Tracy has 1 million bucks, but still no ride ... WTF!!!

[domaza]

This guy should be paid to drive ... now he has 1 million bucks to offer and still no ride.

Hopefully Conquest deal finalizes, thou better team would be better for the show :)

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/89303

[Bullet]

There must be something else going on, it's like he's been blacklisted. In one of the top cars he could easily fight for the title. Compare him with at least two thirds of the mediocre field and it just doesn't make sense. He's one of the very few who could give these mid and bottom teams a decent chance and he's got the star factor... like him or hate him. He attracts attention and as far as I'm concerned teams and sponsors would do better with him than with some unheard of driver with little ability, no personality and poor english.

[ICWS]

I think when it's all said and done, Paul Tracy will drive for Conquest Racing this year. He and Eric Bachelart are just trying to find more sponsorship so he can race the full schedule.

Pretty much every other team has their driver(s) signed and ready to go for the season. From what I've counted, it looks like there will be 26 full-time drivers and a hand full of part-time/one-off drivers. Also, I would expect somewhere around 37 to 45 drivers attempting to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 this year.

[OWFan19]

Maybe he doesn't really have the money? I mean, you would think D&R would be all over him with that money. There is no reason for him to be looking anywear with that type of budget.

But the reality is, Indy is 500k+ to run. Then you are looking at close to 200k everything else.

[Chamoo]

Apparently Conway had about $1000000 and took it to AA, but D&R needed more.

[Chamoo]

With Conquest, Bachelart is waiting to hear from some sponsors he is bringing in. Add to that the money PT would be bringing in, and you get a full ride.

[beachgirl]

I think your Indy count might just a bit optimistic.

[ICWS]

I think your Indy count might just a bit optimistic.

Optimistic? Yes. But unreasonable? I don't think so.

Along with the 26 full time drivers, I would include guys that only plan to run the Indy 500 or run a part-time schedule, and there is a lot more of them than you may realize. Drivers like Davey Hamilton (De Ferran Dragon), John Andretti (Petty/Andretti Autosport), Ed Carpenter (SFR), Ho-Pin Tung (FAZZT), Tomas Scheckter (D&R), A.J. Foyt IV (Foyt Enterprises), Robby Gordon (RGM/Menard), Raphael Matos (De Ferran Dragon), Sam Hornish, Jr. (Penske), Mario Moraes (KVRT), John Edwards (Rahal), Adam Carroll (AFS), etc. are several of the drivers I expect to see or potentially see at Indianapolis this year trying to qualify for the race.

[OWFan19]

With Conquest, Bachelart is waiting to hear from some sponsors he is bringing in. Add to that the money PT would be bringing in, and you get a full ride.

There are a lot of things going on at Conquest that is not being talked about. Paul would be a good addition for Eric. Possibly another driver too.

[OWFan19]

Optimistic? Yes. But unreasonable? I don't think so.

Along with the 26 full time drivers, I would include guys that only plan to run the Indy 500 or run a part-time schedule, and there is a lot more of them than you may realize. Drivers like Davey Hamilton (De Ferran Dragon), John Andretti (Petty/Andretti Autosport), Ed Carpenter (SFR), Ho-Pin Tung (FAZZT), Tomas Scheckter (D&R), A.J. Foyt IV (Foyt Enterprises), Robby Gordon (RGM/Menard), Raphael Matos (De Ferran Dragon), Sam Hornish, Jr. (Penske), Mario Moraes (KVRT), John Edwards (Rahal), Adam Carroll (AFS), etc. are several of the drivers I expect to see or potentially see at Indianapolis this year trying to qualify for the race.


I saw where Wade Cunningham is making an Indy Car announcement, that could be another AFS ride for Indy. I would also think both Lazier brothers might give it a go too. Not too mention Wheldon. This will be one of the best Indy 500 qualifying in years!

[Scotty G.]

I think your Indy count might just a bit optimistic.

Most in the know think there very well could be 45 car/driver combos at Indy this year.

Its not hard to get to that number either. And this is early February. Could still be a few other things happen before we get to May.

[jimispeed]

There are a lot of things going on at Conquest that is not being talked about. Paul would be a good addition for Eric. Possibly another driver too.

Paul and Bobby D?

[anthonyvop]

One million isn't enough. For a ride buy if you don't bring at least $4 million to the table you might as well head over to the Grand-Am

[glauistean]

Hard to believe that you'd have to turn away a driver that brings one million to the table. Understandable though. I hope Paul gets a ride. I always liked Conquest and everytime they seemed to be making a solid move something happened.
Where on God's green earth did Conway get 10 million? That F1 money.

[Dr. Krogshöj]

Hard to believe that you'd have to turn away a driver that brings one million to the table. Understandable though. I hope Paul gets a ride. I always liked Conquest and everytime they seemed to be making a solid move something happened.
Where on God's green earth did Conway get 10 million? That F1 money.

He got $1,000,000, same as Tracy.

[MDS]

There's a few things here...

One, its a lot cheaper to run a fourth car than it is to run a first or second car. Economy of scale works for Andretti Autosport so $1 million goes farther there. Andretti already had several sponsors lined up and if you take $1 million, add it to the team money they would get from running the fourth car again you're about halfway of the way to having enough to justify a fourth car. Maybe they had some sponsors interested in one or two races that wouldn't fit into Marco, Ryan's or Danica's schedule, but take what Conway had, patch it together with some other one off sponsors and you're there.

Eric on the other hand only has team money for one car, no sponsors to speak of and his cars are older and heavier than most of the field. He's relied on pay drivers almost since he founded the team and has never been successful at finding sponsors on his own. The league has been working with Conquest, and they have put together one of the better websites of any of the teams. But $1 million at Conquest just doesn't mean much as much as Andretti.

Tracy has signed a letter of intent with Eric though.

[OWFan19]

Paul and Bobby D?

Not Bobby D. American driver.

MDS nailed it. Eric is already at a disadvantage because of team dollars. That is why Paul is having a hard time becoming confirmed as FT there. Its even harder if he is the second car, and its part time because no team dollars are there. Add into the outragous engine leases, and its no wonder. Paul might have to share some seat time, which is very possible. D&R wants his money, no doubt about that. But why take 1 million from him, for the full season, when you could get more from multiple drivers who want to run a partial?

If we hade more manufactures, this would not be a problem. Engine leases are strangling the teams who can't afford to run the full season.

[Lousada]

Paul and Bobby D?

Robert Doornbos is according to himself discussing with Rahal-Letterman-Lanigan for Indy only.