DAYDREAM BELIEVER.

Editor's Note: Peter will return next week with a new "Fumes" racing column, in the meantime, judging by the response we've received, his words are still rattling around the Internet to great effect. -WG

By Peter M. De Lorenzo

Detroit. I wish I could turn back time and be seduced by racing all over again. My first exposure to the sport was at the little but ever-so-challenging Waterford Hills road racing circuit north of Detroit. Then it was on to the famed Meadowdale Raceway, in August 1964 for the USRRC weekend. First up was the GT race with Ken Miles and Bob Johnson spanking the field in their factory Shelby American Cobras, with privateer Tom Payne finishing third in his Cobra. The Corvettes entered got trounced. Then the big race featured Jim Hall and Roger Penske finishing 1-2 in their Chaparrals followed by Dick Thompson in his McKee-Chevette (yes, that's where Chevrolet got the name), George Wintersteen in his Cooper Monaco, and lo and behold Ken Miles again in his factory Cobra, which had undergone a few minor modifications to make it a "sports racer."

From there it was all a very fast blur. Watkins Glen, Wilmot Hills, Lime Rock, Nelson Ledges, Mid-Ohio, Marlboro and Blackhawk Farms. Mosport. St-Jovite. Milwaukee. Grattan. Road Atlanta and of course, Road America. The glory days of the Owens-Corning Fiberglas Corvette team. Twenty-two race wins in a row. Sebring. Daytona. Le Mans. Indianapolis. Talladega. Riverside. Laguna. Atlanta. Can-Am. Trans-Am. Formula 5000. Michigan International Speedway. IROC. IMSA. Gurney. Hall. Penske. Donohue. McLaren. Hulme. Mario. A.J. Pearson. Yarborough. The Wood Brothers. Jimmy. Chapman. Lotus. Jackie. Tyrrell. Niki. James. Ferrari. Eagle. Grand Sports. 917s. Porsche Turbos. The Cobras. The Chaparrals. Lola. Ford GTs. Jack. Denny. Petty. Big Daddy. The Snake. Revson. Parnelli. Follmer. Bondo. Surtees. Redman. Earnhardt. Kinser. Rick. Michael. The Unsers. And on and on and on through to the modern era.

Racing was a rocket ride, a sport that mirrored the upward trajectory of the country. Records were set only long enough to be broken. The 200-mph barrier at Indy. The 600-mph barrier at Bonneville. The sub-two-minute lap at Road America. We couldn't get enough of it. We wanted more and faster and still more.

But alas times changed, and the sport changed right along with it. The romantic notions of a great adventure gave way to cold advancements in tire technology, materials and aerodynamic tweaks. And it fueled even more speed, but there were heavy consequences. The high-banked tracks became a thing. NASCAR became a huge thing. And as technological advancements swallowed the sport whole, it was inevitable that racing would go from an endeavor that pushed the envelope to one governed by restrictions and limitations.

Today, too much of racing has become "racer-tainment." It's commercialized, homogenized, sanitized and "packaged" for media consumption and network time slots. The "suits" are running the show and it's all about the money, as in who has it and who is willing to part with it. The quaint notion that "it should be about the racing" is exactly that, and if you dwell too long on that reality it will make you want to turn your back on the sport for good.

But lamenting what has become of this sport has become a tedious waste of time. Why? Because the thing is that the clock can't be turned back. We go forward from here with the hope that things will be better. And even as we contemplate and relish what has come before, there are noticeable glimmers of new light on the horizon. The emphasis on efficiency is transforming the sport and it will continue to do so, and if it's managed properly it has the potential to make the sport intriguing all over again.

New ideas are being explored at Le Mans and with Formula E, and on its best day the RallyCross series seems to flaunt a raucous irreverence, almost an intoxicating combination of the '70 Trans-Am series and a Saturday night sprint car feature.

At this point our only hope is that the smart people in positions of influence at the sanctioning bodies, the manufacturers and the most important racing teams make even smarter decisions, certainly much smarter than what they have been making of late.

It's a nice daydream at any rate.

In the meantime I'll cherish those indelible memories that are etched in my mind forever, and I will retain a shred of optimism for what the future holds.

Editor's Note: For more racing news and photos, check out "The Line." -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)
Brands Hatch England, July 6th, 1963. Dan Gurney (No. 1 Alan Brown Ford Galaxie) speeds away at the start of the Motor 6-hour race - the third round of the European Touring Car Challenge - at the Brands Hatch road racing circuit. With the race run in terrible conditions, Gurney, along with co-driver Jack Brabham, encountered myriad problems that day and finished well back in ninth overall. Mike Salmon and Peter Sutcliffe (No. 6 Altherstone Engineering Jaguar Mk II 3.8) won the race but were later disqualified because of oversized inlet valves, so second-place finishers Denny Hulme and Roy Salvadori (No. 5 Tommy Atkins Jaguar Mk II 3.8) were declared the winners.

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