Mario is out

Mario out at Forsythe:

I have to say, this news is big, but pales in comparison to AJ leaving RuSport. There are many reasons for this, but I think the main reason is that AJ and Carl Russo have had an association since RuSport’s inception into the big leagues of open-wheel racing. But, Mario leaving Forsythe is still big news. The question is, why? And why now? I read somewhere that Mario said something to the effect of not being happy playing 2nd fiddle to Paul Tracy. If that’s true, that’s just plain stupid. I thought I heard that Carpentier had mentioned the same thing. Again, ridiculous. He’s freakin’ Paul Tracy, the driver with the most victories in all of America. He’s a champion. He’s a legend in the sport. Of course if you have the number 7(or 32) you’ll be second fiddle to Paul Tracy. It should be an honor to be second fiddle to PT. anyway, I thought this needed to be addressed, simply because it was supposedly not the first time someone has cried foul about teaming with Tracy.

Now, why did it happen? Simple: that 7 (or 32) or whatever number you want to call it is a winning car. it has done it in the past, it has done it against Newman/Haas’ number 1, it has done it against (or with) the 3 car. And it wasn’t winning anymore. The team, the engineers, the mechanics of that team all had wins under their belts (most of them anyway). Mario did not win last year and this year it was clear (albeit likely by accident) that he was hurting not only himself, but his teammate’s chances at catching Bourdais. FCR isn’t a small team, its not a team that strives for strong finishes and hopes to get collectively better as a team. They want to win, they want to win now and they CAN win now. As good as a driver as Mario is (two career wins), he clearly didn’t fit in all that nicely with the team and since this is a team (and a car) that is expected to finish at the top of the podium a couple of times (at least) a season, they had to end their relationship. Mario likely knew going in that this was the deal. Join our team and perform or else. He got the or else…

Having said that, I hope Mario finds another ride somewhere. He’s a great person, the ladies love him (and he loves them!) and he’s always nice to the media and the fans. He’s a proud Mexican, which is great and a proud ChampCar driver. And yes, even though his first win in Australia was fluky, his second win in Miami wasn’t. In a lot of ways, Mario represents exactly what ChampCar is all about. Big street festivals, the glamorous, good-looking racecar drivers who soaks in a lot of the city before and after hitting the track. a million-dollar smile and a need for speed! He’s not a kid, but a veteran and with a little bit of luck and the right outfit, he can challenge on any given weekend. Unfortunately, it wasn’t with Forsythe and they parted ways.

Now, is AJ getting that Forsythe seat? Is Mario going to Dale Coyne? Things better happen soon, because Portland starts in 4 days and right now I count about 11 cars on the grid! (slight exaggeration, but not by much). I hope AJ does land at Forsythe because I believe that AJ will realize that its Paul’s team and instead of resenting that, will learn from Paul and his success. That car is capable of winning every single weekend, as is AJ. I think the two would fit nicely together!