Milka Duno signed to drive IRL car

[canada]

Good god. How is the IRL supposed to gain credibility with Duno behind the wheel? I remember reading up on her when she tested for HVM, and while decent, she was far from any top-tier open-wheel racing. With the imminent increase of semi-talented hot female racers, it seems like the Indy 500's bubble day will soon be replaced by by a wet t-shirt contest: booble day.

[Jag_Warrior]

I don't see milka as a fit for IRL cars, nit because she is a woman, but I just don´t see her as a very talented driver, but I´m usually wrong.

Even though I really like Milka, I can't say I disagree with you. She really hasn't been racing that long... barely 10 years since she first turned a wheel on a track - and she's pushing 35 now. When I first laid eyes on her (lovely form ), she was racing in Don Panoz's Women's Global GT Series... in '99, I think. From there, she's knocked around in everything from open wheelers to prototype sports cars. In the pouring rain, she actually showed herself to be fairly competent at Le Mans, driving for Dick Barbour - but later she admitted the experience scared the h#ll out of her.

All of that to say... I have to agree with you. She's great with fans of all ages (especially kids), but I'd hate to see her get hurt chasing the dream to drive. She'd be like Paul Dana, and the sport doesn't need that... and neither does she. Personally, I'd like to see her stay in Grand Am. She has no business racing at a place like Richmond, with no more experience than she has.

As for her Citgo connection... most of my favorite drivers over the years were sponsored by Marlboro or some other tobacco company, so I can't throw too many darts at Citgo.

[Mark in Oshawa]

I like Milka and I think racing on ovals will be easier for her physically then driving these cars on the road courses. You see it in the results of Danica. Her best results are on the ovals. I think she is a good driver, but I never would pick her to run the IRL.

AS for Citgo, well, ole Hugo Chavez will have his day where he wishes he kept his mouth shut. Maybe....the guy is just a blowhard with money, but in South America, thumbing your nose at Uncle Sam is an electable quality I guess. Venezuela, nice country, shame about your president.

[eliostar]

Actually I like Hugo, at least he has the balls to stand up to Bush. Unlike our Prime Minister, who gas his head up his arse.

[Mihai]

Actually I like Hugo, at least he has the balls to stand up to Bush. Unlike our Prime Minister, who gas his head up his arse.

Many Brits could say the same thing . I remember Hugo's visit in London this year. He is an international politics superstar!

[weeflyonthewall]

Many Brits could say the same thing . I remember Hugo's visit in London this year. He is an international politics superstar!

Tell that to the European settlers in Venezuela that are having their 100 year old farms and ranches confiscated for the good of socialism. Citgo is in a tough spot right now.

[weeflyonthewall]

I like Milka and I think racing on ovals will be easier for her physically then driving these cars on the road courses. You see it in the results of Danica. Her best results are on the ovals. I think she is a good driver, but I never would pick her to run the IRL.

Imagine Patrick, Fisher, and Duno, three women on the grid for Indy. Is TG looking to morph the IRL into a WNBA model?

[Jag_Warrior]

Imagine Patrick, Fisher, and Duno, three women on the grid for Indy. Is TG looking to morph the IRL into a WNBA model?

If he was smart (and no, I'm not "going there" today), he'd morph it into the NHRA... where women racers and champions are not uncommon. Both Champ Car and the IRL have this disturbing habit of bringing in women racers for their curiosity or gimmick factor.

I commend both the ALMS and Grand Am for not playing so much to the tune of "come one, come all... we gots one with ovaries for you to see over hyar!"

Call me an overprotective stalker... er, I mean FAN, but I just haven't seen that Milka can handle herself in traffic well enough to be in the IRL. No matter what I think of the IRL, I admit that it takes a fair amount of talent and skill to be able to run at 210+ in traffic. She's done her best in LMP2 and Grand Am. In the LMP1 class, she was less than stellar (to put it nicely). I don't blame her for wanting to go as far as she can go in racing, but I fear this seems like a quick trip to the hospital.

Sarah Fisher wasn't as pitiful as some of us Champ Car fans made her out to be.... probably no more "in over her head" than Katherine Legge is right now. But with that said, Sarah struggled to come to grips with what was going on around her much of the time (like at Richmond when she adjusted her bars the wrong way and walled the car). But in pure race craft, I don't think Milka is as good as even Sarah was early on. Milka is racing because she has a loving, doting husband who has mega connections in Venezuela - he is the Citgo connection. Hopefully he has enough sense to clamp the purse strings and keep this from happening.

Cahill probably just wants the large check she can bring, so he can get a car back on the track. Hopefully the IRL and Champ Car will learn something from the Paul Dana incident. Even if they're nice, neat and popular (well funded) people, having drivers out there who are CLEARLY not up to the task is not right.

[canada]

AS for Citgo, well, ole Hugo Chavez will have his day where he wishes he kept his mouth shut. Maybe....the guy is just a blowhard with money, but in South America, thumbing your nose at Uncle Sam is an electable quality I guess. Venezuela, nice country, shame about your president.

Guys, keep the political commentary out of these boards and take it to Chit-chat.

[indycool]

Jag, think we need to keep in mind that it's the car owners, not the IRL or CC, that are putting women drivers in cars. Indeed, NASCAR has a diversity program starting from the ground up and some of its major car owners are backing the Erin Crockers and Allison Duncans to see if they can make it.

The car owners that select women seem to do it for different reasons. In the case of Milka, it would seem like dollars are the case. In the case of Sarah, she won a pole and led races and didn't have any money. In the case of Danica, she was being brought along by Rahal and suddenly blossomed into a driver on ovals. In the case of Katherine, she tested an IPS car for Nunn, wound up in Atlantics, won three races and got promoted (some would say over some more talented male drivers, but they would say that about ANY of these women).

In the case of Milka, I, too, have reservations. I saw her run in the old Women's Global GT Series, too. Ovals will be new to her. She'll "get it" quick like Danica did, or won't get it at all, like other male road racers who came before her.