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Aug092011

Tuesday, August 9, 2011 at 12:13PM

August 10, 2011

Five laps to go for the win: Who's your guy?

By Peter M. De Lorenzo

(Posted 8/9 12:00 p.m.) Detroit. I thought it would be fun to change it up a little this week and try something completely different. So let's imagine for a moment that you're a team owner ensconced idyllically somewhere in the Twilight Zone, and you could have your choice of any driver from throughout history - in their prime - and you had five laps to go in your choice of some of the biggest races in the world. Who would the guy - or girl - be behind the wheel of your car? Remember, it's for all the marbles - for the win. This isn't about who gives good sponsor, or who is the most acceptable to the TV commentators. It's one car. One race. For the win. I'm sure you'll have fun composing your lists, but I'll give you a glimpse of mine as a thought starter. And forgive me if I jump around to racing genres, there's no hard and fast roadmap for any of this.

The Indianapolis 500. The biggest single motor race in the world? Oh yeah. It's had its up and downs, sure, but forget about that and concentrate on the fact that your car is in position to win and it's going to be a knock-down, drag-out battle right down to the wire. Do you want A.J.? Mario? One of the Unsers? Michael? Bobby Rahal? Or some of the current stars like Dixon, Franchitti or Helio? Or do you want someone from the past like a Mauri Rose? It's your call. Me? I'm going with four-time winner and six-time Pole winner Rick Mears. Five laps to go in the biggest race there is? Rick is not only my man, he is The Man.

The Daytona 500. It gets tougher, doesn't it? In the case of NASCAR you get the feeling that many of the old-time stars like Fireball Roberts, Cale Yarborough, Junior Johnson et al could get in the Sprint Cup cars today in their prime and light it up. So would you go with one of them, like a Ned Jarrett, Freddy Lorenzen, Richard Petty, or Curtis Turner? Or would you go with one of the contemporary stars, like Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, or Carl Edwards? I know who I'd go with. David Pearson, in a Wood Brothers-prepared car. (And if David wasn't feeling well that day my back-up choice would be Kyle Busch.)

The Monaco Grand Prix. It's certainly not the most heroic racing circuit like Spa or the Nurburgring Nordschleife, but it's definitely the most glamorous. And if you're a Grand Prix driver, or a F1 team owner, before you hang it up you want to win there. So, who do you would want in your car, in their prime, for the win? Would you go all Old School and put Fangio in your car? Or how about Stirling Moss? Remember, we're talking in their prime here. How about Jackie Stewart? Jim Clark? John Surtees? Graham Hill? Or Michael Schumacher? Alain Prost? We could go on and on, but who's your guy, right now, today? Sebastian Vettel? Me? I have to go with Ayrton Senna. The famous video of him capturing the pole position there one year (don't ask me which year) is etched in my memory forever. One shot for the win in the most famous Grand Prix in the world? I'll take Ayrton in his prime.

The 24 Hours of Le Mans. There are so many famous winners here, including Carroll Shelby in an Aston Martin (in case you forgot), but for my money I'll go with the combination of American drivers who the snobbish European motoring press dismissed before the race as not having a snowball's chance in Hell of winning the most prestigious sports car race in the world. Yup, I'd have none other than Dan Gurney and A.J. Foyt Jr. in my car for the win at Le Mans. Remember, we're talking in their prime. And in their prime, Gurney and Foyt were simply unbeatable.

The 12 Hours of Sebring: There are so many driving stars who have contested this race that it's impossible to keep track of them all. But for the win, in his prime, with five laps to go it would have to be Mario Andretti. Why? It's simple. He'd refuse to lose.

Trans-Am Championship. There were enough stars in this series' heyday to keep book publishers in business for years to come. And they're still writing books about it. But would any of the stars in their glory days like Donohue, Follmer, etc. be able to beat Tommy Kendall in his prime? Hmmm. This gets harder, doesn't it? But if it's one race - probably at Laguna Seca because the season always ended on the West Coast - and I had one shot for the win and the championship, there's only one guy I'd have in my car and that's Parnelli Jones, one of the toughest racers who ever sat behind the wheel. Because I know if Parnelli was in sight of the win he was going to get it, even though the car might be a smoking hulk afterward...

A few more? The NHRA Finals in Top Fuel? Don Garlits. Funny Car? John Force. Pro Stock? Warren Johnson. How about Sprint Cars? Would it be anyone else besides Steve Kinser?

I could go on, but I'll let you play the game for yourselves.

Have fun.

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)
Riverside, California, November 26, 1967. Dan Gurney drives his beautiful No. 48 All American Racers Eagle-Weslake Ford to victory in the Rex Mays 300 USAC Indy car race at Riverside International Raceway. Gurney beat a star-studded field including Jim Clark, A.J. Foyt, Lloyd Ruby, John Surtees, Johnny Rutherford and the Unsers for the win. Bobby Unser (No. 2 Rislone Eagle-Ford) finished second and Mario Andretti (No. 1 Dean Van Lines Brawner-Ford) came in third. Watch some great videos of the event here, here, and 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

See another live episode of "Autoline After Hours" with hosts John McElroy, from Autoline Detroit, and Peter De Lorenzo, The Autoextremist, and guests this Thursday evening, at 7:00PM EDT at www.autolinedetroit.tv.