As what did ‘Ol Bonn Scott of AC/DC Croon about “It’s
A long Way to the Top, if You wanna Rock ‘n Roll!”
Forgive me for Dusting Off another languishing
No Fenders tome. But what’s that ‘Ol sayin’ about whilst the Cat’s Away, those
Mice definitely Play!
As I’m Hoping that last Sunday, I did indeed
get to listen to the St Pete IndyCar race via the IndyCar Radio network, while “On
Holiday,” again. Meaning No riveting race recap here Y’all. And that both
Juncos Hollinger Racing Boyz’ had a good race! And that Argentine Touring Cars
Standout Augustin Canapino had a good debut IndyCar outing.
Since by my very unofficial “rolodex,” I’m
pretty sure that Canapino is only the second ever Argentine to race in Indy
Cars, Ci? Following Juan Manuel Fangio II, nephew of the country’s greatest ever
racer! Where all I recall of Fangio II was driving for Dan Gurney’s All
American Racers (AAR) concern during 1996-97. First in an AAR’s Eagle Mk-V
Toyota chassis, and then aboard a year old Reynard 96i Toyota.
Yet I’d forgotten that Fangio II’s Championship
Auto Racing Teams (CART( IndyCar career actually began in 1995 when driving for
my Home team Pacwest Racing as Danny Sullivan’s replacement. As ‘Ol Hollywood’
(Sullivan) broke His pelvis amongst other injuries at Michigan that year,
leading to His retirement. With Fangio II beginning at Mid Ohio with a seventh
place finish.
Yet after two Full seasons in IndyCar, Fangio
II told his friend and Boss Dan Gurney He no longer could bring 100% commitment
to the sport and left Open Wheel Racing, before completely retiring in 1999.
Forgive Mwah for also having sat upon this story
for nearly some six years now, Aye Karumba! But Lucas Auer’s name came screaming
to my Attenzione, like many others upon breaking His Back during practice for
this year’s Rolex 24 behind the Keyboard of the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG
GT3 Evo GTD entry.
Since I’d previously begun scribbling about how
another aspiring DTM Chauffeur was getting set to make His Formula 1 debut in a
test outing for Force India, but would it lead to Formula 1?
Although I'd previously read some rumours of
this F1 Test occurring Wayback’ in gory 2017, Yikes! I must say that I simply
Knew Nothing! About this then 22yr old Austrian Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters
(DTM) Tintop driver Lucas Auer. For which you could say even having an Uncle
named Gerhard Berger doesn’t guarantee you landing a Formula 1 ride…
As Auer tested alongside another “rising Star” that
summer who ultimately earned the Dubious nickname of MazzaSpin’, Youch! Formally
known as Nikita Mazepin. With the pair testing for Force India at the
HungaBoring’, Err Hungoraring on August 1, 2017.
As Auer seemingly was “Peaking” in the DTM that
summer. Having won two races and trailing Mattias Ekstrom by only two points in
the title fight, before apparently fading. Since Auer ultimately finished sixth
Overall that season with three wins, while Rene Rast won the title ahead of
Ekstrom.
As the Austrian’s primarily spent His Tintops’
career racing in the DTM and other Touring Car categories. And finished a
career best in the DTM last year driving for Team Winward Mercedes, finishing
runner-up to Sheldon van der Linde. While His Team Winward links have enabled Lucas
to race at the Rolex 24 on multiple occasions…
And it was
interesting to Mwah back then, how the DTM seemed to have become somewhat of a training
ground for Mercedes drivers to graduate to thoust Pinnacle 'O Motorsports, nee
Formula 1. With the two Mercedes Werks’ DTM HotSchues’ Pascal Wehrlein and Esteban
Ocon graduated to F1.
As Wehrlein who won the
DTM title in 2015, was the first to be promoted to the Back marker Manor Racing
team, albeit naturally just plodding
along as a Tail Gunner Charlie!
And then Pascal spent
His second and final season in Formula 1 racing for Sauber, before returning to
DTM. And since has found refuge in Formula E, where He currently competes for Tag
Heuer Porsche. Having just won both rounds of the Diriyah ePrix, on the city
streets of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Esteban Ocon was even “Faster”
tracked into F1. With Mercedes also placing the Frenchman alongside Wehrlein at
the struggling Manor Racing outfit. Beginning at the 2016 Belgian Grand Prix,
following the traditional F1 Summer Break.
Ironically Ocon was
replaced by current Indycar Driver Felix Rosenqvist in DTM. While Ocon went
onto race for Force India between 2017-18.
Although Ocon had to
sit out the 2019 season of Formula 1 after being the Odd Man out at what then
became Racing Point. Ocon’s currently the only driver to graduate from the DTM
that’s still in F1, now starting His fourth season for Alpine.
And there’s probably
more than I can recall. As the names of Bernd Schneider, Gary Paffett and Paul
di Resta come to mind as DTM Chauffeurs who made their way into Formula 1, albeit
briefly. Although I tend to recall that Paffett only ever was an McLaren F1 Test
Driver…
Fast forwarding to Indy
Cars. Obviously Canapino has a rough transition to make. And having V8
Supercars Superstar, and Triple series Champion ScottyMac’, aka Scott McLaughlin
on the Grid has to be somewhat Daunting to the Argentine driver!
But then again, and
with No Disrespect towards Juncos Hollinger Racing. Obviously JHR Ain’t No Team
Penske! And I just wish for both Canapino, Callum Ilott and JHR to have a
successful season this year.
Oh Yeah, naturally along with Lucas Auer having a Speedy recovery and returning to Touring Cars racing shortly…
