Does oval racing dull road racing skills ???

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Originally Posted by Bob Riebe

J. Brahbam, AJ Foyt, Mario Andretti, Parnelli Jones, Lloyd Ruby, Dave McDonald, Al, Al jr., Bobby Unser, Gordon Johncock all came off of dirt ovals which change continually during a race meaning their is NO one car set-up, or ONE line.
You snooze, you lose.

Bob

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Jack Brabham came from Australian Midget racing. Foyt came from IMCA Sprints and won the first time he raced in a Road Race, Nassau in 1963. Andretti did do some Formula Junior in Europe but Modifieds, Sprints and Midgets over here. Parnelli was Sprints in the CRA and won the L.A. Times GP in 1964. LLoyd Ruby ran second to Roger Penske in the USAC Road Racing Division in 1962, he did come from Midgets orginally. Dave MacDonald was purely from Road Racing Stock and was the Ford Cobra lead driver and could have been one of the greats.
Al Unser like Bobby came from the best Road Course in the World, Pikes Peak.
Al Jr made some starts in Sprints but got his feet wet literally in CanAmII.
Gordon Johncock came from the Super Modified wars of Michigan and Ohio and on Pavement, yes he drove on the National Championship Trail starting in Springfield of 1964 but hated the dirt even though he could qualify for the 18 car fields and never got dirty after 1965 other than in a USAC Stock Car.

It is Interesting that at MIS the following drivers won their first or second race with Road Racing background:
Ronnie Buckman---1st and Only
Mark Donohue---2nd (First Pocono)
Danny Ongais---1st Win (F-5000 history after drags)
John Paul Jr---1st and Only
Emerson Fittipaldi---1st
Alex Barron---1st and Only

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Originally Posted by !!WALDO!!

Jack Brabham came from Australian Midget racing. Foyt came from IMCA Sprints and won the first time he raced in a Road Race, Nassau in 1963. Andretti did do some Formula Junior in Europe but Modifieds, Sprints and Midgets over here. Parnelli was Sprints in the CRA and won the L.A. Times GP in 1964. LLoyd Ruby ran second to Roger Penske in the USAC Road Racing Division in 1962, he did come from Midgets orginally. Dave MacDonald was purely from Road Racing Stock and was the Ford Cobra lead driver and could have been one of the greats.
Al Unser like Bobby came from the best Road Course in the World, Pikes Peak.
Al Jr made some starts in Sprints but got his feet wet literally in CanAmII.
Gordon Johncock came from the Super Modified wars of Michigan and Ohio and on Pavement, yes he drove on the National Championship Trail starting in Springfield of 1964 but hated the dirt even though he could qualify for the 18 car fields and never got dirty after 1965 other than in a USAC Stock Car.

It is Interesting that at MIS the following drivers won their first or second race with Road Racing background:
Ronnie Buckman---1st and Only
Mark Donohue---2nd (First Pocono)
Danny Ongais---1st Win (F-5000 history after drags)
John Paul Jr---1st and Only
Emerson Fittipaldi---1st
Alex Barron---1st and Only

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You are correct about McDonald, I am thinking of some one else but cannot remember who.
Maybe I was thinking of Sneva or Rutherford, they both won on road courses.

G. Follmer won his only USAC race on the short Phoenix oval.

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Originally Posted by Bob Riebe

You are correct about McDonald, I am thinking of some one else but cannot remember who.
Maybe I was thinking of Sneva or Rutherford, they both won on road courses.

G. Follmer won his only USAC race on the short Phoenix oval.

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Yes about George, you remember the car and engine? Wasn't a fluke as he timed in 2nd fastest.

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Originally Posted by !!WALDO!!

Yes about George, you remember the car and engine? Wasn't a fluke as he timed in 2nd fastest.

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Gerhardt Chevy if I remember correctly.

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Originally Posted by Bob Riebe

Gerhardt Chevy if I remember correctly.

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Chevy was right but it was the #28 Gilbert Cheetah-Chevy. Blue was the color, he actually ran the car in 1968. He had a second that was yellow and wore #62 and it qualified for the 500 in 1969 with a Turbo-Ford.
What a difference in a year: From the 1968 Bryan 150 at PIR, same race won in 1969.
24 22 #28 George Follmer George R. Bryant 1967 Cheetah Ford 0 laps Wrecked



Now another Road racer, Stock Car driver won a race at PIR in 3 more races. He too won in a "stock block" with special heads and it was his ONLY win.

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Originally Posted by !!WALDO!!

Chevy was right but it was the #28 Gilbert Cheetah-Chevy. Blue was the color, he actually ran the car in 1968. He had a second that was yellow and wore #62 and it qualified for the 500 in 1969 with a Turbo-Ford.
What a difference in a year: From the 1968 Bryan 150 at PIR, same race won in 1969.
24 22 #28 George Follmer George R. Bryant 1967 Cheetah Ford 0 laps Wrecked



Now another Road racer, Stock Car driver won a race at PIR in 3 more races. He too won in a "stock block" with special heads and it was his ONLY win.

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David Savage

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Originally Posted by Bob Riebe

David Savage

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David Earl "Swede" Savage led the 150th lap to win the Bobby Ball 150 in 1970 in a 1970 Eagle Weslake 320 Ford. Roger McCluskey ran out of fuel going into Turn 1 on lap 150.

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Originally Posted by ChicagocrewIRL

I'd like to pose that question to some of the CCWS guys. I wonder what their answers would be. Especially interesting would be Will Power and Justin Wilson since they are highly skilled road guys that have never driven ovals.

What are the opinions of our forum members. Do you all think oval racing dulls road racing skills as far as reaction times, feel for the car etc etc. ???

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Wilson and Power never driven Ovals before? Wilson took 2nd on The Mile and Power ran well until the DNF incident. Drivers I've spoken with consider flat ovals like Milwaukee much like a road race with 4 quick left turns. Flat out on high banked ovals is mush different and with the absence of street and road races on the schedule, they tend to get a little rusty on right-left-right entry and exits. No different to what we saw with the IRL's first street race at St. Pete's and then in Sonoma. Then again, the Dallara was a beast to handle too.

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Originally Posted by BobGarage

I think Road Course racers adapt to ovals a lot quicker than oval racers adapt to road courses.

to use two current racers as an example....

Ed Carpenter (oval background).... after two years on road courses he's still struggling.

EJ Viso (road background)..... after just a few races in a mid pack team he is up to speed on ovals.

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Your absolutely right and you'll hear the same comments from veterans like Vasser, Rahal, Barron, Gidley, Servia, Carpentier, Dominguez, etc.

I can´t but think about Nigel Mansell, who went from no oval experience at all to winning the CART title when the series had a lot of ovals, didn´t his second oval race ever was the 93 Indy 500? (does a tri-oval counts as his first oval race, cause I don´t know if the 500 is his 1st or 2nd oval depending on your opinions of tri-ovals), finishing 3rd on the 500 when is your 2nd oval sounds good in my book.