What's up with Foyt Team ??

[ajl75]

Originally posted by Dinosaurs & Methanol:
<STRONG>I agree with the one car team thinking, but it should be Salazar that AJ keeps, not Ray or Dare.

Like it or not, Salazar is the most experienced driver in Foyt's stable, and consistant top 10 finisher as well.</STRONG>

Hmm... 40+ year old driver, who hasn't won since '97, recovering from a serious injury--

--or a 23 year old up-and-comer with a win and a 3rd, and several other good runs this year.

Real tough choice.

[jrandrew00]

Originally posted by Jimmy Hendricks:
<STRONG>

Dare's great run at Kansas aside, Foyt's team has been fairly uncompetitive most of this year.

</STRONG>

You must of missed most of the Homestead race, Texas, Richmond, Nashville. Homestead he was in the top 3 with a few laps remaining till the car was so loose that he wrecked and still finished in the top 10. Texas he was battling with Al Jr and Ward at the end and finished 3rd. Richmond he finished in the top 10. Nashville he was leading till Sam didn't go down to the white line and didn't know Sam was there and wrecked. Also Dare was running as fast as the leaders after every pit stop till the car would go loose again. At the first 4 races before Indy and still after learning the Dallara he was driving. He spent 2 years driving G-force which is a different design.

(edit this in) Almost forgot that he was in the top 10 when he got involved with Tomas' accident at Kentucky. He also had a top 10 run at Pikes Peak.

[ August 27, 2002: Message edited by: jrandrew00 ]

[BlueStang]

Originally posted by Jimmy Hendricks:
<STRONG>Foyt's season was doomed from the very beginning when he dumped Beechler at Homestead.</STRONG>

If you mean "after Homestead," I might agree. I don't think Beech was cleared medically to drive AT Homestead, once he crashed.

Blue

[BlueStang]

Originally posted by Jimmy Hendricks:
<STRONG>Foyt's season was doomed from the very beginning when he dumped Beechler at Homestead.</STRONG>

If you mean "after Homestead," I might agree. I don't think Beech was cleared medically to drive AT Homestead, once he crashed.

Blue

[beyondnascar]

I agree, dump the NASCAR effort, and bring it all over to the IRL and IPS. Throw Larry into an IPS car and get the ball rolling.

[Indyknut]

I'd say AJ needs to reavaluate his entire operation over the winter, Including his pathetic WC entry. Rebuild the team, starting with Dare only in a car and funnel his resources there. The WC effort seems to be a distraction and a rather wasted one at that. I'd bring the IV up at the beginning of the season in a second car or a little later if he needs a little more IPS polishing. AJ and Airton would be good mentors.

No third car and dump Salazar(no offense cristalfan).


[ August 27, 2002: Message edited by: trac-champ ]

[Jimmy Hendricks]

Foyt's season was doomed from the very beginning when he dumped Beechler at Homestead.

Then, when he looked like he was doing Donnie a favor at Indy by giving him a ride, he didn't even let him try and qualify the car (Yes, it rained, but Beechler spent most of that Sunday parked).

Dare's great run at Kansas aside, Foyt's team has been fairly uncompetitive most of this year.

At least AJ IV has shown a lot of talent in IPS. Maybe he can help rekindle some of Tex's interest in the future.

[42T]

Originally posted by Dinosaurs & Methanol:
<STRONG>Like it or not, Salazar is the most experienced driver in Foyt's stable, and consistant top 10 finisher as well.</STRONG>

yes, like it or not

[Dinosaurs & Methanol]

I agree with the one car team thinking, but it should be Salazar that AJ keeps, not Ray or Dare.

Like it or not, Salazar is the most experienced driver in Foyt's stable, and consistant top 10 finisher as well.

[EdJVuky]

AJ needs to bring back Tommy LaMance to manage the team. When he was around, they were winning.

[EngineV8]

hmm .. from the 2000 season, Salazar was very usefull for the Foyt team. He did all the work setting up the cars, always was quickly than his teammates, and bring some money to the team. So, hope his retirement, is a little unfair, because he always show speed when he had a good race car.

Maybe AJ needs a person that managment his team with a "new vision" of racing ??, you know, Aj is an old race guy, but in 2003, some things that he do seems like he still think that is 1970.

[ajl75]

Salazar has had a nice, long, reasonably successful career in the IRL. One win, several other podiums, often competitive. He's been a villain for most of us due to his rough driving and his somewhat-less-than modern outlook toward women in auto racing (although he seems to be a national hero in Chile). But I was glad to see him recover from that nasty wreck at Indy and finish the season.

All said, though, it's probably about time for him to retire from driving. Hope he sticks around the IRL, maybe starts a team.

Greg Ray is a tough guy to figure out. Hope he pulls it together and gets his career back on track. Lord knows I've dissed the guy plenty over the years, but he's a former league champ and Indy pole winner... I'd hate to see his career fall off the face of the earth. But this Ray/Foyt combination doesn't seem to be working well.

If I were everyone's favorite portly Texan, I'd bring Airton back in the #14, and go into sponsor hunting mode for the 2nd car... and only run it if I found the $$ to do it right. Otherwise, I'd just work toward the grandkid's debut in '04.

[Lost in the South]

Originally posted by CrewChief:
<STRONG>

Bingo...they need to ditch Ray and just do 2 cars. Dare had run good the last couple of races but had been taken out in accidents, but the bottom line is 2 cars is all they cna handle.</STRONG>

It would be nice if was just two cars, but I count at least six and sometimes seven.

NASCAR-1
BUSCH-1
IRL-3
IPS-1

and five of those use the Harrah's money. Harrah's is a big outfit, but they aren't funding five different rides.

[AdamM]

No testing equals no results. Thier gearing for the track was out to lunch when they showed up and it took two full practice sessions to even come close to figuring it out.

[Mista Bone]

"Them other races are just fillers"