SCOTT SPEED to NASCAR

[geek49203]

Speed is a mediocre driver with less talent than Allmendinger.

What is it with all the O.W. guys wanting to come to Nascar. Very few, if any, will be successful in the transition. It is a difficult move for them.

Strange, the open-wheel fans say the same things about every driver in NASCAR. And, they call the cars "taxi cabs" that "don't take any talent to drive" because they mostly run on ovals.

Jeez.

To say that Speed has no talent is akin to knocking an Academy Award winning actor 'cause he does work Broadway. Such accusations by fans from one series against drivers and cars in another shows a remarkable lack of knowledge, or the consumption of wayyyy too much Koolaid, or both.

LAST -- I'm working on an update of my Aug 2006 article, detailing how most Indy (CART, CCWS and IRL) drivers who come to NASCAR don't do very well (Tony Stewart is the exception). I do agree w/ that point. However, those drives that come over DO have talent, but the lessons that they mastered in open wheel racing are exactly opposite than those needed for NASCAR.

[BenRoethig]

I'd like to see Speed and Allmendinger go to CCWS, help out the series

An all road racing series is going to need more help than that.

[Mark in Oshawa]

Speed has no real business going to NASCAR except that is where Red Bull seems to want him. I guess they like throwing good money after bad. They haven't figured out that OW racers have a long learning curve, because with with a few exceptions, most of them never really seem to take to the stock car way of making a car handle and race. Geek is dead on the money when he talks about the failure of a lot of these guys to make the transition. It isn't that they cannot drive, or they cannot do it, but there is a learning curve that has to be established, and many of these guys don't get that time.

One only has to look at how JPM struggles at times even now and they have had him in stock cars for close to 60 races between Busch and Cup, and he still can look lost on a oval. He is a supreme talent, and has incredible car control, but that doesn't replace the knowledge and feel that one has to have imprinted on one's DNA to understand the changes that are happening in the car and how to counteract them. It isn't that the drivers in NASCAR are better, but they are usually stock car guys from the word go, and they have a much more shallow learning curve. What Allmendinger is finding out is NASCAR is unique.....and it isn't like jumping from Atlantics to Champ Car to IRL or even f1. Speed would be lost.......

[Old3Fan]

He he, except Danica, who passed on her chance!

The only chance Danica has if the 6-7 cars normally in FRONT of her wreck on the final lap. BTW isn't she getting a little testy lately?

[SOD]

More openwheel drivers coming to NASCAR seeking fame & good fortune .....

oh STanley, how come every open wheeler who comes to NASCAR gets 10 minutes TV time devoted to him during the pre-race?

[muggle not]

oh STanley, how come every open wheeler who comes to NASCAR gets 10 minutes TV time devoted to him during the pre-race?

hehe, because cars that end up in 35th thru 43rd get little coverage "during" the race.

[Mark in Oshawa]

I disagree, most open wheelers who go to NASCAR rarely get more than a mention. PT when he raced Busch at Daytona only got some air time when he started to push to the front, and then was taken out by a dumb move by John Andretti.