Bobby Unser isn't impressed

[cameraman]

Gordon Kirby did an interview with Bobby Unser. He didn't mince words.


Look at Sam Hornish. He's doing terrible in stock cars. He's an Indy 500 winner and he's nowhere in stock cars. Well, the fact is Indy cars just got too easy to drive. They don't have enough horsepower and they drive around running wide-open all the time with the throttle on the floor.

It's like Danica. As long as they're running wide-open she can handle it. But she's not very good on the road courses and street circuits and in stock cars she's doing worse than bad. It just kills Indy car racing.

And then of course, Dario didn't do a good job in stock cars either. I saw some stuff saying that Dario is one of the greatest ever and I thought to myself I really like the man and he drives a race car really good. But he didn't do a good job in stock cars.

The article (http://www.gordonkirby.com/categories/columns/theway/2010/the_way_it_is_no263.html)

[Methanolandbrats]

Are any Unsers in jail now? Kirby should have asked Bobby if he's had a TSA patdown. :laugh: WTF ever happened to Micro Al?

[indyfan31]

I never liked Bobby Unser, but I can't disagree with a single thing he said in that article with the possible exception of getting rid of telemetry, there's nothing to be gained by it and it won't save that much money.

[Methanolandbrats]

I never liked Bobby Unser, but I can't disagree with a single thing he said in that article.

Ya, he's right about all of it. I liked Bobby when he was in the booth with Sam, I was always amazed Sam didn't kick his ass. :D

[stroker]

Bobby Unser is obviously a genius. If only, if ONLY somebody else had said those things in the last fifteen years. If ONLY somebody in the mainstream motorsports press had the guts to have printed such a clairvoyant opinion from such an esteemed personality within the last fifteen years, perhaps this might have been averted.

Morons.

[mueber]

Bobby loves to hear himself talk. It doesn't mean he's wrong, but most of his complaints have been voiced for for years.

[Wally]

I see his head is still up Penske's a**
" racing owes him a big Thank You" WTF :confused: :rolleyes: :yuck:

[Chief]

What series does he continue to allude to with all this "throw a blanket over it" talk?

Gomerati will dismiss him as senile IF there's a certain series mentioned...:p

[emjaya]

I never liked Bobby Unser, but I can't disagree with a single thing he said in that article with the possible exception of getting rid of telemetry, there's nothing to be gained by it and it won't save that much money.

I found one...


Nor is Bobby a fan of today's drastic pitlane speed limits.


"Having fifty and sixty mph speed limits in the pitane takes all the excitement out of it," he declared. "You can drive faster on the highway than they can run. I used to come into the pits sometimes at Indianapolis doing 130 mph. They had some wrecks, but hardly any. It was exciting to watch and that's what racing is supposed to be."

[cameraman]

Well the current fighter pilots of the IRL seem to have vastly more than their share of pit lane screw-ups with the current rules. It wouldn't be the first thing that I would change, or the tenth for that matter.

[Methanolandbrats]

If Danicle hit the pits at 130 per, she'd have to park, get out and change her own tires. No f'n way anyone would stand there.

[Gnam]

^ :rofl:

[Don Quixote]

:rofl::rofl:

[Indy]

I think they should take the speed limit down to 10 mph. Then when Milka invites her new sponsor Kim Jong Il to drive her car, everyone will be safe.

But seriously, the question is, can we allow people to risk their own lives or not? Why do we allow mountain climbing? Way more dangerous than being in a pit crew in the old days. How about acrobatic planes racing? How could we have allowed our astronauts to fly the space shuttle? Surely, they should have stayed home where it was warm and safe.

Brutal honesty here: if we can't tolerate seeing a young man like Greg Moore kill himself taking unnecessary risks, then the problem is not in the danger. The problem is in our hypocritical inconsistency and inability to put things in perspective.

[Rogue Leader]

I think they should take the speed limit down to 10 mph. Then when Milka invites her new sponsor Kim Jong Il to drive her car, everyone will be safe.

But seriously, the question is, can we allow people to risk their own lives or not? Why do we allow mountain climbing? Way more dangerous than being in a pit crew in the old days. How about acrobatic planes racing? How could we have allowed our astronauts to fly the space shuttle? Surely, they should have stayed home where it was warm and safe.

Brutal honesty here: if we can't tolerate seeing a young man like Greg Moore kill himself taking unnecessary risks, then the problem is not in the danger. The problem is in our hypocritical inconsistency and inability to put things in perspective.

Exactly. The knee jerk reaction last year of the NHRA shortening the races from 1/4 mile is a perfect example. Its racing, **** happens, drivers know that every time they put their helmet on.

[indyfan31]

I found one... ... you have a point there.

[NismoZ]

Even as a kid I was simultaneously enthralled and shocked when that air horn would blast "YELLOW" and those guys fortunate enough to be in T3-4 at The Mile would FLY down the pit lane, (waaaay into triple digits) get in AND out before the trailers even made it to the main straight or the pace car took to the track! Full tanks, about a lap lead and when the others stopped maybe a full lap + lead! Perhaps not "fair" and certainly incredibly dangerous but what a sight! Uncle Bobby is correct on THAT point, "fer certain sure!" Heck, I even remember when there was no outside pitwall there! Think about it, the only thing separating the pitcrews from cars at full song was a painted white stripe! Can't remember the year, but I sure felt relieved when the new wall was erected, the pits were closed upon yellow and speed limits were introduced. Even after all that they were still running into and OVER people, eh Speedbump?

[manic mechanic]

Even as a kid I was simultaneously enthralled and shocked when that air horn would blast "YELLOW" and those guys fortunate enough to be in T3-4 at The Mile would FLY down the pit lane, (waaaay into triple digits) get in AND out before the trailers even made it to the main straight or the pace car took to the track! Full tanks, about a lap lead and when the others stopped maybe a full lap + lead! Perhaps not "fair" and certainly incredibly dangerous but what a sight! Uncle Bobby is correct on THAT point, "fer certain sure!" Heck, I even remember when there was no outside pitwall there! Think about it, the only thing separating the pitcrews from cars at full song was a painted white stripe! Can't remember the year, but I sure felt relieved when the new wall was erected, the pits were closed upon yellow and speed limits were introduced. Even after all that they were still running into and OVER people, eh Speedbump?

One of my fondest memories comes from a siliarly "unregulated" environment:

Does anyone remember America's introduction to Max Papis as a sportscar driver in the mid '90s? That last stint and pit stop trying to chase down the leader in the Rolex 24 was insane, foolish, and every other modifier you can throw at it, but the drive was brilliant, and Max left nothing on the table trying to win it. :thumbup:

I talked to Max in the paddock at Long Beach not long after that race, and asked him how fast he was going when he hit pit in... He responded nonchalantly "fifth gear, flat". :eek: Serious stones on that guy.

That's a race driver.

Uncle Bobby is spot on.. The Dallara lawn-dart is much too easy to drive, and many of the series' "marquee" drivers (notice I didn't say "names") know that there are better, more challenging to drive cars out there but the sanctioning "corpse" won't allow anything better than what is already in the pipeline.

manic