"I don't know if they look up to me or not. I think the attitudes of these drivers has changed. When I came up, when I first started, I mean, I didn't say nothing to anybody. I looked down. You know, I saw A.J., Rick, Mario, I'd look down at the ground like a scared dog.
So the drivers nowadays have big attitudes and they're highly confident in themselves, never think they're wrong about anything. I think if I did some of the stuff that goes on on the tracks today at the age of some of these young kids, running guys, you know, down into the grass and into the pit wall, I mean, if I did that when I was 21, 22 years old to a guy like A.J. or Mario, they'd come down and pull me behind the garage and kick the crap out of me"
- Paul Tracy, reminiscing about the good 'ol days before he gets into a car to drive for AJ Foyt in the AJ Foyt 225 at THE Milwaukee Mile this weekend.
Kids these days.
ReplyDeleteLOL! I laughed my a** off when I read that quote.
ReplyDeleteWait, WAIT, WAIT!!!!!!!PAUL TRACY, Mr "Hey Roger, watch THIS!" El KA-BLAMO! as a rookie driving for Penske at Michigan in 1991, Mr "OK, Mr. Penske, I'll take it easy leaving the pits" SKREEEEECH El KA-BLAMO! as an Indianapolis 500 rookie driving for the same Roger Penske in 1992, Mr "Chrome Horn" is now counseling young drivers to be patient and respectful to other drivers.
ReplyDeletePaul Tracy counseling patience is like Lindsay Lohan preaching temperance. :^P
Still, somehow mrs. mmack and I can't wait to see him and AJ valiantly attempt to work together at The Mile this Sunday.
I have to confess, I about fell off my chair when this "marriage" was announced and then THIS? I can't recall PT ever being so modest as to look at the ground like a scared dog.
ReplyDeleteWonder if there'll be fisticuffs if PT puts Tex's car into the fence.
One, ok two other things... Most of the "young-uns" racing in the IRL today would not have been capable of managing the tempermental and at times nearly impossible to handle cars that men like Mario and AJ drove.... Lest ye forget, guys like AJ and Mario invented wheel stagger and also worked in the development of many of the suspension and aerodynamic related accomplishments that are taken for granted today. Most of which they accomplished by use of the seat of their pants. Oh, and one more thing, no safer barrier, no fuel cells, or frangible race car components... They had drive like banshees to win and earn a living and survive from one season to the next (perhaps the reason why many of them exchanged Christmas cards during the summer months).... Paul Tracy came on the very heels of that era. An era when race car drivers drove everything and anything with wheels and an internal combustion engine...I am afraid we will never see another era quite like it.
ReplyDeleteOne, ok two other things... Most of the "young-uns" racing in the IRL today would not have been capable of managing the tempermental and at times nearly impossible to handle cars that men like Mario and AJ drove.... Lest ye forget, guys like AJ and Mario invented wheel stagger and also worked in the development of many of the suspension and aerodynamic related accomplishments that are taken for granted today. Most of which they accomplished by use of the seat of their pants. Oh, and one more thing, no safer barrier, no fuel cells, or frangible race car components... They had drive like banshees to win and earn a living and survive from one season to the next (perhaps the reason why many of them exchanged Christmas cards during the summer months).... Paul Tracy came on the very heels of that era. An era when race car drivers drove everything and anything with wheels and an internal combustion engine...I am afraid we will never see another era quite like it. Ken from Melbourne….
ReplyDeleteOne, ok two other things... Most of the "young-uns" racing in the IRL today would not have been capable of managing the tempermental and at times nearly impossible to handle cars that men like Mario and AJ drove.... Lest ye forget, guys like AJ and Mario invented wheel stagger and also worked in the development of many of the suspension and aerodynamic related accomplishments that are taken for granted today. Most of which they accomplished by use of the seat of their pants. Oh, and one more thing, no safer barrier, no fuel cells, or frangible race car components... They had drive like banshees to win and earn a living and survive from one season to the next (perhaps the reason why many of them exchanged Christmas cards during the summer months).... Paul Tracy came on the very heels of that era. An era when race car drivers drove everything and anything with wheels and an internal combustion engine...I am afraid we will never see another era quite like it. Ken from Melbourne….
ReplyDeleteWhat a PR pimp. I watched PT run Mutoh into the grass in the back straight last Sunday. Good thing Hideki's a good driver Paul...
ReplyDelete