Ho-Pin Tung...

[heliocastroneves#3]

What do you guys expect from him? I think he can do well next week in Sonoma.... He has enough road racing experience at least. :D

[Anubis]

With a tip of the hat to the Radio LeMans guys, here's "Ho-Ping" for a good result...

In all seriousness, even though he binned it, he didn't disgrace himself at Indy, so it will be interesting to see how he goes.

[SarahFan]

He should be able to run with Danica James and Anna

[Nikki Katz]

Meh, I don't know. He was pretty rubbish in GP2, in his second year his teammate was Conway, who regularly outperformed him. Neither did particularly well overall, but they weren't at one of the best teams. He did go well at testing for Indy, especially considering it was his first experience on an oval, but trashed it before he could qualify. I'd say he's comparable with Jakes, who has an equally bad record in past series.

[Jag_Warrior]

He was one of my favorites in GP2. And by "favorites" I mean, he made me laugh a lot. If this isn't getting to the bottom of the barrel, we can certainly see the bottom from here.

[numanoid]

Good luck Mr Tung! He will finish somewhere behind Danica, whatever that tells us...

[Jag_Warrior]

That he's Milka's brother from another mother...

[NickFalzone]

I am Ho-Ping Tung is not as bad as Viso. Ho-ping, but not confident this will be the case.

[wedge]

'King Ho

[heliocastroneves#3]

Tung is a good driver I think... That he's a Lotus Renault GP test driver has it's reasons guys. Of course he will finish AHEAD Danica.. But I believe Danica can go for a top 30 finish this race.. For Tung the same goal, but he will finish higher. :D

[SarahFan]

Wanna make a fun wager shuie.... I say Danica finishes higher.

[heliocastroneves#3]

Just kidding.... Danica might get a top 10 if she has the same great strategy as last year.... Last year she finished 16th, but that was due Takuma Wallbanger.. :D

We also need another dutchie in IndyCar with also a dutch driver license... Doornbos or Strous maybe?

[lars75]

Ho Pin Tung is a former winner of the talent first KNAF challenge, the Formula BMW Asia en German Formula 3. The talent first was a Dutch programm for young drivers, the winner got a full year Dutch Formula Ford. After his race debut in the Formula Ford he went too college and got his Master in Economics and Business at the Erasmus University Rotterdam. After this one year break he went to the Formula BMW and with his title win he got his first F1 test with Williams BMW. After that he went to the German F3 to win his second title in an international championship. After that his career got a little bit down. The performance in the GP2 is not what he acspected. He had some strong races at circuits where the driver can make the difference. But overall it was disapointing. After that he had some races in the A1GP championship with team China, races in the Superleague Formula with different teams. Last year he had an other chance in the GP2 at team DAMS, but he had a strugle to keep up with his teammate Jerome d'Ambrossio. After a crash wich crushed two bones in his back he was out for most off the season.

He has some skills, i saw some good races and some bad races. Also he had some bad luck in races where he looked strong.

He is no Sebastian Vettel or even Ryan Briscoe, but he must be able to show some good pace. I think top 20 must be possible if he can stay on the track. He has no experience with oval racing for so far.

[Jag_Warrior]

Yep... that's the Whole Pig Tongue that I grew used to laughing at in GP2. The guy does have some speed. But his brain is not hard wired to his feet or hands, so he tends to do the dumbest things.

Looks like Ken wins the bet. But I don't think it was because he had any faith in The Danica's driving ability. Just that he probably had faith that Ho would stuff it before the checkers fell. Good call, SarahFan! :D

[nigelred5]

Tung is a good driver I think... That he's a Lotus Renault GP test driver has it's reasons guys. Of course he will finish AHEAD Danica.. But I believe Danica can go for a top 30 finish this race.. For Tung the same goal, but he will finish higher. :D

Sure does,,, What's the currency symbol for the Yuan?


" -'King HO-Pin" ..............has a Catchy ring to it.

seriously, meh level driver, but you know he'll have a ride next year if they are sigining a deal for a '12 race in
TsingTao.

[heliocastroneves#3]

I just said is as a joke that Tung would finish ahead Danica, but if he didn't crash he WOULD have finished ahead her....xD

I hope Tung will drive in Vegas and will have a full time ride for next year..

[Jag_Warrior]

I just said is as a joke that Tung would finish ahead Danica, but if he didn't crash he WOULD have finished ahead her....xD

Yeah, but that's Danica's Secret Sauce: while others are out there racing and taking a chance on crashing, Danica has her car set on cruise control in the HOV lane... not taking ANY chances at all. Most of us pass more cars on the way to work than Danica does during a season of races. But she tends to finish races. So she generally gains quite a few positions on those who are better racers than her, just because she "passes" them when they crash.

And from watching him in GP2, if there's one thing my man Ho can do well, it's CRASH! :D

[SarahFan]

Went down pretty much as I expected .... Although I will admit he qualified and raced a tad higher up the grid than I expected ....

And clearly dani has phoned the rest of the season in .... I don't expect her to even try at this point

[heliocastroneves#3]

That's why I don't understand Danica goes to nascar as well.. In nascar you have to be aggressive and you have to accept it when someone takes you out of the race there.... Tung did a good job and I hope he will return with a full time ride next year.... That could also mean I can watch IndyCar on television again as I have to watch this whole season via livestreams....

[Jag_Warrior]

That's why I don't understand Danica goes to nascar as well.. In nascar you have to be aggressive and you have to accept it when someone takes you out of the race there....

All Danica has to be able to do is cash her pay check. Unless NASCAR somehow finds a way to give her "the call" or two thirds of the sharp end of the field crashes in the last ten laps (could happen), she's likely never going to be in a position to win a Sprint Cup race. The long and the short of it is, she's simply not that good of a race car driver. She's not awful. But except for her playing the sex appeal card, we wouldn't be discussing her now... or probably ever. Seriously, how many drivers in NASCAR or the IRL have but a single lifetime auto racing victory to their name, except for her???

She'll be 30 next year, I believe. And she's clearly not getting any better in formula cars. So my guess is, she (and her IMG handlers) sees a way to clean up in NASCARland... until they finally get sick of her whining and excuses too. I heard that she's now the third highest paid female athlete in the world. For women who have actually accomplished good or great stats (tennis, golf or whatever), that's got to be a stinging blow: a bikini model, who phones in her races now, is a millionaire. But hey, that's America for you. Snooki and the Joysey Shoar gang are millionaires too. What a country! Time to que up Dire Straits' Money for Nothing (although I guess not in Canada).

[Marbles]

All Danica has to be able to do is cash her pay check. Unless NASCAR somehow finds a way to give her "the call" or two thirds of the sharp end of the field crashes in the last ten laps (could happen), she's likely never going to be in a position to win a Sprint Cup race.

I can see Danica having moderate success (or the call) at low incident tracks such as Michigan or California but Bristol, Talledega or Darlington... forget it.


I heard that she's now the third highest paid female athlete in the world. For women who have actually accomplished good or great stats (tennis, golf or whatever), that's got to be a stinging blow: a bikini model, who phones in her races now, is a millionaire. But hey, that's America for you. Snooki and the Joysey Shoar gang are millionaires too.

Just for that, if you're ever in Toronto for the Indy, let me know and I'll gladly buy you a beer!



Time to que up Dire Straits' Money for Nothing (although I guess not in Canada).

!!!UPDATE!!! The Canadian government stepped back "considering the context of its use" and left it up to individual media. Not best but better.