Fixation about Paul Tracy

[dinosaur]

I don't get it! Paul Tracy is past its time in Open Wheel and it is not going to change. His ego will have to catch up with his driving capacity and some spectators will have to realign their understanding with reality. Open Wheel racing is far more demanding on drivers compare to NASCAR 's where time reaction is not as critical. NASCAR is more of a game where drivers have to have a good mixture of driving capacity with the mastering of all the idiosyncrasies attached to oval racing in tight packs and at fairly limited speeds. A few very good NASCAR drivers would not even fit properly inside an Indy car and certainly would not have the stamina to fight through a race where very hard braking and the critical timing of it would already throw them to the back of the field, not even mentioning all the intricate phases of cornering and traction. The great majority of the Canadian spectators are going to a race for the show, not for a Paul Tracy or another driver. Everyone on this planet is aware that athletes are retiring, at one point. When a driver cannot catch up with any of his temporary team mates and after a few years of decline, it might be time to move on and check if one of the NASCAR teams can provide him the income he is still looking at having for a few more years. Nothing wrong with that. But please, let's stop the drama. Canada will survive without Paul Tracy (residing in Las Vegas by the way) and the few spectators that are following closely driver's names might have to focus on the new generation, and why not, helping them to move up instead of whining about some now old stories.

[Rogelio]

As a former CART/Champ Car fan I strongly disagree with you. During the heyday of the two Mexican races, the crowds were amazing and the race immensely popular. Why? Fernandez, Jourdain, Dominguez, and Lavin. As CART/CC self-imploded, along with the departure of the Mexicano drivers, the two races were a joke. Eventually, Monterrey was dropped and Mexico City never recovered. Surely, PT will not make or break the Canadian races. I recall when Fernandez was at the top of his popularity in Long Beach. There were a lot of "Tecate" fans or Mexicano fans cheering Fernandez on.

What does it all mean? Probably nothing. But, the point is, PT is Canada's most popular OWR and that is why Walker and TG want him in a car. The drama is that TG probably realizes that by bringing in PT, it is another bridge that is being built to bring over the disenfranchised CART/CC fans.

[maxmach]

Is PT past his prime, yes. Can He still win races, yes. Is He easily better then two thirds of the present field, yes. Is He one of the most easily promoted "personalities" around, yes. And that is why we need him. He is good for the series, great for TV, and good for bringing in new people. Which is what we and the series need. He is a showman who can still race.

[Hoss Ghoul]

PT would still be a solid, if not spectacular driver, in the new IndyCar series. He is past his prime, but still a potential race winner.

As for the slagging on NASCAR...well, it is by far a harder championship to win than anything AOWR has produced in over a decade.

Edit: Didn't read your post Max, agree, but for 1 part: PT is NOT better than 2/3 of the current field, 1/3 yes, that is all(even with Hornish and Franchitti leaving).

[BenRoethig]

Paul is the only real big name left that is still around from the Pre-Split days. People know who he is.

[Chamoo]

I think the main reason people are upset that PT isn't around is because unlike what you said in original post dinosaur, PT isn't retiring, he is not racing because he was screwed over, thrown to the curb, stepped on, and beaten. Had PT said when the split was announced he would retire from Open Wheel racing, you wouldn't hear all this stuff about 'we want PT back'. I think people want him back because he repeatedly says he wants to be back at Indy.

I feel that PT still has some good drives left in him, and would be near the top of the timesheets given a good team picked him up. I believe his finishing positions last year were not a true measure of his driving skills since I think GF messed things up the last couple of years for that team. I think he is still more skilled then 3/4 of the field, and I think some of that 1/4 isn't near the top of the timesheets due to who they are driving for.

PT is wanted in OW because of who he is, and how he carries himself. The fans admire him or terribly hate him, but they respect him none the less. That's why he is wanted back in the IRL.

[xtlm]

ever notice how the stars of the ever popular early 90's cart, were up there in age and still competing (well even)?
PT can be one of those people

oh, and the whole nascar comment....oh nevermind

[El Sween]

Another lets bash PT post. It's been a while.

[cartpix]

Another lets bash PT post. It's been a while.

Not only did he bash PT he also made NASCAR seem like a bunch of guys driving on the Interstate, instead of running in a huge pack at close to 200 MPH. I'm not one of NASCAR's biggest fans but I do know that it takes just as much, if not more, skill & talent to drive one of those beasts at speed. Just ask A. J. Almendinger who, if you recall, won just about every Atlantic race he entered & once he started racing for Forcythe, he was burning up the track. He doesn't seem to be doing that well in NASCAR. The way dinosaur describes what it takes to drive in that series, he could take pole & win the race, in a rental car.

Jeff

[Lee Roy]

ever notice how the stars of the ever popular early 90's cart, were up there in age and still competing (well even)?

Correct.

When Mario Andretti won his last CART race, he was a year older than Harry Gant was when he scored his victory as the oldest driver to ever win a NASCAR Cup race.

Their ages at their last wins were Andretti 53 and Gant 52 as I recall.