Stewart pondering IndyCar team?

[rustyfan]

That's Racin' reports;

Stewart pondering an IRL team
By JIM UTTER
ThatsRacin.com Writer

LONG POND, Pa. - Nextel Cup driver Tony Stewart said he has had some discussions over the past month about starting an Indy Racing League team.
Stewart, who started his career in open-wheel racing, won the IRL title in 1997.

"It started with other groups of people that approached me about the possibility of starting a team," Stewart said. "With our schedule in the Cup series, all my teams (World of Outlaws and U.S. Auto Club) teams are self-sufficient.

"The biggest thing would be hiring a team manager and a good crew. If we could do that, I would definitely entertain it."

Stewart, who races sprint cars in his spare time and is also running in three Grand American Sports Car series events this season, said he could see increased participation on his part if there were more such races run in conjunction with Cup.

"I would love to see the IRL run in conjunction with NASCAR," he said. "If they would do that just like the race at Daytona with the sports car, I could promise you I would definitely entertain that."

[climb]

WOW!!
It would be simply fantastic!!
As I told before Indy about Robby Gordon's team, if just it became a new fashions, that of Nascar druversw joining the IRL

If, furthermore some IRL and Nascar races are held simultaneously, well it couldn't be any better: not only would it bring to more sellout events, but it could encourage more Nascar drivers to run in parallel

[Kicking-back]

Running IndyCar races as supports to NASCAR would merely serve to reinforce the "second-string" status open wheel racing currently has in the United States.

[climb]

But if some prime Nascar drivers/team, decided to compete in the IRL as well, talking about support-races would be ungenerous IMO.

[GP Racer]

You can definetely feel the buzz this series has now attained, can't you?

So many things are coming together this year, that really bode well for the future of this series. All the best teams, drivers, sponsors, telivision, and manufacturers are staking there claim to this series, and now we have alot of interest from NASCAR, which like climb said, is a good thing.

I think we're seeing an alliance of sorts between NASCAR, the IRL, and Grand Am, with alot of teams, and drivers crossing over. I believe we'll be seeing alot of mutual support in the near future between these series. They are looking to corner the market on American racing. They'll have it all covered, tin-tops, sports cars, and open wheelers.

I believe that the IRL will not compete with NASCAR anylonger, but instead partner with them, and that will be good for open wheel racing...

[rush1]

Uhm, some NASCAR drivers are too fat to sit in an Indy car. Original NASCAR drivers never race indy cars like open wheel guys. Can anyone name a stock car guy who ever drove an indy car? There might be some but I can't think of any.

Indy car racing was once the dominanat force in American motorsports. The technology is better, cars are faster and sound better than NASCAR cars. At least thats the case in Michigan, Indy and Fontana, IMO.

A stock car event may not seem very impressive if the show before it are Indy cars. The France family is not dumb

[type49]

Cale Yarbough

[mountainstar]

Originally posted by GP Racer
You can definetely feel the buzz this series has now attained, can't you?

So many things are coming together this year, that really bode well for the future of this series. All the best teams, drivers, sponsors, telivision, and manufacturers are staking there claim to this series, and now we have alot of interest from NASCAR, which like climb said, is a good thing.

I think we're seeing an alliance of sorts between NASCAR, the IRL, and Grand Am, with alot of teams, and drivers crossing over. I believe we'll be seeing alot of mutual support in the near future between these series. They are looking to corner the market on American racing. They'll have it all covered, tin-tops, sports cars, and open wheelers.

I believe that the IRL will not compete with NASCAR anylonger, but instead partner with them, and that will be good for open wheel racing...

Uh ya that's just what we want- NASCAB to control and monopolize all motorsport in the USA.:confused:

[marcus]

while I love the idea of Stewart and Gordaon joining the series as possible team owners , I think a link up and partnership with Nascar is not a very good thing.

Its just my opinion but the IRL doesnt need a hand from anyone and the same can be said for nascar.

they are 2 complete seperate entities that dont need to be propped up by each other.

But also having said that a few weekends a year it would be a great event to see Nascar (both nextel and Busch) Grand AM and the Indycars and IPS on the same bill , Im sure that would pull a huge crowd , but I wouldnt want it all the time.
the only drama then would be track time for each class that is fair.

Now back on topic , Tony Stewart running an Indycar team , I think that would be awesome , TS loves Indy and im sure would love another crack at it either as an owner or a driver or both

Lets hope something comes of this in the near future.

[Tim Northcutt]

Originally posted by type49
Cale Yarbough

add these Stock Car drivers to that list as well:

Lee Roy Yarborough
Bobby Allison
Donnie Allison, Sr.

Since John Andretti, Tony Stewart and Robby Gordon ran open-wheelers before going to NASCAR, I guess they wouldn't necessarily count....

[rustyfan]

While not having done any races, Ken Schrader, Neil Bonnett and Jimmy Spencer have all tested an IndyCar/Champ Car at some point as well.

[Kicking-back]

Jimmy Spencer's wasn't a serious test. He was about 40s off the pace at Sebring

[rustyfan]

Originally posted by Kicking-back
Jimmy Spencer's wasn't a serious test. He was about 40s off the pace at Sebring

I know that and I never said it was a serious test either

[rush1]

Originally posted by Tim Northcutt
add these Stock Car drivers to that list as well:

Lee Roy Yarborough
Bobby Allison
Donnie Allison, Sr.

Since John Andretti, Tony Stewart and Robby Gordon ran open-wheelers before going to NASCAR, I guess they wouldn't necessarily count....

Yes, I didn't want to classify those guys since they were in IRL or CART series before NASCAR.

Those three drivers were before my time, I have heard of them all but didn't know they had experience in Indy cars. Sports Illustrated had a good article on the Allison racing family some years ago. That poor family has had a lot of tradgedy in and out of racing, I hope they are getting on well.

[Tim Northcutt]

Back to the main point of the thread for a minute....

Is Tony saying that he would set up a team that would run the full IRL season and have other drivers in the seat the way he does his Sprinter Teams??

or is Tony saying there would be times when HE would get into a race car (like Indy)

or is he just saying that he would do an "Indy only" effort???

He shouldn't have any problems getting a good crew and a crew chief...there are people out there who have nothing going on right now in either open wheeled series....

[rustyfan]

Originally posted by Tim Northcutt
[B]Back to the main point of the thread for a minute....

Is Tony saying that he would set up a team that would run the full IRL season and have other drivers in the seat the way he does his Sprinter Teams??

Considering how his other teams are set up I would assume he would do something similar with an eventual IndyCar operation and run it full time, hiring someone else to drive it yes, and then expand to a two-car team when Indianapolis comes around.

[Kicking-back]

That seems to be the idea, yes.

[Tim Northcutt]

Originally posted by rustyfan
Considering how his other teams are set up I would assume he would do something similar with an eventual IndyCar operation and run it full time, hiring someone else to drive it yes, and then expand to a two-car team when Indianapolis comes around.

That would seem to make the most sense....

and something tells me that he would be hooking up with Larry Curry to do it...

But from my perspective, Larry Curry certainly knows the Series and the cars....

But if I were Tony Stewart (and I'm not), there are issues I would have with Larry Curry being the guy who is running my operation while I'm off and away racing in NASCAR....

But I f I were a betting man, I would say that if Tony does it, that Larry Curry will be the partner on it, and that he will assemble the crew, etc...they go way back together....and it would seem to be the guy he would pick to do it....

BTW...wonder if Mr. Curry has ever apologized to Mr. Menard????

[Kicking-back]

[pilgrim]

Originally posted by Tim Northcutt
Back to the main point of the thread for a minute....

Is Tony saying that he would set up a team that would run the full IRL season and have other drivers in the seat the way he does his Sprinter Teams??

or is Tony saying there would be times when HE would get into a race car (like Indy)

or is he just saying that he would do an "Indy only" effort???

He shouldn't have any problems getting a good crew and a crew chief...there are people out there who have nothing going on right now in either open wheeled series....

In another thread I jokingly speculated that Stewart might try to get back into IRL after the Tony and A.J. show at quals. I'm now beginning to think this is for real. And if it is - I think Tony probably wants to drive himself perhaps a couple years in the IRL.

Yep. Only got a couple more years - might want to spend a few races seriously running open wheels and then go for the Indy 500 once or twice.

[D.R.T.]

Just out of interest, is this another TG publicity stunt in order to try and gain interest in the series or do u think Stewart is really looking at a team. ???
Just what happened at Indy stems in the mind

[marcus]

Tony is a man with a rather good cash flow , so perhaps he just needs something to do with that money

and also he loves Indy and wants to win it badly one day , this team may just give him the means to do so.

so I dont think its to far fetched but we will wait and see.

[Tim Northcutt]

Originally posted by D.R.T.
Just out of interest, is this another TG publicity stunt in order to try and gain interest in the series or do u think Stewart is really looking at a team. ???
Just what happened at Indy stems in the mind

I definitely think Stewart is looking at a team....

Think about it...he wants to run at Indy again, but the situation has to be right...and worth his while... for him to beat himself up physically for the month of May will tons of travel to and from Charlotte & Indy to meet both commitments...

Indy is a very, very, tough place to run as a "one shot" event, because it puts you so far behind the curve with the regular teams..

His last visit was as a Ganassi driver, if I remember correctly...hooking a car with an established team (like Gordon did until this year) it the best route, because you have people in place testing and tweaking leading up to May....and people to share set-ups and data with...

By creating his own team, they will have worked together for months, will have tested and/or raced with the "other car and driver" that is doing the whole season, and thus Tony comes into his own Indy ride where he calls the shots as the owner...but it already has work and mileage under its belt....

It is the best of both worlds....

[gttouring]

natural fit really, Tony is an indy driver at heart and he needs the Borg-Warner in his house, with his face on it, Winston Cup is only Money for him and fun wins, Indy has always been and is his passion,
why not start a team to garauntee himself aride in a car whenver he wants in?

[statsguy7]

I can definitely see Stewart and Robby Gordon each owning a full-time IRL team. Robby would be wise to put Jaques Lazier in that car the rest of this year and till Indy next year to get the team's guys in the flow of things, primed and ready for Indy 05. And I can see Stewart starting a full-time team and putting USAC driver Jay Drake in the car for the full campaign, with Tony joining him @ Indy