On May 15, 5:54 pm, "Von Fourche" <Khonak... (AT) hotmail (DOT) com> wrote:
I don't care if he won every goddamn race since the invention of the
wheel, he's a drunk and should not be driving a race car.

It's an embarrassment.

Frankly Al Jr. has accomplished a great deal at the speedway. Yet if
the died everytime they hit the wall and crashed, Al Jr. would be dead
as well. Remember the Emmo Al Jr. wreck? He is still here. If they
were such rockets then, why are they not rockets now???? Were the
cars that much better pre IRL??? Well actually they were in that
they were not spec race cars.

I also agree Dave that his past success should make no difference what
so ever in dealing with his current situation. I am no Dr. but I
would want several things before Id even consider letting him run.
First is how are his reflexes? Has the abuse his body has taken
slowed them to make him a hazzard to himself and others? Question 2
Id want to know is that do the Drs that are currently treating him
think he is ready to handle the stresses that come with dealing with
Indy? Will the race stress be likely to cause a relapse? No way to
know for sure in that people deal with stress in so many different
ways and different stresses cause people to react differently. To Al
Jr, Indy stress might be like home and a vacation, or it may be just
what he doesn't need in his recovery. Question 3 is can he remain
clean for the entire month? Personally Id require a drug and alchol
screening before he takes the track EVERY single time. He says he has
never had a problem keeping his problem from the race car, and I tend
to believe him here. Otherwise, I doubt he would be here. Some
things are self enforcing. This is likely to be one. Yet you owe it
to the other competitors to insure their safety and to give them the
confidence to be on track with someone with a history of drug or
substance abuse.

Embarassment? If you are talking about allowing someone to compete
just to up the car count (and 33 is just a number) then the IRL should
be embarassed. If they have gotten all the proper medical oks from
Drs with direct knowledge of the situation, put reasonable checks in
place to insure the other competitors safety, and then allowed him to
attempt to qualify I would call that fair and reasonable. I do wish
him only the best, but life after racing here has to take priority as
well as the safety of the other competitors.

If this had been pre split, he wouldn't have had the chance. The
talent would have been there to have kept most of the drivers that
should not be on track to not be able to make the field. At least
half of the current field would have had little or no chance to make
the race pre 95. How much of a chance would a driver with no
experience in high hp aero cars have of making the 95 race? I seem to
remember the defending champion one year close to that not making the
race. The fact that they can not find enough drivers with real talent
to make the field deep enough so that drivers like Milka have
essentially an automatic starting spot is also an embarassment.

On Mon, 14 May 2007 22:38:52 -0400, forty <cforteNO (AT) SPAMgmail (DOT) com>
wrote:

Von Fourche wrote:
9th grade? Is that where you're at in school?

--
forty

“To embrace an extreme, one must first let go of reason.”

"forty" <cforteNO (AT) SPAMgmail (DOT) com> wrote


Carey in Manvel

"Carey Akin" <cmakin (AT) att (DOT) net> wrote

Nah, he's always been "fascinated" with the "older" boys.

Carey Akin wrote:
I'm wounded

--
forty

“To embrace an extreme, one must first let go of reason.”

Carey Akin wrote:
And you must be looking for upperclassmen.

"Mark" <mblackwell1958 (AT) yahoo (DOT) com> wrote
Very good post Mark.

Separate thought I'd like to throw out -
It's quite possible (that if he is really ready) he might be quite
well fitted to this race. Experience. If I recall correctly
both his dad and uncle did very well at Indy 500 long
after their 'full time' good seasons were over.
Also consider how Michael A. did recently.

Yes but there were some differences. First is that times were
different when Al Sr. and Bobby were running. Experience helps a
great deal, but it can not overcome the aging process. Now Indy isn't
the type of track that would demand the absolute maximum out of a
driver, especially now. Bobby and Al Sr came up through a system that
didn't demand much if anything in the way of road racing skills. Cart
went road racing. IF they wanted to win championships, you had to be
good on road courses. They were never one of the best road racers,
though they weren't the worst by any means. That probably as much as
anything sent them to one off Indy rides before retirement.

Jr. didn't have that hinderance. Yet the skills and reflexes of a
road course is likely more demanding of youth than the higher speeds
and running flat out that Indy demands. Especially with the dumbed
down cars,running flat is the way around. Michael did ok but he had
one big advantage. He was actively involved with racing, even if he
wasn't driving. He was actively involved in things like set ups,
working with the engineers, ect and all the other things that make up
a race team. The only thing he didn't do was turn a steering wheel.
Again with his experience that is usually the least of their worries
for a time. Even Michael would likely admit he only has this one and
maybe one or two more with a realistic chance to win. That is unless
the IRL keeps the talent level to the point that Racin Gardner could
likely make the field again if he could find the money.

Can Al Jr. do well? Maybe. Should he even be in the race? That's a
whole different set of issues, problems and questions that hopefully
were answered prior to letting him on track.