I'd hit it.

 

none at all.. just a lil bit of internet debating with a lil extra flair!...

CHEERS!

 

Funny and entertaining thread. Sorry I got in this one late.

Misc. thoughts:

Danica is so overrated that she's underrated. Is she a top 20 driver in the world? No. Is she top 20 in US? Probably not. Is she top 20 amongst 6speeders? Definetly.

The Road & Track article was useless but the cover sells magazines. A test at Laguna Seca similiar to the one done with Max Angellini (he gets a vote in my US top 20 drivers) recently would have been better. I wouldn't slam Danica for her input. The testing used was vague at best.

When MiniD slams the other Schummi (Ralf) or the Spyker drivers, I remind him that Ralf or any F1 driver could show up at any track in the U.S. and be the top dog or close to the top. Until you ride with or attempt to follow some of the pros (at any level), you don't realize how good they are.

Yes, I think Massa would be slightly quicker than Stewart, but Stewart does get into my top 20 along with both Gordon's from Nascar. There are many, many talented drivers that most fans are not familiar with.

I rode a session at Road America with Owen Trinkler (PDE instructor; Grand-AM driver; etc.) We chased down 996 & 997 Cup Cars in a 996 w/an X51 engine with my 197 lbs. in the passenger seat. I am quick for a hack club racer and Owen is at least 2-4 seconds a lap faster than me. Owen's challenge has been timing on the right ride to make it to the next level. As Leh can attest, there are many talented drivers in the paddocks at track every weekend, pro and amatuer.

As for Nascar; F1 and all other forms of racing, yes Politics play a big part. I am sure Leh could inpart many more situations that occur in ALMS and Grand Am. It's a show and Nascar has created the 2nd best sports marketing tool in the US (NFL ranks #1). The reality is that F1 has done the same in Europe.

As an enthusiast, I think that it all has to taken in stride. I am firm believer that the Trans-Am series in the late 60's and early 70's would have reached Nascar audience appeal if effectively marketed. The best product is not always the winner (Anyone familiar w/Microsoft; Betamax; etc?)

Last thought, has any driver in the US got more with less than Michael Waltrip?

 

^^^^ Nuff ^^^^^ Said^^^^

 

Except when they praise Porsches....

 

Clearly, she wasn't enamoured with the RS and found the Murci a much more exciting car to drive. Of course, had she found the RS the greatest thing since sliced bread, most here would be singing her praise.

Reality check. The latest Autocar magazine (considered by many as the finest autombile magazine in the world) test involved finding the best handling car. The RS was included and they found that the R8 was the superior handling car over the rest.

Porsche's are good but ignore the other cars at your peril.

 

No one here is putting her in the elite category of Formula 1 drivers (although driver's like Yamamoto, Alex Yoong and others that buy their rides are excluded). She may be close to the top 20 driver's in the US, it's hard to quantify, but one thing is for sure, she competes in oval racing as well as road courses and has placed well in both.

The truth of the matter is the approximate 75% people that have posted on this thread believe she is overrated. She is not overrated, she is over hyped because she hasn't won her first race yet. Coming in 4th at the Indy 500, 2nd last week and qualifying on the front row at Sears point is not overrated. How many other male driver's placed behind her?

Some will argue that last weeks' 2nd place was lucky because of attrition, but hey, that's racing. She didn't crash out, so you give her no credit? How do you explain that she qualified on the front row? Must be the car, right? This is the first year she's had a good car. On top of that she has to race very good drivers in the same car in her teammates. Ask Fernando Alonso, a 2 time World Champion, who has his hands full with a rookie, how difficult it is to race a teammate with the same equipment.

I think I've made my point (s). Don't hate.

 

Its been a damn good year in F1 eh?

 

Very very well said! I could not have said it better! Oh by the way I am mad as all hell that I I broke the shifter linkage at turn 5 during the road america enduro because I was looking foward to running with owen (this is mo in the black GT3 #501). I had the lead coming down into turn 5 and then bye bye shifter . It was great meeting all you guys at road america though!

 

I quite enjoyed this debate especially the respectful ending. It took me places that I probably would not have went.. Leh, you came drive the **** out of that 3..Danica, well she is Danica..

 

I don't think she is an uderrated driver. I think she has earned her stripes. You don't get to where she is just on looks alone. Her looks may be her downside since we tend to not want to respect a beautiful woman.

I thought she gave an honest assessment of the car and her drive. There were no Porsche factory folks feeding her bullsh$t to say on camera...otherwise she would have said it.

She spends her career giving feedback to race crews so that they can tweak her race car every week as she is going 200+mph around a track. She is constantly monitoring every sense of what her cars are doing on a track. You don't think she can give a good, honest opinion of a GT3 RS?

Had she given it rave reviews, you guys would have thought she was the greatest thing since sliced bread.

Objectivity is such a hard thing....

 

There is no doubt that she is an excellent driver, however, I think her problem was she needs to seperate her judgment of a street car from an Indy Car. She drove the RS not on a road course and was commenting on some of the cars nervousness. I think this nervousness might be in comparison to what races in. If she thinks the GT3RS is nervous they should have put her behind the wheel of a Z06 or a Viper(not knocking either car, but when it comes to high speed cornering, the RS is much more stable). I think she has the skills, she has the looks, but her what seems to be inability to seperate a race car from street car is the problem.

 

They did. She drove the RS, Z06, Viper and a Lambo back to back. She mentioned the RS had a firm ride which may be why she's feeling the nervousness in the rear at high speeds, probably a result of bumps in the track at those speeds. In her race car, she would have told her race engineers to soften the rear springs and sway bar. But this is a one off track test with no adjustments comparing stock for stock.

 

Danica should take lessons from this chick
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vx0fV...related&search=

 

I'd rather see Danica and Sabine mud wrestle!
My money is on Sabine


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