110 days ( or so ) until the season finale and the $5 million challenge....

[SarahFan]

Just a few question:

Anyone know when the official 5 invitations go out?
Anyone know which team(s) will be fielding cars?

[SarahFan]

I just a text a text frOm a friEnd whose husband is a diehard motorcross guy..

She said James stewarrt just tweeted he is running the Vegas race

[Jag_Warrior]

James is pretty amazing on a motorcycle. But has he ever raced a car professionally? The lack of experience, plus his do-or-die attitude, makes that idea sound not so good... for James or the other competitors out there.

Unless there is going to be a boatload of testing lined up for people without upper tier formula car experience on ovals, this whole idea (not just with James Stewart) has disaster written all over it IMO. Nothing is worth someone possibly getting killed or seriously injured.

[SoCalPVguy]

2801
She said James stewarrt just tweeted he is running the Vegas race

Sorry Jimmy Stewart passed away several years ago ...

Link: James Stewart - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Stewart)

[SarahFan]

A dead guy will be racing...

Well that should garner some media attention!!

[00steven]

2801

Sorry Jimmy Stewart passed away several years ago ...

Link: James Stewart - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Stewart)

Mary! Mary!

[Hoop-98]

A dead guy will be racing...

Well that should garner some media attention!!

I bet you snuck into your parents closet to find your christmas presents too Ken!

It's a SURPRISE :)

[DBell]

Are they really going to allow someone with no experience with racing cars to enter an Indycar race on a high speed oval? That seems reckless and insane. If this is what this promotion is going to come down to, then they are making the final race of the season nothing more than a joke.

[00steven]

They should get some old timers in there and see how it goes! Michael Andretti, Juan Pablo Montoya, Jimmy Vaser, Bryan Herta???

I guess I should learn to let go of the past...

[SarahFan]

Are they really going to allow someone with no experience with racing cars to enter an Indycar race on a high speed oval? That seems reckless and insane. If this is what this promotion is going to come down to, then they are making the final race of the season nothing more than a joke.


He's qualified..... Make no mistake I'm not suggesting strap him race weekend send him out .... But with a proper test prior to the event he will be just fine

[DBell]

He's qualified..... Make no mistake I'm not suggesting strap him race weekend send him out .... But with a proper test prior to the event he will be just fine

Ken, on this, I strongly disagree with you. The whole point of this promotion was to get some drivers from other disciplines of auto racing. If it's down to getting guys like Stewart to fill the spots, then abandon the the promotion. Or ease the restrictions on who can compete. I don't care if he has a test session or two, he is not qualified to enter a race where the competitors are wheel to wheel at over 200 mph. His discipline and IndyCar's discipline of racing have as much to do with each other as baseball and football. Both use a ball, but after that.....

Just because this promotional idea hasn't generated the interest in the drivers they were hoping to interest, ie Nascar, doesn't mean it's time to stick anyone with a name in there. At the very least, they should have respect for the regular drivers of the series to not stick amateurs out there with them a high speed oval. This has a real chance of turning out very badly and desperation for higher TV ratings would be a very weak excuse.

[Chris R]

I have to agree with DBell - some of these motorcycle guys might have great potential in IndyCar - but it seems a bit of a stretch to throw them into the race with minimal preparation and expect them to compete safely..... You need to have someone with at least a little oval experience I would think (and if you get to allowing them to race too much in Indycar before the "big race" it sort of defeats the purpose of the challenge....

I think there is a good chance we will see Kimi Raikkonen in the race - his recent forays into NASCAR should round out his experience nicely... The timing stinks - they are going to have a hard time getting any active F-1 or NASCAR drivers (I am pretty sure this whole thing was designed to snag Montoya and maybe Mark Webber)... I suppose Hornish could take a shot at it - although that hardly seems beneficial to Indycar... Scott Speed would fit the bill - depends if he really is a ****er or if he was just playing one at Indy to get some seat time.... Once you get to the sports car guys the promotional value falls off quickly..... The motorcycle guys make the whole thing seem desperate....

[SarahFan]

Baseball and football

Bo Jackson comes to mind

Any idea how many test sessions jeff ward had before his first race?

[SarahFan]

Chris... James Stewart is just the type of guy that Randy SHOULD be going after ..... A qualifies racer from a different discipline with an established yet separate fan base that will tune in to watch


Behind zanardi he is my second choice

[00steven]

If Alex could race in a specialy modified car, well, I'm sure that there would be many tears in our eyes. Didn't Chip say he would field a car if Alex wanted to do it?

[Marbles]

So, if I get this right, the regulars are ineligible for the 5 million? They get standard prize money if they win and lose out on 5 million and get to look like chopped liver if some newbie outsider wins?

"Look Ma, anybody can do this!"

If I'm Tagliani and Stewart or some other invitee is running second, I'd be working a deal pretty damn quick if I can set my ego aside! That's a huge chunk o'cash to pass up on in this series. Makes the Indy 500 look like a door prize.

Is Villeneuve waiting by his phone? Picabo Street should be. I can't see anyone with serious open wheel cred getting an invite with the exception Zanardi. I'd like to see that.

[NickFalzone]

James Stewart is as well known as you can get in Motocross, and his celebrity goes beyond that sport. I agree that he will be a valuable contribution to the field in Vegas, and I agree with the others that he needs to get some serious practice time prior to entry in the event.

[Marbles]

James Stewart is as well known as you can get in Motocross, and his celebrity goes beyond that sport. I agree that he will be a valuable contribution to the field in Vegas, and I agree with the others that he needs to get some serious practice time prior to entry in the event.

Practice running in a pack?

[I am evil Homer]

Hadn't thought about Zanardi...that could be something pretty special.

[DBell]

Baseball and football

Bo Jackson comes to mind

Any idea how many test sessions jeff ward had before his first race?

But Bo didn't go into MLB without having played the game before. I have no problem with Bubba if he had a couple of test sessions and a couple of Indy lights races to get ready and prove he could do this competently

[SarahFan]

I believe Randy and alex have had a discussion ... Alex hasn't said yes or no

[00steven]

I believe Randy and alex have had a discussion ... Alex hasn't said yes or no

I heard a while back that Chip wants to do it and Alex has expressed some interest. If he feels comfortable doing it, I think it would great for auto racing.

[SarahFan]

I heard a while back that Chip wants to do it and Alex has expressed some interest. If he feels comfortable doing it, I think it would great for auto racing.


Alex alone would drive interest.... the Human interest story alone would trancend racing and indycar.......then you build on it with it being the championship race (lets hope we still have a points battle), mix in the $5milchallenge and guys like stewart and patrana....maybeKimi and a busch bros and now we got something....

I know I'll be in Vegas that weekend

[SarahFan]

But Bo didn't go into MLB without having played the game before. I have no problem with Bubba if he had a couple of test sessions and a couple of Indy lights races to get ready and prove he could do this competently

IMO your overvalueing the skill set to compete in an indycar and undrvalueing the skill set to race motorcross.....

stewart will be just fine......

[anthonyvop]

James Stewart is as well known as you can get in Motocross, and his celebrity goes beyond that sport.

No it doesn't. You ask the average person on the street who is James Stewart and 98% will either answer the Actor or "I don't know". His popularity is big among the Supercross crowd and some of the Speed TV viewers....

For this stunt to be successful the ICS needs a big name in racing to run the event and then stink up the Joint.
Forget an F1 Driver...They run Korea that weekend anyway. They need a Name NASCAR driver.

NASCAR runs Saturday night so it is doable.

A fairly popular NASCAR driver would bring in more media and fan attention but the ICS has to make sure they qualify in back and stay there doing the race. NASCAR already claims to have the best drivers. The Last thing the ICS needs is for a NASCAR driver to step into a car and embarrass the IndyCar field,

[SarahFan]

Agree and disagree Anthony

Sure 98% of the general public don't know James..... And that might be generous... It's probaly more like 99.5%

But what he does bring I'd a set of racing fans that aren't familiar with indycar .... If he puts on a good show and the IRL puts on a great race a percentage of those fans are likely to turn on a race in 2012...


Stewart is a perfect candidate for this .....IMO of course