Mark Taylor Gets the Axe

[Chitowncartfreak]

It's about time. Two consecutive Pro Series champs who haven't amounted to squat in the IRL - Foyt, and now Taylor.

http://www.speedtv.com/articles/auto/indycar/11798/

[Wabbit]

Do you think Sarah will get the seat?

[Chief]

Gomers are rallying for Buddy. You got cash, you get the stash....so much for the VISION.

[racer2c]

Wait a second! You mean Buddy "Xtreme" Rice, the winner of this years Indy 500, who's celebrity owner was in tears with joy never gave him a full time ride? They don't know what Indy means!

[IlliniRacer]

Wait a second! You mean Buddy "Xtreme" Rice, the winner of this years Indy 500, who's celebrity owner was in tears with joy never gave him a full time ride? They don't know what Indy means!

The "other" Buddy. Of course, I think the dog from those Air Bud movies could probably do just as good of a job.


Do you think Sarah will get the seat?

I just checked her appearance calendar on her website and, surprisingly, she's available!

[Rob]

Apparently John Barnes was worried that the walls of Kansas City might also be on the verge of collapse.

[Chaos]

I read a rumour on another site that Townsend Bell is getting the ride.

But it makes sense: drivers with extensive road racing backgrounds getting rides. Go Vision!

[devilmaster]

I just checked her appearance calendar on her website and, surprisingly, she's available!

i'd hazard a guess that you have a direct link to her schedule, illini..... ;) :laugh:

Steve

[JohnHKart]

The "other" Buddy. Of course, I think the dog from those Air Bud movies could probably do just as good of a job.



I just checked her appearance calendar on her website and, surprisingly, she's available!


But which Air Bud Buddy....The original died after the first movie and the second was made by four Buddies. Why does a grown man have such a silly name anyway. I hated being called as a nickname "Johnny" by about age 5. and put a stop to it.

John

[FanofMario]

Townsend Bell will now go Gomer racing. :gomer:

[BNica]

Townsend Bell will now go Gomer racing. :gomer:


damn, he better temper that agression or him and Scheckter will be prime candidates for joining Darren Manning on the wall.


:gomer:

[FCYTravis]

Couldn't have happened to a nicer dweeb.

[pchall]

Townsend Bell will now go Gomer racing. :gomer:

John Menard better dip into his wallet much deeper. TBell will hit the walls just as often but much harder than Taylor.

[Michaelhatesfans]

The vision continues. The original IRL supporters must be over the moon to hear that an F3000 mid-packer is going to leapfrog ahead of all of the USAC guys to an IRL seat. Take that, gomers! :laugh:

[IlliniRacer]

i'd hazard a guess that you have a direct link to her schedule, illini..... ;) :laugh:

Steve

sssshhh! keep it quiet.

Afterall, she IS the Brittany Spears of racing -tHinK ABouT thAt

[Fio1]

I'm betting his budget ran out. I don't care if Menard is on the car or not, I'm 99.9% sure Mark Taylor brought something else to the table. Last year his car had Pennzoil all over it, but everyone knows he brought money, I'm betting the same was true about this gig. Therefore, I bet Giafone gets the ride. The gomers at trackballs.com still don't understand the facts that a lot of these rides require a budget. Buddy Lazier with no money will not a get a ride, when a guy like felipe Giffone, who is just as mediocre as Buddy has some money!

I was very surprised when Taylor said he was going to the Infinity Pro-Series from GB F3. At the end of the day, it was a smart business move in the fact that it beats messing around in F3000 with no chance at anything afterwards, unless you have 4-5 mil like Pantano. At least he won a championship and did the Indy 500!

[chop456]

I'm betting his budget ran out. I don't care if Menard is on the car or not, I'm 99.9% sure Mark Taylor brought something else to the table. Last year his car had Pennzoil all over it, but everyone knows he brought money, I'm betting the same was true about this gig. Therefore, I bet Giafone gets the ride. The gomers at trackballs.com still don't understand the facts that a lot of these rides require a budget. Buddy Lazier with no money will not a get a ride, when a guy like felipe Giffone, who is just as mediocre as Buddy has some money!

I was very surprised when Taylor said he was going to the Infinity Pro-Series from GB F3. At the end of the day, it was a smart business move in the fact that it beats messing around in F3000 with no chance at anything afterwards, unless you have 4-5 mil like Pantano. At least he won a championship and did the Indy 500!

So taking your money EARLing is better than F3000? I can name about 15 drivers who have moved up from F3000. Can you name one that's moved up from the EARL besides Brack or Jourdain? :gomer: Winning in F3000 will get you somewhere. Winning in the EARL will get you precisely zero. And now what does Taylor do for a post-EARL encore? Damaged goods.

[Chaos]

At least he won a championship and did the Indy 500!

With no bumping, making the Indy the past 2 years is not much of an accomplishment.

[Fio1]

Hey Chop, tell me where the last few F3000 champs are? Testing F1 sounds great, but sucks if you are a RACE CAR driver! That's what I mean dude. winning the Infinity pro-series matters, unlike winning in F3000, unless your sponsors help you out. Look at Simmons, he won 2 Cart Barber Dodge Pro-series championship and brought the prize money to Indy Lights, and went no further. He gets a chance in the infinity pro-series, now he got his chance at Indy 500 and now with Patrick racing. say what you want, but facts are facts. Giebler will also get an IRL ride soon, and we all know how long he spent in junior formulas around the world without getting anything for the following year. Ya, you can name Johnny Herbert, Jean alesi, Eric Bernard and all, but would that be fair since IRL wasn't even a dream?

Ya, I think IRL sucks, but the Infinity Pro-series does do something that Cart ladder series and F3000 doesn't.

[Sean O'Gorman]

Ya, I think IRL sucks, but the Infinity Pro-series does do something that Cart ladder series and F3000 doesn't.

Come on Fio, you know better than that. Do you think any driver coming out of IPS is going to be hired on the basis of talent? I'll be Giebler wont even get considered for an IRL ride unless he brings cash. Even then, theres nothing to suggest that he wouldn't have been as prepared for IRL than if he had gone to Atlantics or F3 or anything else like that. The IPS is a waste.

[Chaos]

Hey Chop, tell me where the last few F3000 champs are? Testing F1 sounds great, but sucks if you are a RACE CAR driver! That's what I mean dude. winning the Infinity pro-series matters, unlike winning in F3000, unless your sponsors help you out. Look at Simmons, he won 2 Cart Barber Dodge Pro-series championship and brought the prize money to Indy Lights, and went no further. He gets a chance in the infinity pro-series, now he got his chance at Indy 500 and now with Patrick racing. say what you want, but facts are facts. Giebler will also get an IRL ride soon, and we all know how long he spent in junior formulas around the world without getting anything for the following year. Ya, you can name Johnny Herbert, Jean alesi, Eric Bernard and all, but would that be fair since IRL wasn't even a dream?

Ya, I think IRL sucks, but the Infinity Pro-series does do something that Cart ladder series and F3000 doesn't.

well, let's have a look at the 20 F1 drivers then (listed is their last non-F1 ride):

MS - German F3
RB - F3000
JM - ChampCar (via F3000)
RS - Japan F3
DC - F3000
KR - Formula Renault
JT - German F3
FA - F3000
JB - English F3
TS - English F3
MW - F3000
CK - F3 Euroseries
CD - ChampCar (via Lights)
OP - F3000
NH - F3000
GP - F3000
GB - Euro 3000
ZB - F3000


Let's look at the previous F3000 champions since 1997:

Zonta had a ride with BAR
Montoya is at Williams
Heidfeld is at Jordan
Junquiera is in ChampCar (I think he had a testing seat)
Wilson had a ride with Minardi and Jaguar
Bourdais is in ChampCar (I think he'll ineviably make F1)
Wirdheim has a testing seat I think.

This debunks most of your F3000 observations.

[Chaos]

Indy Lights Champions

1995 Greg Moore Player's/Forsythe Racing
1996 David Empringham Player's/Forsythe Racing
1997 Tony Kanaan Tasman Motorsports
1998 Cristiano da Matta Tasman Motorsports
1999 Oriol Servia Dorricott Racing
2000 Scott Dixon PacWest Racing
2001 Townsend Bell Dorricott Racing

All except Empringham had rides in ChampCar. Had Toyota and Honda not gone to the IRL, I would suggest that these drivers would still be in ChampCar.

[Chaos]

I will agree that ChampCar has not done a good job with its Formula Atlantic drivers.

That said, statistically, I don't see the MIPS to be any more productive for the IRL.

[Napoleon]

winning the Infinity pro-series matters, . . . .

Ya, I think IRL sucks, but the Infinity Pro-series does do something that Cart ladder series and F3000 doesn't.

You can not be serious?

[4wheeldrifter]

I read a rumour on another site that Townsend Bell is getting the ride.

But it makes sense: drivers with extensive road racing backgrounds getting rides. Go Vision!

Heard that on Windy last night. F3 to Earl.... There's a real step up and a good use of talent. :thumdown:

[Easy]

I'm betting his budget ran out. I don't care if Menard is on the car or not, I'm 99.9% sure Mark Taylor brought something else to the table. Last year his car had Pennzoil all over it, but everyone knows he brought money, I'm betting the same was true about this gig.


Last year he ran in a color scheme similar to the Panther's Pennzoil paint job, but he ran with Fulmar sponsorship, his family's printing business, not Pennzoil.

[JLMannin]

At least he won a championship and did the Indy 500!

Did Marty Roth ever win a championship in anything? Just what is so impressive about posting two consecutive starts in the Arrive and Drive Classic at the Marion County Fair 500?

[chop456]

Thanks, Chaos. :D

[pchall]

You can not be serious?

I think he means IPS can crush your feet, break your back, and scramble your brains better than Lights or Atlantics.