Jeff Gordon is just plain wrong about Jacques Villeneuve making his Nextel Cup Series debut at Talladega, and he makes the best argument against his own assertion.Gordon said last weekend at Kansas that Talladega was no place for a driver to make his debut, and he backed that up again on Friday at the track. Even if you were the best driver in the world, Gordon argued, there are other places you should be racing. Other d
rivers, notably Kyle Busch, were just as vocal in opposition to Villeneuve's possible debut (pending qualifying).
rivers, notably Kyle Busch, were just as vocal in opposition to Villeneuve's possible debut (pending qualifying).It's not the speed the current crop of Cuppers are concerned with. It's not Villeneuve himself. It's the unknown, the unknown that they don't want to face in a bump-drafting pack of 43 cars.
The unknown is part of racing, and it always has been. The argument of not wanting to race with a Jacques Villeneuve because you don't know how he's going to drive is as bad as PGA Tour golfers complaining that a course is too hard.
It's about competition. Go out and compete against the parameters that have been set.
"They are all great talents," Gordon said Friday, speaking of not only Villeneuve, but also former open-wheelers like Juan Pablo Montoya and Dario Franchitti. "No doubt about it... I think they can be successful. That's what's gotten them successful in every other form of motorsports they've gone into. They didn't just jump into an Indy car and start winning."
But Gordon also suggested that Villeneuve should make his NASCAR debut somewhere else. Fact is, he did. That's why he ran the Truck race at Las Vegas last month.
Gordon of all people should recognize that talent is talent -- no matter what kind of car a driver is racing. Winning at places like Indianapolis and Monaco and anywhere else Indy cars and Formula 1 machines go takes skill and ability.
It's funny that these guys don't have a problem racing against former Legends car drivers and 21-year-old kids whose daddies bought their way into the Nextel Cup Series, but take a former F1 champ and bring him over and everybody goes bonkers.
17 comments:
JEFF GORDON IS RIGHT THIS NEW GUY FROM IRL SHOULD START SOME WHERE ELSE
Your analogy to a golfer and golf course makes no sense at all. Think about it.
And none of the drivers who spoke about this said "it makes it too hard". You are making stuff up, like press people tend to do.
You fail to even mention that these guys are racing for a championship.
I'm supportive of Villeneuve coming to NASCAR, but I agree with them, Talladega during the chase is about the most ridiculous possible place and time to start his Cup career. Should the worst happen, and Jacques does mess up and take out a chase contender, I'll be very interested to see what you have to say then.
I dont believe Jeff has any problem with Villeneuve's talent, only his experience in driving full bodied, heavy cars in large packs for 3 hours. Driving one truck race on a small track does not qualify you to make this jump. It not only endangers the drivers going for the championship, it endangers all of the drivers, pit crew members, and officials on the track. As Juan Pablo has proven, open wheel drivers can be successful in Nextel Cup, but he ran an Arca car at taladega before he got into a plate race at the cup level. Yes every other driver could cause a large wreck,(just ask Jimmie Johnson), but someone with zero plate experience and minimal drafting experience is far mor likely. Scott Speed and Franchiti both did the smarter thing and ran the arca race yesterday, and Villeneuve should have also.
To all the anonymous posters...
Villeneuve isn't from the "IRL." He's from F1 -- big difference.
Are the 31 non-Chase drivers in the starting field at Talladega racing for the championship? No. In this regard, it makes them no different than Villeneuve.
A wreck for Villeneuve taking out Chase contenders would be no different than if anyone were to wreck and take out a contender -- an unfortunate development for any of the 12 Chasers, but one of those "racing deals."
Frankly, I'm tired of the whole "NASCAR Entitlement" -- we're in NASCAR, we're the 43 best drivers in the world. Hogwash. It's just another PR myth.
TB
Travis,
Sorry for being anonymous, too lazy to register. I think you are missing the point here. Restrictor plate racing is different then other forms of stock car racing, let alone F1,IRL,Champ Car, or drag racing. The fact is Jacques doesn't have experience in this type of racing. He may very well take to it quickly, but that is immaterial to Gordon's point which is that the consequence of an inexperienced drivers mistake is magnified at this track. At least the other 31 drivers out there have been driving these cars for a longer period of time and have a better idea of how they work in traffic.He should have run more races before running at Talladega or Daytona.
As far as being the best 43 drivers in the world, no way. But is Vitantonio Liuzzi one of the best 22 drivers in the world? I don't think so. Nascar fans do not have a corner on the arrogance market.
It looks like we will see how it will turn out, since Jacques has qualified.
Mike
Oh I see clearly now...Jeff Gordon, 4 time series champion, one of the most experienced drivers in cup and tied for most wins at Talladega. Not to mention someone who has made a transition from open wheel racing to cup is Wrong, what does he know... Lets ignore Jeff and rely on the opinions of some small town newspaper boy from maine who hasn't raced anything and doesn't know either guy.
I sure hope Kid Rock remebers to inform NASA of their incorrect yaw rate calculations for the shuttle.
Oh yes and remeber when they let that amateur golfer play PGA golf and he killed that guy with the long putt and wiped out 36 million dollars of equiptment. It was a drag how he ruined the career of that pro when his birdie caused blunt head trauma and broke his spine.
...your computer privilages are revoked. Wendy's is holding your job
talk about a writer/reporter not knowing what he's writing about,prime example. you say its right, the sports best say it isn't,who am i going to listen to? nothing was said against the man,just the race itself.
I find it ironic the number of drivers that are complaining about JV. They aren't worried about his talent but his ability to hold his position in the draft down the straight. Seriously? Have they tried driving an open wheel F1 car between the wall and another car at Monaco? Now that's where you need to hold your line!!
JV qualified for the race,which means he is 'allowed'in the race.period!
Gordons worried that JV may cause a crash and take out a chase racer.Heck we'll just leave it for Dale Jr to do that again,we don't need a World F-1 Champion,CART Champion or Indy 500 winner to do that.
-Shiny
Hmmm...let's see: Tony Stewart (outside the Chase last season) said himself that there should be two races on Sunday; one for the Chasers and one for the rest...nobody wants to take out a Chase contender and cost them their season (not verbatim, obviously). As close as the Chase is at this point, ANYBODY who wrecks a Chaser is going to be the object of MANY harsh words, guaranteed. But for someone making their Nextel DEBUT at 'DEGA of all places....I wouldn't want to be him if he causes a mess. None of the racers know how the COT (with restrictor plate) is going to act...there are already enough "unknowns" without the chaos of a "newbie."
Unfortunately today, jacques could be criticized for making a rookie mistake during th green flag pitstop. This maybe what Gordon is talking about. he has never done this before. Montoya said this was the hardest thing initially to learn.
THINK ABOUT IT!
Let's see...the F1 Champ, Indy 500 Winner, Cart Series Champ...Yep. He's not reader for Talladega.
Geeez. Scott Speed finished 7th in the ARCA race, betcha no one moaned about him racing at Talladega...Villeneuve qualified top 5, did extensive testing prior to qualifying and has more skill than Speed could even think about and he's not ready for "drafting in traffic?"
Here's my prediction: Villeneuve not only finishes the race, but does so ahead of both Jeff Gordon and Kyle Busch. and let's not forget Villenuve is in Bill Davis equipment, not exactly a top of the heap ride (well, not lately, but maybe again) these days.
I wonder why it is just about any open wheel driver (F1, IRL, CART, Champ Car) can come into Nascar at the Cup level and be competitive, but turn it around and no Nascar driver could do the same in another series...Oh, I remember why: talent and skill.
The old days of Earnhardt Sr, Richard Petty, and Junior Johnson are over just about any driver can compete at the Cup level these days. I can't wait to see what happens when those stock car boys get a skilled woman in the series and she beats them...How loud will the crying be then?
I. M. Anonymous said...
Let's see...the F1 Champ, Indy 500 Winner, Cart Series Champ...Yep. He's not reader for Talladega.
I guess he is, as long as there are no green flag pit stops.
Geeez. Scott Speed finished 7th in the ARCA race, betcha no one moaned about him racing at Talladega...Villeneuve qualified top 5, did extensive testing prior to qualifying and has more skill than Speed could even think about and he's not ready for "drafting in traffic?"
No one would be complaining if he was running the Arca race, it is a lower level series, his talent would allow him to be more competitve. At the cup level, he will cause problems. Look what he did in the truck race today. Lost the draft, fell a lap behind, then ran into a truck slowing for a pit stop. These are experience related mistakes.
Here's my prediction: Villeneuve not only finishes the race, but does so ahead of both Jeff Gordon and Kyle Busch. and let's not forget Villenuve is in Bill Davis equipment, not exactly a top of the heap ride (well, not lately, but maybe again) these days.
We will see tomorrow. I wouldn't bet the mortgage payment.
I wonder why it is just about any open wheel driver (F1, IRL, CART, Champ Car) can come into Nascar at the Cup level and be competitive, but turn it around and no Nascar driver could do the same in another series...Oh, I remember why: talent and skill.
I don't recall many open wheel drivers coming into Nextel cup recently and bieng very successful. Juan Pablo has been very uneven this year, and he ran some Arca and Busch last year and this year.The last open wheeler to come in and be consistantly successful was Tony Stewart and it took him a couple of years to get to the top level. I also do no recall any top Nascar drivers going into open wheel, successfully or not. There have been several cup drivers doing sports car races successfully in recent years, and Johnson and Gordon have copeted in the rally car race of champions and done very well. I am guessing that talent and skill have something to do with that.
The old days of Earnhardt Sr, Richard Petty, and Junior Johnson are over just about any driver can compete at the Cup level these days. I can't wait to see what happens when those stock car boys get a skilled woman in the series and she beats them...How loud will the crying be then?
I haven't heard any crying about being beaten yet, only concern about safety with inexperienced drivers being approved. If a skilled women gets to the cup level and can win, I believe she will treated with the same respect any other driver is.
Mike
Are you stoned writer? There is NO WAY you can compare F1 style cars and Stock Cars!!! COT for the first time at Dega and you think it's a good ideal to let a rookie race? Yes, you're stoned!!!
I'm sure glad that there are readers out there that can point out that the writer doesn't have a clue about what he's talking about. Gordon and others aren't worried about getting beat, they are worried about a rookie mistake causing problems...and I'd have to say at least IRL drivers have some knowledge of oval racing although there is no comparing open wheel F1 and Cart and IRL, those cars have so much down force and the breaking zones are much later and the weight load is much lower. I get the feeling that it was a chance to bash Gordon by the writer because the better choice would have been to run the arca race , where the mistake won't be such that it affects the CHASE. And someone said something about F1, well those guys are fantastic road racers but they don't travel in packs of cars inches apart in dirty air for hours at a time. Can just see it now, Villeneuve causes a big one because he forgot he has to wave to drivers behind or around him when he's coming down to pit road, yes even the vets can screw up, but they've put in their time and have earned the chance to race. As far as him starting up front, that is due to the nature of the impound race, with the top 35 working on race setups, even the most basic fan should know that.
I never said anything about Gordon worrying about getting beat... Just that his concerns of inexperience can be pointed in a lot more directions than Villeneuve...
I'm also not out to "bash" Gordon. He's arguably the best driver there is in Cup right now. But that doesn't mean he can't be wrong in his opinions -- just like all of us.
And, as for other drivers having "earned" their way into races -- that's ridiculous. Villeneuve has, too. He qualified. Period. NASCAR allowed him a license, his team qualified with him behind the wheel, he's in the race. Period.
If James Hylton or Kirk Shelmerdine qualified with low-budget teams in cars with no chance of winning (but plenty of chance of causing "the big one") we'd all be celebrating good old-fashioned American hard work.
Bill Davis and Villeneuve, instead, get criticized.
TB
Yes the made the field but that doesn't really mean he's ready for 'Dega, but I did hear that Jr said something to the effect. .."..there's guys in cup that I worry about driving a 'Dega.." , so maybe there is a little too much made of the debut. But remember hearing stories about how the vets like Pearson and Petty would sit atop the flag stand and watch new drivers at Darlington before the race weekend started to see if they could handle it? But alas that was back 30 some years ago. Even if I disagree with you, I think you are good at writing and I don't want you to think that I don't respect your ability as a writer. You could write circles around most of us and I'm glad that you take the time to write about NASCAR and interact with us. Just don't take us too seriously. Enjoy the race and look forward to more of your articles on the net!
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