Welcome to IndyCar Sato -san !!!

[Lousada]

Despite Debbie Downer over there I'm happy with Takuma coming to the IRL. One of the draws CART had during its heyday was that it was the best field of drivers outside of F-1, and frankly "Rookies" coming into the field with years of F-1 experience can only be a good thing.

Exactly

The true test will be in a few years if drivers like Sato are still in series and have found enough sponsorship to build solid teams around them.

I think a driver like Sato will always have a place in a series like Indycar. I expect he will be up there with the best. At the very least the best behind Penske/Ganassi.

[JasonD]

The Super Aguri was not impressive. Scoring ANY points in it most assuredly was.

Gary

OK, come on here, lets get serious. If this guy had any REAL talent he would have been picked up by another team already, in at least a testing or reserve role. But is he, NO!

If he's the best in Japan that isnt enough of a reason to put him in a seat, anywhere.

[ChicagocrewIRL]

Considering we have had King Hiro, Tora Tora Tora, Shinji Nakano, Roger Yas, Hideki Mutoh and Kosucky, Takuma won't exactly have to do much to outdo them.

For all the guys you mentioned, IndyCar was a step up. For Sato, IndyCar, sadly, is a step down. None of those guys you mentioned has a resume' that even comes close to what Taku has done.

[ykiki]

4 points over 3 seasons with Super Aguri is not impressive.

WTF???? 4 points in a Super Aguri most certainly is impressive!!!!

[Scotty G.]

WTF???? 4 points in a Super Aguri most certainly is impressive!!!!

Probably about 4 more points then CART "greats" Bourdais or Zanardi ever scored. mokin:

[Mark in Oshawa]

Probably about 4 more points then CART "greats" Bourdais or Zanardi ever scored. mokin:

I guarntee you this much. When you say something THAT stupid, people will remember. Zanardi and Bourdais would drive circles around Sato if all three were in whatever series in their prime.

Sato got points in a Super Aguri. That isnt' bad, and it was likely circumstantial. He maybe the best Japanese driver in history, but that bar aint high. I think he has some talent, but I can tell you that he isn't a Sebatien Bourdais or Alessandro Zanardi.

Scotty, is your hatred of all things CART/Champ Car so great that you are completely clueless? I agreed with your take Sato wont help the IRL per se sell tickets and I can even agree they need more American faces in the field, but you just demean your intelligence and mine for reading your posts when you just say crap to stirr up people. You my friend aren't even an entertaining troll at this point..

[garyshell]

Probably about 4 more points then CART "greats" Bourdais or Zanardi ever scored. mokin:

Was there a point you were trying to make with this non-sequitur or were you just trying to be an ...?

Gary

[SoCalPVguy]

Just another guy to beat Danica.

[Anubis]

Personally, I'd rather see Sato in the field than the likes of Duno or Barrett. Hardly fair to have a downer on him for not being the solution to a problem that's none of his making in the first place. You could argue that people should be chasing him for an F1 seat, but maybe at his age and with his experience he's not prepared to take a testing or reserve role? Maybe he just wanted a new challenge or a chance to win races? I can't say I blame him for trying his luck any more than I'd blame Justin Wilson, Dan Wheldon or Dario Franchitti. The first had minimal success in F1 and the other two never got beyond tests, but it hasn't harmed them. Ok, so Sato isn't the star name who can restore things to their former glory, but can anyone honestly say they knew Zanardi would turn out so good based on his F1 resume? He scored one point in five F1 seasons, whereas Taku has 44 in seven. I'm not about to say that makes Sato 44 times better, but you just don't know until he gets in the car - he could be a revelation just as Zanardi was, or he might fall flat on his arse, but at least let him actually TRY first!

[Scotty G.]

1. I guarntee you this much. When you say something THAT stupid, people will remember.

2. I think he has some talent, but I can tell you that he isn't a Sebatien Bourdais or Alessandro Zanardi.

3. Scotty, is your hatred of all things CART/Champ Car so great that you are completely clueless?

4. I can even agree they need more American faces in the field

1. What was stupid about it? Pretty factual, no?

2. Which means what? Bourdais and Zanardi did nothing in F1. Zanardi was a backmarker the first time he was in F1, then came to CART with Ganassi (the best team in the sport at the time) and looked great. Then he goes back to F1 and was a backmarker again. Bourdais beat up on a bunch of chumps in Champ Car and then has done nothing in F1.

3. No hatred. Just facts. Zanardi and Bourdais were NOT Nigel Mansell, Nelson Piquet or Emerson Fittipaldi. They were average talent's with average racing resume's, who took advantage of the situations they were in during their time in America. Good for them, but they were no more huge talents then Buddy Lazier and Kenny Brack were in the IRL during the same time period. All were competing against watered down fields, where the disparity between the haves and have nots were HUGE.

4. It would be hard to have any fewer (since one week from the first test, we have 2 confirmed full-time Americans). Andretti Autosport's owner's kid and Nationwide's new star.