Well this won't take very long...New Zealanders in motorsport...I can really only think of three.
Less than half a lap is what seperated Scott Dixon from winning his second IRL title. He was running in first with Dario Franchitti in second (the only two drivers on the lead lap) when the yellow flag was put away for the final time. Both were driving on fumes but I imagine that since Dario was getting the slipstream, that meant he eeked out a tiny bit more fuel than Scott and was able to blast past him when Scott's engine spluttered coming into turn three. However, 2008 sees no Franchitti and no Sam Hornish Jr so Dixon should be favourite...so why Tony Kanaan is being talked up to win it is beyond me. I'm backing Scott and nothing short of having the #1 on his car next year will be a success. As for the Indy 500....well he has a good shot but I think one of the Andretti Green cars will win the thing.
Scott once again leads the 'Kiwis on display' for motorsport in 2008.
Wade Cunningham...a name that will probably have many of you scratching your heads wondering who he is. His career shot into the spotlight when he won the 2003 World Karting Championship. After a year in the States in the Formula Ford Zetecs, he jumped up to the Infiniti Pro Series for 2005. Despite only winning one race, he won that title in his rookie year. 2006 saw him finish third, not too bad if you take into account the fat that he missed two races due to illness while last year he wound up third again. But at the end of the year he was rewared with his first test drive of an IRL car at Sebring, driving the car that Danica Patrick usually has. So could we see two Kiwis in the IRL in 2009? Highly probable I reckon. I wouldn't mind if someone put him in the Craftsman Truck series though...he knows how to drive on ovals and he's only 23 years old.
Wade on his way to winning at Watkins Glen.
And now we come to the last person I know; Josh Coppins. After a gazillion years of the MX1 series being dominated by Stefan Everts (who retired at the end of 2006), Josh looked to have the 2007 title wrapped up until an injury forced him to miss the last handful of races. He came back for the final round but the pain from his arm was too much and he couldn't do anything except watch the title slip away. If he stays fit this year, he should be able to win the championship...but that's a big if in the MX classes.
Josh on his trusty Yamaha MX1 bike.
That's pretty much it really...I'm writing this since it's Waitangi Day which means I have the day off work. I could get used to a holiday in the middle of the week *laugh*
Well done for finding 3 Kiwis in international motorsport, I would have been stuck at Dixon, and at a push, Paul Radisich (where is he now anyhoo).
If Dixon doesn't win the IRL title he should be dissapointed, this season looks likely to be a Ganassi whitewash, with Wheldon probably being his closest rival.
Tez - Thanks for sharing with us the NZ drivers in motorsports. Of course I am familiar with Dixon...we were at the IRL season finale at Chicagoland Speedway the last couple of years. Always hard being second...but to have come so very close, even more bittersweet I suppose.
Yes I have heard of Wade Cunningham...since the IPS is also written up in the IRL programs too, and I have seen a few events when they are coupled on the same day as the IRL ones.
I do have to say though that I am not familiar with Josh Coppins, as I have never followed that series before.
HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY, TEZ!!! (see I remembered the conversation about NZ holidays from last year) :P
Tezgm
I think that at some time in the future we'll be seeing Dixon making the jump to NASCAR.
The rewards there seem to be far more beneficial financially. And if anything they gain much notoriety. Even if it's only domestically.
This might well be the year for Dixon in IRL but what has the Andreti/ Green team have to offer as yet.Seems Franchetti is gone and that leaves Kanaan which I don't see as a dominant driver for them.
Photo --- You could be rooting for Danica Patrick or Marco Andretti from AGR to have a breakout year, LOL. Although I certainly hope Danica will get in the victory lane this year, and Marco will win again, I dont see either of them being in contention for the championship at the end of the season. I still think that Kanaan is the most likely of the AGR drivers to have a successful season in 2008. But that is JMO.
Besides I would like to see Dixon's teammate, Dan Wheldon in contention for the title again this year too.
jbroomy; Radisich is currently racing in the NZ V8 series after retiring from the V8 Supercars last year.
Gerrel; you've heard of Wade? I'm impressed....he doesn't get much coverage here in the papers but Sky TV do put his races on (though usually a week or two later but that's still not too bad, lol). I was surprised that no one gave him an IRL test until end of last season though. Dan is a great driver but can be rather tempramental at times, lol
top; I'm not sure Dixon will ever make the switch to NASCAR....he's gone on record before stating open-wheelers is his thing and I can't really see that changing. If he wanted to go soon, Chip wouldn't have hired Dario I don't reckon. But I guess we'll just have to wait and see, lol
photo; Castroneves will be a handful....if Penske don't screw up their reliability like last year. But he does tend to make mistakes easily (like at Watkins Glen) which Scott doesn't. Tony is good....but he needs the car under him and if either Marco or Danica get off to a flying start, the team will back them and not Tony I reckon.
joker; yup, that's the same ritual that most NZ sports teams do prior to games. Oh wait...not sure about the Hawaiian team, maybe they do a similar thing but I seriously doubt they'd do the exact haka since NZ would be up in arms if they did, lol
Last edited by Tezgm99 on February 5th at 3:58 PM.
Agree that Dixon is a strong favorite, along with Wheldon and Kanaan (I think they're both in the same class, although Kanaan has some Andretti-like issues with bringing home cars in one piece).
Great last couple of races in the IRL season last year. Were fun races to watch, eh?
Looking forward to this year (which fortuantely begins at a more reasonable month of the year than NASCAR).
Tez- When I first started watching auto racing way back in the stone ages. I was a big fan of open wheeel. I think that Kanaan has what it takes to be a champion. And Marco, he needs to fly on his own. His dad is pushing him way to hard to accomplish some of the things that he never did. One of them being the Indy 500.
I also noticed that after that wreck that he had this past year. he was never the same. The kid is still young. And if Michael brought him up the same way that Big Al brought up Al Jr. By letting another car owner tutor him. Marco will have alot better results. Not just any car owner. But one who has proven track record. Could an Andretti and Penske ever see eye to eye? If it was to happen. Now would be the time.
Last edited by frevr3fan on February 5th at 6:44 PM.
Tezgm
The odds on are that he'll stay but as he's not sought an F1 seat. I do believe that he'll definately make the switch to NASCAR.
IRL and CART are almost becoming irrelevant. And if the only thing IRL has got going for it is a guy who was seen on Dancing With The Stars and underachieving sexual nymphet. Then there's not really a lot to be said for the sport is there ?
Its audiences at the venues aren't on the increase and the tv audience barely registers a blip on the Nielsen's ratings.
tophatal .............
Last edited by tophatal on February 5th at 7:16 PM.
Great post Taz, Just to add to Frevr3, we have had a few after a very hard crash not be the same, Steve Park is one and Ernie Ervin and also a promissing Busch was Andy Santar. Who can blame them.
Oh, ... artificially close racing with 60's era engine blocks in grotesquely heavy automobiles. The professional wrasslin' of auto racing (pro wrasslers have GREAT skill - what they do is INCREDIBLY athletic - but it ain't wrestling - - not all that strained of a comparison to NASCAR racing).
Dave in Indy
Better racing , faster cars and it all doesn't equate to much. If the sport itself isn't making any money. It's not as if it's being watched by the masses now is it ?
Gimme' F1 over NASCAR anyday of the week. And for the IRL to be totally reliant on an underachieving female and a guy who's popularity is now defined by the fact that he appeared on a freakin' reality show tells you all you need to know about the fate of the sport.
Mud wrestlin' with half naked females is sounding more appealing by the minute.
Tez is a rare creature; an Australian who was living in New Zealand before moving to Canada. He's also a Civil Engineer who is hoping to spend his Monday to Friday sitting in front of a computer surfing the inter...uh, working hard for an Engineering Consultant or Contractor when he finds a job. His heart is torn between his two loves; F1 and NASCAR.
Due to his high interest in those, his blogs will likely focus on them with the occasional foray into sports that don't get much (if any) mention on this website. All blogs and/or comments will more than likely have his usual dollop of sarcasm and general Aussie spin on them.
Amazingly, he also managed to score 2 MiB nominations on consecutive days (August 5 & 6, 2007) after announcing he had been keeping track of them...he's considering hiding under his bed as a result.
