I'm bored

macdaddy · 12 Nov 2002, 06:02 (Ref:426845)

...so I decided to look over the starting grids of the races I've been to, and make a list of all of the drivers I've watched take to the track. The list became much longer than I had expected! In fourteen events spanning ten years (92-01), I saw no less than 89 CART pilots!

In those fourteen races, I've seen eleven different winners. And of the drivers, at least sixteen have been F1 regulars. Four have been World Champions. And sadly, four have been killed on-track. Brayton, Krosnoff, Gonzales and Moore.

I've been lucky enough to watch the likes of Mears, Carter, St.James, Villeneuve, Fabi, Mario, Mansell, Emmo, Montoya... And lucky enough to have met people like Jackie Stewart.

But 89 drivers! I really didn't think the list would end up being this long! Of course, many of them didn't campaign full seasons.

**ghinzani** · 12 Nov 2002, 07:04 (Ref:426859)

ah but did you get to see Vincio Salmi or Guido Dacco ? If not then you have'nt lived!

Liz · 12 Nov 2002, 12:53 (Ref:427008)

I'm bored too, so I wrote Chris Pook an e-mail and told him that he'd better get some announcements out right away because otherwise the CART and IRL people are all going to destroy each other before the last race of the season, just because we are so frustrated and bored.

All motorsport is in turmoil. No wonder the Chinese call it a curse to say "May you live in interesting times!"

Bizzo5000 · 12 Nov 2002, 15:25 (Ref:427097)

We keep hearing about all these announcements comming, but when Chris,when? We need to get our own hammer pretty soon. Damn I hate off weeks, and the fact that I don't get Speed, it's been one loooong off week for me.

Liz · 12 Nov 2002, 17:28 (Ref:427143)

Speed doesn't have any news either. Unless you're looking for NASCAR.

Tiresmoke · 12 Nov 2002, 19:24 (Ref:427220)

I heard floodgates open at Fontana. Floodgates open at SEMA. Floodgates really really open at Mexico City. No seriously, floodgates open at Awards Banquet. Who's gonna be at the awards banquet!? Certainly not international media like at Mexico City, which might perhaps set major attendance records and leave everybody warm and fuzzy going into Super Season 2003.

I've been depressed, bored, disgruntled, but now the one redeeming bit 'o news I can't wait to hear: Mr. Paul Tracy's "Honda Held Me Hostage" speech and an announcement that he'll be driving a Player's car!!!!!!!

pferrf1 · 12 Nov 2002, 19:47 (Ref:427242)

An example of Why this is the ETERNITY of all Silly Seasons:

Ok -so follow along..

OK so CART is working on a new name and logo and series sponsorship deal with the presenting sponsor, new Title sponsor and Ford. The deals need to be approved by all involved.., including the Boards of Directors of all companies involved. That is Four companies and boards. Then the various potential logos need to be created and one needs to be picked and approved by all involved.That needs to be put into artwork mock-ups of cars, shirts etc. for announcements.

When it comes to teams and drivers, the same is going on. Teams talking to sponsors...executives of said sponsor meet with team..then meet with CART..then maybe they meet with TV broadcasters to see what kind of deal they can do for TV commercials...then they discuss budgets..then go back to CFO of company to see if budget is available..then business case is made to decision makers...maybe the expenditure needs Board of Directors approval because it is in he millions.... Decision makers or Bof D requests changes to deal...it all goes backwards again......

Meanwhile for Drivers.....Sponsor A talks to Walker...Walker says I have Jimmy Blye to drive for you...meanwhile sponsor says I want Joe Tanto go get him... But over at Nunn...he wants Joe Tanto and is selling his sponsor as such..but the sponsor doesn't want to commit because Tanto hasn't said yes because Tanto is still talking to Walker...Memo Moreno is waiting in the wings for Tanto's ride at Nunn and is bringing with him some sponsorship from Patrick where he is leaving....but the sponsorship is not enough for a full car so Nunn is saying wait until I figure out Tanto....so Patrick has to wait because he doesn't know if Memo Moreno and his sponsor are staying. So in efffect, because of Tanto, three teams are in waiting together with 3 sponsors and drivers. Walker, Nunn and Patrick cannot do any deals until Tanto lands with either Walker or Nunn which affects Patrick.

To cap it all off.... all the sponsors are saying..we can't sign to go fully binding until Ford and the title sponsor announce because we need to know they're here or all bets are off. So again it all goes back to the beginning.

Clear as mud?

I am bored waiting too.

Tiresmoke · 12 Nov 2002, 20:09 (Ref:427252)

so CART's title sponsor is Aspirin, right?

macdaddy · 12 Nov 2002, 20:33 (Ref:427268)

Classic, Tiresmoke! And a great read, pferrf!

This silly season will go down in history!

Getting back to my original (albeit boring) post to start this thread... 89 pilots. There were 28 entries in my first live event, so 61 more drivers had come (and gone) in the following nine years. That's quite alot, don't you think? I guess it just goes to show how short these careers can be at the top-levels. From that (fateful) first race, only four of the 28 are still at (or near) the top-of-their-game, those being Tracy, Andretti, Unser Jr, and Cheever. And at least three of those may well be contemplating retirement.

The changing of the guard is nearly complete.

The Snout · 12 Nov 2002, 20:37 (Ref:427271)

Know what you all mean, but how many times has a season ended and then when race one arrives the following year there's 2 or 3 new drivers that weren't in the mix at the end of the year before. Time will reveal all. We have to remember that no matter the announcements, really it will take a few seasons before things are totally righted again.

And one more thing, note how the talk to Cart's death is no more, all I hear is will it be 18 cars, 20 cars, is Ford on board. I think the fact that the scene has changed from "Will Cart be around>" to "What sort of Cart will be around?" is a good indication in itself.

Liz · 12 Nov 2002, 20:41 (Ref:427277)

If you get bored again, why not check to see what age all those 89 pilots were when they started and what age they were when they finished? I'm interested to find out if the F1 pattern holds in CART -- younger beginning and younger ending -- but I'm not THAT bored.

macdaddy · 12 Nov 2002, 22:12 (Ref:427348)

Well, I'm bored again, Liz. Maybe not THAT bored, but bored nonetheless. Lastnight was insomnia. This time the family's all napping out, and one of em's in the TV room, so that eliminates that idea.

So, seeing as my "list" is handy, here it is. Thought maybe a few members might read the names, and rekindle old memories like it did for me.

Everybody on this list started in MIS-500's or Belle Isle GP's from 92-01:

John Andretti, Mario Andretti, Michael Andretti, Eric Bachelart, Alex Barron, Jon Beekhuis, Ross Bentley, Tony Bettenhausen Jr, Mark Blundell, Raul Boesel, Kenny Brack, Scott Brayton, Patrick Carpentier, Pancho Carter, Helio Castroneves, Steve Chassey, Eddie Cheever, Cristiano da Matta, Christian Danner, Gil de Ferran, Scott Dixon, Dominic Dobson, Fredrik Ekblom, Teo Fabi, Juan Fangio II, Adrian Fernandez, Christian Fittipaldi, Emerson Fittipaldi, Norberto Fontana, Dario Franchitti, Luiz Garcia Jr, Memo Gidley, Scott Goodyear, Robby Gordon, Marco Greco, Mike Groff, C. Guerrero, Mauricio Gugelmin, N. Hattori, Richie Hearn, Bryan Herta, Stefan Johansson, Parker Johnstone, PJ Jones, Michel Jordain Jr, Bruno Junqueira, Tony Kanaan, Jeff Krosnoff, T. Kurosawa, Eddie Lawson, Buddy Lazier, JJ Lehto, Arie Luyendyk, Jan Magnussen, Nigel Mansell, Tarso Marques, Hiro Matsu****a, Rick Mears, Arnd Meier, Nicklas Minassian, Juan Montoya, Greg Moore, Roberto Moreno, Shinji Nakano, Max Papis, Scott Pruett, Bobby Rahal, Willie T. Ribbs, Andre Ribeiro, Gonzalo Rodriguez, Lyn St. James, Eliseo Salazar, Gualter Salles, Oriol Servia, Scott Sharp, M. Smith, G. Snider, Danny Sullivan, Alex Tagliani, Tora Takagi, Paul Tracy, Al Unser Jr, Jimmy Vasser, Jacques Villeneuve, Dennis Vitolo, Max Wilson, Jeff Wood, Alessandro Zampredi, and last but certainly not least, Alessandro Zanardi.

Bet you're all glad that I'm not this bored every day! Don't blame you if you didn't read more than four of those names!

Lotsa drivers, though! Proof of one of CART's strongest points is that I garnered at least 43 different autographs, not counting the many doubles, triples, quadruples...

What a history! Man, how I love this game!

Tailwind · 13 Nov 2002, 01:26 (Ref:427452)

Macdaddy, that is an impressive list of drivers. There are a lot of memories that go along with them. I would sure like to see some of those heroes and even some of the back markers back on the track again.

Liz · 13 Nov 2002, 01:30 (Ref:427453)

What's Hiro's name that got bleeped out?

macdaddy · 13 Nov 2002, 07:45 (Ref:427553)

Mat-sush-ita

tanalised · 13 Nov 2002, 08:28 (Ref:427575)

MacDaddy. If i post a picture I took of a Pitgirls backside I took at the weekends v8 supercar race in NZ would that help ease your boredom?

macdaddy · 13 Nov 2002, 08:35 (Ref:427579)

Yep.

tanalised · 13 Nov 2002, 08:42 (Ref:427584)

Yeah; thought it might. Had my pulse going a bit while trying to hold my 400mm lens steady! so some camera shake.
haha

tanalised · 13 Nov 2002, 08:43 (Ref:427586)

now the bad news is the original is on a 35mm slide which is being scanned onto a cd for me by my processor, so you'll just need to wait a few days

indycool · 13 Nov 2002, 11:02 (Ref:427668)

Macdaddy, that's a great nostalgia list...it was fun just reading it and remembering....

Valve Bounce · 13 Nov 2002, 11:19 (Ref:427675)

If you're bored, why don't you re-format your PC? Trying to get it to work again afterwards and getting back all the bookmarks and addressess should liven things up for you.

Jordi · 13 Nov 2002, 17:30 (Ref:427917)

Macdaddy, did you see Oriol's third place at Belle Isle in 2K? Cos I would have loved to be there!

macdaddy · 13 Nov 2002, 18:34 (Ref:427989)

Yeah, I was there Jordi, but armed with only a paddock pass and a GA ticket, I couldn't see much of the actual racing. I usually tried to make Detroit as inexpensive as I could, thereby freeing up a bit of money for MIS.

Jordi · 13 Nov 2002, 20:56 (Ref:428068)

yeah, but you were there. That's important.. I'd gladly say "oh, I was there when Oriol got his best result, even though I didn't see him!"

theracegypsy · 14 Nov 2002, 12:13 (Ref:428428)

Quote:

Originally posted by macdaddy

Getting back to my original (albeit boring) post to start this thread... 89 pilots. There were 28 entries in my first live event, so 61 more drivers had come (and gone) in the following nine years. That's quite alot, don't you think? I guess it just goes to show how short these careers can be at the top-levels. From that (fateful) first race, only four of the 28 are still at (or near) the top-of-their-game, those being Tracy, Andretti, Unser Jr, and Cheever. And at least three of those may well be contemplating retirement.

QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Valve Bounce
If you're bored, why don't you re-format your PC? Trying to get it to work again afterwards and getting back all the bookmarks and addressess should liven things up for you.

Well MacD, so which one is not ret(y)reing? They are all well over 40 if my memory serves. I can remember Eddie at Brands Hatch in a F5000 race when I was a mere fire marshal, in 197?something.
Tracy must be the youngster, and the way he has been driving lately .......!

Meanwhile to VB I'm not bored, but have had to do just that, hence the lack of posts since my return from the States. Still not got the Demon address up and running and still building address book and bookmarks, plus all those other things you don't realise you had 'til they disappear

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