Tracy spends more time and effort looking for rides than he does actually racing. Shame he can't get a full season ride. He's a great talent, but with the exception of the 2003 season he's never really been able to focus on making it happen on the track. I'll still be rooting for him.
http://www.racer.com/paul-tracy-signs-with-dreyer-reinbold-for-indy-500/article/198820/?DCMP=EMC-RACER_DAILY
PT really never recovered from the merger. Being part of Forsythe Racing he was the last guy standing in a game of musical chairs.
ReplyDeleteI read a recent interview that he did with Automobile/Car&Driver/Road&Track (one of those) and he is basically at a point where if he signs with a team it is if he thinks he can win - or I guess in this case be in the show for the 2011 Indy.
I wish him luck but I don't see him winning his second Indy in that ride.
He got himself in a situation where he wasn’t willing to race for free after the merger. Now the seats often require sponsorship from the driver, so it’s very tough for drivers like PT who are used to being paid to race.
ReplyDeleteWhatever happened to his personal ‘monster’ energy drink backing? All gone to Schumacher?
Happy to see him back at Indy this year though. That places owes him big time. (2002)
The place does owe him. As much as I like Helio and think he's a good ambassador for the sport, 2002 was criminal. It's important to remember that prior to 2002 - going back to when Indy started to allow Champ Car drivers to race after the IRL / CC split - no IRL regulars won the 500 - it was all Champ Car guys. 2002 was the year of Penske's move to the IRL, which made Helio a regular IRL driver. I think the whole yellow light thing was just a way for Tony George to remind everyone that Indy is king and Champ Car is/was nothing. Blah blah blah. Sorry I'll get off my soapbox now. :)
ReplyDeleteI used to like Helio a lot when he first started out. But once he went to Penske, and won a few races (in Champ Car), he changed a lot, and it was really noticeable when we went to the races in Vancouver. But after he won the Indy 500 the 1st time? Man! He was unbelievably arrogant. I lost all interest in him after that.
ReplyDeleteAs Earl can attest to, I am certainly no fan of PT, but on the subject of that particular Indy 500 - yes, PT was definitely robbed.
However, I don't think he'll ever see another Indy 500 opportunity like the one he had with Barry Green, and I really do not believe we will ever see him win it.
So...that leaves just one Canuck to have won the great race. hmmmm :)
PT has always been one of my favourites, but is time now passing him by?
ReplyDeleteIt is a shame that PT couldn't get that Conquest gig. Seems he is yesterday's hero...He should have gotten a seat somewhere, even if it was sportscars or Nationwide or something. Hoping for Indycar without a HUGE wad of cash was always going to fail.
ReplyDeleteHope he has more luck at Indy this year than he did last year.
PT is one of my all time fav's along with Max Papis and Orial Servia.
ReplyDeletePT was always the out spoken one and never gave a toss who he was out speaking about. The higer up people of the old IRL never liked that to much. I recall what happened to PT when he won, yes i will say it HE WON the indy 500 back 2002? that always put him on the back burner for the IRL.
Now the only time we see him is at canadian events simply because they love him over there!
We love him here, too.
ReplyDeleteHas time passed him by? Yes. Like it passes all of us by. I'm just glad he has a ride and a chance to get in the 2011 500.
I wish he'd go to sports cars but I don't think he likes that type of racing. I might have read that in his interview.