USF1 -- F1's All-American Challenger

[axle]

So all you have to do to get the world's attention, is for two old buddies each with some remote F1 experience, to post an empty web-site and claim that if they had some money and an F1 car (which they don't), they might offer Danica Patrick a test-drive?

No it's far easier than that...

[donskar]

Why is it that the US cannot produce a front running F1 driver in the modern era

?

Why assume they "cannot"? VERY few have made the attempt, right? Why? Because they do not care to do so. As has often been said in this forum, interest in F1 is VERY low in the US. A professional US driver can have a very fruitful career in several classes, especially NASCAR and Indy cars, without ever leaving his/her home country.

Remember: we are a small niche of auto enthusiasts in general. We do not represent the vast majority of American racing fans.

Why would any American driver want to make the effort? We might say, "To compete with the best drivers in the world." But American drivers don't see it that way. They think they are just as talented. And there is no way to prove them wrong, is there? We have VERY few examples of F1 and US drivers going head-to-head. Certainly, Montoya (and briefly Villeneuve) have NOT shown themselves to be superior in NASCAR.

[Giblet]

Now they are looking at Danica Patrick. Odd announcement as she wasn't asked.

Well, I guess, whatever she might lack in speed she does make up for by weighing 100 pounds.

[Belatti]

It wont work.

Ill add: it wont work for a sportive point of view. Never ever. No way. Dont even dream about it.

However it may work for the owners pockets: to have a cheap team, a girl running at the bottom of the grid that has more coverage that the current F1 champion and so, huge sponsorship contracts. It doesnt matter Danicas talent, she can drive arround like Yuji Ide did and still there will be thousands of excuses about her adaptation to an F1 car. When she is kicked in her lovely tushi Mr. USF1 will already be richer.

[Ciro Pabón]

Why is it that the US cannot produce a front running F1 driver in the modern era

?

Why assume they "cannot"? VERY few have made the attempt, right?

Well, I have a few American favorites that "want to make the effort". Short list:

Jake Rosenzweig, Bostonian. Matched Carlin F3 drivers last December at Valencia, I saw him. Too young, I know, but "related" to VW.


Talking about VW, btw, who's the second bidder for Honda? I don't even know who's the first, but it could be VW/Porsche, by the looks of it.

Towsend Bell. The guy "chimed" in Formula 3000 in 2003, reached a podium, I think. I have no further references, but he's got the goods, altough he's not the brighter light in IndyCar.


Patrick Long, 21, Oak Park, Calif., won two poles and three races and finished second - the best ever by an American - in the British Formula Ford Zetec. Now he's running in protos. This guy won at Le Mans - La Sarthe as rookie. He was snatched from Red Bull after finishing 8th in F-Renault (they choose Scott Speed). Way to go, Pat. To my taste, the best american in Europe.


I also like:

Adam Andretti, I saw him getting a second place in World Kart Championship. He ran in the short lived american F3 championship, seven years ago. Oldie but goodie.

Charlie Kimball, winner of an F3 race in Britain last year before he got diabetes. Don't know where he is now.


Richard Antinucci, born in Rome. Indy Pro racer, he started in F3. Runner up last year at IndyLights, he's hot in IndyPro right now. Uncle: Eddie Cheever.


Any other ideas? Remember, talent is common, F1 cars aren't. F1 american cars are even less common, no wonder people is moved by the mere idea.

To those complaining of countries without recent good F1 drivers, specially US, let me ask this (again?):

South americans do not have that problem, I think. We have no cars, but we have such great drivers that they make it in Europe.

Now...

Who's the recent great F1 driver born in France (or, by the looks of it, in Italy?). I could add UK (c'mon, I said great. Are you including Button? Fisichella? Trulli?) but then they got this guy from Grenada, Hamilton. Up to 2006, where were the great britons in F1? Mass Motley is the only one in a top position, until few months ago.

So, stop whining about the lack of US open-wheel talent. At least spaniards have enough common sense to not bragg that much about Alonso: when Alonso sprouted, there were no great spanish drivers in history, we accept that, we don't cry now over the lack of drivers in other countries. You never know where the next great champion has born, I'd say.

[natef1]

Why is it that the US cannot produce a front running F1 driver in the modern era

?

Why assume they "cannot"? VERY few have made the attempt, right? Why? Because they do not care to do so. As has often been said in this forum, interest in F1 is VERY low in the US. A professional US driver can have a very fruitful career in several classes, especially NASCAR and Indy cars, without ever leaving his/her home country.

Remember: we are a small niche of auto enthusiasts in general. We do not represent the vast majority of American racing fans.

Why would any American driver want to make the effort? We might say, "To compete with the best drivers in the world." But American drivers don't see it that way. They think they are just as talented. And there is no way to prove them wrong, is there? We have VERY few examples of F1 and US drivers going head-to-head. Certainly, Montoya (and briefly Villeneuve) have NOT shown themselves to be superior in NASCAR.

Actually, you are wrong.

Technically, there have been more drivers from the USA competing in F1 than any other nationality (although somewhat dissolved by the virtue of the fact that the Indy 500 was part of the championship )

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Fo ... ationality

[Beewill]

As an American I'm very excited to have a home team and drivers to root for. As a long time fan of F1 I have seen a lot of teams come and go to trying to go at it with a half-a**ed approach ($65 mil usd???) and end up looking foolish. I don't know if I could stomach a watching a back marker team struggle until they run out of cash. Unlike the failed attempts of Minardi, Spyker and the "Super Best Friends" (Super Aguri) an American team will be blasted by F1 fans across the globe as colossal failures and could prevent any future American involvement. So please Ken (Anderson) and Peter (Windsor) do not hire Danica for a race seat, it will only make it worse. Hiring some real talent, whom ever that may be, will be the only shot at longevity. Long live (hopefully start...) US F1!!

[Bob Brown]

This is the thinking of Ken Anderson:
"What Danica lacks in talent, she will make up in sponsorship money."

[donskar]

Technically, there have been more drivers from the USA competing in F1 than any other nationality (although somewhat dissolved by the virtue of the fact that the Indy 500 was part of the championship )

"Technically," yes. In practical reality . . . Take out the Indy 500 and the picture changes.

BTW: Don't mistake my meaning: I believe USA has LOTS of driving talent, it's just that much of it has no desire to go to F1. Yes, some do, and I wish them well.

[Ciro Pabón]

Oh, c'mon, donskar.

"I haven't seen him with a smile on his face this big in a long time," said Gordon's mother, Carol Bickford. You know when.

[smithmd4]

Ken Anderson dropped her name strategically to build a buzz for the team. She's not a reality. It would cost millions of $$$ to pry her from her AGR contract (which isn't a luxury to have on a $65MM budget), nor is it in her marketing interests to tool around at the back of the pack. It might make money for the team, but it only hurts her bottom line.

This is what Anderson said:
"She's great. She gets a lot of press," USF1 technical director Ken Anderson told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. "[Indianapolis Motor Speedway president] Tony George would probably be pretty mad with me if I took her out of the IRL but we'll see.

"I don't know if it's something she wants to do. We'd certainly love to test her and go from there."

As you can see, he hasn't even talked to her and I doubt he ever will.

[djos]

nor is it in her marketing interests to tool around at the back of the pack.

So how would it be different from now?

[xpensive]

Michael Andretti was given the chance of a lifetime in 1993, but I don't think he really made the effort he should. However, I'm afraid that he might have tarnished the US-driver rep for sommetime, which Scott Speed didn'e exactly help either.

[WhiteBlue]

And if the they happen to get Mrs. Patrick they will have their work cut out to change Mr. E. appreciation.

"You know I've got one of those wonderful ideas ... women should be dressed in white like all the other domestic appliances."

"she would have to be a woman who was blowing away the boys. ... What I would really like to see happen is to find the right girl, perhaps a black girl with super looks, preferably Jewish or Muslim, who speaks Spanish."

[WhiteBlue]

double post