Rookie of the Year? [Archive] - Motorsport Forums

chuck34

27th May 2009, 14:36

Don't get me wrong, I think that Alex Tagliani is a good driver.

But how can the Rookie of the Year be a guy that didn't qualify for the race?

In my mind Conway did a better job. Number 1, HE QUALIFIED FOR THE RACE. Number 2, he ran up front all day long, ahead of Tags, until his fuel gamble didn't pay off at the end.

Am I out out to lunch on this one?

SarahFan

27th May 2009, 14:58

chuck34

27th May 2009, 16:05

Thanks Ken. Good to see we can be on the same page every once in a while.

garyshell

27th May 2009, 16:21

How many positions did Conway advance over the course of the race? How many did Tags?

Gary

Chamoo

27th May 2009, 17:01

chuck34

27th May 2009, 17:36

I'm not sure Gary, don't have time to check right now. However, Since Tag's started last, you would think many of the cars he passed were actually accidents. I don't actually remember where Mike Conway started as I didn't get to watch the race (Boo) so I can't comment on him either.

I like Tag's and am quite happy he won the ROY. The guy deserves it for everything he does to try to get into the ICS and stay here.

If you look at start to end positions then Tags is the winner. But Conway passed people, then fell back, passed more, etc. So I don't know about total number of passes.

I agree that Tags deserves everything he gets (well almost, he didn't deserve to be in the 500), but so does Conway.

NickFalzone

28th May 2009, 04:32

Really Matos should have gotten it if he hadn't tried that move on Vitor. If you take out the qualifying issue, then Tags to me was clearly ROY. The qualifying thing didn't bother me that much, it's happened before and Tags had the speed to get in if his crew had better judgement. But if the lack of a qualifying run bothered you, then Conway would have been a reasonable choice. After a rough 2 months in the IRL, he ended up running a respectable 500. He also seems like more of a legit rookie to me, as Tags has been racing on ovals and roads/streets for who knows how long. Granted, not Indy. But for Conway everything is a learning experience.

Chamoo

28th May 2009, 16:59

I agree that Tags deserves everything he gets (well almost, he didn't deserve to be in the 500), but so does Conway.

No, Tags deserved to be in the 500, it is more that Conquest didn't deserve to have two cars qualify for the 500. Alex had no say over what happened whether they should go out or not, but he still ran a hell of a race, and you know he would had put it in the show if he had the chance.

chuck34

28th May 2009, 18:06

No, Tags deserved to be in the 500, it is more that Conquest didn't deserve to have two cars qualify for the 500. Alex had no say over what happened whether they should go out or not, but he still ran a hell of a race, and you know he would had put it in the show if he had the chance.

I think the driver should bear at least some responsibility here. After the two went out early (Milka, and I forget), and put down big numbers, Tags should have been yelling to get him back out. And I don't know that he would have put it in the show if he had the chance. He could have crashed, or just plane went slow. That's the point of the exercise.

He did run a good race though. Gotta give him credit for that.

garyshell

28th May 2009, 21:34

I think the driver should bear at least some responsibility here. After the two went out early (Milka, and I forget), and put down big numbers, Tags should have been yelling to get him back out.

And you would know that he wasn't yelling, how?

Gary

chuck34

29th May 2009, 12:26

And you would know that he wasn't yelling, how?

Gary

I suppose I don't, but the fact that he wasn't in line earlier gives me a clue.

Chamoo

29th May 2009, 15:43

I suppose I don't, but the fact that he wasn't in line earlier gives me a clue.

Tags had run 4 consecutive laps earlier in the day that would had put him comfortably in the show. His only chance of not qualifying was to crash.

Mark in Oshawa

29th May 2009, 15:44

Alex is going to tell the team what to do when they have been there and he hasn't. If you know Alex, that isn't his way. He drives the car, he doesn't plan strategy. If he was given the tools do to the job, he would do it. They qualified Junqy knowing they wanted an ace in the hole if they ran out of time on qualifying day.

He deserves ROY because unlike all the other rookies, he performed and advanced positions, NEVER going back. He didn't wreck, he didn't cut anyone off, and he did a professional job out there. Alex didn't drop off the turnip truck yesterday, I would be disappointed if he didn't do the job he did.

The fact he didn't qualify is based in the fact the team knew they had a car in there already and didn't risk Alex going out there and doing some banzai effort when it was clear he was going to be bumped. If they didn't have that car already in the field, they likely would have had him in the line sooner.

chuck34

29th May 2009, 16:05

Obviously I don't know what went on between the team and Tags, but neither does anyone else. Was there really that much of a risk of him crashing? Not really, he didn't have to put in a bonzi run. If Milka could pick up a mile and a half he could have easily done the same. But that's not really my point at all. He and the team played by the same rules as everyone else did. Bottom line is, he didn't make the show (talent or no).

Does no one here remember '94&'95? Are you telling me that Rahal in '94 and the Penske guys in '95 were less talented teams/drivers than Tags/Conquest? Everyone plays by the same set of rules. And don't forget that even greats like Mears struggled with qualifying (he missed the '77 race).

That being said, Tags is a talented driver that deserved to be in the show. But that doesn't mean that you just hand him things because he deserved them. Some things in life are EARNED, not given.

I don't think Conway was ever passed on track either. He didn't wreck (in the race anyway). He didn't cut anyone off. And he did a profession job out there. The fact that Alex didn't drop off the turnip truck yesterday, in my mind at least, makes his drive in the race just slightly less. I mean who here expected Conway to be running top 10-12 all day long? I know I didn't. But I did expect Tags to get up higher faster than he did.

Honestly, in the end none of this really matters. It's just a bit of a technicallity really. But I just think that you should have to actually qualify for the race (no matter the circumstances) in order to be ROY.

That's just my opinion, I guess.

garyshell

29th May 2009, 18:01

I suppose I don't, but the fact that he wasn't in line earlier gives me a clue.

How could that possibly give you a clue? His team made a decision, he could still have been yelling till he was blue in the face and they stuck with it. I don't understand how you can place any of this on Tags, by saying he wasn't vocal enough. We have no idea what went on behind those closed doors. The team principles came out and shouldered 100% of the liability, why can't you take that at face value?

Gary

chuck34

29th May 2009, 18:12

How could that possibly give you a clue? His team made a decision, he could still have been yelling till he was blue in the face and they stuck with it. I don't understand how you can place any of this on Tags, by saying he wasn't vocal enough. We have no idea what went on behind those closed doors. The team principles came out and shouldered 100% of the liability, why can't you take that at face value?

Gary

Fine, I'll except your theory. Poin is you don't know any more than I do, unless you work for the team. In my opinion a team that doesn't listen to it's driver, isn't worth it's salt. And I don't think Conquest is a team that would not listen to it's driver. But again I don't know, and neither do you.

Either way (if it was Tags decision or the teams) it doesn't change the fact that Alex Tagliani did NOT qualify for the 2009 Indianapolis 500. And that is the whole point of what I am saying.