From the Marbles - NASCAR

From the Marbles

Sat Jun 21, 2008 12:49 pm EDT

The Daily Dose: Dario's dilemma

By Bob Margolis

Who was the unhappiest guy in the garage at Sonoma on Saturday morning?

You get three guesses and the first two don't count.

Dario Franchitti was walking around looking like his dogs had died.

And who could blame him.

He's started from the pole and scored two top-fives in three Indy car races at Infineon, so you might say he knows this place pretty well.

But Friday, driving a Cup car, he didn't even qualify. In fact, he didn't even come close.

Why?

His car was junk, plain and simple.

There, I've said it.

The Indy 500 winner deserved to have the best car in the Ganassi stables this weekend and he definitely didn't get it.

When a driver like Franchitti doesn't make it into the field on a road course, whom do you blame – the car or the driver?

This has undoubtedly been the worst stretch of Franchitti's professional driving career. No one said it would be easy, but no one thought it would be this hard.

How much longer can this brilliant driver deal with the level of frustration he experiences week-in and week-out before he reaches a breaking point?

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24 Comments

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  1. ralph c
    1. Posted by ralph c Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:27 pm EDT

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    Dear Dario,
    There is always hope, even in a disaster area.
  2. cmeponu2
    2. Posted by cmeponu2 Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:27 pm EDT

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    What's the real problem at Ganassi? There are three drivers with three completely different driving styles and all of the cars are junk no matter what. Where does the problem really lie? Does anyone know?
  3. Joshua
    3. Posted by Joshua Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:41 pm EDT

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    Question - How does Dario go back to open wheel without looking like a quitter?
    I don't think he can, which is why I feel - right or wrong - he will at a minimum finish out this season and probably be back for next year. Chip has a disaster on his hands, though, with JPM ready to bolt, Reed/Target up for negotiation to bolt, and arguably the best driver of the three in the worst equipment due to sponsorship issues. Which one do you keep happy/which one do you tick off?
  4. Kim
    4. Posted by Kim Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:53 pm EDT

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    Maybe Ganassi spends too much time, effort and megabucks on the Indy cars and Nascar gets the leftovers.
  5. steve s
    5. Posted by steve s Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:47 pm EDT

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    dario franchitti is an idiot for leaving a series where he was on top. indy winner, championship winner, a top ride, and the potential to do it all over again. now where is he? he's not even an "also ran" because you have to make the field to be one of those. i'm a long time indy car fan. i remember a time when drivers stayed in indycar their entire careers because the only thing better than winning the indy 500, was winning it again, and again, and again. no indycar driver is going to be successful in nascar because they are getting into it at such a late age. you have to start young to be successful in any form of top motorsport. all this goes for hornish, villeneuve, carpentier, and yes, even montoya. i think it's great that the indycar series re-unified right after all those champion open wheelers left. serves them right. i hope they try to come back and can't get a ride!
  6. kinggeorge
    6. Posted by kinggeorge Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:21 pm EDT

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    Hi people, did you guys and gals check out the Truex post on rumors? Interesting statement made by Amanda J., if it turns out to be true. If not, fun to read anyway.
    http://sports.yahoo.com/nascar/rumors/post/Truex-on-hot-seat-at-DEI?urn=nascar,89093
  7. BIGDOG67
    7. Posted by BIGDOG67 Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:01 pm EDT

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    Nobody has won consistently at Ganassi in the cup series. Its not Dario's fault, at least not on the road course. Give him a better car, or let Sorenson walk at end of year, and focus on Dario and JPM.
  8. Honey Bunny
    8. Posted by Honey Bunny Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:27 pm EDT

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    I'm dissappointed that Dario is having such a rough stint in NASCAR. However, if he can look anywhere for hope that it can get better next year, all he has to do is look at Red Bull Racing. Both the #83 & #84 were a complete disaster last year. The #83 team has made a dramatic turn around this year and the #84 is coming into it's own... slowly. I hope Dario gives it one more year in stock cars. But, his team and team owner need to do their part and give him a good machine week in and week out. Otherwise, he should go back to the IRL and not give a damn what the media and naysayers have to say.
  9. TCM29
    9. Posted by TCM29 Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:21 pm EDT

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    Dario is not the only open wheel guy to suck in Nascar, and the best illustration of that is how bad JJ Yeley has performed, especially during his time at JGR. Yeley is a standout driver and USAC triple crown winner that has not done anything in Nascar despite having good equipment. (although the car he is in now is questionable)
    Ganassi and others fall all over Indycar sensations without realizing they are not the best choice to drive stock cars, which are overweight behemoths with 35 year old chassis designs. They would be better served by hiring American drivers from local short tracks, especially those series that use the old fashioned chassis like the COT.
  10. Reven
    10. Posted by Reven Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:15 pm EDT

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    Why should Franchitti get the best car that Ganassi has to offer? He's just the second best driver on the team, and it's not even close.
    You want to talk about Franchitti's past on this track in another series, so why don't you check last year's winner of this race.
    Yeah, if anyone "should" get the best equipment at Ganassi, it's Montoya.
    Not to mention that Franchitti simply isn't cut out for the Cup Series. He'll be racing Sports Cars successfully this time next year.
  11. Lainey
    11. Posted by Lainey Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:56 pm EDT

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    Reven - you sound like one unhappy lady,,,, maybe if you liked other drivers beside JPM, you might enjoy racing??
  12. Cowboy
    12. Posted by Cowboy Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:38 pm EDT

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    none of this is Franchitti's fault; the whole Ganassi-NASCAR effort is pathetic. Ganassi has 2 of the top dirvers in the world and a young talent who would probably won several times wth another team and none of them are top 10 competitive. Granted NASCAR is a tough series, but you'd think by now Ganassi would have gotten it right.
    As for Dario, he should finish out the season and go back to the IRL, wiht his talent, he'll land a ride. I see JPM ending up with Penske or Evernham next year or the year after, he's ready to bolt now.
  13. Courage
    13. Posted by Courage Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:10 pm EDT

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    let the indy drivers stay in their own league. none of them including dania patrick will be competitive for many years to come. bad choice on all the drivers behalf on coming over to nascar
  14. Courage
    14. Posted by Courage Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:10 pm EDT

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    sorry danica, I mispelled your name
  15. Daylin
    15. Posted by Daylin Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:38 pm EDT

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    Does it ever make you wonder how the hell Robby Gordon has pulled off what he has done. I realize that he's not a top 20 team but the guys comes over as an open wheeler when he was in his early 30's and for the most part, alone as a one car owner driver that doesn't even have full sponsorship he remains in the top 30---with a chevy, ford, and now dodge. I guess when you are a very skilled driver it shows---just my 2 cents worth
  16. Paul
    16. Posted by Paul Thu Sep 03, 2009 2:56 pm EDT

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    Dario shouldn't fret too much...keep in mind what he's going home to.
  17. edgemacation
    17. Posted by edgemacation Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:52 pm EDT

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    You mean he has a Chevy in his garage?! Niiice. ; )
  18. packerd_00
    18. Posted by packerd_00 Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:48 pm EDT

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    Dont come ot Nascar an expect everything handed to you, on a plate, Franchitti is the one Open Wheel rider I feel enjoys Nascar and is isnt their just for the money.
  19. scott
    19. Posted by scott Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:47 pm EDT

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    With the exception of when he was with Richard Childress Racing, Robby Gordon has done little in NASCAR except change engines and manufacturers. His best racing has been with RCR, and that's where his only wins came from. Since switching from Ford to Dodge, he is actually lower in the pointsstandings and is having a worse average finish.
    As for Franchitti, Ganassi may have good open wheel race teams, but his NASCAR teams have been among the worse. Chip Ganassi Eacing is a great place to not have a good start for your NASCAR career.
  20. lgr
    20. Posted by lgr Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:06 pm EDT

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    i like this story..as in ganassi can only put ONE halfway decent car on the track at a time. wake up chip, other multi car teams put a few good cars on the track at a time!!!!
  21. packerd_00
    21. Posted by packerd_00 Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:48 pm EDT

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    Chip should bow out gracefuy, because his heart certainly isnt in Nascar.
  22. Dagblastit
    22. Posted by Dagblastit Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:34 pm EDT

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    The real reason Dario is upset is because he's going to have to go back to IRL where they don't even have a blog on yahoo. LMAO
  23. Will
    23. Posted by Will Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:46 pm EDT

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    I know he's good enough, I know he loves racing more than anything, other than his wife and his dogs, but for god sakes give him a good care and he will do just fine, the times his car has been good hes driven well. He has shown signs of brilliance and will do just fine once hes driving a decent car
  24. Colleen
    24. Posted by Colleen Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:02 pm EDT

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    Dario left IRL for the challenge and i'm certain he expected things to go better than they have. The IRL is where he should have stayed but can you blame him for wanting to give NASCAR a chance. I can't stand NASCAR myself (it was bad before the CoT but now....forget it) and I wasn't happy that he left but I'm sure he could find a ride if he were to return but he won't be going back to AGR. I think Ganassi's hear is in open wheel racing and I hope he just pulls out of NASCAR.

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