The first 2011 Silly Season driver/team thread

[Scotty G.]

SpeedTV reports indicate that FAZZT might be signing GP2 driver Ho-Ping Tung tomorrow.

Who?

Seriously, not exactly the kind of resume that screams Indy Car star. But since he has a "relationship" with one of the big money guys on Tags team, we know why he is getting a seat.

He'll be driving #88 for AZZT Racing.

According to RMiller, it appears Rahal and Charlie Kimball to run a 2 car team as a satellite operation to Ganassi; likely owned by Don "The Snake" Prudhomme.

My guess, is that Kimball's Diabetes money aced out Jay Howard for the ride. Too bad Jay.

I have also heard Summerton is close to something as well.

[Chamoo]

Who?

Seriously, not exactly the kind of resume that screams Indy Car star. But since he has a "relationship" with one of the big money guys on Tags team, we know why he is getting a seat.

He'll be driving #88 for AZZT Racing.

According to RMiller, it appears Rahal and Charlie Kimball to run a 2 car team as a satellite operation to Ganassi; likely owned by Don "The Snake" Prudhomme.

My guess, is that Kimball's Diabetes money aced out Jay Howard for the ride. Too bad Jay.

I have also heard Summerton is close to something as well.

Not to nit-pick, but wasn't it Marshall Pruett who wrote that article on Kimball and Rahal?

Also, Scotty, I'm surprised! Unless you were being sarcastic in regards to Jay Howard being out of a ride due to Charlie Kimball bringing money, I thought you'd like a good young American who came through the ladder and got to the Izod Indycar Series over a Brit?

Also, if Summerton has does get something done, and JR gets the Panther seat, along with Rahal and Kimball, that is four full time American's on top of RHR and Danica from last season. Add in the potential for Ed Carpenter at select races, and a potential full time season from Hinchcliffe and a 99% sure full time season from Tags, toss in a couple PT races and we've got ourselves a good assortment of USA talent, with a nice side serving of Canadian talent for 2011.

Edit: You were right, it was RM.

[MDS]

Well, Ho-Ping Tung is a mixed blessing. Its great to see another car in the field, and the fact the contract is done before Thanksgiving is good, but we can't build a series around guys like Tung, unless this is part of a bigger deal. Like if he brings sponsorship and the ICS pulls off its ambition to pair Motegi with a Chinese race and he's around for two years then it's a wonderful thing, if not then he's just another guy who couldn't find a place in Formula 1.

While he hasn't been stellar in the feeder series he has been capable and breifly held a Super License and that means he can compete. He's done well in the Superleague against a pretty stiff field. Tung is quality of drivers the league should be getting, and FAZZT is an appropriate quality team for him to land at. So I wish him luck, I just wish Hinchcliff or Wickens had claimed this seat.

I wonder how much role the league played? If they're going to go to China now it would play a hell of a lot better to the fans in that country if their banner carrier was an established driver and not some token rookie.

[Enjun Pullr]

It struck me as funny that deals like this happen all the time, and making silly season lists is just that. Nobody had Sato or Baguette on a list last year either.

You can add Marco and Townsend Bell to the American contingent though. It's hard to see why this is such a big issue to so many people: there were nine U.S. drivers at Indy last year and five in most other events.

IndyCar needs personalities, it shouldn't matter a bit where they were born in my opinion.

[Scotty G.]

It's hard to see why this is such a big issue to so many people: there were nine U.S. drivers at Indy last year and five in most other events.

9 Americans at Indy was the worst % in the Indy 500 ever.

From 1950 to 1990 or so, it never dipped below 20 and there were many, many years where over 30 starters were from America.

The Indy 500 needs to get back to the point where at least half the field is American again. Like it was for about the first 100 years of its existance.

[Scotty G.]

Also, Scotty, I'm surprised! Unless you were being sarcastic in regards to Jay Howard being out of a ride due to Charlie Kimball bringing money, I thought you'd like a good young American who came through the ladder and got to the Izod Indycar Series over a Brit?

I'd much rather have Kimball over Howard. Howard has not endeared himself to most folks in the ICS. And we are not even talking about his driving.

Kimball didn't exactly light it up in Lights, but he's still only 25 and he did well before he got to Lights. Plus his diabetes story, would be a good one to follow.

I am sure, that this was the ride Howard was alluding to a while ago, when he said he might be "teammates" with Graham. I think he thought his relationship with Service Central, would help him. I guess it didn't.

As Bernard has said, he wants THE BEST guys. With that in mind, I'd rather see John Edwards and Robert Wickens and Andrew Ranger in the series over Ho Tung Pin, Jay Howard and Mario Moraes. Maybe by 2012, more of "the best" will get to Indy Cars and these other jokers have to look elsewhere.

[TURN3]

Scotty I don't disagree with your "desire" for more Americans at Indy. Saying we "need" to get back to a particular percentage of Americans at Indy though I think is not going to produce the product we all want either. You eluded yourself to the need for the BEST drivers. The talent pool of Americans isn't as deep as it used to be. Sure I want Americans but I want the best drivers. I don't want a field of Americans like Marco and Danica just because their Americans but without the ability to push the limits of a car and create excitement. I realize Vettel and Alonso aren't heading this way but to me, field filling is field filling whether they're ride buyers or in a ride because of where they're from.

[Chris R]

I continue to believe that the majority of the buying/paying public prefer a "winner" with personality to a generic "american" that is neither. All else being equal, I am sure the American audience would prefer an American winner But I think we are sophisticated enough to put personality and talent above nationality....

Also, (please play as though you do not already know who these people are) pick the American from the following list:

Scott Dixon
Justin Wilson
Roger Yasukawa
Paul Tracy

Unless you are a hard core fan, you have no idea where the driver came from until and unless you hear them speak and even then you could be mightily confused (Dario Franchitti). So, I do not see how a lack of Americans is a deterrent to the casual fan.... It may upset the mid-west core fanbase and it is certainly a good thing to aspire to (to have a greater number of excellent American drivers in the Indy 500)... but I think it is very wide of the mark to focus on that as a key issue in the failure of the sport to thrive since the split....

[Scotty G.]

The talent pool of Americans isn't as deep as it used to be. Sure I want Americans but I want the best drivers. I don't want a field of Americans like Marco and Danica just because their Americans but without the ability to push the limits of a car and create excitement.

(I can't believe I am about to defend Princess and Marco....)


But those two, have proven, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, that they are capable American drivers. At other places? No. But at Indy (which is what I am talking about)? Yes.

I think there are just as many talented, capable American drivers who could do good things at Indy, as there ever have been. For decades, Indy was filled with some high-caliber American talents (like Foyt, the Unser's, Rutheford, Donahue, the Bettenhausen's, Johncock, Mears, Sneva, Gurney, etc....) but it was also filled with guys like Eldon Rasmussen, Jerry Karl, Dennis Firestone and Steve Krisiloff too. Were they considered "world-class" talents? No. But we didn't always aspire to lure Formula 1 hopefuls or dropouts either. We didn't lose so many good young drivers to NASCAR back then either.

Right now, if we had these following 15 American drivers at Indy, I think we'd have something:

-Marco
-Rahal
-Patrick
-Braun
-Bell
-Summerton
-Kimball
-Allmendinger
-Hornish
-Hildebrand
-Clauson
-Yeley
-Cameron
-Hunter-Reay
-Rice


There is some pretty decent talent there.

[TURN3]

(I can't believe I am about to defend Princess and Marco....)


But those two, have proven, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, that they are capable American drivers. At other places? No. But at Indy (which is what I am talking about)? Yes.

I think there are just as many talented, capable American drivers who could do good things at Indy, as there ever have been. For decades, Indy was filled with some high-caliber American talents (like Foyt, the Unser's, Rutheford, Donahue, the Bettenhausen's, Johncock, Mears, Sneva, Gurney, etc....) but it was also filled with guys like Eldon Rasmussen, Jerry Karl, Dennis Firestone and Steve Krisiloff too. Were they considered "world-class" talents? No. But we didn't always aspire to lure Formula 1 hopefuls or dropouts either. We didn't lose so many good young drivers to NASCAR back then either.

Right now, if we had these following 15 American drivers at Indy, I think we'd have something:

-Marco
-Rahal
-Patrick
-Braun
-Bell
-Summerton
-Kimball
-Allmendinger
-Hornish
-Hildebrand
-Clauson
-Yeley
-Cameron
-Hunter-Reay
-Rice


There is some pretty decent talent there.

To a degree I understand what you're saying. I don't see your entire logic though, very rarely do any of us...but anyway. First of all, you list guys on your list that are nowhere close to giving up a stock car career to enter Indy OR have been washed up without even attempting get in a car for 3+ years. Buddy Rice!!? Come on! The guy hasn't been seen in public since he embarrased himself for Forsythe in Mexico a few years ago. JJ Yeley, yep an American alright and a household name. Braun, Hornish, and Almendinger aren't coming back either.

Even if you wishlist came true, it would be insignificant for only 1 race. Indy is special, you're right about that. But what made it special is guys from all over the world came to go at it. Yes, there will be field fillers and underdogs but you are not going to get 15 Americans in the Indy 500 with a chance to win. Nobody remembers who finsihes 2nd. Case in point is to see what happend after the split. Plenty of Americans, plenty of empty seats. The drivers have to be the best in the world, no matter where they're from.

And these days I give very little credit to drivers like Marco and Danica for "knowing how to get around the place". Seriously? These cars are very little lift even at Indy and we've discussed this together already. Things seem to be changing in 2012. Yes it takes lots of patience to bring an Indycar home over 500 miles at Indy at that is worth something. But it was worth more prior to about 2000. What Mears, Foyt, Johncock, Sneva, etc. etc. etc. did was "knowing how to get around Indy". If it were just finishing, Roberto Guererro would be a household name.