Around the Racing World

by Tammy

I'll be honest. The races I followed the most closely this weekend were the Oscars. But that didn't mean there's not some interesting news brewing in the racing world....

• In NASCAR: Kevin Harvick might have won at Phoenix, but Junior took second. Who's thinking Junior for the championship already?
• In sportscars: Level 5 (the team that won, but then was penalized off the podium, but then was reinstated for the win at the 24 Hours of Daytona) has pulled out of the United Sports Car Championship. The nice way to put it is they want to give the series time to establish itself. I can't help but wonder if they're still mad and/or realizing they're little fish in a big pond now.
• In Formula 1, can it be true? Might Red Bull NOT be the dominant force this year? I'll believe it when I see it....
• What? F1 wants to come back to Long Beach?! Bring it on!
• Finally, the news is the disturbing lack of news on Schumi. The void of silence on his condition has many of us thinking the worst. Make sure you're following Former F1 Doc Gary Hartstein for interesting analysis of what little information is coming out.

Any recent news I'm forgetting? Who's excited for Sebring??

Boring, Impressive, and Surprising

by Tammy

The last week in racing was a little bit of everything.

In Formula 1, not content with wrapping up the championship with 3 (or was it 4?) races still to run, Vettel ground the rest of the field into so much dust under his tires, winning the USGP, making it his 12th win of the season and his 8th in a row.

Impressive? Absolutely. Boring? No doubt. As I've said before, I've got massive respect ... but I also had better things to do than watch the race. Again.

In NASCAR, Jimmie Johnson won his sixth championship in smooth style, finishing the final race of the year in 9th place, for a 20-some point margin in the championship. It was a nail-biter down to the end, though, given that he needed to finish 23rd or better to win, and given Matt Kenseth (2nd place) doing all he could. The commentators reported Jimmie having said he wanted 8 championships (the record of 7 is held by Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt) ... and no one who's watched him over the last decade would be surprised to see him achieve that.

Surprising? Nope. Impressive? Definitely. Boring? Depends on your point of view.

And in IndyCar, the news that took plenty by surprise, and dismayed many, many fans, was of Dario Franchitti's retirement from racing. The bottom line is that he got one-too-many concussions, and he hasn't been recovering as quickly as hoped from the last one. The medical opinion seems to be that any more such bell-ringers and he risks brain damage (Is this sounding familiar, Simon?), and he made the wise choice to stop. (It does make me wonder how many racecar drivers have chronic traumatic encephalopathy, the brain disease that the world of football is just beginning to recognize.)

Surprising? For sure. But rational and understandable.

Lastly, in the media, former NFL quarterback Donovan McNabb dredged up the years' old question of whether drivers are athletes. Jimmie wouldn't be drawn into the controversy, but Jeff Gordon had a great response (image).

Surprising? Yes. Boring? Completely. Aren't we past this by now? And seriously, even the notoriously unfit Tony Stewart could take most defensive linemen, am I right?

Best two Twitter hashtags of the week: #peoplewhoaremoreathleticthandonovan and #ThankYouDario.

Racing Dominance

by Tammy

Was it boring when Michael Schumacher was winning? Because I have to tell you, I'm finding Formula 1 so boring these days I can't even be bothered to DVR the races—I used to always DVR them and watch if the reports were of a good race, but "the exciting battle for 5th" doesn't count.

Partly, I assume, it's a matter of whether I like the driver or not. Take Jimmie Johnson. I tend to like him, so I'm glad to see him winning ... then again, it was less liking than awe and respect when he was steamrolling the competition to five consecutive championships. The last one and this year have been different, more clutch performances. Down to the wire.

But I just can't get excited about Vettel. Is it that he's cold, aloof, reserved? Is it that he's kind of a brat? I figure he's outgrown that by now, but I'm still not warming to him.

I think my problem is the combination of open-wheel cars, fragile cars, no refueling strategy, and then the dominance of one specific driver that means I just don't engage. If I'd been a lifelong viewer perhaps—then again, a friend of mine who's a lifelong viewer isn't watching the end of this season anyway.

I caught a tweet today where someone blamed Jimmie's dominance for NASCAR's viewer woes. But I don't think it's entirely on his shoulders. After all, he's not dominating this season, and someone else won last year. Plus, plenty of other racing series (hello, IndyCar) have seen declining viewership and attendance numbers, so I'd be more inclined to blame the economy and strange broadcast channels (who else misses SPEED?).

But I want to know what you think? Is it boring when a driver or team dominates a particular series? Or just when it's a driver you don't like?

And do you think Jimmie will take it this year?

Saw the Movie

by Tammy

This weekend, I got myself out to see Ron Howard’s new movie, Rush, about the epic (yes, really) competition between James Hunt and Niki Lauda in the 1976 season of Formula 1. And I have to say, it’s fantastic.

I make no secret of the fact that it’s the stories of the racing world that fascinate me, more than the technology or the cars or the speed alone. And the story of Hunt and Lauda is one for the ages. While in real life they didn’t have quite the enmity portrayed in the movie, they certainly were opposites off-track who pushed each other to great feats of daring on-track.

The movie does a few things very well, in my opinion.

First, the opening montage of the start of the German Grand Prix in 1976 is just the tiniest bit overwhelming and scary with its quick cuts showing the explosion of noise and metal parts as the cars race off the line. For me, that correctly set the expectation, which then informed how I viewed the racing in the movie, that those cars were borderline out-of-control and 100% dangerous.

Second, the movie gives a good look at the supreme highs and the deepest lows of the sport. And while I’m not sure it totally answers the question of “why on earth people are willing to die to win?” (because at that time, Formula 1 lost two drivers a year), it does portray the commitment, excitement, and passion of people who love racing—from the mechanics, to the team owners, to drivers, to fans.

Third, it’s visually gorgeous. The cars, the tracks, the beautiful people—and even the accidents—are incredibly rendered. While I caught a glimpse of a corner close-up that I could have sworn was Road Atlanta (or Lime Rock, I’m not quite sure), everything looked correct and true. But don’t believe me, take the thumbs-up from the racing world (e.g., Racer Magazine’sreview).

I think everyone should see it, because it just might go a ways toward explaining why I find racing so fascinating, insane, compelling, and entertaining. Will you go?

(image courtesy of RushMovie.com)

Which Track Next?

by Tammy

For a few minutes yesterday, we toyed with the idea of going to the Formula 1 race at Suzuka in October. That's Japan. That's the cool, figure-eight of a track that means drivers go both clockwise and counter-clockwise in the same race.

That sounds awesome.

In the end, the timing isn't going to work with some other trips planned this year (most specifically, going to the last-ever ALMS-run Petit Le Mans, the weekend after Suzuka). But looking into the possibility made me add that track and race to my racing wish list.

And it got me thinking about what tracks or events I want to get to. I know we've had this conversation before, but I've learned more, and new tracks and events have come up. So tell me the top two or three races on your wish list. Here are mine....

1. Le Mans. We're going next June to see the hoopla around the brand new Porsche LMP1 effort (and the new GT contender).
2. Indy 500. It's about time I get to this race. Not because I love ovals (you all know me better than that), but for the spectacle. It won't happen in 2014, but maybe 2015....
3. F1 at Suzuka. Partly I want to experience the track. Partly I'm intrigued about experiencing a race in a very, very polite society. And partly I want to see F1, anywhere.

Where do you want to go next?

Already Silly Season?

by Tammy

It only seems like we're part way through the Formula 1 season, but already the speculation over next year's seats is running rampant.

Let's start with what we know:

• Mark Webber is leaving Red Bull after this year to go drive the new Porsche LMP1 at Le Mans and in some endurance sportscar championship.
• Hamilton finally won a race for Mercedes, so he's probably not likely to be looking to move.
• Raikkonen actually appeared to smile on the podium this weekend, which means ... I don't know, because I'm so shocked he actually smiled.
• Grosjean gets another penalty (is he turning into the class clown?).

And then there's what's been speculated:

• Raikkonen going to Red Bull. 
• Alonso going to Red Bull (on the basis of his manager, who does represent other drivers, meeting with Red Bull). (Photo from Morio.)
• Toro Rosso teammates Ricciardo and Vergne are vying for the Red Bull seat.

The Alonso rumor seems the most unlikely to me. I mean, I can't actually imagine him ever leaving Ferrari, you know, not with all of that talk about compatible Latin temperaments.

At the same time, I don't think Kimi's going to leave Lotus now. They're doing better and better as the races wear on, and more, they just want Kimi to be Kimi. (Check out their Facebook page for the fun they have with him.)

Which leaves someone from the Toro Rosso squad. Or someone else? What other changes do you think we'll see in next year's linup? And isn't it too early to be thinking about this?!

Don't Judge a Book by Its Cover

by Tammy

It's taken me a long time to read Steve Matchett's The Mechanic's Tale: Life in the Pit-Lanes of Formula One. Not because it's a bad book—not at all. I've found the insight into the technology and work required absolutely fascinating.

Partly I stalled on the book for some weeks because, well, I'm a fiction reader first and foremost. So I was reading this one in the odd moments when I didn't need to dive into a story to be distracted from everyday stress. But also, I have to admit: I put the book away for a while because I find the cover image deeply disturbing (even though I presume there was no harm done to the man in the center of it). In the end, I simply never turned the book cover-up....

Strange, however, that I can watch videos of fatal crashes and feel sorry for the driver but not disturbed, and yet that cover gives me the shudders. I guess fire freaks me out the most.

Cover aside, though, I definitely recommend the book for a really interesting look at Formula One in the early- to mid-1990s, and for the first years of Michael Schumacher in the series. Matchett does like a good digression—as anyone who hears him on F1 coverage will already be aware—but he's a good narrator of his experiences, and the anecdotes of problems, frustrations, and successes are interesting.

Plus, for someone like me who doesn't have the long history of following F1, the book offers up an excellent slice of history.

Has anyone else read this or his first book Life in the Fast Lane? Any other good books on the history of F1 that you'd recommend?

Checking In On Formula 1

by Tammy

I haven't been watching F1 much this year, I'll admit. But it seems like there's been a bunch of improvement. Would you all agree?

I mean, some things remain the same. Vettel has won a bunch of races (which just makes me go "meh"). Alonso is always up there. Kimi is pretty consistently around, and Hamilton, despite all predictions to the contrary, is consistently doing better than many might have expected.

But there's a bit of unpredictability too, right? Rosberg winning. The possibility of Kimi cracking a smile. How Massa will wreck this weekend. And you can't get more crazy-pants, "what will he do next" than Sergio Perez, right?

Sure, plenty of that's harsh, because I couldn't do what they're doing. But the problem is, I'm reduced to looking to the personalities to provide the weekend's excitement. That's still not cutting it for me. The racing just isn't as fun, for all that it's the most technologically advanced. Who's with me? (Yes, I'm in a missing-my-sportscar-racing funk. Hurry up, Le Mans!)

I will say, I've been enjoying the broadcasts, in part because of my old friend, Leigh Diffey (well, we used to be acquaintances). I appreciate that they sent the full on-air team to Monaco, for instance. And while I always liked Bob Varsha, I like Leigh's enthusiasm. So there's a bright spot.

What are you all thinking about F1 this year? What racing are you enjoying more/most?

The Head Troll

by Tammy

Here's what I've been thinking about this week ... and I know I've covered this topic before, but fresh fodder  has me scratching my head again and wondering, "How does this guy pull it off?"

I'm talking about Bernie Ecclestone, of course, the head supremo and dictator (can't call him benevolent, except perhaps to Vettel) of Formula 1.

An article popped up on Sunday on Racer's site about how F1 drivers now face a longer walk in the paddock thanks to Bernie: F1 Paddock Set for Motorhome Mix-Up. The short version: Bernie ordered team motorhomes to be arranged differently in the paddock, forcing drivers to traverse a longer distance between their team hospitality setups and garages. On one hand, I can't argue with what seems to be a means of making the drivers more accessible (though to whom? media? who else is allowed into that rarefied area?). On the other, I wondered why this is news. Though the last line of the report does hint at the reporter's own thoughts on the situation ... "forcing drivers and team personnel to walk further and face more interaction with each other and paddock members."

Indeed. As they should.

But the prize of the week was the article on Jalopnik, and really, I want to make sure none of you miss it. It's The Hater's Guide to F1 Supremo Bernie Ecclestone, and it reminds us of these gems of Bernie's:

Bernie on Danica: "You know I've got one of those wonderful ideas ... women should be dressed in white like all the other domestic appliances."

Bernie on Hitler: "... apart from the fact that Hitler got taken away and persuaded to do things that I have no idea whether he wanted to do or not, he was in the way that he could command a lot of people, able to get things done."

Bernie's 82 and currently involved in a bribery suit that could land him in jail (it goes to trial in October). Either way he won't be around forever. I wonder the same thing the author of the article does: what will happen to F1 when he's gone?

What do you all predict?

Let the Racing Begin

by Tammy

I know, some of you will argue the racing year has begun already. I could argue that myself, having attended the first race of the year. But it feels like so long ago now that I was in Daytona for the 24 Hours. And NASCAR hasn't done much for me lately.


But next weekend ... it really begins.

Saturday at 10:45 a.m. Eastern the green flag will fly on one of the world's best endurance races: the 12 Hours of Sebring (poster image from sebringraceway.com). I estimate about an hour and fifteen minute break before coverage of the Formula One opener begins, live from Australia. 

Once you sleep off your racing coma and get a couple work days in ... the next weekend brings you the second F1 race of the year, from Malaysia (home of the afternoon typhoons that always seem to impact the racing), and on Sunday, the first IndyCar race of the year from St. Pete.

Racing is finally back!!

I've got a sportscar racing bias, right? So I'll tell you what I'm looking forward to: the all-out battle for the last American Le Mans Series title. I'd love to see Dyson get it, for their hard work, commitment, and longevity. And I'd love to see Corvette Racing repeat. It'll also be interesting to see how various teams and suppliers start positioning themselves for 2014's combined sportscar series. (Stay tuned this Thursday for the announcement of the new Series name....)

On the IndyCar side, I'm more curious to see how fans react to the seemingly ongoing chaos that is Series leadership—though, as always, props to Beaux in the booth.

In F1? Well, I'll be mighty interested to see how Hamilton's going to fare with his new team. Was his move the mistake many (including me) thought it? Will he have the pace to play with the leaders? Will we see anyone but Vettel and Alonso at the top of the boards this year?

Anyone have any opinions, predictions, or different hopes? Bring it on, 2013, we're ready for you!

Wrapping Up Our Predictions

by Tammy

Early in the year, Simon and I set out our picks for who we thought would win season championships in various series. Along the way, a couple friends jumped in with their picks. I figured it's time to see how good we were at telling the future ... though let's just say, none of us should quit our day jobs.

Formula 1 Driver

SIMON: Jenson Button

TAMMY: Lewis Hamilton
RICK HUNT: Jenson Button
RICK HELMS: Sebastian Vettel

Verdict? Rick Helms pulls this one off, while Tammy and Simon/Rick Hunt are almost in a dead heat (2 points apart) for the McLaren drivers. 

Formula 1 Manufacturer

SIMON: Red Bull

TAMMY: McLaren

RICK HUNT: McLaren
RICK HELMS: Red Bull

Verdict?Simon and Rick Helms correctly pick Red Bull. Hey, at least Ferrari didn't win, right?

IndyCar Driver

SIMON: Dario Franchitti

TAMMY: Will Power

RICK HUNT: Will Power
RICK HELMS: Scott Dixon

Verdict? None of us picked the ultimate champion, Ryan Hunter-Reay, but Tammy and Rick Hunt got closest with Will Power.

IndyCar Team

SIMON: Chip Ganassi

TAMMY: Penske (gotta go with the combo of Power, Castroneves, and Brisco)

RICK HUNT: Penske
RICK HELMS: Ganassi

Verdict? Tammy and Rick Hunt again; Penske drivers had a 422-point average to Ganassi's 348.

ALMS GT Driver

SIMON: Jan Magnussen (b/c I raced against him--once)

TAMMY: Patrick Long (maybe that's just hope)

RICK HUNT: Joey Hand
RICK HELMS: --------

Verdict? Simon comes the closest, with Jan Magnussen, who finished third in the GT drivers' ranks.

ALMS GT Team

SIMON: Paul Miller Racing

TAMMY: Corvette Racing!

RICK HUNT: Team RLL BMW
RICK HELMS: --------

Verdict? Corvette Racing, all the way! It was their year.

NASCAR Cup Driver

SIMON: Jeff Gordon (he's a local boy)

TAMMY: Carl Edwards (honestly, the bigger question is if Junior will win a race this year)

RICK HUNT: Jimmie Johnson
RICK HELMS: Greg Biffle

Verdict? Tammy fail. What happened to Carl this year, honestly? Jimmie, Biffle, and Gordon were all in the Chase with a chance. Kudos to Rick Hunt for the call (at least Rick Helms got his ABJJ result ... Anyone But Jimmie Johnson). (Photo from @keselowski.)

NASCAR Cup Team

SIMON: Chip Ganassi

TAMMY: Hendrick Motorsport
RICK HUNT: Hendrick Motorsport
RICK HELMS: Hendrick Motorsport

Verdict? Hendrick swept the board, placing all four of its drivers in the Chase, compared to neither of Ganassi's two. But we do have to give Montoya the moment of the year, however, for his wreck with the jet dryer back in February....


OVERALL TALLY? Tammy and Rick Hunt picked 4 winners correctly, Rick Helms picked 3, and Simon picked two. None of us should quit our day jobs.... Thanks for participating, all of you! Everyone start considering your picks for next year.

Win, Fail, and WTF?

by Tammy

Let's evaluate the racing weekend, shall we?

Formula 1: By all accounts, the U.S. Formula 1 race made a good showing this weekend. Consider: drivers seemed to like the track, fans packed the stands, and (gasp!) there was even a thrilling, on-track pass for the race win. (So the traffic in and out of the Circuit of the Americas was a drag ... we didn't experience that watching on television.) The results of this race even set up the last F1 race of the season as the championship decider. Bottom line: not just another boring F1 go-round. And in a good timezone for us to watch!
Score for F1 in the U.S. again? WIN

NASCAR: Jimmie was leading, Brad was mid-pack. One ahead in the Chase standings, then the other, then a tie. One hundred laps to go, and Jimmie stops for gas, guaranteeing he can get to the end with only one more stop. Brad doesn't stop, no one's sure he can save enough fuel to do a one-stop. Sixty-two laps to the end, Brad runs out of fuel, makes it to the pits, rejoins in 24th place (too low to secure the title). Fifty laps to go: horrors, Jimmie's crew misses a lug nut, he has to return to the pits, and he rejoins a lap down, 29th place. He seems out of it, but anything can happen in 49 laps, 48 laps....

And then something broke in the back of Jimmie's car, and they went to the garage. Day done. Season done.  Not the way anyone wanted to see them end. But as long as Brad can get his car around to the checkers (which he does), he's the champion. Everyone's happy for Roger Penske who wins (unbelievably) only his first NASCAR championship. Jimmie is classy in defeat in the media center, Brad is classy in the championship circle. Even Jeff "Mr. Retaliation" Gordon, who wins the race, is classy in the winner's circle.
Score for Penske: WIN
Score for Keselowski as Champ: WIN
Score for how Jimmie lost: FAIL

Hats: Rick Hendrick and Roger Penske reportedly swapped hats in the championship winner's circle when Hendrick (losing car owner) went to congratulate Penske (this apparently has history for the two men). And then there were the podium hats in Austin (seen on Hamilton, the race winner, to the right). Clever? Perhaps. But ... let's just say, once seen, can't ever be unseen.
Score for Hendrick/Penske hat swap: WIN
Score for one-of-a-kind Pirelli cowboy hats: WTF?

What do you all think? Do you agree? Do you want one of those cowboy hats?

Big Weekend Ahead

TAMMY: Two huge events in the racing world this weekend. Not only does Formula One returns to the United States, but also, NASCAR will crown a new champion. The question is, which one is bigger?

I'm voting the NASCAR champion, because of who it could possibly be. It's come down to Jimmie Johnston trying for a sixth championship ... though after a blown tire and a wall-slap last weekend, he doesn't have much choice of beating the frontrunner. That is, if Brad Keselowski can pull together a decent finish.

What I think is earth-shaking about Keselowski possibly winning the championship is that he represents the next generation of NASCAR. He's 28, and an avid Twitterer (@keselowski). He has been a brash, crazy rookie and newbie in the sport, but he's shown real maturity, especially this year. And talent, of course. But he's also captured everyone's imagination by tweeting from the car during red flags. Like the one last weekend (at right). And of course, the infamous red flag back at the Daytona 500, when Juan Pablo Montoya turned a jet dryer into a fireball.

So what will be more significant this weekend, NASCAR or the return of the lifestyles-of-the-rich-and-famous-racers show? NASCAR, because we'll either have a champion who's won six times in the past seven years, or we'll have a first-timer who reaches out to NASCAR fans in a way no other driver has.

But don't get me wrong, I'll be watching both.... What's your vote, Simon?

SIMON: Personally, I'll be watching F1. Don't think it'll be the bigger event, but it'll be the 1st time F1 will race on a proper race track since Watkins Glen. Since '81, F1 has arsed about on makeshift circuits (and parking lots if you consider the Vegas Grand Prix). Even Indy Speedway GP was a half-hearted attempt at a real track when they modified the infield. I hope Austin pulls this off because like I mentioned a few months ago, that F1 needs to race in countries where there's a racing culture and the US has it. I hope F1 remains in the US, so I'm rooting for it. I still question the need for a new track when the US has some established circuits that would make for a great F1 race.

TAMMY: Well, I agree that F1 could have run any number of great tracks that already existed in the U.S., but would that really have fed Bernie's ego the same way? But that's another post....

What about the rest of you, what will you be watching this weekend?

Appreciating The Iceman

by Tammy

I admit it, I used to think Kimi Raikkonen was a bit of a putz. No expression changes, ever. Seemingly bored by the whole Formula 1 thing, as proved by the fact that he ditched it to go rallying for a couple years (well, OK, he didn't get the contract he wanted, I assume). I mean, of course he could drive (and he wasn't as annoying as Alonso), but I didn't really care about him. But honestly? I've really enjoyed his return this year.

Why is that? I think it's simply that the audience has been having more fun with him. Because clearly, he hasn't changed at all....

Maybe it's that his new team, Lotus, is having fun with him (check out the Lotus F1 Team Facebook page for the evidence).

But the turning point for me was the radio transmissions from his winning run in Abu Dhabi, when he responded to his crew chief giving him updates with, "Leave me alone, I know what I'm doing," and later, to a reminder to save the tires with, "Yes, yes, yes, yes. I'm doing it all the time. You don't have to remind me every second." (Link to actual transmissions.)

But under that stoic face, he's got a sense of humor. BBC Sport reports that Kimi had 500 tee-shirts bearing the quote "Leave me alone, I know what I'm doing" delivered to his team. Further, he commented, "It's not the first time, and it's not the last. It's just a normal thing. People will probably try to make a big story out of it, but it happens every weekend."

So I say, let Kimi be Kimi, and enjoy him. And if you want to buy one of those tee-shirts, go "like" the image (also shown here) on the Lotus F1 Team page and maybe they'll produce and sell you one....

What do you think? Want a tee-shirt? Love or hate Kimi?

My Dream Ride

by Tammy

I've found the perfect Christmas gift (for me). Simon, are you listening?

We all know that the new Circuit of the Americas track will host its first race in two weeks when Formula 1 comes back to the United States. (We know this, right?) I won't be there, alas, because I'm slaving away over my next book. I know plenty of people who will be, and I'm sure I'll get there sometime in the next couple years, whether it's to see F1 or the ALMS next year.

But really, I want to get there for an entirely different purpose: a ride-along in an old Jordan F1 car. Yep, for the bargain (gulp) price of $999, you can take a few karting laps (to get used to the cornering forces, apparently), and then get a 2-3 lap ridealong in a modified F1 car, driven by a pro. Courtesy of Formula GP Experience (image from that site.)

Didier Theys is the champion driver figurehead for the product, and there are a few recognizable motorsports players also involved, such as Conquest Racing (an ALMS P2 team). I figure this is as close as I'll ever get to driving an F1 car. It's research, right??

Who's with me?

When to Retire?

TAMMY: The sound of weeping you heard last week was because Michael Schumacher announced his retirement, for the second time, from Formula 1. And many F1 fans were sad.

Me? I say, "meh." I mean, one of the greatest F1 drivers of all time? Sure. More championships than anyone? Undeniable. Iconic to see him driving in person? Absolutely. But did I ever think he'd do anything with this comeback? Nope.

One name for you: Michael Jordan. I just don't think an athlete can retire near the end of his likely career, take a break for a couple years, then come back and enjoy the same level of success. The sport passes him by. The cars changed, in Schumi's case. I mean, great, if you just want to be out there competing, good for you. But I didn't honestly think he'd ever win again.

And so I have more good to say about someone like Reubens Barrichello, who took his forced retirement from F1 (he didn't get a ride with a team) in stride and went to race elsewhere. He's still practicing his skills, learning new cars and tracks, and having a great time by all accounts.

Basically, I believe a champion athlete that goes out at the top of his game will want to come back, which won't work out well for him (or her, I don't judge). I think it's more rational for those in whom the competitive fires burn so fiercely to keep racing, wherever they can, until they've exhausted all opportunities. Then again, where could Schumi have gone from the top of F1? Maybe nowhere.

What do you think, Simon? Should they go out while they're on top or stick around and fade away slowly?

SIMON: With all that Schumacher had achieved, I didn’t understand why he came back. He would be only diluting his record. But I do understand the reasoning. He’d said he wanted to help develop an F1 car for Mercedes and I get that. Mercedes have been supporting his career since his F3 days and he never got to drive for his sponsor. So from that perspective, it makes sense.

But to answer your question, Tam Tam, I think it’s always best to check out at the top. You never want to be that guy who can’t walk away—the sporting equivalent of the old guy in the night club.

Retirement doesn’t mean you have to leave the sport. You just find a new challenge. Look at Denny Hulme. He was racing Touring Cars in Australia until he died and was still competitive. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Schumacher racing in the DTM in the next year.

TAMMY: I don't disagree that one should go out on top ... but when they do, they seem to return and not be able to recapture lost glory. Anyone else with me? Anyone disagree?

Also-rans

SIMON: There's an interesting piece in Autosport this week about the lesser teams in F1 and their lack of progress.  Specifically, after millions of dollars, thousands of miles and hundreds of races, some teams have yet to register a championship point or show an inkling of improvement.  The point of the article was that if these teams aren’t improving, shouldn’t they cut their losses and stop and leave the racing to the competitive teams.

Having attended some Grand Prix where teams’ cars and engines are so off the pace it wasn’t funny, I understood the sentiment, but I thought the point was a little harsh.  I’m sure the teams at the back of the grid are trying just as hard as those at the front and you never know if one of these teams will come up with the next big design development.  Also no team stays at the top forever.  Look at Tyrell, Lotus (and I mean original Lotus and not rebadged Lotus) and even Ferrari.  These guys have seen their star rise then fall and rise again in Ferrari’s case.  Williams is a good case, a contender for twenty years and now a pack runner.  But there's the reverse also.  Braun (now Mercedes) and Red Bull didn’t exist a decade ago and now look at them.  So you never know when an also-ran could become the team to beat.

I suppose the two main issues I have with the article’s point are: I don’t like anyone pissing on someone’s dreams and aspirations irrespective of their chances and the idea of a grid limited to the top 5 best teams would make the sport very dull.

I know this point can be aimed at all motorsport.  There are teams in Indy, Nascar, etc. that just don’t seem to have it, so should they give up. What's your feeling, Tammy? 

TAMMY: I disagree with that article entirely, for a number of reasons. 

First, I agree with you, Simon, that any series with only "the competitive teams" racing would be dull. To begin with, there might be only six cars on the grid, instead of 30. Who wants to watch that?

Second, who's to say where "competitive" starts and ends? Just the podium? Just in the points? Certainly you can look at F1 and say Ferrari is competitive and Marussia is not, but where do you draw the line? Pastor Maldonado has only scored points in two races for Williams (I think), but one of those was a win. Otherwise, in the other 15 races or so, he's been lower than 10th. Is he uncompetitive?

Third, any team and driver that can make it to the F1 grid and run whatever percent of ultimate race-pace, as well as not completely screw things up for the other drivers on the road ... well, I think they deserve to be there. Make no mistake, they wouldn't be there if the drivers weren't at least baseline capable and the cars couldn't go fast and stick together for the required duration. Once you've reached that summit of racing (I also mean Indy, NASCAR, ALMS, etc.), it's nitpicking to call some competitive and some not.

Fourth, part of racing is dealing with the rest of the field, coping with the slower car that you have to get around, and overcoming--or losing with grace to--the perennial backmarker that has the race of his life. Racing isn't a car against the clock. It's against a field of different abilities (drivers) and capabilities (cars/engineering). Sure, sometimes I want the BMWs or Ferraris to get out of the Corvettes' way in the ALMS, so my favorites can win. But that wouldn't be racing.

What do the rest of you think? Should the "uncompetitive" ones not be in the race?

Big Shots Versus Poor Relations

by Tammy

Will Buxton, SPEED Channel's pit-lane reporter for Formula 1, posted a blog last week about the experience he had visiting the IndyCar race in Sonoma, CA, the other weekend. (Read the post.) To paraphrase, he loved it. 

Now, you have to figure that WillB (I hope he doesn't mind me calling him that) had the best treatment possible--access to all drivers, owners, bigwigs. But even so, he spent part of the race in the stands and he visited the fan zone. One of his comments is this: "It really feels like a community, not just between the teams, drivers, and media, but among the fans too." Then he says this: "The simple fact is, Indycar works. It works because it is fun. It works because it understand how racing should be and what the fans should get for the price of their ticket." 
I have two points to make about this: 

1. His post confirms my growing impression of Formula 1. Sure, it's technologically advanced and impressive, and the biggest, most everything. But it takes itself pretty seriously. Pretentiously. It doesn't seem like much fun. WillB doesn't say this explicitly, just implicitly.
2. I think that IndyCar v. F1 is a lot like ALMS v. NASCAR. One side of that equation seems bigger, cooler, more, and the other seems like the poor relation. But the poor relations in these cases give you a better experience and more access to the action. 

I know I've been spoiled by my experiences with the ALMS and the access I have there. In part, I've resisted attending more NASCAR races (only been to one) or any F1 races (not that any have been nearby), because I know I'm used to a lot of access, and I won't have that with NASCAR or F1. But I'm beginning to suspect I just won't enjoy them the same, with or without the access. 

So for everyone out there who loves watching live racing, I'm going to encourage you to go see the "poor relations." I'm talking about the ALMS and IndyCar, but also Grand-Am, World Challenge, Indy Lights (or whatever they call it now), SCCA weekends, historic races, or whatever. Sure, the lure of the money and the stars is appealing. But if you like to watch racing, there are plenty of places to get right up next to the action.

The Appeal of Danger

TAMMY: Simon mentioned hearing that Junior Johnson has said racing should be more dangerous. That it shouldn't get too pedestrian. Make it a driver sport, not a technological masterpiece.

I thought about this comment this week when a video of Jeremy Foley and his co-driver rolling down the side of Pike's Peak during the hillclimb made the front page of CNN.com after making the rounds on Facebook and racing sites.



Apparently, they're OK. So, do people want danger in their racing? I think they do, at least a little. Do I? I admit to being fascinated by the wrecks, though I don't honestly ever sit there and hope for them.

Why do we want danger? I think it reminds us that what those drivers are doing is hard. It makes them heroes when they succeed, and makes us glad it's not us crashing. Of course, we all want the danger right up until someone dies....

But I agree with Junior Johnson. I enjoy watching NASCAR more than I enjoy watching Formula 1. It's not that the F1 drivers aren't working hard or fantastic at their jobs. But the cars are such technological marvels it's hard to see what the drivers are doing. And I guess I like a little rubbin' with my racin'.

What do you think, Obi Wan?

SIMON: I came across Junior Johnson's comments in Sports Illustrated (not the swimsuit issue). I don't think he was highlighting the danger as such, but more that he wanted to see more driver skill and less chassis design.

I suppose Junior's point is the best driver should win and not the best team of engineers. That's where it gets tough for F1. Operating a modern F1 car makes my brain hurt because it's so complicated, but the drivers seem to make it look easy (the bastards). But as much Junior laments the olden days, I don't think there's ever been a time where a competitive edge didn't come from car design to assist the driver.  Sorry Junior.

However danger is part of racing.  It's a risk vs. reward thing.  How close can a driver take a car and essentially get away with not ending up in a wreck. I think the creepiest thing a spectator at a race track ever asked me was "do you think we'll see someone die today?" Yes, danger is a part of the equation, but it's a small part.  You know there's danger, you accept the danger, but the thrill and excitement comes from the competition and defying the risk to find the limits of a vehicle.

That's us, but what do you all think--how much danger should be in motorsport?

Formula One in 1961

by Tammy

I've mentioned before that I'm relatively new to auto racing, so I'm still learning about its history. The more I learn, the more I am both intrigued and appalled at the men (some women, but not mentioned much, aside from my favorite, Denise McCluggage) who risked their lives in the early days of the sport. (Yes, they risk their lives even today, but to a degree that's orders of magnitude smaller.)

The Limit: Life and Death on the 1961 Grand Prix Circuit, by Michael Cannell, is a great book that provides a window into the psyches of the drivers who were involved. He is especially fascinated with American Phil Hill, who was a nervous, reluctant racer at first (and perhaps throughout), but who was compelled to race in spite of his understanding and fear of all that could go wrong. His Formula One championship went down in the racing world as sort of an afterthought to the toll of deaths that season, culminating in the death of title rival and Ferrari teammate Wolfgang von Trips in the final (championship-determining) race of the 1961 season.

The information that left me gasping at the start of the book was that by some calculations, racing drivers had only about a 33% survival rate in those days, which were right before the advent of seatbelts and other useful safety equipment.

I'm clearly a student of the current-day racecar driver, especially what motivates him or her to do what they do, in spite of risks and danger. Cannell's book gave me outstanding historical perspective on how far the sport (and risks) have come. I highly recommend it.