Nascar Fans: Should Jeff Gordon give F1 a try?

[Sandpiper]

I'm not much of a fan of NASCAR, but I do think Jeff Gordon is a very talented driver. And after his domination of the Sonoma race yesterday, along with his past success on road courses, he's clearly a cut above his stock car peers on the type of courses more common to open wheel racing.

On top of that, his background is in open wheel racing, which goes toward explaining why he does so well on road courses.

And since he's won everything there is to win on America's favorite racing circuit, I think he ought to try his hand at the world's favorite racing circuit, Formula 1.

He's easily the most talented NASCAR driver of his generation. I'd like to see how he would do going head to head against the best from around the world.

What do you think?

[AP]

1. F1 needs something to liven it up. With Schu dominating, it has become

one of the most boring sports on the planet.

However, I'm not sure an American could do much for the series, and I'm not sure the series can do much for an American.

It'd probably be the kiss of death for Gordon's career if he failed. NASCAR is the most popular sport in the worlds biggest market and he's at the top of it. Many NASCAR fans think he's a snob as it is. If he fucked off to Europe for a season or two, it might sissify him beyond repair. Do you think he could come back?

The only reason Micheal A. was able to come back and resuscitate his career after failing in F1 was probably because he's Italian-American and because he was following in his father's footsteps (and because CART was already on the down-slide anyway).

[Sandpiper]

3. I think it could potentially do one of two things

1) Embarrass him if he failed to perform respectably

2) Turn him into an American racing legend up there with Foyt and Andretti if he did well.

While I don't know how much Jeff Gordon could do for the F1 series, I think he could raise the stature of NASCAR drivers internationally if he was to do well.

[AP]

5. I think many Americans rate NASCAR as the top of the motor sports world

already. They have no conception of F1 as being anything interesting.

It's not like the 50s, 60s and 70s. It's definitely not like the days when F1 racers would come over and compete well at Indy, making it look like their drivers were the most talented in the world.

Since broadcast TV dropped coverage of the full season of CART and of the 3 or 4 F1 races they used to cover (2 US GPs, Canadian GP, Monte Carlo), the perception of open wheel racing has changed dramatically.

It's really too bad.

[Twillig]

4. wtf are you talking about?

The only reason Micheal A. was able to come back and resuscitate his career after failing in F1 was probably because he's Italian-American and because he was following in his father's footsteps (and because CART was already on the down-slide anyway).

What his being Italian-American has to do with anything I don't understand. Are you saying that Chip Ganassi gave Mike, who left CART in 1992 as the hottest driver in the series, a ride because Italian-Americans stick together or something? Sure...Ganassi got rid of two drivers to give a charity ride to mikey in 1994. Andretti promptly won the first race of the year (Ganassi's first win, ever, I think), and two more despite Penske's totally dominating year.

Michael Andretti was a great driver in the CART series, who failed at McLaren. He came back to CART as the same, great, CART driver.
,
I'd also beg to differ on the issue of CART being on the downslide in 1994. This was two years before freakin' Anton George made his IRLoser split in 1996. That was the big beginning of the slide. For both sides.

[AP]

6. I'm saying that he was already perceived as having a connection to Europe.

His father drove for Ferrari for a season or two. Nobody was going to think of him differently because he went over to Europe and came back. Anyway, CART had a long history of intertwined European-Amercican heritage (with drivers like Mario A., Jim Clark and Graham Hill racing at Indy and in F1). Nascar doesn't have that at all.

Gordon already gets ridiculed by a lot of Nascar fans because he grew up in California. If he went over to race in Europe and came back it might put the final nail in the coffin of his middle America appeal.

[cheezus]

10. boring???

they weave through city streets at high speeds. compared to the going in circles of nascar, f1 is awesome!

[AP]

11. Trulli winning at Monaco was exciting. But Schumacher dominating the last

half decade is boring.

The best part of racing is passing, and there just isn't enough passing for leads and for points in F1 as there used to be, and there isn't enough competitiveness.

Senna-Prost was the end of a very long history of F1 being quite possibly the most exciting sports show in the world.

I don't know how anyone who knows the history of F1 could find it interesting today.

[cheezus]

12. oh, i think just watching a car speed though the streets is cool

even if it was just one car, it would be more intresting to watch than nascar

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

2. Gordon & Montoya's photo op at Indi 2002 (click link)

http://www.betweenthecoasts.com/archives/000025.html

Please notice freeper moran comment below blog entry.

[Twillig]

8. I like how the Moran referred to the Williams-BMW

as an Indy-car.

what a maroon.

[Zero Gravitas]

7. Its too late

I'd love to see Gordon give F1 a try. I have no idea whether he has what it takes to succeed in F1 but it would great if he made the leap.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

9. Other people in this exact same situation

Helio Castro Neves
Sam Hornish, Jr.
Gil de Ferran (he even retired from racing now)

[Zero Gravitas]

13. A bit different

I'm sure Castro Neves & de Ferran would jump at a chance to go to F1 (Hornish presumably wants to go to NASCAR), they are basically nobodies. Most people in the US have no idea who they are. They aren't in a top level series so they are unlikely to be considered seriously by F1 teams. Gordon on the other hand is a well known sports figure in the US who would bring exposure to F1 if he went there. Since NASCAR is not a likely place to look for potential F1 talent he would mnake a bigger splash in F1 than if he had come in through a more traditional route.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

14. F1 fans see things a bit differently

CART and IRL are seen in a BETTER light than NASCAR. Two very successful F1 drivers came from CART -- Villeneuve and Montoya.

[Zero Gravitas]

15. Montoya

People seem to forget that Montoya was F3000 champion, the Williams test driver and under long term contract with the team BEFORE he came to the US. He made no secret at the time of being very dissapointed when he lost out to Jenson Button for the Williams race seat. Of course when he was over here kicking butt and taking names he did the politicaly correct thing and claimed not to be worried about being F1 in the future.

Of course if he had under-performed in CART things might have been different, but his time here was never ment to be anything other than a hiatus during which he could hone his skills while waiting for an open race seat back at Williams.

Villeneuve did come out of CART and did reasonably well in F1. Also consider da Matta, Zanardi and Michael Andretti cycled through CART on their way to F1 (in the case of Zanardi success in CART got him a second attempt at F1... his single point came at Lotus, not Williams however) and none of those guys have set F1 on fire.

I didn't mean that NASCAR was seen in a better light than CART I meant quite the opposite actually. However no-one has come from the IRL into F1 & I can't see an all oval series like the IRL ever being a prolific breeding ground for potential F1 drivers (Scott Dixon not withstanding).

[jmowreader]

16. F1 needs an American driver

There is an F1 race in the United States, although why they hold it at Indianapolis every year I have no idea. We have several great road courses--Road America, Road Atlanta, Daytona, Watkins Glen and Infineon Raceway--they could move the race between.

When the F1 circus arrives in Indianapolis, who do we root for? Juan Montoya, who comes from Colombia. Excellent driver, one of the best--but he's not our guy!

There are three drivers who would be good in Formula/1...Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart and Robby Gordon. Robby's a road-course guy through and through--I am surprised he didn't win the Save Mart 300. Childress knows what this guy can do on a road course, which is exactly why he was hired, and they focus all their efforts on those two tracks. (Note: he swept the road courses last year.) Earnhardt was a restrictor-plate specialist; Robby Gordon is RCR's road-course ace. Tony is the 1997 IRL champion. He hasn't won Indianapolis but that's not through lack of trying. He's also good on road courses--remember the 2001 Save Mart 300, when Robby Gordon was attempting to keep Kevin Harvick from getting back on the lead lap and Tony drove past both of them on a section of the track where it's almost impossible to pass.

I think of the three, Jeff would be my third choice. His open-wheel experience was quarter-midgets and sprint cars--all of the drivers on the NASCAR circuit have driven quarter-midgets and many have driven sprint cars. Both Robby and Tony have driven in the Indianapolis 500, and asphalt experience in a car similar to a Formula/1 car, coupled with proven performance on road courses, give the edge to those two drivers.

If I had to choose one? Tony Stewart; he would increase the US television ratings for F/1 races because of his larger following.

[Zero Gravitas]

18. Indianapolis

The USGP is at Indianapolis because it was the only facility in the US willing to cough up the mega-bucks needed to provide F1-level facilities. Not only is the pit layout completely different to the standard US layout, there also has to be facilities for the 100s of press & photographers that follow the F1 cricus round the world. Supposedly Tony George spent $50,000,000 on constructing the road course, the F1 pits and the new Pagoda (which houses the media center.) F1 also has strict requirements when it comes to safety (although you wouldn't know it based on the unforgivable amount of time it took for help to reach Ralf Schumacher after he hit a concrete wall at 186mph at the USGP) which would likely require reprofiling corners, putting in additional gravel traps etc...

Driving in the Indy 500 isn't much preparation for F1 IMO. The cars although similar in design are quite different. The F1 car has less weight and more power, but skinnier grooved tires instead of wide slicks. When Montoya came into CART he described driving the cars as like being in slow motion compared to the F1 car he was used to, and claimed that his Grandmother could drive an IRL car. (He drove in one IRL race, the 2000 Indy 500, which he won.)

I'd love to see F1 cars run at Road America, but unfortunately its just not going to happen. We're stuck with Indy, or possibly Long Beach if financing could be found for a permenant pit compex & media center...

[Twillig]

19. Well,

Those road courses that you name would never meet with agreement with the drivers union these days. Or the FIA. Not for F1.
F1 cars are just TOO fast for Datona, and no one would want to run the banking. For Road Atlanta and Watkins Glen there is not enough run off. Sonoma, fuhgeddabout it.

Road America. O what a track that would be. They'd never drive it of course. So many trees would have to be chopped to make enough run-off for 'the kink' and Canada corner, etc. etc.

Anyway, for drivers, on pure experience, one would have to go with Robby Gordon. He's had road course experience with a champ car and run with some of the best, and beaten them on occasion, in CART. Stewart hasn't.

I think it's too late for all of them. Although that hack, Damon Hill, got into the act at 33 I think. He was lucky Prost took it easy on him in his first year and coasted to his championship. The next year Senna and Schumacher had lapped him (in 3rd place) in the Brazilian GP before Senna spun off chasing Schumi.

And then Senna died at Imola.

So, if J. Gordon goes to Williams and Williams gets rid of Ralf, and let's him get comfortable (Monty's going to McLaren) maybe it could work out.

Who knows?

[Zero Gravitas]

20. Daytona

Right they'd never run F1 cars on the banking at Daytona. At Indianapolis they go (clockwise) through the oval turn one and are already are doing 200 mph and still accelerating despite having joined the track at the short chute between Oval turns one & two.

[HornBuckler]

17. Sure, He Should Try It

He'll Lose His Ass, But Atleast It May Spark Interest.

Right Turns Can Be Tricky! :)

[KPN08]

21. No

[Twillig]

22. C'mon. Give us some more.

Bad-mouth a driver or two. Nobody will get banned for stuff like that.

Welcome to DU.
:toast:

[KPN08]

24. Well...

If anyone should go somewhere else to drive it should not be Jeff Gordon. (i'm not a fan of Jeff) It should be Robbie Gordon. Just because I really cannot stomach him and would like to see him leave NASCAR.

Is that better? :hi:

[No2W2004]

23. Well,

Jeffy has 7 road course wins (Most in NASCAR history), so right turns aren't a problem. He's comfy in NASCAR and isn't going anywhere because he's probably gonna run a team after he retires from driving.

The guy most likely to jump is Tony Stewart who is steadly getting fed up with NASCAR and will leave if he's pushed hard enough. He has solid open wheel experience and, for now, lusts after the Borg-Warner trophy. F1 would be the next step for him.