Junqueira to stay on at TCGR

[Raven]

I see most websites are reporting Bruno is lined up and will be confirmed next week when they do the testing.

What's the opinion of that in here? Most people were very split on the issue of who deserves the seat more; Bruno or Memo Gidley. You have to say it's a tough break for Gidley with Rahal looking less likely to field a 2nd car, and other options running out. It looks as if he'll be starting the year on the outside looking in once more.

[Liz]

Considering that Bruno came within a whisker of getting the Williams seat that Jensen Button ended up getting, and considering that Bruno has already won a race (and acquitted himself well at the Brand X 500 although Chip scorned him and made him wait to qualify until last so he had to come from 'way back (although his time would have qualified him up front if he'd been allowed to compete fairly) - I would say that keeping Bruno is an excellent idea.

Memo is a wonderful guy and a delight to talk to, but he's turned into another Moreno. If he wasn't American, you wouldn't be hearing anything about him at all.

[DNQ]

Good news. Bruno deserves. I've felt sorry for him ever since he missed out on a seat at Williams to Jeson Button.

[SevenGrain]

Considering that Bruno was signed to a two year contract and Gidley on a race-by-race basis, Junquiera rightfully deserves the seat.

Not that many drivers win in their rookie season, but Bruno was able to do so. I feel that he has earned the ride with his performance on the track as well...

[Raven]

Thats true Liz, I wonder if Chip will wise up and put Bruno in his A-squad for Indy this year? Or will he bother with T.Stewart etc again.

[macdaddy]

I have a hard time considering him a "race winner". Nothing like being at the right place, right time. Matsusida could've won that race. I'm happy for him, albeit surprised. Kinda thought that Target would have pushed for Gidley. But to tell you the truth, I don't think either of them is championship calibre. I'd be surprised if he scores half the points that Brack does. Of course, I'm likely to eat my words...

[enemy-ace]

Bruno's race win was lucky and not due to anything that he did special. Given his credentials his performance was rather poor actually. But with the financial climate these days Chip will run him in the second car because he's already bought and paid for. Don't expect to see Bruno at TCGR in 2003.

[Liz]

All wins are "lucky" when you don't like the driver involved.

And who cares about 2003? FORZA BRUNO!

[Spiddy-Spid]

Bruno is a thorougly nice and articulate guy, not that that'll get you anywhere in racing, but anyone who knows his history knows he really deserves that seat. I can't wait to see how he gets on next year.

[Speedworx]

I hink Ganassi is going to make a huge mistake taking on Bruno for a second year. Gidley is the one to help Brack move the team forward, as he has more experience.

[Liz]

If Gidley is such a hot commodity, why is it that he can't get a drive with any team at all? And when did Gidley test for Williams F1 and nearly get the drive too?

Bruno is Better. And Mr. Oval won't get the championship.

[Takuma]

The only reason Junquera kept the seat is that he is cheap.

In actual race performances Memo Gidley, with ZERO testing remember, had more podiums and more points per start. Indeed Gidley was amonsg the top drivers in cart, all season, for laps lead.

Honestly though, the second sseat at Ganassi is not the most attractive seat in cart, the team will be focusing almost exclusively on Brack, and also remember that the team has lost almost all the key technical staff from the Zanardi/Montoya era's.

[SILVERS95]

i see Chip is seriosly weighing up the IRL option too...i wonder if Bruno would be intereted in going there..or if he wants to try and come back and get a seat in F1 ?

[BootsOntheSide]

I think Bruno will still have hope of an F1 drive, so IRL will not appeal to him. I'd love to see Memo get a drive though, I've always rated him highly. Bruno was good for a rookie, but his win was a little lucky. Remember that he came into the team with a much harder set of circumstances than Montoya and Zanardi got, without experienced people like Mo Nunn, Jimmy Vasser and Tom Anderson.

[SevenGrain]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Takuma
The only reason Junquera kept the seat is that he is cheap

Gidley would probably be even cheaper, if money were the reason.

Honestly though, the second seat at Ganassi is not the most attractive seat in CART [QUOTE]

It worked out pretty well for Zanardi and Montoya..


Anyway, allow me to share my Paranoid Conspiracy Theory with you. (and this is , at this point, only a theory.) the reason that Chip Ganassi has not made an official announcement on his second CART driver is that he intends to field only one entry in CART in 2002. He will follow Mo Nunn's example and split his team between CART and the IRL.

You may call me crazy, but consider the following.

1. Chip Ganassi was none too thrilled with the selection of Chris Pook as CEO.

2. As recently as January 4th Chip was quoted as saying "With the way things are going, I might not be too far behind Penske. We want to be at the big races and where the competition is going to be."

3. Mo Nunn and Chip Ganassi are good friends who often seek out each other for advice. Mo Nunn feels that the climate in CART dictates that his team "spreads their wings" (as Nunn puts it) and get a foot into the IRL.

4. Target Stores has signed on to sponsor Jimmy Spencer in Chip Ganassi's Winston Cup car. Would Target really have doubled their Advertising budget for Auto Racing, or will the funds for the CART program be less?

5. A full time IRL team for Ganassi has been rumored for more than a year now.

6. The second CART driver announcement was to take place at Fontana, but now two months have passed with no announcement.

7. According to Donnie Graves (Memo Gidley's manager) Memo is not yet definitely out of the running at Ganassi. Gidley's background makes him a better fit for an IRL seat than Bruno Junquiera.

We'll have to sit and wait, but I'll bet that there is a Target Ganassi car at the IRL race in Homestead in March...

[Takuma]

My coments concerning the second seat at Ganassi were related to the current state of the team, not the situation that existed a few years ago. Remember the team has had an almost total change of key engineering personal.

Having spent such a large proportion of the budget on Brack's salery, it seems likely that the team will be concentrating on Brack this season.

If Target were to run the IRL season, Memo would do a good job for the team and for the sponsor.

[mac]

Originally posted by Takuma
Honestly though, the second sseat at Ganassi is not the most attractive seat in cart

It may not be, but it certainly beats a year on the sidelines.

[Liz]

Since when do we stand around waiting for "the most attractive seat"? (I mean besides us girls, of course, who are always on the lookout for an attractive seat ... but I digress) ... the most attractive seat is the one no one else is sitting in at the moment, or that you the driver are invited to fill.

[Crash Test]

Say nobody is sitting in the Minardi seat. Do you sit in it for a year and find yourself in bangers next season, or do you take a pass? Obviously if there is a more attractive option open to a driver other than the Ganasi one, then they wont take it... saying that, there aren't enough seats availble at the moment for too many of them to be vacant...

[Liz]

Just ask Memo Gidley or Roberto Moreno if you don't believe it. Either of them will drive Fred Flintstone's car if anybody wants to enter it and give them a chance! That's the way you have to be if you really want to be a pilot and not just a celebrity who happens to drive a racing car.

[Takuma]

I think you will find that both Memo and Roberto, have standards and would not drive a car if they thought that the team were incapable of prepating it properly and safely.

Both deserve to be in competitive drives, sadly not many of those are avalable. Actually if a team had the proper budget Memo and Roberto would be a pretty good line up.