Originally Posted by chrismattlin:
Everyone wants to be in the Indy 500, but it seems only a couple want to do what it takes to get there. Did Jeff Gordon or Tony Stewart go from USAC to Cup? Or did they spend time in the feeder series first? You know the answer.
Bryan Clauson, Jay Drake and now Windom are doing what it takes to get there- racing in Indy Lites. Wanna see more of them? Get them in Indy Lites. Even though KTj is (possibly) the best open-wheel dirt track driver right now, there's no way I'd put him in an IndyCar.
Wanna see one of these guys have a chance to WIN the 500? Well, that's gonna take a full time ride, and with that predicate, road racing experience. Again, get in Indy Lites (for more than the Freedom 100). They might even need a season in Pro Mazda before Lites (Oh, the horror =:O ).
I'd like to see it happen, but at this point no one seems to want to put in the work required. So, I'll be cheering on "Team America", Andretti Autosports, and their 4 full time American drivers.
P.S. We do have Davey Hamilton Jr. and Chad Boat trying to break in to Lites, so there IS hope.
Work, or money? It costs a boat load of money to fund a ride in those series, money which may be wasted when you win the championship, only to find out that you you need to bring twice as much to take the next step on the ladder.
I'm sure that if those guys could get a ride on merit they would take the shot. But when the car owner says, "Sure I got a seat, you got a million bucks?", I think it's really hard to see that path as viable.
It is what it is, but making it in Indycar is as much about your marketing savvy as it is about your ability to wheel a race car. To me that makes about as much sense as giving guys NHL roster spots based on their calculus scores.