'05 Silly Season

[Öbus]

Originally Posted by Rime

Wirdheim is not a bad driver, but is also not that big talent you're thinking. The only championship he won in his career was was the F3000 with Arden (the Ferrari of F3000) in his second year. He didn't make it in F1 (Yes, Jaguar, I know...) and the signing with HVM is more because of the money he brings (Eurosport and his father) than because of his talent (which he has but not more than let's say Tiago Monteiro or Gianmaria Bruni). On the other hand he is a better driver then Mazzacan, Yoong or Bremer.

Sorry brother but you are wrong there. He won the Swedish FF championship 1997 only 17 years old (5 wins and 7 second places of thirteen races) in the same way as he later won the F3000 championship. The Swedish FF series was really good at that time with guys how some years later was top five in the festival and in the British Championship. That season (1997) he beat Robert Dahlgren how two years later became British FF Champion. He took the lap record in the FF festival in Brands 1998. He beat Sato on pole in his first ever run in Macau (F3) and become third before guys like Davidsson, Kovalainen,Montagny etc etc. He beat Sato again in his first run at Pau (F3) the same year and became once again third in the race after Davidsson and the French F3 Champion that year. He become Rookie of the year in his first year in F3000 and scored that year more points than Liuzzi scored in his Rookie season the year after when he won the Championship Ooooustanding. He was outpacing Klien in 60% of all Friday outings last year in Jaguar. Is this lack of talent???

If you want the complete cv watch this: www.wirdheim.com

And by the way Bjorns father has absolutely no money to spend for Bjorns racing. He’s just an ordinary guy with a big hart for racing and a great relation with his son. I know because I know him well.

[minirda]

Originally Posted by Kicking-back

Slagging off another driver in order to praise your own man is quite poor form.

I was just kiddin' folks!!!!!!!!

Don't overreact!!!!!

Do i really have to add smilies to make clear that it's a joke? Dutch humor apparently differs from British'.

Look at my postings in this thread and it's clear to me that this was not meant to bash Wirdheim. At all.

[BootsOntheSide]

Originally Posted by Snrub

Robin Miller recently refered to Bjorn's father as his backer. Presumably Bjorn comes from a very wealthy family? I'm asking because I don't know much about Bjorn.

Neither does Robin Miller, by the sounds of things. Bjorn is not a wealthy or well-backed driver by any means.

As for Bjorn's 2003 team-mate, my mistake. KB's right in saying that you've got little chance of a title challenge as a F3000 rookie - Nick Heidfeld is the only one to really have come close in recent years.

[minirda]

Originally Posted by StickShift

Bjorn Wirdheim >>>.....>>>> Tiago Monteiro and Gianmaria Bruni

Wirdheim is at the very least at Liuzzi or Klien's level. He is definitely more talented than Verstappen IMO.

As well, he doesn't come with all the baggage that Jos brings.

----------

If by some chance Jos Verstappen does get a seat in Champ Car. I am not looking forward to it. The majority of his fans are insufferable and irrational.

This is so untrue!!

If Bjorn gets the seat in stead of Jos it's because of his backage is better than Jos's. Jos does not have the support of Trust which allowed him to get the Minardi seat. Truth is: both have talent! Jos won't bring lots of cash to CCWS.

Majority of Jos' fans are in fact very rational.

I conclude Jos is very underrated by most British members of this board. That's my personal frustation.

[luke]

Originally Posted by minirda

I conclude Jos is very underrated by most British members of this board. That's my personal frustation.

I thought I put a fair judgement, and I am British.

He's a good driver, and he'll do well in Champ Car. He has the potential to get good results in, and I believe he can.
He never really had a good shot in F1, he deserved a lot better.

[mac]

Originally Posted by BootsOntheSide

Neither does Robin Miller, by the sounds of things. Bjorn is not a wealthy or well-backed driver by any means.

From what I understand, Bjorn left the F1 world due to his lack of funding rather than a lack of talent.

[Snrub]

Originally Posted by Öbus

I know because I know him well.

Ah ha! The beans have been spilled! Can you tell use how Bjorn's seat is getting paid for?

[mabs_nsx]

(confirmed entries are in bold)
1. Newman/Haas Racing [McDonald's]- #1 - Sebastien Bourdais (FRA)
2. Newman/Haas Racing [PacifiCare]- #6- Bruno Junqueira (BRA)
3. Forsythe Racing [Indeck]- #3- Paul Tracy (CDN)
4. Forsythe Racing [Indeck]- #7- Mario Dominguez (MEX)
5. Forsythe Racing [Indeck]- #17- Jos Verstappen (HOL)
6. Team Australia Racing [WPS]- #5 - Marcus Marshall (AUS)
7. Team Australia Racing [AussieVineyards]- #15 - Alex Tagliani (CDN)
8. Team Australia Racing [Cummins]- #25- Mario Haberfeld (BRA)
9. HVM Racing [Tecate]- #4 - Rodolfo Lavin (MEX)
10. HVM Racing [EuroSport]- #16 - Björn Wirdheim (SWE)
11. Conquest Racing [Mi-Jack]- #27 - Andrew Ranger (CDN)
12. Conquest Racing [Wilux]- #24- Bas Leinders (BEL)
13. Conquest Racing [W?X]- #34 - Nelson Philippe (FRA)
14. PKV Racing [Gulfstream]- #12 - Jimmy Vasser (USA)
15. PKV Racing [Vista]- #21 - Cristiano DaMatta (BRA)
16. Rocketsports Racing [DHL]- #8 - Timo Glock (GER)
17. Rocketsports Racing [Microchip]- #31 - Ryan Hunter-Reay (USA)
18. RüSPORT [Centrix]- #9 - Justin Wilson (GBR)
19. RüSPORT [WesternUnion]- 10 - AJ Allmendinger (USA)
20. Dale Coyne Racing [Nextel]- #11- Roberto Gonzalez (MEX)
21. Dale Coyne Racing [AMR]- #19 - Oriol Servia (ESP)
22. Dale Coyne Racing [Repsol]- #29 Gaston Mazzacane (ARG)
23. Jensen MotorSport [Konica-Minolta]- #23 - Michael Valiante (CDN)

[Amar7605]

I hope that this is field holds. This looks like the most international field CC has had in a long time. I just wish that there was an Asian driver!

[mabs_nsx]

All the teams except for Jenson Motorsport will have at least 2 cars on the grid and Forsythe Racing and Dale Coyne Racing may run 3 so we will see a minimum of 19 and a maimum of 21 cars on the grid for next weekends race.

[Amar7605]

The real question I want to know is are all of these cars going to be able to run the entire season?

[luke]

Originally Posted by Amar7605

I hope that this is field holds. This looks like the most international field CC has had in a long time. I just wish that there was an Asian driver!

It's certainly a good field talent wise. I just wish there was a few more North American drivers in the field, to keep interest, especially for America.
And I spouse that's why NASCAR is as popular as it is, because it's all American talent?

[N I Tram]

I think NASCAR's success is more due to the drivers beign guys people will have followed for years, since they began racing in local feeder championships, and can expect to be around for many years, often with the same team/sponsor/car/# pacakge, rather than simply their nationality. ChampCars has a lot of drivers coming in that nobody outside the specialists in the US will have heard of, and many of tehm could be gone in 2-3 years - compare the 2003 entry list to the current one and you'll see what I mean.

[indycool]

IMO, there'll be a minimum of 18 cars and a maximum of 18 cars for next weekend's race.

[Kicking-back]

I'm expecting 18 cars also.

[BootsOntheSide]

I'm not convicned that Dale will be able to run 2 cars, and he was surely dreaming when he predicted that he might get 3. That third Walker car for Haberfeld seems less likely by the day as well. I'm glad there will be 10 different teams, and less cars from the Amigos than before, so aything more than 18 would be a great bonus.

[Amar7605]

It would be nice to see at least 21 sustainable cars on the grid for the entire season.

[codename_47]

I'm betting on 19......that's what we finished with last year, minus one extra Forsythe and add one Jensen.....

Both Dale and HVM have said in seperate statements they intend to run two cars.....with Dale saying his customary "Announce Friday morning, then go out to practice" tatics will be in evidence...

[luke]

Originally Posted by Amar7605

It would be nice to see at least 21 sustainable cars on the grid for the entire season.

21 is possible, at one point I thought it would be 21, hopefully it will be 19 for Long Beach, then 21 for Monterrey.
If we do get 18, at Long Beach it will be nothing to be ashamed off. As even as far back as 2002, there was only 18 cars for most of the season.

[indycool]

No, 18 at Long Beach will be nothing to be ashamed of. But 18 it will be, because of all the trading of dollars and drivers and teams and deals cut to get to 18. If OWRS gets 19, it'll be dollars spent for PR to say it's thriving with 19 cars instead of 18. No other reason. Yes, it would be nice to see 21 cars or more. But it's not gonna happen.

[Tenoch]

I'm saying 19 at LB and 20 in Aus and Mex.

[Omega99]

18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 30, 40, whatever. April 10th can't come soon enough!

[codename_47]

Originally Posted by indycool

No, 18 at Long Beach will be nothing to be ashamed of. But 18 it will be, because of all the trading of dollars and drivers and teams and deals cut to get to 18. If OWRS gets 19, it'll be dollars spent for PR to say it's thriving with 19 cars instead of 18. No other reason. Yes, it would be nice to see 21 cars or more. But it's not gonna happen.

Yes.....that's the one thing I perhaps look over at the other series with jealousy in my eyes......if only our teams had enough money to run three and four car super teams!

Imagine Four Forsythe entries VS Three Newman Haas VS Three PKV's....then Silly season would be done quicker with all those seats on offer!

But it's not going to happen until the series is strong again, and that'll be a while yet....but not as long as it may have looked like this time last year, perhaps!

Moving on now, our ITV F1 reporter today said that Craig Pollock has had discussions with a team in America about a drive "just in case" things don't work out at Sauber (and well, the writing is on the wall I think....)

He declined to hint at a team, or even a series which he may possibly could be perhaps talking to.....the only connection I can make is what the P in PKV used to stand for.....

But it's all a long way off yet......let's start the 2006 silly season thread!

[trout]

I think after today's disappointing brake failure Jacques's Sauber days are numbered. Even if it was not his fault (when is it the driver's fault in F1 anyway?), the results are not there. Where would he land?

[Mosport67]

Jacques has nothing to gain by coming back to ChampCar. He will quit F1 if it doesn't get better but he was much better today. He was with .1 of Massa's fastest lap and would have scored a lucky point if Coulthard hadn't hit him.

If Jacques wants to race you might see him in Sportscar as he has expressed a desire to win LeMans.

As to a super team or 2 in ChampCar, that would be great but in many ways a series is stronger if you have 10 2 car teams. ChampCar needs to continue to work towards that.