215 replies to this topic

[EDJE]

Danica Patrick, through the arrangement of the management of the Indy Racing League, held a news conference at 4:15pm PT in the press conference room at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. An honorable gesture was carried out by the IRL to have the woman who became the first-ever female motorsports driver to win a race in a professional open-wheel automobile racing series give a second news conference so soon after traveling from Japan to the Grand Prix racing venue in Long Beach.

This conference in Long Beach was held just 19 hours after Danica won the IRL race at Twin Ring Motegi, Japan and helps to strengthen the move toward unification of the two American Racing series (the merge of ChampCar into IndyCar)

The conference followed immediately after the ChampCar World Series podium winners conference and interview at the end of this, the final race featuring the rules, equipment, teams and drivers of the CCWS. The winner of the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, Will Power – KV Racing Technology, stated clearly that his hat was off for Danica and that she had earned the win through skill and strategy.

Thanks to the Indy Racing League for making this happen … a class act!

In the video, Danica discusses the final laps strategy and the end of the race, celebrating, and the team day planned for AGR at the American Honda facility in Torrance, California tomorrow.

[Bloggsworth]

She must have been cream crackered..................

[Dave Ware]

When I read the title I thought you were being scarcastic.

[EDJE]

Originally posted by Dave Ware
When I read the title I thought you were being scarcastic.

This effort by the management at the IRL to have Danica catch a rushed flight and be seen at the track by all in attendence has changed my attitude some.

[thiscocks]

Originally posted by EDJE
Danica Patrick, through the arrangement of the management of the Indy Racing League, held a news conference at 4:15pm PT in the press conference room at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. An honorable gesture was carried out by the IRL to have the woman who became the first-ever female motorsports driver to win a race in a professional open-wheel automobile racing series give a second news conference so soon after traveling from Japan to the Grand Prix racing venue in Long Beach.

This conference in Long Beach was held just 15 hours after Danica won the IRL race at Twin Ring Motegi, Japan and helps to strengthen the move toward unification of the two American Racing series (the merge of ChampCar into IndyCar)

The conference followed immediately after the ChampCar World Series podium winners conference and interview at the end of this, the final race featuring the rules, equipment, teams and drivers of the CCWS. The winner of the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, Will Power – KV Racing Technology, stated clearly that his hat was off for Danica and that she had earned the win through skill and strategy.

Thanks to the Indy Racing League for making this happen … a class act!

In the video, Danica discusses the final laps strategy and the end of the race, celebrating, and the team day planned for AGR at the American Honda facility in Torrance, California tomorrow.

..and then what happened?

[Lord Snooty]

Good to see, frankly.

I'd have her in a Williams (in a driving sense, obv., rather than anything Max might envisage).

[Locai]

It also helped that the IRL is (or would like to) take over the Long Beach race next year.

Wheldon and Kanaan said last week that they would each have liked to have RACED in both Motegi and Long Beach this year. Wheldon also said that Dixon would have been interested, too. Of course, they knew that they couldn't, but it would have been cool to see them pull it off.

[McGuire]

Originally posted by Locai
It also helped that the IRL is (or would like to) take over the Long Beach race next year.

That's a done deal. Kalkhoven and Forsythe are the owners of the Long Beach Grand Prix through an instrument called Aquarium Assets Management Group, and this company just sealed a long-term contract extension with the city.

Word is Kalkhoven is working to sell the race to Tony George... though it wouldn't surprise me if the Andretti-Green partners ended up with it. That group recently sewed up the option on the Toronto race.

[Dudley]

Originally posted by EDJE


This effort by the management at the IRL to have Danica catch a rushed flight and be seen at the track by all in attendence has changed my attitude some.

And be seen while the small matter of a race was squeezed into a 2in square of the screen and ignored too!

[Spunout]

Originally posted by Lord Snooty

I'd have her in a Williams (in a driving sense, obv., rather than anything Max might envisage).

I´d rather see her winning more races and few championships, first...

[Option1]

Originally posted by Dudley


And be seen while the small matter of a race was squeezed into a 2in square of the screen and ignored too!

Oh, but surely seeing Danica being interviewed again was far, far more important than any silly race thingy? I mean isn't that why we're all such fans?;)

It was pathetic grandstanding and both the TV mob and Danica should be ashamed of themselves!

Neil

[Chiara]

http://en.f1-live.co...423090440.shtml

Danica Patrick good enough for F1 - Stuck
''Formula One could conquer the United States''
23/04/08 09:04

Former Grand Prix driver Hans-Joachim Stuck is convinced that Danica Patrick, the first female competitor to win a race in premier American open wheeler racing, would be a good addition to the Formula One grid.

26-year-old Patrick drove into the history books last Sunday by beating Helio Castroneves to the chequered flag in the IndyCar race at Motegi, Japan.

"It is quite clear that, with Danica, Formula One could conquer the United States.

"She is good enough for it," Stuck is quoted as saying by the German magazine Sport Bild.

Stuck, however, believes Patrick would need a season in GP2, as well as some F1 testing, before making the leap.

Sport Bild claims that Flavio Briatore, the Renault boss, has contemplated making contact with Patrick in view of a Formula One collaboration of some sort.

E.A. © CAPSIS International
Source: GMM

[Josta]

Women. For pitys sake don't drive.

[Chiara]

Originally posted by Josta
Women. For pitys sake don't drive.

http://www.youtube.c...feature=related

[Bloggsworth]

On any international grid, most of the drivers haven't won a race, even fewer a championship, yet some of you are still carping.

An itsy bitsy girl won't be able to handle a real racing car.....

An itsy bitsy girl won't have the stamina to do a 500 mile race.......

An itsy bitsy girl won't be able to stay competetive for a whole season............

Changed to:

She's only competetive because she's an itsy bitsy girl and has a weight advantage................

She's only competetive because she gets top drives for the publicity..................

Oh look, the weight regulations have been changed and she no longer has a weight advantage - what are you going to complain about next; that her centre of gravity is lower..........

[Ross Stonefeld]

Don't be dense. Most drivers on any international grid have won at least a race before. I don't want to get into the whole Danica argument again, but this is her first win outside of karting. Stating as much doesn't make you a hater or a mysoginist. She needs to do a little more than win one race because of fuel strategy before you can crow she has arrived as a racing driver.

[BMW_F1]

Victor Meira has been in the States (IRL) since 02 and hasn't won a race yet.

Manning hasn't won a race in the US either if I am not mistaken.

These two guys have been in the IRL longer than Danica.

[Ricardo F1]

I've grown very fond of Danica over the past few years . . but to claim she's good enough for F1 is ludicrous. Has Stuck ever seen how poor she is on a road course?????

[Go_Scotty_Go!]

Originally posted by Bloggsworth
On any international grid, most of the drivers haven't won a race

Wow. What an idiot you are.

[Ross Stonefeld]

Originally posted by BMW_F1
Victor Meira has been in the States (IRL) since 02 and hasn't won a race yet.

Manning hasn't won a race in the US either if I am not mistaken.

These two guys have been in the IRL longer than Danica.

Manning is a freaking F3 champion and Macau winner

[BMW_F1]

Originally posted by Ross Stonefeld


Manning is a freaking F3 champion and Macau winner

yeah I know and Viera won in Brazil.. But just because you have not won in IRL it means that you are garbage and that is what I was pointing out.

[Ross Stonefeld]

No but a lot of people rightly point out she hasn't won anything outside of karting. She had a class win as 'best pro' in the Toyota Pro-Celeb race a few years ago, but at this point so does Jamie Little.

[Ricardo F1]

Correct me if I'm wrong but she doesn't exactly have the worst car on the grid either . . .

[tifosi]

Originally posted by BMW_F1


yeah I know and Viera won in Brazil.. But just because you have not won in IRL it means that you are garbage and that is what I was pointing out.

Which is pretty funny, when only a week ago, most of the "Danica-is-the-next-Senna" crowd were saying how teh IRL sucked an ddidn't have any drivers worth a carp, and if only the CART guys were given any support at all they'd wipe the floor with them.

[tifosi]

Originally posted by Bloggsworth
On any international grid, most of the drivers haven't won a race, even fewer a championship, yet some of you are still carping.

really???? can you point to one post in this thread where anyone is saying any of that? No, didn't think so.

[Dudley]

Originally posted by Bloggsworth
On any international grid, most of the drivers haven't won a race, even fewer a championship, yet some of you are still carping.

An itsy bitsy girl won't be able to handle a real racing car.....

An itsy bitsy girl won't have the stamina to do a 500 mile race.......

An itsy bitsy girl won't be able to stay competetive for a whole season............

Changed to:

She's only competetive because she's an itsy bitsy girl and has a weight advantage................

She's only competetive because she gets top drives for the publicity..................

Oh look, the weight regulations have been changed and she no longer has a weight advantage - what are you going to complain about next; that her centre of gravity is lower..........

Except she's not. She's won 1 professional motor race in her life, on a day half the field didn't turn up.

Victor Meira has been in the States (IRL) since 02 and hasn't won a race yet.

Manning hasn't won a race in the US either if I am not mistaken.

These two guys have been in the IRL longer than Danica.

Indeed, Foyt and Panther are every bit as good as AGR. Both those guys are multiple race winners in professional series. Danica, until Saturday had NEVER won a professional race, despite (for instance) spending two years in Atlantics where 2 other women HAVE won.

yeah I know and Viera won in Brazil.. But just because you have not won in IRL it means that you are garbage and that is what I was pointing out.

Yes but once again, she hadn't won ANYWHERE.

[Ivanoff]

Originally posted by thiscocks


..and then what happened?

http://www.idontlike.....uit 08/1.html

[Kooper]

Sunday in Kansas, Danica will fly like the wind with Senna on her shoulder!
















or is it Dorothy and Toto with a tornado?

[tifosi]

Originally posted by Kooper
Sunday in Kansas, Danica will fly like the wind with Senna on her shoulder!

Classic

[McGuire]

Originally posted by Dudley


Yes but once again, she hadn't won ANYWHERE.

Note the use of the past perfect tense, employed to describe a condition no longer in effect. Now she HAS won a major race, so you can put down your drum and go away now.

[EDJE]

Originally posted by Ricardo F1
Correct me if I'm wrong but she doesn't exactly have the worst car on the grid either . . .

Exactly, and that is the additional source of the carping - AGR is probably the best team overthere at the IRL (well, with the most agressive attitude anyway).

Really liked the comment about Danica ... in Kansas ... with Senna riding on her shoulder!

Priceless!

[Go_Scotty_Go!]

Originally posted by McGuire


Note the use of the past perfect tense, employed to describe a condition no longer in effect. Now she HAS won a major race, so you can put down your drum and go away now.

Do you bother reading the thread?

No one is bashing Danica - just pointing out a fact - she had not won a race since karting. Get it? He is simply responding to the BS assertion that other drivers are in the same boat - they are not, the fact is, race drivers, especially drivers that land a seat in a top ride in major series, have wins on thier CVs before they land the ride.

Can you get that concept into your pea brain? It's a fact - Danica had no wins, anywhere...in an open wheel car. Get it now? Do you?

[DOHC]

Originally posted by Ricardo F1
I've grown very fond of Danica over the past few years . . but to claim she's good enough for F1 is ludicrous. Has Stuck ever seen how poor she is on a road course?????

Give her a test drive session in a good F1 car with some other jockeys present, and we'll see if she's up to it.

[Cadence]

DOHC,

she doesn't deserve it, she hasn't earned it.

[Dave Ware]

The fact is, Danica's extended interview at LB was disrespectful. However, that was a side effect. I'm sure the main reason they hustled her over there was to get some free publicity. That's the way things are these days. But the fact that it happened was disrepectful to Champ Car's last race. She definately did not "honor" the LB event.

But when you lose a war, you get hosed.

Regarding her ability, she's had a top ride for her entire IRL career and there are a lot of other drivers who, with the equipment she's had, would have won races a lot sooner.

[Ricardo F1]

Originally posted by DOHC
Give her a test drive session in a good F1 car with some other jockeys present, and we'll see if she's up to it.

What Cadence said. The lack of winning in prior series is imperative to a single fact - and again I LIKE Danica and think what she's doing is great for the sport (and my daughters chances in it!) - if she were a man she wouldn't be anywhere NEAR the IRL let alone having people say she should get an F1 test!

[DOHC]

Originally posted by Cadence
DOHC,

she doesn't deserve it, she hasn't earned it.

I know, but I'd still be interested in how well she'd do. Who was that woman who got a F1 test drive at Indy some years ago?

[Ross Stonefeld]

Sarah Fisher, and as I recall it was about 5 demo laps because Tag Heuer arranged it.

[DOHC]

Originally posted by Ricardo F1
What Cadence said. The lack of winning in prior series is imperative to a single fact

I agree with that, although some people have come to F1 with relatively "little" experience. Like Kimi, who only had 23 single-seater races under his belt when he landed his F1 contract. Of course, he had won something like half of them, IIRC.

Fischer, yes, thanks Ross.

[McGuire]

Originally posted by Go_Scotty_Go!


Do you bother reading the thread?

No one is bashing Danica - just pointing out a fact - she had not won a race since karting. Get it? He is simply responding to the BS assertion that other drivers are in the same boat - they are not, the fact is, race drivers, especially drivers that land a seat in a top ride in major series, have wins on thier CVs before they land the ride.

Can you get that concept into your pea brain? It's a fact - Danica had no wins, anywhere...in an open wheel car. Get it now? Do you?

I sure did read the whole thread, and I don't care about that whole load of rubbish. That style of thinking is the province of tiny little minds with even tinier penises. Danica has more than validated her presence in the Indy Car Series with her performance to date, including her historic win at Motegi.

Racing is not a strict meritocracy nor has it ever been. If you have a special problem with the presence of Danica Patrick in the sport, you are a sexist by definition: You are holding her to a different and higher standard than her male counterparts.

Now get off big sister's computer and go play outside.

[BMW_F1]

I don't know guys, but my feeling is that she ain't that suck and if she is then why the hell has she been kicking Marco's ass with the same car lately.. If she could beat him and he has all the right to be in the IRL for what ever reason, then does she. She had stronger teammates in Kannan and Franchitti last year, so for her to win she had to beat the two of them plus Helio, Sam, Weldon and Dixon all in one day. Cut the girl some slack, congratulate her and give her the credit she deserves for getting that first win out of her way.

[Ricardo F1]

Could be last too. I don't begrudge her anything, like I say she's good for the sport as a whole - but the over reaction to the win is a bit much.

[EDJE]

Originally posted by BMW_F1
I don't know guys, but my feeling is that she ain't that suck and if she is then why the hell has she been kicking Marco's ass with the same car lately.. If she could beat him and he has all the right to be in the IRL for what ever reason, then does she. She had stronger teammates in Kannan and Franchitti last year, so for her to win she had to beat the two of them plus Helio, Sam, Weldon and Dixon all in one day. Cut the girl some slack, congratulate her and give her the credit she deserves for getting that first win out of her way.

She also had three podiums last year and has improved on a year-by-year basis since entering into the IRL.

She can drive and she was due. The winner of the LBGP, Will Power, basically stated the same thing during the podium press conference.

I disagree that it was not respectful to the ChampCar event to have her wait until the podium press conference was over then hold one in front of the same press etc. --- what was disrespectful to the process was that this was the ONLY overture by the IRL to engage the fans that had gathered for the 34th staging of this event.

Any PR by the IRL to note the transition and engage this pure CART/ChampCar crowd would have been received with a level of welcome ... that is the impression I got walking the stands, paddock, and pits for the better part of four days.

[Dave Ware]

[QUOTE]If you have a special problem with the presence of Danica Patrick in the sport, you are a sexist by definition: You are holding her to a different and higher standard than her male counterparts.

I think most race fans would like to see drivers get to the top primarly on driving ability, rather than an ability to generate sponsorship. Danica has a fantastic ability to generate sponsorship, and until Motegi, her time in the IRL has been mediocre at best. To deny that indictes that you are a sexist by nature and hold her to a different and lower standard than her male counterparts.

Post-Motegi, her stock has risen...but not enough to justify the accolades.

[Go_Scotty_Go!]

Originally posted by McGuire


I sure did read the whole thread, and I don't care about that whole load of rubbish. That style of thinking is the province of tiny little minds with even tinier penises. Danica has more than validated her presence in the Indy Car Series with her performance to date, including her historic win at Motegi.

Racing is not a strict meritocracy nor has it ever been. If you have a special problem with the presence of Danica Patrick in the sport, you are a sexist by definition: You are holding her to a different and higher standard than her male counterparts.

Now get off big sister's computer and go play outside.

You are so full of ****. It is a simple fact that she never won a race until now. A fact. That's it.

[Dudley]

Originally posted by McGuire


Note the use of the past perfect tense, employed to describe a condition no longer in effect. Now she HAS won a major race, so you can put down your drum and go away now.

Yes, she's now as good as Yuji Ide and slightly worse than Alex Yoong.

Absolutely she deserved the win but it certainly can't be discounted that it took an (admittedly superbly executed) fuel gamble and half the field missing to achieve it.

Racing is not a strict meritocracy nor has it ever been. If you have a special problem with the presence of Danica Patrick in the sport, you are a sexist by definition: You are holding her to a different and higher standard than her male counterparts.

No I'm not. I feel anyone should at least win a motor race before entering a top line series, just like (as far as I'm aware) all her 3 teammates and everyone else in a good seat in that series had done so.

She did NOT deserve her original RLR seat on merit at the time compared to the competition.

[BMW_F1]

Some of that is true Dudley, but what do you have to say about Danica beating Marco. Shouldn't we be rating her now on her current performances and not the past?. A driver evolves and ultimately if she did not win a single race before, so what? It could happen. Maybe her full potential just developed now.. Maybe she still not as good as Kannan, Helio, and Dixon - I don't see that being a problem. A lot of IRL drivers aren't either.

[Dudley]

Well, on an F1 potential basis we should at least largely ignore the ovals. Marco has won on a road course for instance and did win in lower formulae.

That said I can't believe Honda are serious about sticking him in F1 based on current form, of which there is none.

[BMW_F1]

Originally posted by Dudley
Well, on an F1 potential basis we should at least largely ignore the ovals. Marco has won on a road course for instance and did win in lower formulae.

That said I can't believe Honda are serious about sticking him in F1 based on current form, of which there is none.

I wasn't referring to F1 potential. I was just focusing on IRL atm. What do you have to say about Danica beating Marco in this series overall.. ? Why wasn't Marco sent to Champ instead of IRL if his expertise was road races... ? Did he deserve to be there since most of his experience came from road courses? see where I am getting at?

[Kooper]

Originally posted by Dudley


Absolutely she deserved the win but it certainly can't be discounted that it took an (admittedly superbly executed) fuel gamble and half the field missing to achieve it.

1/2 the field wasn't missing. Fuel gambles are part of racing... why blame her & her crew for outwitting everyone else? I didn't see Jimmie Johnson get slammed for his Phoenix win 'on a fuel gamble'. It takes strategy to win.