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No Fenders Tomaso chats briefly with then Marussia
F1 Reserve Driver Alexander Rossi at Will Buxton's Bigtime Bash at Austin
during the 2014 USGP weekend. (The Tomaso Collection)
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After all, The Raisin State has produced some of
the Sport's Best Drivers over the years...
Otay, I'm almost done with my current
fascination over The Raisin State, which naturally was sparked by my very
enjoyable Roadtrip Thar this past January.
Which set my mind Ah-wonderin' just how many
of today's IndyCar drivers Hail from
California? Especially since the first of their two Home races is just
round the corner on the lumpy Streets of Long Beach. Which hopefully I'll be
able to catch this coming Sunday...
Charlie Kimball
DOB: February 20, 1985; Age 33
Chertsey, Surrey; UK
Team: Carlin
Car No. 23
First Race: St Pete, 2011
Seasons: 8
Wins: 1
Poles: 1
As I'd previously surmised, Charlie was born
Across thou Puddle when his father Gordon was "On Assignment" working
for McLaren International in Bloody Woking, England, alongside some Bloke named
John Barnard.
As surely Charlie got his motor racing
"Bug" from his father's career as a multi-winning racecar Designer,
whose cars have won the Indy 500. Not to mention race Engineering somebody with the first name Ayrton to the
1990 F1 World Championship!
With Grizzled
Journo' Joe Saward doing his usual Yeoman like job expounding upon this last
winter in his yearly Fascinating F1 Facts series...
Yet the young Charlie grew up in Camarillo,
California, where his family has farmed Avocados
for decades now in Ventura County. which recently No Fenders 'Offical
Photographer CARPETS' told me how Charlie was on local Indianapolis Radio mentioning
how the Farm was burned badly during last year's Uber' destructible Thomas
Fire!
And instead of repeating Thyself over
Charlie's racing career, what I'm more interested in now, is how he'll progress
after spending his first seven seasons in IndyCar driving for The Cheepster',
aka Chip Ganassi.
As Kimball's move to another team makes me
ponder a Questione I've had before, about how drivers careers change, or falter
after leaving one of the "Big Three" IndyCar teams, i.e.; Penske,
Ganassi and Andretti.
Although I've long been more intrigued over
whether or not a race driver can progress after leaving the lofty confines of
el capitano', nee Roger Penske or Ganassi, or if it's ultimately the Zenith of
their Open Wheel Racing career? Having pondered this ever since Ryan Briscoe got
a second chance in Indy Cars when Cheep' threw him a Lifeline to drive his
third Indy 500 entry in 2013 - the year I met him briefly at Mother Speedway.
Next he took over J.R. Hildebrand's seat at
Panther Racing before landing a Fulltime Gig with Ganassi for 2014 after Dario
Franchitti's sudden retirement after his horrendous wreck at Houston! Before
being replaced by Sage Dangerboy' Karam for the 2015 season.
And I'll admit for the majority of his
IndyCar career, I've not been a Fan of Charlie's, even if he seems like a very pleasant
Chap. But somehow that changed all of a sudden last year with One Lap Down's
Jeffrey Iannucci's typical Wordsmithing Brilliance, when naming him "Narly
Pinball." Causing me to see him in a totally different light!
While Charlie and
his wife's affinity for Canines and the Outdoors only further changes my tune
towards the Californian...
Naturally, with Carlin being a brand new
IndyCar team this year, it'll take a little time for results to come, albeit
Carlin's a multi series Championship winner Across thou Puddle in the Bloody
UK,
Not to mention reportedly having had some 200-plus
Drivers pass thru it's doors upon it's Stairway to the Pinnacle 'O Motorsports,
nee Formula 1. With just a few being Sebastian Vettel, Nico Rosberg, Takuma
Sato, Daniel Ricciardo and Kevin Magnussen amongst others.
Alexander Rossi
DOB: September 25, 1981; Age 26
Nevada City, California
Team: Andretti Autosport
Car No. 27
First Race: St Pete, 2016
Seasons: 3
Wins: 2
Poles: 1
Everybody knows that Alexander Rossi
unexpectedly won the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 upon his maiden
outing at the Brickyard in 2016.
And I've regaled Y'all 'bout having actually
met him Wayback in 2014 in Austin, when he was still an aspiring Formula 1
Driver, who's now currently the latest Yank' to race in F1, albeit very
briefly, before being Out-funded for his seat in 2016! Ergo the switch to Indy
Cars, which I'd say the moves worked out pretty well, Eh?
And Rossi's definitely been on a Charm
Offensive ever since winning the Indy 500, having most recently competed in
this past season's Amazing Race on CBS with his roommate Conor Daly.
But try as I might, since I do like Rossi,
and definitely feel he's the "Biggest Threat" of these four
Californian's to fight for the IndyCar Crown vs. Penske's trio, Scott Dixon and
Graham Rahal. Along with being on the path to Super Stardom, Thars' just
Somme-thun' that makes me hesitate towards choosing who I'm calling the new
"Joe Cool" as one of my Top-3 Favourite Drivers this year.
Especially since the Driver he gave a LUV'
Tap to at St Pete, nee the past Young Wicky', now just plain Robby, or formally
known as Robert Wickens beat Rossi for the 2011 Formula Renault 3.5 Series
title.
Having prattled on before 'bout how I'd
predicted Rossi, Wickens and Esteban Gutierrez to be the
next Rising Starz' trio in Formula 1 as far back as 2011, albeit didn't get
round to mentioning it 'til the following year's Young Drivers test at yas
Isle.
Spencer Pigot
DOB: September 29, 1983; Age 24
Los Angeles, California
Team: Ed Carpenter Racing
Car No. 21
First Race: St Pete, 2016
Seasons: 3
Wins: 0
Poles: 0
For Mwah, Spencer's still a bit of an unknown
IndyCar talent, albeit knowing he won the Pro Mazda & Indy Lights titles in
2014-15 respectively. Then taking his Lights Championship's cheque to Boobie
Ruble's enterprise, making his first three IndyCar starts for Bobby Rahal &
Company, including the Indy GP and the 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500,
which he finished 25th.
Afterwards, "FAST EDDIE," aka Ed
Carpenter signed him as his "Twisties" (Road Course & Street
Circuits) specialist for the remaining seven races of 2016. Which Spencer
retained this role for his Sophomore campaign, plus a "One-off" drive
at the Brickyard for his past team Juncos Racing.
Pigot has steadily improved, and will run his
first Full season for Ed Carpenter Racing (ECR) this year aboard the No. 21
entry, although I have to say I found Rookie Jordan King's Debutante outing at
St Pete as ECR's new Twisty' Pilote far more impressive then Spencer's outing.
But I know, One race doesn't define Yuhs, the
weather was Wacky; Yada-Yada-Yada. But King certainly shined in ST Pete, only
outperformed by Wickens...
Kyle Kiser
DOB: March 5, 1996; Age 22
Santa Clara, California
Team: Juncos Racing
Car No. 32
First Race: Phoenix, 2018
Seasons: Rookie
Wins: 0
Poles: 0
Kyle Kiser, the reigning Indy Lights Champion
made his IndyCar debut on the Oval at Phoenix International; Err ISM Raceway, qualifying
a respectable 14th and finishing P21 after contacting the wall on Lap-174. And
will make just his second ever start on totally different terrain at Long Beach
this weekend.
Although Kiser's never Wowed Mwah, as he
seems to be more cut from the "Steady Eddie" (Lawson) mold. Thars'
another past Californian driver who was known for his smooth consistency, known
as Rocket Rick' Mears.
So who knows how Kiser's IndyCar career will ultimately
pan out? As I'd Arse-sume' his and current Team Owner Ricardo Juncos first goal
will be to secure funding to run an entire season next year.
(Photo C/o Nelie
Austin' Photography)