Posted: December-14-2009 at 8:57am | IP Logged

 Indy car driver Milka Duno will make her stock car debut during the ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards open test at Daytona International Speedway December 18, 19 and 20, 2009. Milka will participate in the test behind the wheel of Braun Racing's #90 Toyota. While no stranger to the Daytona Beach, FL-based track, this will be Milka's first opportunity to go around the 2.5-mile tri-oval in a metal-skinned stock car. Her #90 Camry will have less downforce than either the IndyCar Series cars she's driven the past three seasons, or the Rolex Series Daytona Prototypes that she competed in for the three seasons before that. With a second-place finish in 2007, Milka holds the record for the highest finish ever by a female driver in the 45-year history of the 24 Hours of Daytona at Daytona International Speedway. Starting with her four-win season in the American Le Mans Series in 2001 and continuing through her thee-win Rolex Series years, Milka has been offered opportunities to compete in stock cars and in the NASCAR Series virtually every season since.

(Braun Racing PR)(12-12-2009)

Posted: December-14-2009 at 1:50pm | IP Logged

She has been offered opportunities because she brings mega dollars from Venezuela with her...... period. 

Posted: December-14-2009 at 1:59pm | IP Logged

Hmmmmm, didn't we have this same conversation last week about another female driver bringing money? And ufortunately it's not just Nascar, it's filtered down to ARCA, PASS, UARA, WoO and just about every series that dots the racing landscape.

Posted: December-14-2009 at 2:35pm | IP Logged

But... the difference in these particular two female drivers is that one of them brings driving ability and a sound resume with her. The other brings Hugo Chavez's backing (through Citgo) and little else. As Shawn pointed out, through her IRL career Duno has a 19th place finishing average running in fields of cars which have averaged less than 25 cars. Basically, she ran at the back and picked up positions when others had problems and dropped out. In the IRL she is known as the "rolling roadblock". Her American LeMans victories were "resume builders" with her getting to be added to the driver roster and drive the car a few laps during 12 or 24 hour events because Citgo funded her involvement. Her "victories" had other drivers actually driving the car for practically the entire event. She does not impress me.

But, as I said in that other thread where we were talking about Danica Patrick, money will trump talent every time. Duno brings BIG money with her.

Posted: December-14-2009 at 3:06pm | IP Logged

You and me both Robbie..... HA HA   Remember, I go back to the days when race teams actually HIRED drivers. And, they hired drivers based on who was the best driver they could get who would take their car to the front on a consistent basis and keep it there.

Several years ago, one of my all-time favorite drivers, The Silver Fox David Pearson, was asked to compare the current drivers (of that current era) with the drivers of his era. Pearson summed it up in three words...... "We was hungry!"

He then went on to explain that his answer could have double meaning. He meant that they were literally hungry if they didn't run up front, because they got paid a percentage of the winnings, period, and if they didn't run up front on a consistent basis, they didn't have much to take home to live on. He said too that drivers of his era were just "hungry to win", but that today's drivers come into the upper levels of the sport with huge sponsorship contracts and personal endorsement agreements, and have to be careful not to get too agressive and maybe do something that would interfere with their "star status"... i.e., today's drivers can't afford to take chances.

I liked the old days too Robbie...... I was out doing sponsor searches in the days when all the potential sponsor wanted to know was "How will my name look on the car, and will they be able to read it from the stands?"  They didn't ask if the driver had perfectly white teeth, if he got his nails manicured regularly, if he knew which fork to use for what purpose at the dinner table or if he had completed a public speaking course.   Ahhhh... the good old days.....   HA HA

Posted: December-15-2009 at 11:35am | IP Logged

Anyone who knows me knows I don't care for Danica Patrick. And it's really not Danica I don't care for. It's her place in motorsports I don't really care for. Well, I also don't really care for her, at times spoiled-brat attitude, either.

It's not that she doesn't have talent, because she does. But I don't believe if Danica was a male, with talent she has, that she would be in her top-notch Indy Racing League ride. She's where she is because of being a female, make that a pretty female. Danica's proof that sex appeal sells. And I don't like that one bit.

Like "SpeedRacer," Robbie Henry and others who've been around racing a long time ... I don't like what racing's turned into today. Racers don't get hired for rides today like in the past based solely on talent. There are many talented race car drivers across the country, but if you don't have the "pretty boy looks" and can speak well and represent multimillion dollar corporate sponsors, then you won't be racing.

Back to Danica: True, she has talent. But I, and I know others who think the same as I do, if Danica wasn't so pretty, she wouldn't be where she is today in motorsports. Her good looks have benefited her tremendously. But thinking "old school" days of racing, which I grew up in ... I don't like how today in motorsports it's really moreso about being able to sell yourself (not your talent) as a spokesperson to a corporate sponsor, rather than making it in racing based on your talent.

The way I see it and others do too ... Danica's got her ride(s) that could be held by overall better talents (male) than she, due to her pretty looks. It's a fact. She's just got the pretty, good looks that are appealing to multimillion dollar corporate sponsors. If Michael Andretti could have Scott Dixson, Dario Franchitto or Helio Castroveneves to drive the same car Danica's currently wheeling, and already have onboard multimillion dollar sponsor, who would drive for Andretti ... Patrick or one of the drivers listed above? My bet would be one of the male drivers, because Andretti would like to win races. Danica won a fuel mileage race, and that's it to date. Sure, it was a win ... but fuel mileage got her in victory lane.

I was glad to see "SpeedRacer" post this topic and others join in replying. I'd read late the previous night about Milka Duno, but I wasn't about to post it and once again be accused of being a sexist ... all because I posted of females in racing and I don't care for that scenario. As I stated, it's not I don't totally care for females in racing ... I just feel they have to use their "sex appeal" to be able to sell themselves to race teams and moreso, corporate sponsors.

People have read it in the past, and it's true: I stopped eating Hostess Twinkies when Danica became a spokesperson for Hostess. I also stopped using Peak antifreeze. I'm not about to spend one dime of my money to benefit Danica's racing. And once again, it's not about her actually racing ... it's her using sex appeal to fund her way in racing.

I don't care for Milka Duno either, and it really has nothing to do with either her looks or racing talent (some will say "no talent"). My main deal with Milka is Hugo Chavez, and his actions towards the United States. I'd run out of gas and call my roadside assistance plan before I'd buy a drop of Citgo.

A female IndyCar racer I'd like to see in equal equipment as Danica Patrick or Milka Duno is Sarah Fisher. I believe she would drive circles around either Patrick or Duno. I got to see her race sprint cars in person a few times, and she was pretty good. Erin Crocker-Evernham was also pretty decent in a sprint car, actually winning a World of Outlaws event, but she just didn't get the job done in ARCA, Busch or Trucks.

Posted: December-15-2009 at 11:45am | IP Logged

Robbie Henry wrote: I've just got to get used to the changing dynamics in racing.

I don't know that I can get used to changing dynamics in the upper echelons of motorsports, related to "salespeople" having to sell themselves as good corporate representatives to multimillion dollar sponsors to be able race. That really goes for either male or female racers. You've got so-called "pretty boy" males and females with pretty looks (sex appeal).

Some females might think Jimmie Johnson's good looking and they tell their husband's to shop at Lowe's. I shop at Lowe's mainly because I prefer Lowe's over Home Depot. Neither Mike Skinner before Johnson, nor Tony Stewart before Joey Logano, brought me through doors of Lowe's or Home Depot. Lowe's were around this region befoe Home Depot, and once Home Depot arrived, I did go check things out. I just like Lowe's better.

Racing today is what it is, though. I don't foresee any changes. It's all corporate dollar driven, much moreso than ever.

Posted: December-15-2009 at 12:22pm | IP Logged

I know what made you start shopping at Lowes, RW.  It was Brett Bodine, when he drove the Lowes car.  LOL!!!

Posted: December-15-2009 at 1:45pm | IP Logged

Maybe this is why we all enjoy looking at Speedracers old photos!..... I can't fault a parent for wanting the best for their child and being willing to do whatever it takes for their child.... a parent SHOULD want to see their kid succeed. But, just because it's good for their kid doesn't mean that it's good for the sport and therein lies the conflict for me.

It's not going to change, as a matter of fact it will only intensify so there's nothing any of us can do, no individual is bigger than the sport. But it does make me thankful to have grown up watching the Jack Ingrams and Red Farmers of the world chase a Nascar late model sportsman championship by running anywhere, anytime

It made walking to school in the snow uphill both ways worth it!!!