RACING TO IRRELEVANCE.

By Peter M. De Lorenzo

Detroit. "Racing in a Vacuum" is a term I coined long ago in these pages and unfortunately it resonates just as much today as when I first used it. What does it mean? It simply means that competitors in the various racing series at the top levels of the sport become so lost in the minutiae of the day-to-day inertia of what they're doing that they become inured to outside perceptions. It's completely understandable, to a degree, what with the constant thrum of procuring sponsors and the never-ending logistical challenges during a season, not to mention the competitive demands of the racing itself. It's a demanding 24/7 slog of incredible proportions, a dimension of razor-edged life that becomes almost addictive for many.

But there's a downside to all of it too. Let's take Formula 1 for instance. Amidst the constant jet-setting glamour of that particular form of global motorsport there is more focus on the venues, the money, the global TV numbers, the money (again) and whatever the "next" stop on the tour is so that the on-track product has become secondary. It was interesting to read that Sir Jackie Stewart doesn't think there's anything wrong with the sport, while Niki Lauda thinks the sport is on the edge of implosion. Stewart is a prime example of someone so immersed in it that a discouraging word doesn't resonate, while Lauda is shrewd enough to understand that what F1 is doing has reached the point of diminishing returns.

Does F1 need a new idea? Yes. Does F1 need a thorough reevaluation of everything it's doing so that the on-track product can be improved? Absolutely. Will any of this actually take place and if so, will it happen with any sense of urgency? That remains to be seen, but judging by the ongoing discussions surrounding the fundamental Racing 101 issue of qualifying procedures, I highly doubt it.

What about IndyCar? For some the pinnacle of American motorsport, IndyCar has been struggling for years. In fact if it weren't for the committed team owners like Roger Penske, Chip Ganassi, Michael Andretti and Bobby Rahal, and the enduring allure of the Indianapolis 500 and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where would the sport be, or would it even exist at all? The vacuum that IndyCar exists in is of its own making, there's no doubt about it. In fact if it weren't for the aforementioned Indianapolis 500, there's no doubt in my mind whatsoever that at the very least IndyCar would be on the ropes, if not fade away altogether.

Some people in the sport are bristling at the mere suggestion that IndyCar has a problem, that the good times akin to the glory days of CART are right around the corner, if people would be just a little more patient. I'm sorry, but that doesn't wash. IndyCar has been flailing about for years now, with the Indy 500 being its raison d'etre and everything else being an afterthought. The return to Phoenix last weekend was a prime example of that. The rationalization of the crowd - or lack thereof - started before the cars were even unloaded off of the trailers. And the racing itself lacked competitive juice, except for the wild restarts, which saw drivers taking huge chances to gain an advantage.

I was happy for Scott Dixon, because I consider him to be the most talented driver in the sport (along with Juan Pablo Montoya). In fact I think Dixon is one of the top drivers in the world, without question. But that doesn't mitigate the fact that it wasn't much of a race. Roger Penske, who doesn't speak out very often on the crucial issues facing the sport, is a strong proponent of a major reduction in downforce on the cars as well as the removal of the aero kits, with a corresponding boost in horsepower, echoing comments that Rick Mears has consistently made for years now.

Others in the sport see that as a retrograde step, an unnecessary knee-jerk reaction to something that isn't broke and doesn't need fixing. I don't agree. A dramatic reduction in downforce and a boost in horsepower is exactly what IndyCar needs. Let the drivers drive the cars with less assistance, and put more of the on-track decision-making back in the drivers' hands. IndyCar should be the most compelling form of motorsport on this continent, but too often the powers that be can't seem to get out of their own way because they're lost in a vacuum of their own making, unable to step back and see the sport with new eyes - and for what it is.

As for NASCAR, I don't need to delineate the dimensional size of its vacuum, because I've covered that repeatedly over the last seventeen years of writing this column. NASCAR doesn't feel the need for reinvention, or a shortened, more diverse racing schedule, or any other such nonsense. And the same can be said for major league sports car racing (IMSA) in this country, which seems to be locked in a perpetual state of racing on the margins. Both of these racing series are not only in desperate need of new thinking, they're in desperate need of new actions.

Inertia, of course, has a lot to do with maintaining the status quo in racing. It makes a lot of the decisions for the players involved automatically, simply because getting the financial wherewithal to go forward for the next season remains paramount and all-consuming, while the sanctioning body is compelled to reinforce existing schedules and seal arrangements with track promoters, lock in car specifications and, well, keep the whole thing going for another year. But that doesn't make it right, or even a good excuse.

I acknowledge that it's much easier to press on with the devil you do know, than it is to tackle the devil you don't know at all.

Suffice to say, "racing in a vacuum" is a plague running rampant in all of these racing series, but racing needs new ideas, before it gets shoved into a corner of irrelevance.

Editor's Note: “The Decision” is the first of five video shorts from the Ford Motor Company about the development of the Ford GT. It features Bill Ford Jr., Raj Nair, Dave Pericak and Edsel B. Ford II, who attended the 1966 race with his father, Henry Ford II. The shorts will culminate in one long-form documentary that will follow the development of both the Street Car and Race Car version of the Ford GT from the decision to build the cars to the return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans. (The Autoextremist makes a cameo appearance as well.) Watch it here. -WG

Editor's Note: Many of you have seen Peter's references over the years to the Hydrogen Electric Racing Federation (HERF), which he launched in 2007. For those of you who weren't following AE at the time, you can read two of HERF's press releases here and here. And for even more details (including a link to Peter's announcement speech), check out the HERF entry on Wikipedia here. -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

(Courtesy of the Ford Racing Archives)
Indianapolis, Indiana, 1963. Dan Gurney is surrounded by Ford and Lotus operatives at the first private Lotus-Ford test at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in preparation for that year's Indianapolis 500. Gurney (No. 93 Team Lotus/Lotus Powered By Ford) and Jimmy Clark (No. 92 Team Lotus/Lotus Powered By Ford) ran well during the race, with Clark finishing second to Parnelli Jones (No. 98 J. C. Agajanian Willard Battery Watson/Offenhauser), who's car had a massive oil leak and wasn't black-flagged, in what remains a controversial finish that resonates to this day. Gurney finished seventh. Watch a video of the race here.

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