I watched TV coverage of the Detroit Indy Grand Prix on Belle Isle Sunday. I used to be a big fan of these open wheel cars and nearly always made the trip to the Detroit Grand Prix - both the downtown and island versions. The races were tough to watch in person on Belle Isle - good vantage points are rare. It sure did look good on the tube though.
While watching the pre-race coverage I wondered what the Andrettis were doing.
Andretti Green Racing is one of the four remaining pillars of the IRL's version of Indy Car racing. Penske, Ganassi and Rahal-Letterman are the others. Two of those three, Ganassi and Penske, are powers in NASCAR.
It sounds like Penske' #1, Sam Hornish is on his way to the Nextel Cup Series in 2008. Ganassi already brought his best open wheel driver - yep, he is - Juan Pablo to the Big Show.
When will the First Family of American Racing make the jump? It has to happen, doesn't it? How long can Michael and Mario let Marco languish in the little league? He can't seem to finish a race anyway.
I don't want to see North American Champ/Indy car racing go away. Maybe the Andrettis, Penskes and Ganassis feel an obligation to prop up the sport. Fine. It just seems inevitable that we will see the Andretti family involved in the ownership of a NASCAR team, much like Newman-Haas-Lanigan has come in with the Robert Yates team. How would a Petty-Andretti combo sound?
Picture credit: Robin Buckson - Detroit News
there is some logic there..wouldn't surprise me at all....
Posted by: robert bourne | September 03, 2007 at 12:25 PM