Open Wheel Drivers Invade NASCAR
IRL and Formula One stars try their hand in Nextel Cup
The latest unsettling trend in NASCAR is the hiring of open wheel veterans.
Tony Stewart opened up a can of worms when the 1997 Indy Racing League champion converted to stock cars a year later. Stewart set the NASCAR world on fire in 1999, his rookie season, by winning three races and finishing fourth in the championship standings.
NASCAR owners began to look to the USAC ranks for up and coming talent, as seen by the emergence of drivers such as Ryan Newman and Kasey Kahne in the early 2000’s. However, the sudden interest in drivers that have spent years establishing a career in open wheel racing have hit a peak.
Last summer, international star Juan Pablo Montoya made a shocking announcement when he revealed that he would sacrifice his successful Formula One career and start over in stock cars. Chip Ganassi, known for gambling on unproven drivers, hired the former Indianapolis 500 winner. But Montoya’s track record is as impressive as they come. Along with his Indianapolis 500 triumph, Montoya owns a CART Championship, as well as several crown jewel victories in Formula One. But NASCAR racing has proven to be a completely different animal.
Despite winning the Busch Series race in Mexico City and the Nextel Cup race at Infineon, Juan Pablo Montoya has been mediocre. A handful of impressive performance on ovals such as Atlanta, Texas, and Indianapolis are not going to cut it in NASCAR’s upper echelon of competition.
Sam Hornish Jr is in the midst of the conversion from open wheels to stock cars. Hornish Jr’s transition has been anything but smooth. Hornish Jr failed to qualify for the Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire last weekend, and has yet to record a top ten finish in the Busch Series. Despite his troubles, car owner Roger Penske has repeatedly expressed his support for Sam Hornish Jr while the three-time IRL champion cuts his teeth in stock cars. Many expect Hornish Jr to join Ryan Newman and Kurt Busch on Penske Racing’s NASCAR Sprint Cup driver roster in 2008.
Juan Pablo Montoya and Sam Hornish Jr are two of the most accomplished drivers in open wheel history, however, they have proven that success in Indy Racing and Formula One does not translate into instantaneous success in NASCAR.
That is the reality that Jacques Villenueve and Dario Franchitti are about to encounter. Villenueve, a former winner in Formula One, is expected to replace Jeremy Mayfield in Bill Davis Racing’s Toyota Camry’s in 2008. Not only is Villenueve untested, but he will be with a team and organization that has enjoyed limited success in recent years.
Though no official announcement has been made, 2007 Indianapolis 500 winner Dario Franchitti is expected to join Juan Pablo Montoya at Chip Ganassi Racing. Chip Ganassi Racing has displayed some potential, and Franchitti would have Montoya to lean on. Perhaps Montoya can help Franchitti avoid some of the rookie mistakes that he has made.
Still, the transition is daunting. A.J. Allmendinger can attest to that. Allmendinger is another open wheel to stock car convert. Allmendinger has struggled to qualify for several races this season. Just a year ago, Allmendinger posted five wins in Champ Car.
It is obvious that Montoya, Villenueve, and Franchitti were not sitting around as young boys dreaming of becoming the next Richard Petty or David Pearson. So why the sudden yearning for a career in NASCAR? Money and prestige come with being a NASCAR star. But the camaraderie is what has impressed Juan Pablo Montoya and his wife.
The open wheel invasion will spark a lot interest, but to say that it is good for the sport is false. As with any form of auto racing, a driver should earn his ride by proving himself in that type of racing, something that neither Jacques Villenueve nor Dario Franchitti have done. What this is doing is blocking stock car drivers from opportunities that they have spent a lifetime aiming for.
