Indy 500 winner Dan Wheldon chosen to test new Dallara IndyCar chassis

good for Wheldon, supposedly he's a great setup guy and he's too talented to sit on the sidelines doing TV with Bob Jenkins.

btw, the winners of both the Daytona 500 and Indy 500 don't have full time rides this year. what does that say about American motorsports in 2011?

 

Dan was had numerous offers, but he said he turned them down. He wants to be in a competitive car, not just a backmarker. Investments into the current cars will keep dropping off as the season goes along since none of it will carry over to 2012. Also, this new car test with Dan and Brian has been out there for awhile. IndyCar needed a solid driver to work on the testing.

So here's my take on it.

Dan and Brian Herta are working on a program for 2012. There is no point in them investing $$$ into a chassis/program that will be gone at the end of the year. They are going for 2012 and beyond. Now toss in that they get a jump on every other team by being the new chassis testers. When 2012 comes around, I think we are going to see a very competitive Dan driving for Brian Herta.

This makes sense to me and says nothing about the state of American racing.

 

Sounds quite reasonable to me.

 

I still can't see how anyone will believe the Indy car series has "the best drivers they can find" if they have a guy who wins one of the most prestigious races in the world and he can't get a full time ride....
Doesn't say much for the series.

 

As I stated above, Dan turned rides down for this year.

 

In hopes to sit out, not drive for at least a season and a better opportunity comes up later?
I will be very surprised to see a "good ride" come up later. How many times has that happened in the past?
Not trashing Dan, no question he has the ability, many do, but the series is in trouble. They NEED drivers with money to help the teams...unfortunately these are not always the best drivers...

IMO the best drivers can develop an average car into a front runner. They take the challenge and work through the tough times. I just don't see any drivers doing this in this series, but maybe I'm not following it closely enough. it just always seems like an excuse why the car or team is not better....maybe it's the delivery.

I would think passionate hard working drivers is what sponsorship would like to see, not spoiled rich kids who go ball cars up each week and cry about the other drivers and point fingures at "the team". It's not sustainable in any sense.

 

True, true, true.

Still believe we will see Dan driving for Herta next year and I think they will be competitive.

 

You can blame Fittipaldi for this. When he starting bringing in the Brazilians and getting them to pay for their rides, the game changed, and all of a sudden it wasn't about how good you were (although you had to be somewhat talented, but they did let in Hiro Matisuda, who had no talent, but a lot of money), it was about how much sponsorship you brought to the table.

Motorcycling is doing the same thing, and it isn't good. Money ruins the quest for talent.

Art

 

quoted for truth.

amazing what doors open for you when your family owns Panasonic

although there have been some very talented drivers who brought their own deals to the table...Adrian Fernandez comes to mind.

 

I agree, I think Wheldon has loads of talent, but doesn't want to "sacrifice". a real racer would take the ride offered and make the best of it.

look at TK-dropped from a team he largely developed, then had another deal fall through, ends up with a mid-level team and drags it to the front through raw talent and sheer force of will.

somehow I don't think Wheldon would be able to do the same.

 

I agree. I don't want to say Dan does not have the talent to develope a team. He maybe just doesn't have the desire or the experience at his point to do so.

Does he do any driving other them a few tests?

 

Not aware of any other drives, sports car, etc happening for him right now.

 

looks like an LMP car that went nose-first into a wall and lost its front bodywork

 

Looks bloody awful - almost as bad as Dan's fake choppers (straight out of Something About Mary).

 

The new car is running today at IMS. Its on the road course.

Looks very interesting, sounds even more so.