The Next Generation: The 20 and under top 10

[MDS]

If the ICS is going to be a destination for the best drivers in the world it has to start attracting the best of the new generation of drivers. Here’s a list of who I think are top 10 best open wheel drivers under 20 in feeder series world wide. IRL teams should really go about plucking some of this talent because most of their goals are F-1, but there are only 20 or so F-1 seats.

Valtteri Bottas
Age: 19
Hometown: Vilahde, Finland
Current Series: Formula 3 Euroseries
Background: Bottas has won a number of feeder championship series including the Renault 2.0 Eurocup and a number of Finnish series. This year he’s going to be in the premier F-3 series in Europe. He doesn’t have the backing to make it to F-1 at this point and will be ICS ready in a year or two.

John Edwards
Age: 17 (Turns 18 on March 11)
Hometown: Cincinnati, Ohio
Current Series: Atlantic Championship
Background: Although dumped out of the Red Bull driver development program I think Edwards should be the next big thing in American Open Wheel Racing. I watched him win a Star Mazda race last year at Road Atlanta, and he won the championship despite missing the first race of the season. He’s signed with Newman Wachs Racing, and should be a serious contender for the Atlantic championship, where he already did his rookie year in 2007 when he was 16 with Forysthe-Red Bull.

Marcus Ericsson
Age: 18
Hometown: Kumla, Sweden
Current Series: Japan F3
Background: He’s Kenny Brack’s protégée so that should speak pretty well for him. His body of work is impressive as well. He’s got a number of championships in Euro cart series and most impressively the British Formula BMW championship to his credit. This year he’s racing in the Japanese F3 series and will probably be ready for the ICS after this year.

Robert Wickens
Age: 19 (Turns 20 March 13)
Hometown: Toronto, Canada
Current Series: Formula Two
Background: Wickens is probably heading to a Red Bull F-1 team in a year or two, but he’s the best North American prospect current out there. He’s won on every level he’s raced on, Atlantic, A1GP, Formula BMW. He has a stunning resume, and if things go sideways for him in Europe he would make a great addition to the IRL. He’s already got more experience at 19 than a fourth of the ICS field does in their entire careers.

JR Hildebrand
Age: 20
Hometown: Sausalito, California
Current Series: Firestone Indy Lights
Background: In what is by all measures a weak year for the FIL he should win the championship by a good margin. He’s competed in the FIL and impressively in the Atlantics. He’s ready for a ICS ride now, and should be in the series by 2010.

Alexander Rossi
Age: 17
Hometown: Auburn, California
Current series: TBA
Background: Rossi dominated Formula BMW Americas last year winning 11 of 18 starts. He’s won 40 percent of every race he’s ever entered. Rossi another one of these kids whose sights are set on Formula 1, and he’s probably got the best shot of any American in a long time. I’m really curious to see where he’s racing this year, but his name is already being tossed out for the USF1 team in the same sentence with Speed, Danica and Kyle Bush.

Earl Bamber
Age: 18
Hometown: Wanganui, New Zeeland
Current Series: A1GP
Background: Although he’s got a killer resume he really hasn’t been all that impressive in A1GP the last two years. He’s done very well in the feeder series and could probably handle an ICS ride this year or next. Bamber is probably one of those drivers the ICS is less likely to get without racing in Surfer’s Paradise.

Graham Carroll
Age: 18
Hometown: Aberdeen Scotland
Background: Carroll (No relation to GP2 Driver Adam Carroll) had a huge year in 2008, winning five different Formula Ford British Championships. He’s another one of these guys who doesn’t come from a rich family and may not advance into a better feeder series in 2009 because he doesn’t have any more. He’d be a few years away from ICS competition, but he’d be a prime choice for an FIL ride this year.

Daniel Morad
Age: 18
Hometown: Toronto, Canada
Current Series: A1GP
Background: The 2007 Formula BMW Americas champion he’s already got 10 years of racing experience. He’s been fairly quick for Team Lebanon in A1GP, and has grown up going against Wickens, who I consider to be the strongest Canadian prospect since JV.

Sergio Perez
Age: 20 (For a month now)
Hometown: Guadalajara, Jalisco
Current Series GP2 Asia
Background: The most promising young Mexican driver he’s won the British F3 championship and recently claimed his first GP2 Asia win, which is a first for a Mexican driver. Probably F-1 bound, but could easily end up in the ICS.

Brendan Hartley
Age: 19
Hometown: Palmerstown North, New Zeeland
Current series: British F3
Background: Won the 2007 Renault World Cup Championship when he was 17, he’s another Red Bull Junior team member. He’s got a pretty impressive career in front of him and is probably going to be more successful than countryman Earl Bamber. Its drivers like Hartley that just make believe Red Bull is going to start an ICS team one of these years because they just have far too many young, talented drivers in their development program than they could possibly place somewhere.

[peasant]

Earl Bamber
Age: 18
Hometown: Wanganui, New Zeeland
Current Series: A1GP
Background: Although he’s got a killer resume he really hasn’t been all that impressive in A1GP the last two years.


What? It's his first season in A1, and he was on the podium 3 out of his first 4 races - 2 of those in heavy rain in holland?? He's been very impressive.

[Ranger]

The future for New Zealand motorsport is pretty bright at the moment with Hartley and Bamber, which is more than can be said for Australians at the moment. Good luck to them. :up:

[MDS]

What? It's his first season in A1, and he was on the podium 3 out of his first 4 races - 2 of those in heavy rain in holland?? He's been very impressive.

According to the A1GP Bamber's made nine starts with three podiums all this year. He hasn't been bad, its just that he didn't find his way until recently. I think he's got a bright future, but the reason I consider Hartley to be a stronger prospect at this time is because Hartley has Red Bull's backing.

Also, the A1GP stat page lists drivers' bloodtypes. What's up with that?
http://www.forix.com/a1gp/driver.php?l=0&d=201&r=1990070900&c=0

[Placid]

And there is Carl Skerlong - Atlantic Driver

[peasant]

According to the A1GP Bamber's made nine starts with three podiums all this year. He hasn't been bad, its just that he didn't find his way until recently. I think he's got a bright future, but the reason I consider Hartley to be a stronger prospect at this time is because Hartley has Red Bull's backing.

Also, the A1GP stat page lists drivers' bloodtypes. What's up with that?
http://www.forix.com/a1gp/driver.php?l=0&d=201&r=1990070900&c=0

That's wrong. He's made 6 starts with 3 podiums. He's 18 in his first season- recently is the only time he could found his way. Won't disagree with you about Hartley's advantage though.

[MDS]

As talented as Carl Skerlong might be, he's dropped off the face of the planet. I haven't heard anything about him for this year.

[Chamoo]

As talented as Carl Skerlong might be, he's dropped off the face of the planet. I haven't heard anything about him for this year.

I'd expect him to run with an Atlantics team. They seem to be making a rash of announcements about drivers and teams lately. I don't know if it was planned to wait until this late, but there have been 6 or 7 driver announcements in the last week alone so I would expect that trend to continue this week.

[garyshell]

I'd expect him to run with an Atlantics team. They seem to be making a rash of announcements about drivers and teams lately. I don't know if it was planned to wait until this late, but there have been 6 or 7 driver announcements in the last week alone so I would expect that trend to continue this week.


Where were these announcements? Not on the Atlantic website it has been DEAD for a while. Not on IMSA's site (their sanctioning partner). The only announcements there were for one definite team and two others "interested".

I think Mr. Johnston has driven our much beloved series into the ditch. I will be surprise (but PLEASED) if they show up in Sebring latter this month.

Gary

[Chamoo]

Team Stargate Worlds announced 2 cars
Newman-Wachs announced 2 cars
Jensen Motorsport announced 2 cars
Mathaisen Motorsport will be on the grid apparently

The announcements are rolling in.

I wonder what we did before the internet? lol

[Mark in Oshawa]

Gary...from what I have read, it had no other place to go with this guy running it....

[chuck34]

What about Conor Daily? Any word on what he'll be up to this year?

[garyshell]

Team Stargate Worlds announced 2 cars
Newman-Wachs announced 2 cars
Jensen Motorsport announced 2 cars
Mathaisen Motorsport will be on the grid apparently

The announcements are rolling in.

I wonder what we did before the internet? lol


Rolling in WHERE? Who are they announcing these to? Nothing like hiding your light under a bushel basket.

Gary

[Chamoo]

What about Conor Daily? Any word on what he'll be up to this year?

Conor is doing Star Mazda, I believe for Andersen Racing.

[Chamoo]

Rolling in WHERE? Who are they announcing these to? Nothing like hiding your light under a bushel basket.

Gary

I understand what your saying, but, whether they are promoting it or not, these teams are making the announcements via their websites. I know it may be a ty way of doing it, and it looks bad on the series with the site down, but, they are being made and contracts are being signed.

Like I said before, when there was no internet, you wouldn't have heard about these announcements unless you were in the know, so this is no different then back in the day. Sure its no way to run the series, but, it is being run in some description or other, which in my opinion is better news then watching it die.

[underpowered]

If the ICS is going to be a destination for the best drivers in the world it has to start attracting the best of the new generation of drivers. Here’s a list of who I think are top 10 best open wheel drivers under 20 in feeder series world wide. IRL teams should really go about plucking some of this talent because most of their goals are F-1, but there are only 20 or so F-1 seats.

Brendan Hartley
Age: 19
Hometown: Palmerstown North, New Zeeland
Current series: British F3
Background: Won the 2007 Renault World Cup Championship when he was 17, he’s another Red Bull Junior team member. He’s got a pretty impressive career in front of him and is probably going to be more successful than countryman Earl Bamber. Its drivers like Hartley that just make believe Red Bull is going to start an ICS team one of these years because they just have far too many young, talented drivers in their development program than they could possibly place somewhere.

I think Brendan is already gone.

http://www.pitpass.com/fes_php/pitpass_news_item.php?fes_art_id=37154

New Zealanders grow up on a diet of Formula one hero's like Bruce McLaren, Chris Amon, Denny Hulme (although he has a couple of fourth place finishes at Indy)

I guess every Kiwi kid wants to win the formula one championship like Denny Hulme.

Hopefully with Scott winning Indy the next generation see it as a viable career goal. Although there have been a few Kiwi's in Indy Lights that havn't progresed.

[MDS]

Hartley, Wickins, Rossi, they're all not likely to ever set foot at Indy. The only two drivers on this list IRL bound are John Edwards and JR Hildebrand, and honestly Hildebrand doesn't really have a resume to race anywhere other than the IRL or NASCAR. Edwards would still be years away from F-1, even if he had the funding.

My point in putting this list together is to really look at the gap between the talent the IRL should be getting and the talent the IRL is getting. If you look at the drivers that have come into the league, outside of the merger, its pretty weak.

Staton Barrett, Mike Conway, Milka Dunno are all cast offs from other series. Ed Carpentier, and A.J. IV are only there because of their names. Marco was rushed. E.J Viso is talented, but was a mid-packer in GP2. Hideki was decent in the Japanese feeder series but didn't set the world on fire.

When it comes to traditionally rookie drivers -- that being young guys with 10 years of experience or so who come into the IRL looking to make a name for themselves -- the best drivers that have come into the series in the last couple of years have been Graham Rahal, Rapheal Matos, and Mario Moraes actually has a pretty strong resume for his age. That's not a knock on the field, which is pretty strong even considering the recession, but its become a fallback series, not a destination or a breeding ground for most drivers.

[chuck34]

MDS, I get what you are saying. However, I would say that looking at a lot of the really talented "formula car guys" may be a hard thing to do for ICS. Some of the other guys have made this point too. BUt the "formula car guys" that are worth their salt are probably going to go to Europe and F1. I know I don't like it any more than the rest of you, but something needs to be done to keep these kids here. What that is I don't exactly know.

I'll get a bunch of heat for this one. But maybe we should go back to our roots and try to get the USAC guys again. Not sure if it is any easier to pull these guys from NASCAR, or the "other" guys from F1.

Or maybe another solution would be to put up a sh!t ton of money up for races like Indy. That could go a long way to attracting talent. Let's face it, the Indy 500 purse really isn't head and shoulders above a lot of the other races out there now, like it was in the "old days".

[bblocker68]

Is Jonathan (sp?) Summerton over 20? He should be on the list, if not. I had no idea John Edwards was so young. I knock wheels with him at iRacing.

[MDS]

Yeah, I overlooked Summerton, he doesn't turn 21 until a day before my birthday. I'd probably put him up before JR Hildebrand because while Hildebrand is more Indy ready Summerton has been more impressive. Still, he's one of those guys who has said he has no desire to go oval racing.

If I get a chance in the next couple of days I'll draw up a list of young guys who should have IRL rides, but don't.

[vintage]

I believe Summerton and Hildebrand have only gone head to head once in the recent past - at the Road Atlanta Atlantic race.

Hildebrand ran the fastest lap of the race chasing Summerton down and was clearly faster before a mistake attempting a pass on Summerton. Not sure I agree that Summerton is more impressive at this point.

He may have a better resume, though.