Usually the authority on racing fiction is our buddy pressdog, but it seems now everyone wants to get into the act.
Now that Danica Patrick has stepped into the win column in the Indy Racing League -- too bad it had to come in the middle of the night in Japan -- the conjecture has begun about when she will switch to NASCAR.
If she wins Sunday at Kansas Speedway, the racing pundits will have her in that proposed fourth Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet faster than you can say oval. - London Free Press
Because if you were looking for a top-level stock car driver, you would naturally look to a driver who's 1 for 50 in a career as a top-level IndyCar driver.
ESPN.com's Marty Smith reported Wednesday that multiple sources close to Joe Gibbs Racing are saying that Tony Stewart has told Joe Gibbs that he would like to be released from the final year of his contract, which runs through 2009.
Just a guess, but my hunch is that Stewart wants to make another run or two at the Indianapolis 500, which means a return to his open-wheel roots. - The Grand Rapids Press
Just a guess, but my hunch is Smoke can't fit in the tub anymore. Methinks he's eating at Subway more than three times a day.
According to motorsport-total.com, (Rubens) Barrichello could be poised to hang up his Formula One helmet at the end of the season and head to the IndyCar Series in the United States to see out his final years. The Brazilian has apparently received an offer to join the crack Andretti Green Racing outfit - where he would link up with old friend Tony Kanaan and Motegi racewinner Danica Patrick - for 2009.
The report also suggests that the Brazilian could be half of a 'swap' deal that would see the Andretti name return to Formula One. Marco Andretti, son of former McLaren pilot Michael, has already tested on a couple of occasions with Honda and has made no secret of his interest in making it to Formula One - but he could face some stern opposition from other young hopefuls who have made their way up the conventional European ladder. - Yahoo! Sport UK
Somewhere an overworked AGR rep is weeping at the wave of inquiries this will add to a week otherwise filled with 24-hour Danicamania, and somewhere else Tony Kanaan is having quite a laugh.
Long Beach Preview
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Is it just me, or does it seem like we have gone months without an IndyCar
race? If you want to get technical, we have. The last points-paying race
was run...
7 hours ago
my money's on Stewart coming back to indy car .. he's a true-blood racer, of the Foyt variety... he wants to race.
Marco may have to do better than DNF in two out of three races to get an F1 shot, even with The Name. I guess becoming the league where F1 drivers go to fade out is a step up.
No Dice on Smoke coming back to the IRL, according to the Tin-Top crowd:
As was reported in the Frontstretch’s daily e-newsletter just this morning, Stewart is in talks to drive for Haas CNC Racing next season. The deal would include an ownership stake in the Hendrick satellite team as well as a seat. So, in effect, he’ll be a quasi-teammate to the triumvirate.
. . .
My inclination is that Chevy wanted him back so bad, it’s willing to pour whatever additional resources Stewart requests into the operation. Good or bad, this move will generate interest, and that’s always a good thing.
Check here (warning, N-word heavy site) for the rest of the story. Don't know if it's true or not, but remember that as much as we'd like to see Tony in an Indy Car, as of next month it's been seven years since he ran an Indy Car. Tony's talented, but that's a long time to step away from an Indy Car seat. That's a steep learning curve for any driver.
As for Young Padawan, unless he's driving for Ferrari, McLaren, or maybe Williams or Sauber, it's a waste of his time and money, IMO. I agree with 'Dog, and further wonder if his father's performance in 1993 has tarnished the glow of The Name.