Thank you Panther Racing!

[Chris Paff]

Finally they made a right driver choice to pilot the #4 since Hornish left.

Good job John Barnes

Now we need the rest of the teams to follow Panther and Andretti's lead.

[mcman7890]

What lead is that?

[Turn13]

Taking potential marketability / popularity more into consideration, maybe. We'll see.

[9rows]

follow panther and andretti's lead = don't develop the car and be happy with mediocre performance, perhaps?

[Chris Paff]

What lead is that?

Hiring a talented young American driver that people can relate and pull for in this country.

[Chris Paff]

follow panther and andretti's lead = don't develop the car and be happy with mediocre performance, perhaps?

Well Panther's oval package is pretty good. Remember they finished 2nd at Indianapolis the past two years.

[Indy-hp]

What lead is that?

Replace a high-salaried veteran with a less expensive youngster.

[mcman7890]

Hiring a talented young American driver that people can relate and pull for in this country.

I can't related with JR past what country he is from. Anyone can pull for any driver in the series just by promoting them. I'm a Will Power fan but still cant related to them. Get me a driver from suburban chicagoand i might be able to relate to him/her.

[indyracefan]

I see where he's going with this in that AA & Panther now have Americans as they're drivers. And extra credit to AA for having American drivers not only for it's IndyCar team but also it's USF2000 & Star Mazda ladder teams. And if Team Ganassi's announcement Thursday is indeed the confirmation of Rahal & Kimball as it's drivers it makes the percentage of full-time American drivers in the series at roughly 1/3rd.

However as far as other teams supposedly 'following their lead', what other American drivers are available & looking for an IndyCar ride as well as capable of running semi-successfully? I can only think of Townsend Bell and JR Summerton, both of which I'd like to see get rides. Perhaps also but less likely are Jimmy Kite and PJ Chesson both of which aren't going to be competitive at all on road or street courses and not running at the front on ovals even in a Penske machine. And of those drivers only Bell and possibly Summerton are likely to be even remotely competitive immediately.

Granted there's a couple of teams currently with non-American drivers who's talent is questionable. So Paff, clue us to who the other American drivers are that the teams should hire to round-out the grid that are more qualified than the drivers they currently have?,...and not better just because they're Americans but talent-wise??

[Chris Paff]

I can't related with JR past what country he is from. Anyone can pull for any driver in the series just by promoting them. I'm a Will Power fan but still cant related to them. Get me a driver from suburban chicagoand i might be able to relate to him/her.

That's great but Will Power is never going to be popular in this country reguardless if you market him or not.

J.R. will be a fan favorite if he starts to win on a regular basis. No marketing is needed to root for an American driver.

[Chris Paff]

I see where he's going with this in that AA & Panther now have Americans as they're drivers. And extra credit to AA for having American drivers not only for it's IndyCar team but also it's USF2000 & Star Mazda ladder teams. And if Team Ganassi's announcement Thursday is indeed the confirmation of Rahal & Kimball as it's drivers it makes the percentage of full-time American drivers in the series at roughly 1/3rd.

1/3 is still a joke for an American based racing series

[Chris Paff]

However as far as other teams supposedly 'following their lead', what other American drivers are available & looking for an IndyCar ride as well as capable of running semi-successfully? I can only think of Townsend Bell and JR Summerton, both of which I'd like to see get rides. Perhaps also but less likely are Jimmy Kite and PJ Chesson both of which aren't going to be competitive at all on road or street courses and not running at the front on ovals even in a Penske machine. And of those drivers only Bell and possibly Summerton are likely to be even remotely competitive immediately.

#1 Maybe if those brilliant car owners would have been interested in hiring/developing the talented American drivers in the 1990-2000's we would have more American drivers that would be looking for Indycar rides. It was pretty clear there was no interest among those elite car owners.

#2 There is no reason why road racing has to be a major part on the Indycar schedule.

#3 If Will Power can run some what near the front in a Penske car on a oval then Kite and Chesson certainly can. IMO

[redmist]

That's great but Will Power is never going to be popular in this country reguardless if you market him or not.

J.R. will be a fan favorite if he starts to win on a regular basis. No marketing is needed to root for an American driver.

alright i'll play along. why will will power never be popular in this country? because he is an indycar driver? because he is australian? beacause he has a dry sense of humor? what exactly precludes him from becoming "popular".

[indyracefan]

That's great but Will Power is never going to be popular in this country reguardless if you market him or not.

J.R. will be a fan favorite if he starts to win on a regular basis. No marketing is needed to root for an American driver.

And you can prove this and provide links to such proof right? Or are you simply the Amazing Karnac?

1/3 is still a joke for an American based racing series

Certainly better than 3 American drivers and a positive step forward. Did you think 15 American drivers were going to get hired? As I asked, what currently available and qualified American drivers looking for rides are being shunned?

#1 Maybe if those brilliant car owners would have been interested in hiring/developing the talented American drivers in the 1990-2000's we would have more American drivers that would be looking for Indycar rides. It was pretty clear there was no interest among those elite car owners.

Woulda, coulda, shoulda. I didn't ask for your opinion or thoughts on developing talent. I asked you what current available American drivers should be hired. Are you going to answer the question?

#2 There is no reason why road racing has to be a major part on the Indycar schedule.

We've been down this road a hundred times. Don't you ever get tired of repeating yourself, especially after so many have offered reasons & explanations why the situation is what it is?? Right or wrong none of us can change history and it's a drag to live in the past. Despite what you or I think should be, let's talk & deal with the reality of now, not fantasyland. I didn't ask for your thoughts or opinion on the schedule, I asked what current available American drivers should be hired to replace drivers currently in the series.

#3 If Will Power can run some what near the front in a Penske car on a oval then Kite and Chesson certainly can. IMO

Merely speculation and opinion on your part. My opinion is they can't. I didn't ask about Will Power or any other driver, I asked what current, available, qualified American drivers should be hired to replace current drivers.

So again as in my first post, I only asked what qualified, currently available American drivers should be hired to replace any current drivers. I don't want or care for your opinion about the past, CART, team owners, foreign drivers, driver development, the schedule, the cars, the color of the sky.

[Chris Paff]

alright i'll play along. why will will power never be popular in this country? because he is an indycar driver? because he is australian? beacause he has a dry sense of humor? what exactly precludes him from becoming "popular".

Because he is a foreign driver racing in the US that no one has heard of before coming to the states. Also add in the fact the guy has a personality of a cardboard box.