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View Full Version : Who'd a thunk it? :eek:



pchall
02-04-03, 08:59 PM
Found this on the Star's site smothered in the news tidbits:

"... Ford is flying NASCAR Winston Cup driver Kurt Busch from Daytona to Sebring today for his first test drive in an open-wheel car. "

:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:


The early parts of the article are on the new engine formula.

http://www.indystar.com/print/articles/3/020272-2963-092.html

Hurling Frootmig
02-04-03, 09:39 PM
Which team? Coyne?

rabbit
02-04-03, 10:11 PM
Hmmmmm. I doubt that Busch would make a switch to ChampCars (right now) but it will be interesting to see what he thinks of the experience.

nrc
02-05-03, 12:27 AM
Good old IndyStar, still hanging desperately onto that "CART's problems" story angle. Yeah, Ford wanting to extend their deal, that's a problem. :rolleyes:

turn1
02-05-03, 01:40 PM
This could be interesting - I always enjoy these type of events & if CART gets some promotional value out of it, then great.

cart7
02-05-03, 03:25 PM
At least Busch should have a little easier time getting in and out of the car than Spencer did last year.:D

turn1
02-05-03, 03:42 PM
Originally posted by cart7
At least Busch should have a little easier time getting in and out of the car than Spencer did last year.:D

:rofl: :cool: :D

rabbit
02-05-03, 05:07 PM
From fordracing.com


Dearborn, Mich. — Stay tuned to your computers — Kurt Busch is set to drive one of Team Rahal’s cars, today, at Sebring International Raceway. Yes, that is an open wheel car from the Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford series.

Kurt is very excited about the opportunity and really looking forward to it.

Set to arrive late this morning at the track he plans to meet with Michel Jourdain Jr. and the engineers from Team Rahal. Next, he’ll get his seat fitted and go through a debriefing with the engineers. Of course he will be fitted with a Head and Neck System device. He’ll spend some time watching the second practice session scheduled at 1:15-4:30 p.m.

Then, Kurt will have the track to himself for an hour.

mnkywrch
02-05-03, 05:09 PM
What's his motivation, I wonder?

Always wanted to try it?

Considering a career change?

Trying to figure out how his favorite fellow NASCAR driver in the world got into one? ;)

rabbit
02-05-03, 05:11 PM
http://www.freep.com/sports/othersports/busch5_20030205.htm


A fan of open-wheel racing, Busch, who is from Las Vegas, has said in the past that he would like to to start one day in the Indianapolis 500.

pchall
02-05-03, 05:43 PM
Originally posted by rabbit
http://www.freep.com/sports/othersports/busch5_20030205.htm

I hope that after his little joy ride he decides he'd like to run the LBGP.

:)

Napoleon
02-05-03, 05:52 PM
Honestly, how good or bad is this guy? How old is he?

rabbit
02-05-03, 05:53 PM
Originally posted by pchall
I hope that after his little joy ride he decides he'd like to run the LBGP.

:) :D

rabbit
02-05-03, 06:39 PM
AR1 has photos up and this tidbit...
First photos of Kurt Busch in Champ Car Check out our Home page for the first photos of NASCAR Winston up driver Kurt Busch in a CART Champ Car - today at Sebring, Florida driving Michel Jourdain's car. He turned a respectable 54.5 second lap. He spun on his last lap and called it a day. He ran more than 20 laps. For him to turn a lap only 3.5 seconds off fast time today, given it was his first time in a Champ Car, says the guy may have an open wheel future if he wanted it. More photos to follow later.

Railbird
02-05-03, 09:18 PM
He's a young guy Nap

and his kid brother is even younger.....;)


No bs, both are talented, but both are locked into the Nascar nation with no formula experience that I know of.

I see it as a fun deal for a Ford guy.

DaveL
02-05-03, 09:34 PM
Busch is one of the best young drivers in Cup. I respect the fact that he had the cajones to step into an alien car and drive it as fast as he could.

I've said it many times before. Every race car driver, no matter what he races, has a certain core skill set. If Busch would have spent his formative years in a formula car there is no question he would have excelled. The kid is good.

I don't care if this comes off as heresy, but the top talented drivers in Cup are the best in the world at what they do, and their skill set is world class, even if the formula they race in is not. Give Matt Kenseth, Ryan Newman, or Kurt Busch an education in an Atlantics car and you can bet your asses they'd be fast in a Champ car. The fact that they drive in a series that requires a skill set that does not ask the same things of a driver of a formula does not take away from their core talent as a race car driver.

Gurneyflap
02-05-03, 11:46 PM
No heresy, totally believable...remember, this is a kinder, gentler forum. Anyone who doesn't think Jeff Gordon in a Champcar wouldn't have been good for CART is the actual heretic. He made the correct decision, though to MY chagrin.

patm
02-06-03, 12:33 AM
So may during speedweek Jeffy ask Kurt, "what was it like?" Having jeff Gordon spend an hour on the track would be big. Glad this guy gave it a try. Maybe he will really like the feeling of the Champcar. he can always go back to Nascar when he's as old as Fittipaldi.

patm

Napoleon
02-06-03, 07:18 AM
Originally posted by Railbird
I see it as a fun deal for a Ford guy.

And it gets Champcars out in front of a wider audience

CART2Day
02-06-03, 11:11 AM
Originally posted by nrc
Good old IndyStar, still hanging desperately onto that "CART's problems" story angle. Yeah, Ford wanting to extend their deal, that's a problem. :rolleyes:

You got that right... even in the face of all the pro-champcar news lately they can still dig in their own anti champc^r slant. its really very obvious.. Like a Jack Arute article. :saywhat: