[vincesanity82]

This season's open-wheel crossovers have struggled mightily. Jacques Villeneuve already is out of Cup (and the No. 27 Camry slated for the Formula One champion wasn't entered for Sunday's Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway by Bill Davis Racing, which lacks sponsorship). Three-time IRL champ Sam Hornish Jr.'s No. 77 Dodge also is outside the top 35. Champ Car and IRL veteran Patrick Carpentier, who started 2008 without a guaranteed spot because his Charger was outside last season's top 35 (used to set the first five races this year), failed to qualify for the first two races and is mired 46th in owner points � eight spots behind Franchitti's No. 40 Dodge heading into Bristol. If none has climbed into the top 35 after 500 laps on the bruising 0.533-mile oval that treats newcomers unkindly, they will need to qualify on speed the March 30 race at Martinsville Speedway � another difficult short track. -- USA Today

Open-wheel arrivals hit early bumps in stock cars - USATODAY.com

[jks812]

I have to admit that after what Penske done, I like seeing that #77 out of the top 35. Hope he stays out of it and can't qualify for the races on speed. That would be poetic justice.
As for the rest of them, what did they really expect? Just because they're a champion in another series doesn't mean they can run great from the start in cup.

[Bryan88]

Which makes JPM's rookie season last year all the more impressive.

[NascarRacer56]

Montoya came into CART in 1999 and won the championship as a rookie.

He went to the Indy 500 in 2000 and won in his first try.

He went to F1 and won races, including Monaco, which is their Daytona, Indy, etc.

Yes, he is just that good.

The others, Hornish, etc., might do well given enough time, but will they get that time?

[loco4pablo]

I think a lot of these owners saw what happened with Montoya and thought they could find another. I also think a lot of these drivers saw Juans success so far and figured they could do it too.
Even thou Montoya hasn't set the series on fire he has proved himself to be one of the top racers in the world. He is one guy that can drive any type of car and win.... He has and he has.
I have been a big JPM fan and took a lot of heat last year but I think people are realizing what he was able to do just keeping the car in the top 35 since day 1 and know he is super talented... They just don't like to admit it!

[LSC9901]

Originally Posted by loco4pablo

I think a lot of these owners saw what happened with Montoya and thought they could find another. I also think a lot of these drivers saw Juans success so far and figured they could do it too.
Even thou Montoya hasn't set the series on fire he has proved himself to be one of the top racers in the world. He is one guy that can drive any type of car and win.... He has and he has.
I have been a big JPM fan and took a lot of heat last year but I think people are realizing what he was able to do just keeping the car in the top 35 since day 1 and know he is super talented... They just don't like to admit it!

Now now Loco just because you see him one way doesn't mean everyone does. Those who do not see it your way do not have to admit to anything other than having an opinion. I suspect you can find as many facts to support your claim as an opponent can to prove you wrong. Be nice.

[loco4pablo]

I was just kidding.... I can't help it.... I'm...LOCO4PABLO!!!!

[NASCAR Gnome]

I've been a Montoya fan since he won Indy. I figure anyone who can win one of motor racing's biggest races in his first try then have the cojones to walk away without as much as a glance back deserves my attention!!! (That Spanish word above should be familiar to most...)

I admit that I've been a stock-car fan since I used to watch it on ABC's Wide World of Sports (back in the "day") and names like Harry Gant, Daryl Waltrip, Richard Petty, Rusty Wallace and others used to fascinate me with their courage and skill when it came to high-banking auto racing. You see, off-road rallies, go-carts and even F1 don't race on banked tracks (where I come from) so when I saw, for the first time, cars orbiting an oval track in such a TILT so that they looked FLAT going around raised corners, to say I was WOWED, is probably an understatement! The physics of the whole thing didn't make sense and it reminded me of watching expert surf riders - you know, surfers - do what they did. I realized that without GREAT speed, there was no way the cars could hold the banking and that's when I knew that what I was watching was special and very unique in auto racing. I was hooked!

[loco4pablo]

Now that cart and IRL have merged I think the series will get strong in a year or two. I think there will be more oppurtunity for quality rides and better sponsorship deals.
What drivers do you think will be making the move to open wheel? I think they would have a great series if they can get drivers like Hornish/Dario/A.J Am...(?)/Robbie Gordon plus the ones already there like Weldon/Tracey/Patrick. If they can get these people quality rides the series would compete for the NASCAR dollar. And I wouldn't be surprised to see some current NASCAR drivers making the switch over, Guys like JPM and even JJ yealy. What do you think?

[Phils20]

I don't have an issue with open wheelers making it in NASCAR. And I think that given time, as with any other driver, some will make it and some won't.

JPM has done just fine. I think if he was in top tier cars, he would be even better!

The driver I'm really expecting good things from is Hornish. It is just a matter of time for him before he gets it. I thought that points swap was crap, but I blame Penske for that, not Hornish.

Go Sam Go!

[BiscuitMan]

Originally Posted by loco4pablo

Now that cart and IRL have merged I think the series will get strong in a year or two. I think there will be more oppurtunity for quality rides and better sponsorship deals.
What drivers do you think will be making the move to open wheel? I think they would have a great series if they can get drivers like Hornish/Dario/A.J Am...(?)/Robbie Gordon plus the ones already there like Weldon/Tracey/Patrick. If they can get these people quality rides the series would compete for the NASCAR dollar. And I wouldn't be surprised to see some current NASCAR drivers making the switch over, Guys like JPM and even JJ yealy. What do you think?

Loco, the merger between IRL and Champ Cars is great. The long war is over. Things will be far better for open wheel racing. Like NASCAR, there are plenty of awfully good drivers ready to step in to the IRL cars. I don't think you're going to see open wheel guys presently in NASCAR run back to IRL. They are in NASCAR mainly because of two reasons: their respective age (meaning safe driving to retirement) and wanting to become a household names like Jeff Gordon, Dale Jr. and Tony Stewart. They also like the money NASCAR brings to their bank accounts.

Open wheel racing cars are much safer than they were 10 years ago. SaferWalls have also added to safety during races. However, the speeds of the cars and their light weight make for much more "risk" to having their racing careers end very quickly. You don't see alot of hobbling drivers in the garages at NASCAR. But, at IRL races there are several. A few IRL drivers getting along in age have switched to Rolex Racing Series where there are full bodied rear engine sports cars that are relatively safe. Others like Scott Sharpe, Christian Fittipaldi, Bryan Herta, and Adrian Fenandez have joined the American Le Mans Series with open top sports cars much like the IRL cars. They race Saturday at Sebring.

With all that said, guys like Tony Stewart and Robbie Gordon can venture of to Indianapolis in May to help fulfill their dream of winning the Indy 500. Sam Hornish, Dario Franchitti and A.J. Allmendinger can do the same. Well, maybe only A.J. has that dream.

[WestCoast]

Pretty much everything that BiscuitMan said.
JPM has done everything there is to do in open wheel, so I don’t see him going back, unless it’s just for the Indy.
For guys like Dario and Sam to go back within a year or two would be a sign of failure in Nascar, but maybe that’s the way it is, and their talents are strictly open wheel. I can see Carpantier going back after this season, as he’s still young and would probably do better there anyway.
From what I heard Paul Tracy is without a ride, as his team decided not to move over to the IRL, he will probably get a ride with someone else, but at his age, his future must be limited to pursuing a second Indy victory only.

[loco4pablo]

I agree.... It's a win/win for everyone. If IRL/Cart can pull it together and put out a good product with a good TV package the fans will come back. Then Sponsors will get interested again. It gives a lot of these drivers another option then just NASCAR. Drivers like AJ will now have another option. He's a fun driver to watch and it's a shame he can't get into the NASCAR show but it's a waste for him not to be able to show his talents while he's still young. Now maybe him and others like him will eventually have other avenues and us as fans will be able to enjoy watching all these guys race. As for myself I really don't care if they drive a stock car, open wheel car or even top fuel dragsters. I just like to watch them race.

[DOF_power]

>
^ They (drivers of american open wheel racing series) don't just struggle in NASCAR, they're even worse in F1.
Bourdais 4 times something seems to be lost in translation.

And for Montoya, isn't it "strange" that he gave the team their first victory in HOW-MANY-YEARS or that he beat his all-experienced-all-american team-mate as a rookie ?!
I say give him a Hendrick/Roush/Gibbs car and a top crew chief and he'll be fighting for the Cup.

[loco4pablo]

I agree 100%.... but it would kill me to see him in a hendricks car!