Where is PT?

[maxmach]

This is great, this new series, will be anyway, but we need a few drivers, and the one the series needs most of all is Paul Tracy. Where is he, I thought he was released from Forsythe? I thought He was going to be in the 500, and after that the series.
Answers?

[Vegasguy]

Per Robin Miller on Wind Tunnel Sunday night, he is still hoping Derrick Walker can put something together.

[Chaparral66]

This is great, this new series, will be anyway, but we need a few drivers, and the one the series needs most of all is Paul Tracy. Where is he, I thought he was released from Forsythe? I thought He was going to be in the 500, and after that the series.
Answers?

If rookies keep crashing into turn 1, shouldn't be too long before PT gets a ride.

[DrDomm]

Per Robin Miller on Wind Tunnel Sunday night, he is still hoping Derrick Walker can put something together.

This would be the icing on the cake. A CC driver with a CC team. I'm happy that HVM, Conquest, and DCR are running IndyCar, but 4 of those 5 drivers aren't from CCWS. It's not the same.

[Lousada]

This would be the icing on the cake. A CC driver with a CC team. I'm happy that HVM, Conquest, and DCR are running IndyCar, but 4 of those 5 drivers aren't from CCWS. It's not the same.

Of course it's not the same, CC is bankrupt.

[DrDomm]

Of course it's not the same, CC is bankrupt.

Duh! It would still be nice if we had drivers (not just teams) from CCWS.

[Vegasguy]

Duh! It would still be nice if we had drivers (not just teams) from CCWS.

Justin Wilson, Will Power, EJ Viso, Graham Rahal, Oriel Servia, Bruno Junqueira, Mario Moraes all came over with Champ car teams.

Now of we had Tags and Tracy here it would be that much better but I was surprised that this many made it.

[seppefan]

Justin Wilson, Will Power, EJ Viso, Graham Rahal, Oriel Servia, Bruno Junqueira, Mario Moraes all came over with Champ car teams.

Now of we had Tags and Tracy here it would be that much better but I was surprised that this many made it.

Viso & Moraes are not ChampCar drivers.Never raced in a ChampCar. Just signed with a CC team end 07 and it changed, unification. So it is JW,WP,GR,OS & BJ, looks good.

[tkg26 96789]

Viso and Moraes did "race in a Champ Car" at Long Beach.

There is hope still for PT.

[Vegasguy]

Viso & Moraes are not ChampCar drivers.Never raced in a ChampCar. Just signed with a CC team end 07 and it changed, unification. So it is JW,WP,GR,OS & BJ, looks good.

I know that Viso and Moraes are rookies, but since they were on the results sheet for Long beach and not in Motegi that weekend I figured they were considered Ex Champ car drivers.

[Cart750hp]

This is great, this new series, will be anyway, but we need a few drivers, and the one the series needs most of all is Paul Tracy. Where is he, I thought he was released from Forsythe? I thought He was going to be in the 500, and after that the series.
Answers?

Victim of loyalty, that's for one. Sad to say but I'd like to believe that PT is still a very good driver yet no team owner/sponsor can recognize his ability. It's probably that he's no longer valuable to any teams anymore unless he has to bring his own pocket money.

[seppefan]

I know that Viso and Moraes are rookies, but since they were on the results sheet for Long beach and not in Motegi that weekend I figured they were considered Ex Champ car drivers.
Your correct as is tkg26 96789, my mistake. However one race does not in my book make them seasoned CC drivers and so I discount them from the category.

[BobGarage]

Viso, Moraes and bernoldi (and perera for that matter) all had a number of Champ Car tests under their belt. Both in 07 and 08 before the merger. And were all signed (or at least about to sign) in champ car before the annaouncement. Bernoldi was signed with rocketsports, perera signed with conquest. Viso was all but signed with Minardi and moraes had been testing with Dale Coyne for two years.

They may not have had race starts before the merger but they all had a fair bit of "champ Car experience".

[seppefan]

Once again I agree that you are factually correct however my own view is that I do not count them as CC drivers. I totally get your comments and i guess I am splitting hairs here a bit but it is my view.

[DrDomm]

Your correct as is tkg26 96789, my mistake. However one race does not in my book make them seasoned CC drivers and so I discount them from the category.


Exactly.

The major disappointment in this "unification" is that we didn't get as many of our former CCWS drivers as we should have. In my mind, the addition of Viso, Bernoldi, Camara, and Moraes dilutes the impression of a combined series. I guess the other way of saying that is that the absence of PT, Tags, Pagenaud, Legge, Clarke, Philippe, and of course Bourdais (though different circumstances) waters down the impact of CCWS on the IRL.

[DBell]

AJ has said he's not going to let his son Larry drive the car that's entered with his (Larry) name. So how about PT driving for AJ? That could be an entertaining pairing. However AJ's probably going to need a driver with a money, so unlikely to happen.

[JSH]

Exactly.
Legge, Clarke, Philippe, and of course Bourdais (though different circumstances) waters down the impact of CCWS on the IRL.

I reckon Legge was gone regardless. Not taking a shot at her, I just think she was probably working on the DTM or at least "Back to Europe" thing before CCWS fell apart.

[BobGarage]

I reckon Legge was gone regardless. Not taking a shot at her, I just think she was probably working on the DTM or at least "Back to Europe" thing before CCWS fell apart.

legge had a two year management deal with KK. That was over at the end of 2007 and hence so was her CC career. She was testing DTM in the south of France before the end of the 2007.

[dataman1]

Today's AR1 report of Barnhart placing a restriction on rookie entries may bid well for Paul getting a shot.

[Vegasguy]

what is Ar1?

[dataman1]

AR1 = AutoRacing1.com -subscription site

I will try to paste the info. Don't know their source. Posted in "Hot News" section

"Barnhart says no more rookies Because there are 11 already, Brian Barnhart said no more rookies will be allowed to join the field, so any teams showing up next week will need to have drivers with Indy 500 experience."

[Rogelio]

Of all the current IRL drivers who left the bankrupt Champ Car series, PT is unique in that he was with CART when it was in its prime (early 90s) and he was a staunch supporter of the CART/Champ Car series. He was very anti-IRL and adding insult to his immense pride, the 2002 Indy 500 was stolen from him.

All that being said, what a better reason (publicity) than to have PT in the 500. Is he over the hill and are his best days behind him? Of course, but those factors never stopped the fans from pulling for Andretti or Unser or Mears even though their best days were behnind them.

Looks like Forsythe screwed him by keeping him under contract during the problematic month of December. Then again, maybe PT is getting the last laugh since he is getting paid to kick back. But, we all know that PT is a competitor and would rather be racing than sitting around.

[BobGarage]

Today's AR1 report of Barnhart placing a restriction on rookie entries may bid well for Paul getting a shot.

i doubt PT would be classed as a rookie.

he's run indy before, plus servia and Bruno are not being classed as series rookies because of past experience. I'm fairly sure PT has some past experience on ovals ;-)

[BenRoethig]

He isn't, but the IRL isn't allowing any more rookies to fill the remaining entries. That means the services of someone like Tracy, who is allowed entry in the 500 is a lot more valuable. Don't be surprised if he ends up in either the 83 or the 77.

[BobGarage]

sorry, completly mis-read dataman1's post