My latest offering

[rabbit]

I wonder what my email box will look like Monday morning? :) (http://www.limanews.com/display/inn_sports/sports05.txt)

[DaveL]

Good piece.

The only point I'd take issue with your claiming that Unser Jr had significant short/dirt track experience. He did drive on those tracks for a brief period at the very beginning of his career, but his last stop before CART was the reincarnation of CanAm. He is far more of a trained road racer than oval tracker, and his career results reflect that.

[SteveH]

Oh oh, rabbit you are a marked man. Lemmings surfing the net are going to go nuts. Have fun on Monday opening your mail. :-)

BTW - very good article.

[Lizzerd]

You are right about Jr., Dave. But rabbit mentioned that he was only one of two that had ANY experience on the short ovals.

I saw Ms. Fisher a few years ago at IRP, before her irl gig, start from the pole in the sprint feature. She quickly faded to fourth, and retired from the race (suspension failure, I think) while in eighth. Less than an a good first impression to this race fan.

And rabbit... Put on your nomex suit and hire security for your family. Good piece, too.

[Chief]

Well, what you are seeing here is a failure to communicate. I expect a towel, any towel, to be thrown in soon. His majesty has failed to achieve the peoples desires and therefore he must be de-throned. Down with the lord. :thumdown:

[devilmaster]

Good article Rab. :thumbup:

I don't envy the sheite you will have to wade through come monday morning.

Steve

[Napoleon]

:thumbup:

[Cam]

Gotta love it when someone does the right thing and calls a spade just that!!:cool:

[skidmarks]

Beautiful I :laugh: , I :cry: , it became a part of me.

Is there any chance this could be picked up by AP? It would be nice to see this article in every major market. (not dissin' Lima).

[Hot Rod Otis]

:thumbup: :thumbup: Good article rabbit. Being an open-wheel racing fan is pretty depressing nowdays.

[mello]

Wow that was great! You did a super job on that article.

[Spicoli]

Excellent read Mr. Rabbit. I may have to subscribe to the LimaNews, and cancel my local IRLStar.

Can you go head to head with Curt Cave-in? :saywhat:

[Classic Apex]

Outstanding!

Top Notch, top notch!

How 'bout a Fresca?


:D

[rocket]

Great article:thumbup:

[Joe in LA]

Originally posted by DaveL
Good piece.

The only point I'd take issue with your claiming that Unser Jr had significant short/dirt track experience. He did drive on those tracks for a brief period at the very beginning of his career, but his last stop before CART was the reincarnation of CanAm. He is far more of a trained road racer than oval tracker, and his career results reflect that.

Yep. Look at his race wins--far better results on street/road circuits than on ovals.

[rabbit]

Originally posted by DaveL
The only point I'd take issue with your claiming that Unser Jr had significant short/dirt track experience. And you'd be correct in saying so. I was trying to give them a little bit of benefit of the doubt. Otherwise, I'd get a fistful of "What about Al Unser Jr.?" emails.

[DaveL]

Originally posted by rabbit
And you'd be correct in saying so. I was trying to give them a little bit of benefit of the doubt. Otherwise, I'd get a fistful of "What about Al Unser Jr.?" emails.

Understood.

And Al's road racing pedigree made his statements about the sanctity of oval racing so meaningless and ridiculous when he left to go to the IRL.

[devilmaster]

Hey Rab - without giving any personal info away,

If you get any really funny emails that argue with you, can ya post em here? I could use a good lemming laugh.

;)

Steve

[lone_groover]

Fiat Lux....!!!

:thumbup: :) :thumbup:

[Warlock!]

Were the e-mails that bad??? Or don't you keep articles up very long? I can't find it from the link anymore... :confused:

Warlock!

[rabbit]

Originally posted by Warlock!
Were the e-mails that bad??? Or don't you keep articles up very long? I can't find it from the link anymore... :confused:

Warlock! Try this (http://www.limanews.com/display/inn_sports/Sunday/sports05.txt)
Sorry, the links change when the new days stories are posted.

[Racewriter]

Good article, Rabbit. I might take minor issue with you here and there - for instance, there's a lot more to short oval racing than just dirt tracks, of course - but overall, a nice piece.

Incidentally, I watched Al Jr. run a sprinter with the WoO at Lakeside Speedway in 1979. The kid could flat get it in a sprinter. He was excellent in CanAm, too, but he'd have been a champ in the sprinters if he'd run another few years.

[rabbit]

Here's a typical email I received, (name changed)....

I have been going to Indy for 39 years now and I must say that it is
articles like yours in the Sunday paper that are the main reason I will
NEVER subscribe to your rag. When someone handed me your article about the
Indy 500, what I read was the typical crap about Tony George destoying what
Indy once was. The simple fact is that Indy Car racing had its problems long
before the split of 96. The racing last season in the IRL was the best I
have seen in ANY series in my entire life. Were you at any of them??? I
doubt it. You were too busy with your agenda laden poison pen. Articles like
you print are much more responsible for any decline in ticket sales than
anything Tony George EVER did. For all practical purposes, your beloved CART
is DONE as the premier open wheel circuit in America. They will go on as a
road race series only. The IRL will continue to GROW, and much faster, if
people like you and your ilk would keep their half truths to yourselves. I
respect your right to write anything you want, I'm just telling you that it
is a bunch of dung. Why don't you try writing about the racing once, instead
of counting ticket sales and studying tv ratings??? {John Smith}
And here's my reply....

{John,}
Thanks for your email. I am well aware of the history of the Indy 500 and open wheel racing in North America. It has been my passion since I was eight years old. I witnessed the split firsthand. It was completely unnecessary. The fact of the matter is that the sport was experiencing tremendous growth through the late 80s and early-to-mid 90s. Crowds were getting bigger all the time. The racing was exciting. Venues like Cleveland, Road America, MIS, Australia, Toronto, Nazareth and Phoenix were producing great crowds and thrilling races.

If you had read my columns regularly you would know I have been critical of CART as well, especially in terms of the direction it took post-split. The self-serving owners nearly destroyed the series. I find it ironic that these owners are now showered with praise for giving the IRL credibilty. It seems rather hypocritical to me.

You asked if I attended any IRL races last year. I, in fact, attended two of them and watched most of the others on TV. The first was one of the most screwed up finishes in racing history. If Tony George and Brian Barnhart are incapable of not only deciding who was ahead when the flag came out, but if it was even an appealable decision, how can they be deemed capable of deciding how the sport should be run?

When IRL supporters say IndyCar racing was in trouble before the split, what they really mean is that the Indy 500 was in trouble before the split. In this regard, they are correct. Tony George started the IRL as a knee-jerk reaction to the dwindling Indy-centricism within the sport. The Indy 500 lived off of hype for decades. When people began to see it as "just another race" (which it is), George made his power grab.

Now Indy is more insignificant than ever and so is the sport as a whole. You suggest that the IRL will grow much faster if I would keep my "half truths" to myself. I suggest you greatly overestimate my influence. But if what you say is true, I will refuse to keep my mouth shut. I and a great many others have great distaste not only for what the IRL stands for, but for the product itself.

That said, my job isn't to support any one series over another for the sake of growth. My job is to report what happens, and occassionally offer my opinion. Go back through The Lima News archives and read what I've said about the IRL. When I write a story about a race, I remain completely unbiased. I treat CART, IRL, NASCAR and Limaland the same. But I will not water down my beliefs when I write a column.

I love racing and that's why I write about it. It is the only reason I got into this business in the first place. It's unfortunate you don't subscribe to this "rag." You're missing out on the best racing coverage in the area. You won't find IRL coverage in the Wapakoneta Daily News or on TV 35 or on any local radio station. I would hope it would take more than an occasional column that calls a spade a spade to keep you away.

BTW - positive emails outnumbered negative by a 2-1 margin.

[devilmaster]

WTG rab....

I wonder if he'll email you back

And perhaps very telling is the fact that you got kudo emails 2 to 1.....

Nobody wants to buy the bs anymore...

Steve

[turn1]

Rock on Rabbit! I can't wait to catch up with you again in Cleveland....

[RaceChic]

Originally posted by turn1
Rock on Rabbit! I can't wait to catch up with you again in Cleveland....

Both of you are going to Cleveland? I hope to meet both of you.
Well written BTW. :thumbup: :thumbup:

[turn1]

I have been a volunteer since 1995 and the Volunteer PR Manager for the past 5 years or so. Rabbit has volunteered for many years as well, with an abundance of stories to share....

;)