Welcome to IndyCar Sato -san !!!

[ChicagocrewIRL]

http://www.indycar.com/news/?story_id=15776

I'm a HUGE Taku fan. Being of Asian descent, I am proud whenever an even halfway decent Asian driver comes to Indy. Sato has proven time and again in F1 that he has the talent to compete and I think he will be a great addition to IndyCar. He will be scared #%^#%less on his first high banked oval but he will settle in quick . Good Luck TAKU !!!!

[ChicagocrewIRL]

MORE COVERAGE:::

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/81564

[Scotty G.]

http://www.indycar.com/news/?story_id=15776

I'm a HUGE Taku fan. Being of Asian descent, I am proud whenever an even halfway decent Asian driver comes to Indy.


Considering we have had King Hiro, Tora Tora Tora, Shinji Nakano, Roger Yas, Hideki Mutoh and Kosucky, Takuma won't exactly have to do much to outdo them. ;)

[TURN3]

No offense, glad you're proud of your heritage. But lets face facts, nobody outside of Asian roots gives a flying crap. Our series is dying a rapid death and continuing to add drivers nobody cares if they show up or not isn't helping. Nothing good can possibly come from him being in the series, no matter how good or fast he is...sorry, just the plain truth.

[ChicagocrewIRL]

No offense, glad you're proud of your heritage. But lets face facts, nobody outside of Asian roots gives a flying crap. Our series is dying a rapid death and continuing to add drivers nobody cares if they show up or not isn't helping. Nothing good can possibly come from him being in the series, no matter how good or fast he is...sorry, just the plain truth.

this has to be the most ignorant post I have ever read on this or any other forum. All I can do is shake my head and wish you the best. It amazes me that just because people put "no offense" at the beginning of something, they think what they say is not offensive. I just have to laugh at how ridiculous people can be.

[ShiftingGears]

I hope Sato does well. Too bad I won't see it.

[I am evil Homer]

No offense, glad you're proud of your heritage. But lets face facts, nobody outside of Asian roots gives a flying crap. Our series is dying a rapid death and continuing to add drivers nobody cares if they show up or not isn't helping. Nothing good can possibly come from him being in the series, no matter how good or fast he is...sorry, just the plain truth.

So people in Japan watching IRL is a bad thing.

No offense but that's not the plain truth you're talking out of your arse.

[Scheckterfan54]

I have seen nothing firm on whether this will be a 2 car effort for 2010. Besides $$$, I do not see any advantage in choosing a 33 year old oval rookie over a 22(maybe 21) year old veteran of 2 full seasons in the series. I hope KV can return to two full time cars.

[wedge]

Taku will be a worthy addition. He will do his nation proud (hopefully).

[TURN3]

this has to be the most ignorant post I have ever read on this or any other forum. All I can do is shake my head and wish you the best. It amazes me that just because people put "no offense" at the beginning of something, they think what they say is not offensive. I just have to laugh at how ridiculous people can be.

Ya know, I could probably take the time to word my point differently but honestly I don't care to. I just didn't want to get caught being an "Asian hater" because I'm not at all. All I'm trying to say is that whether he is fast or not, this does absolutely nothing to help the state of our fan base. There isn't a single TV outside of Japan or a few people with roots from there that will light up because of this. I'm sure this will be a great improvement in TV interviews of Mutoh. Never heard the guy speak English, if he can or not, I'm certain that fans will be endeared by the fact you can't understand a single word. Frankly it isn't much different than many other hires, I'd think frickin' Graham Rahal should be a little higher priority. I'm not trying to make this personal, I'm looking at the fact the IRL is dying and this addition does absolutely NOTHING to help. That is the plain truth and if you can't deal with it without getting offended or taking it personal then go ahead and watch things continue to die. Hardly ignorant, very true.


So people in Japan watching IRL is a bad thing.

No offense but that's not the plain truth you're talking out of your arse.

No, people watching in Japan is not a bad thing at all. Afterall, there is 1 race there!

Funny how my post is ignorant and I'm supposedly talking out my blowhole yet it is the very thing that 99% of this board knows has much to do with low TV ratings and problematic growth of Indycar. I have nothing against foreign drivers, they certainly aren't the entire problem. Frankly when a legit talent comes to the series and starts stirring things up people warm up to them (i.e Alex Zanardi, Juan Montoya, etc.). The Target commercials were excellent with Jeemy back in the day. Then you can clearly understand their English speaking. I know absolutely nothing about Sato other than he drove in F1. What I do know is we have yet another ride buying field filler that will do ZERO to help grow a fan base. How ignorant of me to speak the absolute truth.

[JasonD]

...Sato has proven time and again in F1 that he has the talent to compete and I think he will be a great addition to IndyCar...

Oh yes 7 season in F1 and 1 podium finish, hes brilliant. :rolleyes:

Dudes a moving chicane.

[Scotty G.]

What I do know is we have yet another ride buying field filler that will do ZERO to help grow a fan base. How ignorant of me to speak the absolute truth.

People don't want to hear or see the truth.

The sport will NEVER get somewhat popular again or garner ANY coverage again in this country, with the current makeup of the driver lineup. Not happening. Its a NASCAR world, for a reason (a bunch of reasons, actually).

Sato may be good; he may be another Japanese driver who ain't worth a damn. We have no idea. We do know, that he won't sell tickets in this country. We do know, the American consumer is not going to make the IRL race a priority to attend or watch, with the piss-poor numbers of American drivers in the series currently.

A KV lineup of Sato and Viso may be the most uninspired and unmarketable duo in Indy Car history. Sorry if that is harsh, but that's the way it is. A guy from Japan who is only here because he couldn't find a ride (or a testing job) in F1 and a guy from Venezuela sponsored by communist oil. Yippee! :p

[Chamoo]

Turn3, I'm quite content that Takuma Sato is coming to Indycar, and I'm not saying that to make you wrong. I'm very pleased that the man is coming to Indycar and I see this as a gain in talent and known names (perhaps not in USA, but outside the USA).

[MDS]

Despite Debbie Downer over there I'm happy with Takuma coming to the IRL. One of the draws CART had during its heyday was that it was the best field of drivers outside of F-1, and frankly "Rookies" coming into the field with years of F-1 experience can only be a good thing.

The true test will be in a few years if drivers like Sato are still in series and have found enough sponsorship to build solid teams around them.

[wedge]

Oh yes 7 season in F1 and 1 podium finish, hes brilliant. :rolleyes:

Dudes a moving chicane.

Out drove the Super Aguri by getting it into the points and pulled off some good overtaking moves to rub off his 'banzai'-crash label.

[bblocker68]

Sweet! We have acquired a "Super Best Friend". I'll never forget when Taku passed Alonso at Montreal in a completely crap car. I thought the place was going to melt down :)

Sato is by far the most talented Japanese driver to join the IndyCar Series.

It'll be fun to watch him progress on the ovals. I guarantee you he'll crack up a couple of cars, so Jimmy and Kevin better have some spare parts ready :)

Welcome Taku!!! Great addition!!

[JasonD]

Out drove the Super Aguri by getting it into the points and pulled off some good overtaking moves to rub off his 'banzai'-crash label.

4 points over 3 seasons with Super Aguri is not impressive.

[anthonyvop]

Yea......He will pack them in at Iowa.

[garyshell]

4 points over 3 seasons with Super Aguri is not impressive.

The Super Aguri was not impressive. Scoring ANY points in it most assuredly was.

Gary

[TURN3]

I'm all for bringing in the drivers with the most talent no matter where they are from but under the circumstances there has to be something in between talent and marketability. Bourdais was as talented of driver as anybody when he came over but the guy is a pompas prick that couldn't even get those of us that hated him to follow. I couldn't stand Zanardi back in the day but after he left to go back to F1 I realized his presence was missed. Taku may be great but he just isn't a good fit (along with numerous others) in our series right now. All the cynics can point to too many things that all degrade Indycar (i.e. F1 reject, never won, etc. etc.). No matter what the truth it is all about appearence right now. I'm not putting him down because of any other reason than I know there are probably 10 available drivers or more that are as talented or more so, and can give an interview on American TV without subtitles required. I'm sorry but that isn't going to help in any way shape or form under our given scenario.

Picture this, Emmerson Fittipaldi barreling into TURN3 at Indy with Al Jr. with 2 laps to go, they both went in to win the biggest race in the world and only 1 barely came out. Emmo is Brazilian but can drive into victory lane and give an interview about what a class act Al Jr. was...a great moment of class and competition at its highest level at Indy (except for the OJ biz). Now fast forward to Taku going into that turn with Scott Dixon and Taku drives into victory lane. I'm sure that'll be part of the Indy folklore huh?

The fact is he is here and i really do hope he tears it up at the front. I want to see KV do well and more cars and teams battling...he may be able to do that. I hope so, but will anybody ever notice?

[Lousada]

Despite Debbie Downer over there I'm happy with Takuma coming to the IRL. One of the draws CART had during its heyday was that it was the best field of drivers outside of F-1, and frankly "Rookies" coming into the field with years of F-1 experience can only be a good thing.

Exactly :up:

The true test will be in a few years if drivers like Sato are still in series and have found enough sponsorship to build solid teams around them.
I think a driver like Sato will always have a place in a series like Indycar. I expect he will be up there with the best. At the very least the best behind Penske/Ganassi.

[JasonD]

The Super Aguri was not impressive. Scoring ANY points in it most assuredly was.

Gary

OK, come on here, lets get serious. If this guy had any REAL talent he would have been picked up by another team already, in at least a testing or reserve role. But is he, NO!

If he's the best in Japan that isnt enough of a reason to put him in a seat, anywhere.

[ChicagocrewIRL]

Considering we have had King Hiro, Tora Tora Tora, Shinji Nakano, Roger Yas, Hideki Mutoh and Kosucky, Takuma won't exactly have to do much to outdo them. ;)

For all the guys you mentioned, IndyCar was a step up. For Sato, IndyCar, sadly, is a step down. None of those guys you mentioned has a resume' that even comes close to what Taku has done.

[ykiki]

4 points over 3 seasons with Super Aguri is not impressive.

WTF???? 4 points in a Super Aguri most certainly is impressive!!!!

[Scotty G.]

WTF???? 4 points in a Super Aguri most certainly is impressive!!!!

Probably about 4 more points then CART "greats" Bourdais or Zanardi ever scored. :s mokin:

[Mark in Oshawa]

Probably about 4 more points then CART "greats" Bourdais or Zanardi ever scored. :s mokin:

I guarntee you this much. When you say something THAT stupid, people will remember. Zanardi and Bourdais would drive circles around Sato if all three were in whatever series in their prime.

Sato got points in a Super Aguri. That isnt' bad, and it was likely circumstantial. He maybe the best Japanese driver in history, but that bar aint high. I think he has some talent, but I can tell you that he isn't a Sebatien Bourdais or Alessandro Zanardi.

Scotty, is your hatred of all things CART/Champ Car so great that you are completely clueless? I agreed with your take Sato wont help the IRL per se sell tickets and I can even agree they need more American faces in the field, but you just demean your intelligence and mine for reading your posts when you just say crap to stirr up people. You my friend aren't even an entertaining troll at this point..

[garyshell]

Probably about 4 more points then CART "greats" Bourdais or Zanardi ever scored. :s mokin:

Was there a point you were trying to make with this non-sequitur or were you just trying to be an ...?

Gary

[SoCalPVguy]

Just another guy to beat Danica.

[Anubis]

Personally, I'd rather see Sato in the field than the likes of Duno or Barrett. Hardly fair to have a downer on him for not being the solution to a problem that's none of his making in the first place. You could argue that people should be chasing him for an F1 seat, but maybe at his age and with his experience he's not prepared to take a testing or reserve role? Maybe he just wanted a new challenge or a chance to win races? I can't say I blame him for trying his luck any more than I'd blame Justin Wilson, Dan Wheldon or Dario Franchitti. The first had minimal success in F1 and the other two never got beyond tests, but it hasn't harmed them. Ok, so Sato isn't the star name who can restore things to their former glory, but can anyone honestly say they knew Zanardi would turn out so good based on his F1 resume? He scored one point in five F1 seasons, whereas Taku has 44 in seven. I'm not about to say that makes Sato 44 times better, but you just don't know until he gets in the car - he could be a revelation just as Zanardi was, or he might fall flat on his arse, but at least let him actually TRY first!

[Scotty G.]

1. I guarntee you this much. When you say something THAT stupid, people will remember.

2. I think he has some talent, but I can tell you that he isn't a Sebatien Bourdais or Alessandro Zanardi.

3. Scotty, is your hatred of all things CART/Champ Car so great that you are completely clueless?

4. I can even agree they need more American faces in the field


1. What was stupid about it? Pretty factual, no?

2. Which means what? Bourdais and Zanardi did nothing in F1. Zanardi was a backmarker the first time he was in F1, then came to CART with Ganassi (the best team in the sport at the time) and looked great. Then he goes back to F1 and was a backmarker again. Bourdais beat up on a bunch of chumps in Champ Car and then has done nothing in F1.

3. No hatred. Just facts. Zanardi and Bourdais were NOT Nigel Mansell, Nelson Piquet or Emerson Fittipaldi. They were average talent's with average racing resume's, who took advantage of the situations they were in during their time in America. Good for them, but they were no more huge talents then Buddy Lazier and Kenny Brack were in the IRL during the same time period. All were competing against watered down fields, where the disparity between the haves and have nots were HUGE.

4. It would be hard to have any fewer (since one week from the first test, we have 2 confirmed full-time Americans). Andretti Autosport's owner's kid and Nationwide's new star.

[Mark in Oshawa]

Scotty, first off comparsions with nothing but your opinion is just nonsense. So fine, keep your opinion, but I suspect if Bourdais after 3 championships or Zanardi is available; would anyone seriously take Sato over those two? Ask other forum members with no anti CART/Champ Car axe to grind.....which should be more than a few...

As to your opint, how well they do in f1 for back marker teams is pointless. There is so many factors that go into f1 and the driver's ability to score points that are beyond his control. Jenson Button up until 2009 was a nobody hasbeen but give him the right car and he ran up front. F1 is almost all car beyond the top 3 or 4 drivers.

To compare Bourdais and Zanardi to Lazier is a joke. Buddy is an oval only guy and against top drivers before the split was at the back of the field. After, he was a last man standing for getting a good ride. Lazier is a good driver, but he didn't win an IRL championship at a time when talent in that series was not what it was not 5 years before. As for Kenny Brack, agreed, he is a good driver, but again you don't make a good argument by dismissing Bourdais and Zanardi as hacks and you know you are trolling. Poorly I might add. Mansell and Fittapaldi both won f1 World Championships but they also had seasons in crap cars in f1 where they couldn't get points. If you notice, those seasons were too in subpar cars as was Zanardi and Boudais. No....you don't like anything connected to CART or Champ Car, and have made that plain more than once. You object to road racing in principle so to hear you use f1 knowledge to make a point is just farcical.

Sato isn't Zanardi, Bourdais or Kenny Brack for that matter. He is maybe the best Japanese driver in f1 history, but that is like ...umm lowering the bar.

[wedge]

3. No hatred. Just facts. Zanardi and Bourdais were NOT Nigel Mansell, Nelson Piquet or Emerson Fittipaldi. They were average talent's with average racing resume's, who took advantage of the situations they were in during their time in America. Good for them, but they were no more huge talents then Buddy Lazier and Kenny Brack were in the IRL during the same time period. All were competing against watered down fields, where the disparity between the haves and have nots were HUGE.

Agreed

AJ Allmendinger came from nowhere and took advantage of Forsythe prepped cars

[speeddurango]

Zanardi was indeed very bad in F1 that he should not even be put in the comparison in the first place, but on the other hand saying AOWR had an watered down field was fallacious, because any 4 wheel circuit racing series in the world (with probable exceptions of NASCAR) in the past decades has inferior driver pool than F1, because F1 was and is supposed to have the best driver field. Using the derogatory word doesn't necessarily make a point valid.

[Mark in Oshawa]

Zanardi was indeed very bad in F1 that he should not even be put in a comparison.

Was he bad or was it Lotus f1? Lotus when he was there sucked, and he was in a pretty non-competitive car the second time too. Lets face a reality in any event, a good f1 driver does NOT automatically mean a good Indycar driver either...

[Scotty G.]

1. but I suspect if Bourdais after 3 championships or Zanardi is available; would anyone seriously take Sato over those two?

2. To compare Bourdais and Zanardi to Lazier is a joke. Buddy is an oval only guy and against top drivers before the split was at the back of the field.


1. If they were bringing a $1 less to the table then Sato, then yes. That is how this screwed up game is played now. We all know why Sato is coming. $$$ We all know why all of these nobody's show up now. We all know why real drivers who actually WANT to be here, aren't in cars anymore. Sato isn't as good as Zanardi or Bourdais and is already 33 years old. But that doesn't matter.

2. Actually it is a good comparison. Bourdais was a road racing only guy, who was a champion in Champ Car against a weak field. Lazier was a oval racing only guy, who was a champion in IRL against a weak field. When Bourdais was put into a tougher field (F1), he fell on his face. Lazier was not competitive against a tougher field in the early 90's CART. Bourdais was with a lower-tier team in F1 and Lazier was with lower-tier teams in early CART.

Put Bourdais in the IRL in the late 90's with Hemelgarn, and he probably doesnt come close to equalling Buddy's accomplishments. Put Buddy in Bourdais's car in the early 2000's Champ Car, and he doesn't come close to equalling SB's accomplshments.

Are they talented drivers? Yes. Did they both take advantage of situations they were in? Yes. Did they have weaknesses in racing? Yes.

Would we take either of them right now, in their primes, for our series? Hell yes. ;)

[SarahFan]

1. If they were bringing a $1 less to the table then Sato, then yes. That is how this screwed up game is played now. We all know why Sato is coming. $$$ We all know why all of these nobody's show up now. We all know why real drivers who actually WANT to be here, aren't in cars anymore. Sato isn't as good as Zanardi or Bourdais and is already 33 years old. But that doesn't matter.

2. Actually it is a good comparison. Bourdais was a road racing only guy, who was a champion in Champ Car against a weak field. Lazier was a oval racing only guy, who was a champion in IRL against a weak field. When Bourdais was put into a tougher field (F1), he fell on his face. Lazier was not competitive against a tougher field in the early 90's CART. Bourdais was with a lower-tier team in F1 and Lazier was with lower-tier teams in early CART.

Put Bourdais in the IRL in the late 90's with Hemelgarn, and he probably doesnt come close to equalling Buddy's accomplishments. Put Buddy in Bourdais's car in the early 2000's Champ Car, and he doesn't come close to equalling SB's accomplshments.

Are they talented drivers? Yes. Did they both take advantage of situations they were in? Yes. Did they have weaknesses in racing? Yes.

Would we take either of them right now, in their primes, for our series? Hell yes. ;)


what were bourdais' weaknesses?....please be specific

[SarahFan]

and you relize he won the first time he raced on an oval....and had a better than 50% winning percentage on ovals right

[Scotty G.]

and you relize he won the first time he raced on an oval....and had a better than 50% winning percentage on ovals right

Yes, in Champ Car.

He was racing against a bunch of other drivers, like him, who had no clue about oval racing. And doing it, in the best car.

I saw him in his first and only Indy 500, and he was a bit out of his element that day. He somehow figuered out how to run in the top 10 most of the day (which tells you he does have some racing chops and his team was very strong on raceday).

But there was NOBODY who pissed off more drivers that day, with the way he drove, then Bourdais. He was a menace. A fairly talented menace, but a menace nonetheless.

[SarahFan]

Yes, in Champ Car.

He was racing against a bunch of other drivers, like him, who had no clue about oval racing. And doing it, in the best car.

I saw him in his first and only Indy 500, and he was a bit out of his element that day. He somehow figuered out how to run in the top 10 most of the day (which tells you he does have some racing chops and his team was very strong on raceday).

But there was NOBODY who pissed off more drivers that day, with the way he drove, then Bourdais. He was a menace. A fairly talented menace, but a menace nonetheless.

he dominated paul tracy on ovals (including that 1st win with paul in the championship car).....and head to head Paul tracy dominated the legend Mario Andretti on ovals.....

he ran top 10 (wasnt he up to third or fourth) for a champcar team doing a one off at indy.....and you call that 'out of his element'......

and did he piss off 1...and nobody else pissed anyone else off.....perhaps you could support that that with a few direct quotes

[Mark in Oshawa]

Ken, he was calling Bourdais a no talent hack not 10 posts ago.

He also figures a one off run at Indy his only oval experience worth mentioning. He has only his opinion, but as we have seen, Scott's opinion is that a great injustice was done to every driver with an American passport because they cant get sponsors and guys like Sato can. Well Scott I can tell you that if your hero Tony George didn't drive this mess into the ditch, maybe we wouldn't have 14 ride buyers?

As for Bourdais was fast as anyone he ran against in comprable equipment in ChampCar. He won on ovals when he had the chance. The reason he isn't in the IRL now is for reasons other than money. I suspect he is happy semi-retired in Sportscars and running LeMans.

[Scotty G.]

1. Ken, he was calling Bourdais a no talent hack not 10 posts ago.

2. He also figures a one off run at Indy his only oval experience worth mentioning.

3. Well Scott I can tell you that if your hero Tony George didn't drive this mess into the ditch, maybe we wouldn't have 14 ride buyers?




1. No Mark, I was saying that guys like Bourdais and Zanardi, who are looked at as "Gods" by many of the fandom here and from the CART side of the fence, may not have been as great as some hoped/think they were. With their results (or lack thereof) in other forms of racing, being a clue. They were both bad in F1. Was in the teams or them? Probably some of both. But these boys were not Montoya or Villeneuve or Mansell. They were bottom feeders in F1. Zanardi dominated in CART, when Ganassi was clearly the best team. Bourdais dominated in CART/Champ Car when Newman-Haas was clearly the best team. Thems the facts.

2. When it was easily the best field of teams and drivers he ever faced on a oval and its clearly the biggest AOW race of them all, then I think it matters a little bit more then some 200 miler at Milwaukee in a 18 car field.

3. Yes, its ALL Tony George's fault. We get it. Its Tony George's fault that young Americans from both road and oval genre's have been IGNORED and left for NASCAR or Sports Cars, since the early 90's (BEFORE the split). Its Tony George's fault, that Jeff Gordon wanted to be a Indy Car driver and nobody in Indy Car's warped world thought he had the "talent" to make it. It was Tony George's fault that NASCAR had already left AOW in the dust in the early 90's, because of mismanagement and a failure to connect with people.

As for your ride-buyer blast, the 1995 Indy 500 had the following drivers in it, who by-and-large were only there because of the BUDGET they brought (they were ride-buyers). Here they are:

Eliseo Salazar
King Hiro
Al Zampedri
Hideshi Matsuda
Andre Ribeiro
Adrian Fernandez
Scott Sharp
Eric Bachelart (and now, a ride-buying team owner)
Lyn St. James
Carlos Guerrero


That's 30% of the field. Granted, its not the 75% of the field we will see this year. And granted the economy being in the dumper now and the engine companies funding teams back in 1995, may have had something to do with that as well.

Quit blaming TG for everything. If you want to blame anyone for the current mess, blame Toyota, Chevy and Nissan for getting out and making Honda the sole engine supplier (and cutting out team funding in the process). Teams like Rahal, Fernandez, Cheever, Panther, D&R, Kelley and Walker could survive (and hire their own drivers) when being funded that way. Take them away and they were just as dead on the vine, as anyone else, with very little REAL money that they found on their own. Most of these teams have shown, they CAN'T find money on their own and can only function now, by taking checks from the first schmoe they can find.

[Lee Roy]

Quit blaming TG for everything. If you want to blame anyone for the current mess, blame Toyota, Chevy and Nissan for getting out and making Honda the sole engine supplier (and cutting out team funding in the process).

Maybe blame TG for running such a $hitty series that Toyota, Chevy and Nissan saw no benefit to staying in.

[SarahFan]

If you want to blame anyone for the current mess, blame Toyota, Chevy and Nissan for getting out and making Honda the sole engine supplier (and cutting out team funding in the process). .


you have got to be F'en kidding

[bblocker68]

You guys are taking the bait. I see a boycot on the horizon.