Six weeks ago, I started my thought process on the 2014 IndyCar schedule about what tracks will remain, what tracks will be added, what dates will be used, etc. Now we are getting closer and closer to schedule being released and according to Marshall Pruett, it may be ready in a months time, a record setting pace for IndyCar.
I've held firm on the one thing the 2014 schedule should be: A mirror image of 2013. IndyCar has struggled to retain every race from year to year, whether it be the IRL, ChampCar or the unified IndyCar that we have known and loved since 2008. Races have come and gone and they have left at a too frequent of a pace.
There are sixteen different tracks on the 2013 IndyCar schedule. There are twelve tracks that have hosted an IndyCar race since reunification that currently aren't on the schedule. Think about that. Since 2008, IndyCar has lost twelve races. You could make your own schedule with the tracks IndyCar has left since reunification and it wouldn't be a bad schedule.
You have nine ovals that have fallen by the waste side, six of them mile and a half ovals and I know many aren't a fan of them nor the pack racing they produced but with the change in the aero package they could return to the schedule and be much safer for the drivers and the fans in the stands and not all mile and a half tracks produced terrible racing. Motegi was pretty good because of the egg shape to the track and Kentucky is lower banked then most mile and a half tracks so the cars weren't carrying as high of speeds in the packs. Other ovals include Richmond and New Hampshire, one that produced really good racing and the other had a decent race in it's first IndyCar race in over a decade, only to not be renewed for a second year. And then there is Nashville. The one and a third mile concrete oval that took forever to rubber in and was one groove until about the end of the cool down lap after the checkered flag had be shown.
One road course, one temporary circuit and a street circuit are the twisty bits that have been lost. Watkins Glen produced good racing but they could never get the date right. Edmonton was alright but the city had different plans for the airport that was used to host the race and then there is Surfers Paradise. What can you say bad about Surfers? I am glad V8 SuperCars still use the track, though slightly reconfigured and it's a shame it's gone.
Moving on. The sixteen tracks on the 2013 schedule should be on the 2014 schedule. No more picking up events to cancel out the ones that were lost. Addition. That's what is needed. They need the schedule changes from 2013 to 2014 column to be in the green, not red. However, IndyCar might already be a race down. São Paulo appears to be on the chopping block according to reports from Brazil. If so, it's a good race and a tough market to lose and IndyCar is already down 1-0.
If there is any bright side two tracks, Road America and Circuit of the Americas in Austin have at least had discussions about IndyCar races being added to their respective schedules. But we have been talking about Road America returning to the IndyCar schedule for years now and have come no closer. Austin would likely be in the early part of the year, probably the first weekend in March where the Grand-Am weekend was this year but the main hurdle is keeping Texas Motor Speedway president Eddie Gossage happy and he's already unsatisfied Houston has a race four months after his. If IndyCar could add both, and keep Texas, they'd be up 2-1.
Road America brings it's own problems though. Milwaukee's future is uncertain (shocking right?) and a race at Road America, or even going back to Chicagoland Speedway could jeopardize, if not completely kill the Milwaukee Mile hosting IndyCar once and for all. Curt Cavin tweeted that Chicago has a "decent" shot of making the 2014 schedule. Could Chicago and Milwaukee coexist? They did for five seasons but it appears any new race in Chicago or Wisconsin kicks Milwaukee to the curb and going back to the 1-0 scoreline with São Paulo, IndyCar would still be down 2-1, unless Austin is added in which it is level at two all.
Then there is Fort Lauderdale. It's been quiet on the possibility of the street race in south Florida but Marshall Pruett wrote the possible race is not completely dead and Andretti Sports Marketing is still trying to get the race off the ground. However, the race might have to wait until 2015 unless funding is found in quick order for 2014. But assuming that race takes place in the wide open month of September IndyCar has cut themselves, they might have some more time. If it get's added, as does Road America or Chicago and Austin and IndyCar loses unfortunately São Paulo and Milwaukee, IndyCar would take a 3-2 lead on races added.
With all these road and street courses being added, you have to believe there are a few people cringing that more ovals aren't being added. As of today, there are no serious talks with ovals. We hear rumors about Phoenix but we don't see or hear anything to believe it's any closer to happening. Everyone would love to see Michigan added but nothing. Same with Kentucky, Richmond, New Hampshire and any other oval. I think IndyCar needs a few more ovals. If nine to ten ovals could get on the schedule, it would be a positive for the series. They already have (if everything holds at even par) six ovals, so the series is only three away from being at a good position with oval races.
Then there are doubleheaders. What once appeared to be a one-and-done year, doubleheaders now appear to not only to return to the 2014 schedule but expand to other places. Belle Isle and Toronto were a success and I can only imagine Houston will be the same. Green Savoree Racing Promotions had a successful weekend at Toronto and seeing how they promote St. Petersburg and own Mid-Own Sports Car Course, who's to say we won't see another doubleheader or two in 2014?
A problem with doubleheaders is once you give them to the fans, you can't take them back. What fan who bought a ticket to see two IndyCar races at Belle Isle is going to pay around the same amount to see one? Another problem is, if you expand and have doubleheaders at every race except the triple crown races and Long Beach because they draw a better Sunday crowd than most places do for three days, all of a sudden the IndyCar schedule will have twenty-eight races. Not that that's a bad thing but there is no way the teams could do that schedule on five engines, they can barely do nineteen on five engines, it would be much more wear and tear and costs would increase. But more races because of doubleheaders could mean more revenue for the series, more revenue for the networks and said revenue would take care of the costs and could make IndyCar more appealing to sponsors, bringing even more money in. The ladder is the ideal scenario but before more doubleheaders are added and proven successful, you can't start spending money you don't have.
Another problem with doubleheaders is they have only been gear to street races. Some, including James Hinchcliffe, want to know why have a doubleheader at Toronto and not Iowa? He has a good point and doubleheaders could expand to oval races as well but will we see that happen? No oval has expressed interest in doing a doubleheader. The Firestone Twin 225's weren't necessarily doubleheaders as they were two halves of a race with half points awarded at the end of each but other than that one attempt in 2011, there has been no public interest expressed by a track to host an IndyCar doubleheader.
If anything, IndyCar should look to V8 Supercars as inspiration for running doubleheaders. The V8 Supercars only have fourteen race weekends, two less than IndyCar, but run doubleheaders, triple headers and even quadruple headers. In fourteen race weekends they run thirty-eight races. THAT'S TWO MORE THAN NASCAR SPRINT CUP! Some how they have made it work. Granted their format is different. For example, at Austin and Pukekohe Park Raceway in New Zealand they ran quadruple headers but ran four, 100 km races. For Townsville they ran a doubleheader and two, 200 km races. A fortnight ago when they raced at Queensland Raceway they ran a triple header, with a 120 km race on Saturday and two 100 km races on Sunday.
What we know: Indianapolis, Pocono, Long Beach, Belle Isle, Barber, Toronto, Houston, Baltimore, St. Petersburg and São Paulo all have contracts but, as we know, São Paulo is on the fence and looks to be leaning to the wrong side. It seems likely Mid-Ohio, Iowa, Texas, Sonoma and Fontana will return but you have to keep an eye out for Texas because God forbid Austin ends up on the schedule and Eddie Gossage decides to take his ball and go home and Fontana because even though the race drew close to thirty thousand last year, after drawing less than ten thousand the last time IndyCar was at the track, it's on the fence until further notice.
Indianapolis will be May 25th. Long Beach is promoting the 2014 race as April 13th. Pocono has a contract for the Sunday of 4th of July weekend, so expect that race to be July 6th next year. Should the schedule hold serve in 2014, it would like something like this:
St. Petersburg: March 23rd. Barber: April 6th. Long Beach: April 13th. São Paulo: May 4th*. Indianapolis: May 25th. Belle Isle: May 31-June 1st. Texas: June 7th. Milwaukee: June 14th**. Iowa: June 22nd***. Pocono: July 6th. Toronto: July 12-13th****. Mid-Ohio: August 3rd. Sonoma: August 24th. Baltimore: August 31st*****. Houston: October 4-5th. Fontana: October 18th.
As you can see, a few events are followed by asterisks for the following reasons:
*- If São Paulo happens.
**- If Milwaukee happens and, if IndyCar were to do a weeknight race, say the Wednesday or Thursday night after the MLB All-Star Game, Milwaukee would be a leading candidate. It would actually make a nice doubleheader with the ARCA Midwest Tour race, which drew the likes of Kyle Busch, Matt Kenseth, Johnny Sauter, Joe Nemechek and David Ragan to name a few. But when has IndyCar ever taken initiative and gone outside the box on scheduling?
***- Same as Milwaukee, Iowa would be a leading candidate for a weeknight race. However, Iowa's schedule with a NASCAR national touring division race each month from June through September has diluted the racing market and make it tough for any movement of race dates. Things have to change at Iowa.
****- Toronto would be the same weekend as the World Cup Final, which drew 15,545,000 viewers on ABC in 2010 and another 8,821,000 viewers of the Spanish broadcast. IndyCar would have to be absolutely stupid to schedule a race against the World Cup Final. Not to forget to mention the 2010 rating was up six percent from 2006 and I only expect it to go up in 2014. But, as I said prior, the race should only happen on July 13 if it's lead-in programming to the World Cup Final broadcast and the Toronto paddock should host a World Cup viewing party after the race to try and draw more spectators.
*****- Baltimore will not be Labor Day weekend. Ohio State and Navy will play a college football game that weekend and that game has been scheduled since 2010. But the grand prix should take place and they are looking at dates in August.
So taking that into account, here is a modified schedule.
St. Petersburg: March 23rd. Barber: April 6th. Long Beach: April 13th. São Paulo: May 4th. Indianapolis: May 25th. Belle Isle: May 31-June 1st. Texas: June 7th. Milwaukee: June 14th. Iowa: June 22nd. Pocono: July 6th. Toronto: July 12-13th. Mid-Ohio: August 3rd. Baltimore: August 17th. Sonoma: August 24th. Houston: October 4-5th. Fontana: October 18th.
Moving the Baltimore date increases the massive gap that is September on the IndyCar schedule. Mark Miles has expressed interest in ending the season by Labor Day but I just can't see that happening next year. Could a race move to fill the September void? Maybe but it could also be an option if a new race jumps on the schedule. Road America has talked about going in September. Michigan was interested in a September date when China fell off the schedule last year and Fort Lauderdale would be a likely candidate for a September date, should all ends get tied for 2014.
The other changes could be getting a race on NASCAR's July off-weekend. Chicagoland has hosted a Nationwide Series race that weekend the past two years with crowds that haven't been much, if any better, than the final few IndyCar races there. Could that be the possible landing spot for Chicagoland on the IndyCar schedule? I don't know. If São Paulo doesn't return, it opens the door for a Phoenix race either the weekend of April 26-27th or May 3-4th. The second NASCAR race at Phoenix was originally held in April before moving to after the Daytona 500 in late-February/early-March.
The possibility of Austin is interesting. The X Games will be held at Circuit of the Americas May 15-18th, the same weekend the V8 Supercars race was held at the track. Unless V8 Supercars are going to run with the X Games, I see them moving to another date and probably earlier in the year. Sports car unification opens up a date on the calendar. Grand-Am raced at Austin March 2nd this year. ALMS is going as an undercard to the FIA World Endurance Championship race September 21st. I would think USCR would race with WEC and would open the date in March. V8 Supercars have four years remaining on their contract. Could V8 Supercars partner with IndyCar in March? It seems like a great idea but nothing between IndyCar and Austin has been confirmed. Of course, V8 Supercars have their own schedule to work out before we can even consider Austin being in March. The opening round in Adelaide was held the same weekend as the Grand-Am race at Austin this year.
That covers almost all the bases for the 2014 IndyCar schedule. This next month is sure to be interesting.
Covering All Motorsports. From Indianapolis to Le Mans, Daytona to Monaco.
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
If IMS Wants to Spice Up The Month of May...
Since Mark Miles has taken charge of Hulman & Co. and IndyCar, the talk of increasing the use of the facility at 16th and Georgetown has been up and an IndyCar race on the road course to kick off the month of May has been right at the top of the list. Fans are split. Some want it, some don't. Some want to preserve history, others think tradition has been got for quite sometime.
I, for one, have been against an IndyCar race on the road course. I have tweeted out on multiple occasions that in four Indy Lights races on the IMS road course, there was one total lead change. One lead change in four races. How great could a race on the IMS road course be knowing that stat? Not to mention the sickening site of Indianapolis Motor Speedway with a crowd worse than Carb Day for a road course race. In all honesty, the race might be good. The DW12 chassis has produced good racing at Barber, São Paulo and even Belle Isle. So the DW12 might be able to produce a respectable race on the IMS road course but it's so wrong and it's not so wrong to the point it feels right. It's wrong.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway wants to generate more revenue and to be honest, I'd rather see the Speedway install solar panels over all the grandstands and then use the energy they would generate over all 365 days of the years to power the Speedway and sell it to the houses, schools and businesses in the local area. That's seems like a progressive thing for the Speedway to do by giving back to the local community, especially after receiving $100 million of the tax payer's money.
I rather see the Speedway put a hockey rink on the yard of bricks and try to bring the NHL Winter Classic to the Speedway on New Year's Day (tougher part is what teams would play because Indiana doesn't have an NHL team. Neutral site for Blackhawks-Red Wings? Or Blackhawks-Blue Jackets?) and use it for Notre Dame hockey games as well and then have the rink up for another month or two and allow it to be used for public ice skating on weekends and nights.
I rather see the Speedway put a stage and amphitheater in turn one for musical concerts (seeing how many think MotoGP won't return, sadly), with temporary seats in what was once the snake pit and the E stand and E penthouse also being incorporated as seating for the amphitheater.
Or, I rather the Speedway use the grass in turn one and put a soccer pitch down and bring in international soccer clubs to play friendlies in the summer and maybe use it for a match or two for the new North American Soccer League team based in Indianapolis, Indy Eleven.
I rather see the Speedway bring the Brickyard Crossing golf course up to snuff to host an annual PGA or LPGA tournament, it once held a Champions Tour event, and be up to snuff to host the U.S. Open, PGA Championships and/or Ryder Cup every now and then.
I rather see Indianapolis Motor Speedway increase their ability to hosting everything but more racing. The Speedway doesn't need more racing to generate revenue. Their problem is they need more revenue from everything but racing.
But, instead of adding an IndyCar race to the IMS road course at the beginning of May, why not move the Brickyard 400 to the first weekend in May. And bring the sports cars as well. Before I get my head bitten off, hear me out.
It gets the NASCAR race out of the heat of the summer. It adds something to the month of May.
It would increase the possibility of more drivers attempting the double. And hear me out on this. The Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday before the Brickyard weekend, have IndyCar testing and allow NASCAR drivers to come and take their rookie orientation and vice versa. Having NASCAR testing and allow IndyCar drivers to get behind the wheel of a stock car. Why limit the double to only NASCAR drivers? Split those three days for IndyCar testing in the morning and NASCAR in the afternoon. Then after the NASCAR weekend, more IndyCar testing with rookie orientation on Monday and Tuesday before the track opens for the Indianapolis 500 practice the following Sunday.
Have a ticket package so fans can buy a ticket good enough for both the Brickyard weekend and the Indianapolis 500. Make the bronze badges good for Brickyard weekend as well. If they Speedway wants to add racing to the Month of May, the NASCAR race, as boring as it may be and as much against tradition as it may be, might be the best option for both parties. Racing is struggling to draw television viewers and get people in the grandstands.
It's time that the racing series in the United States worked together. Trying to out spend, out built, out draw and out talk one another into extinction has got to stop. If the month of May could turn into a feature of all forms of motorsport, NASCAR, Le Mans Prototypes, Daytona Prototype, the DeltaWing, GT, Indy Lights and IndyCar, that would be a great step in the right direction.
I, for one, have been against an IndyCar race on the road course. I have tweeted out on multiple occasions that in four Indy Lights races on the IMS road course, there was one total lead change. One lead change in four races. How great could a race on the IMS road course be knowing that stat? Not to mention the sickening site of Indianapolis Motor Speedway with a crowd worse than Carb Day for a road course race. In all honesty, the race might be good. The DW12 chassis has produced good racing at Barber, São Paulo and even Belle Isle. So the DW12 might be able to produce a respectable race on the IMS road course but it's so wrong and it's not so wrong to the point it feels right. It's wrong.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway wants to generate more revenue and to be honest, I'd rather see the Speedway install solar panels over all the grandstands and then use the energy they would generate over all 365 days of the years to power the Speedway and sell it to the houses, schools and businesses in the local area. That's seems like a progressive thing for the Speedway to do by giving back to the local community, especially after receiving $100 million of the tax payer's money.
I rather see the Speedway put a hockey rink on the yard of bricks and try to bring the NHL Winter Classic to the Speedway on New Year's Day (tougher part is what teams would play because Indiana doesn't have an NHL team. Neutral site for Blackhawks-Red Wings? Or Blackhawks-Blue Jackets?) and use it for Notre Dame hockey games as well and then have the rink up for another month or two and allow it to be used for public ice skating on weekends and nights.
I rather see the Speedway put a stage and amphitheater in turn one for musical concerts (seeing how many think MotoGP won't return, sadly), with temporary seats in what was once the snake pit and the E stand and E penthouse also being incorporated as seating for the amphitheater.
Or, I rather the Speedway use the grass in turn one and put a soccer pitch down and bring in international soccer clubs to play friendlies in the summer and maybe use it for a match or two for the new North American Soccer League team based in Indianapolis, Indy Eleven.
I rather see the Speedway bring the Brickyard Crossing golf course up to snuff to host an annual PGA or LPGA tournament, it once held a Champions Tour event, and be up to snuff to host the U.S. Open, PGA Championships and/or Ryder Cup every now and then.
I rather see Indianapolis Motor Speedway increase their ability to hosting everything but more racing. The Speedway doesn't need more racing to generate revenue. Their problem is they need more revenue from everything but racing.
But, instead of adding an IndyCar race to the IMS road course at the beginning of May, why not move the Brickyard 400 to the first weekend in May. And bring the sports cars as well. Before I get my head bitten off, hear me out.
It gets the NASCAR race out of the heat of the summer. It adds something to the month of May.
It would increase the possibility of more drivers attempting the double. And hear me out on this. The Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday before the Brickyard weekend, have IndyCar testing and allow NASCAR drivers to come and take their rookie orientation and vice versa. Having NASCAR testing and allow IndyCar drivers to get behind the wheel of a stock car. Why limit the double to only NASCAR drivers? Split those three days for IndyCar testing in the morning and NASCAR in the afternoon. Then after the NASCAR weekend, more IndyCar testing with rookie orientation on Monday and Tuesday before the track opens for the Indianapolis 500 practice the following Sunday.
Have a ticket package so fans can buy a ticket good enough for both the Brickyard weekend and the Indianapolis 500. Make the bronze badges good for Brickyard weekend as well. If they Speedway wants to add racing to the Month of May, the NASCAR race, as boring as it may be and as much against tradition as it may be, might be the best option for both parties. Racing is struggling to draw television viewers and get people in the grandstands.
It's time that the racing series in the United States worked together. Trying to out spend, out built, out draw and out talk one another into extinction has got to stop. If the month of May could turn into a feature of all forms of motorsport, NASCAR, Le Mans Prototypes, Daytona Prototype, the DeltaWing, GT, Indy Lights and IndyCar, that would be a great step in the right direction.
Monday, August 12, 2013
Ten Thoughts From The Racing Weekend
NASCAR at Watkins Glen, sports cars at Road America, another weekend off for IndyCar, the final episodes for Speed Center and Wind Tunnel. That sums up this past weekend but there are a few more items to get to.
First, happy 80th birthday to the 1963 Indianapolis 500 winner Parnelli Jones.
Second, I really do enjoy NASCAR on road courses. The down side is there is a good chance of their being a caution every twelve laps. I still don't understand and disagree with closing the pits, regardless of it being an oval or road course, especially with electric timing an scoring. Closing the pits is part of the problem why cautions last so long. Think about it this way, caution comes on, pits close. They do one lap with the pits closed, pits opens on the second lap, third lap they make sure the running order is correct, fourth lap they line up and go green. The way it's set up is for a minimum of four laps and that's if their isn't a large clean up. If they just left the pits open, everyone would come in, by the end of the first caution lap, mostly everyone would have service done, beginning of second caution lap the last few cars get service and the field can line up to go green with those final cars getting lined up at the back of the line. It seems simple enough to me.
Third, last night was the final episodes of Speed Center and Wind Tunnel. It was sentimental as I watched two shows I grew up with for over ten years say goodbye. I will miss Dave Despain. I will miss racing series of all disciplines from around the globe getting a place where they could get some of the same spot light NASCAR, IndyCar and Formula One got. Racing needs a show. I've been thinking this for a while but if NBCSN wants to compete with ESPN and now Fox Sports 1, they need daily shows dedicated to different sports. It's absurd to think NBCSN will show both the English Premier League and Major League Soccer but won't have a daily soccer show and ESPN and FS1 will. Hockey should have a daily presence as well. In my opinion, Tuesday through Friday NBCSN should have a soccer and hockey show on at 3:00 p.m. ET and 4:00 p.m. ET with on Wednesday the soccer show being at 2:00 p.m. and a weekly racing show covering everything at 3:00 p.m. That's just my opinion.
Also, if I am IndyCar, I try to budge the network to show a Friday IndyCar practice either followed by or preceded by an IndyCar talk show from the track from 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. So either the talk show is 1:30 to 2:00 with practice 2:00 to 3:00 or practice 1:30 to 2:30 with the talk show closing out the broadcast. NBCSN needs more live content and I don't think it would hurt to show a live practice on Friday afternoon. I'm wouldn't ask for every practice be shown live, heck I am fine with qualifying shown taped but showing a practice where things are calmer than a qualifying session and allowing the guys in the booth to calmly talk about the series, the same way it is done for Formula One Friday practice, would be beneficial to IndyCar, IndyCar sponsors would get more air time on television and I think it could draw more viewers than what is shown currently at 2:00 p.m. on a Friday.
It's likely not going to happen but if I am IndyCar, I got to try and budge the network into doing it because the way I look at it, Formula One gets a practice shown live and when NASCAR returns to NBC in a few years they will probably have at least one practice session shown live. IndyCar has got to look and see if NBCSN can throw them a bone every now and then.
Fourth, I'd like to see NASCAR run the boot section of Watkins Glen one year. I am not sure it would make for a better race but I'd like to see NASCAR try it.
Fifth, can someone explain to me why Penske Racing would allow Sam Hornish, Jr. to finish second in Nationwide races to his teammates who are ineligible for the championship? Brad Keselowski won at Watkins Glen this weekend with Hornish finishing second and it's the third time Hornish has finished second to Keselowski or Joey Logano this year. Hornish is three points behind Austin Dillon in the Nationwide standings. If Hornish had won those three races he finished second in, he'd be up six points on Dillon. It makes no sense to me and yes I understand the #22 Discount Tires Ford is in the hunt for the owner's championship but if the #22 doesn't win the owner's championship and Hornish loses the Nationwide title by single digits, what does that accomplish? I understand Cup guys run Nationwide races to please sponsors, help sell tickets and draw viewers to the television but in Penske Racing's case, Hornish should be the number one guy on that team, not the slew of drivers who jump in and out of the #22.
I think back to the 2008 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season. Ron Hornaday finished second to his teammate Ryan Newman in a one-off at the fall race at Atlanta. Hornaday could have scored fifteen more points had he won over Newman. At Homestead, Hornaday lost the title by seven points to Johnny Benson. I hope Penske Racing doesn't repeat the same mistakes Kevin Harvick Incorporated did five years ago.
I know team orders aren't a thing in NASCAR but you have a guy who can't win that series championship taking away points from his teammate who can win the championship. If anything, the #22 should be running block for Hornish.
Sixth, how about a NASCAR endurance race on a road course with co-drivers? Now, I propose this for the Nationwide Series race and not the Cup race so I don't freak everyone out. How about, at Watkins Glen, a four hour Nationwide race where a driver cannot do any more than ninety minutes in one stint? You could see Cup regulars and Nationwide regulars teaming up, sports car guys brought in, maybe even two sports car drivers teaming up. I think it would be fun to try. Kind of like the V8 SuperCar events.
Seventh, I did not see Brandon Hartley and Scott Mayer, the man who failed Indianapolis 500 rookie orientation twice winning the Rolex Sports Car Series race at Road America but they did. It's going to be a good battle for the Daytona Prototype championship between Starworks, Gainsco, Action Express, Wayne Taylor Racing and Ganassi. I don't expect Kansas Speedway to be a great race next week and to be honest, I'll be a little disappointed if that ends up on the 2014 USCR calendar over places such as Mosport, Mid-Ohio, Barber, Lime Rock and Long Beach.
Eighth, Pickett Racing won another ALMS race as they approach Audi R8 dominance territory but the DeltaWing finally finished a race on the lead lap this year. It has been a tough year but Andy Meyrick and Katherine Legge did a really good job yesterday. Congratulations to SRT Viper as they picked up their first GT win since returning to ALMS with Dominik Farnbacher and Marc Goossens. Congratulations to Simon Pagenaud winning in place of the injured Ryan Briscoe in LMP2.
Nine, next year for United SportsCar Racing is going to be really interesting. The Road America doubleheader was a great litmus test. The LMP2 pole time from Level 5 Motorsports was 5.222 seconds faster than the Daytona Prototype pole sitting BMW/Riley from Team Sahlen and they are going to be in the same class next year. It's also going to be fun to try and explain to my father (who knows nothing about racing) why the GTLM Ferrari 458 Italia is 6.272 seconds faster than the GTD Ferrari 458 Italia, though they look alike. Trust me, I have been trying to explain the difference between the two GT classes in ALMS and Grand-Am for years and he still doesn't get it.
Ten, Matthew Brabham (the American Wallaby as I have nicknamed him) won the Pro Mazda championship this weekend at Trois-Rivières with one round to spare. He's with Andretti Autosport, I expect they'll just plop him to one their Lights cars next year. Heck, why not plop him into a car for Houston and Fontana? After seeing how good he was in Pro Mazda, I wouldn't rule him out for the win if he was in the Lights field for Houston. Though the grid size isn't massive, there are some pretty talented drivers in the ladder system. Diego Ferreira has been impressive. Spencer Pigot and Scott Anderson can hold their own. I'd even like to see Shelby Blackstock get a shot in Indy Lights. In U.S. F2000, a dozen drivers have shown potential. Scott Hargrove, Neil Alberico and Garrett Grist all appear ready for Pro Mazda next year. Danilo Estrela, Florian Latorre, Wyatt Gooden. Henrik Furuseth and Peter Portante all have promise and a bunch of other young guys should improve with another year in U.S. F2000.
It's important though that we realize it is unrealistic to expect every driver to move a step up each year. What Tristan Vautier did winning then Star Mazda and Lights back-to-back years to get to IndyCar and what Brabham has done winning U.S. F2000 and now Pro Mazda back-to-back years to land in Indy Lights won't happen for everyone. Just because one driver stays an extra year in U.S. F2000 or Pro Mazda or Indy Lights doesn't mean they don't have what it takes to make it to IndyCar. Some need a little extra time and there is nothing wrong with that.
Lots of interesting racing coming up this weekend. MotoGP returns to Indianapolis, NASCAR at Michigan, Nationwide Series at Mid-Ohio and Grand-Am at Kansas and I bet there will be plenty of news that arises over the course of this week.
First, happy 80th birthday to the 1963 Indianapolis 500 winner Parnelli Jones.
Second, I really do enjoy NASCAR on road courses. The down side is there is a good chance of their being a caution every twelve laps. I still don't understand and disagree with closing the pits, regardless of it being an oval or road course, especially with electric timing an scoring. Closing the pits is part of the problem why cautions last so long. Think about it this way, caution comes on, pits close. They do one lap with the pits closed, pits opens on the second lap, third lap they make sure the running order is correct, fourth lap they line up and go green. The way it's set up is for a minimum of four laps and that's if their isn't a large clean up. If they just left the pits open, everyone would come in, by the end of the first caution lap, mostly everyone would have service done, beginning of second caution lap the last few cars get service and the field can line up to go green with those final cars getting lined up at the back of the line. It seems simple enough to me.
Third, last night was the final episodes of Speed Center and Wind Tunnel. It was sentimental as I watched two shows I grew up with for over ten years say goodbye. I will miss Dave Despain. I will miss racing series of all disciplines from around the globe getting a place where they could get some of the same spot light NASCAR, IndyCar and Formula One got. Racing needs a show. I've been thinking this for a while but if NBCSN wants to compete with ESPN and now Fox Sports 1, they need daily shows dedicated to different sports. It's absurd to think NBCSN will show both the English Premier League and Major League Soccer but won't have a daily soccer show and ESPN and FS1 will. Hockey should have a daily presence as well. In my opinion, Tuesday through Friday NBCSN should have a soccer and hockey show on at 3:00 p.m. ET and 4:00 p.m. ET with on Wednesday the soccer show being at 2:00 p.m. and a weekly racing show covering everything at 3:00 p.m. That's just my opinion.
Also, if I am IndyCar, I try to budge the network to show a Friday IndyCar practice either followed by or preceded by an IndyCar talk show from the track from 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. So either the talk show is 1:30 to 2:00 with practice 2:00 to 3:00 or practice 1:30 to 2:30 with the talk show closing out the broadcast. NBCSN needs more live content and I don't think it would hurt to show a live practice on Friday afternoon. I'm wouldn't ask for every practice be shown live, heck I am fine with qualifying shown taped but showing a practice where things are calmer than a qualifying session and allowing the guys in the booth to calmly talk about the series, the same way it is done for Formula One Friday practice, would be beneficial to IndyCar, IndyCar sponsors would get more air time on television and I think it could draw more viewers than what is shown currently at 2:00 p.m. on a Friday.
It's likely not going to happen but if I am IndyCar, I got to try and budge the network into doing it because the way I look at it, Formula One gets a practice shown live and when NASCAR returns to NBC in a few years they will probably have at least one practice session shown live. IndyCar has got to look and see if NBCSN can throw them a bone every now and then.
Fourth, I'd like to see NASCAR run the boot section of Watkins Glen one year. I am not sure it would make for a better race but I'd like to see NASCAR try it.
Fifth, can someone explain to me why Penske Racing would allow Sam Hornish, Jr. to finish second in Nationwide races to his teammates who are ineligible for the championship? Brad Keselowski won at Watkins Glen this weekend with Hornish finishing second and it's the third time Hornish has finished second to Keselowski or Joey Logano this year. Hornish is three points behind Austin Dillon in the Nationwide standings. If Hornish had won those three races he finished second in, he'd be up six points on Dillon. It makes no sense to me and yes I understand the #22 Discount Tires Ford is in the hunt for the owner's championship but if the #22 doesn't win the owner's championship and Hornish loses the Nationwide title by single digits, what does that accomplish? I understand Cup guys run Nationwide races to please sponsors, help sell tickets and draw viewers to the television but in Penske Racing's case, Hornish should be the number one guy on that team, not the slew of drivers who jump in and out of the #22.
I think back to the 2008 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season. Ron Hornaday finished second to his teammate Ryan Newman in a one-off at the fall race at Atlanta. Hornaday could have scored fifteen more points had he won over Newman. At Homestead, Hornaday lost the title by seven points to Johnny Benson. I hope Penske Racing doesn't repeat the same mistakes Kevin Harvick Incorporated did five years ago.
I know team orders aren't a thing in NASCAR but you have a guy who can't win that series championship taking away points from his teammate who can win the championship. If anything, the #22 should be running block for Hornish.
Sixth, how about a NASCAR endurance race on a road course with co-drivers? Now, I propose this for the Nationwide Series race and not the Cup race so I don't freak everyone out. How about, at Watkins Glen, a four hour Nationwide race where a driver cannot do any more than ninety minutes in one stint? You could see Cup regulars and Nationwide regulars teaming up, sports car guys brought in, maybe even two sports car drivers teaming up. I think it would be fun to try. Kind of like the V8 SuperCar events.
Seventh, I did not see Brandon Hartley and Scott Mayer, the man who failed Indianapolis 500 rookie orientation twice winning the Rolex Sports Car Series race at Road America but they did. It's going to be a good battle for the Daytona Prototype championship between Starworks, Gainsco, Action Express, Wayne Taylor Racing and Ganassi. I don't expect Kansas Speedway to be a great race next week and to be honest, I'll be a little disappointed if that ends up on the 2014 USCR calendar over places such as Mosport, Mid-Ohio, Barber, Lime Rock and Long Beach.
Eighth, Pickett Racing won another ALMS race as they approach Audi R8 dominance territory but the DeltaWing finally finished a race on the lead lap this year. It has been a tough year but Andy Meyrick and Katherine Legge did a really good job yesterday. Congratulations to SRT Viper as they picked up their first GT win since returning to ALMS with Dominik Farnbacher and Marc Goossens. Congratulations to Simon Pagenaud winning in place of the injured Ryan Briscoe in LMP2.
Nine, next year for United SportsCar Racing is going to be really interesting. The Road America doubleheader was a great litmus test. The LMP2 pole time from Level 5 Motorsports was 5.222 seconds faster than the Daytona Prototype pole sitting BMW/Riley from Team Sahlen and they are going to be in the same class next year. It's also going to be fun to try and explain to my father (who knows nothing about racing) why the GTLM Ferrari 458 Italia is 6.272 seconds faster than the GTD Ferrari 458 Italia, though they look alike. Trust me, I have been trying to explain the difference between the two GT classes in ALMS and Grand-Am for years and he still doesn't get it.
Ten, Matthew Brabham (the American Wallaby as I have nicknamed him) won the Pro Mazda championship this weekend at Trois-Rivières with one round to spare. He's with Andretti Autosport, I expect they'll just plop him to one their Lights cars next year. Heck, why not plop him into a car for Houston and Fontana? After seeing how good he was in Pro Mazda, I wouldn't rule him out for the win if he was in the Lights field for Houston. Though the grid size isn't massive, there are some pretty talented drivers in the ladder system. Diego Ferreira has been impressive. Spencer Pigot and Scott Anderson can hold their own. I'd even like to see Shelby Blackstock get a shot in Indy Lights. In U.S. F2000, a dozen drivers have shown potential. Scott Hargrove, Neil Alberico and Garrett Grist all appear ready for Pro Mazda next year. Danilo Estrela, Florian Latorre, Wyatt Gooden. Henrik Furuseth and Peter Portante all have promise and a bunch of other young guys should improve with another year in U.S. F2000.
It's important though that we realize it is unrealistic to expect every driver to move a step up each year. What Tristan Vautier did winning then Star Mazda and Lights back-to-back years to get to IndyCar and what Brabham has done winning U.S. F2000 and now Pro Mazda back-to-back years to land in Indy Lights won't happen for everyone. Just because one driver stays an extra year in U.S. F2000 or Pro Mazda or Indy Lights doesn't mean they don't have what it takes to make it to IndyCar. Some need a little extra time and there is nothing wrong with that.
Lots of interesting racing coming up this weekend. MotoGP returns to Indianapolis, NASCAR at Michigan, Nationwide Series at Mid-Ohio and Grand-Am at Kansas and I bet there will be plenty of news that arises over the course of this week.
Sunday, August 11, 2013
Matthew Brabham wins Pro Mazda Championship
After completing two grand chelems at Trois-Rivières, American-Australian, the American Wallaby if you will, Matthew Brabham has won the Pro Mazda championship in his first season in the series, duplicating his U.S. F2000 championship efforts of last year. Brabham picked up his tenth and eleventh victories this weekend in what has already been a record setting season for the Andretti Autosport driver. With the championship, Brabham is well on his way to the Indy Lights in 2014.
Second place today was Venezuelan Diego Ferreira, his sixth runner-up performance of the season, all to Brabham. Third place was Colombian Juan Piedrahita, his third podium of the season. Scott Anderson made a last lap pass on Spencer Pigot for fourth. Canadian Zach Meyer and Julia Ballario rounded out the cars to finish on the lead lap with expert class drivers Bobby Eberle and Jay Horak finishing eighth and ninth, one lap. Brit Lloyd Read finished tenth, sixteen laps down after being involved in a first lap accident that took out Shelby Blackstock, Stefan Rzadzinski and Kyle Kaiser.
Brabham has four hundred and one points, eighty clear of Ferreira in second. Despite the early accident, Blackstock remains third ahead of Pigot, Anderson, Kaiser and Meyer. Piedrahita jumped by Read for eighth in the championship standings. The final round of the Pro Mazda season will take place at the Grand Prix of Houston October 5th and 6th.
Saturday, August 10, 2013
Allmendinger in For Fontana, USCR to Fox, NASCAR at the Glen, IndyCar Drivers Racing, Road America
Great American road courses is the theme this weekend as Road America and Watkins Glen are playing host to two major racing weekends. But while there is racing to get to, there is some motorsports news to get to from Friday.
Allmendinger in For Fontana
AJ Allmendinger will make his IndyCar return at the season finale at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California on Ocotber 19th driving for Penske Racing. Allmendinger is racing at Watkins Glen this weekend in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race for JTG/Daugherty Racing where he was seventh and eighteenth fastest in the two respective practice sessions. Fontana will be Allmendinger's sixth IndyCar race of the season. He made his season debut at Barber, where he qualified and raced well before stalling in the pit lane dropped him to nineteenth. After a twenty-third at Long Beach, Allmendinger started fifth and finished seventh in his first Indianapolis 500, despite having to make a pit stop to adjust his seat belts, which had come undone on track. The following week at Belle Isle, Allmendinger had two first lap incidents end both his races at the doubleheader and left him with an injured wrist. Since that time, Allmendinger has gone on to win the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Road America driving for Penske, will compete in next week's Nationwide race at Mid-Ohio and has picked up a few Cup races for Phoenix and JTG/Daugherty Racing.
USCR to Fox
United SportsCar Racing's debut season will be shown by Fox Sports Group on Fox Sports 1 and Fox Sports 2 after announcing a five year deal yesterday. USCR joins the three NASCAR national touring divisions, MotoGP and recently announced FIA Formula E starting in September 2014 as Fox Sports racing properties. Fox also has the rights to streaming USCR online as a part of the Fox Sports GO platform. The deal also includes the rights to Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge races. The first United SportsCar Racing event will be the 2014 24 Hours of Daytona next January.
NASCAR at the Glen
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and Nationwide Series are at Watkins Glen this weekend, the final road course event for the Cup Series this season. Practice on Friday was hampered by rain. In the first practice, Sonoma winner Martin Truex, Jr. and defending Watkins Glen winner Marcos Ambrose led the session with Carl Edwards third. 2010 Watkins Glen winner Juan Pablo Montoya was fourth with Casey Mears rounding out the top five. Kyle Busch was sixth with AJ Allmendinger seventh. Clint Bowyer, Brad Keselowski and Denny Hamlin rounded out the top ten.
In second practice, Edwards was fastest with 2004 Star Mazda Champion Michael McDowell second fastest. Clint Bowyer was third ahead of Montoya and Keselowski. Jimmie Johnson was sixth ahead of Kyle Busch and New Hampshire winner Brian Vickers. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. was ninth with Kurt Busch rounding out the top ten. Max Papis was twenty-seventh and thirtieth in the two practice sessions substituting for an injured Tony Stewart. Papis will be in the third qualifying group later today. Other notable drivers positions in qualifying groups include road course ringers Boris Said and Ron Fellows in group four, Jimmie Johnson in group five, Earnhardt, Jr., Kurt Busch, Jeff Gordon Greg Biffle and McDowell in group six, Kyle Busch, Allmendinger, Bowyer, Keselowski and Hamlin in group seven and Truex, Jr., Ambrose, Edwards, Montoya and Mears in the eighth and final group.
IndyCar Drivers Racing
Off weekend for IndyCar means their drivers get to drive behind the wheel of other machines this weekend. Simon Pagenaud will drive for Level 5 Motorsports in the American Le Mans Series race at Road America tomorrow. Pagenaud is filling in for the injured Ryan Briscoe, who is still recovering from a broken wrist suffered in the IndyCar race at Toronto one month ago. Sébastien Bourdais and Justin Wilson are also at Road America but they be driving for 8 Star Motorsports and Michael Shank Racing in the Rolex Sports Car Series race. Meanwhile, IndyCar championship points leader, Helio Castroneves is done in Ribeirão Preto, Brazil as he will be competing in Stock Car Brasil. Castroneves already had an accident in practice yesterday.
Road America
Both the Rolex SportsCar Series and American Le Mans Series are competing at Road America this weekend with the Rolex Sports Car Series racing today and ALMS tomorrow. Dane Cameron put the #42 Sahlen's BMW/Riley Daytona Prototype on pole position. Wayne Taylor Racing's pair of Max Angelelli and Jordan Taylor start second ahead of the Ganassi duo of Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas. Bourdais and Wilson start fourth and eighth respectively with DP points leaders Alex Popow and Ryan Dalziel starting seventh. Alessandro Balzan and Leh Keen are on GT pole with Sylvain Tremblay and Tom Long on GX pole. The Rolex Sports Car Series race can be seen later today on SPEED at 5:00 p.m. ET.
Klaus Graf and Lucas Luhr were fastest in ALMS second practice yesterday by nearly five seconds over the Extreme Speed Motorsports #02 HPD ARX-03b of Ed Brown and Johannes van Overbeek. Scott Tucker and Pagenaud were second quick in the LMP2 class ahead of Tucker, Marino Franchitti and 2013 24 Hours of Le Mans LMP2 class winner Ricardo González. Tony Burgess and Chris McMurry were second in LMP1 ahead of the DeltaWing of Andy Meyrick and Katherine Legge.
Dirk Müller and John Edwards was fastest in GT ahead of the two Vipers of Dominik Farnbacher and Marc Goossens and Jonathan Bomarito and Kuno Wittmer. The Corvette of Tommy Milner and Oliver Gavin was fourth with their teammates Jan Magnussen and Antonio García fifth. Colin Braun and Jonathan Bennett were fastest in PC with Henrique Cisneros and Sean Edwards fastest in GTC. ALMS from Road America can be seen at 3:00 p.m. ET tomorrow on ABC.
Friday, August 9, 2013
IndyCar Fans... Don't Grumble, Give A Whistle
IndyCar fans have to be the most negative fans of the lot. For them, everyday is a dark and rainy Wednesday that never ends. They are never happy with the tracks on the schedule, the engines in the cars, the drivers behind the wheel or anything else to do with the series. It's kind of depressing to follow the series but if you can get through that thick cloud of negativity, you will find a racing series that produces one of the best racing packages on the planet with a talented field of drivers and a diverse schedule that goes to some of the best parts of the Americas.
IndyCar fans will complain the cars are too slow and they need more horsepower. But they forget to mention that through twelve race weekends, the series has set new track records at four tracks (one-third of the tracks visited to date), two ovals (Iowa and Pocono), a road course (Barber) and a street circuit (São Paulo) and came within thousandths of a second of breaking the track record at Mid-Ohio last weekend, set by one of the power Reynards from the late 1990s that so many clamor for. Other tracks the series has been within an eye lash of breaking the track record include St. Petersburg (0.279 seconds off) and Long Beach (0.3519 off).
Surprisingly, this year IndyCar fans cannot complain about the lack of depth in the field. Fourteen races have seen nine different winners, four first time winners from seven different teams, three of which either picking up their first win ever or first win in over five years. Not to mention the grid is getting deeper round-to-round with sports car champion Lucas Luhr joining the grid for Sonoma, talented Italian Luca Filippi raced at Mid-Ohio and I would expect him to return for more rounds. Drivers from the ladder system such as Tristan Vautier, James Davison, Stefan Wilson and Carlos Muñoz have or will make their IndyCar debut this year with Vautier and Davison each racing in multiple steps of the defined Mazda Road to Indy ladder system on their path to IndyCar.
But despite these positives, some will point out that the four-lap average for the Indianapolis 500 pole position was only 228.762 MPH and the pole speed at Milwaukee was fifteen miles an hour off the track record set in 1998 by Patrick Carpentier. The fans will not be satisfied with the likes of Luhr and Filippi on the grid. They want more. I am not sure who they want to join the grid but a class winner at Le Mans who also has many sports car championships across a few different series is apparently not good enough for some and a talented driver who was at the top in GP2 but was not able to find the funding for Formula One is not good enough either. It's a two way street though. For all those who say Luhr and Filippi don't belong, there were just as many saying Bryan Clauson did not deserve a ride in the Indianapolis 500 last year and IndyCar wasted it's time on a USAC driver.
I disagree with all account. If anything IndyCar should be a place open to drivers from all backgrounds. It's unrealistic to believe a driver from American Le Mans or USAC that comes to IndyCar will all of a sudden bring an extra seventy thousand people to a racetrack on Sunday or two million people to NBCSN or ABC to watch but if a driver can put his foot down and hold his or her own, who is to say they don't belong? And whatever fans those drivers may bring to an IndyCar race, how few or many there may be, should be welcomed with open arms and respected.
There is a lot that IndyCar fans should be happy about. Sure, there aren't as many ovals on the schedule as desired and a few great road courses such as Road America, Watkins Glen, Austin and Laguna Seca aren't featured on the IndyCar schedule but the ovals currently on the schedule have not been a disappointment by any means (including Texas, though many complained this year, even though it was practically the same race we saw and everyone loved in 2012) and we have seen good races at street courses that haven't produce good racing in the past.
Things might not be as ideal as some desire but IndyCar has been anything but a disappointment this year. The teams and drivers are still as fan friendly and engaging as they have ever been. Leigh Diffey and Townsend Bell have been a great duo in the booth with whomever is put in the third commentator seat (Wally Dallenbach, David Hobbs, Steve Matchett or Ryan Briscoe) fitting in naturally and each adding their own perspective to the broadcast. With five races to go, IndyCar has had a great season and as it comes down the stretch, all signs to it not letting the fans down.
IndyCar fans, smile for once. It won't kill you.
IndyCar fans will complain the cars are too slow and they need more horsepower. But they forget to mention that through twelve race weekends, the series has set new track records at four tracks (one-third of the tracks visited to date), two ovals (Iowa and Pocono), a road course (Barber) and a street circuit (São Paulo) and came within thousandths of a second of breaking the track record at Mid-Ohio last weekend, set by one of the power Reynards from the late 1990s that so many clamor for. Other tracks the series has been within an eye lash of breaking the track record include St. Petersburg (0.279 seconds off) and Long Beach (0.3519 off).
Surprisingly, this year IndyCar fans cannot complain about the lack of depth in the field. Fourteen races have seen nine different winners, four first time winners from seven different teams, three of which either picking up their first win ever or first win in over five years. Not to mention the grid is getting deeper round-to-round with sports car champion Lucas Luhr joining the grid for Sonoma, talented Italian Luca Filippi raced at Mid-Ohio and I would expect him to return for more rounds. Drivers from the ladder system such as Tristan Vautier, James Davison, Stefan Wilson and Carlos Muñoz have or will make their IndyCar debut this year with Vautier and Davison each racing in multiple steps of the defined Mazda Road to Indy ladder system on their path to IndyCar.
But despite these positives, some will point out that the four-lap average for the Indianapolis 500 pole position was only 228.762 MPH and the pole speed at Milwaukee was fifteen miles an hour off the track record set in 1998 by Patrick Carpentier. The fans will not be satisfied with the likes of Luhr and Filippi on the grid. They want more. I am not sure who they want to join the grid but a class winner at Le Mans who also has many sports car championships across a few different series is apparently not good enough for some and a talented driver who was at the top in GP2 but was not able to find the funding for Formula One is not good enough either. It's a two way street though. For all those who say Luhr and Filippi don't belong, there were just as many saying Bryan Clauson did not deserve a ride in the Indianapolis 500 last year and IndyCar wasted it's time on a USAC driver.
I disagree with all account. If anything IndyCar should be a place open to drivers from all backgrounds. It's unrealistic to believe a driver from American Le Mans or USAC that comes to IndyCar will all of a sudden bring an extra seventy thousand people to a racetrack on Sunday or two million people to NBCSN or ABC to watch but if a driver can put his foot down and hold his or her own, who is to say they don't belong? And whatever fans those drivers may bring to an IndyCar race, how few or many there may be, should be welcomed with open arms and respected.
There is a lot that IndyCar fans should be happy about. Sure, there aren't as many ovals on the schedule as desired and a few great road courses such as Road America, Watkins Glen, Austin and Laguna Seca aren't featured on the IndyCar schedule but the ovals currently on the schedule have not been a disappointment by any means (including Texas, though many complained this year, even though it was practically the same race we saw and everyone loved in 2012) and we have seen good races at street courses that haven't produce good racing in the past.
Things might not be as ideal as some desire but IndyCar has been anything but a disappointment this year. The teams and drivers are still as fan friendly and engaging as they have ever been. Leigh Diffey and Townsend Bell have been a great duo in the booth with whomever is put in the third commentator seat (Wally Dallenbach, David Hobbs, Steve Matchett or Ryan Briscoe) fitting in naturally and each adding their own perspective to the broadcast. With five races to go, IndyCar has had a great season and as it comes down the stretch, all signs to it not letting the fans down.
IndyCar fans, smile for once. It won't kill you.
Thursday, August 8, 2013
Who Is To Judge The Risks That Are Taken?
For some time now, I have had this thought in my head for all those who want to get interested in racing: If you watch racing long enough and across many different disciplines you will watch someone die. Now, are you ok with that?
It seems like a dark, hollow thought but its true. Death will always be there in racing and if can't stomach watching wives become widows and parents burying their young, maybe you should find something else to follow.
Tony Stewart pushes the limits of life and death in a race car just as much, if not more because the vast array of cars he isn't afraid to jump in in a given week. From the high-banked mile and a half ovals that litter the NASCAR schedule to the dirt ovals found in small towns all across the midwest, there is and has always been a chance that the man who first completed the USAC Triple Crown will be their, helmet in hand ready to race. But when you show up, helmet in hand ready to race, regardless of it's a NASCAR Sprint Cup car or a 360 winged-sprint, a driver is going face-to-face with the risks that come with racing. Monday night, Tony Stewart suffered a broken leg in an accident in a 360 winged-sprint car at Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa, Iowa. And now, all fire and brimstone that is the media is raining down on the three-time NASCAR Cup Champion.
Now the hindsight question of whether Stewart should have been out racing or not fills the internet with every point of view from the great AJ Foyt supporting the racer that Stewart is to David Newton of ESPN who, depending on how you read it, is giving Stewart the motherly "I told you so" treatment. Foyt gives the carpe diem view that life could end at any moment and since we don't know what could happen, we should live life and what happens happens. Newton on the other hand believes Stewart should not have been taking the risk because of all he is in charge of a multi-million dollar NASCAR team that employs hundreds of people.
Racing and the men and women who compete in racing are risk takers. They never back down and never will. It's not just drivers, team owners have put themselves in harms way when they don't have to on multiple occasions.
Why wasn't Newton yelling at Jack Roush to stop flying airplanes when he crashed... twice, putting his life in danger both times? Doesn't he also run a multi-million dollar NASCAR that employs hundreds of people? What's the difference from Stewart? Or why doesn't Newton yell at the many drivers (such as Mark Martin, Matt Kenseth, Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle) who fly their own private jets from race to race when they could avoid that risk and fly commercial? Don't they have the same responsibilities to their sponsor as Stewart does?
Why isn't Newton yelling at Kyle Larson, who was racing in the race Stewart got hurt in? Doesn't he have a responsibility to Ganassi Racing as an development driver and currently drives for Turner Scott Motorsports? Couldn't he have been just as easily hurt as Stewart?
Why doesn't Newton yell at Richard Childress for going hunting where, God forbid, he or whoever he is hunting with could be gravely hurt accidentally? Doesn't he own a multi-million dollar NASCAR team that employs hundreds?
Why wasn't Newton yelling at Gene Haas to simply pay his taxes when he was under investigation for tax fraud? He owned a multi-million dollar NASCAR team that employed hundreds. Heck, if it wasn't for Stewart, the Haas name probably isn't in NASCAR today and who knows what would have happened to those employed by Haas prior to Stewart's involvement.
And finally, why didn't Newton cry foul when Alan Kulwicki and Davey Allison lost their lives in private aviation accidents? Kulwicki didn't have to take a flight that Thursday night from Knoxville, Tennessee to Bristol. They are only a two hour drive or so apart. Kulwicki could have easily driven or been driven back and forth and he may not have lost his life that night and be running a race team, just like Stewart. At the same time, Allison didn't have to fly from Hueytown, Alabama to Talladega Superspeedway. They are only a little over an hour apart. The same as Kulwicki, he could have driven or been driven to the track. We'll never know what would have happen to Kulwicki or Allison had they decided to drive.
But even when avoiding the skies for being on a motorway is no safe bet. Twenty years ago, Croatian basketball star Dražen Petrović, the first European ever to be named to an All-NBA team, choose not to fly from Frankfurt to Zagreb with his Croatian teammates but drive with his girlfriend. Somewhere outside of Inglostadt, Bavaria, Germany, a semi truck broke through the median on the autobahn, struck the car carrying a sleeping Petrović in the passenger seat and killed the up-and-coming star. No one could have seen Petrović was going to be in more danger on the roads than in the air. Had the car Petrović was in was just a minute further up the autobahn or a minutes further back or if Petrović had just flown with his teammates, he may still be here today. We'll never know.
Life has it's risks. We try to limit them as much as possible. They are unavoidable though even in what seems to be safe choices. It's not like Stewart is going out and racing sprint cars with out seat belts or a HANS device or a fire suit and looking to escape death living on the edge. Stewart is taking all the steps he can to be as safe as possible when he is racing in a sprint car. According to Newton, Stewart told him his sprint car is eighty pounds heavier than most with the full-containment seat he uses. What else could Stewart have done to avoid injury? Besides not racing?
Stewart could have been hurt this weekend at Watkins Glen. What would Newton and the rest of the media be writing then? Would they still be critical or would it be alright that Stewart got hurt because he was driving in a NASCAR Sprint Cup race?
What if Kasey Kahne or Kyle Busch gets hurts in the Nationwide on Saturday? Would they be saying they were taking an unnecessary risk or does that all change because of they are driving with sponsors who spent a fair share of money to be on the car and the race is on a big cable channel such as ESPN?
What happens if Marcos Ambrose gets hurt in the Nationwide race after Watkins Glen at Mid-Ohio when there is a Cup race the following day at Michigan?
And how does the media judge what is and what is not an unnecessary risk and is it fair that they judge what others do? I can't wait for the media to send out their list of risks a driver is allowed to take and risks they are not allowed to take because they are all powerful.
I, for one, don't want to see anyone get hurt or killed but I don't want to force others to live in bubble wrap. Drivers (just like any other human being) should be given the freedom to do what they want. Racing sprint cars is not the most harmful thing Tony Stewart could be doing in his free time between NASCAR Sprint Cup races. Look at what the Whittington brother, Randy Lanier and Aaron Fike were doing in their free time and now tell me Stewart was doing something wrong. I, for one, am glad Stewart was racing sprint cars and not engaging in the illegal activities those other six took part in.
Stewart knew the risks he took. He's now living with it. Telling him "I told you so" won't heal his leg or get him back in a Cup car any sooner. Let's be thankful it wasn't worse. Now Max Papis gets an amazing shot to do the same thing Tony Stewart would have been doing this Sunday, get a win for the #14 Mobil 1 Chevrolet and Stewart Haas Racing.
Or should Papis not be in the car because he shouldn't risk his championship chance in the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series with Jeff Segal? Why isn't anyone giving Max Papis a hard time for that?
It seems like a dark, hollow thought but its true. Death will always be there in racing and if can't stomach watching wives become widows and parents burying their young, maybe you should find something else to follow.
Tony Stewart pushes the limits of life and death in a race car just as much, if not more because the vast array of cars he isn't afraid to jump in in a given week. From the high-banked mile and a half ovals that litter the NASCAR schedule to the dirt ovals found in small towns all across the midwest, there is and has always been a chance that the man who first completed the USAC Triple Crown will be their, helmet in hand ready to race. But when you show up, helmet in hand ready to race, regardless of it's a NASCAR Sprint Cup car or a 360 winged-sprint, a driver is going face-to-face with the risks that come with racing. Monday night, Tony Stewart suffered a broken leg in an accident in a 360 winged-sprint car at Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa, Iowa. And now, all fire and brimstone that is the media is raining down on the three-time NASCAR Cup Champion.
Now the hindsight question of whether Stewart should have been out racing or not fills the internet with every point of view from the great AJ Foyt supporting the racer that Stewart is to David Newton of ESPN who, depending on how you read it, is giving Stewart the motherly "I told you so" treatment. Foyt gives the carpe diem view that life could end at any moment and since we don't know what could happen, we should live life and what happens happens. Newton on the other hand believes Stewart should not have been taking the risk because of all he is in charge of a multi-million dollar NASCAR team that employs hundreds of people.
Racing and the men and women who compete in racing are risk takers. They never back down and never will. It's not just drivers, team owners have put themselves in harms way when they don't have to on multiple occasions.
Why wasn't Newton yelling at Jack Roush to stop flying airplanes when he crashed... twice, putting his life in danger both times? Doesn't he also run a multi-million dollar NASCAR that employs hundreds of people? What's the difference from Stewart? Or why doesn't Newton yell at the many drivers (such as Mark Martin, Matt Kenseth, Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle) who fly their own private jets from race to race when they could avoid that risk and fly commercial? Don't they have the same responsibilities to their sponsor as Stewart does?
Why isn't Newton yelling at Kyle Larson, who was racing in the race Stewart got hurt in? Doesn't he have a responsibility to Ganassi Racing as an development driver and currently drives for Turner Scott Motorsports? Couldn't he have been just as easily hurt as Stewart?
Why doesn't Newton yell at Richard Childress for going hunting where, God forbid, he or whoever he is hunting with could be gravely hurt accidentally? Doesn't he own a multi-million dollar NASCAR team that employs hundreds?
Why wasn't Newton yelling at Gene Haas to simply pay his taxes when he was under investigation for tax fraud? He owned a multi-million dollar NASCAR team that employed hundreds. Heck, if it wasn't for Stewart, the Haas name probably isn't in NASCAR today and who knows what would have happened to those employed by Haas prior to Stewart's involvement.
And finally, why didn't Newton cry foul when Alan Kulwicki and Davey Allison lost their lives in private aviation accidents? Kulwicki didn't have to take a flight that Thursday night from Knoxville, Tennessee to Bristol. They are only a two hour drive or so apart. Kulwicki could have easily driven or been driven back and forth and he may not have lost his life that night and be running a race team, just like Stewart. At the same time, Allison didn't have to fly from Hueytown, Alabama to Talladega Superspeedway. They are only a little over an hour apart. The same as Kulwicki, he could have driven or been driven to the track. We'll never know what would have happen to Kulwicki or Allison had they decided to drive.
But even when avoiding the skies for being on a motorway is no safe bet. Twenty years ago, Croatian basketball star Dražen Petrović, the first European ever to be named to an All-NBA team, choose not to fly from Frankfurt to Zagreb with his Croatian teammates but drive with his girlfriend. Somewhere outside of Inglostadt, Bavaria, Germany, a semi truck broke through the median on the autobahn, struck the car carrying a sleeping Petrović in the passenger seat and killed the up-and-coming star. No one could have seen Petrović was going to be in more danger on the roads than in the air. Had the car Petrović was in was just a minute further up the autobahn or a minutes further back or if Petrović had just flown with his teammates, he may still be here today. We'll never know.
Life has it's risks. We try to limit them as much as possible. They are unavoidable though even in what seems to be safe choices. It's not like Stewart is going out and racing sprint cars with out seat belts or a HANS device or a fire suit and looking to escape death living on the edge. Stewart is taking all the steps he can to be as safe as possible when he is racing in a sprint car. According to Newton, Stewart told him his sprint car is eighty pounds heavier than most with the full-containment seat he uses. What else could Stewart have done to avoid injury? Besides not racing?
Stewart could have been hurt this weekend at Watkins Glen. What would Newton and the rest of the media be writing then? Would they still be critical or would it be alright that Stewart got hurt because he was driving in a NASCAR Sprint Cup race?
What if Kasey Kahne or Kyle Busch gets hurts in the Nationwide on Saturday? Would they be saying they were taking an unnecessary risk or does that all change because of they are driving with sponsors who spent a fair share of money to be on the car and the race is on a big cable channel such as ESPN?
What happens if Marcos Ambrose gets hurt in the Nationwide race after Watkins Glen at Mid-Ohio when there is a Cup race the following day at Michigan?
And how does the media judge what is and what is not an unnecessary risk and is it fair that they judge what others do? I can't wait for the media to send out their list of risks a driver is allowed to take and risks they are not allowed to take because they are all powerful.
I, for one, don't want to see anyone get hurt or killed but I don't want to force others to live in bubble wrap. Drivers (just like any other human being) should be given the freedom to do what they want. Racing sprint cars is not the most harmful thing Tony Stewart could be doing in his free time between NASCAR Sprint Cup races. Look at what the Whittington brother, Randy Lanier and Aaron Fike were doing in their free time and now tell me Stewart was doing something wrong. I, for one, am glad Stewart was racing sprint cars and not engaging in the illegal activities those other six took part in.
Stewart knew the risks he took. He's now living with it. Telling him "I told you so" won't heal his leg or get him back in a Cup car any sooner. Let's be thankful it wasn't worse. Now Max Papis gets an amazing shot to do the same thing Tony Stewart would have been doing this Sunday, get a win for the #14 Mobil 1 Chevrolet and Stewart Haas Racing.
Or should Papis not be in the car because he shouldn't risk his championship chance in the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series with Jeff Segal? Why isn't anyone giving Max Papis a hard time for that?
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