Thread: A Force ??

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Originally Posted by Mike in Motown

First let me do the prelim statement that she's got more gonads than me to sit in a fuel FC and im even a fan of hers (sort of)

BUT

With her latest interference fit with chassis/wall by not waiting until that missle was pointed in the right direction and her previous 'experience' of abusing center cones, crossing center lines, holeshot losses, other wall slappers AND (if I heard this right yesterday) That her holeshot win over Capps was the FIRST time that she left first on her competition this year?? I find that one hard to believe but I think thats what they said.

I say that if she wasnt family she'd be sent back down to the minors for a while. I think in a typical hired driver situation she wouldnt get nearly so much rope and would be getting the hook right off that stage.

thoughts?

I said the same thing a while back and got flamed by pretty much every one here. No matter how pretty things look on TV she does not have the experience and IMO!!! is being PUSHED by her dad. I also dont think every one ,or me at least, is trying to take advantage of every little smack on the wall to start flaming her. I think they are concern about her ability to save her life in a split second......

I see there is a lot of talk about rookies, lets post some actual racing experience for the rookies.... I think its pretty amazing to be able to jump in a fuel car with less than 10 years racing experience ,but I guess thats just me...

Originally Posted by BigTruckDriver

I see there is a lot of talk about rookies, lets post some actual racing experience for the rookies.... I think its pretty amazing to be able to jump in a fuel car with less than 10 years racing experience ,but I guess thats just me...

There is no training for driving a funny car other then what she's been through.... She ran a top alcohol car, went to a good funny car driving school, and moved up to nitro funny car... Same as the majority of the top fuel drivers. Nothing other then a funny car will train you to drive a funny car....Nothing... The only way you learn how to handle the situations that come up in a funny car is by being in them. Everyone who is in funny car and top fuel now has crashed at least once, some many more times then that. Read the other posts, there is a listing of other top fuel drivers who crashed in their rookie season. Crashing and making mistakes is part of being a rookie... All the top fuel drivers were rookies once and they all went through the same ordeal. It's no different for Ashley they it was for any of the others.. We all learn by making mistakes. If you're looking for drivers who haven't made mistakes....well....quit looking!!!!! Did you see her first pass? The car got loose, moved out of the groove and was all over the track, she brought it back to the center, ran a good time, and won..... She has a competition license and has met all the criteria that NHRA has for driving a funny car... I believe those folks are much better at determining a driver's competence then those of us watching it on the tube!!!!!

Going with your logic, I must be qualified to drive a top fuel car, I've been drag racing for better then 40 years!!!!!

Rookies are rookies and make rookie mistakes. The only reason the spotlight is on Ashley is because of who here Dad is....

Though I haven't seen any footage of the crash that killed Eric Medlen and doubt that any of us ever will, I wonder how close in similarity her crash was to his? Point being that Eric had quite a bit of experience in contrast to Ashley. It's a dangerous sport, always has been and always will be. IMHO it's part of her learning curve which will continue as long as she drives. So many have come and gone before her and each and everyone of them have experienced crashes and/or burn downs. She will get better with each pass and will be a force (pun intended) to be reckoned with in the coming years.

The guy sorta forgotten in all this is John Medlen. I would bet that the replays in his head as he watched Ashley smackin' the wall would scare the most grizzled vet. Then to know that the head restraint system he developed for the cars worked for Ashley had to bring him a sense of relief, pride, and most likely remorse for not having done it sooner. Such are the lessons of life.

I think its pretty amazing to be able to jump in a fuel car with less than 10 years racing experience ,but I guess thats just me...

I guess with more experience she would be a lot better, but if she (or anyone else) needed to wait 20 years before making he jump, they might be past their prime with reflexes starting to diminish. I know there are a lot of older drivers still in racing, but it really is a younger person sport. For most, but not all, the quickness of the mind and body start to diminish with every passing year and at some point it seems like every passing day.

Get out there and do as much as you can when you are young so you don't regret it when you're old. I, for one, am glad she is in the sport, regarless of lineage. She's got her credentials and has paid her dues, no reason for her not to be there. Besides, she's much more pleasant to see and watch then her competitors.

I guess even with my prelim statement about thinking she will make it and all I shoulda figured the flames would still be turned up a bit.

MY POINT IS, if this were an average team that brought up an alky driver to learn the fuel FC ranks she would get the hook, be sent back down to the minors, period (at least in all likelyhood).

So if you wanna make me out to be the bad guy then lets go with that.

So I ask, what driver has started on arguably the best team with the best equipment and had more incidents in such a short time? Im not saying there isnt one but surely cant remember anyone with such an 'exciting' start.

Originally Posted by Mike in Motown

I guess even with my prelim statement about thinking she will make it and all I shoulda figured the flames would still be turned up a bit.

MY POINT IS, if this were an average team that brought up an alky driver to learn the fuel FC ranks she would get the hook, be sent back down to the minors, period (at least in all likelyhood).

So if you wanna make me out to be the bad guy then lets go with that.

So I ask, what driver has started on arguably the best team with the best equipment and had more incidents in such a short time? Im not saying there isnt one but surely cant remember anyone with such an 'exciting' start.

Brandon Bernstein

I'll never deny that drivers like Ashley Force and Brandon get opportunities not available to others....and why not????? That's one of the reasons their fathers worked so hard to be at the top of their game, to make opportunities available for their kids that were not available to them!!!!! Isn't that what we all do? Maybe not it drag racing, that just happens to be the area where John Force and Kenny Bernstein both have became legends. My dad told me many years ago that if you make life better for your kids then it was for you, consider your life a success..... They both started their careers in drag racing the same as any other kids do. Just because their parents gave them opportunities not offered to the rest is because of their parents success. That's the way of life in any sport or business. Those who don't think it's fair or correct are usually suffering from a severe case of jealousy IMO.....

Brandon Bernstein, maybe?

Dave, you and I must have been thinking together.

Originally Posted by NTFDAY

Though I haven't seen any footage of the crash that killed Eric Medlen and doubt that any of us ever will, I wonder how close in similarity her crash was to his? Point being that Eric had quite a bit of experience in contrast to Ashley. It's a dangerous sport, always has been and always will be. IMHO it's part of her learning curve which will continue as long as she drives. So many have come and gone before her and each and everyone of them have experienced crashes and/or burn downs. She will get better with each pass and will be a force (pun intended) to be reckoned with in the coming years.

The way I understand it by people that were there and close to JFR Eric was dead before he hit the wall. Still unsure but looks like a tire problem...... the car shook so hard and fast he did not have time to do anything. Basically shook his brain loose before he hit anything. Also was told many of the welds on the car broke before hitting the wall.

Dont forget the time Brandon hit the wall stayed into it way to long flipped over the wall and broke his tail bone. The old man returned to drive that year. BB missed 1/3 or more of his rookie season.
So it happens to everyone sooner or later

[QUOTE=iceburgh]Dont forget the time Brandon hit the wall stayed into it way to long flipped over the wall and broke his tail bone. The old man returned to drive that year. BB missed 1/3 or more of his rookie season.
So it happens to everyone sooner or later[/QUOTE

Ok, didn't remember if that was rookie year or second year, thanks Dave.