The harsh reality for the United SportsCar series and NASCAR at Indy.

By Peter M. De Lorenzo

Detroit. In last week's column I delineated the various problems facing the United SportsCar racing series due to a wide variety of startup issues, the undeniable culture clashes that are sure to arise, and of course the problematic class structure that seems to be based on accommodating Grand-Am's classes rather than promotiong the best racing, etc., etc. Even though the new racing entity insists this is all going to work just fine, we should all be prepared that this process will take a good 30 months to sort itself out before we get a true picture of what we'll end up with.

In thinking further about the future of this series, it's clear to me that the whole idea of sustaining the prototype classes - especially propping up the Daytona Prototype category - is not only a fool's errand but a burgeoning blown opportunity. I'm all for prototype machines, don't get me wrong, but this unified series is going to be really up against it in trying to sell competitors - and road racing fans - on the future of prototype competition.

The series proponents talk about car counts and the importance of maintaining the class structures, but the reality is that the true action has been and will continue to be in the GT class. The powers that be in this new racing entity have a giant opportunity staring them right in the face with this new series, and that is that they have the ability and the wherewithal to create a nationally-focused GT series that can involve almost every manufacturer doing business in this market.

I hear constantly about the Australian V8 Supercar series and how great it is and I do enjoy watching it, but the problem is the lack of diversity in that series. It's spec racing with an Australian accent, plain and simple. The United SportsCar racing series has a tremendous opportunity to present a national GT racing series that even the most casual spectator can relate to, one that presents an incredibly diverse lineup of production-based GT cars and the best on-track action that road racing can muster.

It is clear to me that with key prototype teams seeking greener pastures - whether it's to INDYCAR or even exploring opportunities in the GT class itself (look for a major defection by a current high-visibility prototype team to GT), United SportsCar will have its hands full trying to keep the efficacy of the prototype classes intact.

As I've stated many times previously, the connection to the 24 Hours of Le Mans is key for this new series, but the United SportsCar brain trust needs to be mindful of what will sell in this region, and a handful of prototypes isn't going to cut it.

Watching major automobile manufacturers in a titanic struggle for overall superiority at Le Mans is always entertaining and I anticipate the looming clash between Audi and Porsche next June at the world's greatest sports car race to be everything we all expect it to be. But the harsh reality for the United SportsCar racing series is that the titanic struggle at Le Mans between major manufacturers at the prototype level cannot be replicated here. And given that, the opportunity to create a major league GT racing series in this country seems to be an excellent way to go for the United SportsCar racing series.

Is it likely to happen? In a word, no.

NASCAR has too much invested in the Daytona Prototype class and will make damn sure they're not only present and accounted for in the USC series, but they will do whatever it takes to dumb down the P2 class enough so that the DPs will be competitive. Don't be surprised if the prototype category becomes an instant afterthought with the new USC series right out of the gate, because with so much of the intense action in GT, it's almost inevitable.

And if that indeed comes to pass, it will be a giant blown opportunity for major league road racing in this country, yet again.


Local boys triumph at Indy, but NASCAR has run out of excuses at The Speedway.

It was good to see Indiana boys Ryan Newman and car owner Tony Stewart celebrate their big win yesterday in The Brickyard 400, but the race itself was a snoozefest and another glaring indication to me that NASCAR's run at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway needs to be brought to a close. I've read a lot of the comments floating around the major media outlets today that are brimming with suggestions to improve the NASCAR show at Indy, including going to a night race, messing with the track to generate more passing, etc., etc., etc. But the fact of the matter remains that the novelty of having stock cars race at The Speedway has long since exceeded its "sell by" date.

NASCAR arrogance is so incredibly ingrained in everything they do that getting them to admit that they no longer belong at The Speedway racing before a depleted crowd is virtually impossible. But that's exactly what needs to happen. The idea of having stock cars running at The Speedway might have had merit for oh, say ten minutes or so, but the reality of what it has become is another thing altogether. The Brickyard 400 has morphed into an exhibition event, an excuse to watch NASCAR's top class of cars running around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with no rhyme or reason. No wonder the fan interest continues on its downward spiral.

And this is after the NASCAR trucks competed in the most talked about event in recent NASCAR history at Eldora. There was more excitement surrounding that event than the entire first half of the year. Correction, there was more excitement surrounding that event than the last five years of NASCAR combined. Why is it that everyone can see what NASCAR needs more of than the NASCAR brain trust itself? Why is it that NASCAR's death march of a schedule, the boring, repetitive racing on too many cookie-cutter tracks, the repeat visit at the same tracks within weeks of each other, the too few road races on the schedule (which is still the best racing that NASCAR can muster, by the way) - why is it that basically none of that seems to sink in to the NASCAR executive mindset?

I will tell you why. The automobile manufacturers and corporate America have become the chief enablers of the NASCAR show. As long as those respective entities continue to blindly fork over money to NASCAR with a stunning lack of due diligence and without extracting meaningful and measurable accountability, then the NASCAR brain trust will continue on its merry way. Will it last forever? Oh hell no. This latest contract embellishment with NBC Sports is another stopgap measure for the declining fortunes of NASCAR. Eventually the numbers won't lie and the realities of what these manufacturers and corporate sponsors are getting in terms of ROI will cease making sense. And then in typical fashion, NASCAR will scramble to demonstrate its relevance.

We've seen this before, actually, most recently with the much ballyhooed "Gen 6" cars. NASCAR touts them as an example of its visionary brilliance, when in reality the cars were a direct reaction to the auto manufacturers threatening NASCAR with retribution if they didn't get rid of the dreaded CoT.

And so it goes.

Oh and one more thing? This business about the number of wins at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway being bandied about in the media is patently absurd and it pisses me off. Mentioning Michael Schumacher's five wins at Indy and bringing up that Jimmie Johnson had an opportunity to get five wins at The Speedway should never be mentioned in the same breath as A.J. Foyt, Al Unser or Rick Mears and their four wins each in the Indianapolis 500. There is no connection to what those drivers achieved in the Indianapolis 500 and what has happened with the experiment with F1 and with NASCAR at The Speedway whatsoever. None.

I'm glad Jeff Gordon and others are consistent with separating the Indianapolis 500 from everything else that happens at The Speedway.

It's simply the way it should be.

(Editor's Note: See more coverage from Indy in The Line. - WG)


Publisher's Note: As part of our continuing series celebrating the "Glory Days" of racing, we're proud to present another noteworthy image from the Ford Racing Archives. - PMD

(Photo courtesy of the Ford Racing Archives and Wieck Media)
Indianapolis, Indiana, 1981. Johnny Rutherford at speed in his No. 1 Chaparral Cars Pennzoil Chaparral 2K-Ford Cosworth (aka the "Yellow Submarine") at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The John Barnard-designed Chaparral 2K and "Lonestar J.R" were a potent combination. Rutherford began driving the ground-effects machine for Jim Hall in the 1980 Indy car season. He won the season opener at Ontario Motor Speedway, then went on to win his third Indianapolis 500 and three other races to take the championship that year. 1981 wasn't nearly as successful for the car/driver combination, but in their brief moment at the top Jim Hall's fabulous yellow Chaparral and Rutherford made Indy car history.

Publisher's Note: Like these Ford racing photos? Check out www.fordimages.com. Be forewarned, however, because you won't be able to go there and not order something. - PMD