Harvick says Open-Wheelers will struggle in Cup
Quote selected text Published February 6th, 2008 in NASCAR News
Defending Daytona 500 champion Kevin Harvick questioned whether the successful open-wheel drivers switching to NASCAR this year will be able to make a smooth transition.
“Coming straight into the Cup Series is going to be harder than any of them would have imagined,” Harvick said Tuesday at a luncheon in anticipation of the 50th running of Daytona on Feb. 17.
He believes they’d be better-served by gaining experience in the Nationwide or Craftsman Truck Series before moving up to NASCAR’s top level.
“I think they all went down the wrong road,” Harvick said.
Former Indianapolis 500 winners Dario Franchitti, Sam Hornish Jr. and Jacques Villeneuve are making the change this year. Longtime open-wheel driver Patrick Carpentier is also switching. Another Indy 500 champion, Juan Pablo Montoya, did it last year.
There could be as many Indy 500 winners as Daytona 500 champs in the field at Daytona. Franchitti, Hornish and Montoya are guaranteed spots; Villeneuve could qualify. Only Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Harvick are guaranteed spots among the Daytona winners, with others needing to qualify.
Daytona International Speedway opens this week for practice for the 500, and the first round of qualifying is Sunday.
“It just takes time to establish that foundation,” Harvick said. “A lot of people from the outside looking in say, ‘Well, I race Formula One. There’s no reason I shouldn’t be able to race the Sprint Cup Series.’ If you can get over the ego part of it, racing the Truck Series or the Nationwide Series, you’d be better off, I think.”
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- Franchitti returns to IndyCar in 2009, will replace Wheldon at Ganassi
i know they dont know what their gettin in to they saw that
mexican do ok the only track he did good on was road courses
the are gonna be rubbin and cutin more tires than a spike
strip!like when us dirt boys thats drives closed wheel we
cant jump in a sprint car and win the a feature the 1st time
out.their just aint no way
He was not Mexican, get your facts right. I would bet that the Indy drivers do better than people anticipate, win not likely, but do better. Also why not run cup when it is all COT and everyone needs a bit of adjustment.
Someone bann this idiot’s ip before I explode on him.
Didn’t Jeff Gordon drive Montoya’s car and his last lap was good enough for the pole at the previous race? Not sure just asking.
Slic Nic, you talk about real racers, what about real race fans? To me, your not a real race fan. And the last time I checked, the “hillbillys” haven’t really been in NASCAR for quite a while. It’s been quite a few years since there have been good ‘ole boys in NASCAR. Look at all the California drivers, Illinois drivers, Missouri drivers, drivers from all over. There are no hillbillys in NASCAR. Of course, I guess that depends on your definition of hillbilly. As far as you not liking NASCAR, or as you put it, “crapcar”, well, I’m sorry you feel that way. But I’m not a big fan of F1, however, I am a fan of racing. I love watching everything. But it’s something about NASCAR that is just so damn exciting, not sure exactly what it is, but it is. Now, I don’t like NASCAR as a corporation, they piss me off constantly! Brian France is an idiot! And if that’s why you don’t like NASCAR, then I understand. But I think you should give the sport, the drivers, the teams, another chance.
Sam wrote:
IDK if it was his last lap, but I know one of his laps was good enough for pole on the USGP course. And if I remember Montoya once he got used to the heavier car wasn’t that slow either compared top Jeff’s times in the Cup car.
montoya was basically the only exception to the whole open wheel to nascar thing. i think the open wheelers are gonna suck without their traction control. that my opinion. if one does good then way to go that guy has talent. an whoever said that throwin a nascar driver into f1 watever he said. well in f1 it depends on whose car ure in. those guys show up to the track knowin wat two teams are gonna win and they basically kno where they are gonna finish. in nascar there is no computers. which means no traction control. no sensors to tell the team what the car is doin. the only thing tellin anybody what is goin on on the track is the driver. sure f1 is fast. but they dont race. it jus a stupid loud parade. if u put jeff gordon or even friggin carl long in a top f1 car they wouold do good. it all car an no driver in that mess overseas. iin nascar the driver controls the car not a computer. in nascar we DRIVE NOT RIDE.
F1 does not have Traction control either, go to the FIA website and read the rules and you will learn.
Put any good driver in anything and they will do well. It doesn’t matter if it’s a sprint car driver in an F1 car, a rally driver in a stock car, or a motorcycle racer in a sports car… if they have the feel, and the talent, it won’t take long before they are on pace.
Also, Gordon wasn’t fast enough for pole in an F1 car at the previous USGP at Indy; he was slower than Montoya. However, he was less slow in the F1 car (2-3 seconds off) than Montoya was in the Cup car (3-4 seconds off). neither were overly impressive in their first run, but they weren’t total slugs either.
I was off a bit:
F1:
Montoya - 1:15.2
Gordon - 1:16.5 (1.3 seconds slower)
Cup:
Montoya - 1:38.6
Gordon - 1:38.7 (0.1 seconds slower)
Montoya beat Gordon in both cars.
Source: http://www.motorsport.com/news/article.asp?ID=126467&FS=F1
IRL did not have traction control a couple of years ago, not sure about last season. Also I have an open wheel name that could run stock cars, open wheel cars, anything really that would be AJ Foyt. Also I remember a guy a few years back who was an IRL champ moved to NASCAR, he drives some orange car number 20, he won a few stock car races sat on the first row of his first Daytona 500.
strech wrote:
Actually a few teams used the tachometer and ignition box to make traction control; if the rpm started to go up too fast the ignition box had a circuit that would trigger the rev limiter. That is why ignition boxes, and coils are now all on the dash, and use a standard connector as per NASCAR rules.
Very inticing debate. What really is considered open wheel? LOL Just kidding. Although I race a Legends car and it’s considered an open wheel! Check it out by clicking on DAD Racing above^ I’m going to NASCAR! Watch me! On my way…Dale Jr
You bring up a good point, technically Dirt and Asphalt Modifieds are both open wheel cars.
Open wheelers like Foyt, Stewart, Rutherford, Andretti and Donohue didn’t have guaranteed spots. They had talent.
exactly. just like i said, if you have the talent, you’ll be fast in anything within a few laps.
JPM said himself that learning to wrestle a stock car was the hardest thing he had ever tryed. He also said that most F1 drivers wouldnt be successful in nascar , some would , but not most. I guess this debate will go on forever.