By Dirk Gibson
Stock cars versus open wheel racing - racing fans have been divided between these two types of motorsports for years. With the demise of open wheel racing in America, the current debate is primarily between NASCAR and Formula One. So, could any current NASCAR drivers make it in Formula One?
The first thing to understand is driving a stock car and open wheel race car are two completely different things. That isn't to say one is better than the other. They are just two very distinct styles. A Formula One car handles much better and is quicker and faster. A stock car, however, allows you to give other cars a love tap and to draft. A F1 car will break into a million pieces of you tried doing that! Given these differences, it should be apparent that a great stock car driver is not necessarily a great Formula One driver and so on. So, who could pull it off?
Mark Martin - The great grey one may sound like a surprising pick, but he would be an epic F1 driver. He is incredibly smooth and has a great feel for the car. This is absolutely vital in Formula One where you don't lift at all going into turns at 180 mph in the middle of a rain storm. The truly great champions of F1 [Senna, Schumacher] have had great feel for the car and Martin would certainly fall into this category.
Jeff Gordon - At one point in time, Gordon was tempted to switch to F1. He has even driven the cars in exhibitions. That time has come and gone, but he still has the skills to pull it off if he wanted to have a go at a year in open wheel racing. He has great feel for his car and also an innate ability to pass. There is less passing in F1, but the narrow nature of the tracks makes every pass more dramatic and difficult. The great drivers pass with a flair and Gordon has that ability. He would probably be similar to a Kimi Raikkonen, a driver currently with Ferrari.
Tony Stewart - This one should be obvious since Stewart raced in open wheel racing. He would have to shed a few pounds, but who doesn't need to? He has great touch and skill with the cars, often evidenced on the road courses in NASCAR.
One driver that might seem like a good choice would be Kyle Busch. Love him or hate him, Busch is a brilliant stock car driver. He can take an incredibly loose car and charge through the pack to the front. Watching him manhandle a car through the corners is amazing. Alas, F1 cars don't really have these issues. They go from stable to so loose they can't be driven, but not really anywhere in between the extremes. This means Busch's greatest strength would be minimized and so would his results.
On a side note, there is one other person who could end up making a bundle in Formula One some day. It is not a driver, but a crew chief. Winning a formula one race has a lot to do with strategy. Is there any better strategist in NASCAR than Chad Knaus? Now what would happen if you gave him a budget of say $300 million for a year and put him in charge of the Honda team in F1? It probably wouldn't be too long till you had the Japanese equivalent of Jimmie Johnson winning championships.
At the end of the day, talent is talent. Given the right resources and sufficient time, it will be successful whether it is racing Ferraris, Chevrolets or tricycles!
Stock cars versus open wheel racing - racing fans have been divided between these two types of motorsports for years. With the demise of open wheel racing in America, the current debate is primarily between NASCAR and Formula One. So, could any current NASCAR drivers make it in Formula One?
The first thing to understand is driving a stock car and open wheel race car are two completely different things. That isn't to say one is better than the other. They are just two very distinct styles. A Formula One car handles much better and is quicker and faster. A stock car, however, allows you to give other cars a love tap and to draft. A F1 car will break into a million pieces of you tried doing that! Given these differences, it should be apparent that a great stock car driver is not necessarily a great Formula One driver and so on. So, who could pull it off?
Mark Martin - The great grey one may sound like a surprising pick, but he would be an epic F1 driver. He is incredibly smooth and has a great feel for the car. This is absolutely vital in Formula One where you don't lift at all going into turns at 180 mph in the middle of a rain storm. The truly great champions of F1 [Senna, Schumacher] have had great feel for the car and Martin would certainly fall into this category.
Jeff Gordon - At one point in time, Gordon was tempted to switch to F1. He has even driven the cars in exhibitions. That time has come and gone, but he still has the skills to pull it off if he wanted to have a go at a year in open wheel racing. He has great feel for his car and also an innate ability to pass. There is less passing in F1, but the narrow nature of the tracks makes every pass more dramatic and difficult. The great drivers pass with a flair and Gordon has that ability. He would probably be similar to a Kimi Raikkonen, a driver currently with Ferrari.
Tony Stewart - This one should be obvious since Stewart raced in open wheel racing. He would have to shed a few pounds, but who doesn't need to? He has great touch and skill with the cars, often evidenced on the road courses in NASCAR.
One driver that might seem like a good choice would be Kyle Busch. Love him or hate him, Busch is a brilliant stock car driver. He can take an incredibly loose car and charge through the pack to the front. Watching him manhandle a car through the corners is amazing. Alas, F1 cars don't really have these issues. They go from stable to so loose they can't be driven, but not really anywhere in between the extremes. This means Busch's greatest strength would be minimized and so would his results.
On a side note, there is one other person who could end up making a bundle in Formula One some day. It is not a driver, but a crew chief. Winning a formula one race has a lot to do with strategy. Is there any better strategist in NASCAR than Chad Knaus? Now what would happen if you gave him a budget of say $300 million for a year and put him in charge of the Honda team in F1? It probably wouldn't be too long till you had the Japanese equivalent of Jimmie Johnson winning championships.
At the end of the day, talent is talent. Given the right resources and sufficient time, it will be successful whether it is racing Ferraris, Chevrolets or tricycles!
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