How Have the Mighty Fallen

[Tazio]

http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070920/FREE/70920006/1036/FREE
Looks like Scotty gona' mix it up with some good ol' boys.
Debuting at 'dega
F-1 to ARCA Bye!!!
See you back in an F-1 seat .......Never!!!!!

[ShiftingGears]

He'll work his way up, if hes good at it. I don't think he should be critisised for trying something completely new to him. Theres more of a future for drivers in stock cars than American Open Wheel racing, anyway.

[Shifter]

Dude hes not rich so he cant just hang around waiting in F1, he needs to compete.

[Jag_Warrior]

He's still got Red Bull backing, last I checked. And if Red Bull follows through and switches to Chevrolet, being groomed for a well financed NASCAR team is (IMO) a helluva lot better than trailing around at the back of the grid in F1, or selling pints of blood to get a ride in either Champ Car or the IRL.

He could come in 30th in points in NASCAR Nextel Cup and earn more money than the IRL and CCWS champions combined (assuming the Indy 500 isn't won by one or the other).

Yeah, poooor Scott Speed. I feel really bad for him...

[ShiftingGears]

"Dude hes not rich so he cant just hang around waiting in F1, he needs to compete."

I also think its' because he's a racing driver, and he wants to race. And f1 turned out to be a pretty sour experience for him.

I really don't see why people are critical of him going to ARCA...

[BenRoethig]

"Dude hes not rich so he cant just hang around waiting in F1, he needs to compete."

I also think its' because he's a racing driver, and he wants to race. And f1 turned out to be a pretty sour experience for him.

I really don't see why people are critical of him going to ARCA...

F1 turns out to be a sour experience for most racers. It's a lot more about politics, egos, and engineers these days than it is getting in the car and driving.

[luvracin]

http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070920/FREE/70920006/1036/FREE
Looks like Scotty gona' mix it up with some good ol' boys.
Debuting at 'dega
F-1 to ARCA Bye!!!
See you back in an F-1 seat .......Never!!!!!

He's gone from driving a car that weighs nothing and reacts to driver inputs almost as you think them.. to a car that weighs a ton, has less power, less grip and reacts like a boat. He needs to learn. And ARCA is the best way to do it. JPM did the same thing.

I believe he also has to run some of these races in the minor leagues before NASCAR will sign him off for running on Superspeedways.

[Mikeall]

F1 turns out to be a sour experience for most racers. It's a lot more about politics, egos, and engineers these days than it is getting in the car and driving.

From what I've read about grand prix racing in years gone by its always been about politics, egos and engineers.

In all the feeder formulae the driver is the centre of attention because he is likely to be bringing in the money and he drives a car that is largely unchanged for years aside from a few annual updates. In F1 its all a bit more complex and maybe its a for drivers egos to take at times.

[Hotlavaaaa]

He's gone from driving a car that weighs nothing and reacts to driver inputs almost as you think them.. to a car that weighs a ton, has less power, less grip and reacts like a boat.

Nextel Cup engines have somewhere in the neighborhood of 850 hp so they are in fact more powerful than the current F1 engines. Scott is going where he can make money. Period. And who can blame him. In the US there are really no other options to make a lot of money driving a race car.

[wmcot]

It seems that a lot of former F1 drivers are having a lot more fun in other series. I talked to Allan McNish, Mika Salo, Jan Magnussen, and others at the ALMS race here this summer and they are actually enjoying the racing! The politics is kept to a minimum.

I'm not a big NASCAR fan, but I can see how it would be a better environment for a driver than F1. F1 needs to lose its up-tight, elitist, holier-than-thou, attitude and just worry about putting on a good show for the fans and the drivers. Too much politics and big business are ruining it!

[blakebeatty]

F1 turns out to be a sour experience for most racers. It's a lot more about politics, egos, and engineers these days than it is getting in the car and driving.

Earlier in the year there was a NASCAR article about how dissapointed JPM was that his teammate David Stremme was leaving Chip Ganassi Racing, as the two had developed a good friendship, unlike anything he had ever seen in F1.

http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=272133

[ChrisS]

It seems that a lot of former F1 drivers are having a lot more fun in other series. I talked to Allan McNish, Mika Salo, Jan Magnussen, and others at the ALMS race here this summer and they are actually enjoying the racing! The politics is kept to a minimum.

I'm not a big NASCAR fan, but I can see how it would be a better environment for a driver than F1. F1 needs to lose its up-tight, elitist, holier-than-thou, attitude and just worry about putting on a good show for the fans and the drivers. Too much politics and big business are ruining it!

With American open wheel racing being a shadow of its former self, ALMS is the best american road racing series at the moment. Lots of different makes, technologically advanced cars, good field of drivers, good racing... Unfortunately it cant compete with NASCAR's popularity and earning potential though

[Tazio]

"Dude hes not rich so he cant just hang around waiting in F1, he needs to compete."

I also think its' because he's a racing driver, and he wants to race. And f1 turned out to be a pretty sour experience for him.

I really don't see why people are critical of him going to ARCA...
I'm not critical of him going to ARCA. Speed is a bit of an enigma because he came to F1 for reasons no one else(to my knowledge) ever did "Red Bull F1 Search For the Next Great American F1 Driver" or some such obvious marketing ploy, aimed at increasing F-1 interest, and $$ in the U.S.A. I'm an American. I would have loved to see Scott light up F-1. It was obvious to me he was overmatched from the start. Perhaps my opening comment was a little terse. I would love to see Scott get back into a real road racing series, and prove me wrong!!

[wmcot]

With American open wheel racing being a shadow of its former self, ALMS is the best american road racing series at the moment. Lots of different makes, technologically advanced cars, good field of drivers, good racing... Unfortunately it cant compete with NASCAR's popularity and earning potential though

Hopefully it will continue to grow as it is now getting a decent amount of TV time on both cable and standard broadcast channels.

[luvracin]

It was obvious to me he was overmatched from the start.

How was it obvious?? He frequently outperformed Liuzzi. And now that he's been replaced by a guy who, ok, came third in a BMW, that guy is now slower than Liuzzi. In addition to that, the car is a P.O.S. and the team run by guys that shouldn't be running a Formula Ford team.

[Tazio]

How was it obvious?? He frequently outperformed Liuzzi. And now that he's been replaced by a guy who, ok, came third in a BMW, that guy is now slower than Liuzzi. In addition to that, the car is a P.O.S. and the team run by guys that shouldn't be running a Formula Ford team.
Good call! A B.S. comment by me!

[jso1985]

It seems that a lot of former F1 drivers are having a lot more fun in other series. I talked to Allan McNish, Mika Salo, Jan Magnussen, and others at the ALMS race here this summer and they are actually enjoying the racing! The politics is kept to a minimum.

I'm not a big NASCAR fan, but I can see how it would be a better environment for a driver than F1. F1 needs to lose its up-tight, elitist, holier-than-thou, attitude and just worry about putting on a good show for the fans and the drivers. Too much politics and big business are ruining it!

That happens on every top sport! ask any NBA or Premier League players and surely they will tell that's it's more fun to play at lesser leagues.

I bet McNish, Salo and Magnussen wish they could have had a better F1 career, it's not politics and big bussiness that's ruining F1(or the NBA or the Premier League), it's just the price you have to pay to be in the top

[wmcot]

That happens on every top sport! ask any NBA or Premier League players and surely they will tell that's it's more fun to play at lesser leagues.

I bet McNish, Salo and Magnussen wish they could have had a better F1 career, it's not politics and big bussiness that's ruining F1(or the NBA or the Premier League), it's just the price you have to pay to be in the top

Yeah, but sometimes I get tired of "stiff and uptight racing" and want "fun and guts racing."

[jso1985]

then watch a lesser series :)

I never watch the English Premier league expecting too see non-tactical football