Marc Breuers

[rabbit]

When A.J. Allmendinger crossed the finish line in third place Sunday, my thoughts went back to the 2002 Barber Dodge Pro Series season. As many of you know, I do Marc Breuers' website. I first met Marc at Cleveland in 2001 and instantly became a huge fan.

For now, Marc has decided that professional racing is no longer in his future. I'm very disappointed by this, because I strongly believe Marc has the talent to race in Champ Cars. In 2002, he was the only driver who could come close to matching Allmendinger's pace on a consistent basis, even winning Mid-Ohio. He was one of the hardest working, most professional, most personable, most sponsor friendly drivers in the paddock. He was lightning quick in tests with some of the top Atlantic teams. He was offered rides with Dorricott, Lynx, and Rahal. The only thing that kept Marc out of Atlantics last year and this year was/is money. Marc told me he was just tired of asking people for money all the time and that it was time to move on with his life.

Marc is certainly not the first nor will he be the last talented driver to never make it to the top because of money. But I just couldn't let him walk away from the sport without giving him a little public pat on the back. He woulda' been a good one. :thumbup:

http://www.marcbreuers.homestead.com/files/frontpagepic.jpg

[RHR_Fan]

I didn't know you ran his website.

That sucks that he's decided not to drive anymore. Too bad BDPS fizzled away and TA barely has 15 cars each weekend.

~Nicole

[Ziggy]

Looks like Sunoco and Penn Hospital helped him out. Sunoco... yeah, they really bailed out that team from Chicago that Max Papis drove for.

I remember hearing his name on the loudspeaker. I know alot of guys who quit because they could'nt find money.

such is racing. Its a hard sport to get into, cause it's expensive

[nrc]

Yep. Plenty of other good ones who seem to have fallen off the ladder - Valiante, Justus, Hand, Orsi... Will Fogarty make the step or be another lost star?

[Anteater]

This racing is a hard business, and not always fair. :( Sorry to hear this about Marc.

[Elmo T]

It is a shame, especially with Rizzo and the other Philly folks looking to bring a CCWS race to the city. :( Nothing like cheering on the hometown driver.

Best of luck in to Marc in his new endeavors.

[Axel]

More for that list of drivers to not make it

Orsi
Valienti
Brewers
Casey Mears (Nascar)
Clint Mears (3 Lights wins and now a Kart instructor)
Claude Bourbonnais
Chris Smith
David Empringham
Andrew Bordin
Buddy Rice (Wasted for a few years under contract with Rahol--Now only good for oval series)
Sam Hornish (lost to ovals after no takers in Cart)
David Rutledge
Daniel Wheldon (lost to ovals after no takers in Cart)
Townsend Bell (Too much to fast and now he is Ovaling)
Luis Diaz (lost to Grand Am after no takers)
Derek Higgins (gone with Indy lights?)
Lee Bentham (Peaked the same time as CDM and Tony Kannan)

Remember these were the drivers that excelled in Lower ranks and
never got the Shot In Cart..

How great it would have been if we took the Event sponsor from each event and put that sponsorship and put it on a CART team Car.

The team would put thinks like Featherlite, Puma, FORD, Bridgestone, Kangaroo TV, AND the Track Sponsor ..
The Team would have new mechanics, engineers, etc that want to move up from the lover ranks as well.

And the driver would be the TA champion from the prior year. Unless the champ does something else or goes to a different Team like Team RUSPORT did this past season. Then they would take the next driver on the list...

[ShickStift]

Michael Valiante - touch and go. Sadly, I think this whole Vancouver indy saga the past few weeks was the defining moment of his career. So close, yet so far. If he wants to be a professional race car driver, he has to work harder than ever now and keep motivated.

Casey Mears - Not make it? Yeah, right. He was smart enough to realise the dire situation in all Open Wheel racing, and jumped onboard the Nascar train when he had the chance.

Claude Bourbonnais - He had the odd race in Indycars, and he failed to impress. Career Atlantics driver.

Andrew Bordin - I might be mistaken, but I thought he practically ended his career after he crashed that NSX at Fontana?

David Rutledge - From everything I've heard, he did his own career in.

Townsend Bell - He was given a chance in Champ Car and failed to impress. He went to the best team in Formula 3000 and only got one podium. I think this guy was overhyped and his career suffered because of it.

Luis Diaz - I wouldn't write him off yet.

Lee Bentham - Sadly, 'right when Kanaan and Castroneves peaked' was right when the Players development program ended. That Players program was the vital launching pad between Atlantics/Lights to Cart that is so elusive these days.

Right now, the only way I can imagine Atlantics drivers jumping up into Cart, is if they make the jump with their Atlantics team. Sierra Sierra could help an Atlantic driver or two do just that.

[jonovision_man]

Too bad BDPS fizzled away and TA barely has 15 cars each weekend.


Agreed :( TA is starting to look like Indy Lights did just before it went pffft.

I don't get it, there's been recent graduates to get to Champcars in AJ and RHR with Valiante supposedly soon to happen as well. I would have expected more interest.

[turn1]

Best of luck to Marc with his future plans, whatever they may be. He is a great driver and and even better guy!

[Fio1]

There are dozens of Marc Breuers in racing in America today. The guy was decent, but not great. There are very few 'great' drivers out there. Scumacher is great, Kimi is great, Bourdais is great.

Nilton Rossoni, Jeff Simmons and Michael Valiante are all very good and were a lot better then Breuers in BDPS. These guys don't have rides either, and that is a shame!

I know you work on his site, but the fact remains the that the guy was never a great driver. He did manage to get Sunoco to sponsor him which he deserves all the credit in the world, but he didn't set the world on fire in BDPS with that money. I could name dozens of guys like Breuers who had their shot and now work at Skip Barber. None were considered great.......