The Internet buzz is that former IndyCar driver Arie Luyendyk Jr. will be on ABC's "Bachelorette" all the way to the final handful of contestants on Season 8 of the elimination dating show.

The 30-year-old Luyendyk, son of the legendary driver with the same name, hasn't really been racing much lately. He has been racing part-time on the Indy Lights and has turned to announcing. In 66 starts as a driver, he has only one victory.

But he might be winning the hand of Emily Maynard of "Bachelorette," which has its second episode 9 p.m. Monday.

Maynard lost her fiance, NASCAR driver Ricky Hendrick, in a plane crash on Oct. 24, 2004. They had been dating for four years and were engaged for about six months when Hendrick passed away. Maynard then won Brad Womack's affections on "The Bachelor" Season 15 but that relationship didn't last. Now she's the "Bachelorette."

For Maynard, it wasn't the racing background that attracted her to Luyendyk out of the 25 contestants.

"Arie is such a great guy," Maynard said on the media conference call. "He could be a taxicab driver and I wouldn't have cared."

Luyendyk is on lockdown while the show is on, since he could reveal his placement, but he did answer a few questions for his "Bachelorette" online bio:

Do you consider yourself romantic, and why?

"Yes. I think the definition of romance is putting your partner first. I believe I do that!"

What's your best date memory?

"When we took my motorcycle and rode to the park for a picnic. After we rode to the lake, we went cliff jumping. It was an awesome day."

What is your motto?

"Drive fast, take chances."