THE STATE OF THE SPORT.
By Peter M. DeLorenzo
Detroit. Even though motorsport is constantly churning and changing - it is the nature of the game after all - there are a lot of things moving in a positive direction for the sport coming into the 2022 season. The NTT INDYCAR Series continues to impress, with top-caliber teams and driving talent, this series is moving from strength to strength. It's clear we're in the midst of another heyday for major league open-wheel racing right now in this country, so I recommend enjoying it in the moment while it's as good as it gets. The one glaring black cloud that keeps hovering over the series is the lack of a third engine manufacturer. I view this as key to taking this series to the next level, and unless and until it happens, INDYCAR will keep bumping against the rev limiter.
IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship is chugging along, heading toward the onset of new cars and regulations coming in 2023. But we have a season to go before that happens, and it should be a good one, with the combined GTD Pro and Am field bursting at the seams. Not that the action in the top Prototype class won't be compelling as well, especially with the all-star driver lineups slated for the longer distance races. Though the 2022 IMSA season could be viewed as a "running-in-place" year, that doesn't mean that the racing won't be exceptional and worth viewing.
As most readers know by now, I don't spend much time writing about NASCAR these days. Yes, I appreciate the chances being taken by the powers that be in Daytona Beach with its schedule and especially with the addition of more road races, particularly at Road America. And I really think the new car is a giant leap forward for a change, but the fact remains that the NASCAR schedule is one of the most tedious in all of sports. And when you think about it that's really saying something, especially with the likes of the NBA, NHL and MLB in operation. I've said this oh, at least one hundred times on this website before, but the NASCAR schedule should be no more than 25 races, all-in, and that is with all of the new road races left in the schedule. Until the NASCAR honchos get serious about substantially reducing its schedule, I can't get serious about covering it. I will always watch the NASCAR road races, but there should only be three "long" NASCAR races - The Daytona 500, The Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte and the Southern 500 at Darlington - everything else needs to be reduced. That means that the 400-mile NASCAR races need to be reduced to 300 miles across the board. The powers that be in Daytona Beach have never understood the concept of "less is more." But I highly recommend that they embrace the concept before it's too late.
As for F1, I haven't bothered to conceal my disdain for this alleged "pinnacle" of motorsport for years now. I find that the cars are tedious to look at it and depressing to listen to. The whole race weekend orchestration in F1 is antiseptic and relentlessly boring. And F1's propensity to go where the money is has destroyed what little integrity was left in the sport. The 2022 F1 schedule is ridiculously long and overblown, with F1 starting to rival NASCAR for schedule stupidity. People inside the sport of F1 are insisting things will be really good by 2024, but who has that kind of time? And I'm not buying this "It won't be long now!" optimism anyway, because left to its own devices F1 will always screw things up, just like they did in the last race of the 2021 season.
As for MotoGP, it remains my favorite form of motorsport. The sheer artistry of the riders and their incredible ability to control those powerful machines remains a sight to behold. I don't miss a race - whether "live" or recorded - and I look forward to the new season with unbridled anticipation.
In closing, I just hope for a safe season for all forms of racing. It remains the most dangerous of pursuits, whether you're competing at the top rung of the sport or at your local bull ring. And thank you ahead of time to all of the volunteers and racing organizers - and especially the corner workers - because without their collective efforts there would be no racing to enjoy.
NBC Sports and INDYCAR have announced the broadcast start times for the 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES schedule, which will feature a record 14 races on broadcast network NBC, headlined by the 106th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, May 29 at THE iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with coverage on NBC beginning at 11 a.m. (ET). The first six races of the season will air on NBC, including the season opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding at noon (ET) Sunday, Feb. 27. Highlights of NBC Sports’ 2022 INDYCAR schedule include:
- The 106th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, May 29, on NBC, with coverage beginning at 11 a.m. (ET).
- The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach returns to NBC at 3 p.m. (ET) Sunday, April 10.
- The third consecutive year of the INDYCAR-NASCAR doubleheader at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course the weekend of July 30-31, with the INDYCAR race on Saturday, July 30 on NBC.
- The much-anticipated second iteration of the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix on the streets of Nashville, and first presentation of the race on network television, will air at 3 p.m. (ET) Sunday, Aug. 7 on NBC.
- The season-ending Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca will be presented at 3 p.m. (ET) Sunday, Sept. 11 on NBC.
NBC Sports’ 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES coverage schedule:
