Canto a One-Off?

[Vandas]

Dean Canto, the new star of V8 Lites was a driver in the Auscar series, do you guys see more V8 touring car drivers coming out of this category. Or is Canto a one off? Do you think there is a shift away from open wheeler drivers? I can tell you that a lot of the top men hope there is.

[Crash Test]

Dah? Dean Canto was a karting champion before jumping straight into GTP with a Subaru, then Peter Hill's Mondeo Super Touring team, and finally Terry Steer's V8.

Maybe you are thinking of Terry Wyhoon or Matthew White, both former super-speedway drivers. They are in V8s because at the end of the Auscar season, after getting no coverage, and doing no racing, they decided to go where the action (and money) is. I doubt that you'd see too much of it, as Auscar has basically been reborne as Future Tourers. People will coem from that, while it lasts...

[Vandas]

**** you're right I got mixed up, that's why I was checking out the other day costs of GTP racing. hehehe Yes I meant GTP rather than Auscar. What a mistake, anyway. The question still stands what do you think of the new transition from GTP, Auscar, Rally, Sports Sedans, and Improved Production rather than Fomula Fraud, to Formula Hopeless, then onto Tourers.

I think it is a good thing, I think it will change up the system, and bring in some extremely talented drivers who in the past may have been overlooked.

[Airhead]

If the pinnacle of the sport in your view is V8 Supercars - then the suggested tin top progression is fine. If you want to go to international level then open wheelers are the ticket. Jason Bright having a foot in both camps, but I gather the Pirtek thing was a stop gap prior to OS in the Indy Lites.

The answer to sure fired success in any formula, talent then money,money,money,money...

[Vandas]

By no means do I think that V8 Supercars are the pinnacle of motorsport. but in Australia, the dominant ideology is that Touring Cars are the place to be. I believe that if you want to make it big internationally you have to go off-shore early, like your Mark Webber's, James Courtney's, Marcus Ambrose's. You also need money before talent I think. Money will get you a long way before talent is really needed. also when it comes to the crunch someone with money will more often than not get picked up than someone of a slightly better driving ability who has none. I think it is good however that more and more V8 drivers are coming from a greater variety of categories than just the open-wheelers. I am not a big fan of Formula Holdens (although I would love to have a drive of one), I am a big fan of Formula Fords though, and the skill required to get them around the track the way these 16 y/o's do. But I know one thing and that is every guy I have spoken to that drives Formula Holden has said that they are the hardest cars to drive in Australia. Apparently they are just pigs.

[Lee]

Hey Guys,
GTS, open-wheel, Subarus, Super-touring? Did you all somehow manage to get on the wrong board by mistake? I don't see how any of this has to do with NASCAR? Sorry, but just found this a rather curious topic for the NASCAR Forum.

[gomick]

lee, the original thought on this topic was that dean canto raced in australian auscar/nascar series.....and then it went on from there, no harm done