IRL shows no talent other than a select few

[jenna]

Originally posted by BootsOntheSide

And would you have 'lowered yourself' to watching a few IRL races if your favourite driver hadn't switched allegiences?

i've never pretended that i started watching for any other reason!!!!!!!!! and i don't make any apologies for being shallow!

[GTRMagic]

Ovals are far harder to set the car up for on all the racing simulations, the tyres burning up unevenly and threatening to pitch the driver into the wall at every opportunity is unfun

There is a skill base in each series for sure, and from looking at the midfield to the tail in each one, I am not sure IRL & CART are much better than each other... like the same in most categories except F1 I suppose

[flatlander_48]

The successes of the Penske, Ganassi and Andretti/Green teams (wins, poles & top 5 finishes) says to me that the IRL is a relatively weak series. There doesn't seem to be much talent (driving and technical) beyond the former CART teams. There were several teams that had done well before the arrival of the CART teams and should have provided competition, but that hasn't happened.

Tony George's "vision" of creating a place for American short track drivers to move up to Indy Cars just hasn't happened (he lied in my opinion). If it did, we'd have JJ Yeley, Dave Steel, Dave Darland, Tracey Hines and others in the IRL instead of the outside looking in. Even AJ is back pedaling. He used to run Billy Boat, Davey Hamilton and Donnie Beechler. All short track guys, but no more.

[Snrub]

I like oval racing, my biggest problem with the IRL is that it's brand of oval racing takes much of the challange out of it (foot to the floor and turn). I have to be fair and say that CART was worse than IRL in Germany. Good oval racing is good racing.

The anti-oval people have one thing that you can't argue with: Road racers can usually be oval racers, but oval racers can't always be road racers. It's a different kind of racing. That doesn't mean it's better or worse, but certain attributes are obviously less critical in oval racing than in road racing.

[marcus]

I'd like to see more of these "grass roots" drivers in the IRL , I mean thats what it was intended for but sadly we just dont see it anymore (or as much anymore)

not all tracks are just flat out and turn though , but yes i agree while sometimes that provides good racing , other circuits where you need to slow down and maybe even backshift are great to see , this is where drivers can really make some time by braking later and the good guys go to the front.

but i would say they are a talented bunch , because it requires skill to control any car on the limit no matter what track you are on

[Snrub]

I don't think flat out and turn does produce good racing. I think the better oval races I've seen involve some speed differences between the straights and corners as you suggested. I may be wrong but isn't the relevent grass roots oval racing a bit in the dumps right now? (just like american development road racing?)

[climb]

Jay,
maybe you're too much in love with CART to be objective about Hornish and IRL
Of course he's been running in IRL for the last 3 years, so we could see him stand out only on ovals.
About his previous unimpressive road races, I completely trust you (I never saw him) but a question is for you: How old was Sam at that time? Maybe younger than AJ IV these days.
Young drivers need to mature; thus i'm not sure that Sam couldn't make it in road racing just because when he was a boy didn't do that well.