Whale I don’t know ‘bout Y’all, but isn’t it interesting who some of the names of this year’s Indy Lights competition are? As in the plethora of ex-Champ Car Driver’s trying to presumably “Resurrect” their Open Wheel Racing careers...
As in the following ex-CCWS racers have competed in the series first three events: Dan “Speedy-Dry” Clarke, Jan “Van Hagar” Heyland and the NOT-So famous “Tk,” nee Tonis Kasemets , who reportedly is running in Indy Lights in order to springboard his way into the Indy Car Big boyz league; which I’d assume Gustavo Yacaman would disagree with at the moment.
Interestingly all three of these Drivers ran for dare I say it? Mid-pack Teams... Err, some may suggest even worse? As in they drove respectively for CTE-HVM, Dale Coyne and Paul Gentilozzi.
And although I’m certain that this year’s Indy Lights car count is below what the League’s Impresario Roger Bailey was hoping for... It’s an eclectic but talented group of International Drivers. And as always; just having a Top Ride, i.e.; Sam Schmidt Motorsports – Doesn’t always guarantee you immediate results, as one of the series two Femme Fatales Pippa Mann may begrudgingly attest too... Although I’m NOT trying to say anything bad about her and at least she hasn’t taken out her Teammate like the SSM Boyz’ James Winslow & Phillip Major “Tom” did at Long Beach!
There’s also venerable OWR Team Owner Derrick Walker trying to make his way back up the ranks, having first run the somewhat forgotten Jonathan Summerton and now having installed Speedy-Dry Clarke behind the Keyboard...
And while I’ll leave out Tonis Kasemets for the time being, recall he tried making a name for himself with the “Stellar” Rocketsports Racing Team in the dying dazes ‘O Chump Carz... While I’d like to see ‘Van Hagar Heyland resume racing with Team E ‘N Beyond...
But as I’ve chronicled before, even winning the Indy Lights Crown is NO guarantee of graduating to Indy Cars in the future, I mean just ask J.R. Hildebrand ‘bout that, eh? And without delving into the entire list of Indy Lights Champions which Ahem, was originally a byproduct of Championship Auto Racing Teams, nee CART... Let’s just pursue the Indy Pro Series to current Indy Lights Title winners instead...
2002) A.J. Foyt IV
2003) Mark Taylor
2004) Thiago Medeiros
2005) Wade Cunningham
2006) Jay Howard
2007) Alex Lloyd
2008) Rafael Matos
2009) J.R. Hildebrand
Where are these Boyz now? I mean “Quattro’s” (A.J. Foyt IV) is nearly invisible, Wade Cunningham is somewhere? Jay Howard is finally set to run some Indy Car races this year, (which will presumably go better then his abbreviated Marty Roth career!) while Alex Lloyd is just entering his very first Fulltime Season Gig with Dale Coyne’s boy Scouting affair...
Hmm? May be The Wanderin’ Milka could become an ICS Team Owner and hire some of these guys to be her Bread ‘N Butter Drivers, while Milka-licious could still pilot a third MDR chassis at The Speedway...
Oh, and I’m sure Mr. Chrome Horn doesn’t want to be reminded that it was 20 years ago that he won his Lights Championship, eh?
