Liveries
Simon Pagenaud won this weekend in the best looking livery this IndyCar season.
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| Pagenaud's Livery |
In motorsports, we see liveries/paint schemes change week-to-week based on sponsorship however I think liveries should become like a kit for the top football/soccer clubs around the world. Liverpool, Manchester United, Barcelona, Bayern München, A.C. Milan have the same kit every year regardless of what the shirt sponsor is blazoned across the chest. When Chevrolet takes over as shirt sponsor for Manchester United, their traditional red will remain just like when they were sponsored by Vodafone, AIG and AON prior.
Motorsports should be the same way. Teams should be known by their own liveries with sponsors getting the rights to have their name put all over the car. It would make it easier for the fans to identify which car is which. It would eliminate the Ganassi tradition of the #10 car with five different liveries for five consecutive races and it might bring back originality and elegancy to liveries. Think about how British Racing Green has almost become an extinct color in motorsports. Petty blue has survived to a point but every now and then it is replaced by soulless corporate paint schemes. That could be righted. Instead of having five cars with the same yellow, blue or red livery, you could have a team express themselves and stand out. Want a maroon base with sky blue stripes? Go ahead. Why not run an all teal livery?
Liveries should be a distinguishing mark for teams and sponsors should accept the publicity given to them on the side pods and engine cover.
Fixing the Truck Series
Kyle Busch is 5-for-5 in NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races in 2014.
We know how I feel about the Truck Series and Cup drivers such as Kyle Busch competing but the Truck series needs to return to it's roots. Thursday nights race at Kentucky had a crowd so small, it made IndyCar's final appearance at the 1.5-mile oval seems like it was a packed house.
The Truck series started as a short track series and maybe it is time to go back to those days. Twelve of the 21 oval races on the 2014 Truck series schedule are on tracks 1.5 miles and larger. In 2003, ten of 25 races were on tracks 1.5 miles and larger. Mesa Marin, South Boston, Memphis, Milwaukee and IRP once were stops but they have been replaced. The Truck series needs the identity of a short track series.
The series is returning to New Hampshire for the first time since 2011 and should have never left. Richmond hasn't been on the schedule since 2005. Darlington has only hosted two races since 2005. Forget Chicagoland, Michigan, Kansas, Kentucky and Las Vegas and Texas doesn't need two races. Richmond should return. The series should have never left IRP and they should head to Milwaukee for IndyFest weekend. Give an unknown short track a shot. Imagine a race at Winchester Speedway or Salem Speedway.
The current formula is not working and going back to the past wouldn't hurt the Truck series.
Fun Facts From The Weekend
I thought this weekend had a lot of interesting facts that deserve recognition.
Carlos Huertas was the first rookie to win an IndyCar race since Robert Doornbos won at Mont-Tremblant and San Jose in the 2007 ChampCar season.
Carlos Muñoz and Jack Hawksworth both started last (23rd position) in the two IndyCar races and both finished 3rd.
Robert Wickens won the DTM race at the Norisring. It is the 11th consecutive victory for Mercedes-Benz on the street circuit. No winner was awarded last year after Mattias Ekström was disqualified for having water poured into his pants in parc fermé and thought to be done so he didn't weigh in under the limit. Wickens finished second last year but was not promoted to the top step of the podium.
Of the eleven consecutive Mercedes-Benz victories at the Norisring, the last ten of them have been won by a British or Canadian driver.
Winners From The Weekend
You know about Carlos Huertas, Simon Pagenaud, Brad Keselowski and Robert Wickens but did you know...
Marc Márquez won the Dutch TT, his eighth consecutive victory of the season for the 2013 world champion.
Sébastien Ogier won Rally Poland, extending his championship lead to fifty points over Volkswagen teammate Jari-Matti Latvala.
The #90 Corvette DP of Michael Valiante and Richard Westbrook won the Six Hours of the Glen. The #3 Corvette of Jan Magnussen and Antonio García won in GTLM. The #54 CORE Autosport of Colin Braun, Jon Bennett and James Gue won in PC. Dane Cameron and Markus Palttala won GTD in the #94 Turner Motorsport BMW.
The #7 M-Sport Bentley of Steven Kane, Guy Smith and Andy Meyrick won at Paul Ricard for their second consecutive victory in the Blancpain Endurance Series.
Coming Up This Weekend
IndyCar runs the Pocono 500.
Formula One are at Silverstone for the British Grand Prix.
NASCAR is in Daytona.
Blancpain Sprint Series is at Zandvoort.
World Superbike is at Portimão.
V8 Supercars are on the streets of Townsville.
