Up and comming north american drivers

[mariov]

Here we are in the top echelong of racing, and the only North american driver is Jacques Villeneuve. Yes he is one of the top drivers......and yes I admire his talent...

Bur who is there coming up the lower grades to graduate in F1.

Who is there that is American and has the potential to graduate in F1

One name is being whisperred as a potential american hope.
Richard Antinucci, Eddy Cheevers nephew..

Did it the way it should be done, stated in Kartsat 8 years old, some formula Renault and this year he will be with Manor in the british championship. for us in North america he is the unknown...we dont have any reports on his progress, and americans are un aware of his potential.

Here in north ameriva and canada sadly there is a lower echelong to motorsport with the atlantic series, but most that succeed will be graduating to either the IRL or Cart.
Since their is no exposior to European teams, the chance of seing one driver graduate to 3000 or F1 is slim to none.

So Antinucci, might be the only hope americans have of seing an american driver graduate to F1, since he took the European route to learne and to have exposure.

So my questions is how good is he, are there any others....

[Coach44]

How about Alex Tagliani, Pat Carpentier or Paul Tracy? Don't you think they are good enough?

[Valve Bounce]

Michael Andretti

[Takuma]

Of the young America drivers racing in Europe this season, the top 2 are Pat Long, who is racing for Manor in F Renault & Phil Giebler, who's exciting plans for the season will be announced soo. Last week Phil was testing with Azteca Motosport at Valencia, on an official Spanish F3 test day, and was over 0.5" quicker than all the other drivers.

[mariov]

Originally posted by Coach44
How about Alex Tagliani, Pat Carpentier or Paul Tracy? Don't you think they are good enough?

Ok first Paul Tracy, very good driver but he has passed his prime and his chance to make it to F1 has passed.

Pat is in the same situation as Franchetti, they are voth very good driver. But their carreer right now is focussed on cart, and they would jump only if they received an ofer from a top team. And since their exposure here is next to nothing.

As for Tagliani, he had the potemtial and he is still young enough....But how does he get noticed. I think that for a north american driver the only route that will bring them to F1 is to expatriate themselves to Europe and start in the lower series.

But where are the next drivers going to come from, do we have good Karting series. So that our drivers can learn at a very your age, and compete in the European and world karting championship??? Who is the next Canadian????

And how can they find bakers to help them compete in Europe?
Local companies wont do it, no benefits for them....and European companies will tend to bacl their own local hoppefulls?

So where are the corporations that will see the benefits of promoting our local talent to the international levels?

[mariov]

Originally posted by Valve Bounce
Michael Andretti

Micheal..........Micheal......Micheal



Good one

[Coach44]

Originally posted by mariov
...Who is the next Canadian????

I read somewhere that Jacques is friend with pat Carpentier...maybe he can give him a hand

[Splatz the Cow]

Speed Michael has, youth he has not?

Mad Paul has sadly missed his F1 chance, and will look towards TransAm, GrandAm, or LeMans (where I think he will be brilliant.)

How about that Sarah... something. She raced Indy500 last year. I though she did Okay for her first Indycar drive.

Townsend Bell (US)
19/April/1975
Currently:Champcar
2001:
• 2001 Dayton Indy Lights Champion
• Made Series Debut at Germany in 2001 for Patrick Racing
• Scored First Championship Point in 2001 with 12th-place finish at Rockingham, England.
www.cart.com

Joey Hand (US)
10/FEB/1979
Currently: Toyota Atlantic
2001: 2001 Rookie of the Year in Toyota Atlantic. Third in championship (129 points). Finished the season with four straight podium finishes including wins in Vancouver and Houston, tracks he had never raced on before.
http://www.toyotaatlantic.com/

Michael Valiante (CAN)
11/NOV/1979
Currently: Toyota Atlantic (full season)
2001: Ran a limited schedule in 2001, but made the most of the five races he competed in. Despite missing seven races, Valiante still finished 9th in the overall Championship with a total of 64 points.
Long Beach - Started the race in 6th and finished his first ever Atlantic race in the top-5. Finished 4th behind the trio of Rutledge, Orsi, and fellow rookie, Joey Hand.

Scott Speed (US)
Take a look at"Stars of Tomorrow",
http://www.nakarting.com/stars.html

Someone will come through, in time. Just look at the Aussies now....

[mariov]

Originally posted by Coach44


I read somewhere that Jacques is friend with pat Carpentier...maybe he can give him a hand

They know each other, but are not tight friends.

Carpentier is focused on Indy, he has established himself in vagas, has a young daughter....and his famely is important to him....dont see him moving them to Europe.
I think his carrer will stay based in north america.

[mariov]

Here is an update on Antinucci's progress so far in the British f3, 3 test so far and he has topped the testing sheet twice.

The article was taken from autosport online:

______________________________________________________
In-form American sets the pace at Cheshire circuit


Manor Motorsport rookie Richard Antinucci showed that his form at Snetterton last week was no fluke by topping yesterday's British Formula 3 official test at Oulton Park.

The American was the only man to drop below the 1m30secs mark at the Cheshire track to go fastest for the second test in succession.
__________________________________________________________

Keep an eye on him.....might turne out an interresting F3 season for north americans also.

[ghinzani]

The Noth American who did best of them all in British F3 last year, Paul Edwards, doesnt look like he has anything for this year. The economic situation in America combined with the fact he hasnt got any management group taking a chance on his future potential means he is home in California kicking his heels this season. He hopes to return in 2003, but in the meantime is racing a shifter kart to keep his hand in.

[Lee Janotta]

I'm not much of a fan of nepitism.

Alex Gurney was in British F3 last year. He's a good driver, and could still somehow make it to F1, but he doesn't have the raw talent to be a champion. I tend to put Antinucci in the same category.

Phil Giebler took the '00 Formula Palmer Audi Winter Championship, and ran British F3 last year. He's doing very well for being constantly short of funds. That's always a big stumbling block for an F1 ride. I don't know what he's doing this season, British F3 still has a lot of seats TBA. If he only had some financial support, he could really impress.

I'm still pulling for Gunnar Jeanette. It amazes me that he's relegated to being Panoz's test driver, though... He needs as many podiums as he can get, then a move to CART, if he's _ever_ going to get close to F1, now that Rahal's gone from the Jaguar. The only guy in F1 who was willing to open doors for Americans (being himself a classic F1 should-have-been).

[Mantis13]

A couple of Canadians. Billy Asaro who I believe is in Europe at the moment (British F3?) and also Jonathan Macri.

[Valve Bounce]

I was hoping Liz would come to post a reply to my suggested hopeful

[f1manoz]

There are a number of very good drivers in the Toyota Atlantic series who could mix it with the creme de la creme of Formula One.

No-one from the CART series would change. Why would they give up a potential race-winning seat in CART just for the 'glory' of running midfield in F1!!

[ghinzani]

Originally posted by f1manoz
There are a number of very good drivers in the Toyota Atlantic series who could mix it with the creme de la creme of Formula One.

From what I saw of round 1 in Mexico I think they would get mullahed... very few of them seemed able to drive in the rain for a start. Ryan Dalziel, who did very little in British F3 last year finished 2nd in one of the old Swift chassis.

[Mr V]

surely SAM HORNISH JR is thee american, who could come into f1 and get the americans even more interested! (if thats possible!!) and will somebody from any f1 team please give helio castroneves a test!

[Sato san]

Is Ryan-hunter Reay American ??....he's damm good !

[ghinzani]

Originally posted by Sato san
Is Ryan-hunter Reay American ??....he's damm good !

He didnt look that good in Mexico, but then again neither did Gurney.

[Lee Janotta]

Atlantic drivers in F1? Sorry, no way.... They can't even get into CART!

[eatapc]

How about Danica Patrick, 19, from Roscoe Illinois? The following is from an Autoweek article in January by Curt Cavin:

“I don’t make dumb moves,” Patrick says, assessing her style, “but I’m assertive and aggressive with the moves I make. Road racing is just flat- out, and that’s me. I’ve always wanted to be in F1. Being in the grand prix at Indianapolis would be so cool.”

Patrick is a product of the small Rockford, Illinois, suburb of Roscoe. A friendship with Lyn St. James led to an association with John Mecom Jr., the Texas oil tycoon who fielded Graham Hill’s Indy-winning car in 1966.

Patrick was just 14 when she met Mecom, but she made a good impression. Mecom hooked her up with Jackie Stewart, who offered a ride in the Formula Vauxhall series in Europe when she turned 16. With her parents’ permission, Patrick quit school mid-term of her junior year in 1998, packed her belongings and moved to Milton Keynes, England, a racing hotbed and home to Jaguar Racing. Patrick slept on a friend’s living room couch for two weeks but didn’t mind. She was there, living a dream.

Over the next two-plus years, Patrick proved worthy of the opportunity. She became the first woman to reach the podium at the Formula Ford Festival at Brands Hatch, finishing second in the 2000 event against drivers who are now Formula One testers. Her finish was the highest for an American since Danny Sullivan in 1978 and led to a Formula 3 test with Carlin Motorsports last season.

Today, with a wealth of experience in competitive single-seat European cars, Patrick is considered the most likely to follow Sarah Fisher into America’s big leagues. At AutoWeek’s deadline she was negotiating with BMW to drive an M3 in the American Le Mans Series. At a recent Sebring test she was as quick as BMW regulars Boris Said and Bill Auberlen....

[Speed]

How about Memo "Superman" Gidley ?

[ghinzani]

Frankly single seater racing at junior level cant be that hot in the states... Jeffrey Jones won the first round of the ff2000 and Gurneys gridded 2nd in the Atlantics. They were nowhere in the F3 last year. Meanwhile the guy who led the first race in British f3 last year and scored podiums and pole positions on a fraction of the budget is stuck in California building houses 'cos he's run out of money! He's another Gidley, overlooked cos he aint got a rich dad or an ex f1 driver dad / uncle. Why must America squander talent like Paul Edwards? Lets hope Pat Long doesnt got the same way...

[Raven]

I think Long or Antinucci are the best hopes right now.

mr v,

There's no way F1 teams these days are looking for drivers from an all oval series, Hornish is great in the IRL, but has proven very little on road courses.

[mariov]

Originally posted by Raven
I think Long or Antinucci are the best hopes right now.

mr v,

There's no way F1 teams these days are looking for drivers from an all oval series, Hornish is great in the IRL, but has proven very little on road courses.

I agree completly, like I stated before Antinicci is the best hope of an american driver making it, and too bad Rahal is not at Jaguar anymore he was aware of him....since he went the same route.

As for the atlantic series....not much chance of a European based team notiicing any driver in that series.....the day of the McLaren team racing in the Can Am series are long gone so they will not notice a young driver in one of our series.

Any future american or Canadian driver that will want to join the F1 curcuit will need to start very young in Karts and make there way to the European and world Kart Champuionship and do the lower European series.....

So its up to us as fans to make the F1 series more popular in the states and in the rest of Canada,,,ans sensibilize sponsors to that fact, let them know how much they can get out in returns.

Can you name a US or Canadian sponsor that got involved in promoting drivers to F1, that gave their support.

Appart from Labatt with williams a few years back on the canadian side and Nortel on the us side very few and sparse.