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Friday, May 22, 2009

Jimmie Johnson Speaks On Danica To Stock Cars

From forums to blogs countless people have given there opinion on the whole Danica to Stock Car situation but now Jimmie Johnson, who is supposedly big in the Stock Car world, is giving his opinion:

“If she’s serious about doing it, she needs to spend a year or two, while racing IRL, running ARCA, running trucks, running Nationwide and really understanding the difference in the vehicles. For our sport, I’d love to see it. This is where I make a living; this is the sport I love and whatever we can do to make our sport stronger I’m in favor of.”

"They just need time. They have worked their entire lives to learn an open-wheel vehicle, the characteristics of that, the adjustments. It’s just two totally different worlds. In a lot of respects, it would be easier to go from stock cars to IRL. The vehicle is the limit in our cars. In a lot of respects, in open-wheel cars, it’s the bravery of the driver. The car has so much grip, it sticks, you just have to keep pushing yourself. You take that mentality and then put it in a stock car that has 60 percent less grip and down force – it’s like going from driving a sports car to a Suburban. It just takes awhile to get that.”

"Granted it would be a money-making opportunity,but it’s just tough to roll the dice on someone that has no experience in stock car racing. Now, if she was serious about it and ran two years in Nationwide program and she showed promise, then a team would then buy in and say, ‘You know, she’s going to be a rookie, we’re going to tear up some cars, but our eggs are in this basket for the long haul and this is going to work." -Jimmie Johnson

Now for my opinion, after the Dario disaster, and with the struggles of Sam, I don't see it happening. Danica and the people around her are smart and it would be stupid to walk away from a position where she can run competitively week in and week out and become a back marker in any other series.

Another key aspect to the move would be a loss of off time. The six month off season she has now would turn into about 2 months of downtime in stock cars, and she's gone on the record before saying that she like time off.

There's no doubt she can make more money in stock cars, no one will disagree with that, but money isn't everything.

5 comments:

I love how they all say it'd be easier to make the switch, but none of them have tried. Certainly, none of them have tried running in traffic in a car that CANNOT touch another car, or put up with the G-Forces. I simply don't buy that it'd be "Easier" to run an open wheel car.

I do agree that Indycars probably handle much better than stock cars, but they have to. As you said, Indycars cant touch or one will be flying Briscoe style into the fence.

Not only are the G's a factor, but the reaction time you have to have in open wheel are crazy.
Example, Graham avoiding John's crash last weekend.

Most IndyCar drivers would struggle switching to NASCAR and vice versa. Different worlds.

Jimmie Johnson, supposedly big? I hope you're being facetious; he's the three-time defending champion.

Personally, I want to see Danica leave because I think her being there in a premier ride and pimping herself out as a sex goddess despite only winning once (barely) makes IndyCar look really bad, when drivers who are far superior to her like Junqueira, Servia, Power, Scheckter, and Wilson have weak rides or no ride. I'd consider adding Buddy Rice too, but she did beat him both years at Rahal... Yes, it would be a blow to lose her as far as popularity is concerned, but the IRL isn't very popular as it is and should be more concerned with integrity, which is how to grow a base in the long run... Having really good Champ Car drivers in bad rides while the mediocre IRL drivers remain in good equipment isn't really a merger. It's an acquisition.

But even though that's what I want, she's not leaving. Nor is AGR going to fire her probably, even though there are much better drivers available, because she's a cash cow.

Okay, Power does have a strong ride, but it's part-time, and he deserves a full-time ride more than she does by far, even with his limited oval experience.

Jimmie Johnson, supposedly big? I hope you're being facetious; he's the three-time defending champion.

Yes, I was being sarcastic

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