What's Going On At Patrick Racing?

[JoeBob]

The Indy Star says that Bryan Herta seems to be in line to drive their second car.

The article on cart.com says that they're switching 3 Reynards back to Ford Spec, and have 4 Lolas being converted now. Even with Oriol's tendancy to launch himself over curbing and into PT, he shouldn't need 7 cars for next year!

McGee did say that they'd be racing the Lolas (Why convert the Reynards if you aren't going to race them?) and that they "have the infrastructure and the equipment to run two cars. It's a matter of mechanics and a sponsor and a budget." (That's as close to a a sure thing as you get, isn't it? ;) )

[mapguy]

Herta? What a waste of a funded seat. I can think of at least a half a dozen available drivers who should be in that seat.

[DaveL]

Originally posted by JoeBob
Even with Oriol's tendancy to launch himself over curbing and into PT, he shouldn't need 7 cars for next year!


Since Servia's rookie season, he's barely put a wheel out of place on the race track. It's not fair to label him because of one bad rookie move.

[mapguy]

Originally posted by DaveL
Since Servia's rookie season, he's barely put a wheel out of place on the race track. It's not fair to label him because of one bad rookie move.

I agree. Even though Oriol's spearing of PT was the biggest brainfade outside of the irl he has done really well. He brings it home in one peice which is more than I can say for the previous Patrick driver....:)

[Mike Kellner]

Herta? Isn't Tony Kannan still looking for a ride? Whointheheck decides these things?

Õ«

[pchall]

Wayne Taylor wanted Herta in a Protostar car. I wonder if this is Taylor's way of jump starting a team by running as a satellite to Patrick Racing?

[JoeBob]

Originally posted by DaveL
Since Servia's rookie season, he's barely put a wheel out of place on the race track. It's not fair to label him because of one bad rookie move.

True enough. The point was that even if they had a crash-prone driver, they don't need 7 cars for one driver. (But, maybe you can help me sign up for the Oriol Servia fan club ;) )


Originally posted by Mike Kellner
Isn't Tony Kannan still looking for a ride?

Unless something has changed in the past few days, the rumors of his availability were grossly exaggerated. :(

[mnkywrch]

Perhaps they're fixing the cars up for other teams... at a price, of course.

Why run two different chassis? Doesn't make sense to me... Pick the best one and go with it.

As far as Servia, didn't he tryout for the Spanish gymnastics team at Laguna Seca a year or two ago? ;)

[JoeBob]

Originally posted by mnkywrch
Perhaps they're fixing the cars up for other teams... at a price, of course.

Walker already got that deal. :D

[Ziggy]

Lets review, shall we?

A series with only two ovals


A driver who is really pretty good on a road course, never wrecks, is an American, still young enough to whip a bunch of second rate nobodies

Cant Servia come up with some TacoBell money or something?

Ziggy

[damiandoan]

Originally posted by mnkywrch
Perhaps they're fixing the cars up for other teams... at a price, of course.

Why run two different chassis? Doesn't make sense to me... Pick the best one and go with it.

Don't forget that Patrick has had a history with multiple chassis during the same season. IIRC, in 2000 they ran the "Frankenstein" which was basically a '98 Reynard tub with '99 & '00 updates. And the other car in the stable that year was a Lola.

DD

[mnkywrch]

Originally posted by damiandoan
Don't forget that Patrick has had a history with multiple chassis during the same season. IIRC, in 2000 they ran the "Frankenstein" which was basically a '98 Reynard tub with '99 & '00 updates. And the other car in the stable that year was a Lola.


I thought it was 1997 or 1998 they had PJ Jones in a Lola and Adrian Fernandez in the Reynard.

Adrian did OK. PJ struggled a lot.

I'm not sure how it helps your team to be running two different chassis side-by-side.

I'd think it makes more sense to run the same make... so you can share information.

[Ziggy]

I think it was a Swift

Ziggy