Aussie Champ Car Driver

mac · 19 Nov 2002, 23:30 (Ref:432684)

At the Mexico race, the CART international commentators mentioned that CART was trying to get a variation of different nationalities driving in the championship, and they mentioned Australia. This got me thinking, what Aussies could be looking to CART in the near future?

Our last driver was Jason Bright on the Gold Coast in 2000. He did a great job in his first race - running in 5th (and on the same strategy as Fernandez, who won the race), until Moreno spun it at the re-start and he got caught in the chain reaction.

Options:
- Jason Bright garnered some interest for the 2001 season, but had no money. He may not be with HRT next year. Would a CART team even consider him?
- Rob Nguyen. Blinding natural speed. Raced in F3000 last year after only 9 races of any sort previously. Very impressive.
- James Courtney. Brit FF Champion and F3 runner-up. Former Jag F1 tester.
- Ryan Briscoe. Very natural driver. Italian FRenault champion. Great kart racer. Toyota F1 tester. Toyota boy.
- Will Davison. 4th in his first year in Brit FRenault. Fastest of a formidable 4 car Motaworld line-up.

So who would be the best bet?

Liz · 19 Nov 2002, 23:34 (Ref:432692)

Dabid Brabham spoke very highly of Briscoe when I interviewed him (interviewed Brabs that is.) He thought that Briscoe was the best of the current crop of Aussie drivers and said that he, like most Aussie drivers, was wilting for lack of funding.

From what I understand, Courtney is something like Mr. Bell except that he does it deliberately and then attempts to deny it. In other words, he's a future Formula One driver.

marcus · 19 Nov 2002, 23:58 (Ref:432711)

well why not David Brabham , he isnt with Panoz next year and im not sure what he has got planned , and Id like to see him back in an openwheeler.

Jason bright , I dont think so , money money money!!!

Rob Nguyen needs more experience , but could be a possibility in the future

James Courtney , only has eyes for F1

Ryan Briscoe , seems to have made a huge stuff up in 2002 with his career , maybe CART could get it back on track.

Will Davison , very good driver who has a big future if the funding is there and hopefully it is.

Id say give Davison a chance he could go a long way.

other then that there isnt alot out there at present, maybe we could throw in Matthew Halliday from new Zealand as one of our own , but again funding is his biggest hurdle

mac · 20 Nov 2002, 01:24 (Ref:432745)

Liz, Courtney isn't that bad. He also cops his fair share of battering from rivals. Just look at Macau last weekend. These incidents happen because he has a go.

Brabham would be good, but I think he's a little old to have a major career change. He did mention CART in an Australian interview earlier in the year. Can't remember if he was disappointed he hadn't had a shot or wanted to have a go.

marcus, I concur about Davison. I think he's the real deal.

jetsetter · 20 Nov 2002, 02:44 (Ref:432770)

I think both Davidson & Nguyen are the most likely there could be another possibility & that's David Besnard who whilst currently running a V8 Supercar has plenty of open wheeler experience & is currently a Ford contracted driver so could well be a dark horse.

f1manoz · 20 Nov 2002, 03:23 (Ref:432783)

Give Brabham a run!!

However, if we're looking to the future, Briscoe and Courtney would be the two boys. However, Briscoe is completely tied up in a Toyota contract, and I don't see Toyota letting him race in CART.

Courtney is owned by Jaguar/Ford, and after failing to win the British F3 title, perhaps he'd like an escape from Europe...

mac · 20 Nov 2002, 03:37 (Ref:432787)

Courtney now has nothing to do with Jag.

ringo · 20 Nov 2002, 04:13 (Ref:432797)

ummm all the above are good but none of them reeeeally do much to excite me. if i had to choose one i would go for someone like ambrose and give him a year training in atlantics

Troy · 20 Nov 2002, 04:28 (Ref:432804)

Ambrose has previously stated that Champ Cars don't really interest him. I would be going with Bright, as he knows some of the tracks from USFF2000 and Indy Lights. I also rate Bright as one of the best open-wheel drivers Australia has produced in the last decade. He would already be in CART if he had the budget.

bingman · 20 Nov 2002, 04:38 (Ref:432810)

how bout skaife

Troy · 20 Nov 2002, 04:40 (Ref:432812)

Or how about give Will Power a go?!? Getting back on topic, there are a few rumours around saying that Christian Murchison is a possible. I hope that's not true however.

tanalised · 20 Nov 2002, 05:27 (Ref:432825)

what about Jim Richards?
or Dick Johnson? or thats right he's a kiwi

f1manoz · 20 Nov 2002, 05:29 (Ref:432826)

Jim Richards can drive anything and everything. The only thing going against him is the age factor.

tanalised · 20 Nov 2002, 05:37 (Ref:432835)

Yep; he's a legend. And such an excellant speaker too!

**ghinzani** · 20 Nov 2002, 05:43 (Ref:432837)

My moneys on Graham McCrae... hes done some Indycar before after all - either him or Vern Schuppan.

**gomick** · 20 Nov 2002, 06:50 (Ref:432857)

not brabham - he's had his chance at the big time.... get some young gun in there......

from what i have heard courtney will be in f3000, davison in british f3, briscoe in german/european f3.....

will power would be my tip - if scott dixon can do it, so can will

tanalised · 20 Nov 2002, 07:14 (Ref:432867)

I know he's a Nz'er but Simon Wills was a good open wheel racer in Formula Holden a couple of years back. He seems to be at sea a bit in the v8's (apart from that win with Besnard at q500)

Amaroo Park · 20 Nov 2002, 07:26 (Ref:432873)

Quote:

Originally posted by ghinzani
My moneys on Graham McCrae... hes done some Indycar before after all - either him or Vern Schuppan.

Colin Bond also drives anything and hasn't had a regular drive since 1993, And was his rally experiance as well he would be great in the wet

tanalised · 20 Nov 2002, 08:00 (Ref:432894)

well, you'd probably beat Yoooong

bingman · 20 Nov 2002, 08:02 (Ref:432899)

Colin Bond??? i heard he went gay during a village people concert reunion in 88 and made himself a lady-boy.

keeper · 20 Nov 2002, 10:13 (Ref:432985)

I think Brabham is probably the best bet, A one off drive at surfers would be great. He has the best name in aussie motorsport(bar brock) and I'm sure IMG would kick in with some funding for the ride.
Mabye if kenny brack changed a letter in his last name!

racer69 · 20 Nov 2002, 13:40 (Ref:433130)

Why not Peter Brock, he tried open-wheelers in the early 70s

Seriously though, Brabham has said that he is looking to stay in Sportscars, although he tried to get an Indy 500 ride this year,

Courtney is probably the most talented, along with Webber, but is apparantly looking to F3000, and Davidson at F3.

As for Bright, he is contracted to TWR for next year, apparently moving from HRT to another of TWR's teams, so he is effectively out. Ambrose has lost interest in racing overseas (pity really), Lowdnes is too tied up with Ford Australia to bother having a go. Briscoe is contracted to Toyota.

I'd give the seat to 2001 Australian F3 champ Peter Hackett, or 2002 Champ James Manderson, or 2002 Australian Drivers Champion Will Power, make these series lead oversea's rather than leave them stranded in our V8 taxi's.

greg.n · 20 Nov 2002, 17:24 (Ref:433365)

Of the names mentioned so far the most talented with a real future are Briscoe, Courtney and Power. Courtney is looking like a F3000 driver next year and Briscoe is with Toyota, power won F.Holden in Oz this year and did well in F3, and a season in Atlantic as a prelude to CART would be ideal but he has no money top bring to such a drive.

mac · 20 Nov 2002, 22:19 (Ref:433554)

Yeah, Will Power and Will Davison head-to-head in 2001 Aussie Formula Ford was GREAT to watch. Would be good if Power could get some funding.

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