...so drama in Texas may kill the return of a Formula 1 United States Grand Prix in 2012. Was it triggered by the New Jersey announcement, delays in decision making, disagreements in negotiations? Does it really matter? Where Formula 1 is involved, these sorts of disagreements usually don't end well for the facility management. F1 has money, leadership that surpasses even Bruton Smith in sheer stubbornness, and the ability to be even more frustrating at times than NASCAR leadership at its worst.
The facility currently on hold in Austin (Circuit of the Americas) was designed specifically for F1, although both MotoGP and V8 Supercars are also scheduled to race there (both premier series in their respective markets, of which the US is not part of anymore than it is currently part of F1's).
We'll have to see how this plays out, whether it's 2012, 2013, or a big gravel pit in South Texas while the real racing goes on in New Jersey (?)
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Friday, November 11, 2011
Rowdy, part deux
So M&Ms is gone off the #18 (at least for the next two races), but Kyle Busch remains... It's probably about the best anyone could hope for, given the circumstances, and hopefully it's the triumph of cooler heads prevailing.
Whether Busch truly is repentant or not is less relevant than whether he reins in his reactions and plays within the accepted constraints. The current stage is set for "one more last chance," that all involved, including Ron Hornaday, Jr. (the recipient of the intentional crash that spawned all this) is willing to offer.
As an American, Busch can express himself however he wants; as a NASCAR driver, he needs to keep his emotions from wrecking his career. Joe Gibbs Racing's faced some PR challenges before in their drivers (as described previously), and they'll manage this one... Here's hoping Kyle Busch doesn't force them to handle any additional ones; else he might finally find himself out of rope.
Whether Busch truly is repentant or not is less relevant than whether he reins in his reactions and plays within the accepted constraints. The current stage is set for "one more last chance," that all involved, including Ron Hornaday, Jr. (the recipient of the intentional crash that spawned all this) is willing to offer.
As an American, Busch can express himself however he wants; as a NASCAR driver, he needs to keep his emotions from wrecking his career. Joe Gibbs Racing's faced some PR challenges before in their drivers (as described previously), and they'll manage this one... Here's hoping Kyle Busch doesn't force them to handle any additional ones; else he might finally find himself out of rope.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Has Rowdy gone too far?
It's no real surprise that Kyle Busch got parked for last weekend's Nationwide and Cup races after intentionally (and brutally) wrecking one of the championship contenders in the Truck series race. "Have at it, boys" has to have limits, even in the mercurial world of NASCAR.
In order to rank the 'slap on a wrist' that Carl Edwards got after putting Keselowski into the fence at 'Dega, he have had to had a relatively clean slate for the year; he doesn't. Kyle's been facing both NASCAR and legal probation for various acts of stupidity. Hey, stupidity happens to the best of us, but that doesn't keep it from piling up, and when it does, the consequences aren't pretty.
Based on some reports, it might cost Rowdy, perhaps the single best raw talent in NASCAR right now, his ride. NASCAR is very, very sponsor-driven (ask David Ragan and David Reutimann about that), and when your sponsors are looking to replace you, that means so is the team owner.
Even when the team owners are Joe Gibbs and his son JD, and your team is recognized for its handling of the occasional trouble-maker (e.g., Tony Stewart, and yes, even Denny Hamlin, who has been requested by the #18's Nationwide sponsor to replace Busch in the car). Busch's string of inappropriate behavior has now surpassed both Tony Stewart and Kevin Harvick, and perhaps even Robby Gordon, all well-known troublemakers for the NASCAR officials and administration at some point in their careers.
NASCAR is a professional sport, with standards for professionalism (even if those standards are at times a bit hazy to the average spectator). It's a privilege to race in the national series, and although NASCAR seems to have dished its punishment, it looks like not everyone involved is quite so forgiving this time around.
In order to rank the 'slap on a wrist' that Carl Edwards got after putting Keselowski into the fence at 'Dega, he have had to had a relatively clean slate for the year; he doesn't. Kyle's been facing both NASCAR and legal probation for various acts of stupidity. Hey, stupidity happens to the best of us, but that doesn't keep it from piling up, and when it does, the consequences aren't pretty.
Based on some reports, it might cost Rowdy, perhaps the single best raw talent in NASCAR right now, his ride. NASCAR is very, very sponsor-driven (ask David Ragan and David Reutimann about that), and when your sponsors are looking to replace you, that means so is the team owner.
Even when the team owners are Joe Gibbs and his son JD, and your team is recognized for its handling of the occasional trouble-maker (e.g., Tony Stewart, and yes, even Denny Hamlin, who has been requested by the #18's Nationwide sponsor to replace Busch in the car). Busch's string of inappropriate behavior has now surpassed both Tony Stewart and Kevin Harvick, and perhaps even Robby Gordon, all well-known troublemakers for the NASCAR officials and administration at some point in their careers.
NASCAR is a professional sport, with standards for professionalism (even if those standards are at times a bit hazy to the average spectator). It's a privilege to race in the national series, and although NASCAR seems to have dished its punishment, it looks like not everyone involved is quite so forgiving this time around.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
It's baaaaaaaack...
...Formula 1 racing in the United States, that is.
There's been talk for a while about F1 in Austin, TX, at the new Circuit of the Americas (which still has what looks to be an awesome Turn 1, but anyway).
Now, F1 in New Jersey starting in 2013... Comparisons made to Spa-Francochamps (Belgium), although the local leadership apparently wants to put people more in the mind of Monaco with a city course (and based on quotes from said leadership). But then, I suspect the references to the premier city course in the world (sorry, St. Petersburg, FL) are more to distinguish it from driving the Jersey Turnpike than anything.
Two major races in a country that hasn't really been motivated to support one in decades, in a ridiculously expensive and technical sport. This could be interesting to watch.
There's been talk for a while about F1 in Austin, TX, at the new Circuit of the Americas (which still has what looks to be an awesome Turn 1, but anyway).
Now, F1 in New Jersey starting in 2013... Comparisons made to Spa-Francochamps (Belgium), although the local leadership apparently wants to put people more in the mind of Monaco with a city course (and based on quotes from said leadership). But then, I suspect the references to the premier city course in the world (sorry, St. Petersburg, FL) are more to distinguish it from driving the Jersey Turnpike than anything.
Two major races in a country that hasn't really been motivated to support one in decades, in a ridiculously expensive and technical sport. This could be interesting to watch.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Godspeed, Dan.
I haven't posted in a while, although I've actually made some progress in weaseling my way into motorsports.
But it seems appropriate to say a bit today, after the tragedy in Las Vegas, if there are any words that truly capture it. Maybe it's just a selfish catharsis, but if so, here's hoping the Internet will indulge me, for the moment.
No matter how many safety innovations the engineers make (and trust me, they're always working toward it... Indeed, I was scheduled to attend a motorsports safety and technical conference later this year), there will always be that incident that brings reality back: Motorsports will never be entirely safe. Neither will football, or law enforcement, or any number of other fields where safety engineers and applied researchers (myself included) invest our time.
There are those who will say that Dan Wheldon knew the risks. And they would be right, as much as anyone can know the risks of any activity that s/he engages in.
Dan knew the risks, and so did all of us; the drivers, the crews, the fans, the research geeks, the engineers, and the safety and officiating personnel.
It doesn't change the fact that it's a tragedy, and a horrific loss.
No, there was nothing Dan could have done in this instance, and there was nothing that IndyCar could have done either. People (including drivers) argue that the speeds were too high; those same individuals will always want a faster car. They'll argue that the field was too large (one larger than the previous max of 33 cars, a limit set for a larger track), but no one wants to be the odd man out, and no one could question Dan's right to be there (starting last and already working his way through the field).
My opinion, for what it's worth, is that this will be to IndyCar what Dale Earnhardt's death in 2001 was for NASCAR. It has shaken the sport to its very core, and it will never be the same.
A colleague said that because this was the season-ending race, rather than the season-opener (as in 2001), that the time will give more time to recover. Perhaps, but it also gives more time for doubt and fear. My heart is broken for Dan's family, his friends, but also for the sport.
But it seems appropriate to say a bit today, after the tragedy in Las Vegas, if there are any words that truly capture it. Maybe it's just a selfish catharsis, but if so, here's hoping the Internet will indulge me, for the moment.
No matter how many safety innovations the engineers make (and trust me, they're always working toward it... Indeed, I was scheduled to attend a motorsports safety and technical conference later this year), there will always be that incident that brings reality back: Motorsports will never be entirely safe. Neither will football, or law enforcement, or any number of other fields where safety engineers and applied researchers (myself included) invest our time.
There are those who will say that Dan Wheldon knew the risks. And they would be right, as much as anyone can know the risks of any activity that s/he engages in.
Dan knew the risks, and so did all of us; the drivers, the crews, the fans, the research geeks, the engineers, and the safety and officiating personnel.
It doesn't change the fact that it's a tragedy, and a horrific loss.
No, there was nothing Dan could have done in this instance, and there was nothing that IndyCar could have done either. People (including drivers) argue that the speeds were too high; those same individuals will always want a faster car. They'll argue that the field was too large (one larger than the previous max of 33 cars, a limit set for a larger track), but no one wants to be the odd man out, and no one could question Dan's right to be there (starting last and already working his way through the field).
My opinion, for what it's worth, is that this will be to IndyCar what Dale Earnhardt's death in 2001 was for NASCAR. It has shaken the sport to its very core, and it will never be the same.
A colleague said that because this was the season-ending race, rather than the season-opener (as in 2001), that the time will give more time to recover. Perhaps, but it also gives more time for doubt and fear. My heart is broken for Dan's family, his friends, but also for the sport.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Newman wins at PIR
...and it's probably the best thing that could've happened to Stewart-Haas Racing.
No one can really doubt that Tony Stewart's going to win races. For Ryan Newman, it's been a very. long. time in making it back to Victory Lane. Making the Chase last year was great for him, and for SHR, but in the end, racing is about *winning*. As good as SHR was last year, the possibility was there for it to become a one-sided team. For his part Tony's received kudos for what's been going on since he became co-owner of the former Haas-CNC team, but having wins for both cars, and as both a driver and an owner separately as well as driver/owner... it has the potential to really take the relatively small two-car team (which yes, gets a LOT of technical support from the megateam that is Hendrick Motorsports) to the next level.
Congrats to Ryan, Smoke, Tony Gibson, the #39 crew, and also to Gene Haas, who probably didn't really anticipate this sort of thing when the idea of giving Smoke a 50% stake in his team.
No one can really doubt that Tony Stewart's going to win races. For Ryan Newman, it's been a very. long. time in making it back to Victory Lane. Making the Chase last year was great for him, and for SHR, but in the end, racing is about *winning*. As good as SHR was last year, the possibility was there for it to become a one-sided team. For his part Tony's received kudos for what's been going on since he became co-owner of the former Haas-CNC team, but having wins for both cars, and as both a driver and an owner separately as well as driver/owner... it has the potential to really take the relatively small two-car team (which yes, gets a LOT of technical support from the megateam that is Hendrick Motorsports) to the next level.
Congrats to Ryan, Smoke, Tony Gibson, the #39 crew, and also to Gene Haas, who probably didn't really anticipate this sort of thing when the idea of giving Smoke a 50% stake in his team.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
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.
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.
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