The doomsday scenario facing Jim France.

By Peter M. De Lorenzo

Detroit. Now that the dust has begun to settle from the fiasco at the Daytona 24 Hour (Rolex24) race, it's clear that major league sports car racing in this country has gone from the frying pan into the fire. The fact remains that the amateurish (bordering on the malicious) conduct by a certain TUDOR United SportsCar race official at the end of the race (who shall remain nameless, for now), which involved needlessly extending a caution in order "to make things interesting" almost altered the finishing results in two classes, which, after 24 long and grueling hours, could have turned the outcome of the race into a complete travesty. 

Not only would this have been completely unacceptable, it would have been a giant red flag to certain manufacturers that their expanded investment in this new series was a mistake. This isn't the first time that NASCAR race-handlers have tried to affect the outcome of races through the injudicious use of cautions, and unfortunately it probably won't be the last. if you need the most recent example of this kind of glaringly offensive behavior, go back and read-up on what happened at the end of the Nationwide race at Homestead-Miami Speedway last November, when a ridiculously long 12-lap caution period - in a situation that obviously called for a red flag - prevented Sam Hornish Jr. from having a final run at the championship, while in turn securing the title for Austin Dillon. It was the most blatant and egregious example of race manipulation by NASCAR in recent memory and it left many seasoned NASCAR observers shaking their heads, while leaving one manufacturer in particular absolutely livid. And justifiably so, I might add.

Is this now the pattern we should expect going forward from the TUDOR USC? Because if it is, I can promise you that more than just a couple of the participating manufacturers will seriously reevaluate the scope of their participation. The reality for the Tudor series is that it's on a razor-sharp edge right at this very moment and it has a very narrow window of opportunity to shore-up its credibility in the face of withering criticism from within and outside the garage area. The NASCAR component of this new series has been exposed, and the fact that it's contrary to the historical spirit of major league sports car racing in this country is the understatement of this or any other year.

And all of this has become very much front and center after only one race. Some say that this organization should be given more than a one-race evaluation, but I say unmitigated bullshit to that. The people involved at the top of this racing series have been in and around racing for a long, long time, so they have no excuse. Not one. To alienate the garage area to the degree that the management team of this series has managed to do is simply unconscionable, and it's all the buzz among the competitors right at this very moment. So this isn't something that is going to go away anytime soon. 

But what options are left for the participants? Some would argue that there are no options, that now that Jim France has bought out Don Panoz and the ALMS the entire road racing community will be held hostage for eternity. Not so. Anyone who has been around this business long enough understands that things can change on a dime. If enough deep-pocketed investors - and manufacturers - become disgruntled enough, and a major sponsor can be found to underwrite a new series, the atmosphere for road racing in this country could take another even more dramatic turn. (Or, imagine a scenario where the World Challenge Series expands its scope and reach and adds classes from the USC to accommodate refugee competitors.)

But to prevent this kind of a doomsday scenario from snowballing out of control, I see only one real way out for Jim France and his new racing series. He has to hand over the reins of the competitive aspects of the series - that means anything to do with the technical specifications and the control of the racing itself - to the former ALMS operatives, because it's clear that the NASCAR contingent is utterly devoid of credibility when it comes to putting on a major league sports car race. 

The harsh reality facing Jim France is that "The NASCAR Way" really has no business being anywhere near major league sports car racing, and that "Way" and the operatives who have been trained to operate under its narrow guidelines are not only incapable of doing the job properly, they're likely to well and truly screw things up royally if they're allowed to operate with impunity. 

So, in effect, Jim France has to be satisfied that he won the war, but he needs to leave the ongoing battle to those who know how to race the right way for the overall health, well being and long-term future of the sport. Because the alternative is a giant, heaping, steaming bowl of Not Good.

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)
Mexico City, Mexico, October 23, 1966. Bruce McLaren at speed in his No. 17 Bruce Mclaren Motor Racing M2B-Ford "Indy" V8) in the Grand Prix of Mexico. McLaren, entered in a Grand Prix in the first F1 car of his own design, qualified poorly and did not finish due to engine issues, the Ford "Indy" V8 being ill-suited for that application. John Surtees (No. 7 Cooper T81/Maserati V12) sat on the pole and won that day, followed by Jack Brabham (No. 5 Brabham BT20/Repco V8) and Denny Hulme (No. 6 Brabham BT20/Repco V8). Brabham won his third and final F1 World Driving Championship that season.

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