matos going green, andretti/green [Archive]

jonovision_man

01-18-08, 02:36 PM

Why would a good driver go to IPS? What is the point?

What's the point in staying in ChampCar-land? Will there even be a series for him to graduate to in 2009?

AGR can get him into the IRL, on the best team in the IRL. It's a no-brainer IMO.

Read Dan Clarke's comments. He's not a hater, he's just trying to make a career here.

"The only drivers who can survive in Champ Car are the ones who have sponsors," he told Autosport. "I love racing in America and I want to start earning a living here.

"The IRL is one of the few series where drivers can get paid and you can work your way up. Sam Hornish started at Panther and moved to Penske, Ryan Briscoe has been around for a few years and now he's landed a Penske drive too."

jono

nrc

01-18-08, 02:39 PM

$$$$$$$$$

Correction:
¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥

Methanolandbrats

01-18-08, 02:45 PM

Correction:
¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥ :D

Gnam

01-18-08, 02:55 PM

Our sources in the Atlantic series are saying that the rumors about Matos going to Andretti Green Racing (AGR) in the IRL's IPS series are correct. Apparently the situation inside Champ Car is such that many of the teams are getting multi-million dollar subsidies in the form of free tires and engine leases from Champ Car. But if they take Matos with his $2 million, they do not get these subsidies... thus, taking less cash from a paying driver like Dan Clarke, added to their subsidies, results in an overall higher dollar figure. Champ Car wants Matos to drive for Rocketsports, which is a back-of-the-field team, and this one-year deal includes no salary, no travel expenses and all prize money goes to the team. On the other hand, AGR is offering him a 3-year deal, decent salary, test days in the IRL car and the chance to move up in a commercially-viable team that operates in both the IRL and ALMS. You really can't blame Raphael.

Source-AR1
The real damage is to the value of the $2M prize. Will the Atlantic teams still compete for it?

Easy

01-18-08, 04:06 PM

Why would a good driver go to IPS? What is the point?

TO learn ovals before a full time ride in 09. AGR is going to pay him, they have the Acura prototype to put him in for enduros and of course the inevitable 5th AGR entry so they can scrape together 33 in May.

I don't blame him at all, he said he had no decent deals for the $2mil in CCWS. Everyone but Walker wanted the $2mil plus another $2mil and Walker had nothing solid at this point.

extramundane

01-18-08, 04:13 PM

Champ Car wants Matos to drive for Rocketsports

I'd switch to IPS too.

Methanolandbrats

01-18-08, 04:13 PM

TO learn ovals before a full time ride in 09. AGR is going to pay him, they have the Acura prototype to put him in for enduros and of course the inevitable 5th AGR entry so they can scrape together 33 in May.

I don't blame him at all, he said he had no decent deals for the $2mil in CCWS. Everyone but Walker wanted the $2mil plus another $2mil and Walker had nothing solid at this point. If you don't end up all held together with pins and screws, that fat cash from Mikey is a good deal :thumbup:

Fio1

01-18-08, 07:15 PM

So basically it's a question of what is better; going to Rocketsport or IPS with Andretti-Green. :shakehead

Sucks!

jonovision_man

01-18-08, 07:18 PM

So basically it's a question of what is better; going to Rocketsport or IPS with Andretti-Green. :shakehead

Sucks!

It's also not getting paid vs. drawing a salary.

The one justification I could see for sticking it out in CCWS is to keep a hope of an F1 ride alive. Nobody in F1 cares if you did ovals, and it wouldn't get him into a GP2 ride... but if that's not on his radar...

jono

cameraman

01-18-08, 07:19 PM

So basically it's a question of what is better; going to Rocketsport or IPS with Andretti-Green. :shakehead

Makes Grand Am sound wonderful

cameraman

01-18-08, 07:22 PM

Nobody in F1 cares if you did ovals, and it wouldn't get him into a GP2 ride... but if that's not on his radar...

Then what is? Your career goal is to race against Milka?

Rogue Leader

01-18-08, 07:36 PM

If I was him Id do it too.....

jonovision_man

01-18-08, 07:38 PM

Then what is? Your career goal is to race against Milka?

If his true goal is F1 then what's he doing in Atlantics? Should be in F3, then GP2, then F1. That's the path 90% of F1 drivers take... CCWS is a really tough way to get to F1 these days, Sebastian had to absolutely dominate for years to get even a crappy F1 ride.

He could have a really good career at AGR, make money, race in the Indy 500... I can see the appeal.

jono

Fio1

01-18-08, 08:34 PM

Easy

01-18-08, 09:31 PM

You have to understand that he's Brazilian and he is influenced by Tony Kanaan, Helio Casto Neves and the other Brazilians living in Miami. Also, he doesn't come from big family money, so like AJ, when he saw $$$ he :eek: lost all reality and signed on the dotted line......

Yeah, its unfathomable that guys who drive race cars for their living want to be compensated for it. Fantasy Island of course will never understand that concept.

nissan gtp

01-18-08, 09:49 PM

So basically it's a question of what is better; going to Rocketsport or IPS with Andretti-Green. :shakehead

Sucks!

If that's the choice, he made the right decision

Sean Malone

01-18-08, 10:30 PM

If that's the choice, he made the right decision

Until Milka puts him in the wall and he's wearin' a halo for 9 months.

Dr. Corkski

01-19-08, 03:24 AM

Until Milka puts him in the wall and he's wearin' a halo for 9 months.And it's still better than Rocketsports.

Spicoli

01-19-08, 11:24 AM

I'd switch to IPS too.

i'd **** the fat girl twice given that mandate.

paul gentiloser = dumbest mother****er on the planet, with even worse luck and even worser womens.

Accipiter

01-19-08, 12:46 PM

Matos is a mediocrity, and AGR only took him to get a political win for the IRL.

Fio1

01-19-08, 03:22 PM

Bet you some of his 'salary' and running cost has been subsidized by TonyG himself. Think about it. What better way to make the IRL feeder series more attractive then F.Atlantics, than to get the Atlantic series champ to give up the 2-mil/CCWS ride to join the IRL feeder series instead? ;)

To me F.Atlantics was much stronger in the past few seasons then Infinity Pro-Series. Especially with the European racers. Remember with the dollar being so weak racing in America is a great deal to the Europeans. You know a lot of F3 guys are looking Stateside. Tony G understands that. All's fair in love and war, eh? ;)

jonovision_man

01-19-08, 03:30 PM

To me F.Atlantics was much stronger in the past few seasons then Infinity Pro-Series. Especially with the European racers.

No question... Atlantics is the one thing they really did get right, and IPS has been an embarrassment since the start.

It's just a shame that CCWS itself is so screwed up that even $2M isn't enough for the kid to get a ride, that can only hurt the best feeder series on this side of the Atlantic, and only helps what used to be the most dysfunctional.

jono

Easy

01-19-08, 05:19 PM

Matos is a mediocrity, and AGR only took him to get a political win for the IRL.

Thank you, Larry King.

01-23-08, 12:38 PM

No question... Atlantics is the one thing they really did get right,

jonoNot the only bright spot in CCWS - They also have Tony Cotman.:gomer:

What's next? Panoz recall the DP01??

jonovision_man

01-23-08, 01:42 PM

Not the only bright spot in CCWS - They also have Tony Cotman.:gomer:

OK, I'm starting a thread. :)

jono

03-04-08, 12:46 PM

So how smart does Matos look now?

If he had waited, he could be getting fittedd for a seat in the Big Show, instead of the Also Ran.:laugh:

extramundane

03-04-08, 02:17 PM

He probably wouldn't have a seat right now. The main argument for his jumping in the first place was that no teams showed much interest in his paltry $2 mil and that he'd likely be assigned to Rocketsports if he got a ride at all. Since PG's not likely to make the jump (and, without KK/GF picking up the slack, likely uninterested in "only" $2mil), he'd be in the same position of trying to shop $2mil to teams that want 2-3x that. And that's assuming the $2mil prize would have even been offered post-amalgamerger, which may well be a bad assumption.

And if you're gonna be stuck running over there, might as well get paid to drive for AGR, rather than try to buy a ride with one of the bottom feeders.

nrc

03-04-08, 08:38 PM

I have to agree. He probably got lucky because the two mill is probably null and void since the mergicrapitulation.

Easy

03-05-08, 12:19 PM

I'd think he's still better off as well. Even if they didn't pull the $2mil he'd be in a weak team that now has unfamiliar equipment and 4 days of testing to get up to speed with Ganassi, Penske and AGR who have 5 years of data, testing, wind tunnel, etc.. Would have had 0 chance of being competitive and in this scenario he will likely be in a top notch ride for the Indy 500 which is still one of the biggest races in the world.

Servia (pre-buyout) said he thought it was a good decision after he heard that seat fitting day at AGR for Matos included the IPS, Acura P2 and IndyCar.

Besides, he is getting a paycheck. Kind of an important part of being a professional racing driver.

03-05-08, 12:42 PM

OK, I'm wrong. He does look smart now. Forgot about the Rocketpower seat.

I myself would go edit my last post and make myself I look smarter, except extramundane himself quoted me.

:p

extramundane

03-05-08, 01:00 PM

OK, I'm wrong. He does look smart now. Forgot about the Rocketpower seat.

I myself would go edit my last post and make myself I look smarter, except extramundane himself quoted me.

:p

He did?

:D

JT265

03-05-08, 05:52 PM

OK, I'm wrong. He does look smart now. Forgot about the Rocketpower seat.

I myself would go edit my last post and make myself I look smarter, except extramundane himself quoted me.

:p

A wise man once said, "you can't fix stupid son". :p

:rofl: