TEAM money cut from Conquest and Coyne

[Lousada]

“Our fans want credibility and they ridicule a couple of our drivers for not being good enough so if those people are still going to try and compete, IndyCar is not going to pay for them,” said Bernard, who singled out Milka Duno in the owner’s meeting last week as he informed his paddock of the TEAM change.

http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/artic...ding-for-2011/

The TEAM fund was especially set-up for the smaller teams, and now they get cut from it. This could potentially damage the Conquest and Coyne second operations. That would mean two less cars.
Also it doesn't stop from running Francesco Dracone and Milka Duno next year. Actually it encourages it, because now the little teams have no incentive to put talented, but not so rich, drivers in. Alex Loyd could only compete this year because the team had Milka. That construction will be 1.3 million more expensive next year.

[Nikki Katz]

I think that this is completely the wrong way to go around it. They did make Duno just make cameo appearances in the last few races, which was sort-of good, but personally I'd just include a qualifying cut-off time. This wouldn't be like F1 in the late 90s with some teams regularly struggling to make 107% due to budgetary reasons, as IndyCars are essentially identical. There could be a difference of a couple of seconds due to being at the worst team on the grid compared with the best, but certainly nothing like the 10s + that we have seen from Duno.

[Jag_Warrior]

After placing her on double-super-secret probation, the Nard Dog doesn't have the nads to yank her license, so he takes the chicken#### approach of $queezing whatever team she drives for?

Coward!

Hey Randy Man, since you're now in the mood to "listen to the fans", why haven't you taken steps to fire Brian Barnhart? IMO, that clown has done more harm to this series than Milka ever could.

[Scotty G.]

Conquest and Coyne still get Indy Car welfare, for 2 of their entries.

Maybe some of these teams need to actually get serious and not just employ hacks like Duno and Dracone.

Dale's been at it a long, long time. Time to get serious, man.

[Chamoo]

Conquest and Coyne still get Indy Car welfare, for 2 of their entries.

Maybe some of these teams need to actually get serious and not just employ hacks like Duno and Dracone.

Dale's been at it a long, long time. Time to get serious, man.

Yea, Dale did get serious when he won at Watkins Glen.

[Otto-Matic]

since we can never get rid of ride buyers, i wa salways wondering why sanctoning bodies didnt increase the requirments to hold a competition license. Sure you got a boat load of $$$ but if drivers criteria to compete in Indycar were more strickly enforced, or held to a higher standard of "quality' competition than at least we'd have ride buyers who had some talent. Maybe a certain amount of miles/races completed in Atlantics (when it was around)/FIL, with a criteria for results (if you do 50 FIL races but finish last in 40 of them, that doesnt make you "ready" to step up) or at least a perfromance standard for testing...SOMETHING.

[Scotty G.]

Yea, Dale did get serious when he won at Watkins Glen.

Yea, that lasted a long time.

Coyne's been at this a while now. Time to get serious about actually competing and not just filling the field.

[garyshell]

Yea, that lasted a long time.

Coyne's been at this a while now. Time to get serious about actually competing and not just filling the field.

Why? Because Scotty G says so? What if he is perfectly happy just competing at the level of commitment he currently has and not interested in trying to take on Penske and Ganassi?

Gary

[Anubis]

Guess it's similar to the start and park debate in NASCAR. If Coyne et al feel they can operate as a business and turn a profit (do they?) by fielding ride buyers, as long as the series allows it, or maybe perhaps as long as it continues not to disallow it, who is anyone to tell them otherwise? I wouldn't want to see people bankrupted and people out of jobs through trying to compete with Penske. If their business model is ride buyers, until such a point ICS introduces a 107% rule or somesuch, they're going to continue taking the cheques.

[Chris R]

Yea, that lasted a long time.

Coyne's been at this a while now. Time to get serious about actually competing and not just filling the field.

And without Coyne, we had on less thing to talk about, one less incubator for new talent (despite Duno, he has brought some decent drivers to the series), 2 less cars in the field, and countless other things he brings to the table....

He is the classic underdog - which is something Americans love - perhaps even more than American drivers.... He is also a smart businessman - he has been able to keep his team going for many years despite a lack of success and it appears as though he has actually made a living doing it... How many folks have gone broke trying to be the next Roger Penske or Chip Ganassi???

I am no fan of Duno and no fan of ride buyers who have no business in an Indycar - but Dale is ok in my book (and so are many of the so-called "ride buyers" who are talented enough to merit a chance even if they are not the next Mario Andretti - they make the racing world spin 'round)......