Taking the pulse.

By Peter M. De Lorenzo

Detroit. In reading Gordon Kirby's excellent piece about the golden era of American racing (See "The Line" - WG), it would be easy for me to echo his column because I share his thoughts and perspectives about that riveting time in motorsports history. I hesitate to say it but it was better and it was more interesting than today's racing. But I'm not going to lapse into a nostalgic soliloquy about it, because we cannot turn back the clock or flip a switch and make things instantly better today. It just doesn't work that way.

We have arrived at a point in racing that encompasses the cumulative experiences and technological developments that mirror where our society is as a whole. Racing doesn't exist in a vacuum and the unbridled, upward trajectory of technology that fueled the sport to such heights in the glory days while making it so compelling is also the same technological arc that swallowed the sport whole, turning it into a game of restrictions, compromises and limits. And in looking at today's racing landscape and taking into account its history, it's easy to see how we've arrived at this point.

Formula 1 in most respects isn't what it could be, not by any stretch of the imagination in fact. For all of the absurd amounts of money spent it's still an orchestrated dance that's charted out to the last painfully overwrought detail. The way the powers that be handle qualifying, the way they plot out the rigid weekend schedule, the way the garages must be constructed for the circus to even show up, the new but alarmingly antiseptic tracks, etc., etc.

And the result? Flat-out boredom. F1 takes great pains to purge all local character wherever they go, so as to eliminate "surprises." And we're left with a series with nosebleed budgets - albeit with a set of restrictions and limits in place on a much grander scale - but one that makes everything shockingly similar, to the point that a minute "new" aero winglet tweak merits 1000 words of copy in the fanboy media.

And IndyCar is similar in that its restrictions rule the series, but on a much more stultifying scale. With only one chassis allowed, open-wheel enthusiasts on this continent must decide which driver and engine manufacturer they want to favor, because looking for differentiation comes down to noting the different paint jobs and helmet designs.

And NASCAR? I think I've said enough in past columns but suffice to say the idea of real, substantive change has transitioned from being anathema to the powers that be in Daytona and Charlotte to one that has become almost a malicious aversion. So wasting words on it at this point would be a fool's errand. NASCAR is a business and a marketing platform, it's that simple. And it's a real tribute to the True Believers in the garage area - and the drivers - that an actual race still manages to break out once in a while.

And finally, there's the United SportsCar Championship. Lamenting the whys and wherefores of where we are with this discussion doesn't change anything either. The fact remains that major league sports car racing in North America is in the hands of people who, to put it charitably, have an "interesting" view of how races should be conducted. "Managed" competition isn't restricted to the rulebook with these folks. Instead, its part and parcel of how the racing itself is orchestrated, which is so far removed from the wishes and sensibilities of road racing enthusiasts that it doesn't even compute.

To say racing "is what it is" today and then walk away would be taking the easy way out. I still believe that there are people involved at the very highest levels of this sport who harbor genuine vision and the courage to act, push, cajole and will it to be better and more compelling.

We need those people to step up, because cookie-cutter cars with cookie-cutter rules running on cookie-cutter tracks is no way to fuel the future of the sport.

But if this sport is allowed to continue on its current path, I'm afraid it will eventually just fade from the scene altogether.

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 by Dave Friedman courtesy of the Ford Racing Archives)
Venice, California, March, 1963. Carroll Shelby poses with the three Shelby American Cobra team cars before they're loaded up for the tow to Sebring. From Carroll Shelby's Racing Cobra by Dave Friedman and John Christy: "Note the raked windshield on the No. 96 car, which though not exactly legal, improved aerodynamics. Some windshields occasionally 'slipped' into this more favorable position during the race, but fortunately returned to their original position by the finish. 'Powered by Ford' badges have now appeared on Cobra's flanks." The numbers were changed upon arrival, with the No. 96 car becoming the No. 14 driven by Dave MacDonald and NASCAR legend Fireball Roberts. The No. 98 car became the No. 15 entry with Dan Gurney and Phil Hill driving. And the No. 97 car was changed to the No. 16 driven by Ken Miles and Lew Spencer. It was a miserable learning experience for Shelby and his team as only one of the cars (the No. 15) survived, classified as finishing 29th.

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