AJ the fourth? ummm has he any results in the IRL that really speak well for his ability? Didn't he bail on the IRL last year to get a NASCAR gig? Now he is back.
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AJ the fourth? ummm has he any results in the IRL that really speak well for his ability? Didn't he bail on the IRL last year to get a NASCAR gig? Now he is back.
One race last of season, qualified 11th, finished 14th. Don't remember what the problem was.Quote:
Originally Posted by Civic
As I've said before, a lot of decent drivers have done poorly in his Grandfather's cars, that I'll wait until he's in at least a mid-pack car before deciding if he can race.
Jonesi, while I share your thoughts on how his Grandfather cant run a modern race team to any successful conclusion, AJ the fourth's performance at Indy where he knocked out Junquiera sold me on the fact this guy is in over his head. He didn't get any offers from any other team of note in the IRL, and that said a lot to me. IF he is some diamond in the rough who can show speed, it would have been apparent by now. His lack of situational awareness on the race track is showing he is just hanging on for dear life....
I believe this is what happened. He outqualified all of AGR teammates. Then in the race, he stayed out on an early yellow and led some laps. He lost it on the green to Penske and Target cars. Another yellow never came so he lost a lap when he pitted and he never regained it. He finished behind Kanaan, and ahead of Herta and Marco in the teammate comparison.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jonesi
ok, but why is he not back at AGR? From your description Alex, he didn't do a horrible job. However, whenever I turned on the TV for an IRL event, AJ usually was at the back and involved in a wreck sooner or later.
The kid has not managed to impress his grandfather, but then again, that is no surprise, AJ wont accept anyone but himself 30 years ago as a driver, but that said, if AJ has this talent, why didn't AGR keep him? To get Danica?
Mark,
I don't know if he has talent or not, but for sure this is a make or break time. Vision's not a top team for sure, but they started running and qualifying better at the end of the season, and having teammates certainly gives you a benchmark to measure with.
AGR was a one-off probably to get an extra test day as he would be granted a refresher.
I don't know any of these people personally of course, and every family dynamic is different, but I think it's best not to work with family in their case, and I think they know it. Some families members can work together, some can't, from what I've seen they can't.
FWIW, I don't believe Foyt can run a modern professional team. All his wins as a driver for his own team were when his father AJ Sr. was running things. True, he won and was competitive in the early IRL years, but when the true professional teams arrived (Penske, Ganassi,AGR) His teams assumed their former place in the pecking order in the back. I think Foyt has now realized this with the naming of Larry to run things. Hopefully, they'll hire engineers etc. But it remains to be seen if this is truly the case.
You have that right that AJ cannot run a modern team. I saw him in the CART days at Toronto, and he ran the team with an iron fist, but it was obvious they had no engineer, just AJ's ability to cajole, yell and think. AJ however great a driver he was, is not set up to be an active man behind the pit wall.
AJ iv though I think was pushed too far too fast in his career. If he had a body of experience in IPS or Atlantics where he was one of the top guns against good competition, I think I would feel different, but I cant forget that every time it seemed I watched the IRL on TV, AJ iv was either in trouble or at the back. AS bad as his Grandfather's cars have been, he made errors that didn't indicate to me an awareness of what is going on the race track around him....
There are many drivers who'd prefer to race against those four 'hacks' than Foyt IV. You can put Junky at the top of the list. The reason Foyt didn't run Atlantics against them was becasue he knew he would get lapped by at least three of them - Zwolsman, Legge, and Kasemets. Grandpa couldn't take that kind of embarrassment.Quote:
Originally Posted by O&A Virus
You got me there, Legge doesn't run into other drivers. She destroys equipment like a champ, but she doesn't "run" into drivers.Quote:
Originally Posted by weeflyonthewall
O and A, the wing coming off is NOT her doing, but hey, why let a little thing like video tape of the incident get in the way of a good smear job eh?