But this isn't a fun little Daytona Prototype on a road course with a mix of slow corners thrown in. This is the fastest, most lethal form of motorsports in this country. Taking Dunno to St. Pete, Watkins Glen, Sonoma, Detroit and Mid-Ohio would have been a much wiser game plan.
"I heard people say for a long time, 'Is Milka going to Indy, yes or no?," she said during her press conference. "Finally, I am here. My dream is coming true."
Brian Barnhart, the IRL president of competition, went along with the feel good atmosphere and said by the time Milka gets to her first race: "she'll have thousands of miles under her belt. We'll even consider putting other cars out there on the track with her to replicate traffic and give her the opportunity to run in dirty air."
To which one IRL veteran responded: "Good luck on finding somebody to volunteer for that."
Barnhart also said she's going to have to pass a driving test under the critical eyes of Rick Mears or Johnny Rutherford or Al Unser. So, obviously, there's no guarantee she'll make the grade, although there was a dentist of similar ilk who became an IRL regular in the cars way too easy to drive on the huge high banked tracks.
Hopefully, Duno will scare herself so badly in her first test at Texas that she'll come to her senses, realize she's out of her depth and
give the car to Carpentier.
Because Indy cars aren't fun and games and photo ops. They can be life and death. And having desire, a pretty smile, a good PR machine and a sponsor aren't good enough reasons to merit a ride.
This is one of those situations that the racing fraternity embraces publicly, but privately knows is a recipe for disaster.
The opinions reflected herein are solely those of the above commentator and are not necessarily those of SpeedTV.com, FOX, NewsCorp, or Speed Channel
Robin Miller covers open wheel racing for SPEEDTV.com, SPEED Report and WIND TUNNEL. A lifelong resident of Indianapolis, an 18-year-old Miller stooged for his hero Jim Hurtubise at the Indianapolis 500 in 1968 and began covering motorsports for The Indianapolis Star in 1969. Besides working on Indy pit crews from 1968-78, Miller also competed on the USAC midget circuit from 1975-83. During the past 35 years he's also been a contributor for Autoweek, Autosport, Car & Driver, ESPN The Magazine and several publications that folded and still owe him money. He is single, a degenerate gambler and despises the NASCAR phrase, "We had a Top 20 car today."
Robin Miller is not affiliated with RACER magazine and his views should not be considered representative of RACER or of Haymarket Worldwide Inc.
