Posted on 07/15/2006 5:53:28 AM PDT by colonel mosby
Indy star Danica Patrick has hinted lately that she might be willing to give NASCAR a try. Although I believe the hints are nothing more than her gaining a little leverage as her contract with Letterman/Rahal expires at season's end, I'm still going to offer her a little advice.
Stay where you are, Danica. The Indy Racing League needs you.
(Excerpt) Read more at al.com ...
Physically, I don't think she would have any problems. Since the advent of power steering, Cup cars don't take that much brute strength to drive anymore. If you'll check the stats, most of the guys coming into the sport now are rather small compared to the six-foot, 200-pounders of the past. Mark Martin ain't a whole lot bigger than Danica.
The competition? It's brutal, all the way through the field, compared to open-wheelers. Can she handle it? We won't know until she tries.
Will she get treated rudely by her competitors on the track? Actually, that depends on her. The example people often give is Scott Pruett, how he got wrecked just about every week the year he tried Cup full time. Some say it's because he was an Indy-car foreigner infringing on NASCAR's territory. My understanding is that his behavior and attitude toward his peers contributed mightily to that.
Bottom line, IMHO she's welcome to try, and whatever happens, happens. Quite frankly, though, I'm not all that sold on her driving ability. Her nearly winning at Indy wasn't exactly a fluke circumstance, but it had more to do with a bunch of other factors including good pit crew work than with her being dominant on the track that day. I will say in her defense that this year, Rahal's cars are pretty much crap, so I don't know if anyone else could be doing any better.
I actually think Montoya has a better chance of not stinking up the joint and being reasonably competitive the second time around to all the tracks than she would.
that's ridiculous....she doesn't suck in IRL, she's a decent driver- any halfwit would realize the whole Rahal-Letterman racing teams switched chasis and all their drivers have had major problems adjusting to it...Buddy Rice, another Rahal-Letteman driver, has crashed three times this year because of the chasis switch....
IMHO, somebody is trying to sell Wie as more than just a female golfer ... and don't get me wrong, from what I've seen she has the skill set to be a great one ... and to be doing that to her at her age and at this point in her career is a disservice.
"People mag-i-fied". Good description of NASCAR President Brian France's vision of the future of his granddaddy's business.
Brian France is killing NASCAR. He's busy trying to create a skyscraper, but he seems oblivious to the fact that the foundation is crumbling into a sinkhole.
it isn't CART anymore- it is called Champ Series Racing...they will probably merge with the IRL for the '08 season...
CART of the late 90's is the blueprint of how to destroy an affluent sport....
As far as Kyle Petty, he got into the sport because it was expected of him. He actually became a reasonably decent race driver. But IMHO, he has never, ever, ever, ever had the fire in his belly to do this that his daddy had and that the great drivers had, and his career has reflected that.
was it Rahal or Lettermans fault that SHE SHUT HER CAR OFF during the first IRL race at the Glen last year??? the ONLY reason she finished so high in her first Indy race many say, is because she caused the incident that let her get up front.
other than that... she's showed me NOTHING that the several million dollars spent on her grooming couldn't be produced by anybody other young driver.
she's no phenom... or is that non-phenom
but that's just me.
That is pretty funny but far from accurate. If you look at the demographics for NASCAR (which advertisers do), their fans are more affluent, educated and tech-savvy then any other sport fan. The times they are a-changin' my friend!
Several IRL drivers have recently expressed a desire to drive stock cars at some point.
Maybe it's time to form a new stock car circuit to compete with NASCAR. There are several new tracks which can't get a Nextel Cup race, and some of the old tracks are losing races to the new, boring, cookie-cutter speedways in Chicago, Las Vegas, Kansas, and California.
Heck, they're even talking about building new generic speedways in New York and the state of Washington.
She has commented
on that. She said the rubbing [!]
in NASCAR reminds
her of her kid days
in go-carts. She said she could
get used to it fine . . .
I've never added any of those "tags", seems to underestimate your "audience" when you do...
I have to agree with your assessment of her backside. Very attractive young lady in general but that picture of her looking over her shoulder is NOT complimentary.
Maybe they'd rather have a boy, but can't admit it?
"Such production mixed with glamorous looks and charisma created "Danica Mania" with endorsements, commercials and magazine spreads, making her the most popular open-wheel driver in the United States. Just mentioning Patrick and NASCAR in the same sentence is enough to start fans pondering how she would match up with Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart.
Patrick said she has watched NASCAR drivers bump and rub cars, something she remembers only too well from her go-cart days when she nudged others out of her way.
"It's beautiful. I do like that. I do like that. Rubbing's racing like they say, right?" she said."
[Danica Patrick loves open-wheel racing, but is enticed by NASCAR 07/14/2006 ]
As far as the cookie-cutter tracks, I do wish they would make them look a bit different, add some kind of twists ... one of my favorite tracks ever was the old Trenton, N.J., track, which had a dogleg in the middle of the backstretch for some reason ... but IMHO 1.5 to 2 miles is absolutely the optimum size for a track for Cup cars. I think we've seen in the last few years at Daytona and Talladega that there is a reason no one is building 2.5 mile tracks with 30 degree banking anymore.
Jeff Gordon's gay, Jeff Gordon's gay
Atleast thats what them ornery Earnhardt fans always say
They swear he's usin vasoline on the 24 Chevrolet
Jeff Gordon's gay, he must be gay
He wears rainbow colors,
He's a handsome fella standin in victory lane,
with a gorgeous little wife with a check in her hand
sippin that gay champagne
Them Earnhardt fans up in the stands,
All chokin on bread and spam
Say Gordon's gay every time he turns
and hugs Ray Evernham
jeff Gordon's gay, he must be gay
He's probably whistlin Elton John or Spandeau Ballet
` He's got them Rainbow Warriors singin YMCA
Jeff Gordon's gay, he must be gay
He's got 3 winston cup trophies sittin home
On his trophy shelf
But i betchya he can't pick one up,
Atleast not by himself
jeff gordon's gay, he must be gay
Atleast thats what the people who lose on sunday always say
They swear he's usin Vasoline on the 24 Chevrolet
Jeff Gordon's gay, he must be gay
Not me but it's inevitable I think. It's all about money and TV ratings, big sponsors, etc. From a marketing standpoint Danica's centerfold appeal will be irresistable to the ad agencies. Sex sells. Today's NASCAR is nothing like it was 20 years ago. I still enjoy it but it's becoming a 'gentrified' sport and is abandoning its white lightnin' roots.
LOL! Where did that come from?
I'd hit it.
A few times.
You forgot the sarcasm tags. Michelle Wie might be somewhat competitive on a men's mini tour like Hooters or Nationwide. But her performance in the John Deere Classic pretty much sums up her abilities at the top levels of golf.
Likewise, Danica wouldn't stand a chance in he77 of making it in NASCAR. She has never driven a car that doesn't stick to the track like glue, or experienced bump drafting, door banging, sideways exiting in a car that weighs twice as much as the one she's use to.
If her getting a new chassis is to blame for her recent lackluster performance in Indy cars. Then that should pretty much settle the issue as to her ability to adapt to changes (something Tony Stewart can do with ease. I do detect an underlying tone that some believe driving a NASCAR is easier than driving an Indy car. I would suggest those of you who think that, find out what those who have driven both have to say.
Plus, all she's ever driven are carts and winged formula series cars. Most of those NASCAR drivers use to mix it up on dirt tracks and know how to handle the door banging, sideways sliding, ect. ect. experience of that type of car.
She might last a year in a NASCAR car. But hey, at least we'd all have the opportunity to buy lots of nice calendars with her all spread out on the hood of one.
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