Andretti on Open Wheelers Moving to NASCAR

• Mario Andretti: “Experience is always golden … I would try to run Trucks and Busch along the way and speed up the learning curve."
• Robin Miller: “NASCAR wins … you just have to bring your helmet and your talent and that’s the way racing is supposed to be."

When reigning Indianapolis 500 and IndyCar Series Champion Dario Franchitti attempts to qualify for Saturday’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event at Martinsville Speedway (Saturday, 3 p.m. ET LIVE on SPEED™; pre-race show NCTS Setup 2:30 ET), he joins a pack of open-wheel standouts already paving the path to stock cars.

Franchitti is preceded in his jump to NASCAR by former open wheelers Jacques Villeneuve, Juan Pablo Montoya, Scott Speed and Sam Hornish, Jr., among others. A variety of opinions exist as to why these men are making the move.

“From where I’m sitting, it is probably because of the money (in NASCAR)," said Mario Andretti, a multi-series champion who crossed over to NASCAR and won the Daytona 500 and is considered by many to be the greatest driver of all time. “Every individual would give you a different reason. I think the strongest one might be financial. It’s not the only motivating factor but it is a strong one. And right now, the best chance to earn some money is NASCAR."

Others appear a bit stumped as to why these drivers, all of whom have won championships in their respective series, would venture into the vastly different world of NASCAR.

“This makes no sense," said SPEED reporter Robin Miller. “Neither Franchitti nor Jacques Villeneuve need the money. Jacques was making $20 million a year driving Formula One. These guys have already made it financially and have won major championships, so maybe they look at this as their 401K years."

Despite the varying opinions as to the motivation behind the open wheelers’ departure to NASCAR, most agree that if open wheel racing currently was a healthier series, this trend would not be in effect.

“Looking at certain drivers who have pretty much been open wheel the majority of their career, if open wheel was what it should be, I don’t think they’d even be thinking of leaving," Andretti said.

“Open-wheel racing is such a dead industry now," lamented Miller. “It’s so hard to get money and there’s so little sponsorship. Right now, Champ Car and the IRL have only limited seats in which drivers can make a decent living. Open wheel racing hasn’t provided a platform for these guys to succeed, especially these young kids.

“When I go to the sprint car races, all these kids are talking about the NASCAR development deals," he continued. “They’re not even looking at the Indy 500 because they know it’s a dead end and they have no chance unless they have $4 or $5 million to bring to the table. Again, NASCAR wins because it has a viable ladder system in place that is supportive and you can be taken right to the top. You just have to bring your helmet and your talent and that’s the way racing is supposed to be."

Despite all the talent and accolades these drivers hold, anytime the new kid on the block comes knocking on the door, he usually has to prove himself first.

“I thought it might be hard to be accepted (in NASCAR) but it really wasn’t because across the board, the racing community has camaraderie," Andretti said. “Among the drivers, I never felt like I was out of place or not accepted. If you earn your respect and you don’t do stupid things, and you show that you have respect for them and you do well, you’ll be respected back.

“These guys are well-established in their field and the drivers know the quality of driver they’re dealing with," Andretti continued. “These guys are not fools – they’re not going to do stupid things. There was a lot of speculation about Juan Montoya at first and all that was dispelled pretty quickly and I think it’s going to be the same with these guys. If you’re going to make the move and make the commitment, you’ve got to deal with all these elements."

Being welcomed by the NASCAR fans might prove a more challenging order, though.

“It (acceptance) is more of a fan situation because I’m beginning to think NASCAR is purely an American sport," Andretti sport.

“But that’s why it works – Americans want to cheer for Americans," Miller explained. “When CART was in its heyday in the early and mid-90s and had Franchitti and Christian Fittipaldi, they were great world-class drivers, but there were still Americans like Robby Gordon, Scott Pruett, Michael Andretti, Jimmy Vasser, Danny Sullivan and Al Unser Jr. It was a great melting pot of talent. The people that went to the CART races loved the fact that there were great foreign drivers there but you’re talking about a whole different animal in NASCAR."

Even if every NASCAR fan in America embraces this rush of foreign and open wheel drivers, the welcome mat will not teach these newcomers the idiosyncrasies of piloting a stock car. Patience and learning to finesse the heavy machines are two of the toughest lessons to master.

“When Paul Tracy drove the Busch races last year, he said it’s different because you can’t be that aggressive and you have to be patient," said Miller. “NASCAR races are not one-and-a-half or two-hour races like these open wheel guys are used to. You can’t go for the throat and run as hard as you can the whole race. These guys have to focus on conserving tires, staying awake, making 9,000 pit stops and trying not to crash. Franchitti is a very patient guy and it might play to his strengths because he’s got 500-mile races to get the car dialed in."

Demanding more from the car than it is capable of giving can be one of the pitfalls awaiting these open wheel newcomers.

“From a driver’s standpoint, especially a seasoned driver like Dario Franchitti, it’s probably overdriving the car (the toughest thing to learn)," Andretti analyzed. “This is one of the first things we talked about when Juan Montoya came in. When he figures it out, the better he’s going to be. There have been times when he’s gotten the best of himself because an open wheel racer is used to a lot higher speed, a lot more cornering force and they have a tendency to really barrel in and waste the lap time sliding around. That’s what I experienced myself. It’s all about containing yourself and trying to give it (the car) only all it will accept."

A good place to hone these much-needed skills is in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.

“I think it’s a good place to learn in the Trucks," Andretti said. “I think Dario is doing the right thing there. What he learns will be very beneficial when he gets to the Cup car. Experience is always golden. If I were doing it, I would try to run Trucks and Busch along the way and try to speed up the learning curve."

With all this new information to keep in mind, what is a sufficient amount of time to adjust to this new series and race car?

“It’s a learning curve," Miller said. “These guys will get enough testing and the right kind of testing. The tough thing with Franchitti and Montoya is they will look to their teammate to lean on and he’s young. They don’t have someone who’s been around 20 years to tell them about the tracks, the tires, the gears and the strategy.

“As far as the owners are concerned, even if you’ve got someone to be patient with you – Sam Hornish does with Roger Penske and he’s not going to throw Sam out after one or two years," Miller continued. “Whereas, will Chip Ganassi be patient with Juan Pablo Montoya and Dario Franchitti? Don’t bet on it."

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series broadcast schedule on SPEED:

• NCTS Qualifying (Oct. 20, 11 a.m. ET LIVE)
• NCTS Setup pre-race show (Oct. 20, 2 :30 p.m. ET LIVE)
• NCTS Race (Oct. 20, 3 p.m. ET LIVE)

SPEED, now in nearly 78 million homes in North America, is the exclusive home of the NASCAR Nextel All-Star Challenge, Gatorade Duels at Daytona, NASCAR Nextel Pit Crew Challenge and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. The only network delivering live, at-track programming all season long, SPEED offers the definitive pre- and post-race NASCAR Nextel Cup Series programs – NASCAR RaceDay and NASCAR Victory Lane, as well as other popular NASCAR programs including Trackside Live, Tradin’ Paint, NASCAR Performance, NASCAR Live!, Inside Nextel Cup, NASCAR Setup, Go or Go Home and The Chase is On.