The braintrust at TrackSide Online reports that the rookie list is now official, and it appears the Nigel Mansell rule of “If you haven’t been a regular HERE you’re a rookie, pal” is in full effect. The list:
• Enrique Bernoldi
• Jay Howard
• Mario Moraes
• Hideki Mutoh
• Franck Perara
• Will Power
• Graham Rahal
• Justin Wilson
• Ernesto Viso
There are definitely more proven veterans on that list of rookies, but considering the equipment handed to him I’m going to say this is far and away Hideki Mutoh’s Rookie of the Year award to lose. In fact so convinced am I of this that if Godzilla fails to claim this honor, I will personally congratulate the winner by renaming this site “My Name Is...(insert hypothetical rookie's name)” for a full week next fall. No joke.
And speaking of rookies, grizzled IRL veteran Danica Patrick has a few words of advice.
"We're going to show them the ropes," she said. "They're going to see what it's like out there. They're going to see in practice what it's like, how chaotic it can be and close we run and how often we run that close.According to the same report from TSO, she definitely means it.
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Later in the session, (Franck) Perara had found some traffic, but was now unhappy with how the IndyCar Series drivers were passing him. The main issue appeared to be that when someone went around him, they would move back in to his line very quickly. He remembered from the drivers meeting that you aren't supposed to move in front of someone and take away their air.Fronkensteen can take a number at the Danica Complaint Desk. Line forms to the right, behind the bloodied carcasses of Dan Wheldon and Jaques Lazier.
I wasn't able to see these passes from my vantage point, so it's hard to see if this is a legit complaint, or just a different interpretation of how much room someone really needed to get cleared.
Perara was especially upset with Danica who moved in front of him after making a pass at one point.
welcome to oval racing...it's fast and in close proximity. deal with it. it's not as easy as it looks.
nice to see danica treating the newbies with the same quality loving she gives the rest of the league. fronk must have missed the part of the meeting where they addressed the danica exception
My Name is Enrique
Catchy!
Fronkenstein needs to learn the IRL prime directive: Thou Shalt Not Crash Danica! out of the Race!
This is similar to the N-Word's prime directive: Thou Shalt Not Crash Junior out of the Race, Lest ye be bombarded by ale cans hurled by angry villagers.
Ah yes, here we go with the Danica bashing again. This gets old guys. No one says a word about Spiderman's "hissy fit" when he stomped from his wreck with Vitor all the way to the Infield Care Center, nor do they point fingers at Well Done for all the wrecks he has caused, including some that appeared deliberate. No no, if Danica says she has a hang nail, then she must be whining about it.
Can you spell DOUBLE STANDARD ??
Ahh, the Frenchman is whining. This is good though. A little drama already, and we haven't even qualified yet. Woo hoo.
Imagine that, Danica chopping someone's line...
well there is a valid point
but i do cheer ms. patrick on
actually i was very excited when she was briefly on the... pole
I'm still going with danica in kc
for the comments that there is a double standard with Danica and Wheldon, there are some things different between the two.
1. Wheldon isn't a whiner who blames everyone but himself.
2. Wheldon has actually won something.
3. Wheldon is actually amusing, where as Danica has the personality of a celery stalk.
That's alright, Danica...show the tenderfoots what REAL racing is all about! This IS the big time now!