Fumes

FUMES #444

2008-05-06T12:19:08Z

May 7, 2008

BREAKING NEWS: GM shelves its Le Mans "EVO" racing program.

By Peter M. De Lorenzo

Detroit. For those who are students of American racing history - especially when it comes to GM's star-crossed relationship with motorsport over the years - the latest news emerging from GM's Renaissance Center headquarters is not all that surprising, but it's still the quintessential definition of not good nonetheless. It seems that GM's executive brain trust has decided to shelve its "EVO" racing program (EVO is the new top category for the 24 Hours of Le Mans coming in 2010, replacing P1) after developing the program for the better part of eighteen months. The GM Racing entry - a mid-engine Corvette designed to the new EVO specifications - would have been called the C7R, and for the first time in 44 years, an American manufacturer would have competed for the overall win at the most prestigious endurance race in the world.

At least that was the plan.

First, a brief primer on EVO is in order. Contrary to erroneous reports that circulated a couple of weeks ago, the EVO class is very much a done deal for 2010. Generally, the EVO specifications are more restrictive than the current P1 rules, and the closed-roof cars will be required to have more of a direct visual connection to existing design cues from the manufactures. A key distinction with the EVO class is that overall operating efficiency and alternative fuels will be a crucial component to the rules package. The introduction of the EVO class also directly affects the GT classes as the current GT1 class will be eliminated, with GT2 becoming the premier production-based class. (At this time, the P2 classification stays, but what changes will be on tap remain to be seen.)

Regular readers of this website probably remember me talking about the possibility of a production mid-engine C7 Corvette right before Labor Day last year. The short story behind that idea was that when the EVO rules were first beginning to be formulated, the idea of doing a production mid-engined Corvette - which would link the mid-engine Corvette C7R EVO racer directly to the street car - was put on the front burner, with an intensive development evaluation undertaken last summer to see if it could be done at a reasonable cost. Late last fall, when the costs skyrocketed on the project, the decision was made not to go forward with a production mid-engine C7. You can read the latest on this in the new June issue of Automobile as Don Sherman enhances the rest of the story, with additional insight from yours truly. (You can also see an artist's conceptual rendition of what the C7R EVO might have looked like, which will make you weep.)

But even after the mid-engine design was tabled in favor of a tauter, lighter but traditional front-engine Corvette C7, GM Racing's EVO program was still going forward. That is it was until a couple of weeks ago, when GM's racing strategy board met to contemplate the EVO program. At that meeting, the board shelved the EVO program based on a recommendation that the car wouldn't have a direct connection to the production Corvette, and thus the reason for doing it was no longer valid.

Seems logical enough - at least on the surface - that is until you know the back story. There's a boneheaded faction within GM that is blindly devoted to NASCAR, to such an extent that all rational thought about the issue has been completely thrown out the window. One executive in particular (who shall remain nameless) is such a notorious NASCAR nut that he buys anything and everything the France family can shove his way, and it has become beyond category embarassing, especially now that NASCAR is on the decline and GM is buried deeply in long-term contracts with its NASCAR teams.

Knowing this then, the fact that the Corvette Racing EVO program was killed because it wouldn't be "relevant" to the production Corvette and thus shouldn't be continued, is laughable, especially considering the fact that GM endorses the so-called "Chevy Impala" used in NASCAR, that spec-bodied "CoT" blob that bares no relation whatsoever to any GM production car. As I like to say, you just can't make this shit up.

But then again, this sorry episode perfectly encapsulates the difference between a real car company, one that actually has racing as part of its basic corporate philosophy - let's use the Honda Motor Company as a prime example - as opposed to a corporate conglomerate that has managed to succeed on the race track in spite of itself.

Think about it, GM's success in racing over the years has never been the result of a corporate-level belief in, or understanding of, the fundamental importance of racing and the idea that racing is the ultimate development arena where young designers and engineers can be developed into the future lifeblood of the company.

No, with GM it was always about a hard-core group of enthusiasts within the company connecting with outsiders who then made it happen. Think Jim Hall, Junior Johnson, Smokey Yunick and Roger Penske, to name just a few of those outsiders. Even today, GM's ultra-successful Corvette Racing program - which has won the GT1 class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans five out of the last eight years - has achieved greatness in spite of GM, not because of it. In this case a dedicated bunch of True Believers within the company teamed up with one of the top racing organizations in the world - Pratt & Miller - to deliver results that few executives in the corporation can even begin to comprehend, let alone appreciate.

And so here we are. GM had the opportunity to do something really great by taking its championship-winning Corvette Racing program to the next level and by doing so sending a message around the globe that it had the guts to match up against the best auto manufacturers in the world (Audi, BMW, Honda, Peugeot, Renault and Toyota are all said to be working on EVO programs), and go for the overall win at the world's most prestigious endurance race. To make history even. But true to form, GM blew the opportunity to smithereens because it had the wrong people, in the wrong place, at the wrong time, making the wrong decisions.

This disgraceful development speaks to the very essence of why GM will always lack the passion for racing - and the understanding of the crucial role it can play - that other car companies like Honda and BMW display as part of their fundamental raison d'etre. It just isn't in GM's vacuous bean-counting culture to know the difference, or even bother to learn why it's important, either.

It's also a excruciatingly painful reminder why soulless corporate entities don't stand a chance against passionate enthusiasts, on the race track or in the marketplace for that matter.

Publisher's Note: In our continuing series celebrating the "Golden Era" of American racing history, here is another image from the Ford Racing Archives. - PMD

(Ford Racing Archives)
Indianapolis, IN, 1967. Jackie Stewart and Jim Clark discuss lapping The Speedway in practice for the Indianapolis 500.

FUMES #443

2008-04-29T14:07:20Z

April 30, 2008

Dear Tony, it's about those new IndyCar rules...

By Peter M. De Lorenzo

Detroit. As you read this, teams of people are feverishly considering a new rules package for the IRL's IndyCar Series, and I can't think of a more crucial set of racing rules in the offing than the ones under consideration at this very moment. Now that Tony George, the head of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indy Racing League, has gotten major league open-wheel racing back on the same page, he will find that mapping its future will be at least as challenging, if not more so.

I'm going to outline my priorities as I see them for the future IndyCar Series rules, because since this debate is ongoing, now is the time to talk about it.

1. The overall guiding direction. The new IndyCar Series rules package has to begin with the idea of returning the Indianapolis 500 to the forefront of advancing automotive technology. This idea alone opens up the series to tremendous possibilities. The rules package should encourage innovative thought and the diversity of individual executions. What I'm getting at here is the idea that one day we might just be able to see different approaches to the same set of rules, like once was the norm at The Speedway. There should always be room at Indianapolis for the "blue sky" innovators and dreamers that once roamed Gasoline Alley.

2. Bring back turbocharged engines (and allow other engines too). This is the biggest no-brainer out there right now. Enthusiasts expect to hear the whine of turbos at The Speedway, it's that simple. I wouldn't stop there either. In the renewed spirit of innovation, I would also allow different powertrains too. If a turbo-diesel running on french-fry waste oil shows up, don't discourage it, rather, figure out a way so that it can run. Restore the unpredictability of the first week of May at least, with fresh ideas being unloaded from the transporters. And do everything possible to bring back several different manufacturers to Indy. This "spec" engine business needs to be put to pasture. Let 'em all come in and then figure out how to make it work.

3. Allow for the use of alternative propulsion. No, I'm not suggesting that all cars should be hybrids by any stretch of the imagination, but the rules should allow for that kind of different thought and innovative applications of it, at least.

4. Make the basic car be beautiful. Yes, I know, beauty is in the eye of beholder but when the cars have all the charm and emotional connection of a mechanical pencil, something needs to be done. Perhaps by allowing different approaches to the same basic set of rules you will get the diversity in appearance that I'm looking for, but if not, make sure that what you do end up with at least looks the part. The ex-Champ Car Panoz is light years more racy looking than the IRL car. At least begin with that understanding of things.

It's a brief list but the idea of a pages long, detailed explanation at this point is silly. Using these four simple points as a guideline, I believe the IndyCar Series rules committee would end up with something good.

Racing enthusiasts want to see Indy return to world-wide prominence. Yes, it still is the greatest single motor race in the world - and by a long shot - but make the new rules focus the world's attention on the innovation going at The Speedway during the month of May too.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway needs to lead again - both in technical thought and application - and in "blue sky" thinking. The sport needs it and the fans are clamoring for it.

Here's hoping to the idea that they don't disappoint us.

Publisher's Note: In our continuing series celebrating the "Golden Era" of American racing history, here is another image from the Ford Racing Archives. - PMD

Indianapolis, IN, 1966. Graham Hill from inside Short Chute on his way to victory in the Indianapolis 500.

FUMES #442

2008-04-21T15:16:51Z

April 23, 2008

Danica's first win couldn't come at a more perfect time for the IRL.

By Peter M. De Lorenzo

Detroit. Graham Rahal's scintillating win in St. Petersburg a couple of weeks ago probably did more for the new IndyCar series in terms of unifying its fan base than any formal legal agreement could have. And now, with Danica Patrick's breakthrough win at Twin Ring Motegi, for the first time in a long time major league open-wheel racing in North America has something that until just a short while ago seemed beyond the realm of possibility: serious momentum.

It's hard to overestimate the impact of Danica's first IndyCar win, but we were reminded of the power of the Danica brand when news of her triumph splashed across every news source imaginable late Saturday night and into Sunday morning. The morning news shows, normally oblivious to racing unless there's a major wreck to show and talk about, placed the news of Danica's win front and center on their broadcasts. Let's face it, other than the Indy 500, open-wheel racing in this country garners minimal national coverage. But in three short weeks - with the youngest winner and the first female winner in IndyCar history becoming top news stories - open-wheel racing has been operating in the rarefied air of racing coverage usually only reserved for NASCAR's marketing machine.

Personally for Danica this win will, of course, change everything. Because after having been discovered by Bobby Rahal, Patrick's potential has been there for all to see, but there was a growing feeling in the garage area that this was the year she had to deliver to avoid falling into any unfair comparisons with a certain faded Russian tennis player. Not that Danica ever deserved to be mentioned along with that photogenic but underperforming celebrity, because Danica is a racer through and through, and I, along with a lot of other observers, believed she had the talent and more important the will to win in the toughest open-wheel racing arena outside of F1. And now Danica is not only an IndyCar driver, but the novelty act component of her rise to stardom is buried once and for all, because she is in fact an IndyCar winner.

So as the IRL tries to make its way as a unified series now that the dual Twin Ring Motegi and Long Beach weekends are completed, the winds are - for the first time in a long time - filling major league open-wheel racing's sails here in the U.S. Now it's on to Kansas, where you can bet the gate will be positively impacted by Danica's win, and then on to Indianapolis for the month of May and the single biggest race in the world.

For the IRL and open-wheel racing fans, Danica's first win couldn't have come at a more perfect time.

Publisher's Note: In our continuing series celebrating the "Golden Era" of American racing history, here is another image from the Ford Racing Archives. - PMD

(Ford Racing Archives)
Riverside, CA, 1967. Parnelli Jones' Lola T70 powered by a Ford Indianapolis DOHC engine at speed in the Can-Am race.

FUMES #441

2008-04-15T13:03:45Z

April 16, 2008

By racing in a vacuum, NASCAR's sphere of influence begins to wane.

By Peter M. De Lorenzo

Detroit. I stirred up a hornet's nest a while ago when I suggested that one of the Detroit Three would be pulling out of NASCAR - and sooner rather than later - as Toyota's influx of money and influence wormed its way into the NASCAR arena. I was even vilified by certain members of the media - who are blatantly bought and paid for by NASCAR, by the way - for suggesting such an outrageous thing. And that was just fine with me because after all they were simply protecting their own self interests, which was perfectly understandable. But by directing their outrage via attacks on me rather than facing the reality of the situation, they clearly exposed themselves - to all who would gave the issue more than even a nanosecond of consideration - for what they really were: Nicely paid shills who weren't close enough to the story to have any real credibility on the subject.

So, what has transpired in the racing world since I first reported the possibility of a Detroit automaker pulling out of NASCAR? For one thing, the fact that NASCAR has peaked is obvious to everyone except the NASCAR apologists embedded in the media and others who are on the NASCAR dole in some way, shape or form. Television ratings are down dramatically, empty seats are visible on every broadcast, and the suits on Madison Avenue and in corporate America are more than just taking notice, they're planning their marketing and advertising budgets for the 2009-2010-2011 time frame right now, and the old adage "Let's put our money in NASCAR, it's a slam-dunk no-brainer!" has been replaced by "What are we getting out of NASCAR again exactly?"

Don't think that's true? Well, I've been in more than a few meetings where those actual discussions have taken place.

The NASCAR line in all of this is that the nation's tanking economy is to blame and that even the vaunted NASCAR marketing/money-making machine is not immune from what's going on in the country as a whole. And that would make for a nice sound bite except for the fact that the NASCAR slide in ratings and attendance started happening at least eighteen months ago - long before the housing and credit crisis became topic No. 1 in Washington. How NASCAR wants to "spin" their lagging fortunes is certainly up to them, but suffice to say for the people who really matter - the ones making the decisions on where and how serious corporate marketing money is allocated - it's about having a much more realistic view of what's going on, and it will not be to NASCAR's advantage to say the least once these people put NASCAR under the microscope.

What else? How about the environmental movement and the onset of $4.00-$5.00 per gallon gasoline prices that have seriously impacted the auto manufacturers' future product planning scenarios? I can tell you right now that decisions are being made in Detroit and at other automakers around the world that will drastically affect what we'll be driving starting as soon as three years from right now. And some of those plans are going to be a real shock for people who have fairly entrenched notions as to what we should be able to drive in this country. Saying it will not be pretty is an understatement, I can assure you. And thinking this societal shift won't affect future motorsport programs is wishful thinking, at best, too.

Into this swirling maelstrom of turmoil comes the reality that as of right now auto manufacturers around the world are having to make fundamental decisions on their future motorsport programs based on the harsh financial realities that they're facing. And for your typical Detroit manufacturer NASCAR is not looking very good at the moment. Beyond the declining TV ratings and empty seats is the realization that the NASCAR "product" direction has moved away from the manufacturers in a very big way. Not only do the "stock" cars have no visual connection to the manufacturers whatsoever (other than the decals indicating headlights, taillights, grille openings and the model name of the car emblazoned on the front), they're identical to each other, which is causing more than a little consternation at the manufacturers, as in, "What's in it for us?" And because of Toyota's involvement, the cost to run up-front in NASCAR is growing exponentially, too, which is making matters worse by putting even more pressure on company racing budgets.

But by far the biggest factor right now for these manufacturers in crafting the future direction of their motorsports programs? It is how to make their racing endeavors relevant to the kind of research and development efforts going on within their respective companies. And this is where the wheels come off the traditional argument that pushes for a continuation of a racing program that's heavily skewed to NASCAR, because it is well known that in terms of the technology used, NASCAR is the direct opposite of "relevant" motorsport, and it's becoming harder and harder for motorsports managers in Detroit to justify focusing their efforts there. And it's even harder still for manufacturer marketing honchos to approve grossly inflated NASCAR budgets when the reality of the situation is that "NASCAR Nation" is contracting at a prodigious rate.

And now, because of all of these factors there's a growing chorus in the corridors of the Detroit manufacturers that revolves around the word "Why?" As in why are we involved? And to go along with that, the next question inevitably becomes: If we are going to be involved, how is NASCAR relevant to the overall direction of our engineering philosophy and our R&D resource allocation?

Today, as manufacturers grapple with developing overall vehicle operating efficiency, advanced powertrain technologies and aerodynamic advancements for their future product programs in an economic environment that's fraught with peril, the concept of racing in a vacuum - which describes NASCAR's "yester-tech" brand of racing to a "T" - couldn't be more irrelevant and out of touch.

Which is why in the next 18-24 months, you're going to see two of the three Detroit manufacturers start to officially (and unofficially) "redistribute" their racing budgets away from NASCAR and into racing programs that have a direct connection to the R&D they're conducting right now. And yes, one of those two manufacturers could very well decide that pulling out of NASCAR altogether is a viable option.

What does this mean for racing?

It means that "relevant" racing programs like the American Le Mans Series - and particularly the next-generation "EVO" rules package slated to begin in 2010 at the 24 Hours of Le Mans (which will replace the current LMP1 class as the top classification) - will become a crucial component for global automobile manufacturers' motorsport programs going forward. As a matter of fact, with its rules package refocused around overall efficiency (while embracing alternative fuels and technologies), Le Mans is shaping up to be the preeminent battleground for the world's manufacturers beginning in 2010, with at least seven manufacturers now actively engaged in developing cars to run under the "EVO" classification for the overall win. Publisher's Note: It had been erroneously reported last week that the ACO had scrapped the proposed EVO classification in favor of a further development of their current prototype (LMP1) rules package. This in fact is not true and the new EVO classification has been solidified and finalized for 2010. - PMD.

And where does all of this leave NASCAR?

It leaves NASCAR in search of a future direction, which is more than a little problematic considering Brian France and his brain trust have demonstrated convincingly and repeatedly that forward thinking isn't one of their strong suits. As a matter of fact, it isn't even one of the arrows in their quiver to put a finer point on it.

As an alarming erosion of their manufacturer support begins to gain momentum in the boardrooms of the auto manufacturers, and their automatic "buy-in" by corporate America begins to wane, and in lieu of actually coming up with a new vision for their series, NASCAR is faced with the very real possibility that it will be a one manufacturer series (guess who?) by 2011.

But then again, as long as somebody continues to foot the bill for the France family circus, being irrelevant and out of touch won't matter to them one bit. It certainly hasn't mattered up to this point at any rate.

And besides, I'm sure that the idea of a "Toyota Cup" suits them just fine.

Publisher's Note: In our continuing series celebrating the "Golden Era" of American racing history, here is another image from the Ford Racing Archives. - PMD

(Ford Racing Archives)
Indianapolis, 1963. Dan Gurney prepares to take to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in his mid-engined Lotus "Powered by Ford" as Jim Clark (right) and Colin Chapman (leaning on rear tire) look on.

FUMES #440

2008-04-08T12:56:40Z

April 9, 2008

A great run for Rahal, and a shot in the arm for U.S. open-wheel racing.

By Peter M. De Lorenzo

Detroit. Long-suffering open-wheel racing fans had to enjoy last Sunday's Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. As a matter of fact for me it was even a bit surreal watching the race unfold, thinking that this kind of good fortune for the sport couldn't really be happening, could it? But it did and it was great to see. Graham Rahal became the youngest winner in major league open-wheel racing history when he captured the win in his very first IRL race at the age of 19 years, 93 days, breaking the old mark set just two years ago by Marco Andretti (19 years, 167 days) when the Andretti scion won an IRL race at Sonoma, CA.

Graham's win was special for any number of reasons, not the least of which is the fact that he's the son of one of America's greatest champions - Bobby Rahal - and the torch being passed to a new generation was not missed by anyone watching (Bobby's bear hug of his son in Victory Lane made it all the more special too). The fact that Graham survived an early-race spin, changeable track conditions and then had to out-run Team Penske's Helio Castroneves for a convincing win served notice that the kid is special and looks to have all the characteristics of a future champion. He's smart, calculated, calm behind the wheel and quick when he needs to be, very much like his dad, come to think about it.

But the bigger picture for the IRL with Graham Rahal's win is that the series is actually beginning to see early signs of media and fan momentum. No, one race doesn't flip the switch to good times overnight, but St. Petersburg was an excellent start to better things. The fact that the IRL has talented young American drivers in the mix and fighting for wins is a huge plus (and long overdue too). And having legendary American racing names like Rahal and Andretti back in the forefront again can only help with the more casual media types who too often only seem to pay attention when they can recognize a driver's name.

If it weren't for the fact that the upcoming ball of confusion on April 19-20 - when the Twin Ring Motegi and Long Beach races occur on the same weekend - is going to be a debacle, I might be inclined to get even more jacked about the direction of major league open-wheel racing in this country. But that weekend is shaping up to be Not Good no matter how the IRL spins it. It's as if we have to suffer through one final shot from the Ghosts of Open-Wheel Racing's Dismal Past to remind us all of just how much better things are going to get - and be.

Once that lost weekend is finished, however, I believe the Month of May is shaping up to be the best in recent memory at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and I expect the Indy 500 to be back firing on all cylinders in terms of the caliber of the drivers and the depth of the field of 33.

One huge win doesn't make a season or give life to an entire series - that does sound like a lot to put on a 19-year-old kid's shoulders after all - but make no mistake, young Rahal's win was a huge shot in the arm for the reborn IndyCar Series, and something tells me the kid can take the pressure.

Publisher's Note: In our continuing series celebrating the "Golden Era" of American racing history, here is another image from the Ford Racing Archives. - PMD

(Ford Racing Archives)
Riverside, CA, 1967. Dan Gurney drives his All American Racers Gurney Eagle-Weslake Ford to victory in the Rex Mays 300 Indy car race at Riverside International Raceway.

FUMES #439

2008-04-01T13:17:29Z

April 2, 2008

IndyCar off to a strong start.

By Peter M. De Lorenzo

Detroit. It was good to see last Saturday night's GAINSCO Auto insurance Indy 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway go off without a major hitch. It was important for the well-being of the IndyCar drivers themselves, and it was crucial for the launch of the unified series. Some had predicted a high level of on-track carnage due to the former Champ Car drivers inexperience with the ovals, but fortunately that was not the case. Do the Champ Car teams have a lot to learn about oval setups? Of course they do, but the drivers used their heads, raced clean and they will get better with each oval race.

It was frankly an incredible sight to see that many Indy cars (26) take the green flag at Homestead, because a full field of Indy cars is something we're only used to seeing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in May for the Indy 500.

And other than Tony Kanaan's on-track incident, which cost him a shot at the race win (not the fault of Ernsto Viso who was dealing with a flat tire), the race was interesting to watch and relatively caution free. It was also the fastest IndyCar race ever run at Homestead-Miami Speedway (a record race average speed of 171.248). Did we learn anything new? Not really. We knew that Andretti Green Racing, Target Chip Ganassi Racing and Team Penske would be tough all year, and the final standings last Saturday night confirmed that. And the drivers I mentioned last week, Dixon, Wheldon, Kanaan and Castroneves were - as advertised - tough and racy all night. But Marco finishing second was a strong indication of better things to come for the young driver's third full season in IndyCar, and Ryan Briscoe proved he's going to be a factor too - on ovals and road courses.

Next Sunday's St. Petersburg race is shaping up to be a battle, despite the fact that it's a funky course layout and the city has been giving AGR (the promoters for the event) fits in staging the event this year. As a matter of fact, look for St. Petersburg to be deleted from the 2009 IRL schedule in favor of a stronger event. I expect Champ Car teams and drivers to be ready to go in St. Petersburg, and the entire complexion of the series will change as soon as the IRL teams unload next weekend.

Is there a whiff of optimism finally in the air for major league open-wheel racing - and its long-suffering fans - here in North America? Well, perhaps just a trace of a whiff, but the fact that it's on the positive side of the meter as opposed to the negative side counts for meaningful progress at this point.

And it's about time.

Publisher's Note: In our continuing series celebrating the "Golden Era" of American racing history, here is another image from the Ford Racing Archives. - PMD

(Ford Racing Archives)

Le Mans, France, 1967. Mark Donohue exits the Ford MKIV he shared with Bruce McLaren during a pit stop at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. They finished fourth overall.

FUMES #438

2008-03-25T19:29:42Z

March 26, 2008

After years of frustration, major league American open-wheel racing is back.

By Peter M. De Lorenzo

Detroit. The Indy Racing League's IndyCar Series finally makes its debut this weekend at the Homestead-Miami Speedway in Homestead, FL, as a unified, major league, open-wheel racing entity. After years of frustration (and enough rampant stupidity to last us all a lifetime), U.S. open-wheel racing fans finally have one racing series to focus on for the first time in a decade. Though expectations are being downplayed, it's good to see that the powers that be in the IRL are keeping their heads down and keeping their focus. They understand that this unification thing is not going to click overnight and that they have a long, long way to go before the series is on an even keel, let alone begin growing again.

I'm not going to regurgitate the laundry list of problems that the IRL faces, because we should all know what they are by heart by now. I'm going to set all of that aside and talk about the actual racing for a change.

Needless to say, the former Champ Car teams are going to have their hands full for most of 2008. It's not just about learning how to attack the ovals for the ex-Champ Car drivers, it's the nuances of the car set-ups that will vex the Champ Car teams for a time too. That's only to be expected.

At the same time, to expect any team other than Andretti Green, Penske or Ganassi to contest for the series championship is unrealistic. The usual suspects - Helio Castroneves (Team Penske), Tony Kanaan (AGR), Scott Dixon (Ganassi) and Dan Wheldon (Ganassi) - are expected to go right down to the wire for the big prize at the end.

The GAINSCO Auto Insurance Indy 300 to be run Saturday night (8:00PM on ESPN2) will be the eighth IndyCar Series event conducted at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Former Miami winners expected to participate include Scott Dixon (2003) and Dan Wheldon (2005, 2006, 2007). Something to consider is that the winner at Miami has gone on to win the IndyCar Series championship four times in the last seven seasons. Wheldon, the 2005 IndyCar Series champion, will attempt to make IndyCar Series history as he goes for his fourth straight win at Miami. Wheldon returns for his third season and final contract year with Target Chip Ganassi Racing, and it is expected that he will attempt to put his lackluster 2007 season behind him - in a hurry.

Helio Castroneves desperately wants to deliver an IndyCar championship for Roger Penske in 2008 and add to his two Indianapolis 500 wins. Miami will mark Helio's 94th start in the series (he's tied with Scott Sharp with posting victories in seven consecutive seasons). And Tony Kanaan becomes the undisputed team leader for AGR now that his good friend Dario Franchitti has made the transition to the NASCAR grind. Kanaan becomes the father figure to his AGR teammates – Marco Andretti, Hideki Mutoh and Danica Patrick - after becoming an actual first-time father himself over the off-season as he and his wife Dani welcomed the birth of their son Leonardo. The 2004 IndyCar Series champion has 12 wins and 55 top five finishes in 81 starts, and that does not include his five years spent competing in Champ Car.

IndyCar history also gets a boost with open-wheel unification, as the next generation of open-wheel racers add luster to their families' competition legacy. Marco Andretti, son of Michael Andretti and grandson of Mario Andretti enters his third season of IndyCar Series racing. A.J. Foyt IV, the grandson of four-time Indy 500 winner A.J. Foyt, returns for his second season with Vision Racing after showing some definite improvement last season. And Graham Rahal, son of 1986 Indy 500 winner Bobby Rahal, enters his first season of IndyCar Series competition with Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing.

As I mentioned earlier, drivers from the three leading IndyCar teams - Penske, Ganassi and AGR - will compete for the championship. Scott Dixon, the 2003 IndyCar series champion, is a popular favorite to win it all this year. My personal dark horse pick, however, is Marco Andretti (AGR), whom I expect to have a breakout year in 2008.

And watch Ryan Briscoe (Team Penske). He won't win the championship, but I don't think anyone realizes yet just how good this kid really is.

Major league American open-wheel racing is back. A little tattered and beat up, but back nonetheless.

And all in all, that's a very good thing.

Publisher's Note: In our continuing series celebrating the "Golden Era" of American racing history, here is another image from the Ford Racing Archives. - PMD

(Ford Racing Archives)
Le Mans, France. June, 1967. Dan Gurney prepares to enter his Ford GT MKIV during a pit stop at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Gurney and co-driver A.J. Foyt would go on to victory, the second of four consecutive victories for the Ford Motor Company at the storied French endurance classic.

FUMES #437

2008-03-18T16:57:06Z

March 19, 2008

Publisher's Note: I'm at the New York International Auto Show this week so we asked A.J. Morning, our East Coast motorsports correspondent, to file a report from the 12 Hours of Sebring. "Fumes" will return next week. - PMD

The only constant is change.

By A. J. Morning

Sebring, FL. The Greek philosopher Heraclitus is credited with having said that. Isaac Asimov repeated it years later. And last Saturday, while the perennially-favored Audi and dark-horse Peugeot teams were suffering mechanical issues, Porsche took full advantage of that constant and rode it to their first endurance race victory in the American Le Mans Series – and their first Sebring win since 1988.

The same Porsche team took the overall win several times in 2007, but only during shorter races. Audi reigned supreme when it came to the long-distance endurance run.

Not anymore.

At this point, there is little sense in defining the Penske Porsche RS Spyder team (or that of Dyson Racing) as P2, or the Audi R10 TDI and Peugeot 908 HDi as P1. In the ALMS, starting last year and making itself absolutely clear over this weekend, the lines that used to separate those two classes are effectively blurred beyond recognition. While the P1/P2 designations remain in place for what amount to political reasons, the timing and scoring screen tells another story. The top three finishers overall were P2 cars, at least until Adrian Fernandez’ Acura was disqualified following a post-race inspection. Even after the #15 Lowe’s Acura failed the stall test, four of the top five overall spots were taken by P2 entries.

Without diminishing the fantastic run by the #7 DHL-sponsored Porsche, however, there were mitigating factors. The #1 Audi finished 67 seconds behind the winning Porsche, after having spent ten minutes in the pits earlier on. Brake issues, plus a stop-and-go penalty in the pits for taking out the #46 Porsche, cost Audi what would have likely been an astounding ninth straight win. While the team from Audi Sport North America celebrated a class win in P1, there was no masking their disappointment at losing the overall.

At a track as tough as Sebring – and let there be no doubt, few tracks on Earth present the challenges known to drivers here – the win goes to those teams that most effectively anticipate and respond to the aforementioned constant, change.

At the beginning of the race, the sky was clear, the sun’s heat was strong, and the track was hot. Naturally, as the day wears on and darkness falls, the track conditions change. Grip diminishes. The setting sun blinds drivers blasting wide-open down the Ullman Straight heading into Turn 17, and then disappears into darkness. The air becomes cool and dense. Acceleration, deceleration, and cornering loads take their toll on drivers and cars – as the brake engineer from Audi would certainly attest.

The flat, bump-ridden concrete span doesn't cut the driver any slack, and if one is lucky enough not to demolish the car when it goes off-course, you still end up shoveling half of the dirt in southern Florida as you limp back to the pits.

Some cars didn’t even get to start: The BK Motorsports Mazda (done up in some gorgeous new BP livery) crashed during qualifying – a wild ride through the air that saw the car land on top of the tire wall. This necessitated a halt in Prototype qualifying, during which the sanctioning body determined that the qualifying session (and the new lap records set in various classes) would be disallowed – teams would start the 12 Hours based on their practice times.

As one team guy told me earlier today, "this is the exact opposite of the Daytona 24 we just ran. Daytona was 24 hours of heaven. This is 12 hours of hell."

GT1 class offered little in the way of surprises, but was still long on talent and excitement: Johnny O’Connell, Jan Magnussen, and Ron Fellows scored the win in the #3 Corvette C6.R, fully eight laps ahead of teammates Olivier Beretta, Oliver Gavin, and Max Papis. With or without formidable competition, the two-car Corvette team is still one of the most fascinating to watch in all of motorsports. The cars are fast, louder than hell, look great (especially with the new graphics), and are always as uniquely American as it gets.

Just one class down, in GT2, the Flying Lizard Porsche of Marc Lieb, Wolf Henzler, and Jorg Bergmeister broke through for the team’s first Sebring win. The Lizards clearly had their program together, as they took the top two positions in GT2.

Further back in GT2, the #61 Risi Competizione Ferrari took the last spot on the podium, and the class saw the introduction of both the Ford GT and Dodge Viper Competition Coupe. The Ford looked great (depending on who you are), and sounded like a true American monster of steel, though it retired after 186 laps. The Dodge, on the other hand, was still in the game at the end, completing 295 laps. Both cars looked fantastic on the grid, and both show plenty of promise.

In its 56th running, this is still the greatest road race in North America . It’s some of the finest international diplomacy played out on tarmac. The French, the Germans, the Brits and the Italians, the Swiss and the Aussies, the Kiwis and the Scots, and us, the host Americans, all working it out at speed. It all comes together, and it all blends beautifully.

Somehow, we all just get along and have the best damn time in the world.

That’s it for now – I’ll see you at the next pit stop.

Publisher's Note: In our continuing series celebrating the "Golden Era" of American racing history, here is another image from the Ford Racing Archives. - PMD

(Ford Racing Archives)
Ontario, CA, 1971. A.J. Foyt drives the Wood Brothers' Purolator Mercury to victory in the 500-mile NASCAR race.

FUMES #436

2008-03-11T18:20:25Z

March 12, 2008

Toyota's historic win overshadowed by the emerging brilliance of Kyle Busch.

By Peter M. De Lorenzo

Detroit. Toyota's inevitable first victory in NASCAR's top series - the first by a foreign manufacturer since Al Keller drove his Jaguar for a win back in June 1954, at Linden Airport in Linden, N.J. - was indeed historic, but the driver who delivered it for the Japanese company is the real story. Kyle Busch has clearly arrived as NASCAR's premier young talent. A young driver who was once on the cusp of going nowhere not too long ago due to his propensity for running out of brains long before he was even close to running out of talent has emerged as a dominant force in NASCAR at the age of 22.

You don't have to be a fan of NASCAR to grasp the talent this kid puts on display every week, because it just jumps out at you when you see him at work. You can tell by the way he flings his car around the banked speedways - with the tail hanging out at lurid angles - that Busch is operating in a different dimension from everyone else, one more in common with some of the biggest driving names in history than with his fellow NASCAR drivers. The kid has remarkable car control, the likes of which hasn't been seen since maybe Ronnie Petersen or the great Gilles Villeneuve (insert your own favorite legendary driver here), and you can tell by the awed comments of Darrell Waltrip, the former NASCAR Champion and Fox Sports commentator, that Busch is truly something special.

So as much as Toyota's first win - and possibly first Sprint Cup Championship - was bought the minute they threw a boatload of money at Joe Gibbs to switch his allegiance from Chevrolet, of even more significance to the Toyota effort was the fact that JGR hired Kyle Busch (after he was released by Rick Hendrick in favor of Dale Earnhardt Jr.). For it is Busch who has the capability to totally dominate a weekend like he did in Atlanta, where he won the Craftsman Truck race on Friday, had the Nationwide Series race in the bag before losing a tire on Saturday, and spanked the rest of the field on Sunday to the point that he was noticeably faster everywhere around the track.

If you haven't really watched this kid drive yet, stop and take the time to check him out. We could be watching a future all-time great blossoming right before our eyes.

Publisher's Note: In our continuing series celebrating the "Golden Era" of American racing history, here is another image from the Ford Racing Archives. - PMD

(Ford Racing Archives)
LeMans, France, 1966. Carroll Shelby (far right) confers with Ken Miles and Denny Hulme during a routine pit stop of their Ford GT MK II during the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

FUMES #435

2008-03-04T20:27:59Z

March 5, 2008

Saving F1? Talk is cheap.

By Peter M. De Lorenzo

Detroit. I've made no secret of the fact that I lost serious interest in F1 years ago. Except for a few of the races that I watch from start to finish each season (Monaco, England, Spa - at least when they run it - and Monza), I may tune in to see only the start of a few others, knowing full well that watching the start constitutes seeing the entire race, as the usual suspects from the two top teams then drone on to the finish. The cars leave me cold, too, because they have all of the magnetism and visual appeal of a well-made mechanical pencil.

I can't tell you how many times when I talk to people whom I come across in my travels that I hear this similar refrain: "I don't really care about it anymore." And these comments are inevitably coming from serious, longtime racing freaks too. There's no interest, there's no appeal and there's no romance in F1 for these former fans. Not a good combination.

Yes, of course there still are people who get geeked-up about F1 and go on about the gee-whiz technology and the no-ceiling budgets - blah-blah-blah - but in the end F1 has lapsed into irrelevant racing, and the only thing keeping it going is Bernie Ecclestone's relentless crusade to bring it to new nations that haven't had the pleasure of getting burned-out on his fee structures yet.

Bernie is an easy target of course, but I reserve particular contempt for the manufacturers involved in the sport, because they perpetuate the folly of F1 by continuously supporting the formula without demanding changes that would help turn the sport around once and for all.

After all, why are theses companies in the sport to begin with?

Is it to project their image around the globe as forward thinking, technologically advanced concerns? Yes, I'll buy that, but if they're really that technologically advanced then why aren't they taking a more active and aggressive role in making F1 regulations relevant to what they're researching in their advanced technology labs right now?

The reason why F1 still lags in developing a rules package that makes use of alternative propulsion options is that the manufacturers aren't insisting that it be a part of the rules before they'd be willing to participate. And as long as that remains the case, F1 will continue to operate unimpeded in its own little irrelevant bubble.

Even insiders in F1 acknowledge that the sport is in deep trouble, just ask Flavio Briatore. The races are boring processionals, and the cumulative personalities of the drivers involved don't do much to dissuade people from using the term "robot" drivers.

But if F1 really wanted to actually do something about "fixing" the sport they would immediately embrace an alternative rules package (eligible right along with the current rules package) that would do the following:

1. Limit the ICE (internal combustion engine) on board in size and intake so that it develops no more than 400HP.

2. Allow alternative propulsion devices of any kind to augment the power of the ICE.

3. The "alternative" package machines - while keeping to the minimum weight and open cockpit design of the "traditional" cars - would have more "free" areas in terms of overall dimensions and moveable aerodynamic devices.

How long do you think it would take a manufacturer like Honda to switch over to developing machines for the new "alternative" F1 rules class? I would say about five minutes, if that.

If F1 is ever going to get back on track (and the IRL, too, for that matter), then advanced propulsion systems and the associated technologies involved must be embraced and incorporated into the rules package so that they're allowed to be competitive. We would then see a return of racing machines that actually look different from each other according to the philosophies of the various manufacturers, which would be a revelation in and of itself.

F1 likes to tout that it is the most technologically advanced form of racing in the world, but they haven't lived up to that lofty title in years. I've often said it's time to press the "reset" button for racing and start the march of technological advancement - leading to direct improvements and breakthroughs in our production cars - all over again. F1 has the opportunity to do it, but then again so does the IRL with the rules package it's working on for the 2011 season.

I really don't care which one of these two entities does it first at this point, just as long as someone actually does something besides talk for a change.

Publisher's Note: In our continuing series celebrating the "Golden Era" of American racing history, we thought our readers would enjoy another image from the Ford Racing Archives this week. - PMD

(Ford Racing Archives)
Indianapolis, IN, 1963. As his mechanic warms up his car, Jim Clark (left) prepares to go out for practice at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.