Christian Fittipaldi qualfies 33rd fastest out of 55 drivers in first day qualifying

[Joe Fan]

He has made the field since BGN uses only one qualifying session. [Previous message edited]

However, Casey Mears, who has been locked out of a full-time ride in IRL and CART, qualified ahead of him (21st) in his first BGN attempt. Maybe CART owners should be paying more attention to home grown talent rather than the coveted foreign driver. Oh wait a minute, I forgot, they bring significant sponsorship $$$$$$$$

[Emfa]

Not a bad qualifying effort from the new boys. (Ricky Hendrick at #11 also quite commendable.) Casey Mears might have what it takes - he finished 9th in an ARCA race at Talladega and has now made a good qualifying run.

Let's see how they race...

It was a bit of a surprise to see 55 entrants for this race when everybody is talking about economic difficulties, until I noticed how many WC drivers are running.

[marcus]

33rd isnt that bad really..and Casey mears in 21st is very impressive ..I didnt even know casey was doing this race.

any other drivers in this one that usually arent????

anyway as Emfa said ..lets see how they race...

[Joe Fan]

I didn't hear anything about Casey trying to make the field either but I have heard that he is now made NASCAR his career destination. I don't blame him either because the money is better and there are more opportunities for him there. Once again, CART and IRL owners have dropped the ball. The kid finished fifth in his first CART race at California last year. That should have gotten him plenty of offers, especially considering his lineage. This isn't his first time in a stock car as he raced in the ARCA race at Talladega. Started 15th and finished 9th.

[Lee]

Hate to say "I told you so," but "I told you so."

Went the way I said it would. Fittipaldi was three laps down at the 95 lap mark. Dalenbach said it best, on the NBC broadcast, "he's wishing for some wing about right now!" Also, tried the typical carty-boy block on Hank Parker Jr. Learned the hard way, you don't block a faster car! Kinda wish he hadn't wrecked, would have been intrested in seeing how many more laps he'd been down at the finish! He Joe Fan, you nailed it, he didn't have all the driver aids and enhancments, no "feel, or drive by the seat of the pants." Oh well, if he ever chooses to come back, he'll make a great also-ran for the series!

As to Mears, the ARCA Talladega is not a test of stock car driving ability. In restrictor plate racing, just stay out of the way, avoid the big one, and you get a fairly high finish. This was more of a test, and again, went like I said it would. Same as for Fittipaldi, will make a great also-ran for this series next year. Ditto the driver aids, and enhancments!

[marcus]

gee your a hard task master Lee

anyway ..it wasnt that good a race by them ..but I dont think either of them got much if any testing.

I think Casey could do well next year given some good miles and a good team.

[Lee]

Marcus,

It wasn't a good race by anybody! That track is boring as Hell, and I fear that today's race will be no better! My guess, three to 4 different leaders, maybe 5 (if we're lucky) lead changes, excluding change made due to pit stops!

[Joe Fan]

Lee,

You were right. However, I don't think Hank Parker intentionally tapped him. It appeared from the incar replay that Fittipaldi didn't accelerate as hard as he should have (and as hard as Parker was expecting) out of the corner and that was the reason for the contact. I know the open wheelers are crying foul but it appeared that Fittipaldi may have been a victim of him feeling his way around in his first stock car race.

It is not like he was hit because the stock car boys were afraid that he was going to win the race. He was never a factor all day long and basically slid backwards from the drop of the green flag.

At any rate, if Christian was really a skilled driver he should have been able to save the car. Others did out there in the same situation yeaterday. Instead, after routine contact that would be the equivalent of bump drafting at Daytona, he spun around faster than a top. But this is to be expected when you have driven high downforce cars your whole career.

BTW, you asked how I have been doing lately in another thread. Just great! I recently bought a new 2002 Ford Mustang Premium Coupe loaded with everything. I just love it! Hope your physical went well.

[Lee]

I think your right Joe Fan, I don't think Parker hit him on purpose either, despite what the open-wheel fans are saying, but they will figure our some way, any way to blame it on NASCAR or a NASCAR driver, history has proven this to be true! Your also right about the NASCAR drivers not being afraid of him, and any other of these drivers coming in and winning. For laughs, I opened up a cart forum a few minutes ago, I LMAO! They were spouting their usual arrogant ****, saying that it would be great for their drivers to just walk into Winston Cup, without having to drive Busch races, and just dominate, and win all of the races! I got news for them, their drivers can't even cut it IN the Busch Series, much less Cup! I think they should require them to take pee pee tests on that forum, cause whatever their smoking, it has got to be illegal!

My physical went fair, I guess. I learned that I have high blood pressure, which they prescribed medication for, and artheritis in my right wrist, but otherwise, I'm doing OK. At least it won't affect my flying, getting pretty close to obtaining my private pilot certification. 2002 Mustang Premium Coupe, WOW! Good to go. I know your enjoying it. See you later, take care.

[Emfa]

Yep, Fittipaldi ended up just where he was expected to - in the wall. Now fans from both camps are arguing about it.

It seems like Christian Fittipaldi himself is the only one (maybe) who has a realistic view of his debut. He didn't expect to set the place on fire (as some idiotic CART fans seemed to do) - it was a learning exercise. He was quoted as saying "This is the purest kind of motor racing in America" (!!!) and is looking forward to trying it again, saying he would like to do 10 - 12 races next year.

I congratulate him for wanting to broaden his horizons and not stay couped up in the open wheel camp. He may fail in Nascar, he may not - only time will tell - but at least he has tried.