USAC Champ to Indy Lights

[maxmach]

Just saw this on Speed, that Indy is going to fund the USAC Champ for an Indy lights ride. Now I like this, but sometimes, just sometimes, I wonder how relevant driving a midget is to Indycars. I obviously see the oval connection, but still wonder how a front engine car on dirt ovals relates to Indycars. Understanding that a good driver is a good driver no matter the series. Just seems like we need to promote, just as much, drivers from a ......rear engine winged background too.

[Chamoo]

Just saw this on Speed, that Indy is going to fund the USAC Champ for an Indy lights ride. Now I like this, but sometimes, just sometimes, I wonder how relevant driving a midget is to Indycars. I obviously see the oval connection, but still wonder how a front engine car on dirt ovals relates to Indycars. Understanding that a good driver is a good driver no matter the series. Just seems like we need to promote, just as much, drivers from a ......rear engine winged background too.

First of all, let clarify this and specify that IMS is funding the Indy Lights ride for the ovals only. Now, that makes it easy for a team/driver to go out and find partial sponsorship.

Second of all, I think you may be hearing about another scholarship soon for rear engined drivers.

[vintage]

I'm guessing something for the FIL champ - maybe they'll make it retroactive!

[Easy Drifter]

USAC run paved ovals as well as dirt.
They are not just midgets but include non wing sprint cars and Silver Crown Cars.

[vintage]

Thanks - be interesting to see how they do on the road courses- I guess they will struggle.

[Otto-Matic]

wasnt there some sort of scholorship program in the early 2000's that gave out partial rides in FIL to regional drivers? not necessarily USAC, but i think Bobby Wilson was apart of it. brains a little fuzzy...

[Scotty G.]

Travis Gregg, PJ and James Chesson, Aaron Fike, Ed Carpenter and Brandon Wagner have all won races in Indy Lights.

And none of them are even close to the kinds of talents that either Clauson or Jones are.

They will do very well, right away. They will have good equipment in Lights and it won't take them long. And as we have seen with guys like Stewart, Gordon and Kahne in NASCAR, they would adapt to road racing too.

Kudos to Randy for making this happen. At least someone is trying.

[Otto-Matic]

I hope we can get a scholorship fund for the FIL champion to get a ride in IndyCar.
It doesnt have to be straight up $$$. When you win the FIL title, part of the championship could be the league picking up the bill for a year's engine lease from Honda; What about Firstone giving the kid free tires for the year; these would be huge in helping the winner take the next step up and not be totally dependent on sponsorship dollars.

[anthonyvop]

So let me get this straight.....

The Champion of a niche series with practically no TV wins a ride in a niche series with NO TV!!!

[chuck34]

I hope we can get a scholorship fund for the FIL champion to get a ride in IndyCar.
It doesnt have to be straight up $$$. When you win the FIL title, part of the championship could be the league picking up the bill for a year's engine lease from Honda; What about Firstone giving the kid free tires for the year; these would be huge in helping the winner take the next step up and not be totally dependent on sponsorship dollars.

Firestone .... They aren't exactly happy with the Lights series .......

But I do agree with you in pricipal. They should pick up at least part of the tab.

[Mr. Mister]

I don't want to be Debbie Downer, but what if the USAC champion decides not to take it? Quite a few in the series really are there to go to NASCAR, so time spent in Indy Lights wouldn't be time well-spent for their career goals.

[Scotty G.]

I don't want to be Debbie Downer, but what if the USAC champion decides not to take it? Quite a few in the series really are there to go to NASCAR, so time spent in Indy Lights wouldn't be time well-spent for their career goals.


Clauson and Jones would jump at the chance.

The USAC to NASCAR pipeline has kinda closed up, so fewer in USAC are thinking NASCAR is a viable future option. Some still do.

[Turn-In]

I think it is backwards. The whole history of dirt oval racers to become the next champion IndyCar drivers seems like we have our mentalities stuck back in the 60s or 70s when the steps from a USAC series to a Indy Car series would be realistic. I see too much of a disparity in the discipline of racing.

HOWEVER, a good driver is a good driver and I think would adapt well no matter what the car.