Local Press'es Take on Danica at LBGP

[TURN3]

Now there was a driver who could/should have been the next big American driver and he wanted to be in OW. No money, no chance. Not a single one of the teams ever gave him so much as a look.

Sad indeed Starter. I do not personally know him but am very close to people that do. When asked if he held any regrets or jealousy he simply said no...Porsche pays him very very well (and better than an Indycar owner i would suspect) and to each their own. Truly a classy response.

[TURN3]

She can drive and has talent and has the tools to be good on any circuit.

With all due respect EE, when has she EVER demonstrated this? When I say ever feel free to explore all the way back to her post-karting career. I think it is very polite of you to preface your very accurate and well said post with a pay of respect toward her but c'mon. She can drive in the sense she's not 8 seconds off the pace or a spin out waiting to happen but that in no way makes a person talented. We are talking about the pinnacle of American open wheel motorsports and she's not that talented (nor are some others). On a talent only basis I'd suggest she needs to spend a little more time on the Barber Pro circuit.

[EagleEye]

With all due respect EE, when has she EVER demonstrated this? When I say ever feel free to explore all the way back to her post-karting career. I think it is very polite of you to preface your very accurate and well said post with a pay of respect toward her but c'mon. She can drive in the sense she's not 8 seconds off the pace or a spin out waiting to happen but that in no way makes a person talented. We are talking about the pinnacle of American open wheel motorsports and she's not that talented (nor are some others). On a talent only basis I'd suggest she needs to spend a little more time on the Barber Pro circuit.

She won in karting, and did well in Atlantics. Her drive at Indy a few years back was at times very impressive (amid some messy bits) and she seemed to have more fire in her belly.


Even this past weekend, she made a daring pass to get in front of Simona in tricky turn one. I'll have to go another way on this, as she does have talent, but she does not apply enough of her time to improve on those talents. The problem is that we do not see this enough. She runs fairly consistant lap times, which is another sign that she gets it.

She actually reminds me a bit of a young Christian Fittipaldi. No party was too small for Christian, and while he also had talent, he was often overshadowed by others who applied themselves to get better. He would show occasional flashes, but it took some time for him to win.

Remember, the truth is always in the middle.

[Mark in Oshawa]

She won in karting, and did well in Atlantics. Her drive at Indy a few years back was at times very impressive (amid some messy bits) and she seemed to have more fire in her belly.


Even this past weekend, she made a daring pass to get in front of Simona in tricky turn one. I'll have to go another way on this, as she does have talent, but she does not apply enough of her time to improve on those talents. The problem is that we do not see this enough. She runs fairly consistant lap times, which is another sign that she gets it.

She actually reminds me a bit of a young Christian Fittipaldi. No party was too small for Christian, and while he also had talent, he was often overshadowed by others who applied themselves to get better. He would show occasional flashes, but it took some time for him to win.

Remember, the truth is always in the middle.

Did well in Atlantics? I guess you never saw her race in Atlantics. I did....trust me, I knew it was stupidity putting Danica in the IRL based on what she did in Atlantics. Kath Legge won two races in Atlantics against a deeper field, and she isn't in the IRL, so where anyone would use her records in FF or Atlantics is beyond me entirely.

If it wasn't for some clever fuel mileage gambles at Indy those years ago, Danica likely wouldn't be in the IRL NOW....l

[TURN3]

She won in karting, and did well in Atlantics. Her drive at Indy a few years back was at times very impressive (amid some messy bits) and she seemed to have more fire in her belly.


Even this past weekend, she made a daring pass to get in front of Simona in tricky turn one. I'll have to go another way on this, as she does have talent, but she does not apply enough of her time to improve on those talents. The problem is that we do not see this enough. She runs fairly consistant lap times, which is another sign that she gets it.

She actually reminds me a bit of a young Christian Fittipaldi. No party was too small for Christian, and while he also had talent, he was often overshadowed by others who applied themselves to get better. He would show occasional flashes, but it took some time for him to win.

Remember, the truth is always in the middle.

See that is what I mean...nobody can really put their finger on what her talent is. You are reaching quite a bit when you say she won in karting...of course she did. Anybody that karts can be good if their family devotes their entire lives to it. I've made the analogy before but I was an outstanding pitcher in farm league ad little league baseball but sadly that didn't hold water as the pro scouts never showed up. To say she did well in Atlantics...really? What did she have 2 podiums in 2 years or something like that. 1 of those when the 3 leaders crashed out together.

I don't mean to demean your views so please don't take it that way. It is your right to see what you see. I'm just pointing out what I see, which is the obvious. When a driver has been professional for 14 years and all you can say to support her talent level is...she did well in karts and Atlantics (argumentative)...that isn't saying much for a professional drivers talent level. Go back to around her Daytona run and read Bobby Rahal's candid and fair comments about what he thinks of her talent level...I'd think he would have a pretty representative opinion. When she leaves AA, it'll be very interesting to see what other stories start being said about her in public as there are many that people won't currently speak of publicly.

Much of what you've posted I agree with whole heartedly...I just can't see any truth or fact to Danica having what a professional race driver should have to be "talented".

[beachbum]

She won in karting, and did well in Atlantics. Her drive at Indy a few years back was at times very impressive (amid some messy bits) and she seemed to have more fire in her belly.


Even this past weekend, she made a daring pass to get in front of Simona in tricky turn one. I'll have to go another way on this, as she does have talent, but she does not apply enough of her time to improve on those talents. The problem is that we do not see this enough. She runs fairly consistant lap times, which is another sign that she gets it.

She actually reminds me a bit of a young Christian Fittipaldi. No party was too small for Christian, and while he also had talent, he was often overshadowed by others who applied themselves to get better. He would show occasional flashes, but it took some time for him to win.

Remember, the truth is always in the middle.

I think you are being very generous. While she won in karting she ran in the same period as Hornish, Hunter-Reay, Sarah Fisher and others. They regularly finished ahead of her. I dug up some long lost results and was surprised that most of the "championships" listed in her PR were regional championships. When she showed up in Barber Dodge, she was beaten by Rhonda Trammel. She did ok in Atlantics, but never was much of a threat for a win (unlike Legge and Simona). She has shown speed at times, particular on tracks where she can hold the throttle down and hang on (like Indy). In her early years in the IRL, her reflexes and quick hands were impressive. But she never seems to have gone beyond that. When she has to "drive" the car, she doesn't do all that great.

The "daring" pass of Simona looked very tentative to me. Simona went wide and let her through. Simona gave her so much room Tags got alongside as well. Not very daring. As for consistent laps times, check out the lap charts and watch during practice. She can sometimes throw up a reasonably quick time, but often her times are all over the map. Compared to some like Helio and even Simona and Marco, she is pretty erratic.

Comparing her to Christian is an insult to Christian. He never lived up to his promise, but he was a decent journeyman driver and could actually challenge the front at times.

Danica has always had top line equipment so it is often hard to tell how much of the performance is equipment and how much is driver. But this year in both the IRL and NASCAR, we are getting a better guage.

While the truth may be somewhere in the middle, there has been a lot of revisionist history about her. She has driving talent, but doesn't seem to know how to develop it. Having "fire in the belly" is nice, but the cool hard determination usually seen in true champions is missing.

[Scotty G.]

Even this past weekend, she made a daring pass to get in front of Simona in tricky turn one.

Which was probably the first car on track she has passed all year (and that is not embellishing).

Of course, I am sure that had more to do with another female being the car in front of her. She always races Sarah hard too.

Danica is a competent and steady DRIVER. She is not a RACER though. HUGE difference.

[NickFalzone]

Which was probably the first car on track she has passed all year (and that is not embellishing).

Of course, I am sure that had more to do with another female being the car in front of her. She always races Sarah hard too.

Danica is a competent and steady DRIVER. She is not a RACER though. HUGE difference.

This is so true. Makes me wonder if the whole series was female, she would drive more aggressively. Whenever there are other women in the field she has been particularly aggressive with them, both in practice and the race. It's like she's OK being mid-pack or worse amongst the guys, but if there's another female that's competitive, she's going to race her guts out to make sure she finishes ahead of them. And tbh, having Andretti equipment and finishing one-spot ahead of a driver in HVM equipment is not a whole lot to be proud of.

[Easy Drifter]

It will be interesting to see what happens when she gets back in the NAtionwide car. I think she will be right near the back again. The Sprint Cup boys are tough and the Nationwide guys are mostly real hungry and full of fight which she seems to lack.
At Talledaga and Richmond Jr. is putting a young Cdn. driver from northern Ont. in the #7. Steve Arpin who just won the last two ARCA races at Salem and Texas.
He will be a Nationwide rookie.

[Mark in Oshawa]

It will be interesting to see what happens when she gets back in the NAtionwide car. I think she will be right near the back again. The Sprint Cup boys are tough and the Nationwide guys are mostly real hungry and full of fight which she seems to lack.
At Talledaga and Richmond Jr. is putting a young Cdn. driver from northern Ont. in the #7. Steve Arpin who just won the last two ARCA races at Salem and Texas.
He will be a Nationwide rookie.

Drifter...I bet you Arpin can do better than being lapped in the first 30 laps....lol