Is Corey Lajoie ready to drive for one of the top Cup teams? What are your thoughts?

wi_racefan said:
They always say the biggest step in racing is the one from Xfinity to cup. It's just my opinion but I'd rather see a guy consistently outrun guys in cup that you know have more resources than see a guy set the Xfinity series on fire with wins. Just too many drivers have won tons of Xfinity races and not been able to drive cup car worth a crap. Not to mention there really isn't much that transfers between the 2 cars anymore.
Click to expand...

I'm mostly talking about what will get you noticed by good Cup teams, whether the skills translate or not. WAY more Xfinity drivers get promoted to upper tier Cup rides than from lower tier Cups rides, whether it makes sense or not. For every Alex Bowman, there is William Byron, Austin Cindric, Harrison Burton, Noah Gragson, Chase Briscoe, and on and on and on. As I mentioned, I'm also convinced that learning how to consistently win at a high level DOES translate to the highest level.
 
Danica Patrick had a top tier ride: It's not like talent as a stock car driver is necessarily what gets you a seat in the best car. It's money, which is why Aric Almirola is still going around in spite of his career more resembling Joe Nemecheck than a Cup contender. If Corey's not ready now after years in NASCAR, he'll never be.
 
I don't know if it's possible to tell if a driver is ready for a top-tier Cup ride until he or she is in a top-tier Cup ride; see Alex Bowman or even Kevin Harvick. Even then, the driver may be ready but not suited to the team; see Joey Logano.
 
Charlie Spencer said:
I don't know if it's possible to tell if a driver is ready for a top-tier Cup ride until he or she is in a top-tier Cup ride; see Alex Bowman or even Kevin Harvick. Even then, the driver may be ready but not suited to the team; see Joey Logano.
Click to expand...

Best way to find out is to see if you can win with a B Main top tier team before trying an A Main top tier team. Of course sponsorship and funding yadda.
 
wi_racefan said:
I think more haven't than have. Also lets no forget Stewart and JJ (10 titles) didn't have much, if any success in the Xfinity series.
Click to expand...

I don’t agree with comparing different eras of business models although the 90s was better. Stewart didn’t even run a full season in the 44. Won a bunch in the Busch Series.
 
AuzGrams said:
I don’t agree with comparing different eras of business models although the 90s was better. Stewart didn’t even run a full season in the 44. Won a bunch in the Busch Series.
Click to expand...
Not before heading to cup.
 
virtualbalboa said:
Danica Patrick had a top tier ride: It's not like talent as a stock car driver is necessarily what gets you a seat in the best car. It's money, which is why Aric Almirola is still going around in spite of his career more resembling Joe Nemecheck than a Cup contender. If Corey's not ready now after years in NASCAR, he'll never be.
Click to expand...

It's not really a question of being ready as much as it is a question of doing something that gets people looking at YOU and most of the time, running 20th in a 30th place car just doesn't move the needle like dominating somewhere else. Now if you are bringing large scale funding, then all bets are off.
 
wi_racefan said:
Not before heading to cup.
Click to expand...

I get your point, but Tony didn’t even run a full season in the 44 like I said. Had some 2nd & 3rd place runs. I think the eras were different but the potential was there. I’d have to see what Labonte did in the 44 in 96-99.

Edit: Labonte performed better but still my point.
 
AuzGrams said:
I get your point, but Tony didn’t even run a full season in the 44 like I said. Had some 2nd & 3rd place runs. I think the eras were different but the potential was there. I’d have to see what Labonte did in the 44 in 96-99.

Edit: Labonte performed better but still my point.
Click to expand...
'92 was Labonte's last full year in Busch. His performance after that wasn't crucial to his getting a Cup ride. JGR was a start-up, hardly a top-tier team then.

But looking at the stats since 2005 or so, yes, I agree that more Nationwide / Xfinity champs have performed better in Cup that those from 1990 - 2005.
 
Charlie Spencer said:
'92 was Labonte's last full year in Busch. His performance after that wasn't crucial to his getting a Cup ride. JGR was a start-up, hardly a top-tier team then.

But looking at the stats since 2005 or so, yes, I agree that more Nationwide / Xfinity champs have performed better in Cup that those from 1990 - 2005.
Click to expand...

Labonte ran many races in the same car that Stewart did in 1998. Tony’s results weren’t bad.

If we want to use “bad” as an example, I’d go with Burney Lamar or Kertus Davis or Mark McFarland.
 
Charlie Spencer said:
'92 was Labonte's last full year in Busch. His performance after that wasn't crucial to his getting a Cup ride. JGR was a start-up, hardly a top-tier team then.

But looking at the stats since 2005 or so, yes, I agree that more Nationwide / Xfinity champs have performed better in Cup that those from 1990 - 2005.
Click to expand...

Larson wasn’t really that great in 2013 Nationwide as an outlier as well.
 
AuzGrams said:
....If we want to use “bad” as an example, I’d go with Burney Lamar or Kertus Davis or Mark McFarland.
Click to expand...

Blast from the past.... Burney Lamar had/has a smoking hawt supermodel gf/wife Niki Taylor.
79978384_2594985953950894_2126774212883555867_n1-1024x768.jpg
 
  • Haha
Reactions: sdj
AuzGrams said:
Labonte ran many races in the same car that Stewart did in 1998. Tony’s results weren’t bad.

If we want to use “bad” as an example, I’d go with Burney Lamar or Kertus Davis or Mark McFarland.
Click to expand...
Those guys were the “RWR caution” in the early 2000s Busch series. I had forgotten about all 3 of them. Just goes to show pay drivers aren’t just a 2020s problem.
 
Efisher131 said:
Those guys were the “RWR caution” in the early 2000s Busch series. I had forgotten about all 3 of them. Just goes to show pay drivers aren’t just a 2020s problem.
Click to expand...

Those weren’t pay drivers, maybe Lamar was.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom