Hideki Mutoh Signs With AGR

[DanicaFan]

Well, Andretti Green Racing has chosen Hideki Mutoh to replace Dario Franchitti for the 2008 IRL season. He will be driving the #27 car.

Hideki raced in the Indy Pro Series this year and placed 2nd in points standings behind Alex Lloyd.

Interesting choice, not the choice many people were guessing.

[pvtjoker]

Personally, I would have rather seen a "bigger name" get the seat. I sure Honda had a say on who ultimately got the seat. JMO.

Then again,one can view it is as a healthy sign for the league league as well, specifically for IPS. The top 2 drivers from its official development league have found seats. A definite sign teams are taking greater notice of the series. Not a bad thing.

[Chris R]

I have seen some negative spin on this (ride buyer going to big team) but it seems like a good thing overall for the following reasons:

a. Another ladder series driver makes it into the "big league"
b. It shows Honda (if rumors about the funder of the ride are correct) is still committed to the series.


Those things being said - it might have been nice to see a more "name" driver get the ride - but realistically, who would that be???? Half of the top open wheelers are running to NASCAR, no decent F-1 driver is coming to the IRL, there is not a "name" driver in Champcar with any more value than Mutoh, and keeping in mind they would have to be 4th fiddle to Kanann(the real talent), Danica (the marketing talent), and Marco (the family) - what decent veteran is really going to WANT the ride???

[CCFanatic]

Personally, I would have rather seen a "bigger name" get the seat. I sure Honda had a say on who ultimately got the seat. JMO.




Bingo! His results probably were not much in him going to AGR. Koskue is out, I believe, from his seat, so the lack of a Japanese driver in a Japanese powered series would have looked bad for Honda to the CEO and stock holders.

I have talked to Hideki at Indy for the USGP, and the guy is pretty cool. If he hopes to stay and for the team to attract any sponsors, he will need to improve his English, as his English is not the best. That hurt Tora Takagi while he was hear. He needed a translator. Hope the best for the young guy, and hope he stays safe.


Chris R, please do not bring up CC in the IRL forum. I want to talk the League without hearing CC. Plus, IMO, you are wrong anyway on you CC mention.

[mark123]

i'm guessing that this in fact reduces the field by one car as Matsura's (sorry about the spelling) funding will be to AGR instead of Panther racing. I could be wrong but thats the way i see it.

[CCFanatic]

i'm guessing that this in fact reduces the field by one car as Matsura's (sorry about the spelling) funding will be to AGR instead of Panther racing. I could be wrong but thats the way i see it.


Kosuke ran with Panther in 2007. The team is down on money since Pennzoil left and with them losing first Panasonic, which he brought to the team, and now some Honda dollars, I think that Panther might have to cut the number two car to remain comptitive and to help keep the team running for 2008 and beyond.

It is Matsuura.

[CCFanatic]

I think this is scary, IMO. He is vastly inexperienced in oval racing. Then put him in a car that is about 50-60 mph faster than any other car he has been in before and expect him to race fast, is a disaster whating to happen. Hope that AGR makes sure he gets in alot of testing or is willing to let him sit back and just run Milka races. Run fast, but run more to learn that to win.

[mark123]

he was certainly not lacking in bravey. Bravery on the ovals is not always good as demonstrated by Schekter and Weldon in previous years. he will need to take a couple of chill pills and be patient out there - take a leaf out of Scott Dixons book - be there or there abouts for 16 races and let the points take care of themsleves. of course this will be his strategy until the man waves the green flag in homestead nexr march.

[indycool]

Hearing about other possibilities for second Panther car.....they definitely want to run two.

[hoxymoron]

Chris R pretty much summed up the seeming situation at AGR. Franchitti is a hard act to follow, so why not take the pressure off and go with a rookie that Honda can love, at least. I hope as CC Fantastic suggests, Mutoh is NOT dangerous. Milka is bad enough. IRL does not need any more like her just to fill the field with cars. I grew up in Hoosierland in the 40s and 50s and remember the Vukovich Sr era. I became re-interested in IRL when I discovered Danica and I'm hoping she is able to take green this year just silence the whiners. I've often wondered how many guys who badmouth her could go wheel to wheel at 225 ....not many

[Alexamateo]

Mutoh's got some talent, He won races in Formula Dream (Japan) and Formula Nippon coming up, and won twice in IPS this past year, at Kentucky Speedway and the Indianapolis Road Course. He finished an impressive 8th in a third Panther car in his ICS debut at Chicago. Does he merit the top ride(at least last year) in Indycar? Probably not at this stage of the game, but he's Honda's and Super Aguri's man at the moment, so he's got it.

[indycool]

His record merits a ride. If he and Lloyd both move up from the IPS, then that's the point.

[Super Aguri]

I hope Mutoh will do very well next year. :)

[Skid Marx]

keeping in mind they would have to be 4th fiddle to Kanann(the real talent), Danica (the marketing talent), and Marco (the family) - what decent veteran is really going to WANT the ride???

ChrisR nailed it! THAT'S the real reason why AGR chose Mutoh. Besides, they need to have someone with a lot less talent so that Danica and Marco will look better by comparison. Franchitti and Kanaan were the real talents, Marco's the boss' kid, and Danica's the advertising machine. I pity poor Mutoh, getting mixed up in that organization...

[indycool]

On the contrary, that team's veterans LEAD the rookies and they share things between crews.

[Jag_Warrior]

Has Canadian Club formally announced its departure from AGR? Is it a done deal or just speculation at this point?

And does Jerry Putnam's departure put the NYSE deal at AGR into question?

[Jag_Warrior]

what decent veteran is really going to WANT the ride???

Would it depend on bringing a check that would match what Honda/Mutoh are offering?

[ChicagocrewIRL]

I wasn't expecting Hideki to get THIS ride, but I did expect him to get a ICS ride in 2008. I have followed his driving all this past season

culminating in an extremely impressive drive at Chicagoland. Absolutely cannot say enough about what I have seen. At Chicagoland driving

with the series vets, he showed patience and aggression at the right times and huge intelligence throughout the race, putting to shame a

lot of the regulars out there. I think there is a latent prejudice about asian drivers that is somewhat understandable. This owes to the fact

that the vast majority of asian drivers have been ridiculously lacking in talent. Takuma Sato is the only other Asian driver I really respect

and admire.

The others, Matsuura, Takagi, Hattori, Matsuda, Nakano, Noda, all have been disappointments. Takagi showed flashes but was

inconsistent. I think Hideki will show in time he has the right stuff to be successful. Contrary to what people on here are thinking, I think

he is getting paid for this ride, not paying for it.


AGR is one team that doesn't need or desire ride buyers. I think if Honda had thrown just some random Japanese guy at AGR,

AGR would have and could have rejected it wholesale without worrying about what Honda thought. I think this job offer to Hideki was a

MUTUAL desire for both Honda and AGR. AGR sees great things in Hideki Mutoh, not just some random Japanese driver forced upon them.

AGR has nothing in its past that would show that they are beholden to any entity when it comes to decisions who drives for the team.

[ChicagocrewIRL]

Would it depend on bringing a check that would match what Honda/Mutoh are offering?

It's amazing that you automatically assume that Hideki is buying this ride with Honda money. If it were Panther or some underfunded lower tier team your assertion MIGHT be valid, but this is AGR.

PLEASE SHOW ME ANYTHING IN AGR'S PAST THAT INDICATES THEY TAKE RIDE BUYERS ???

AGR chooses it's drivers, not the other way around, the way Penske and Ganassi do as well.


AGR is not Dreyer and Rheinbold, Panther, etc etc .

[ChicagocrewIRL]

I think this is scary, IMO. He is vastly inexperienced in oval racing. Then put him in a car that is about 50-60 mph faster than any other car he has been in before and expect him to race fast, is a disaster whating to happen. Hope that AGR makes sure he gets in alot of testing or is willing to let him sit back and just run Milka races. Run fast, but run more to learn that to win.

I see you didn't watch the Chicagoland race. The kid IS impressive on ovals.

Not scary. And comparing him to Milka is just downright RIDICULOUS.

[Jag_Warrior]

It's amazing that you automatically assume that Hideki is buying this ride with Honda money. If it were Panther or some underfunded lower tier team your assertion MIGHT be valid, but this is AGR.

PLEASE SHOW ME ANYTHING IN AGR'S PAST THAT INDICATES THEY TAKE RIDE BUYERS ???

AGR chooses it's drivers, not the other way around, the way Penske and Ganassi do as well.


AGR is not Dreyer and Rheinbold, Panther, etc etc .

AGR also is not Williams G.P. But you may have a point: an assumption possibly made too quickly.

We'll wait to see how the Mutoh car's sponsorship shakes out, and how much "team" setup work Tony Kanaan is in for next season.

[indycool]

Just IMO, but I heard different comments from Danica during the season about how much she was learning about setup and other things. She would really be second senior to Kanaan on this team as far as experience goes. Plus, it kinda looks like Michael will run Indy again. With Danica, Marco and Mutoh, the team has gotten younger in the cockpit. That team shares information perhaps better than any other, a concept that Michael and the owners wanted and Herta developed as a camaraderie among the drivers. Herta is still running an ALMS car for AGR and no doubt is available for opinion or "counseling" in the ICS program.

[mark123]

he is bringing his own funding to AGR - that is why he has the ride.
Wait until Homestead and see what is on the side pods - that will tell the story.

[indycool]

Well, if it's a sponsor, it'll likely be announced somewhere along the way, or if it's Panasonic or Pioneer, who are on board with Honda in various ways, the money's not quite "his" to bring.

[ChicagocrewIRL]

he is bringing his own funding to AGR - that is why he has the ride.
Wait until Homestead and see what is on the side pods - that will tell the story.



Regardless of what he is bringing with him, AGR already had a fully funded fourth car for 2008. Any monies Hideki Mutoh is bringing is just

gravy. Have you seen the driver uniforms for the AGR drivers lately ? They have more patches than any team other than TCGR. They aren't

hurting for $. This is a salaried driver slot, not a a purchased spot.

[Speeds up for Corners]

For a series that has a group of fans that spend endless hours ridiculing foreign ride buyers in Champ Car, this is the ultimate irony. :p :

[indycool]

I doubt that AGR needed it to survive. I believe they announced they had 29 sponsors on board for 2008 -- primary and associates of various kinds. When a CC team does that, get back with us.....

[Speeds up for Corners]

I doubt that AGR needed it to survive. I believe they announced they had 29 sponsors on board for 2008 -- primary and associates of various kinds. When a CC team does that, get back with us.....


Oh, so your foriegn ride buyer is better than their foriegn ride buyer. I don't care how you sugar coat it he is still a ride buy, paid for buy someone else, not hired for his skill by the team and paid for by the teams funds. You have spent hours denigrating CC for this exact same thing. What a shame it now comes back to haunt AGR and the IRL.

What was that, a bird, a plane...no..it's a crow. How would you like it cooked.

[CARTDM15]

ARG doesn't take ride buyers.They just decided to take Danica because she was the best open wheel driver available in 2006 after finishing 12th in points,please.Not saying she doesn't have some talent but she is a marketing machine.No one turn down that cash cow