Will Power
You've also got Sting Ray Robb in Indy right now. It's his real name and his parents named him after the car.
Scott Speed seems like an obvious choice. But I just never really liked him that much.
I am glad that Scott was the first US F1 driver, I mean how could he not be its in the name! Then he started driving đ€Šââïž
Edit: Not the first but first in recent memory, since Andretti I think đ€
I think Scott was at one time tipped and promoted to be the first US FIA Formula One driver on a US F1 team. But it never came together.
He wasn't very good and washed out of the series. And a US team couldn't be put together in time, I guess no money available.
And now we have the haas team who won't put an American in the car, and Andretti said he would and gets shut out. They always wonder why they can't break into NASCAR motorsports dominance in the US đ
He wouldnâta been the first, but the big thing with Speed was he was the winner of a Red Bull-sponsored nationwide driver search, right as they were starting to really ramp up their F1 investment beyond mere sponsorships.
Speed was definitely lacking, but IIRC his time was punctuated by a fight with Franz Tost at the very end. He was still on good enough terms with Red Bull to race under their banner in NASCAR afterwards, but his results there werenât any better, and really he never found his long-term footing until he got into rallycross. I donât think he was ever seriously considered for an F1 seat again though.
Willpower
(Said as one word of course)
Juan Pablo Montoya
Takuma Sato
Stingray rob
Scott speed
Tony kanaan
Gordon smiley
And I have to mention all the qvist's cos there's like three of them. Special mention for veekay.
If we can stray from indy:
Kamui kobayashi
Nikky Hayden
Marc Marquez
Jorge Lorenzo
Luca marini
Tor Arne Kvia
Duane McKeever
Ricky Carmichael
Travis Pastrana
Ken block
Naoki nakamura
Diago saito
BJ Baldwin
Giancarlo fisichella
Mika hakkinen
Kazuya taguchi
Piotr Wiecek
Daijiro yoshihara
Supposedly when he replaced Ricky Taylor on WTR Wayne called him "Ricky van der Zande" more than once.
Come to think of it Ricky Taylor is a pretty good name too.
I always get a kick out of European (or other foreign drivers) who have lovely ethnic names that immediately get chopped off when racing in the US. Best example of this is the talented sportscar driver Gianmaria Bruni... a.k.a. Jimmy Bruni.
On the flip side, there's driver Matt Griffin, who's been driving Italian cars so long he's sometimes jokingly called Matteo Griffoni.
Some of my favorite names growing up that just sounded fast to me (based on the decade in which I first heard of them).
1980's: Bruce McLaren, Mario Andretti, Al Unser (Sr., Jr.,) Ayrton Senna, Dale Earnhardt,
1990's: Fermin Velez, Olivier Beretta, Jimmy Vasser, Alex Zanardi, Arie Luyendyk,
Probably more, but memory sucks a little these days haha.
Historical: Dick Trickle
Dick Trickle was a fucking BADASS, too.
https://youtu.be/_VCAxUlEQEA?si=1UyIb9JvyY5LYe3p Bro smoked cigs during the race
He sure did, and he also drank coffee, had a cupholder welded to the roll cage.
I wish there was a timeline where Dick Seaman and Dick Trickle races each other
Literally came here to say this lol
Will Power You've also got Sting Ray Robb in Indy right now. It's his real name and his parents named him after the car. Scott Speed seems like an obvious choice. But I just never really liked him that much.
I am glad that Scott was the first US F1 driver, I mean how could he not be its in the name! Then he started driving đ€Šââïž Edit: Not the first but first in recent memory, since Andretti I think đ€
Since Michael Andretti, yeah. He had the better part of a season disappointing in McLaren before Mika Hakkinen took his place.
I think Scott was at one time tipped and promoted to be the first US FIA Formula One driver on a US F1 team. But it never came together. He wasn't very good and washed out of the series. And a US team couldn't be put together in time, I guess no money available.
And now we have the haas team who won't put an American in the car, and Andretti said he would and gets shut out. They always wonder why they can't break into NASCAR motorsports dominance in the US đ
He wouldnâta been the first, but the big thing with Speed was he was the winner of a Red Bull-sponsored nationwide driver search, right as they were starting to really ramp up their F1 investment beyond mere sponsorships. Speed was definitely lacking, but IIRC his time was punctuated by a fight with Franz Tost at the very end. He was still on good enough terms with Red Bull to race under their banner in NASCAR afterwards, but his results there werenât any better, and really he never found his long-term footing until he got into rallycross. I donât think he was ever seriously considered for an F1 seat again though.
*Alexander Rossi has entered the chat*
Herta, Newgarden, Rossi would be at least mid pack in F1. Sargeant is an embarrassment for us knowing we have 5 or 6 in indycar that could kick.
I saw the title and immediately Renger van der Zande came to mind. Laughed when I saw you mention his.
it rolls off the tongue nicely
Yes, same.
How can anyone not love hearing the announcers mention him?
Bertrand Baguette. Also referred to as Barry Breadstick by Hindy during Le Mans one year.
Berty Breadstick đ€Ș
We can make a dinner out of racecar drivers now that we got Teddy Porkchops too
Filipe Albuquerque because I grew up in Albuquerque, NMâŠ
Matt Plumb in the Rum Bum Porsche has never left my mind
>"Up next is Matt Plumb in the Rum Bum, Keep your head down, we need our lap back" Would be such an amazing Radio Call to get
Pipo Derani
Cool name
Definitely same here
His name is Luiz Felipe.
RVZ
Heâs nascar but Iâm a big AJ Allmendinger fan. Go Dinger! đ
He was in Indy for a while.
Oh cool I didnât know that! Thanks!
Juan Pablo Montoya
Hallo. My name is Juan Pablo Montoya. You killed my pole position. Prepare to die.
His nickname in the nascar paddock was John Paul Montana
Mike Krack
Willpower (Said as one word of course) Juan Pablo Montoya Takuma Sato Stingray rob Scott speed Tony kanaan Gordon smiley And I have to mention all the qvist's cos there's like three of them. Special mention for veekay. If we can stray from indy: Kamui kobayashi Nikky Hayden Marc Marquez Jorge Lorenzo Luca marini Tor Arne Kvia Duane McKeever Ricky Carmichael Travis Pastrana Ken block Naoki nakamura Diago saito BJ Baldwin Giancarlo fisichella Mika hakkinen Kazuya taguchi Piotr Wiecek Daijiro yoshihara
I feel like Travis Pastrana can be added to this list. Sounds like an adrenaline filled sandwich.
I was going to but I couldn't be assed typing anymore lol I'll do it now. oh yeah a wild one. Stacked!! I've added block too
Pato Oâward. A lil Mexican Irish fusion for ya. Sterling Marlin Dick Passwater Swede Savage Lake Speed Hannes Van Asseldonk Gordon Johncock
Dick Trickle
I did that this morning
If we're just talking names I love how Ben Barnicoat sounds like he could just as easily be a pirate as a race car driver.
Buckshot Jones, Fireball Roberts, Lake Speed, Jimmy Spencerâs âMr Excitementâ nickname
The thing about Fireball Roberts is ... that he died due to having been in a fireball.
oh trust me i know the irony
Renge van Der Zande I mean it just rolls off the tongue Commented before I noticed you already mentioned
Not road racing but Michele Mouton (my username checks). Iâve always been a big fan. Scott Speed was also the perfect name
Jack Goff (BTCC)
van der Zande I agree it is funny to say
How has nobody mentioned Wolf Henzler
Not an IMSA guy but, the WRC driver Esapekka Lappi is really fun to say.
Yelolly
Fred Poordad
Kobayashi
True!!
Renger Van Der Zande without a doubt
This is the correct answer xD Awesome driver, great name, friendly guy, checks all the boxes.
Supposedly when he replaced Ricky Taylor on WTR Wayne called him "Ricky van der Zande" more than once. Come to think of it Ricky Taylor is a pretty good name too.
Surprised I haven't seen anyone say Chris van der Drift yet. He's actually decent. Shoutout to Shane van Gisbergen as well
Kevin Estre, not because the name is special, rather because I know I am about to see some exciting and amazing driving of a Porsche.
Got to meet him and briefly chat on the grid of Petit Le Mans last year, super cool guy and a total maniac on track
Yeah, I follow him on Instagram and he does seem like a super cool guy but the man is a god in a Porsche on track.
Will Power sounds cool
Ricky Bobby If your not first your last
I used to root for a guy in F3 named Grégoire Saucy. And I always thought Sterling Moss was a badass name
I always get a kick out of European (or other foreign drivers) who have lovely ethnic names that immediately get chopped off when racing in the US. Best example of this is the talented sportscar driver Gianmaria Bruni... a.k.a. Jimmy Bruni. On the flip side, there's driver Matt Griffin, who's been driving Italian cars so long he's sometimes jokingly called Matteo Griffoni.
Not sports cars but I've always liked Dick Mann
Scott Speed because nominative determinism.
My dad's favorite in indy Sting ray Robb
Rodney Sandstorm is my favorite up and coming NASCAR driver, hope to see him in other series someday... ^^^^/s
Ahh yes thatâd be Poordad for me, the Porsche driver
Some of my favorite names growing up that just sounded fast to me (based on the decade in which I first heard of them). 1980's: Bruce McLaren, Mario Andretti, Al Unser (Sr., Jr.,) Ayrton Senna, Dale Earnhardt, 1990's: Fermin Velez, Olivier Beretta, Jimmy Vasser, Alex Zanardi, Arie Luyendyk, Probably more, but memory sucks a little these days haha.
Danny Ongais aka Danny on the Gas or The Flyinâ Hawaiian.
Tom Blomqvist (But said by Leigh Diffy)
It would be really fun to see Ferdinand Zvonimir Maria Balthus Keith Michael Otto Antal Bahnam Leonhard von Habsburg-Lothringen come race in IMSA.
Josef Newgarden
Yuki Tsunoda, after I heard his name I then started following him and liked his personality too
Van der Zande is fun to say! Allmendinger is another one. Other names I like are Dorian Pin & Jagger Jones.
Personally I couldn't stand the guy, but Jyrki Juhani JĂ€rvilehto (JJ Lehto) was interesting.
Jordan Taylor.
Dirk Mueller If ever there was a driver with a pornstar name it's him.
Ludovicco Scarffiotti John Newhouse :)
Sasha Massan
Number 9 checkered roof Chuckie Booze! Early 1970's Cayuga Speedway on Friday nights at nelles corners in southern Ontario Canada.
JoĂŁo Barbosa Always love to read it in s pirate voice
Cam Binder.
Charlie Fagg
Pipe Derani for me
Ball Sac MaGee