Whoops....

I've sorta let this slip a bit, but since it's a NASCAR off-week, it's as good a time as any to look at some of the other series going on (and let the smoke and debris die down from Atlanta).

Formula 1 gets off to their start in Bahrain, as does IndyCar in Brazil. Maybe.

See, IndyCar has already had to delay qualifying because sections of the Sao Paulo course are too slick and bumpy to control the cars. Seriously... I understand that they really only had a few months to get everything ready, but a part of me still wonders why they even TRY when situations like this come up. These are safety-critical conditions, so they're not really the thing you put off until the end, and yet, it's a pretty common thing for new/revamped facilities and events to have a track or course that isn't drivable.

This. Isn't. Good. Texas was so fast a few years ago that IndyCar canceled the race. Tire issues for Michelin at Indianapolis preceded the loss of the only American Grand Prix. Now, the strengthened IndyCar circuit is hitting the streets of Sao Paulo, only to find that they can't actually drive them. Seven Brazilian drivers are in the field, so this is more than mildly embarrassing. With all the engineering and technical expertise in these sports, can we really not find some way to prepare, or at least evaluate, these courses prior to everyone arriving? Sure, once some rubber's laid down, the courses will probably come in just fine... but I seem to recall some processes for doing that that DON'T involve waiting until the last moment, even when weather comes in and wreaks havoc. There are things that can be done, and again, at least knowing what to expect BEFORE putting drivers and equipment at risk, would be nice.

But such is life. Maybe they just ran out of time in rushing to get things ready. Or maybe they never really took the concept of time seriously in making promises to the sanctioning body. But let's remember: a successful event is dependent on the quality of racing; the quality of racing is dependent on the quality of the course.