Corporate greed ruins racing AGAIN

skippy05

skippy05

Twitter.com/Brandon_Mudd
At the last minute, Tony Stewart was going to qualify for Indy, but because he wanted to qualify in AJ Foyt's Toyota and he drives a Chevy in NASCAR, no go. I realize racing's always been about sponsorship, but in recent years (especially now in NASCAR) corporate stink is ruining racing. On the other hand, though, it's great to see Robby McGehee in the show, even if it is dead last...
 
i am no tony stewart i think that it was a lot of bs that he could not run chevy should have no say what he can run in any other series
 
That really just looked like a publicity stunt to me. If your serious about running the Indy 500, you dont just sort of turn up one day and say "hey, I think I might just take a run at qualifying for Indy today, yeah, thats what I might do." If any of you have been following the IRL/Champcar thing the last few months, then it is no surprise that this year has to be the worst year yet for the Indy 500.

Tony George has a lot to answer for, he single handedly destroyed the second greatest open wheel series in the world, and is determined to continue to destroy open wheel racing in North America. Indy is just not the same any more, and the Tony Stewart stunt today just showed what dire straits the show is in. As little as ten years ago, Stewart would have had a car, a spare car, a dedicated crew, spare engines, the works a month before anyone showed up at the track. Now, he is reduced to being used as a ruse to create some interest in the race. A sad day, indeed.
 
question what would be the answer,yes he srewed up when he let some of the other manufactures in and some the CART teams in
 
Publicity Stunt?????????? How do you figure? Stewart did not just "show up". He flew to Indianapolis to spend time with some friends. It is conceivable that he does have friends in the IRL since he once raced, quite successfully in that league, is it not??????????? Besides that he is from Indiana and has repeatedly vocalized that he loves the Indianapolis 500. He has also raced in that race several times in the past even during the time he has been racing for Gibbs.
 
Last minute deals have been made for about as long as the race has been run. Tony could show up and get in at the last minute, but he probably would not settle for 2nd rate equiptment.
 
Showing up at the last minute had nothing to do with the fact Tony couldn't run...it had EVERYTHING to do with the fact certain sponsors of his flat out told him he COULD NOT race, period. And don't be so quick to doubt what t.nie is saying. There may be a very good possibility that Tony being there was organized completely as an attempt to draw interest in a race that loses more relevance every year. I have no doubt that once Tony actually got there, he got caught up in the atmosphere and truly wanted to run, but I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss the theory that Tony wasn't invited there with a motive in mind...Things like that happen in racing and behind the scenes all the time...
 
Its Called "factory Backing". It Is A Precious Comodity In Big Time Racing. Not Every Team Has It And Those Who Don't Usually Don't Compete With Those Who Do. A Prime Example Of It Would Be Bill Davis Racing, The #22 And #23 Cup Teams. They Had Factory Backing From Dodge, Until They Found Out Bill Davis Was Helping Toyota's Effort To Get Into Nextel Cup. Dodge Took Away Their Support And Davis Racing Isn't As Competitive As Before. Joe Gibbs Nor Any Other Of The "elite" Cup Teams Want To Risk Losing Their Deals With Manufacturers.

I Don't Think It Would Have Been As Big Of A Deal If Toyota Wasn't Fixin' To Enter Nextel Cup.

Do You Think Budweiser Would Let Little E Run A Race Somewhere With Miller Lite Sponsoring The Car????? I Wouldn't Think So!
 
the more I think about this the more I also think it was a PR stunt pulled off by one AJ Foyt. Who is notorious for such outrageous shenanigans. Stewart knew he wasn't going to race in the 500 he even said he wasn't going to long before the month of May. I am sure AJ probably contacted him quite some time back to find out his interest in racing in it. This was nothign but a publicity stunt.
 
Pitdrifter

Don't get me wrong...I understand better than most how hard it is to get sponsorship and Tony did what he had to do to keep everyone happy. And I completely understand both Toyota's and Chevy's concerns about this, but more and more, big business is ruining racing. NASCAR has whored out what used to be a great sport.

And as far as the beer stuff goes, Rusty and Sterling have Bud stickers on their cars and they don't have to. No one is forcing them to be a part of the Bud Pole program...the Petty's don't run it. My point is, you offer enough money or press time and strange deals will be made...
 
t.nie.....enlighten us with your opinion on how Tony George has destroyed open wheel racing.

I think he saved it.

All Cart had goin for it is it was just a wanna be Formula 1 series.

Have you watched an IRL race from say Texas?...No way Cart could stage a race that runs that competitivly for 500 miles....OH they tried and left Texas after practice and are still being sued over the matter.

If Cart were still in control would we see people like Al Jr, Ed Carpenter (ok we would see him either way since he's Tony George's stepson), Robbie Mcgehee (spelling?), Greg Ray, Brian Herta, Sarah Fisher, etc in the race?..answer NO WAY

Hell pole sitter Buddy Rice would have never been welcomed in CART.

Plus for me one of my alltime favorite drivers got to win INDY in one of the "lean" years....Eddie Cheever

Just a few of my CART vs IRL thoughts..cheerfully waiting yours

And yes it is funny watching the CART guys eating crow and trying to explain that they were ALWAYS coming back to race INDY
 
the way i see it is if a man has talent like him at racing different cars...........LET HIM!!! tony is a multi talented driver....the man has raced almost everything known to man!!..he put on a hell of a show racing schraders late model last year before he rolled it
 
opnwhlmnd said:
t.nie.....enlighten us with your opinion on how Tony George has destroyed open wheel racing.

I think he saved it.

All Cart had goin for it is it was just a wanna be Formula 1 series.

Have you watched an IRL race from say Texas?...No way Cart could stage a race that runs that competitivly for 500 miles....OH they tried and left Texas after practice and are still being sued over the matter.

If Cart were still in control would we see people like Al Jr, Ed Carpenter (ok we would see him either way since he's Tony George's stepson), Robbie Mcgehee (spelling?), Greg Ray, Brian Herta, Sarah Fisher, etc in the race?..answer NO WAY

Hell pole sitter Buddy Rice would have never been welcomed in CART.

Plus for me one of my alltime favorite drivers got to win INDY in one of the "lean" years....Eddie Cheever

Just a few of my CART vs IRL thoughts..cheerfully waiting yours

And yes it is funny watching the CART guys eating crow and trying to explain that they were ALWAYS coming back to race INDY
Click to expand...

I meant to reply, but then got a little too busy to write anything. Then, I came across this today, and thought the perspective on Tony George offered in this article, along with a history of Indy pretty much did the job for me.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/op...,2682683.story?coll=bal-perspective-headlines

Better late than never, I guess. :D
 
Conspiracy theory: AJ runs Toyota power. Darrell Waltrip is heavily involved in the Toyota program in NASCAR. DW sees Stewart getting suited up and calls Toyota, who calls AJ who tells Stewart "not this time". Boogity, boogity, boogity.
 
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