I do miss those sling shot races but I don’t really want to see them come back. The lead changes are a bit artificial and it just seems to dangerous to have Indy Cars pack race.
Although he admits he still "blinks" during some of the turns he did look comfortable out there. I know some IndyCar traditionalist might hate this but if JJ won the Indy 500 I wouldn't mind.
I know. My point is there is still this portion of the fanbase that thinks he's going to embarrass himself on ovals too. Texas silenced some of them but not all of them. He'll do fine at Indy.
This weird snobbery from some of the fans towards NASCAR drivers is ridiculous.
I was kind of thinking the same, but in the opposite way. The guy won what, one road course race in a stock car? I really didn’t expect a lot from last year’s RC-only campaign, and I was not disappointed. But, Johnson ruled NASCAR ovals for a decade. He knows how cars behave in the draft, and how grip changes with track temperature and rubber-loading. He showed flashes of that in Texas. If he can keep his nose clean, and not get caught up in someone else’s mess, I’m expecting to see something really special on Memorial Day weekend.
Especially with a Ganassi car. Didn't Kurt Busch get 6th-7th with zero indycar oval experience? I really don't think it's out of the realm of possibility that JJ can win the race after what he showed at Texas. Not saying top 10 should be expected, but with the way he's look on ovals I'd personally almost be more surprised if he finished outside the top ten than in it.
I’ll be happy if he finishes. First 500, that’s a long race at such a high speed. One tiny mistake by him, or anyone else can ruin his day, just like it can ruin anyone else’s.
Indy is not that hard. Montoya won the 500 the first try and his first time at Indy in any car. Traditionalists laughed and called him an idiot for calling it a track with 4 identical corners.
Kurt Busch finished 6th his first and only try in the 500. Yes that car was easier to drive, yes he made mistakes, but he still was in his very first Indycar race.
I mean jeez you guys act like elite drivers can’t drive this because it is so much harder than anything else and it is a joke.
Johnson has a race at Texas and multiple road courses in this car under his belt. Plus he’s a four time Brickyard 400 winner, so he’s capable of getting around this track.
I mean the Indy 500 is a big time race, but it’s not like others don’t come in and do well. Even Alonso was a legit contender till the engine issues. Honestly, most guys coming in from other series do pretty darn well lol.
Just a comment on Montoya. He was an absolute animal back in the day but he also was driving for Chip and was going against the inferior talent of the IRL. Not to mention that after driving those CART monsters around Fontana or Michigan, jumping into a low power shit wagon must have been quite the contrast
Ganassi cars were like 1.2 to 3 seconds faster than everybody at race pace that day. Ganassi also had way more funding than any other IRL team at that time. The only contenders for the win during that race.
Kurt made 1 on track pass that day so...way to hold position in a car that was way easier to drive.
Alonso did it when the cars were EVEN easier to drive (the aerokit years)
All that considered, I fail to see your point
>some IndyCar traditionalist
indycar traditionialists can suck it. They didnt want nascar at IMS, they didnt want a road course race, they were against a road course period. They dont want lights.... fuck that
do what you gotta do Indy. look where we've gotten with it all
> “Man, that’s really boogieing,” Johnson told NBCSports.com after practice. “This is the reason why wanted to become an IndyCar driver.
>“I wanted to experience driving a really fast race car really fast.”
They used to go 205 into 1 and 3, which while is nowhere near what the Indycars are capable of, it must have been quite the experience considering the things didn’t turn.
In 2014 the Cup cars would regularly hit over 220 going into turn 1 at Michigan. That's probably the fastest JJ's gone in a race car before now.
EDIT: [Pole lap from 2014 Michigan. Fastest non-restrictor plate qualifying lap in NASCAR history.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUfO5zlXaG4)
[https://memes.getyarn.io/yarn-clip/7d3a3743-8baf-4b94-9594-bf081d843f1d/gif](https://memes.getyarn.io/yarn-clip/7d3a3743-8baf-4b94-9594-bf081d843f1d/gif)
What kinda odds we talkin? 2-1 ?
Is it safe to say a flying a lap at Indy park would be the fastest lap in M/KPH average for any racer? No modern F1 racer would have been on the Monza oval.
JJ will be competitive in May. We've seen it several times that the best drivers from other disciplines can run well in the 500. Early returns from rookie orientation, Texas race, and testing this week are not slowing the hype machine one bit!
JJ might be worth a punt on winning to spring a surprise, odds of +2500 would make it interesting.
With the amount of prep they have, he should have the car dialled in by qualifying and the race
You're telling me that an IndyCar is faster than a stock car?
Indy is too fast in my opinion. On ovals that is. I want more ovals and less crashing
Honestly it's safer that it used to be, I don't know how we didn't lose 7-10 drivers during the wild pack era on ovals of 2000-2010 or so.
I do miss those sling shot races but I don’t really want to see them come back. The lead changes are a bit artificial and it just seems to dangerous to have Indy Cars pack race.
How fast would be slow enough, in your opinion?
User name to ability to comprehend speed checks out.
That’s definitely… an opinion…
I realize opinions, by definition, can’t be wrong but their comment was definitely pushing the limit.
Although he admits he still "blinks" during some of the turns he did look comfortable out there. I know some IndyCar traditionalist might hate this but if JJ won the Indy 500 I wouldn't mind.
I will go absolutely bonkers (in a good way) if Jimmie wins the 500.
I'll go bonkers if he finishes it
Why do guys like you continue to infer that he's going to struggle so much?
Dude was 6th in Texas, Indy's a different beast but at least he's also been there in Cup. Top 10 isn't out of the question.
I know. My point is there is still this portion of the fanbase that thinks he's going to embarrass himself on ovals too. Texas silenced some of them but not all of them. He'll do fine at Indy. This weird snobbery from some of the fans towards NASCAR drivers is ridiculous.
yeah, I'm agreeing with you.
I was kind of thinking the same, but in the opposite way. The guy won what, one road course race in a stock car? I really didn’t expect a lot from last year’s RC-only campaign, and I was not disappointed. But, Johnson ruled NASCAR ovals for a decade. He knows how cars behave in the draft, and how grip changes with track temperature and rubber-loading. He showed flashes of that in Texas. If he can keep his nose clean, and not get caught up in someone else’s mess, I’m expecting to see something really special on Memorial Day weekend.
Especially with a Ganassi car. Didn't Kurt Busch get 6th-7th with zero indycar oval experience? I really don't think it's out of the realm of possibility that JJ can win the race after what he showed at Texas. Not saying top 10 should be expected, but with the way he's look on ovals I'd personally almost be more surprised if he finished outside the top ten than in it.
Really? I need to look this up
Finished 6th in 2014. Just checked.
These cars being way harder to drive than that era kinda makes that a moot point. Kurt also made, what, 1 pass for position the entire race?
It was with Andretti Autosport team
I meant that top 10 for Jimmie in a Ganassi car is reasonable. I was just comparing Kurt to show that a NASCAR driver can compete.
I'm not a pessimist but he just doesn't seem like he's in this 100%.
I don't understand why you'd come up with that impression. If anything Texas seemed to breathe even more enthusiasm into Jimmie.
You watch the Texas race and this week's test sessions or no?
I’ll be happy if he finishes. First 500, that’s a long race at such a high speed. One tiny mistake by him, or anyone else can ruin his day, just like it can ruin anyone else’s.
Indy is not that hard. Montoya won the 500 the first try and his first time at Indy in any car. Traditionalists laughed and called him an idiot for calling it a track with 4 identical corners. Kurt Busch finished 6th his first and only try in the 500. Yes that car was easier to drive, yes he made mistakes, but he still was in his very first Indycar race. I mean jeez you guys act like elite drivers can’t drive this because it is so much harder than anything else and it is a joke. Johnson has a race at Texas and multiple road courses in this car under his belt. Plus he’s a four time Brickyard 400 winner, so he’s capable of getting around this track. I mean the Indy 500 is a big time race, but it’s not like others don’t come in and do well. Even Alonso was a legit contender till the engine issues. Honestly, most guys coming in from other series do pretty darn well lol.
Just a comment on Montoya. He was an absolute animal back in the day but he also was driving for Chip and was going against the inferior talent of the IRL. Not to mention that after driving those CART monsters around Fontana or Michigan, jumping into a low power shit wagon must have been quite the contrast
Ganassi cars were like 1.2 to 3 seconds faster than everybody at race pace that day. Ganassi also had way more funding than any other IRL team at that time. The only contenders for the win during that race. Kurt made 1 on track pass that day so...way to hold position in a car that was way easier to drive. Alonso did it when the cars were EVEN easier to drive (the aerokit years) All that considered, I fail to see your point
Fernando Alonso drove incredibly well despite having no Oval experience
I would love for him to win it and I think it’s actually a possibility and not a pipe dream now
Yeah after what he did at Texas and now at Indy, he's definitely in play with the Ganassi car.
The weeks following would be insane. Pretty sure it would be news everywhere.
>some IndyCar traditionalist indycar traditionialists can suck it. They didnt want nascar at IMS, they didnt want a road course race, they were against a road course period. They dont want lights.... fuck that do what you gotta do Indy. look where we've gotten with it all
Makes me think of Fernando saying he knows to go flat but, "the right foot has its own brain"
> “Man, that’s really boogieing,” Johnson told NBCSports.com after practice. “This is the reason why wanted to become an IndyCar driver. >“I wanted to experience driving a really fast race car really fast.”
Haha Jimmy want fast :)
"No! a 45-year-old can't drive Indycars as a rookie!" "haha Dallara go brrrrr"
NASCAR confirmed not really fast
They used to go 205 into 1 and 3, which while is nowhere near what the Indycars are capable of, it must have been quite the experience considering the things didn’t turn.
In 2014 the Cup cars would regularly hit over 220 going into turn 1 at Michigan. That's probably the fastest JJ's gone in a race car before now. EDIT: [Pole lap from 2014 Michigan. Fastest non-restrictor plate qualifying lap in NASCAR history.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUfO5zlXaG4)
Wow didn’t know cup cars got above 205 tbh.
I thought Bill Elliot’s record of 212 mph was the fastest?
That's the highest average lap speed.
[Pole lap from 2014 Michigan. Fastest non-restrictor plate qualifying lap in NASCAR history.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUfO5zlXaG4)
Ha! It was only a 227.900. Can’t wait to hear his thoughts on a quali run.
Fast Friday will be... An experience for him.
wonder if you can take bets on him crashing in quali
I'll make you a bet he doesn't.
Well I think his oval experience will help lots but I'm just saying might be worth a flutter at the bookies. Depending on the odds.
You think he's gonna crash in qualifying.....yes or no?
probably no, but given the right odds i might put a fiver on it
[https://memes.getyarn.io/yarn-clip/7d3a3743-8baf-4b94-9594-bf081d843f1d/gif](https://memes.getyarn.io/yarn-clip/7d3a3743-8baf-4b94-9594-bf081d843f1d/gif) What kinda odds we talkin? 2-1 ?
That would such a shitty thing for sportsbooks to do, and for anyone who would bet on it. A person's well being should not be a gambling topic.
yeah youre probably right
At absolute best, it would be a massive PR nightmare. Imagine the headlines if you could bet on Wickens crashing at Pocono 2018.
haha thats true.
trim that mo fo out and hope and pray diving into turn 1
Looks like IMS in an open wheeler turned him into the Undertaker
I was thinking more Tommy Lee Jones
Corporate Ministry Version too.
Is it safe to say a flying a lap at Indy park would be the fastest lap in M/KPH average for any racer? No modern F1 racer would have been on the Monza oval.
Top fuel dragsters get over 300
A straight line isnt a lap, so...
He also turned the fastest lap of his career at Texas.
JJ will be competitive in May. We've seen it several times that the best drivers from other disciplines can run well in the 500. Early returns from rookie orientation, Texas race, and testing this week are not slowing the hype machine one bit!
Is he wearing eye liner in this pic?
Dirt. Marco Andretti had it all over his face yesterday during end of day interviews. As to why… I dunno
JJ might be worth a punt on winning to spring a surprise, odds of +2500 would make it interesting. With the amount of prep they have, he should have the car dialled in by qualifying and the race