J.Johnson really wants to do the 500

[Lousada]

Think about it... years ago, we would have seen at least one of the following do Indy: Michael Schumacher, Ralf Schumacher, Jacques Villeneuve, Kimi Raikonen, Juan Pablo Montoya or David Coulthard. Forget about the NASCAR guys who are big stars, but have never so much as sat in a formula car before. What about the world class guys who used to come over?

I'm not disputing your views on Jimmie Johnsons situation. But this paragraph is just ridiculous. First of all JV and JPM are Indy500 winners. Second of all, in years gone by "European" stars didn't attend the Indy500 either. In the last 40 years only Emerson Fittipaldi, whose European glory days were long over by the time he hit the US, and of course Nigel Mansell can be really classified as stars. The Theo Fabis, Derek Dalys and Arie Luyendijks of yesterday can easily be compared with the Satos, Wilsons and Wheldons of today. The real difference between then and now is that there are no more credible American stars.

[ykiki]

I'm not disputing your views on Jimmie Johnsons situation. But this paragraph is just ridiculous. First of all JV and JPM are Indy500 winners. Second of all, in years gone by "European" stars didn't attend the Indy500 either. In the last 40 years only Emerson Fittipaldi, whose European glory days were long over by the time he hit the US, and of course Nigel Mansell can be really classified as stars. The Theo Fabis, Derek Dalys and Arie Luyendijks of yesterday can easily be compared with the Satos, Wilsons and Wheldons of today. The real difference between then and now is that there are no more credible American stars.

Maybe it's just me, but when I read the world class guys who used to come over, I think of Clark, Hill, Stewart, Rindt, Brabham

[Jag_Warrior]

I'm not disputing your views on Jimmie Johnsons situation. But this paragraph is just ridiculous. First of all JV and JPM are Indy500 winners. Second of all, in years gone by "European" stars didn't attend the Indy500 either. In the last 40 years only Emerson Fittipaldi, whose European glory days were long over by the time he hit the US, and of course Nigel Mansell can be really classified as stars. The Theo Fabis, Derek Dalys and Arie Luyendijks of yesterday can easily be compared with the Satos, Wilsons and Wheldons of today. The real difference between then and now is that there are no more credible American stars.

In the 1993 Indy 500, there were four FIA World Driving Champions and seven(?) World Driving Championships in the field: Emerson Fittipaldi, Mario Andretti, Nigel Mansell and Nelson Piquet... with Mansell being the reigning WDC. Have you seen any WDC's in the field recently... like in the past decade and a half? Seen anyone who has even had a whiff of that prize?

Is there some new rule that I don't know about that says that a former Indy 500 winner isn't allowed to return? I mentioned Villeneuve and Montoya because they are still racing, as are the Schumachers - just not at Indy. Both Mario and Michael Andretti went to Europe to do F1. But when they came back, they came back to Indy and AOWR. That is no longer the case. Hell, we used to get the F3000 champions who didn't get picked up by F1. Now we get the guys who are barely GP2 also rans. Now when drivers return from Europe or come over from Europe, it's just as likely that they'll do NASCAR. So yes, it is true that there are few (credible) American stars, and it is equally true that there are no/few world class international drivers who are jonesing to do this race any longer - and now we see that one of NASCAR's biggest stars isn't going to break his neck (maybe literally) to do it either.

My bottomline: what Bernard has done to this point is commendable. I think he is a breath of fresh air. But I'm also saying that rather than just giving him $20 to rearrange the chairs on the Titanic, IMS could really get behind him and demonstrate their $upport. I watched my first full season of IRL racing last year. The racing wasn't bad overall. Some were excellent and very entertaining. But the presentation was amateur hour at best, most of the time. And we don't need to go back over Indy's record low ratings. Maybe you're one of those fans who believes that the IRL's current woes are a result of some grand conspiracy involving NASCAR, corporate America and ABC/ESPN... I don't know. One fellow even suggested to me that sunspots are affecting the ratings. How that would JUST affect IRL races and not other programming, he didn't seem to have that part of his theory worked out. All I know is sponsors follow the eyeballs... and drivers follow the sponsors. And with fewer eyeballs watching, the quality of the driver pool is being affected.

[DBell]

Good post Jag and spot on. Indy car has a handful of drivers who are really good and another handful or so who are decent. A few more with potential and after that, it's crapola.

The last part about the sunspot theory is really funny. Sunspots? Fool. Doesn't he know it's because the Myans have told us we only have a less than 2 years left, so no one is really trying hard to better things.

[Mark in Oshawa]

Yeah, she's hot, (she and Ingrid VdB make one hell of a set of book-ends at the dinner table!) but so is every woman a guy with JJ's stature pulls. Difference is, he saw what happens when things don't go so well close up from his mentor and team owner JG. Jimmy knows where he is king. Just like Schummi. Schummi immediately dismisses any suggestion of ever running Indy because of the danger. Family is a convenient, and very legitimate excuse, but he raced motorcycles AND was injured pretty badly. Danger isn't the reason. What he really knows is, success is far from guaranteed in Indycars.

Jimmy's no fool. What realistic chance of hitting that $25m payoff does he really have at 35? At 25, or even 30 when he had time to get a good ride and maybe some seat time, I would have put money on it. At 35, having never raced an open wheel car, I wouldn't even take Jag's $20 bet for a tequila slushie.

Ah yes, the real reason. Jimmie doesn't want to look bad, and it is a point I should have made and didn't. I have no doubt Jimmie if he wanted to go to Indy bad enough, he would go regardless of the Wife. Race drivers are all about racing first if they are successful. The wife is always second to the career. Smart wives know this, like Lynda Petty must have known all those years ago with the King.

No, Jimmie wont do Indy in the end because yes, Jag's point has merit that the 500 isn't what it was; but more importantely, he I think knows he would be in over his head. This years car he might have a fighting chance of competing.

I just laugh when people think wives have influence over drivers. They only do when the driver wants it to be an influence. Jimmie didn't get to where he is by being soft.....

[Mark in Oshawa]

My bottomline: what Bernard has done to this point is commendable. I think he is a breath of fresh air. But I'm also saying that rather than just giving him $20 to rearrange the chairs on the Titanic, IMS could really get behind him and demonstrate their $upport. I watched my first full season of IRL racing last year. The racing wasn't bad overall. Some were excellent and very entertaining. But the presentation was amateur hour at best, most of the time. And we don't need to go back over Indy's record low ratings. Maybe you're one of those fans who believes that the IRL's current woes are a result of some grand conspiracy involving NASCAR, corporate America and ABC/ESPN... I don't know. One fellow even suggested to me that sunspots are affecting the ratings. How that would JUST affect IRL races and not other programming, he didn't seem to have that part of his theory worked out. All I know is sponsors follow the eyeballs... and drivers follow the sponsors. And with fewer eyeballs watching, the quality of the driver pool is being affected.

You have figured out what I have known. The presentation, the decisions made by the people running the races (Edmonton ring a bell anyone?) is what is lacking in the IRL. Randy has started to reform the sport, but this year, the on track product and how it is regulated and run on race day needs to see some scrutiny.

AS for Indy not being what it used to be, well you can undo 15 years of stupidity in 2 years...

[Jag_Warrior]

Good post Jag and spot on. Indy car has a handful of drivers who are really good and another handful or so who are decent. A few more with potential and after that, it's crapola.

The last part about the sunspot theory is really funny. Sunspots? Fool. Doesn't he know it's because the Myans have told us we only have a less than 2 years left, so no one is really trying hard to better things.

Yep, sunspots. I #### you not. The saddest part is that he was serious.

While it would be nice if Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon or Dale Earnhardt, Jr. would do Indy... fans of this sport are just going to have to accept that these guys are not open wheel drivers (#1) and they really don't have any more than a passing interest in this sport to begin with (#2).

So as I keep saying, with that being the case, I'm not surprised that Jimmie isn't going to go to war with his wife to do the Indy 500. Oh sure, he could lay down the law and start chanting, "a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do"... and she could pick up the phone and dial a divorce lawyer, while she chants, "well, fine then - a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do." Plus, there's probably five or six of Jimmie's brother NASCAR drivers that would be happy to "console" Chandra in her hour of need. The dude is on top of the world. He has no need to do anything silly that would screw that up, IMO.

But whatever the reason, he ain't doin' it. The OP was just another fantasy.