Fernandez hammers Champ Car

UPDATE #2 Another reader writes, I didn't/won't listen to his interview…..as I hold him as a major player who tried to trash Champ Car…his last minute antics before Long Beach tried to kill CART…..enough of him…..I boo him every chance I get….he went for the money…..20 pieces of silver. Daniel Wood

Another writes, Adrian Fernandez who? What has he done in his career except win a couple of CART races. Why does the media even give this guy a forum? Don K.

10/29/07 A reader writes, Listened to the interview with Fernandez. I have to say, hard to argue with him on what he said. And what he said wasn't targeted at Champ Car exclusively, but at the sport of AOW at large, which of course means the IRL. On a side note, too bad these drivers, reporters, and fans who are on a Champ Car bash frenzy of late aren't considering what has happened to OW short track racing since the split, and how AOW's overall current condition all goes back to the original "most idiotic move in AOW", Tony George splitting the sport to begin with, hence why the guy has no right or business involving himself in running AOW. Back to Fernandez's comments.

Adrian Fernandez

He nailed it in saying there simply isn't anything in AOW for drivers who are looking at actually making a living from the sport, period. Hence the attraction to something like NASCAR. But I still contend, if there is to be AOW in the future, Champ Car has to succeed, because the alternative, the IRL, is the perfect recipe for the next LeMans-type tragedy in which dozens of fans are killed by a flying car. Kanaan said it following MIS, he and Scheckter came close several times from putting a car in the grandstands. Between that and the IRL getting caught red-handed using their version of NASCAR's call (steering assistance for Danica and Foyt's team), the IRL should be giving the likes of Robin Miller, Gordon Kirby, and even Adrian Fernandez, far more cause for alarm as far as the present state and future of AOW compared to the fiascos Champ Car has gone through this season. Yet there seems to be a level of contention with a proven flawed car racing on high banked ovals never intended for cars that exceed 200 mph to begin with, so maybe such shortsightedness will prevail over. Andy Fogiel Lansing, MI

10/29/07 Legendary driver Adrian Fernandez of Mexico came into The SpeedFreaks Nation Sunday night and gave the audience the 4-1-1 on American open-wheel racing, especially the condition of Champ Car where he used to race. It was extremely very eye-opening. The buzz on Adrian's comments already is working its way through the Champ Car community. You be the judge… SpeedFreaksTV