[openwheelKT]

"We've been competitors for many years but still it's the kind of relationship when someone is really down and out, you can't turn your back on them-at least I can't," said Foyt, whose fulltime driver Vitor Meira will start 11th in the No. 14 ABC Supply car. "This is going back to the way racing used to be, where if people were in a lot of trouble, you tried to help each other out. I know it's a tough deal for Bruno but he understood the situation. I appreciate that more than anyone knows."


This statement from A.J. is the one I don't like. So it's OK to turn your back on the driver you hired? I'm sure he doesn't feel "helped out" today. Help out somebody is one thing (parts, let them get in a extra car to try and qualify, another driver jumping in their car to take some laps and give feedback), but to flat out let them buy a seat is wrong. Foyt has been running extra cars "out of his own pocket" for years. So he obviously was prepared to do it again. Disappointing that it took place. This is why I wish sponsorship didn't matter. We all know you can't race without it, but it gets too much in the way of the racing part of the equation. We HAVE to be in the race for our sponsor even though we didn't earn it...WEAK. I actually feel sorry for RHR. He looks bad getting in the seat, but what is he supposed to do if the team buys the seat? He can't take a stand...full-time seats are hard enough to get these days.

If Penske and Rahal can go home because they weren't good enough, ANYBODY can. Now we know if rain had prevented Danica from getting back out and she missed the race that they would have just bought her way in to. Maybe teams will start putting cars in and then taking out an add in the paper that they are for sale. The "it's always been like that" argument doesn't fly with me. Wrong is wrong.