2012 IndyCar silly season

[kurski]

Tracy told the media at the 50th running of the Rolex 24 at Daytona that he is on the cusp of signing a full season deal with Michael Shank Racing in the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series.

[jondownunder]

Barrichello has confirmed he's considering IndyCar, with the possibility of missing the ovals:

“It's an important issue to be resolved,” he said when asked about the danger provided by the oval races. “But before I think about it, first I have to know the car. There is always the possibility of running the season but not the ones on the ovals.

"I have no contract with anybody so there's nothing stopping me doing it [the test]. I'm doing it with my mind wide open. If I can get the passion with that car that I have always had when I am driving, then why not? I love racing."

http://www.crash.net/f1/news/176305/..._up_on_f1.html

He is still looking at F1 options too.

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by kurski

Tracy told the media at the 50th running of the Rolex 24 at Daytona that he is on the cusp of signing a full season deal with Michael Shank Racing in the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series.

Isnt MSR Indy a Lotus team? Doesnt that make a bit of a mess of Mr Tracy's alleged support from Canadian Honda?

[HJJ]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

Isnt MSR Indy a Lotus team? Doesnt that make a bit of a mess of Mr Tracy's alleged support from Canadian Honda?

explained here:

http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/artic...el-shank-deal/

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by jondownunder

Barrichello has confirmed he's considering IndyCar, with the possibility of missing the ovals:

http://www.crash.net/f1/news/176305/..._up_on_f1.html

He is still looking at F1 options too.

I'm sure no one would mind him as a test and reserve driver, but I think it's time for him to give it up. He had his chances, 10 times more than most F1 drivers that enter the sport, time to let some others have a go.

[Paradise City]

No ovals means ruling yourself out of the title fight right off the bat. It rules you out of the one major the series that has - the 500. If that's Barrichello's attitude, it's a lousy attitude that spells midfield mediocrity and quitting mid-series.

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by Paradise City

No ovals means ruling yourself out of the title fight right off the bat. It rules you out of the one major the series that has - the 500. If that's Barrichello's attitude, it's a lousy attitude that spells midfield mediocrity and quitting mid-series.

I just don't understand how this series will survive if have drivers that only want or can afford to do only ovals and drivers that only want or can afford to do road courses.

This isn't a series where you can goof off and do half stepping as otherwise it can become lethal very quickly. All motor racing has some risk, but the irl has historically proven to be dangerous with most drivers ended up with mushed bones, broken backs, head injuries, burns or worse.

Someone had a list of all the injuries dating back to 1996 and on average every event, one driver needed hospital treatment.

It's nothing like F1.

[Paradise City]

Originally Posted by mountainstar

I just don't understand how this series will survive if have drivers that only want or can afford to do only ovals and drivers that only want or can afford to do road courses.

This isn't a series where you can goof off and do half stepping as otherwise it can become lethal very quickly. All motor racing has some risk, but the irl has historically proven to be dangerous with most drivers ended up with mushed bones, broken backs, head injuries, burns or worse.

Someone had a list of all the injuries dating back to 1996 and on average every event, one driver needed hospital treatment.

It's nothing like F1.

Well, yes. In Mansell's Fittipaldi's and Blundell's day the cars where made for men and had a low safety threshold on both sides of the Atlantic. The modern F1 car is like a safety capsule by comparison. Like Mansell at New Hampshire Barrichello may be in for a rude awakening but, on his attitude sofar, he won't have the resilience to stay the course like old Mansell did.

Bourdais is an interesting comparison too. He knew a chance to win LeMans in a winning car comes but once a career if at all and he grabbed it. I see a little bit of the gusto that harks back to Mario and Clark in him. But this thing from Rubens where he may do Indycar but is afraid of the ovals is not the attitude of a winner. Unless, his commitment is categorical his Indycar career will be at best be an anonymous flop and at worst a newsworthy disaster.

[Mystery]

Originally Posted by mountainstar

I'm sure no one would mind him as a test and reserve driver, but I think it's time for him to give it up. He had his chances, 10 times more than most F1 drivers that enter the sport, time to let some others have a go.

Seems an ideal choice. Fits in with the many journeymen in Indycar. Don't personally see Rubens any less deserving than, say, Helio or Bourdais.

[Razzzor]

Not that I've ever liked him, but I'd like to see Rubens in Indycars. It'd make a good comparison to some of the drivers he's teamed with in F1 then.

[Steevp]

Isn't all this talk of Rubens being afraid of ovals a little harsh? I read it's his wife that's afraid of ovals and in deference to her he promised years ago he wouldn't drive them.

You don't do what Rubens does for a living with fear in your heart.

[Paradise City]

Originally Posted by Steevp

Isn't all this talk of Rubens being afraid of ovals a little harsh? I read it's his wife that's afraid of ovals and in deference to her he promised years ago he wouldn't drive them.

You don't do what Rubens does for a living with fear in your heart.

This big pact with the missus sounds to me it was a cute anecdote he threw out to the media in '96 during a time when his F1 career stretched on for years ahead. It would have a core if truth in that his missus does hate ovals. I don't mean to question his courage but his commitment. A fraction of a season, minus the major, minus the championship even before the first race equals an ignominious and brief stint in Indycar.

The man might very well go on to make a right fool out of me and commit to the sport in days ahead. If he does so I wish him the best.

[icemachine]

Far as I am aware Reubens hasn't even said he's doing anything beyond the test yet, let alone any comments about picking and choosing races.

[Razzzor]

Yup he'll probably end up in DTM!

Where's the latest testing times for Indycars anyway? Do they not publish them? It's no good trying to raise popularity in the series when they won't even put the goddamn session times on the official website.

[jondownunder]

Originally Posted by icemachine

Far as I am aware Reubens hasn't even said he's doing anything beyond the test yet, let alone any comments about picking and choosing races.

He did say this:

Originally Posted by Rubens

"There is always the possibility of running the season but not the ones on the ovals."

The latest is he's backtracking on his previous comments about ovals, and saying he could run the Indy 500. Clearly no commitment yet:

"I never thought I could come over to this side because I thought I would race 25 years in Formula 1 and couldn't come this way," said Barrichello, who made his grand prix debut in 1993.

"I did say that. It came out of my mouth. It is not a big issue. I could run on the road tracks; I could run [the] Indy [500].

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/97252

[Yannick]

To be honest, I would not mind Rubens Barrichello not racing on ovals at all. Him refusing the ovals would open up a seat for the many oval specialists who are sidelined without rides as of this point in time. Of all the possible suggestions, the Vitor/Rubens combination sounds particularly exciting, especially if Vitor Meira could be added to additional street/road races as a 4th car for KV, especially Sao Paulo. And given the many Indy only starters, there surely would be somebody who could drive the 4th car there as well. I remember Townsend Bell's 4th place at Indy a few years back in his one-off at Indy with KV Racing. That was cool and a great result. I don't understand why he has gotten overlooked so many times in recent years.

Barrichello will be a worthy asset for any team in any series he decides to sign for, for all of his technical abilities and wealth of experience alone. Add to that the fact he is a pretty good racing driver. His move to IndyCar surely would win over some spectators from the international F1 audience who, in turn, would register on the IndyCar website only to be annoyed when they find out that there won't be any livestream just like there was none last year.
From a publicity standpoint, getting Rubens a seat and then not being able to provide the international audiences he brings along with the racing itself, is only a rather half or should I say quarter hearted effort.

[Peat]

Where would a Rubens deal leave EJ Viso? (like i really care...)

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by Yannick

To be honest, I would not mind Rubens Barrichello not racing on ovals at all. Him refusing the ovals would open up a seat for the many oval specialists who are sidelined without rides as of this point in time. Of all the possible suggestions, the Vitor/Rubens combination sounds particularly exciting, especially if Vitor Meira could be added to additional street/road races as a 4th car for KV, especially Sao Paulo. And given the many Indy only starters, there surely would be somebody who could drive the 4th car there as well. I remember Townsend Bell's 4th place at Indy a few years back in his one-off at Indy with KV Racing. That was cool and a great result. I don't understand why he has gotten overlooked so many times in recent years.

Barrichello will be a worthy asset for any team in any series he decides to sign for, for all of his technical abilities and wealth of experience alone. Add to that the fact he is a pretty good racing driver. His move to IndyCar surely would win over some spectators from the international F1 audience who, in turn, would register on the IndyCar website only to be annoyed when they find out that there won't be any livestream just like there was none last year.
From a publicity standpoint, getting Rubens a seat and then not being able to provide the international audiences he brings along with the racing itself, is only a rather half or should I say quarter hearted effort.

Townsend Bell in the past was known for an abrasive personality and being rough on cars, maybe he has changed as he has gotten older.

I don't think most F1 fans would really care about what Rubens does next, anymore than they do when ex F1 drivers go race Le Mans or DTM. Rubens was never a WDC, he won a couple of races and personally I don't know why his career lasted as long as it did. Sure a lot of us motor racing nerds know about him, but the general public doesn't and especially in the USA, just about no one knows or cares. I could take a random sample of a 1000 Americans and probably would not find a one that knows who he is.

[Deleted]

Originally Posted by mountainstar

Sure a lot of us motor racing nerds know about him, but the general public doesn't and especially in the USA, just about no one knows or cares. I could take a random sample of a 1000 Americans and probably would not find a one that knows who he is.

Again, same goes for every single driver in Indy now (that Princess sparkle pony is gone).

[Paradise City]

Originally Posted by mountainstar

Townsend Bell in the past was known for an abrasive personality and being rough on cars, maybe he has changed as he has gotten older.

I don't think most F1 fans would really care about what Rubens does next, anymore than they do when ex F1 drivers go race Le Mans or DTM. Rubens was never a WDC, he won a couple of races and personally I don't know why his career lasted as long as it did. Sure a lot of us motor racing nerds know about him, but the general public doesn't and especially in the USA, just about no one knows or cares. I could take a random sample of a 1000 Americans and probably would not find a one that knows who he is.

I doubt they knew a jot about Fittipaldi, F1 champ or not. I remember Paul Page having to go to extraordinary lengths trying to explain rookie Fittipaldi to his audience and I doubt Page was too clued up on him himself!

Barrichello isn't Fittipaldi and IRL Indycar certainly isn't 'Indycar' but he could carve an effective career out there nevertheless.

As a poster that's been wrongly accused of being a black propagandist myself, I think you attacking Indycar on reflex appears to be leading you to some very weird positions on things! Indycar set 'the' standard in mismanagement but just because anyone within the Indycar universe might take a breath on a given day doesn't make their breathing a bad move!

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by Paradise City

As a poster that's been wrongly accused of being a black propagandist myself, I think you attacking Indycar on reflex appears to be leading you to some very weird positions on things! Indycar set 'the' standard in mismanagement but just because anyone within the Indycar universe might take a breath on a given day doesn't make their breathing a bad move!

You missed my point. Actually what I have been pointing out to folks is putting some reality into their belief that if Rubens came to the irl that it would be this massive PR coup that will have massive balloons of money from brazil exploding all over the place. It has little to do with "attacking the irl" or the irl itself, I can find plenty of other justifiable things to point out elsewhere, as I do. The irl wouldn't have anything to do with his signing, the financial details and his signing come down to a team making that choice.

I wouldn't doubt he could "carve out" a career in the irl, he's probably better than 95% of the the field at a minimum, realistically probably better than all of them.

[Mekola]

The Argentinian Goverment has not $6m to invest in Guerrieri... But has $25m to invest in Turismo Carretera... I'm outraged!

[Paradise City]

Originally Posted by mountainstar

You missed my point. Actually what I have been pointing out to folks is putting some reality into their belief that if Rubens came to the irl that it would be this massive PR coup that will have massive balloons of money from brazil exploding all over the place. It has little to do with "attacking the irl" or the irl itself, I can find plenty of other justifiable things to point out elsewhere, as I do. The irl wouldn't have anything to do with his signing, the financial details and his signing come down to a team making that choice.

I don't know why but I think you've missed other points and are, without clear cause, too dismissive of Barrichello's latent popularity in South America and the potential for a mini-Fittipaldi effect to take hold in North America if does well in the 500.

I don't think his character will wash with the Americans like it does with the Europeans as in it might rub the Americans up the wrong way [moaning Mansell wasn't unlike that] but to say he has no character, no, that's not true at all. Quite the contrary.

[Mystery]

You too seem to be agreeing with each other :-D

Rubens will be a story. A win early on will make a 500 debut huge news. Will be great seeing a big name in the top half of the field (unlike SuperBim days!)

[marcostraz]

I think that the Barrichello's presence could be positive for the IndyCar, but I doubt it will be the same as Mansell, for example...Mansell was one of the best F1 drivers, a current World Champion...Barrichello is a good driver, but no more...he's popular, but he is considered in the downward part of his career...his presence could be good for the series to be well-known in some situations, especially in Europe...I think that his results will have a great importance, and not necessarily in a positive way...