AL951

I dont think he is too bad, but that F1 seat is to big for him. Maybe in few year and more experience, he could do better.


Regards,
AL

hot-J

I bought a 993TT off a Subaru team driver by the name Ramana Lagemann.... He is from Boston, and should be in the WRC soon.

reno808

So what made Michael Andretti so popular?

RolexNJ

Al, do research on him, or read that link I provided. I gues you didnt? Its very clear. Thats first. Second, go and look at the duration at which a new driver, let alone a brand new rookie has a chance to prove themselves. They dont "get yrs" to do better. Teams cut drivers half way thru a season. F1 is ultra competitive and there is zero tolerance if you dont perform, and perform right away as a rookie. Trust me.

AL951

Well that is true, in F1 if you don't perform, your are done. But my comment was more of a comparison between Him and drivers like Albers, Sato and others. I know that in F1 is hard to make a disntiction between driver talent and equipment, but this other drivers seems to have better cars and this did not show in the final standings.

Regards,
AL

RolexNJ

He has been over rated and hasnt peformed. Read the link I gave. Read into it hard, youll see. And non American drivers have a much better shot at jumping from team to team, or, could at least be a test driver. Speed is way over rated, due to Americans. In Europe, I cant even imagine what people think of him. And his background is nothing, absolutely nothing, compared to when Michael went over in 1993. He wont last. We need to look for another American that can do the job, and it aint going to be him for sure.

AL951

I have to agree to that. He is over rated.

The problem with finding a American driver is, as you know, the culture. Saddly the intrest on open wheel racing isn't there. And that is a shame.


Regards,
AL

RolexNJ

AL you are 100% right my friend. Welcome to America, where Nascar is King!

Nascar --->

AL951

NOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I hate Nascar!

Regards,
AL

RolexNJ

AL951

I better go , and to sleep. My kids are watching the movie cars and I can't stand that a 911 Carrera fell for a nascar race car!

I hate nascar!!!

well good nite.

Regards,
AL

Olli Snellman

F1 teams tries desperately find good american F1 drivers. That's the fact. Team owners would like to get F1 more popular in the States, because of the huge markets you got over there. F1 is not so interesting to watch if there are not any your fellow countryman driving these cars. We Finns are lucky since next season we have 2 and ½ own drivers there; Ferrari/Räikkönen; Renault/Kovalainen and Williams/Rosberg, who drivers under German license because market powers.

What comes to Nascar, it's a little bit same thing with other sports as well. Baseball or american football are hardly known in Europe.

UK952

How many US race classes allow racing in the rain? Am i right in thinking indy cars dont? Racing in the wet (or the ice in tha case of our scandanavian friends) allows car control talent to develop and shine,
Tony

Olli Snellman

Most Finnish WRC drivers (except Marcus Grönholm) come from country side where still are icy roads which are not salted during winter. Of course if there is success in for example rally, it usually draws other enthustiasts to that sport. It's a little bit same when Björn Borg was top a tennis player there were quite many swedish players which followed him to the top. Here in Finland the most talented rally drives are invited to special Rally School where ex. top WRC drivers are teaching them all secrets of rallying. Now this younger generation is coming to the top, for example Ford's Mikko Hirvonen. Same kind of system is under developent for track drivers as well. After success of Mika Häkkinen & Kimi Räikkönen lots of young boys started karting career, now they are moving to smaller formula cars, like Formula BMW, Renault, F3 etc.
I suppose the main thing is a good education, talent is not everything

RolexNJ

Nascar is the number one watched Motorsport in the US. I highly doubt we will see that change in the near future, or if ever as far as I'm concerned. Americans, for the most part, don't live for sports like Soccer and Auto-Racing to the degree people do in Europe. I am Italian and lived in Italy, and for them those sports are an integral part of their lives. And people from the ages of 12 to 60 follow those sports too. And as you know, towns and cities shut down when a big race comes to them. Like in Imola, Italy, the town totally shuts down. Everything is closed, because everyone does want to see their fellow countrymen race and wants to cheer them on too. That would never, ever happen in the US to that degree.

So as of now, who can Americans look to in F1, Scott Speed? You have got to be kidding me. He won't last long, I already posted a link that highlights his career. But as you said, Americans have many other sports we do, which include basketball, baseball, football, and golf, just to name a few. So the chances for many Americans to get a shot at Formula Renault right up to F1 is like next to impossible as far as I'm concerned. I wish it were different, but this is the American way. Americans love Nascar, and it is here to stay! Let me give you an example too, If Michael Schumacher, Alain Prost, or Niki Lauda walked down a street in regular clothes in the US, "most" people wouldn't have a clue as to who they are?! But if Tony Stewart did or Geoff Gordon did, they sure would know who they are. What does that tell ya? We do have other forms of racing like Champ Car, IMSA, NHRA, etc., but nothing that is as big as the scope of Nascar.

I think it's time I move back to Italy -->