Bye bye A.J.

Well, it’s a shame, isn’t it? I mean for Champ Car fans it’s a shame. AJ was special. He was special not just as a driver because, let’s face it, those come and go. Aside from a select few, be they Bourdais or Schumacher, good drivers with potential come along every year. They don’t always pan out, but they are out there. Every year there is the next American super star; there is the next European superstar or South American superstar. Although AJ finally fulfilled his potential this year, it’s not his on-track prowess that will be missed. Whomever takes that number 7 seat next year will have huge shoes to fill, but will still have Michael Cannon and Neil Micklewright, will still have Tracy and the majority of Forsythe’s current outfit. Who ever gets it has a golden opportunity to have a huge impact in 2007. Just like AJ did this season when he jumped in. but where AJ is going to be missed is off the track. What made AJ unique (and the reason he will succeed in NASCAR) is because he’s the everyman’s driver. Every time he speaks about the car he keeps it simple. And he usually says it with a smile or a smirk. Forget the technical jargon that a few of us can appreciate, he keeps it simple. “The car ain’t going fast enough. It needs to go faster”. Maybe that could be frustrating to an engineer, but to the media and the general public, it’s exactly what needs to be heard. When he was happy, he was thrilled. When he was mad, he was pissed. There was no in-between with him. Not to mention that he was clever and genuinely funny, therefore likeable. He was also approachable, a key thing for a sponsor and a team owner. And he happens to be a pretty good driver to boot.

The reason I am pointing out his positive attributes in this otherwise dark day for Champ Car fans is to answer the reason why Toyota chose him over countless of other American drivers in the US with a heck of a lot more oval and stock car experience. Toyota knows full well what it is getting itself into next year. It knows it’s going in as the immediate villain, the Japanese manufacturer invading an all-American series. The foreigners in an era where foreigners aren’t necessarily welcomed in Middle America. It is not going to be an easy sell for these guys, so they need to hire drivers with mass American appeal. AJ more than fills that role. He’s personable, he’s marketable, and he’s good-looking but not pretty. He’s young, so he appeals to the important young male demographic. He’s really the typical American-made success story, that of a kid with a dream accomplishing it through determination and perseverance. He’s a sponsor’s dream. I wish him the best of luck and he will be missed in Champ Car. Like I said above, his skills off the track are going to be missed more then his skills on the track.

So who gets that coveted seat? If you look at the current situation right now, a lot of good seats appear to be opening up next year. If DaMatta can’t return, the number 10 spot is a good opportunity for a driver to enter the series or to move up. Obviously the number 7 is prime. Is Oriol coming back at PKV? I ask, cause I really don’t know, but that could be a nice seat to have too. Is Mario set with Rocketsports next season? After the Australian race, I certainly hope so, because Mario needs a permanent home where he his happy and can perform. He may never be a champion, but can bring back some respect at Rocketsports.

In my opinion, the Atlantics were great this year, but I think most of the really talented kids are still at least a year away from being ready for Champ Car. I’m thinking about Scuito, Hinch and that crowd that have more or less gone through the ranks competing against one another. If there are this many open seats next silly season, then you can bank on many more Atlantic grads making the jump. For the time being, I imagine Rahal, Pagenaud and Wirth will make the jump. But will Gelles take one or two drivers from this year’s crop?