Interesting news from IPS open test

climb · 21 Feb 2007, 08:15 (Ref:1847032)

Yesterday 's test at Homestead

http://www1.indycar.com/scoring/2007...results-p2.pdf

saw 23 cars on the track; that's the kinda numbers I like, and still Penske are expected to add two cars.

Apparently, many young drivers look at IPS as a good stage to approach GP2/F1, thanks to the increased share of road courses.

Mr Jinxx · 21 Feb 2007, 12:54 (Ref:1847255)

The Indy Pro series is going to be a tremendous series this year, I think, with a lot of prize money at stake and uprated aero on the cars, and now for 2007 more road courses than ovals. Was a good turn out yesterday at Homestead's road course - should be even better at the Homestead oval

Snips1 · 22 Feb 2007, 15:26 (Ref:1848151)

Yes th Pro series is th most interesting OW series in US at the moment... Sorry guys but that's the truth...

climb · 22 Feb 2007, 15:43 (Ref:1848164)

I've got some more updated news: Penske won't take part, but other 4 to six cars are expected to join; the only problem at the moment seems to be about engines' availability.

luke · 22 Feb 2007, 17:23 (Ref:1848233)

Looks as though IPS has had a boost as entries and interest was rather low. I personally thought it would die. I guess a similar thing has happened compared to Atlantics. I don't think its a jump to GP2 or Formula 1. If you want a jump to GP2 you'd have to do Champ Car or IRL Imho.

foreversideways · 22 Feb 2007, 18:25 (Ref:1849302)

It's a feeder for Indy Car with a bumber grid this year and bumper prize money. Expect the usual suspects to dis this series on here now this thread is open. Nothing matters to some people on here except GP2 and F1.

Koulle · 22 Feb 2007, 20:33 (Ref:1849381)

I have really taken a shine to this series in the last couple of years or so.

The grid and the schedule is looking great this year.

I take it that they were running on the road course at Homestead?

BootsOntheSide · 22 Feb 2007, 23:14 (Ref:1849480)

No reason to criticise IPS this year, as far as the quality of the grid goes. The huge number of road courses is interesting - will the IRL go that way in future? Or does the IPS grid include drivers with no interest in IRl compared to ChampCar or GP2?

D.R.T. · 23 Feb 2007, 03:58 (Ref:1849611)

That is a good point. The feeder series should have strong links to the main series, so will the IRL move to more and more roadies.

mountainstar · 23 Feb 2007, 05:20 (Ref:1849645)

Quote:

Originally Posted by foreversideways

It's a feeder for Indy Car with a bumber grid this year and bumper prize money. Expect the usual suspects to dis this series on here now this thread is open. Nothing matters to some people on here except GP2 and F1.

No I think what is being said is that as a driver if you are looking to F1, IPS is not the path to travel on.

climb · 23 Feb 2007, 07:22 (Ref:1849662)

Quote:

Originally Posted by luke

Looks as though IPS has had a boost as entries and interest was rather low. I personally thought it would die. I guess a similar thing has happened compared to Atlantics. I don't think its a jump to GP2 or Formula 1. If you want a jump to GP2 you'd have to do Champ Car or IRL Imho.

luke,
I don't agree with your views: Champ car are not a path to Gp2, it's rather the exact opposite: iCC are the second-best (to use an euphemism) choice for disappointed European drivers which have failed getting there: would drivers like Jani, after a season in WSR, need to spend time in CC to get a seat in GP2? Absolutely not, cos GP2 should be the natural step after WSR. They are now in CC just because they didn't make it.

IRL, in their current state, look more a path to Nascar than to F1, and that, for an American series, is not a bad thing itself.

IPS, on the contrary, is (this year) filled with drivers coming from F3 or similars, which still have to jump in a pre-F1 series, therefore IPS can prove effective on this purpose.

Mountainstar says he doesn't believe it, and it's a respectable opinion, but, I'd rather say, Give IPS a chance!

After all it's the only expanding OW series in the world this year.

Snips1 · 23 Feb 2007, 11:46 (Ref:1849814)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Koulle

I have really taken a shine to this series in the last couple of years or so.

The grid and the schedule is looking great this year.

I take it that they were running on the road course at Homestead?

They tested on both the oval and the road course.

Nutoh was fastest on the road course with Lloyd and Wilson as 2nd and 3rd. On the oval Wilson was fastest with Lloyd 2nd

Koulle · 23 Feb 2007, 12:55 (Ref:1849868)

Ah yes I see. Looking pretty tight on the oval.

Are there any other open tests planned before the season begins?

Snips1 · 23 Feb 2007, 19:38 (Ref:1850068)

No

mountainstar · 24 Feb 2007, 02:02 (Ref:1850252)

Quote:

Originally Posted by climb

luke,

Mountainstar says he doesn't believe it, and it's a respectable opinion, but, I'd rather say, Give IPS a chance!

It's not about me giving it a chance, it's F1 team bosses. I can guarantee they couldn't give a crap about IPS or even rate it at all or even know what it is! They barely pay any attention to GP2 even. To me racing in ips to get to F1 makes about as much sense as racing F3 to get picked for a Nextel Cup seat in nascar.

Mr Jinxx · 24 Feb 2007, 03:10 (Ref:1850274)

Forget F1 - that's all about whether you have a "name" or a link with a manufacturer (depending where they want to sell their road cars) or if you have a PR angle ... it;s not about meritocracy any more

foreversideways · 24 Feb 2007, 09:41 (Ref:1850399)

Quote:

Originally Posted by mountainstar

It's not about me giving it a chance, it's F1 team bosses. I can guarantee they couldn't give a crap about IPS or even rate it at all or even know what it is! They barely pay any attention to GP2 even. To me racing in ips to get to F1 makes about as much sense as racing F3 to get picked for a Nextel Cup seat in nascar.

Believe it or not there is a world outside Formula one.

Koulle · 24 Feb 2007, 20:50 (Ref:1850720)

I've noticed that Jay Howard, Wade Cunningham and Jonathan Klien were not at the test.

Anyone know whats happened to them?

Mr Jinxx · 24 Feb 2007, 23:41 (Ref:1850799)

As far as I know, Klien may be struggling for a budget, as his father seems no longer involved with Klien tools. Both Wade Cunningham and Jay Howard were at the test but not driving, and I'm not sure they've secured a drive anywhere yet, although rumours suggest Jay Howard was spending a lot of time with AFS and may have been asking for a drive there.

This will be a tough championship year

mountainstar · 26 Feb 2007, 05:14 (Ref:1851713)

Quote:

Originally Posted by foreversideways

Believe it or not there is a world outside Formula one.

Of that I'm well aware, thanks.

However if you are a F1 team boss there isn't a world outside F1.

climb · 26 Feb 2007, 08:15 (Ref:1851785)

Quote:

Originally Posted by mountainstar

...However if you are a F1 team boss there isn't a world outside F1.

Well that's basically true, but nonetheless the F1 drivers are not the same they were 20 yrs ago, so they must take the drivers somewhere!

And, furthermore, we must not limiatte our views to the bare present, cos things can change; just get back to 3 yrs ago: everybody could agree that a feeders series for F1 was a nonsense, given the F3000 results from that point of view. Now, thanx to GP2 things have radically changed.Therefore who can exclude that in the future IPS may upgrade to a credible pre-GP2 series?
Particularly for US drivers, to which F3 doesn't mean that much, a series having many road courses, sharing a weekend with F1, and more or less another with Indy500, could figure out as a good chance to get noticed.

mountainstar · 26 Feb 2007, 22:49 (Ref:1852362)

I wish I could remember where and with what F1 boss it was, but there was an interview with one of them and ips was mentioned in regards to the indy support race. He answered that no one took notice of the race or the drivers. F1 guys hardly take notice of champcar or the irl, much less atlantics or ips.
I think as a driver, if one wants to race F1, your best chance is with GP2 or world series by renault and also to get picked up in some kind of driver development program for one of the F1 teams. Packing up and heading to the usa or japan for instance makes it tough to return to europe. I think it's dumb to try to sell ips as some sort of F1 feeder series and by doing so certainly makes a mockery of the series the ips is designed to feed, the irl.

Dudley · 27 Feb 2007, 11:19 (Ref:1852726)

Quote:

Originally Posted by climb

Well that's basically true, but nonetheless the F1 drivers are not the same they were 20 yrs ago, so they must take the drivers somewhere!

Interesting.

New this year. (race drive)

Hamilton - GP2 / F3 Euroseries / FRenault
Sutil - Some F3000 somewhere / F3 Euroseries
Kovalienen - GP2 / Tester / F3
Davidson - F3 / Long term Tester
Wurz - Long term Tester / Previous F1 experience

Is that everyone? It looks like the old mainstays of GP2/F3000, F3 and Testing are still pretty strong. What did Kubica do to get the BMW gig?

foreversideways · 27 Feb 2007, 12:12 (Ref:1852766)

Yes and all drivers, excepting Davidson (who has grown old testing)who have had long term support. What do you suggest the others do, pack up and go home. You simply have no chance in F1 without either long term financial support or connections.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dudley

Interesting.

New this year. (race drive)

Hamilton - GP2 / F3 Euroseries / FRenault
Sutil - Some F3000 somewhere / F3 Euroseries
Kovalienen - GP2 / Tester / F3
Davidson - F3 / Long term Tester
Wurz - Long term Tester / Previous F1 experience

Is that everyone? It looks like the old mainstays of GP2/F3000, F3 and Testing are still pretty strong. What did Kubica do to get the BMW gig?

mountainstar · 28 Feb 2007, 02:59 (Ref:1853440)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dudley

Interesting.

What did Kubica do to get the BMW gig?

2005 World Series by renault champion

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