IndyCar hits a Stand-up Double Landing Barrichello

Lot of talk today about F1 veteran Rubens Barrichello joining KV Racing Technologies along side his close friend and fellow Brazilian Tony Kanaan.

Opinions range from "meh" to "OMG, Nigel Mansel!!"

I think it's in the middle of both extremes. If we're playing baseball, landing Rubens is a stand-up double -- mayyyybe a head-first-slide-in-triple. For reference, landing Michael Shumacher or getting Tony Stewart to come back to IndyCar would be a towering home run.

First, a Rubens primer:

• 322 Formula 1 races from 1993-2011, the most of any driver ever
• 11 win, including four wins in 2002 with Ferrari. Last win in 2009 with Brawn
• Two time championship runner up (2002 & 2004)
• 8th highest points in F1 history
• Elvis-like popularity in Brazil

I just see no downside to Barrichello joining IndyCar. He's not taking a seat that could go to a young, American hot shot, because the seat wouldn't be there if Rubens wasn't driving it. He brought/inspired the funding. Certainly no one can credulously suggest Rubens doesn't have the talent to "deserve" a ride. The whole "has been" argument is ridiculous. He's 39 and was in F1 last year. Hardly fits the washed up category. No one should expect IndyCar to compete with F1 for drivers. F1 is the ultimate road-and-street racing series, so if drivers have a shot there of course they take it.

This is good for the series. It's brings in a new sponsor and gives credibility to the road and street racing. Barrichello certainly has nothing to prove and (presumably) doesn't need the money, yet he's chosen to race in IndyCar. That sends a message to the world that IndyCar twisty racing is not a Festival of Ass Hats and Crappy Racing, because if it was a guy like Rubens wouldn't be associated with it. Plus Rubens' competing adds interest, i.e. "How do IndyCar's best road and street drivers stack up to this F1 guy?" We'll want to tune in and see. I know I do.

If IndyCar is going to migrate to a predominantly twisty series -- which I believe market forces will strongly encourage -- it's very smart for them to look for great twisty drivers to attract to the ranks. IndyCar should also be nurturing fan bases in their USF2000 and Star Mazda feeder series to build the number of American fans who like the mixture of a few ovals and a lot of twisties. Again, this years and years of continued effort, but this kind of organic American fan growth would be HUGE. There's virtually no competition for major-league road and street racing fans (NASCAR only does a few twisties), so whatever IndyCar can do to create new crops of those fans is enormous to its future success.

Unfortunately a lot of fans are looking for the One Big Move (home run) to restore IndyCar to 1991 glory, and when a change isn't that One Big Move they tend to po-po it. This one-and-done, immediate impact mindset is misguided. So is the mentality that, with good intentions and out of zeal for the sport, makes everything IndyCar does into an OMG HUGE moment. The problem with thinking everything is MASSIVELY GOOD is it creates a letdown when it doesn't return the series to glory all by itself, and it's also generally a cue to go have a beer and congratulate yourself on your awesomeness and stop doing the steady work needed to build a business.

IndyCar needs a bunch of smaller, solid moves (doubles and singles) to advance the runners and build the business. If you hold out for a pitch you can hit out of the park, you let a lot of opportunities go by. Add Rubens for a double, hit a string of singles by expanding the Road to Indy twisty fan base -- that plus about 25 similar small moves -- is how IndyCar builds itself back up. Just swinging for the fences all the time rarely, if ever works.

 

Comments

[redcar]

Yep. What you said.

[Savage Henry]

I agree. I think that there are going to be a lot of people globally with their eyes on the first couple of races. Indycar has a great chance to gain some credibility here. I expect a great global ratings jump for the Indy 500, too.

That said, I'm going to be holding my breath, praying, and crossing all of my fingers and toes hoping that someone (looking at you, EJ Viso) doesn't cause a massive 12-car turn 1 pile-up at the start of the St. Pete race. If that happens it will be back to "Festival of Ass Hats and Crappy Racing".

[DZ]

Bingo. I'll score it '2B w 2RBI'. A left-handed power drive into right-center to the wall that brought in 2 runners.

I like the baseball analogy and because it seems more frequently teams that can string together hits, move the runners, make the opposing pitcher work harder, are the teams that will be most successful over the course of a season.

I hope, as you say, that the true fans are beginning to see RB and his 'move the runners' strategy in this light.

[Marc]

"If IndyCar is going to migrate to a predominantly twisty series -- which I believe market forces will strongly encourage"

Why? It didn't work for champcar. A predominantly oval series didn't work for the IRL either. We need diversity.

[Titus Pullo]

It's a better move than what the league was doing a few years ago with bringing in Milka Duno.

[Tim in Independence]

Well done article P-dog even got some love for it from Trackside last night. Give them a little time to figure out the oval issue I don't believe its dead just they need some time to figure out what works.

[Tom G.]

It's a simple game. You throw the ball, you catch the ball, you hit the ball.

Nice to see us finally score some runs.

[GeorgeK]

St. Pete qualifying should be really interesting. If Rubens can't start mid pack or higher the drama will end there. If he's not hampered by traffic I wouldn't be surprised if he bags a top 5 start.

[WheelSports]

Okay...I started out my motorsports life as a diehard IndyCar fan in the days when the east coast had multiple races at Trenton, Langhorne, Nazareth and Pocono. Those days are long gone, and I've developed more of a passion for motorcycle road racing (MotoGP, WSBK, BSB & AMA). I'm glad that IndyCar appears to be headed in the right direction, but I've seen so many former F1 drivers fall flat on their faces in IndyCar after they can't get a ride in their series of choice. The only former F1 drivers to win more than one IndyCar race are Fittipaldi and Mansell. Barrichello has had a long career in F1, but I don't see him as a great driver. I hope he does well, but I'll be surprised if he does.

[S0CSeven]

I thought there weren't any engines. Whose did he get?

[pressdog]

One was allotted for KV in anticipation of their third driver, similar to the one allotted to Rahal for his additional driver, which didn't show up, so he let it go to Sarah.

[GeorgeK]

@ WheelSports:
Alex Zanardi? Guess you never heard of him? Or he doesn't count as he was on the "wrong side" in the recent unpleasantness? And Eddie Cheever, even tho I despised his total arrogance, he did win the Indy 500.

You can't blame drivers for finding rides in any series, as long as teams are willing to accommodate them, even pay drivers. Lord knows F1 is now full of them; another sign of the economic times.

[Stan The Caddy]

Hey George K...Zanardi sucked balls as a F1 driver. He also was a nobody when he came back with Mo Nunn's team. Basically the only thing he ever did in racing, was run up front with Ganassi, when Chip had by far the best team in CART. Big whoop. And he never raced at Indy (not his fault) so his career in the states has a huge hole in it.

This Barrichello deal is a decent one...but he's nearing 40 and won't be around long anyway. Not someone you can build a series with. But when your series is built on road/street racing with ex F1 drivers and F1 wannabe's, at least getting one that has done something is a positive.

I'd call it a bunt single, when you are down 8-1 in the top of the 8th inning.

[GeorgeK]

@ WheelSports:
Point taken on Zanardi's F1 career, could say the same about Cheever and F1. Your point was no F1 drivers (good bad or indifferent) ever did anything in Indycars excepting Emo and Nige. Alex did well for himself and brought a spark of personality to the grid; 96 rookie of the year, 97 and 98 series champ, and author of The Pass, (first to do donuts for the fans??).

If you didn't like Z as a driver that's your choice, but don't minimize his Indycar accomplishments.

If some of the less talented drivers don't get him killed on the ovals, Rubens will accquit himself nicely, bunting or otherwise.

[GeorgeK]

Apology to WheelSports; my last response should be addressed to Stan The Caddy.

[WheelSports]

No problem GeorgeK...I forgot about Zanardi...I always liked Zanardi...A great driver and an inspirational person...I think he just won the wheelchair race in the NY Marathon...I was just expressing my opinion about Barrichello's chances for success in IndyCar...Like I said, I hope he does well...Speaking of Brazilian F1 drivers...Have you seen the Senna documentary? Definitely worth seeing if you haven't.

[GeorgeK]

We saw the Senna movie in a little theater in Millerton N.Y. a stones throw from Lime Rock raceway. AFTER the flick had a Q&A session with Sam Posey, Skip Barber, Bob Sharp and Davey Jones. Definitely a unique experience.

Everyone seemed to agree that the flick did not explore his dark side, win at all costs attitude, that seemed to directly influence Schumy and others. But it was still fascinating to see his personal life that so many of us never knew or got to see.

[WheelSports]

Totally committed? http://www.autoweek.com/article/20120405/INDYCAR/120409912