Andretti Foyt buy out

[ujoint]

Dateline: Indianapolis Indiana, USA @ 11:59PM May 23, 2011. AJ Foyt kicks Junqueira to the curb. Accepts Andretti seat buy out for non qualifier. Ryan Hunter Ray.

Didn't see this anywhere else. If it needs moved feel free.

Mike

[ghinzani]

That absolutely sucks, hope Bruno gets a few dollars out of it at the least.

[D.R.T.]

Hard to imagine that this has happened twice to Bruno.

Here's the story http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/artic...ay-in-at-indy/

[rustyfan]

While it's a shame Junquiera misses out again I don't really understand why so many have their panties in a twist this time around. I mean, it's not the first time it's happened (apparently it's been going on for around 40 years) and it most certainly won't be the last.

[baclightning]

I understand why Andretti needs to get the DHL and Sun Drop sponsorships in the race. What I don't understand is why Andretti and Foyt can't cut a deal to have them sponsor the #41 car with Bruno driving. I don't think the sponsors really care who is in the car as long as their product can be seen by the race fans on TV. That would seem a win/win to me - Foyt gets a much needed cash boost, Bruno gets to drive, and Andretti keeps his sponsors happy...

[Andy77]

Originally Posted by rustyfan

While it's a shame Junquiera misses out again I don't really understand why so many have their panties in a twist this time around. I mean, it's not the first time it's happened (apparently it's been going on for around 40 years) and it most certainly won't be the last.

Well, this time it is a bit different. Indycar already stands there pants down , so everything that happens now, gets looked at more close than it has happened in the previous 40 years. And in this situation such a buy-into-seat might not give the more positive opinions on the game

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by baclightning

I understand why Andretti needs to get the DHL and Sun Drop sponsorships in the race. What I don't understand is why Andretti and Foyt can't cut a deal to have them sponsor the #41 car with Bruno driving. I don't think the sponsors really care who is in the car as long as their product can be seen by the race fans on TV. That would seem a win/win to me - Foyt gets a much needed cash boost, Bruno gets to drive, and Andretti keeps his sponsors happy...

The question you might need to ask is how much backing Mr Hunter-Reay brought to Andretti, and whether that trumps a driver Mr Foyt has to pay..

I am surprised this isnt a more regular occurrence.. you could pull an old stager out of the woodwork (an Unser?), get them qualified, then sell their grid slot for a couple of hundred grand. No losers

[awrb]

Andretti said they needed to get their full time driver Hunter-Reay into the show, and AJ understood that. Which is good, because as much as I like Bruno, Ryan is a bigger name, or could be if he won. So it's about whats good for the championship then.

The thing is, we know its all about the money. Andretti doesn't want to upset DHL because he'll want them to invest more in the team. If it was all about getting full time drivers into the race then why not switch Conway in for John Andretti? It's all within the team, and Conway's higher in the championship than Hunter-Reay at the moment anyway.

[steve_r]

Call this a professional way to run a sport? Oh dear. What a joke.

[foreversideways]

It's pretty typical of US sports, which are built completely around TV schedules and sponsorship so it doesn't really surprise me. The who Indy Car series is somewhat light on decent sponsorship so i think they would change the whole grid for a few $$. I know it's quaint but in the UK we don't refer to our teams as franchises and we don't move them from city to city based on how much money there is in the deal. Imagine if you will Manchester United moving to Birmingham because they got a better offer.

[Paradise City]

They are going to do everything they can to put DHL on the grid in the ONE race that matters.

Managers run teams on money unforunately and behind the scenes sponsors have a habit of disappearing and floating out the garage window.

[foreversideways]

Originally Posted by Paradise City

They are going to do everything they can to put DHL on the grid in the ONE race that matters.

Managers run teams on money unforunately and behind the scenes sponsors have a habit of disappearing and floating out the garage window.

I don't have a problem with that, put the sponsorship on another car with a driver who has qualified for the race.

[Paradise City]

Originally Posted by foreversideways

I don't have a problem with that, put the sponsorship on another car with a driver who has qualified for the race.

They'd have to change the year-long sponsorship juggernaut (the promotional stuff, events) wedded to RHR to an unfamiliar driver at the eve of the race.

The sponsorship is about building up an identity with a hero-driver than about sponsoring a mere car.

[Yannick]

Originally Posted by baclightning

I understand why Andretti needs to get the DHL and Sun Drop sponsorships in the race. What I don't understand is why Andretti and Foyt can't cut a deal to have them sponsor the #41 car with Bruno driving. I don't think the sponsors really care who is in the car as long as their product can be seen by the race fans on TV. That would seem a win/win to me - Foyt gets a much needed cash boost, Bruno gets to drive, and Andretti keeps his sponsors happy...

Agreed. Despite being a Hunter-Reay supporter since his win at Watkins Glen for Rahal/Letterman, which was the first for a non-Big-3 team since quite a while, I would prefer to see Bruno Junqueira getting the ride that is his. He has missed out in this way before. In fact, he deserves a full season ride. He is that good a driver.

[mountainstar]

It's a backwards, barnyard, deceitful, pathetic, disgusting way to run a "sport".

What's the point of being at the speedway getting nickel and dimed for everything for two weeks as a team, when you can have someone pay that expense and qualify an old crapper, which you can then purchase the slot for the race.

I don't know anywhere else in motorsport you can qualify a car and driver and then sell that slot in a race to the highest bidder.

[awrb]

Originally Posted by mountainstar

It's a backwards, barnyard, deceitful, pathetic, disgusting way to run a "sport".

What's the point of being at the speedway getting nickel and dimed for everything for two weeks as a team, when you can have someone pay that expense and qualify an old crapper, which you can then purchase the slot for the race.

I don't know anywhere else in motorsport you can qualify a car and driver and then sell that slot in a race to the highest bidder.

That's not exactly what's happened though. Foyt hasn't qualified the car with the intention to sell it. Andretti has failed to qualify his cars, and so has looked to make a deal. As soon as people qualify to sell with no intent to race then we have a problem. If this can get DHL in as a full time sponsor then it's great. Its a shame for Junquiera, but for the series in general, its good.

[foreversideways]

Correct me if i am wrong but i can't think of another formula in the world where it's the car that's qualified and not the driver ? If the car and driver can't get the job done in qualifying they are out in my view, no shenanigans and no second chances.

[baclightning]

Originally Posted by foreversideways

Correct me if i am wrong but i can't think of another formula in the world where it's the car that's qualified and not the driver ? If the car and driver can't get the job done in qualifying they are out in my view, no shenanigans and no second chances.

NASCAR. Some drivers run multiple series within NASCAR, and it's not that unusual, if two series are at different venues where qualifying is the same day but the races are on different days, for a driver to have someone else qualify a car at one venue, and then take over that car for the race.

[Tim Northcutt]

This one is different in one major way from what happened to Bruno a couple of years ago, and others in other decades.

Bruno was replaced by a teammate, Alex Tagliani, a couple of years ago. This one between Andretti and Foyt was a team and driver that missed the show buying a ride from another team to put someone in the race.

Drivers have been replaced by teammates on a number of occasions in the past, but it was within the same team family. When Dick Simon was a team owner and driver in the early 1970s, John Mahler qualified his car and Simon pulled him to take the seat for the race...his money, his car, his choice.

The only situation I can see that comes even close was in 1981, when A.J. pulled qualifiier George Snider from a second entry and put another driver from another team, Tim Richmond, into one of his cars. I don't know the particulars of that one to know whether or not Richmond bought the ride, or if Foyth thought Richmond (who was a great driver) might have as as, if not better shot than Snider to succeed.

I think it made a farce of the entire qualifying process to tarnish what was otherwise and exciting and emotional weekend of qualifying at Indy this year.

Ask yourself these questions:

Did Penske do that (when Lord knows he has the money) the year that both E. Fittipladi and Al Unser Jr. missed the race?

Did Bobby Rahal do that when he wasn't fast enough?


The answer: NO!!!

It is a black eye on the sport at the 100th Anniversary Celebration of the 500.

Now, instead of talking about that tradition and the significance of this race over the past 10 decades, everyone will be talking and writing about this.

[ujoint]

Live tv on versus channel right now covering the bruno stuff and more, usa viewers only i am guessing. Really weak response to him getting screwed like that. No excuse. Sorry.

just found a link: http://atdhenet.tv/37028/watch-versus

[blaffer]

Scary story.

[fieldodreams79]

Originally Posted by Tim Northcutt

The only situation I can see that comes even close was in 1981, when A.J. pulled qualifiier George Snider from a second entry and put another driver from another team, Tim Richmond, into one of his cars. I don't know the particulars of that one to know whether or not Richmond bought the ride, or if Foyth thought Richmond (who was a great driver) might have as as, if not better shot than Snider to succeed.

I'd put Tim Richmond in ANYTHING if I had that option, no question but...

Originally Posted by Tim Northcutt

It is a black eye on the sport at the 100th Anniversary Celebration of the 500.

Now, instead of talking about that tradition and the significance of this race over the past 10 decades, everyone will be talking and writing about this.

...this is the best explanation of how I feel right now about this. And of course, the media will take a story like this and run with it as long as it keeps people interested. Controversy will always trump tradition these days.

I'm ready to get on with the race.

[picchiofan]

Originally Posted by mountainstar

It's a backwards, barnyard, deceitful, pathetic, disgusting way to run a "sport".

What's the point of being at the speedway getting nickel and dimed for everything for two weeks as a team, when you can have someone pay that expense and qualify an old crapper, which you can then purchase the slot for the race.

I don't know anywhere else in motorsport you can qualify a car and driver and then sell that slot in a race to the highest bidder.

Happens in NASCAR all the time, or, well, used to. A guy like Nemechek makes a pretty decent living off of it. Back during Scott Speed's rookie season when Red Bull was having issues getting him into the show, they bought out cars a number of times.

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by awrb

That's not exactly what's happened though. Foyt hasn't qualified the car with the intention to sell it. Andretti has failed to qualify his cars, and so has looked to make a deal. As soon as people qualify to sell with no intent to race then we have a problem. If this can get DHL in as a full time sponsor then it's great. Its a shame for Junquiera, but for the series in general, its good.

Well who makes the judgment about "intent"? There is no way you can reasonably determine that or not.

Penske may as well qualify 8 cars and then sell the rides to the highest bidder, along with his cut of the prize money of course. Why not? You get a better prepared car than something held together with chicken wire and bubble gum and clueless volunteers unprepared for 225 mph speeds.

And no I don't care what nascar does, just because they do it that makes it OK? Just because someone else jumps off a cliff means you have to?

Basically what this does is reward mediocrity, but this is the irl and they are the kings of that.

[GTRMagic]

So if the driver can't muster the speed to do 4 laps in a row, why does anyone think his car setup will allow him to take the car from grid spot 33 to the front of the field?