Fumes

Monday

Apr182011

Monday, April 18, 2011 at 10:23AM

April 20, 2011

News, notes, and thoughts from Long Beach.

By Peter M. De Lorenzo

(Posted 4/18, 10:30 a.m.) Long Beach. Being at Long Beach over the weekend afforded me a live and in-color snapshot of the current state of two racing series, IndyCar and the American Le Mans Series, but the weekend kicked-off with a dinner on Thursday night in honor of Roger Penske put on by the famed Road Racing Drivers Club, ably led by Bobby Rahal. Proceeds from the evening went toward the RRDC’s support of the Team USA Scholarship, which has been assisting the careers of talented young American race car drivers since 1990, and the RRDC’s "SAFE is FAST" initiative, which continues the club’s legacy of mentoring young drivers.

It was a glittering gathering, with a who's who of racing and the racing industry turning out in droves for the event. Large format pictures from throughout Roger's career as both a driver and team owner ringed the walls of the ballroom and were available for bids, and a video/photo montage of Roger's career ran in a continuous loop on large screens. The highlight of the evening was Roger himself getting up on stage and being interviewed in conversational style by host Bobby Rahal, who was master of ceremonies for the evening. The most fun anecdotes of Roger's career were only briefly touched upon, which was too bad, because you could sense everyone in the room wanted to hear more of those stories. But it was good to see Roger step back for a moment - just for a moment, because he's always thinking about his next race - and bask in the accolades of his contemporaries who hold him in such high regard and who have such tremendous respect for him. The evening was a fine tribute to a man who, without question, has been the single most influential force in American racing throughout his career.

On a personal note, I've had the opportunity to get to know Roger fairly well in recent years and I can safely say that he is a singular talent in both racing and in business, and to understand what he has achieved and how he still brings his now-legendary focus and drive to bear every day is truly awe-inspiring. And with his "Effort Equals Results" mantra embraced by his racing team and the associates who work with and for him in his global business empire, Roger's influence over this sport will loom large for many years to come. And that to me is a very good thing.

On Friday I had a one-on-one session with Randy Bernard, the impressive new leader of IndyCar. The most amazing thing you can say about him? The upward trajectory of IndyCar is directly attributable to his energy, vision, passion for smart marketing and drive. I can't recall a new leader coming into a racing series who has garnered the respect and praise that Randy Bernard has in such a short time. He has established a rapport with the team owners that has never been seen before in this sport, ever. And he has established equally impressive connections with sponsors and potential sponsors too. I cannot emphasize enough how crucial this is in moving the sport of IndyCar forward. And the respect for Randy Bernard is growing among his constituents by the day.

The thing I like most about him is that he has an innate feel not just for smart marketing, but what's best for the overall image and buzz of the sport. He gets it and I am confident that this guy will make a difference. Is it all "bunny rabbits and rainbows" as Danica said a while back? No, there are plenty of headwinds facing IndyCar, just like any other racing series. A new chassis is coming online next year along with three engine manufacturers, with two of them - Chevrolet and Lotus - being new. That's a very good thing. But the success of the new aero kits is key. They must provide a visual differentiation between the cars that the sport has lacked for so long. And anything Randy Bernard can do to move IndyCar away from being a "spec" series and more toward technical innovation would be a huge plus in my book. We shall see.

In the meantime there's perceptible momentum in IndyCar for the first time in 15 years. And that is a huge achievement. If Randy Bernard stays focused on the Big Picture of where he wants the sport to be in 2013 and beyond, then I'm confident we're going to see a real renaissance for the sport of major league open-wheel racing in this country.

My last thoughts on the Long Beach weekend have to do with the American Le Mans Series, as in where it is and where it's going. As much as I could sense the momentum revolving around IndyCar in the paddock, there was a definitive chill in the air enveloping the ALMS. The fact that the big-name prototype teams are missing from the ALMS is a real concern. As a matter of fact, I don't believe having the European teams at just two ALMS events - Sebring and Petit Le Mans - is a sustainable model for the series. The ALMS connection to the 24 Hours of Le Mans - without question the greatest single road racing event in the world - is real and worth it, but it's looking more and more that the rest of the story isn't so hot.

Is it time for the ALMS to go to an all-new super GT racing format with big-time manufacturer and sponsor participation, and big-time prize money? I'm beginning to think it is. Right now the GT class in the ALMS is the most impressively competitive and intriguing road racing going on in the world by far. If you added more manufacturers and more money to the mix it would become the premier sports car racing category in the world, hands down, if it's not there already.

I do know one thing, however, and that is with NASCAR being NASCAR and IndyCar rediscovering its mojo, the two premier road racing series in this country - the ALMS and Grand-Am - are wasting their time and spinning their wheels pursuing their separate agendas. Should there be a merger? With the players involved I don't see it happening unless they throw up their hands and admit this "split" isn't working.

It's time for the ALMS to get a backbone and fine-tune their show in order to do what works best over here. And that means they need to acknowledge that the French view of the sport is severely limiting, too narrowly-focused and it gets lost in translation except for that big racing weekend in June. But to depend on the French for anything more than coming up with yet another new rules package for the 24 Hours of Le Mans is expecting far too much.

Scott Atherton, the ALMS chief, needs to do what's best for the future of his series and right now that looks to me like coming up with an all-GT series. Either that or he has to open up his races to the enemy and let Grand-Am's Daytona Prototypes run in the ALMS show.

Because the buzz at Long Beach wasn't about how great the ALMS is, it was about how many quality teams from the ALMS and Grand-Am were seriously considering giving IndyCar a shot in 2012.

(Photo by Dennis Ashlock)
Kathy and Roger Penske and Bobby Rahal making a toast at the RRDC Evening with Roger Penske in Long Beach, Calif., on April 14.

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, May 31, 1965. Jim Clark after receiving the Borg-Warner Trophy for winning the Indianapolis 500 at a record speed of 150.686 mph. Clark led 190 of the 200 laps in his dominant victory. Parnelli Jones was second and Mario Andretti was third. The Speedway hadn't really refined its post-race activities back then, as Victory Lane consisted of a mowed patch of grass.

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.