fernando alonso – JeffGluck.com

January 23, 2018January 24, 2018

NASCAR Media Tour: Fernando Alonso appearance a rare treat

Seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson said he had a fan moment by meeting two-time Formula One world champion Fernando Alonso on the NASCAR Media Tour.

Fernando Alonso has walked the Formula One paddock in places like Monaco and Spa. He has strolled down Gasoline Alley at the Indianapolis 500.

On Tuesday, he was somewhere much different: The Charlotte Convention Center, where he appeared on the NASCAR Media Tour.

Less than an hour after Truck Series driver Ben Rhodes wrapped up his media session, two-time F1 world champion Alonso plopped down in the same seat — a NASCAR-branded director’s chair in front of a NASCAR backdrop.

That’s pretty damn cool, and even drivers were impressed. The likes of Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick made detours to greet Alonso, who was in attendance to promote his upcoming race in the Rolex 24 at Daytona.

“I’ve been a huge Alonso fan for a lot of years,” Johnson said. “I mentioned to him out there that the way he came and ran Indy — he handled himself so well, really did a great job and I think brought a lot to the table. He brought worldwide attention to motorsports and it was really good for us here stateside.”

Alonso, in turn, said he was flattered by the respect shown to him by Johnson and other American drivers. Despite being an F1 champ, the Spaniard said he was “surprised” to get so much respect.

“I’m quite a shy person, and when I see these top names, I see them at a different level I cannot achieve,” he said. “In their category and their series, they are the masters. I’m aware that to reach that level, it would take me many, many years — if I can get there.

“When I see they respect me and they follow my career and my racing as well, it’s a surprise and I feel very proud, because I respect all those names.”

Alonso said he first heard of Johnson around 2003 while playing a NASCAR video game. He didn’t know who Johnson was, but he liked the color of the No. 48 car.

“I used to choose him, not knowing him, just because of the car,” he said. “I remember playing with another friend of mine — he likes a chocolate company I will not name now — and he was choosing that car and I was choosing Jimmie’s car.

“But that was the first time I heard of him, and obviously the success that he has had in the years of motor racing, he became a legend of our sport — and massive respect.”

Naturally, Alonso was asked if he would like to try NASCAR someday. He said maybe, but it would be far off because it would be tough to match the experience level of the NASCAR regulars. He’d like to test first and see if he’d enjoy it; if so, he said, it’s a possibility.

“The (NASCAR) races are great because they are all in a group,” he said. “It is not predictable at all and until the last lap, you don’t know what is going to happen. We love watching from the outside, but I don’t know from the inside.”

May 29, 2017

Post-Indy 500 and Coke 600 podcast with nascarcasm

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After a long day of racing, Internet troll @nascarcasm joins me to break down all things Indy 500 and Coke 600. We discuss the love for Fernando Alonso, Scott Dixon’s scary wreck, Austin Dillon’s first win and grilled onions. Plus, @nascarcasm’s musical debut.

May 28, 2017

Fernando Alonso wins American hearts, but not the Indy 500

Fernando Alonso came to Indianapolis with a nearly impossible task: To not only perform well enough to justify skipping the biggest race of the Formula One season, but to serve as an ambassador in the process.

Politicians have cracked under much less of a spotlight. Everyone wanted a piece of Alonso during his stay, and he had to divide his time between his team, a load of media commitments and endless fan requests — all while figuring out how to race on an oval for the first time.

And yet Alonso truly represented himself better than anyone could have hoped; despite the 24th-place finish after a blown engine, the journey to Indianapolis was a success on all fronts.

He raced and conducted himself like a champion in so many ways. Even though his success might made the Indy 500 look easier than it is, being able to adapt so quickly surely had to raise his reputation as an all-around great racer.

But Alonso is a great professional off the track as well.

Take Sunday, for example. He was faced with a major disappointment after leading 27 laps and having a chance to win the race, only to have his engine expire with 20 laps to go.

Had Alonso called it a day without talking to the media and just left the track to beat the traffic, few could have really blamed him. But he did the opposite.

He changed into street clothes and did a TV interview, then watched the end of the race (Alonso said he was “on my knees” rooting for teammate Takuma Sato). After that, he came to the media center to face a large group of reporters.

Alonso was not under obligation to come, but he realized what a story he was — this race will be remembered more for his presence than Sato’s win — so he agreed to the interview.

But by Sunday, it was no surprise he would accommodate such a request. That’s because he went along with everything IndyCar and the track asked him to do, never complaining or saying it was too much.

He probably said “sure” a thousand times, whether it was for a media hit or a selfie with a fan while in transit. And he exhibited good nature throughout, never looking bored (even during the public drivers meeting) or acting like he was too good for something (like the hour-long public autograph session the day before the race).

That’s very impressive for a two-time Formula One world champion who — let’s face it — could have been a jerk to everyone and still been just as much of a story. It’s not like reporters could say, “Screw this guy, we aren’t giving him coverage.” This Indy 500 was all Alonso.

On Thursday, he was surrounded by a five-deep group of reporters for a solid hour during Indy 500 media day. After awhile, that kind of environment would get claustrophobic or irritating for even the best of us.

But Alonso answered all the questions — even if the question was a repeat — and was cool throughout the process. The time he gave was impressive for someone of his stature (and was a lot more of a commitment than the weekly F1 press conferences).

And despite hogging the attention leading into the race, Alonso charmed the heck out of everyone — fellow drivers and Indiana fans included — and left everyone wanting more. Fans greeted him with loud cheers before the race and a standing ovation after it.

“Thanks to IndyCar — amazing experience,” Alonso said. “Thanks to Indianapolis. Thanks to the fans. I felt at home. I’m not American, but I felt really proud to race here.”

Alonso could have come to Indy and been selfish about the opportunity. But he wasn’t. He gave as much as he received. He showed respect to everyone and acted with class throughout the process.

At the end of Sunday’s post-race media session, the moderator dismissed Alonso. He was free to go.

“Last thing,” Alonso said.

He pulled out a small carton of milk and raised it as a toast.

“Thank you to all the media,” he said. “I didn’t win, but I will drink a little bit of milk. You followed me for two weeks — every single minute — but I really enjoyed (it).

“Thanks for the welcoming.”

We can only hope he decides to come back soon.

April 12, 2017April 12, 2017

News Analysis: Fernando Alonso to run Indy 500, skip Monaco

What happened: Two-time Formula One world champion Fernando Alonso, sixth on the all-time F1 wins list with 32 Grand Prix victories, will skip Monaco to race in the Indianapolis 500 in May. He’ll drive a Honda-powered McLaren car run by Andretti Autosport.

What it means: A huge boost internationally for the Indy 500. An active F1 driver missing the biggest F1 race — which Alonso has won twice — to come drive at Indianapolis? That’s wild! It’s going to get a lot of attention around the world and will be quite a big story in motorsports from now through the race. Depending on how Alonso’s experience goes, it could pave the way for more famous drivers to try to the Indy 500 and raise the prestige level even further.

News value (scale of 1-10): Depends on where you’re reading this. It’s probably an 8 for international readers and a 6 if you live in the United States and only follow NASCAR. Alonso said in his view, the Indy 500 is “one of the most famous races on the global motorsport calendar, rivaled only by the Le Mans 24 Hours and the Monaco Grand Prix” and said he’d like to win the “Triple Crown” one day (which has only been achieved by Graham Hill, who raced in the 1960s). Of course, that perspective is different in the U.S., where even some race fans don’t know who Alonso is and may feel the Daytona 500 is just as big as the Indy 500.

Questions: Can Alonso, who has never raced on a big oval (or any oval, perhaps), get up to speed quickly enough to be competitive? How much will this raise the international profile of the Indy 500, which was already coming off a ton of publicity with the 100th running? Is there anything NASCAR can do to counter this move for the Coca-Cola 600, which likely loses some of the media spotlight (Gordon? Stewart)?