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