NASCAR Star Moving To F1?

[RacerX]

Well, it could happen -

Sporting director Peter Windsor has named NASCAR's Las Vegas-born Kyle Busch as an ideal driver for the new USF1 team in 2011.



Briton Windsor, who with Ken Anderson aims for their Charlotte-based team to debut next season, said he keeps up to date with the 24-year-old's progress "on a daily basis almost.


"If I was Kyle, I'd be saying to myself, yeah, those guys all talk the talk, let's see what they do, let's see what the car's like. Let's see what the race shop is like. Fair enough," he told USA Today.

Windsor revealed that he has already met with Busch's business team, and is confident his talents would transfer to formula one.

"If he wants to jump in our car next year for doing some demonstrations here in the States, he's very welcome to do that," he added.

Busch is under contract to his Sprint Cup team Joe Gibbs Racing until the end of 2010.

Marco Andretti, the son of 1993 McLaren driver Michael and the grandson of 1978 world champion Mario, has also been linked with USF1, but the team is likely to make its plans for 2010 without an American driver.

"It's not because I don't rate him (Andretti), but I don't think he'd be right driver at the right time, or equally that we're the right team," said Windsor.

I've always thought there has to be at least one NASCAR star that wants to drive a real car with a real power-to-weight ratio, has real brakes, and one that turns both left and right. Maybe it'll be Kyle Bush, who knows? But it is an interesting though, isn't it?

So USF1 starts there campaign without an American driver? Yeah, that will bring the American fans out in droves! What a crock.

[chopperdave]

I personally don't think that a NASCAR driver in any capacity minus guys like Montoya, Tony Stewart, Robby Gordon...could be competitive or fit in with the F1 crowd. thats a big reason the US can't hold on to a F1 race date. there are talented US open-wheel drivers not in the IndyCar series that would be a great American rookie compliment to a veteran F1 driver from any nation. However given where Peter Windsor has worked previously and also Ken Anderson, I am content to sit back and see what jewel they reveal.

[RacerX]

Originally Posted by chopperdave

I personally don't think that a NASCAR driver in any capacity minus guys like Montoya, Tony Stewart, Robby Gordon...could be competitive or fit in with the F1 crowd. thats a big reason the US can't hold on to a F1 race date. there are talented US open-wheel drivers not in the IndyCar series that would be a great American rookie compliment to a veteran F1 driver from any nation. However given where Peter Windsor has worked previously and also Ken Anderson, I am content to sit back and see what jewel they reveal.

First off, neither Stewart nor Gordon could even fit in an open wheel car anymore!

Second, I used to feel that NASCAR drivers were a bunch of over-rated, over-hyped second rate racers, but I have to say I was wrong. None of the open wheel guys who made the switch to driving cabs in NASCAR have been able to make a dent in the series, besides maybe Montoya. Many good open wheel guys have treid couldn't even make the cut and the ones who did are still backmarkers out there years later. It's been pretty awful really...

[MSulka]

The media room continues to laugh hilariously over Windsor and his name-dropping.

I believe the new phrase is 'there is a time to say nothing, Peter.'

[Paul Goldman]

Originally Posted by RacerX

...So USF1 starts there campaign without an American driver? Yeah, that will bring the American fans out in droves! What a crock.

Geeze that's a vote of encouragement. A crock? How so? If you're investing millions of your own and other's money on a plan you've been hatching for a decade, you going to throw it all away in one year on a driver that's never been in an F1 car? Why not spend a year with a tested driver to help work out the kinks. American's haven't been interested in F1 since Mario, so what's another year?

Getting an American on that team this year is akin to spending a year planning a date Megan Fox, only to prematurely ejaculate at dinner.

Oh and never mind there is not one American driver who was issued a Superlicense this year, something you sort of need to drive in F1 next year.

[RacerX]

Well if he was planning this thing for a decade, then I think he had enough time to plan on getting an American driver for his car....

Poor planning on his part....

[IndyAndy]

What's involved in getting a superlicense anyway? Is it something that anyone who has shown that they have the chops for IndyCar/Indy Lights/Atlantics/etc. could manage w/o having to jump through too many hoops?

[skidmark]

Main requirements tend to be a proven track record in junior formula and a contract with an F1 team.

Typically the junior formula requirement tends to be 20 or more races in an internationally recognized series. But, there are exceptions to that rule.

Kimi Riakonnen was granted a superlicence after being plucked from Formula Renault UK with just 15 races under his belt when he joined Sauber as a Friday tester back in the days when they ran the first practice sessions with test drivers.

So, any of the names bandied about for the USF1 seat would probably be eligible for a licence as long as USF1 inked them to a contract.

[chopperdave]

while I agree with the fact that form wise none of them would fit LOL. but just because open-wheel drivers can't drive stock cars doesn't mean a stock car driver can pilot an open-wheel car. I still feel confident that Windsor and Anderson have everything right where they want it.

[Insighter]

It's ignorant of what it takes to build an F1 team to call not hiring an American straight away 'a crock.'

Drivers play a big role in car development. Nobody takes a new car and a new driver. That's a ridiculous notion. For a brand new team and a brand new car, two experienced drivers make sense. If you take an American on a team without a competitive car you are not doing him any favors that's for sure.

[Paul Goldman]

Originally Posted by chopperdave

... I still feel confident that Windsor and Anderson have everything right where they want it.

I agree entirely. The fact that they see this long term is encouraging. They know they need an experienced driver to get the car in shape. No sense in wasting money on an American driver who can't provide adequate feedback.
That had been Torro Rosso's mistake from the start. (Amongst many other mistakes). And with Toyota now gone the driver's market has freed up even more.

By the way, the pissing contest of F1 being more legitimate than NASCAR or drivers of this series are better than that series is mute. They are different disciplines. Clearly NASCAR is a ballbuster for open wheel drivers. But the IROC championship series doesn't even put the stock guys into single seaters since it's just too plain dangerous. I recall during his homerun record breaking year, Sammy Sossa took a few swings on a cricket pitch. He was helpless. Doesn't mean baseball is better or worse. Just a different discipline.

Paul

[RacerX]

Originally Posted by Insighter

It's ignorant of what it takes to build an F1 team to call not hiring an American straight away 'a crock.'

Drivers play a big role in car development. Nobody takes a new car and a new driver. That's a ridiculous notion. For a brand new team and a brand new car, two experienced drivers make sense. If you take an American on a team without a competitive car you are not doing him any favors that's for sure.

Hmmm, then USF1 probably won't have any American engineers, mechanics, or tire changers either.

Although I think we have some experienced janitors to keep the garage clean for all those experienced foreign professionals though...

[MSulka]

Originally Posted by Paul Goldman

Long Term

As much as I'd like to see all - except one - of the new teams succeed.

These are the two key words.

As I pointed out this summer....

If they are to succeed, all four teams will be able to assemble a budget of at least $50 million each during the worst economy since the early 1980s (U.S. - using recession stats).

If they are to succeed, they will have to design and assemble a proper F1 car from scratch.

If they are to succeed, the Cosworth engine will have to pull enough HP, this doesn't turn into a farce.

If they are to succeed, they need to do this all over again in 2011.

Long term.

Two very key words.

[Insighter]

Originally Posted by RacerX

Hmmm, then USF1 probably won't have any American engineers, mechanics, or tire changers either.

When experienced Americans are available I suspect they have an advantage. When they aren't, they shouldn't be thrust into a role they aren't capable of. If you want to grow American talent you need experience to lead them. I am happy to say that in your list above there are many experienced Americans in those fields. But if there were not it would be foolish to throw some junior engineers and tell them to run a F1 car.

Thank God you aren't running the show over there! It would be a guaranteed disaster.

[Paul Goldman]

Rereading this entire thread I have to confess I embarrass myself. Debating whether or not USF1 is legitimate or worthy is pointless. They'll be on the grid, this year bringing with them all their inexperience, and ballsy laudable effort of giving it a shot.

I'd initially thought the signing of JML was really weird. Even bringing his money to the table and his marginal F1 experience, the choice didn't make sense. With all the time and effort USF1 have put into this he was a choice for reasons we don't yet understand.

So here's my guess. Montoya's move to NASCAR was brilliant for both JPM and the series. It welcomed a whole new market to NASCAR or at least conveyed NASCAR's efforts towards a less pastey grid, and it ensured Montoya a near life-time of racing enjoyment with, now, an entire continent of fans to follow him. If you've ever spent time in any Latin American country, Montoya is the headline act, nearly every weekend.

If USF1 combined an experienced spanish speaking driver with an anglo guy, it would be, if you think of it as a team, the perfect American combination. JML won't attract attention on his own, but if the team generates momentum, they'll capture the most important thing an F1 team can have; a target specific market that will generate income.

If I ran an F1 team, my first year would be concentrated on ensuring a second year. Winning would not be as important as building enthusiasm and momentum. One could argue Americans don't really give a crap about winners, they care about stories. Earnhardt? So I'd want to create a story.
Young upstart team in the face of the mighty Euros.

Out on a limb here, I think the other guy has to be Summerton. The two drivers cover entirely different AMERICAN target audiences. Summerton is good. Or good enough. Sort of the dude version of Danica, all smiles and sandy blonde. And the fact that JML is still young and relatively green to F1, (but still experienced) adds to a package that American audience's admire; the scrappy young upstarts. Remember, the hispanic market in the States is less concerned whether or not you're born here. You just have to BE here. Like many Spanish speaking immigrants, like Montoya. JML and Summerton would be an American Cinderella story.

And, again it would capture two spots on the car for stickers. One in English and one in the language that comprises 15% of the US population.

Maybe not so weird thinking after all.

Paul

[MSulka]

Dear Paul,

See Jaime Algusari (I know I've spelled it wrong...again)...at Toro Rosso for what happens when all of the money is taken out of the sport.

We go back to doing what Formula One bosses do best....

Run auctions with a line of ride-buyers bidding on seats.

So much for the best driver getting the best seat they can.

[f1fan-sky]

Besides, poor Summerton is already out of the running. He's headed to Portimao to test for a F2 ride since USGP got his hopes up then dashed them. I wish him all the best.

[chopperdave]

actually what we are going back to is an internal F1 ladder. you'll have the small backmarkers, the midfielders, and the ones that are up front all the time. after this season who knows who will fit where. regardless its going back to mainly privateer efforts and internal series development and it is goood

[chopperdave]

http://en.espnf1.com/teamus/motorsport/story/5563.html

this gives us some more idea that USF1 is a-ok

[Insighter]

Not confidence inspiring to me. 'No rush' to sign drivers? Really?

And I don't understand his sentence about 'now in the hands of Cosworth.' I know for a fact they don't have a rolling chassis. They shouldn't be waiting for Cosworth to do anything, they already have a jigging engine.

[RacerX]

I'm not sure that the article makes me feel more confident.

Bernie wouldn't make such statements lightly. Statements like that could give already jittery sponsors the willies, so why would he start such a rumor? He is the all-knowing, all-seeing wizard of F1, so I'm sure he's getting his info from someplace or someone that is pretty solid.

[Insighter]

This is a sign of progress, though still many, many bits away from a rolling chassis.

[diamonddave]

^ that could be the defunct 'Falcon' chassis for all we know

[chopperdave]

wow you people really dont want to see these guys make it do you? has campos, virgin or Lotus released anything remotely this extensive yet about thier teams? I haven't seen any if they have. the charlotte boys will be in Bahrain and beyond

[diamonddave]

Originally Posted by chopperdave

wow you people really dont want to see these guys make it do you? has campos, virgin or Lotus released anything remotely this extensive yet about thier teams? I haven't seen any if they have. the charlotte boys will be in Bahrain and beyond

I'm pulling hard for USF1
I'm not 100% but I believe the other teams you mentioned have announced at least 1 driver per their teams and that they've 'crash tested' plus when they'll have their car testing etc.

[RacerX]

Here's the latest rumor on drivers for the team from Racer mag -

Sources in Argentina are reporting that that country's Jose Maria Lopez remains in line for a race drive at the new US F1 team, as the F3 racer and one-time Renault F1 tester first claimed late last year, and that the start-up team's other 2010 seat could go to British driver James Rossiter.

Argentina's Corsa claims Lopez, who has not raced a single-seater since running GP2 in 2006, says that Lopez has put together an $8m sponsor deal from agencies promoting Argentina tourism to race with the Charlotte-based team.

Rossiter (above), meanwhile, raced in the American Le Mans Series with Andretti Green's Acura team in 2008 and is an alumni of the Honda F1 team's Young Driver Program. He was a tester for the now defunct Super Aguri F1 squad, which was started with Honda seed money. Rossiter has raced for the past few years in the European-based World Series by Renault as well as British and Euro F3.

The two drivers' F1 test background should help pave the way for the necessary superlicenses from the FIA that would permit them to compete in grand prix racing. Lopez told an Argentine news agency that he expects to make an official announcement around Jan. 25.

[f1fan-sky]

And just how can Rossiter and Lopez qualify as the seasoned F1 talent Windsor claims to need to get his show up and running????

[MSulka]

Originally Posted by f1fan-sky

And just how can Rossiter and Lopez qualify as the seasoned F1 talent Windsor claims to need to get his show up and running????

$$$$s

[Insighter]

Rossiter I like. I think he is very talented. Although not experienced as the team needs, he has quite a bit of testing experience with Honda and Super Aguri. The Super Aguri team didn't last long but they certainly punched above their weight.