JR Hildebrand SACKED

[ChicagocrewIRL]

JR Hildebrand is out at Panther Racing (http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/motor/2013/05/30/jr-hildebrand-ryan-briscoe-panther-racing-izod-indycar-indianapolis-500/2373521/)

Looks like Ryan Briscoe will be in the #4 National Guard Panther Racing DW12. Good to see Ryan back in the car but not sure if the ride is his going forward.

Sad for JR, by all accounts a really nice guy but mistake prone. I wish him the best and hopefully we will see him back in the series. There are an awful lot of ride-less drivers out there and not sure if this is true, but the Panther #4 was a PAID ride and not one which required the driver to bring funding.

[heliocastroneves#3]

I feel sad for J.R. However, on the other side, it was a shame to see him being a full time driver while someone who won almost a championship in the past, was rideless.

[ChicagocrewIRL]

Also the NATIONAL GUARD car is being driven again by a driver without an American Flag next to his name on the car.

Dan Wheldon, even though he was a Brit did a great job promoting the Guard and made mention of our troops every he chance he got when he was at Panther.

[booger]

Also the NATIONAL GUARD car is being driven again by a driver without an American Flag next to his name on the car.

Dan Wheldon, even though he was a Brit did a great job promoting the Guard and made mention of our troops every he chance he got when he was at Panther.

Can't believe the National Guard is tolerating a foreign driver in their car. ****ty deal for JR too. Hope he can find a ride but he won't.

[zako85]

I hate to see JR Hildebrand sacked, but at the same time I sort of saw this coming for some time.

[Starter]

I think it's a good sign that a driver loses his ride because of performance instead of his money running out. JR might be a nice guy but he was not getting the job done.

[Phoenixent]

Feel bad for JR but it's not all his fault. The #4 National Guard car has been garbage since 2008. Even with high caliber driver like Dan Wheldon it was still a garbage team. Maybe it's time for that team to close it's doors and the National Guard sponsorship go to another team....

[Chris R]

I thin JR is the only American to ever driver the National Guard car in indycar. Besides, Americans like winners more than they like Americans.... (of course we like American winners even better...)

I am not a fan of Panther Racing/Barnes - but JR wasn't getting the job done either. It really does not matter who is to blame - both parties needed the change....

Here's hoping JR lands somewhere and finally lives up to his potential. Here's hoping Oriol makes the most of his last best chance.....

[drewdawg727]

we'll find out for sure with Briscoe piloting the machine if it was the driver or the car ...

[heliocastroneves#3]

Actually, Panther Racing is not a terrible team at all.

In 2004, they had a fast car but we all know how big friends Tomas Scheckter was with the wall. In 2005 the same Scheckter sat on the pole three times and even won a race. In 2006 they were a little slower but consistency gave them a 5th place in the championship with Vitor Meira, in 2007 Vitor was the victim of bad luck lots of times, when things went alright the Delphi car ran in the top 8 at least and sometimes even in the top 5. In 2008, Vitor nearly won the Indy 500 was often very competitive but bad luck and due to this, inconsistency led to another disappointing result in the championship. In 2009, Dan Wheldon ran in the top 10 regularly and finished second at Indy, in 2010 Ed Carpenter drove to pole and almost won the race at Kentucky, Dan Wheldon finished second at Indy and Chicagoland and finished third at Kentucky Speedway right behind Carpenter. And in 2011, J.R. as a rookie finished second at Indy making it a 4-time in a row second place finishes for Panther Racing at Indy. Last year, J.R. had a good run sometimes, when he was mistake free, so he was this year at Long Beach when he finished 5th. I'll tell you, the problem was J.R. and not the Panther Racing team at all. It's not Ganassi or Penske but the #4 isn't a bad ride at all.

[FIAT1]

Nice to see a guy who can race like Ryan back on the grid, as for the team ,I don't see any improvement.

[Phoenixent]

we'll find out for sure with Briscoe piloting the machine if it was the driver or the car ...

Unlike when Weldon was driving the National Guard car and it still did not crack P1... It's not the driver in that team it's the team that is the issue...

[Phoenixent]

Actually, Panther Racing is not a terrible team at all.

In 2004, they had a fast car but we all know how big friends Tomas Scheckter was with the wall. In 2005 the same Scheckter sat on the pole three times and even won a race. In 2006 they were a little slower but consistency gave them a 5th place in the championship with Vitor Meira, in 2007 Vitor was the victim of bad luck lots of times, when things went alright the Delphi car ran in the top 8 at least and sometimes even in the top 5. In 2008, Vitor nearly won the Indy 500 was often very competitive but bad luck and due to this, inconsistency led to another disappointing result in the championship. In 2009, Dan Wheldon ran in the top 10 regularly and finished second at Indy, in 2010 Ed Carpenter drove to pole and almost won the race at Kentucky, Dan Wheldon finished second at Indy and Chicagoland and finished third at Kentucky Speedway right behind Carpenter. And in 2011, J.R. as a rookie finished second at Indy making it a 4-time in a row second place finishes for Panther Racing at Indy. Last year, J.R. had a good run sometimes, when he was mistake free, so he was this year at Long Beach when he finished 5th. I'll tell you, the problem was J.R. and not the Panther Racing team at all. It's not Ganassi or Penske but the #4 isn't a bad ride at all.

Maybe you should go back farther to when Sam Hornish was driving the #4 car. But it was not the National Guard car then it was Pennzoil with a Hot Driver and the best engine in the field. I stated the National Guard car from 2008 to current when the field was even and everyone drives a Dallara. The team is junk and needs to look at itself and not just the driver....

[zako85]

So what's next for JR Hildebrand? Could he still have a future in NASCAR or sports cars?

[Chris R]

Panther seems to have some pretty significant team related issues. Since his death, Wheldon has been a bit over-rated in retrospect - BUT, he should have been a serious contender on that team and he wasn't even close. Meira before him wasn't (yes, he was a notch or two below Wheldon, but he had the capability to deliver results). I think Hildebrand has/had the raw talent - but I also think that the way the team works (or disfunction's) destroyed his confidence and brought out the bonehead in him. There is no question he has suffered from some serious brain fade. Realistically, he had to go - I just hope he gets another chance (like Briscoe - who, as pointed out in another forum, suffered quite a bit of brain fade in his time also).....

[Starter]

So what's next for JR Hildebrand? Could he still have a future in NASCAR or sports cars?
Sports cars maybe.

[Wade91]

Panther racing fired another driver? wow, imagine that...

good to see Ryan back though, i'm surprised Panther waited this long to "pounce" on him :p

[heliocastroneves#3]

Maybe you should go back farther to when Sam Hornish was driving the #4 car. But it was not the National Guard car then it was Pennzoil with a Hot Driver and the best engine in the field. I stated the National Guard car from 2008 to current when the field was even and everyone drives a Dallara. The team is junk and needs to look at itself and not just the driver....

Sam Hornish Jr. was simply amazing, he was my favorite driver until he went to NASCAR.

[Phoenixent]

Sam Hornish Jr. was simply amazing, he was my favorite driver until he went to NASCAR.

Sam just clicked with that team or maybe more like he clicked with Pancho Carter who was his spotter and coach. He could drive that car almost anyway but his weak point according to Team Penskes actions was street and road courses.

[keysersoze]

Panther is quite good at oval track set-up (particularly Indy), but are woefully inept at the road course / street course set-ups.

[Phoenixent]

Panther is quite good at oval track set-up (particularly Indy), but are woefully inept at the road course / street course set-ups.

They were quite good on oval setups until the big teams showed up with deep talent in their engineering and not Panther is the best of the second half of the field. They are even getting beat by Dale Coyne Racing so what does that tell you. Panther is a team that has lost there way because they thought they were the best and they were so long ago...