Your 2009 IRL Story of the Year

[Chamoo]

What was your 2009 IRL Story of the Year? It can be anything from Indycars to Indy Lights, Indianapolis to Motegi, Stanton Barrett to Dario Franchitti, or Dollar General to Izod. Just what was the most important or biggest story of the year for you personally.

I have to say that mine was watching Justin Wilson deliver Dale Coyne his first win in AOWR. I always felt for Dale and always cheered for him along with whoever was my favorite team at the time, and watching him enter the IRL with Bruno and now campaigning Justin Wilson and achieving a win with Justin, and not a fluke either, was wonderful to watch and probably made me the most emotional I've even been while watching Open Wheel Racing.

Go ahead and share your 2009 SotY!

[anthonyvop]

#1 Danica goes NASCAR racing
#2 IRL signs with Vs.
#3 Direct TV drops Vs.

[Scheckterfan54]

1)Most Indycar teams being able to carry on normal operations despite the financial crisis.

2) Izod signing as title sponsor.

3) Danica tries for full time nascar ride and only result is her part time schedule in the nationwide series.

[Blancvino]

1) The grandson's fall from grace.

2) Izod becomes title sponsor.

Both are good things, in my view.

[SarahFan]

1) The grandson's fall from grace.

2) Izod becomes title sponsor.

Both are good things, in my view.


nothing else even comes close to those two....IMo of coarse


I'd put the Coyne/Wilson win as #3

[anthonyvop]

You guys might all have a "favorite" story but the fact is the story that generated the most press was Danica going NASCAR.

[Jag_Warrior]

George being ousted by his own mother tops my list. Course, Danica would get mentioned, even if it was just for tying her shoes or stuffing her uniform top with tissues. :rolleyes: And Izod coming on as title sponsor has to be in there too.

But other than the Wilson win for Coyne, I really can't think of an ontrack situation that would make the list.

[garyshell]

You guys might all have a "favorite" story but the fact is the story that generated the most press was Danica going NASCAR.


You already said such. What's your point?

Gary

[SarahFan]

You guys might all have a "favorite" story but the fact is the story that generated the most press was Danica going NASCAR.

perhaps in the here and now.......but I think as history unfolds those two (TG being removed, the signing of IZOD as a title sponsor) will ultimately prove to be more significant...

true... the wilson/coyne was was a personel favotite, nothing more

[anthonyvop]

You already said such. What's your point?

Gary

Correcting anyone who might think different......and to tick you off.

[garyshell]

Correcting anyone who might think different......


Oh, how silly of me to forget... the "reporter" knows better than all of us. :eek:

Gary

[Blancvino]

You guys might all have a "favorite" story but the fact is the story that generated the most press was Danica going NASCAR.

Opening line of the thread ... "What was your 2009 IRL Story of the Year?"

[anthonyvop]

Oh, how silly of me to forget... the "reporter" knows better than all of us. :eek:

Gary
Well I don't know that but I do know more than a certain poster who resorts to personal attacks when I dare question him.

[garyshell]

Correcting anyone who might think different......


Oh, how silly of me to forget... the "reporter" knows better than all of us. :eek:


Well I don't know that...

Really? Sure looks like that from the first quote above. Not a personal attack at all, merely a response to EXACTLY what YOU wrote. YOU said you were correcting anyone who might think different.

Gary

[bblocker68]

Story of 2009?
Will Power gets a full-time ride for Penske announced.

Story of 2010?
Will Power is the IndyCar Champ!
Versus somehow gets back on DirecTV.

[DanicaFan]

My personal favorite 2009 story was on the 1st practice day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the 500 this past May. It was a rainy day, no cars went out but I got to spend all afternoon in Danica's garage hanging out with her, the pit crew, and her dad. That was a great afternoon.

Oh, and I liked how she finished 3rd at the 500 that year and 5th in points!

[NickFalzone]

Personally I think Danica "signing for 3 years with AGR" is just as big as Danica "doing some Arca and NWide races outside of the IndyCar season". So yes Danica's been "the" story in the media, but "the" story is not "Danica leaves IndyCar for NASCAR", as some above have suggested. Many in NASCAR land think this will be a short-lived experiment anyway.

My 2009 IRL story of the year is Dario coming back from a terrible NASCAR season to win several races, and then win the championship.

[wedge]

http://writestuff444.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/rick-mears.jpg

http://www.autoweek.com/storyimage/CW/20091118/IRL/911189988/Will-Power.jpg

[harvick#1]

theres quite a bit

Helio's Tax trial
Dario coming back after failing Nascar to win the IRL Championship
Will Power's win in Edmonton (sort of showed why Talented drivers deserve fulltime rides)
Justin Wilson's win for Coyne

[MakinenLoeb]

Dario winning the title after his failed attempt at Nascar

[Mark in Oshawa]

Off track: Tony is ousted, Izod signs on and Helio getting off on his tax evasion charges.

ON track: Helio wins Indy, Justin gives Coyne a vicotry and Dario taking the championship.

[wedge]

Badass winning at the Glen, on merit, against the big teams was probably the best feel good story of the year.

Worth reading again: http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/wilson-winning-watkins-glen/

[Civic]

Biggest story to me is that I seemed to stop caring. Up until the past few days the last time I logged on here was back in September.

I used to watch F1, CART, and Champ Car (and sometimes IRL) all the time. I would set the VCR and watch the races later (I work weekends), all the while practicing a self-imposed internet embargo so I wouldn't spoil the results.

I attend Long Beach every year, but this year wasn't that great for me. I was planning on attending Long Beach on Friday and Saturday as I've always done, but this year I received bad news about someone in my family right before the morning practice session on Friday so I left early and did not attend Saturday. Then and now, I feel like I didn't miss out.

I stopped recording the races and would just go on the racing websites to find out the results. I'd sometimes forget to check until a few days after a race.

I thought about my apathy and I have no explanation. I didn't get any new hobbies or a girlfriend.

[F1boat]

Dario winning the title after his failed attempt at Nascar

Same here.

[Wilf]

What was your 2009 IRL Story of the Year? It can be anything from Indycars to Indy Lights, Indianapolis to Motegi, Stanton Barrett to Dario Franchitti, or Dollar General to Izod. Just what was the most important or biggest story of the year for you personally.

I have to say that mine was watching Justin Wilson deliver Dale Coyne his first win in AOWR. I always felt for Dale and always cheered for him along with whoever was my favorite team at the time, and watching him enter the IRL with Bruno and now campaigning Justin Wilson and achieving a win with Justin, and not a fluke either, was wonderful to watch and probably made me the most emotional I've even been while watching Open Wheel Racing.

Go ahead and share your 2009 SotY!

It is a story that still has not been addressed. Many believe that Tony George founded the IRL because he wanted to rule American open wheel racing. Others have suggested that he only founded the IRL to ensure a supply of entries for his true love, the Indianapolis 500. The family took the Indianapolis 500 away from him and he quit the IRL. What does that suggest?

[SarahFan]

It is a story that still has not been addressed. Many believe that Tony George founded the IRL because he wanted to rule American open wheel racing. Others have suggested that he only founded the IRL to ensure a supply of entries for his true love, the Indianapolis 500. The family took the Indianapolis 500 away from him and he quit the IRL. What does that suggest?


that IMS/Hulman co will be selling the IRL to the team owners in 2010?

[Blancvino]

that IMS/Hulman co will be selling the IRL to the team owners in 2010?

Watch out, you are going to be called an IRL hater, very soon!

[Wilf]

that IMS/Hulman co will be selling the IRL to the team owners in 2010?
Right - it takes $25 million cash infusion a year just make owners able to put on a show and the team owners are going to borrow from who so they can afford to lose $25 million?

[SarahFan]

Right - it takes $25 million cash infusion a year just make owners able to put on a show and the team owners are going to borrow from who so they can afford to lose $25 million?

IMS?

[SarahFan]

Watch out, you are going to be called an IRL hater, very soon!


they already do

[Wilf]

they already do

Some things just are; there is no need to talk about them.

By the way, Happy New Year Ken!

[spiritone]

Absolutely number one was tg (destroyer of openwheel racing) getting the boot by his sisters (proving there is a god). Along with that was tg supporters jumping ship (priceless)


The best on track highlight was dale coyne getting his first win. ( who could have predicted that)

[Mark in Oshawa]

It is a story that still has not been addressed. Many believe that Tony George founded the IRL because he wanted to rule American open wheel racing. Others have suggested that he only founded the IRL to ensure a supply of entries for his true love, the Indianapolis 500. The family took the Indianapolis 500 away from him and he quit the IRL. What does that suggest?

It tells me that he loved being in charge, and if he couldn't be in charge of everything, he would not be in charge of anything.

I like Tony's desire to make Indycar better, I just didn't see how he was ever going to do it with what he did. For every good idea he had, he had 3 bad ones in my opinion. His getting the boot by the board is bad for him, but better maybe for everyone. He just couldn't justify the money he was spending with the results, and that is a story that repeats itself over and over again in just about every form of racing save maybe Sprint Cup racing.