[MikeNoun]

Originally Posted by The Champ

Let's get back to the fact that you claimed that Stewart was "not good enough to be an IndyCar champion". What kind of car was he driving for 3 races in 1996, 10 races in 1997, 11 races in 1998, 1 race in 1999 and 2000? What was the name of the series that he won the title in 1997?

Tony Stewart's 1997 IRL Championship is as relevant as a professional team winning a championship during a strike year. He won against a bunch of scabs. Anyone that followed IndyCar racing back then ignored the IRL, along with the Indy 500, because it was a watered down mess.

Stewart is a great driver, he just can't compete with real IndyCar drivers. One of the reasons he left IndyCars when he did. They were combining IRL and CART once again, so Tony would have to face real drivers.

A little history...

In 1997, Tony George specified new technical rules for less expensive cars and "production based" engines that outlawed the CART-spec cars that had been the mainstay of the race since the late 1970s. For the next few years almost all of the CART teams and drivers did not compete in the Indy 500. While this situation allowed many American drivers to participate in an event they might otherwise have been unable to afford (hacks), the turbulent political situation and the absence of many top IndyCar drivers, big-name sponsors and faster CART-spec cars cast something of a shadow over the race. It was certainly arguable that to the average fan, the replacement of at least fairly well known foreign drivers by almost-unknown American ones was not perceived as a real gain.

At its inception, the series and George himself were criticized by members of the media and some CART competitors. The IRL's early seasons consisted of sparse schedules, mostly unknown drivers, and inexperienced teams, even in the Indy 500. Eventually, the schedule expanded and the caliber of drivers improved. The IRL began to draw teams from CART starting in 2000, contributing to the latter's bankruptcy, re-branding as Champ Car in 2003, and ultimate demise and absorption by the IRL in 2008.

Which series ran at Indianapolis? You know, the track that the cars are named after?

Just because they named the series IRL (Indy Racing League) means he was a great IndyCar driver?

That's like saying the NASCAR cars are stock because the "SC" in NASCAR stands for "stock car".

And Dale Jr. has 1 Cup win and 1 Nationwide win in the last 5 years. 1 + 1 = 2. Remember - you want to give Danica credit for "almost" winning a Nationwide race....

Facts are facts. If you cherry pick stats, then the sword cuts both ways.

Danica has 1 win in 5 years at the top level (IndyCar). Dale Jr. has 1 win in 5 years at the top level (Sprint Cup). They're both overrated.

Those Indy Cars must be like taking the old Toyota out for a Sunday drive if a "hack" like Allison can do that well in his first attempt...

I never said the Indy 500 was hard to drive, I said it was dangerous (which it is). There have been a lot of no-name one-time hacks that have run the Indy 500, and don't race the series. It's all about sponsorship.

By the way, ever notice how when the NASCAR boys go to a road course, some of the drivers get replaced by "ringers"? That's because many of them can only turn left. Danica has proven that an IndyCar driver can run a NASCAR road course, but a NASCAR driver can't run an IndyCar on a road course circuit.

Who are the best drivers in the world?

"You ask if NASCAR drivers are the best in the world," two-time Indianapolis 500 champion Al Unser Jr. said. "Absolutely. Driving in NASCAR they are. And the top drivers in IndyCar are the best in the world of IndyCar.

"The top drivers in the World of Outlaws are the best in those cars.

I was, in the '80s and '90s, one of the best Indy car drivers in the world, and I went over to NASCAR but I was schooled."

Ummm...nice try Champ. Cherry picking as usual.

Finish the story. The next line reads:

Schooled is a bit harsh. Unser was running fifth in his only Cup start, the 1993 Daytona 500, when he was wrecked by Dale Earnhardt with about 10 laps to go. In 53 International Race of Champions events featuring the top drivers from all motorsports in identically prepared stock cars, Unser won 11 times.