Drivers From a Certain Country...

[UGA95]

If it helps villeneuve won indy 500, maybe before. But he did it in CART

FWIW Indy is not the best oval to test skill. It's like Daytona. All you do is hold it to the floor and stay on line. Kurt Busch (NASCAR driver) ran the Indy 500 in 2014 and finished 6th, and he had literally never stepped foot inside an open wheel car before. If you want a true test put them in an IndyCar at Iowa or a stock car at Darlington.

As far as F1 drivers on ovals, the best example of this would be JPM when he came to NASCAR in 2006. He had a couple decent seasons, but in 255 races he only won twice, and both were on road courses. The equipment he was in from 2008-2010ish was very capable of winning races too. And this isn't a knock on Montoya either. He is one of my favorite drivers, but he just never could replicate the success he had in F1 and IndyCar on the Cup level.

Marcos Ambrose, a two time V8 Supercar champion, and one of if not the best in that series at the time, also came to NASCAR in 2007. In 227 races, he also won twice, both times on road courses. How about 4 time IndyCar Champ Dario Franchitti? He actually had some experience in IndyCar on ovals, so you would think he would have had an easier time making the transition. However, in 10 Cup level starts in 2008, he had an average finish of 34.3. In the Xfinity series (easier lower level of NASCAR filled with less experienced drivers), he started 18 races and had a average finish of 20.6. He never won in either series. So there you have 3 examples of very experienced and proven champions from other series that tried to make the transition and went 0 for 492 at the Cup level on ovals.

SofiaSpeed, why don't you ask them how easy ovals are?

How many former Nascar drivers have given F1 a shot? We'd need to see how they got on before drawing the sort of conclusions you're throwing around

There are a few reasons for this I think. One is I think most of them know that transitioning from open wheel to stock cars is easier than visa versa. A stock car driver that has been racing on ovals since they were five years old just isn't going to move over to F1 at the age of 35 and compete for podiums. That will never happen. Two, the big stars like Johnson, Ky Busch, Gordon, Stewart, etc already make a ton of money over here in the states, plus all there families/friends are over here, so really no reason for them to make that move. And third, I really just don't think they have any interest in trying open wheel. Heck, none of them have even tried to compete in a IndyCar season. And logistically and competitively that would be a easier move than F1 would be.

 

[fastone371]

It's a non-starter this, they're too different. I'm not at all surprised that former F1 drivers struggle to beat current Nascar drivers at their own sport; it's like comparing jujitsu to Kung-Fu.

And I don't agree with SofiaSpeed that Nascar is a no-skill motorsport; that's clearly an ignorant statement and I'm surprised you bothered to engage with it.


because they're good enough to try someone else's sport and largely be competitive?
How many former Nascar drivers have given F1 a shot? We'd need to see how they got on before drawing the sort of conclusions you're throwing around

I could not agree with you more. None of the F1 drivers that tried NASCAR really stuck around long enough, at least I dont think they did. Plus oval is so dam competitive if you are a couple tenths off that might be enough to miss the show. Driver/crew chief pairing is also extremely important, I think more so than many other forms of motor sport because there are so many changes you can make in the span of a pit stop. If driver/crew chief pairing do not communicate exceptionally well the driver will produce poor results, and the track changes so much over a few hours of racing. When my kids raced karts we dabbled in oval a little bit. The first time on dirt we unloaded and my youngest had fast time in the first session, I thought this was gonna be easy. Then the track changed, I couldnt get the kart fast the whole rest of the night no matter what I did. I would have loved to seen Jeff Gordon been given a shot at a real F1 car. Obviously not a team signing him for a season but maybe enough seat time over a couple of days in a current spec car to see if he had the ability to lay down some decent laps.
My comments about F1 vs oval were mainly directed at SofiaSpeed and what he claimed as factual.

 

[Nando deBem]

Guys... Sofia was poking you... Saying something is a fact when it was actually not. Like some here did. Now, that we see people can get offended over oval racing, maybe you can relate to us and not offend our nationality?

This is only for Indy 500, It looks like there's a certain... Emerson, Brazilian and F1 driver, who made a measurable success in the US.

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/features/2017/4/f1-success-indy-500-alonso.html

About the DNA stuff.
Obviously, our behavior comes from who we are biologically, and that relates to our DNA. Still, I think we're at a place and time that we have a bit more freedom to understand that, but also understand if said traits (like xenophobia) are serving us in a positive way and choosing either or not to continue doing so.

I guess by this thread that xenophobia is not the way to go, because, guess what, I'm also "wired" to protect myself.

 

[fastone371]

Guys... Sofia was poking you... Saying something is a fact when it was actually not. Like some here did. Now, if you're gonna get that offended over oval racing, maybe you can relate to us and not offend our nationality?

This is only for Indy 500, It looks like there's a certain... Emerson, Brazilian and F1 driver, who made a measurable success in the US.

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/features/2017/4/f1-success-indy-500-alonso.html

About the DNA stuff.
Obviously, our behavior comes from who we are biologically, and that relates to our DNA. Still, I think we're at a place and time that we have a bit more freedom to understand that, but also understand if said traits (like xenophobia) are serving us in a positive way and choosing either or not to continue doing so.

I guess by this thread that xenophobia is not the way to go, because, guess what, I'm also "wired" to protect myself.

Its possible that we have lived with certain traits for so long that we just cant "turn them on/off" like the fight or flight response and how the body reacts to it with the adrenaline rush and so on. And other weird things like I guess the human eye can distinguish more shades of green than any other color (probably because of money) probably because primitive man needed this for prey millennia ago. Its probably going to take millions more years for things like that to change in our DNA. Kinda like every time I leave the house I have to keep locking/unlocking the door to make sure it locked, but how do I know that the last time it really did lock???? Its quite a conundrum Im hours late for work everyday.

 

[kilesa4568]

I couldn't let this thread go without a complaint at some of the thread participants small minded viewpoints:

I've raced in thousands's of races over the years and have met hundreds of dirty drivers from probably every area of the globe. Not once have I looked at their flag and had the misconception that it's a problem prevalent to that nationality. There are arses in all races, creeds and nationalities and nobody has more or less than any other.

If you want to argue your point with me, don't bother. I've no intention of debating such a vitriolic topic with anyone who shares the OP's viewpoint as I'll likely be arguing against bigotry and the least amount of attention that gets, the better.

Please let this thread die and disappear.

 

[Crazy Taylor]

Please let this thread die and disappear.

+1