Goodbye AJ - Page 2

Kieran20 · 29 Oct 2006, 09:30 (Ref:1752503)

Quote:

Originally Posted by mac

See ya AJ - you sold out.

is this another thing about loyalty to you? because if it is its the guys life and his choice, he can do what he feels is best for him and what he wants to do, regardless of what the public want.

luke · 29 Oct 2006, 10:47 (Ref:1752555)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kieran20

is this another thing about loyalty to you? because if it is its the guys life and his choice, he can do what he feels is best for him and what he wants to do, regardless of what the public want.

He basically did. Champ Car gave him everything. More so Forysthe. They picked him up when he got sacked from a team that was built around him half way into the championship. They gave him a winning car every race. What does he do? He moves to NASCAR before the end of the season. That's why you have people calling him a sell out...

Kieran20 · 29 Oct 2006, 11:41 (Ref:1752590)

Quote:

Originally Posted by luke

He basically did. Champ Car gave him everything. More so Forysthe. They picked him up when he got sacked from a team that was built around him half way into the championship. They gave him a winning car every race. What does he do? He moves to NASCAR before the end of the season. That's why you have people calling him a sell out...

its not the point, a driver can do what he want to do. its not about loyalty in racing.

luke · 29 Oct 2006, 13:13 (Ref:1752708)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kieran20

its not the point, a driver can do what he want to do. its not about loyalty in racing.

The reason you probably don't feel the same was most fans is because you haven't seen many drivers from both CCWS and IRL jump to NASCAR at the first opportunity. Over the years since the split, quite alot of American talent has been snatched up to NASCAR, be it when they were in Champ Car or before they could even get into it.
As soon as a American driver has success in North American open wheel racing, we must accept the fact that there's a good chance they will be offered $$$$$$ by a NASCAR team. The rest is history.

mountainstar · 29 Oct 2006, 14:50 (Ref:1752796)

I think you just need to find american drivers that don't give a damn about nascar, like me.

D.R.T. · 29 Oct 2006, 15:51 (Ref:1752813)

Quote:

Originally Posted by mountainstar

I think you just need to find american drivers that don't give a damn about nascar, like me.

How commendable

Also you might want to find American drivers that dont give a damn about money either.

BootsOntheSide · 29 Oct 2006, 17:42 (Ref:1752864)

It's not just about money, NASCAR gives a driver security and a wide audience. In ChampCars there's much more risk of ending up without a drive for funding reasons.

Mekola · 29 Oct 2006, 17:57 (Ref:1752875)

Quote:

Originally Posted by lookleft

It's his choice. Tells you alot about the man.

As it was Tony Stewart's choice some years ago...
A big loss for the series.

luke · 29 Oct 2006, 19:03 (Ref:1752924)

Quote:

Originally Posted by BootsOntheSide

It's not just about money, NASCAR gives a driver security and a wide audience. In ChampCars there's much more risk of ending up without a drive for funding reasons.

That's irrelevant tbh as he was offered a five year deal at Forsythe.

N I Tram · 30 Oct 2006, 14:41 (Ref:1753614)

Where will ChampCar or Forsythe be in 5 years' time? Not as strong as Toyota in NASCAR, I'd wager.

luke · 30 Oct 2006, 14:42 (Ref:1753616)

no one knows.

mountainstar · 30 Oct 2006, 15:45 (Ref:1753654)

A lot can happen in 5 years.

D.R.T. · 31 Oct 2006, 04:54 (Ref:1754054)

Which is probably one of the reasons that stopped AJ from signing a long term deal with FCR.

Nick49 · 31 Oct 2006, 09:40 (Ref:1754230)

Hello

The thing is everywhere has its pecking order.

If your're in the USA, then NASCAR is top of the pile.

In Australia, then its V8 Supercars.

For the Rest of the World its Formula One.

Well thats how it looks to me and unless you have a real love for a certain category then all aspiring drivers will gravitate to the perceived top of the pile. Thats how you get your top rated drivers as viewed by the public and the industry.

Nick

mountainstar · 31 Oct 2006, 17:25 (Ref:1754568)

Quote:

Originally Posted by D.R.T.

How commendable

Also you might want to find American drivers that dont give a damn about money either.

Well stick it.

I guess it depends what your philosophy of life is and obviously we are different. I recently took a job in the racing industry for less benefits and possibly less money(maybe more we'll see), but I have a 'dream' job most would kill for. Not only will it be 10x more fun than my old job, but it will open doors for me down the line.

I race for my own personal satisfaction. I have no interest in racing a stock car. I could have done that years ago when I lived in alabama. If I do make it to the top levels of racing professionally I know what I want to do and I would rather be in a champcar winning surfers than a nascar at talladega.

I don't care about the money. I have worked for some of the wealthiest and best known people in the world. Money does buy you a lot, sure and yes it is nice to be able to afford lifes luxeries, but I've seen it isn't everything. I've seen plenty of miserable people that own $20 million homes and private jets.

For AJ, I think if he went to nascar because he really wanted to, then he did the right thing. If he went because his management pushed him into it because of the money then he made a poor choice. All this blabber about champcar not providing long term stability is total BS. Forsythe offered him a 5 year contract, then a 3 year contract at AJ's insistance. From what I understand it offered a good salary, with prize money and other incentives. He would have earned quite well for 17 race weekends and he also had the option of racing elsewhere on off weekends. He would have made millions.

mountainstar · 31 Oct 2006, 17:44 (Ref:1754578)

VERY interesting story:

http://www.champcarworldseries.com/N...e.asp?ID=11027

As he told RACER's (and our web site's) David Phillips in 2004:

"I race not because I want to make a lot of money doing it, that's a perk I'm not gonna lie and it's nice to have, but I race for the passion of winning. Of beating the other guys on the track, knowing that when I won I drove the best that day. And I love doing it on all types of circuits.

"I love this atmosphere and racing in Champ Car, hopefully it can get back to where it was in 1995. I love Champ Car and I want to win the title. I'm not here just to race, I'm here to dominate. I don't get any enjoyment out of running 10th. And it's my dream to dominate Champ Car."

drewdawg727 · 31 Oct 2006, 18:36 (Ref:1754617)

So therefore, we can conclude that he doesn't want money. He wants to win.

..which is something that he has been doing the second half of the season. So why leave?

luke · 31 Oct 2006, 19:44 (Ref:1754660)

And he could have had the chance to domonate next season....

Maybe its something between Forysthe and the atmosphere which I highly doubt, I donno, I'm just checking stones...

D.R.T. · 1 Nov 2006, 01:35 (Ref:1754886)

Maybe he now wants to dominate Nascar

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