Finally, Some One Said It

[Old3Fan]

Mika Duno is dangerous and needs to be parked. Sarah Fischer also and Danika, the something is always wrong with my car girl in on the bubble also IMHO. The one with the GUTS on national TV was Dario's wife, Ashley Franchitti.

[NickFalzone]

Mika Duno is dangerous and needs to be parked. Sarah Fischer also and Danika, the something is always wrong with my car girl in on the bubble also IMHO. The one with the GUTS on national TV was Dario's wife, Ashley Franchitti.

Ashley didn't say anything that Goodyear or Reid haven't already said many times.

[mark123]

maybe a bit of pillow talk slipped out on national TV!!!
I couldn't agree more

[Komahawk]

Sarah was disappointing. Mika's team needs to do some winter-testing before she can be seriously judged. Danica burns most of the guys in the series.

[indycool]

Nonsense. Danica has run in the front pack more often than not and completed something like 94% of the laps run this year, finished seventh in points and got a career-best finish of second at Detroit (even though, yes, that race backed up to her). Sarah Fisher has had some very slow moments but she's enough of a racer that she hasn't been dangerous.

[nigelred5]

Danica is fine. She can drive as well or better than quite a few of the guys out there, despite what some would like to think or admit. Far better and more highly regarded drivers have lost it entering and exiting pit lane.
Sarah fisher has a long track record in the series and at least she knows how and when to get out of the way and when to get off the track.
That being said, there is no way Milka should be on track right now. She should have been made to run some IPS races when she couldn't get within a day of a decent lap time in her orientation times. You don't learn from step one at the highest level of the discipline unless you have proven yourself at a very high level of competetion in a similar discipline. Racing sports cars on road courses in endurance events with a team of drivers is probably less challenging than my drive in to work was this morning.

IMHO, Ashley knows she doesn't need to worry about what the series thinks about her comments, She said out loud what the series wasn't willing to say to a funded car they are going NASCAR to next year and it saved the series the trouble and embarrassment of saying it out loud.

Barnhart was probably too busy getting his ass off the floor after hearing Ashley's comments to get there in time.

[Andrewmcm]

What did Ashley acutally say? Does anyone have a quote or a soundbite anywhere?

[indycool]

Don't have a soundbite, but just take everything that's been said on the boards about Duno's driving, put 'em in a pile and there you have it! :) :)

[nigelred5]

She said something to the effect:

I need to say something while I have a chance... I know it isn't politically correct or what ever, but the 23 car needs to be parked immediately. Someone's gonna get killed out there with that car running around ten mph slower......

The local time on our cable company is off from the boradcasters and the DVR cut off just after that, so I didn't hear if she ever called Milka out by name, but it was clear who she was talking about by naming "the 23 car".

[Chris R]

Duno has no business in the IRL. However, Patrick and Fisher are different stories...

I am not sure I care much for Danica's image/attitude - but she has proven to be an overall competent if not excellent driver. she may win a race one of these days or she may not - it would not suprise me one way or the other...

Fisher is competent, her equipment is not the best, but she has also proven herself to be worthy of a being in a top level series. I doubt she'll ever win a race in the IRL - but there are alot of decent drivers that never win a race.....

There is nothing wrong with women driving race cars as long as they are competent and there is no reason they cannot be competent..... (that does not mean that Danica et al are not over-promoted and that I am not sick of the hype).....

[namarow]

Park Milka, she is useless, clearly, and dangerous
Fisher is usless on road courses, and ok on ovals
Danica has shown well, but with her weight advantage, and now .....power steering I always question everything she achieves and that is too bad if she is the real deal.

one thing she sure knows how have a tantrum or two

[Alexamateo]

As far as Danica, I can see her having a career as a good journeyman driver, someone like Guerrero (143 starts, 2 wins) or Michel Jourdain (153 starts, 2 wins), competent drivers with long careers who win a race or two if everything goes their way on a particular day. The greater attention comes of course because she is a woman.

As far as Ashley's comments, I thought they were unfortunate and inappropriate. I don't believe the time to discuss that issue was on national tv after the race and the season were over and her husband had just won the championship. It came across as rude and petty.

[nigelred5]

As far as Danica, I can see her having a career as a good journeyman driver, someone like Guerrero (143 starts, 2 wins) or Michel Jourdain (153 starts, 2 wins), competent drivers with long careers who win a race or two if everything goes their way on a particular day. The greater attention comes of course because she is a woman.

As far as Ashley's comments, I thought they were unfortunate and inappropriate. I don't believe the time to discuss that issue was on national tv after the race and the season were over and her husband had just won the championship. It came across as rude and petty.

She basically qualified it as such before she even said it, none of which was not true. That's an issue up to the series to police and unfortunately, car counts and sponsorship are driving that train. Why they didn't tell or make her to drive a few IPS races for experience while off is beyond me.

[NoFender]

I'm not taking tips from Ashley Jud on racing. Although, Milka was dangerous out there. Talk about a moving chicane. I was there and held my breath when the leaders would fly by her.

Sarah is decent.

Danica can drive, plain and simple. She's very fast.

[Scheckterfan54]

The only way that team is in Indycar is because of Milka and her venezuela/Citgo backing. Without that, she would not be in Indycar and would still be in sportscars, where she also had little success.

[beachbum]

Is it a monthly requirement that there must be a thread on the women in the IRL? Wouldn't it be much easier to just link to the old threads, since the "discussions" never change?

[Jag_Warrior]

Sarah was disappointing. Mika's team needs to do some winter-testing before she can be seriously judged. Danica burns most of the guys in the series.

I first met Milka when she was doing the Women's Global GT series in the late 90's. The eye candy factor aside, she is a genuinely nice person. But she could test an IRL car from now til when Hell freezes over, she's givin' it all she's got, and she's got no more, Captain. Hopefully I'll get to see her again at some point. I want to ask her if this foray wasn't about being able to say that she raced Le Mans, Daytona and Indianapoilis. I'll just have to think of a polite way to ask that question. If I was her, I'd do the same thing. What she's done to this point in racing will make for some cool stories, when she's an old lady sitting around talking to the grand kids. But as I said when this was first announced, either the IRL keeps her off the track, or someone is likely going to be killed or injured. She can now check the box for Indy. Hopefully she'll go back to GT or Grand Am DP racing and be able to see 40.

Sarah? I feel sorry for her these days, much the same way that I now feel sorry for Katherine Legge. I think these are two people who just wanna race. Both have been thrown in a deep pool, and seem in over their heads, but I guess I admire them for sticking with it.

And Danica? Still not living up to the hype, IMO. She seems to have made some incremental improvements over three seasons, but she continues to make rookie mistakes... and she continues to blame other people for all that ails her.

[Easy Drifter]

Jag: Seems spot on to these jaundiced ol' eyes.

[jso1985]

I see nothing wrong with Patrick or Fisher, Patrick has proved to be faster than most of the drivers(still slower than the "big 6" though), Fisher is clearly among the slowest but the she's far from being dangerous.
as for Duno... Ashley Judd was right

[tstran17_88]

Danica just needs to win a race and get the monkey off her back. Maybe she wouldn't be so b*tchy then! :D

[Mark in Oshawa]

Danica isnt' as good as she thinks she is, but is good enough to merit her ride. Sarah is a good racer in sprints and midgets, but hasn't found the right team or engineers to teach her what she needs to learn to get to the next level. That said, she isn't causing wrecks out there and isn't so slow that she is a hazard. No, Ashley singled out Milka because someone HAD to say it. The press tiptoed around it, ABC/ESPN gave her all the attention for coming in while maybe saying she had detractors (YA THINK?). No, Ashley was within her rights to say it, and while the forum she used maybe wasn't what Alex thought appropriate, it was one of the few times Ashley was asked on camera and said what she thought. Someone HAD to come out and say it. Milka would NOT be on that track if this series (and AOW racing) was truly healthy with 26 car plus fields and compentant drivers all the way down the line. Giving Milka a license to race at this level was a dangerous publicity stunt by the IRL and they are damned lucky they haven't got someone hurt or killed.

[Easy Drifter]

I was at Mosport yesterday and Brian Stewart (IPS Team Owner) was there and joined the track anouncer for a while. He was asked about Ashley's comments and said he agreed with her.

[e2mtt]

The thing that bothers me about Danica is that she makes so many rookie mistakes... its like her head isn't really in it, or she is under too much stress.

It seems like she spins out more then almost anyone else, and her pitstops & in/out laps are slow and mistake prone. She has proven she can run as fast as anyone, but the consistant mental errors are holding her back.

[cobre]

the thread is not about who's the better female driver, it was about wheather Milka is a danger out there. and she is so deal with it.

[Jag_Warrior]

Milka is a moving chicane. Danica is an overhyped marketing machine.

Better?

[DanicaFan]

Milka is not good enough for the IRL. This was proven this year.

Danica however, is an awesome driver! She will win several races next year.

[Mark in Oshawa]

Danicafan....keep hoping....she might win one...

[xtlm]

Ok....Danica while not the best, is very talented....if she was to be removed (like old3fan stated) then they should get rid of all the drivers that finish below her....which is usually over half the field.

Sarah has proved in the past that she can race, her car and team are the problem.

Now Milka....she is umm....not ready....moving chicane....ya just....no....nonono....the league is using her as bait to get more fans....but it is backfiring

[Mark in Oshawa]

xtlm, I cannot think of one fan they have gained by having Milka Duno in the series. Maybe Venezuelan fans, but even they are smart enough to know it would be embarassing to cheer for someone who is often 10 mph off the pace.

She is a beautiful and charming lady who has NO business mixing it up in this level of racing......

[Old3Fan]

Is it a monthly requirement that there must be a thread on the women in the IRL? Wouldn't it be much easier to just link to the old threads, since the "discussions" never change?

With the amount of coverage they get compared to their abilities and numbers of wins there shouldn't even be a yearly thread, however, statement like she runs with the laeders of the pack are misleading to me. She runs and qualifies fast I admit but she diesn't run with the leaders. She runs following the leaders like all other middle of the pack drivers do and prays for yellows to stay in touch and get the better finishes when there is a major wreck in front of Danika and Sarah. Mika is flat unqualified and a hazard..............................Period.

[DanicaFan]

Old 3, Danica does run with the leaders. Look at this year. She had 4 top 5 finishes which makes 8 top 5 for her career. She has 26 Top 10 finishes and 3 poles in her career. This girl can race! Give her credit.

Next year when she wins several races, it will be interesting to see what excuses people come up with then.

[indycool]

Oh, DF, there'll always be the detractors. Doesn't matter how much, or what, she wins. She's proven herself as a good racer. People put her SUPPOSED mistakes under a microscope because she's popular. Imagine what they'd say if SHE poop-chuted Matsuura after the checkered flag in a race.

[Jag_Warrior]

Doesn't matter how much, or what, she wins.

Or... if she wins?

[Lee Roy]

Or... if she wins?

Come on now Jag, give Danica her due. She almost always scores a top 20 finish.

[beachbum]

Come on now Jag, give Danica her due. She almost always scores a top 20 finish.WOW! you're right. Her worst this year was 16th. In the IRL, she has never finished worse than 20th (twice). Against such a large and strong field too!

[Easy Drifter]

I didn't think this thread was about Danica.

[Mark in Oshawa]

I rarely say anything good about Danica, but lets drop the Bashing of Ms Patrick. She and Milka have only one thing in common, that they are female. One is a racing driver with some merit, and the other is trying to be one. WE know the truth. Danica isn't 10 mph slower at every track she races at than the rest of the pack. Sarah Fisher isn't either. It is Milka, and although people can knock Judd for saying it when she did, she is only saying what everyone will say when the cameras are off and it is "off the record". Lets air it out, and say right up front Milka Duno has no business in the IRL as a driver. Period. To bring Danica or Sarah Fisher into this is irrelevent. Duno is a menace, in the same way Marty Roth is a menace. They cannot keep up. Gender has NOTHING to do with it....

[indycool]

Sanest post on the thread, Mark. As Lyn St. James once said, "The car doesn't know if it's a man or a woman driving it."

[Mark in Oshawa]

IC...you and I do agree on occasion I notice.....we have to find something new to argue about I guess. I thank you for noticing my sanity just the same....

[indycool]

:) :)

[mlj]

Park Milka, she is useless, clearly, and dangerous
Fisher is usless on road courses, and ok on ovals
Danica has shown well, but with her weight advantage, and now .....power steering I always question everything she achieves and that is too bad if she is the real deal.

one thing she sure knows how have a tantrum or two

Regarding Danica, you are spot on. The biggest thing her die-hard defenders fail to mention (or understand) is she would not be as fast as she is if she didn't had her weight advantage. Come on IRL, level out the playing field as they do in other race series please
I, too, am sick of all the hype about her and in my opinion she lost respect as a driver when she decided to use the "sex sells" route and posed provocatively in various publications!.

[indycool]

Well, she posed provocatively in one (1) magazine when she was an Atlantic driver. Get over it. And if the weight advantage was what put her up front, why doesn't Penske hire Jimmy Kite?

[mlj]

Guess you haven't kept tabs on Danica. Check this site out and count the photos of her, not shot while she was in the Atlantics. Also there is no "if" in her weight advantage.
As for Penske, he has more class then Michael A

http://www.entwagon.com/celeb/Danica_Patrick/gal1.html

[indycool]

The three (3) red leather shots are from the FHM shoots when she was in Atlantics. There isn't anything that I see inappropriate about the rest of them in the gallery. And if weight is so important, why doesn't Penske go get a Jimmy Kite if that makes that big of a difference? After all, he's the king of the "Unfair Advantage." Read Donohue's book sometime.

[twisted steel]

1.Danica Patrick-A driver who performs at her talent level and has EXCEEDED that in the big race,more than once the INDY 500.An asset to the league and gives the INDY 500 a chance at decent ratings.Definetly a keeper.

2.Sarah Fisher-Backmarker with still more marketability than half the drivers.Another keeper.

3.Milka Dunno-A continuing pattern of everything that is wrong with the IRL.

[CCFanatic]

1.Danica Patrick-A driver who performs at her talent level and has EXCEEDED that in the big race,more than once the INDY 500.An asset to the league and gives the INDY 500 a chance at decent ratings.Definetly a keeper.

2.Sarah Fisher-Backmarker with still more marketability than half the drivers.Another keeper.

3.Milka Dunno-A continuing pattern of everything that is wrong with the IRL.

But isn't that kinda sad. Promote the series with a driver that has really, a small chance of winning, for the biggest race in the world. The race everyone knows about.

[indycool]

...that she led with seven laps left two years ago.