I was talking to someone who works very close to one of the top IRL teams and we were talking about what drivers could or couldnt drive a sprint car on dirt or pavement that currently drive indy cars. his words were I could teach a monkey to run a indy car on an ovel track and that in his opinion not one driver currently running in the IRL could run top 15 on a regular show night at gas city.

I was at Sunday's race in St. Petersburg. People in the grandstands were laughing their butts off at the IRL show. It looked like the race would never get started.

Heck- you would be hard pressed to get one of those drivers into a sprinter to run that show. I ran into one of the current IRL drivers, an Indy 500 winner, in an empty airport about 5 years ago. Since the place was dead and neither one of us was pressed for time we chatted. When I told him that I was a sprint car racer, he told me that I was crazy, and there was no way in hell that he would strap into one of those things.
I don't know about you, but I think it's pretty sad when a guy can make it to the big time without being brave enough to race what hundreds of us strap into every week across the country. I doubt you would find a single sprint car driver who wouldn't mash the gas in an Indy car given the chance. (Heck they only have 650 hp, that puts them on par with 360's- and they have wings!)

Quote: "My racing is better than your racing!" ---- Source: Way too many dirt fans

Go find the Argabright story!

That's not exactly true.

"My racing is WAY better than your racing."

That's better.

You guys sound like politicians at ******** time. Out of one side of your mouth it's "The Indy 500 is the greatest race ever!", then you turn your head and "Betty White could drive one of these with one arm tied behind her back". If it's so easy why would you want to see anyone get a chance?

I highly doubt there are "hundreds" of non wing racers out there. Some of you who only go to non wing dirt races in Indiana (or the two or three other states with one track a night that run non-wing) need to get out more. There are hundreds of winged "crutch cars" (you know the ones people get paid real purses to race!), hundreds of IMCA/UMP/USMTS modifieds and hundreds of dirt late models.

THERE ALSO IS A REASON BILL HAS AN OLD TIMERS FORUM!

*** NEWSFLASH *** the '50-70's are over! If you have worked in the auto or racing industry in the last 15 years you would realize some things.

Who are we to say how the Hulman George family conducts there business. If it was so great then why did it change? We are the ones dumb enough to follow sports that are so heavily controlled by money.

I'm not sure what this post has to do with the way this thread has gone. I think the point being debated here, is whether or not the road racing crowd regaining control of the sport and thus, pulling it back in that direction (again) is a good thing for the growth and development of Indy Car racing, or not. It's my opinion that Tony "sold his soul" for Honda/Toyota/Penske/Ganassi/Andretti and now we simply have a reincarnation of CART. By 2002 the IRL had a very cost effective formula, lots of competitive "small budget" teams, a decent amount of American drivers in the mix (including short trackers!!) and the best racing on the planet...bar none!!!! photo finish after photo finish...

R.I.P...Treadway Racing, Mo Nunn Motorsports, Cheever Racing, Thomas Knapp Motorsports, Curb/Agajanian Motorsports, Sam Schmidt Motorsports, Kelley Racing, Pagan Racing, Derrick Walker Motorsports, Conquest Racing, Menard Racing, Hemelgarn Motorsports, Sinden Racing, Galles Motorsports, Panther Racing, Bradley Motorsports, Cahill Racing, Bryd Motorsports,and all of the rest of the teams that made up the foundation the "new" IRL that didn't get "Favored Lease" status from Honda and Toyota as the Big 3(Penske/Ganassi/Andretti) did when they finally buried CART and came over to the IRL....what a terrible shame.

Sorry Cecil98 but obviously don't know jack**** about Indy car racing, half of the teams you mentioned were running the Indy 500 long before the Cart/IRL split. Galles, Hemalgarn, Menards and a few others. You just ramble about BS that you don't have a clue about. Might want to check some of your facts about the Indy 500.

The 50's-70's might be gone, but that doesnt mean the racing wasnt better then. Back a couple, few decades the top racers in the country were in Indycars and such. They were better because they raced, alot, on all different mediums. Thats all they did was race. Now days everybody is tweetin and twittering or what ever they do. I honestly think today it's more important to have your twittering down pat then your racing skills if you want a good ride. You dont need to be on a old timers forum to know whats good and whats sugar coated crap. It changed because of money, money talks even though it's usually mentally challenged. I'm proud to say I'm a oldtimer when it comes to racing. If you grew up around race tracks in the 60's and 70's, your lucky very, lucky. At least folks that been there and can compare the two times and make they're own decision, Now days pretty much all the "big time racing" is follow the leader. Somebody mentioned that like ten of the guys at gas city on any given night are better then the current Indy drivers and I dont doubt it for one minute. Those are the guys that get my

Who is he?