formula1.com/

[9rows]

The most exciting, courage demanding series...

WARNING:This video is not for the fainthearted.

i know it is off topic and possibly worn out, but holy cow ... how many times can you count the word "meira" in those clips. he is the "dan marino" (or whatever) of the irl for sure!

back to your regularly scheduled progamming.....

[BrentJackson]

Sure Kevin.. Whatever you say..

He may be right. AJ's been pretty dismal in the Cup cars this year, and I am not confident of Red Bull's patience with him. Checks might be nice, but if he is a racer first, he may come to regret ditching the primo Forsythe ride.

[debris on the track]

From Speedtv.com
Kalkhoven: “A.J. made a move he’s going to regret for the rest of his life."

Kevin: I'm saying it because it's true. Inside of us, we both know you belong with CCWS. You're part of our work, the thing that keeps us going. If that Panoz leaves the pit and you're not in it,you'll regret it. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow, but soon and for the rest of your life.
AJ: But what about Nascar?
Kevin: They'll always have Talladega. We didn't have, we, we lost it until you came to CCWS. We got it back last night.

[Jimmy Hendricks]

AJ's been pretty dismal in the Cup cars this year, and I am not confident of Red Bull's patience with him. Checks might be nice, but if he is a racer first, he may come to regret ditching the primo Forsythe ride.

Did anyone expect him not to falter? A young formula car road racer with limited oval experience with a rookie Cup team (no provisionals) is not a recipe for success. Vickers hasn't torn it up either with that group.

Can't blame AJ for taking the money. He wasn't making anything where he was at. Plus he went from Double A baseball to the majors. No one would turn that down. Its the Red Bull people that need to have their heads examined for throwing this kid into Cup this year with that team. He has no chance to succeed. He should be in Busch, learning how to race those cars. Again, driving around low-speed airport runways is not a real good way to prepare yourself for Nextel Cup. Just like driving on city streets is not a good way to prepare yourself for driving flat out at 225 MPH into turn 1 at Indy. Apples and oranges.

[jdessar]

Well, AJ has made it into a few races this year.

And he has also been running in all of the Truck Series races that are on the same weekend as the Cup races.

So it's not like he isn't getting experience behind the wheel.

[Doc Austin]

The most exciting, courage demanding series...

WARNING:This video is not for the fainthearted.

Thanks, Bruce. All of this gets lost in the attendance, ratings and car other biz hoopla.

It's all about the racing.

[Saw150]

Oh c'mon...endurance sportscars haven't been great since the early '90s...I keep hoping...maybe someday.

About AJ, he's good enough to run with the top 10...you can't pick on him just yet...if he was in the truck series (where Toyota is already 7 of the top 10 now in most races) he'd be looking like he did in CC.

You'll all be singing the blues when 7 of the top 10 in Cup are Toyotas...even Mikey will be winning like he did at DEI.

[Doc Austin]

Oh c'mon...endurance sportscars haven't been great since the early '90s...I keep hoping...maybe someday.

Sportscar racing is the most cyclical form of all motorsports. There were two great times in my life with the 66-71 period (With the Ford-Ferrari-Porsche-Alfa-Matra-Chaparral-Lola battles), and then again with the 82-93 (Group C and GTP era). The rest of the time we had little mini renaissances with the Porsche/Renault era, the magnificent FIA GT supercar era, and even the first few years of the ALMS.

There has never been a period of lasting stability except for the Group C/GTP days, and no one can explain to me how that happened, but I'm pretty sure Bruce knows. Here's my take: there was always a good customer car for the privateer. In GTP, it was first March and Lola, and later Porsche that kept the teams in cars, and it's no real co-incidence that right after Al Holbert (Porsche's US agent) died that it all started to go downhill. On the other side of the pond (almost simultaneously), Porsche stopped competing, and thus developing, it's car in the group C championship. The thing the two series had in common was that the customers could no longer get a competitive car.

Customer is spelled p-r-i-v-a-t-e-e-r.

And sportscar's repetitive, revolving Da Javu demise is a lesson that is lost on open wheel's big shots, though apparently the people running sportscar races aren't paying attention either. You have to keep your privateers competitive or they get bored (and broke) getting their butts kicked and they go away.

Open wheel teams are essentially privateers. Certainly AGR, Penske and Ganassi have had so much factory assistance along the way that they have built monsters from it. Now they are well established and competitive, and they run off sponsorships brought in by their success. Also remember that the Toyota and Honda money hasn't been gone that long, so the effect of losing factory support hasn't fully shown up yet.

Most of the teams are like Panther, Foyt, Cheever, and even Vision. Of course even those teams are well off (for now), because their principles are wealthy (well, compared to us anyway). Only Gawd knows how Panther survived the crusher, Foyt doesn't have enough money to keep pouring away forever, and Tony will eventually get fed up with running three cars and paying for anyone's guess as to how many other cars to fill the field.

Take a hard look at the teams we've lost, and you can see all of them have never had any factory assistance. Look how Panther has suffered by losing the weakest manufacturer, Chevrolet.

On the cart side of things, almost all the teams were factory teams at one point, and as soon as the factories pulled out, now you had big, professional teams that needed a factory budget to operate now were trying to run on pennies. The factories turned all the privateers into factory operations and when they left, there were no healthy privateers left!

There is, however, one group that is looking after it's teams and that's Grand American. I've got no problem predicting that it will last until 20013 at least, because that's what the Frances have promised, and that means they will run it on their own money if they have to. Where do you figure that money will go if they have to step in? You can bet it will go to putting cars on the track, and that means propping up the teams.

Bruce, especially (and affectionately) don't have to like the Grand American. Personally I don't care what you like as long as you like it, but please don't let the lesson be lost yet again. The Grand American is currently healthy because the teams are healthy. How this gets lost over and over and over again on the pinheads that run open wheel is really amazing.

OHBUTWAITTHERE'SMORE.....

I almost forgot to weigh in on Almindinger.

No one in champcar is going to mind if Seabass goes to F1, much like your current boss will wish you well if you get a much better job. No one will feel slighted if Seabass graduates, or "steps up" to something they percieve as "better." That's what you do..... right? You advance your career, and F1 is unquestionably what RR OW drivers feel is the pinnacle.

However, there is a real snobbery in the RR set against stock cars. I didn't put it there, so don't blame me, but it exists. It's a monumental embarrassment to champcar than AJ would rather race around the back in Toyota taxis than ride the sinking champcar ship.

I think that's what has them upset the most. AJ came in, spanked everyone, and then "graduated" to something better. Champcar principles are loathe to admit anything is better than them, much less lowly stinking sotckcars, but now AJ has rubbed their noses in it. The only thing he could have done worse would have been to sign with Vision to race in the IRL.

Of course, Tony has enough money to run another car in the IRL for a few years, just out of pocket change. If AJ flames out of stockcars (which looks likely), Tony needs to spend whatever it takes. I'm pretty sure that Forsythe would do it over if he had the chance.

And, yes, before Howard says it's an embarrassment that USAC drivers go to nascar, yes it is. Open wheel certainly doesn't take care of it's own very well. Maybe that's part of the reason that it's at the bottom of the dumper.

[SportscarBruce]

Oh c'mon...endurance sportscars haven't been great since the early '90s...I keep hoping...maybe someday.

Oh it's great all right.

Stock car racing hasn't been great since the early '90s.

About AJ, he's good enough to run with the top 10...you can't pick on him just yet...if he was in the truck series (where Toyota is already 7 of the top 10 now in most races) he'd be looking like he did in CC.

2007 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
Event Qualified Finished Points Rank
Chevy Silverado HD 250 11 15 118 15
San Bernardino County 200 26 25 88 19
American Commercial Lines 200 27 27 293 21
Kroger 250 13 27 375 20

You'll all be singing the blues when 7 of the top 10 in Cup are Toyotas...even Mikey will be winning like he did at DEI.

If open wheel plays it's cards right it'll be talking with Ford and/or GM about that time.

[Andrew Longman]

It wouldn't be a stretch to believe that Allendinger has gotten more exposure to more fans in his NASCAR career even not qualifying than he did winning in CC and gotten paid better for the effort.

How many fans are around when he DNQs on Friday, packs up, and goes home?

At this point Red Bull/Toyota have to be thinking about the disaster they have on their hands and wondering if new drivers are part of the solution. That could mean AJ won't even have the fat wallet part of this nightmare.

I'm not saying AJ shouldn't have given this a go, but with the lack of owner points and AJ slim experience in stock cars, many predicted this is what would happen.

[Doc Austin]

If open wheel plays it's cards right it'll be talking with Ford and/or GM about that time.

And beginning the factory escallation, and then fall, of the series yet again.

See, nascar keeps it's manufacturers because they need nascar more than nascar needs them. After the factories pulled out in the late 60s, nascar kept right on chugging along because it's teams were healthy and they kept it that way. You don't need factories to have healthy racing. All you need is healthy teams.

If the factories do come back to ow, there needs to be a contingency plan. I said this about the IRL on the day that Honda announced it was coming on board. You cannot allow the factories to drive the cost of doing business through the roof, and then bail out leaving a trail of financial destruction behind them. Sure, you can take their money as long as you are ready for when they pull it away. When the factories start splashing the money around like there is no tomorrow, the price of business and operating a team becomes unbearable for a privateer. When tomorrow comes, the team becomes a monster that is too big for the privateer to feed.

If the manufacturers do come back, there needs to be a plan that requires them to stockpile enough engines to float the series for three years after they leave. This way, if they get froggy and bolt, there is no lurch to find powerplants. Without being thrust into an engine supply panic situation, there will be plenty of time to avoid bad choices.

I will always believe the biggest mistake Tony George has made in the history of the IRL is that he let Cosworth slip away. Would anyone really care what motors we were running as long as they were affordable, fast, reliable, and unlimited in supply? Don't tell me it can't be done. Champcar is doing it right now. If the IRL had that engine program there would never be another worry in the world, short of WW.III.

What? We aren't running SPEC motors now? The big difference between that and George owning an engine company, and relying on a manufacturer.......... the important difference, the real difference, is that no one is going to pull the supply away. Cosworth isn't going to bolt on champcar...no way...not as long as Kev wants champcar to stray alive.

Tony needs a motor supply he can count on. If Iilmor goes on the block, he needs to grab it, whatever it costs. If it doesn't, he needs to in initiate talks right now.

Control your own destiny.

So, we don't know what Honda is going to do after 2009? No problem. Just start making a contingency plan now. Don't wait for them to announce they are pulling the plug because they will do that when it's too late to get another supply together. Do something now so they need you more than you need them.

Gee, I don't see any manufacturer support here:

[AceRacing]

It wouldn't be a stretch to believe that Allendinger has gotten more exposure to more fans in his NASCAR career even not qualifying than he did winning in CC and gotten paid better for the effort.

His few laps of (usually futile) qualifying attempts each weekend?

[Richard Kimble]

His few laps of (usually futile) qualifying attempts each weekend?

Have you seen CC's ratings lately?

Heck, those few laps would probably do it!

[indycool]

Back on topic, KK's comment was condescending and unnecessary. People leave jobs for other jobs all the time, looking for advancement. Some work out, others don't and life goes on. IMO, KK is hanging arounbd with Gentilozzi way too much.

[Starter]

Back on topic, KK's comment was condescending and unnecessary. People leave jobs for other jobs all the time, looking for advancement. Some work out, others don't and life goes on. IMO, KK is hanging arounbd with Gentilozzi way too much.

5 minutes would be too much, IMO.

[Ken]

what 'Super K' should have said was....'letting AJ get away will be one of my biggest regrets'

and on a personal note.....it was a sad day for me....I watched the kid come up thru the ranks.....he was one of the few CC success stories....wish he was still racing in my preferred series, I miss him

[indycool]

Yes and yes.

[dreamracer]

Back on topic, KK's comment was condescending and unnecessary. People leave jobs for other jobs all the time, looking for advancement. Some work out, others don't and life goes on. IMO, KK is hanging arounbd with Gentilozzi way too much.

Well stated.

[mattndallas]

what 'Super K' should have said was....'letting AJ get away will be one of my biggest regrets'

and on a personal note.....it was a sad day for me....I watched the kid come up thru the ranks.....he was one of the few CC success stories....wish he was still racing in my preferred series, I miss him

I can dig it. Would feel the same way when/if Sam moves on.

I'm kinda hoping that when/if he does - AJ transitions back to OW in the vacant Penske seat.

[Grover]

No one in champcar is going to mind if Seabass goes to F1, much like your current boss will wish you well if you get a much better job. No one will feel slighted if Seabass graduates, or "steps up" to something they percieve as "better." That's what you do..... right? You advance your career, and F1 is unquestionably what RR OW drivers feel is the pinnacle.

However, there is a real snobbery in the RR set against stock cars. I didn't put it there, so don't blame me, but it exists. It's a monumental embarrassment to champcar than AJ would rather race around the back in Toyota taxis than ride the sinking champcar ship.

I think that's what has them upset the most. AJ came in, spanked everyone, and then "graduated" to something better. Champcar principles are loathe to admit anything is better than them, much less lowly stinking sotckcars, but now AJ has rubbed their noses in it. The only thing he could have done worse would have been to sign with Vision to race in the IRL.

That sums it up pretty well, IMO.

[Ken]

I can dig it. Would feel the same way when/if Sam moves on.

I'm kinda hoping that when/if he does - AJ transitions back to OW in the vacant Penske seat.

wouldn't suprise me at all

[umslgrad2001]

Mr. Kalkhoven:

Remember me?





Maybe AJ does.

Signed,
RHR

[kikigirl]

Given the current climate of CC, how do we even know that AJA would have had a ride this year?
I mean, look how many CC drivers, past and present, either couldn't get a ride or barely eked out enough money for one?
So, maybe AJA hasn't done anything (so far) to regret.
Time will tell, I guess.

[dreamracer]

Forsythe made an offer. AJ turned it down.