Monday, June 30, 2008

Danica's just doing her job



Scott Dixon wanted the world to know how he felt about Danica Patrick after the series visit to Iowa and didn't mince words, slapping the term "menace" on her. Was it deserved? Aggressive - yes. Driven, tough, uncompromising - yes, yes and yes. A menace? Um, no.

Does Danica make it hard to pass? Does she block? Does she push? Yea. Has she caused crashes - or even near crashes - this season? No. Have there been drivers who had no business being out there - weaving, pushing drivers out of their groove, being off the pace. Yes, many times.

In a run of three recent races Marco Andretti's driving caused three crashes but nary of criticism outside of the team. I'm a big believer in Andretti's abilities and, thanks to open and honest discussion between Andretti-Green's drivers, Marco was more focused by Iowa - his front-row start at Richmond proving that.

But why did Dixon's statements get so much press, and why say anything at all? Because he is talking about Danica and he did win the Indy 500 - and the media loves to pick up on any nugget of controversy surrounding her.

Bottom line - had anyone been critical against Marco, it wouldn't have caused so much interest as it has when Dixon hits out against Danica.

In some ways Scott's statement, made in the heat of the moment, may have been more than he genuinely meant. But, as he was quoted in an article in the Indianapolis Star, "Obviously after the race you're more hot-headed than anything and that's probably when you're going to say things, but some of the things she does in races are too much."

There are many of those who are critical about Danica's driving, particularly other racers. But I've always felt that when the criticism isn't shared by race officials then the truth is somewhere toward the middle. Yes, she's aggressive and won't make it easy for others to pass her, but she's not going to cause a wreck to prevent the pass.

At least one driver compared her to Scott Sharp, who had a similar reputation. While Sharp was certainly aggressive, like Danica, I don't recall a steady stream of wrecks following his career.

Bottom line - driver's are paid to race - to win, not to make friends or play nice. Some use tactics and strategy to move ahead; some use engineering skill to work the car to the front; and some, like Danica, use speed and technique to get to the front. Sam Hornish, Jr. did, to great affect. And not many complained about him...

Sunday, June 29, 2008

Mears should call time on NASCAR career


Wanted: American open-wheel series seeks new stars with racing pedigree to join it for the 2009 season.

With 60,000 fans at Richmond last night, when normally the Indycars draw - at best - 25,000, there's no question that even in the heart of NASCAR country, open-wheel racing is becoming a big draw again. And, yes, while Indycar has a Rahal and an Andretti, there's no reason it can't welcome a Mears into its ranks.

At New Hampshire on Friday, Hendrick Motorsports and Casey Mears announced that they would part company at the end of the 2008 season. For the moment, Mears is a free agent, stating he had hoped to confirm his 2009 plans so he could focus on the remainder of the Sprint Cup season.

Anyone who owns an Indycar team should see Mears, son of Roger Mears and Rick Mears' newphew, as hot property. First, consider the Mears legacy. Rick won four Indianapolis 500s; Roger is an off-road racing legend who also has competed at Indy. Second, Mears is a NASCAR driver which means bringing him to Indycar would make news, help the series add to its growing reputation and give the team - and series - some bragging rights.

Finally, Mears has experience in open-wheel racing, having competed in both Champ Car and the IRL. In between then and now he's gained experience and maturity, growing into a top driver who, last year, finished 15th in points in the Sprint Cup.

The only "missing ingredients" at this point is someone with guts enough to go out and sign him, and a sponsor willing to offer up the money to woo Mears away from NASCAR.

Mears, who is now 30, came to Rick Hendrick last year to take over the No. 5 Chevrolet, replacing Brian Vickers.

In a story that appeared on ESPN, team owner Rick Hendrick said, "None of us, Casey included, have been satisfied with the situation this season. We've put a ton of emphasis on the No. 5 program. It's been a total team effort, and Casey has worked as hard as anyone to help us improve. But the results just haven't come."

Mears added: "I know the effort has been there, but we haven't had the finishes to show for it. I've never tested this much or put more energy into racing. But for whatever reason, we just haven't been able to make it click. It's certainly not for lack of dedication on anyone's part."

With the momentum behind Indycar right now, the series should not pass up any opportunity. Think about the propsect to having a Mears run against an Andretti, a Rahal, a Patrick or a Hunter-Reay next season.

Friday, June 27, 2008

Andretti shows two hot shoes the door



Bryan Herta's won in every form of racing he's competed in. Christian Fittipaldi was a sold teammate to Michael Andretti for many seasons at Newman-Haas. But pedigree, fraternity and results just don't cut it in the sometimes cold hard world of auto racing.

Herta and Fittipaldi were told this week they have been dropped from Andretti Green Racing's American LeMans Series team, which fields Acura LMP2 prototypes in the series. Instead Frenchman Franck Montagny, a refuge of F1 who made his "North American Debut" at the final Champ Car series race at Long Beach this year, will take over the No. 26 car along with some as yet-to-be-named co-drivers.

In the end it must have come down to results and money, though neither side is saying too much. Certainly Herta and Fittipaldi command bigger paydays than Montagny, who also has a pail (not bucket) of cash to offer teams. Montagny has been shopping himself for months to various Indycar teams, and now has found a home, at least in the ALMS.

I'm not bashing Montagny here; he's a solid racer. But he's no Herta. He's no Fittipaldi. Maybe he will be; he's still young. But what American racing needs are heroes we can identify with, and when they are American, it's a bonus. Yes, with a run of endurance races facing the ALMS teams, I can understand why, based on the the results of Herta and Fittipaldi, the team would not want them as co-drivers in the same car.

But, instead of dropping them altogether, how about letting them share duties with Montagny in races. And, besides, Montagny doesn't have a wealth on endurance race results anyhow, though he does have a podium finish at this year's 24 Hours of LeMans on his resume. At the next race, being held July 12 at Lime Rock, Montagny will be team with Marco Andretti. For the rest of the season the Frenchman's teammate will left TBA.

Herta told the Daily News of Los Angeles, "It was a complete shock to me. I'm at a bit of a loss for words. It's their sandbox. Right now it's all kind of a bit of a surprise. I'm not going to jump at something. I want to see what happens."

Bryan's had a solid career in open-wheel racing, and made a great transition to endurance racing. He won twice for Andretti's IRL team before being asked by the team to switch to its ALMS program to make room for Danica Patrick.

He partnered with his former open-wheel teammates Tony Kanaan and Dario Franchitti in the race-winning car of the 2006 12 Hours of Sebring. According to the Daily News article, "Herta said he was not happy with the way the team dismissed him from his driving duties after all he accomplished. 'I don't think it's very good treatment in return,' he said."

"Making a change in the middle of the season isn't something you enjoy, and I think it's even tougher in this case because we're talking about Bryan and Christian," Michael Andretti told the Daily News. "Bryan has done everything we've ever asked him to do since he joined Andretti Green in 2003, including helping us win the 12 Hours of Sebring in our first ALMS start last year. Christian joined us this year and wanted to win as badly as we did. We will always appreciate the effort that both Bryan and Christian gave to the team."

This season, Herta and Fittipaldi had three top-10 finishes but struggled in the longer races, finishing eighth in Utah and 18th at Sebring. Herta told the Daily News that neither her nor the team were satisfied with the results. "I wasn't happy with them and they weren't happy with me," Herta said.

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Indy not on F1 schedule

Apparently without a major title sponsor there will not be a United States Grand Prix anytime soon, at least not at Indianapolis. The 2009 F1 provisional calendar was released this week and, once again, does not contain the United States Grand Prix on it.

This comes despite hopes by the speedway and Tony George that f1 would be back. As an ardent supporter of F1, whose attended every USGP since 1982, I can honestly say Indy was the best venue of all. The atmosphere was great, the track was great, the racing - bar one year - was great.

It amazes me that certain F1 races can go years without a title sponsor but the USGP is penalized for not having one, even though, according to everything I've heard it turned a tidy profit for all concerned, and certainly was one of the biggest draws in terms of attendance. But all hope is not lost, according to George. This is, afterall, the provisional schedule and, he hopes, that the Grand Prix might return - if not in '09, then perhaps in 2010 or 2011.

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Honda could get a little competition



A couple of months back, when the Indy Racing League decided to hold an engine manufacturers summit, expectations were that - perhaps - three or four companies would turn out. The usual suspects - Honda, Cosworth and Ilmor - to be sure.

But no one, not even the IRL, could have anticipated that over a dozen manufacturers and engine builders would attend the summit, held Tuesday. For sure, by 2011, Honda is going to have a little competition in Indycar racing. And competition is always a good thing. The trick is to balance competition with competitiveness, so you don't get parades or walkovers. It's something Indycar is concerned about.

"It was actually a really good day and probably exceeded our expectations from what we thought we might get into," Brian Barnhardt, the president of the competition and operations division said in a teleconference held yesterday. "The process began a little over a year ago in thinking about how to approach our future specifications. And yesterday's meeting was kind of the first of its kind in a very unique presentation format. We were very happy to begin with the quantity and quality of the people that attended the meeting.

"We were very well represented with 14 or 15 engine manufacturers and race shop engine builders in the room. And it was a very positive meeting from all aspects of it. And as I said earlier, probably exceeded our expectations."

What I would like to see is a return to the turbo that lead CART/Indycar/Champ Car so well for so many years. That engine is certainly better on the ears than the V8 Indycar currently runs, and Cosworth proved you can build a reliable - and low cost - turbocharged engine.

The IRL isn't looking to put a cap on the number of engine manufacturers coming into the series - a good thing! What I think they can do is cap the costs by locking certain aspects of the engine design while allowing for flexibility in other areas (ala CART in the last 90s). This will push innovation.

To keep costs down have the big car manufacturers outsource construction to shops like Cosworth and restrict engine redesigns to once a year, as well as building in a requirement that engines have a minimum service life. Also, a cap on the engine lease fee would help set the standards the manufacturers would have to live within.

Barnhart stated the turbo did mean additional expenses because you have to add in a turbo charger and waste gates, but, he also mentioned some pros, such as the noise and the power control.

"The best positives associated with it are two‑fold," he said. "One being with the diversity of the schedule that we run, it is a great power control and helps us adjust power levels. If we need a little more power on the street and road courses, we can certainly adjust the boost up. And if we need less power, we can turn it down and control the boost level down from that standpoint.

"And also you can't underestimate the second positive that is also just playing the sound. It's the natural muffler. With more road and street courses, city streets, that type of deal, it's nice to turn our adjustables down a little bit, and it's got a great sound to it."

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

'Barn find' is as a real as it gets

In May of last year, Tom Cotter of Sports Car Market Magazine first reported the discovery of 180 cars locked in a barn in Portugal. According to the story at the time, the new owner of the property had no idea the cars were in the barn, but was more than happy to learn "find" them inside. The original story can be found here.

The cars are covered in years of dust - but look to be in good condition, if not in working order.

Cotter, this week, has some new news about the cars. According to an article, here are some of Cotter's finds so far:
"1) A Portuguese lawyer reports he handled the estate of the old couple who owned the farm where the barn was located.
2) An SCMer has actually visited the barn and tells us where it is.
3) Another SCMer writes that car hoarding is not uncommon in Portugal and his neighbor has 30 Porsches and Citroens sitting in an orchard.
4) SCM has photos of the cars when they appeared in a big show last spring.
5) The son of the dealer who gathered the barn cars between 1960 and 1990 now has plans to disperse the collection."
Check out this slid show of the cars as they were found in the barn.
The magazine is also going to have coverage on another barn find - some 300 cars stored in an Australian barn.

I thought this was a great photo of Kyle Busch celebrating his win at Infineon on Sunday. I'm not going to cover too much NASCAR here, but this was too good of a photo not to share.


An update on what's going on over at my youtube site. Over the past few days I've uploaded a couple of International Race of Champions races from 1986 (Daytona and Mid-Ohio) as well as a couple of IMSA races and the 1990 Molson Indy Vancouver.
You can visit the page here or check out this great IMSA race from New Orleans in 1991.

Monday, June 23, 2008

Racing, wrecks and 'palace intrigue'

Two very sad news items over the weekend. The first was the tragic death of NHRA racer
Scott Kalitta at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in New Jersey. Though I don't claim to know much about drag racing, anytime anyone loses their life in auto racing, all fans should take a moment to stop and pay their respects, as well as pray for Kalitta's family. Kalitta was a two-time Top Fuel champion who had 18 career victories.

The second piece of sad news, though not auto racing related, was the passing of George Carlin. A very funny man, even if you didn't always agree with his views, he was always there to remind us never to take ourselves too seriously. The world needs more people like him.




The much-hoped for rain didn't come Lewis Hamilton's way in France. The race should have been Kimi's but for a broken part that let Felipe Massa through to win. What bothered me was the strange officiating during the Grand Prix. Hamilton gets penalized for what was - at best - a mistake when he shortcut a chicane after making a pass. Meanwhile, later in the race another driver, though much lower on the food chain, shortcut a chicane and used it to gain position, but was not penalized...
F1 has always had dodgy officiating, particularly when championships are at stake, so I guess this only confirms that not much has changed. Congratulations, too, to Jarno Trulli and Toyota for finally getting a podium after a couple of years away. Not sure this is a sign that things have turned around for the team, but it was welcome.

The bigger news, though, is the much-rumored move by Max Mosley to redistribute F1's distribution rights, in part to "punish" Mr. Bernie Ecclestone, who would lose a lot if a new Concorde Agreement takes money out of his "pockets" and places it into the team's hands. Of course, this would also go a long way to easing tensions between Mosley and the teams over his alleged Nazi sex scandal video...money always makes life easier, especially if you are rich and powerful.

It was nice to see an Indycar race finish under green after a couple of yellow-checker finishes at Milwaukee and Texas. The racing was close, and clean, and exciting to watch. The stands were full and it was great to see Dan Wheldon win, for it was also a win for those helping in the aftermath of flooding in Iowa. It's also great to see a tight point's battle up front - the top four in points - Scott Dixon 316, Helio Castroneves 268, Dan Wheldon 267, and Tony Kanaan 216, are separated by only 100 points. Congratulations also to Hideki Mutoh. I didn't expect much out of him, but he has impressed as a rookie driver.

Saturday, June 21, 2008

On qualifying and the rain


Kimi Raikkonen took pole for tomorrow's French Grand Prix but Lewis Hamilton, whose been stuck with a 10-grid penalty for his pitlane accident in Montreal, is praying for thunderstorms in tomorrow's Grand Prix. My prediction: If it stays dry, Ferrari will win because its chassis still favors the Bridgestones in the dry. If there's a sudden downpour, then keep an eye out for both McLaren and BMW.

Dario Franchitti isn't too pleased that he failed to make the cut in NASCAR's first road course race this season. His car was "too loose," leaving him out of the race at Sonoma.

Indycar in Iowa: Danica Patrick was fastest in testing at the speedway - but qualifying isn't until 6:30 p.m. tonight. You can watch it live at the official Indycar site.

Friday, June 20, 2008

F1 in the countryside

I've never been a big fan of Magny Cours. If it rains, the races are exciting...if it's dry and sunny, it can be a bit of a bore. I've been to F1 races at Magny-Cours and I can see why for many it's a race to forget about. It's in the middle of nowhere, it's usually held in the middle of hayfever season and it lacks anything remotely approaching atmosphere. But, the food is good and there's usually plenty of places to watch the race.


Friday practice turned up the usual suspects at the top of the time sheets. I was glad to see Robert Kubica in the top five. He is - was - the most underrated driver in F1, until his win in Montreal. He's rewarded BMWs faith in him, and I'm sure more wins will come his way.

An interesting note, maybe I've followed F1 too long but there seems to be a pattern forming in the story lines. Felipe Massa has done nothing but a stellar job at Ferrari, again he's fastest on a Friday, but stories continue to circulate that he'll be dropped. Sound familiar? Ask Rubens Barrichello or Gerhard Berger or Michele Alboreto...

And what about Kimi Raikkonen. He's not the first driver to talk about life outside of F1 but it seems it's always the Finns who get talked about as if they are about to bolt away from the sport. Mika Hakkinen and Keke Rosberg were dogged with "retirement" stories throughout their career - I recall one Autosport headline from 1992 suggesting Mika was going to leave F1...

Spare a thought also for Sebastian Bourdais. He's racing on home turf this weekend and getting the most press he's had this season. It's got to be a little tough - and humbling - to go from Champ Car star to middle/back of-the-grid in F1. It's not for lack of talent, just lack of a good car.

Rahal follow's in dad's footsteps

The DesMoines Register continues to provide great coverage in the lead-up to this weekend's race in Iowa. A great piece of writing on Bobby Rahal and Graham Rahal can be found here or read the complete article below:

"Graham Rahal could have been a safety instead of a racer.

Or a wide receiver.

Maybe a punter.

But his dad, Bobby Rahal, the 1986 Indianapolis 500 winner, deftly diverted him from football's hits, bumps and turf toe as a child with one simple phrase.

"(He) always told me, 'I like your knees the way they are,' " said the younger Rahal, who will race in Sunday's Iowa Corn Indy 250 at Iowa Speedway in Newton.

So Rahal races at speeds in excess of 200 mph instead, and has swiftly become one of the Indy Racing League's most popular drivers since joining the fold after the Champ Car World Series' February merger with IRL.

His name didn't hurt his prospects for fame.

His driving ability - most recently evidenced by becoming, at 19, the youngest driver to win an IndyCar Series race, April 6 at St. Petersburg, Fla. - makes his star shine brighter.

"We've gone through a lot of ups and downs," the Newman Haas Lanigan racer said of his season, which includes a 16th-place standing in points. "Obviously, winning was a great thing, but (recent) race weekends have been pretty difficult. We're just trying to recover the best that we can. We've certainly learned a lot."

Rahal's early learning curve includes a fifth-place finish in last year's Champ Car standings, as well as becoming the youngest driver to win an SCCA national title in 2005.

Iowa Speedway, he said, could boost his profile - and be a boon to former Champ Car drivers who are accustomed to tight places, staging races primarily on street and road courses.

"It's a fast place and it's small, so it comes down to a lot of set-up," Rahal said. "I'm looking forward to it."

He also enjoyed the one-weekend break between Texas and Iowa.

Maybe even needed it.

"It's damn nice just to get one weekend off away from things," Rahal said. "You need to get your mind away from racing a little, otherwise you can get too caught up in it."

Rahal got caught up in racing by taking early childhood trips with his family to places such as Cleveland and Mid-Ohio.

He called the excursions a blend of fun and trouble.

"Fun would be Domino's Pizza, they always had a Domino's Pizza inside the track at Mid-Ohio, so every night we'd order (some) and guys would deliver it on a golf cart to our mobile home," Rahal said.

"Then we'd take the golf cart and drive it around the infield. We're only like, 5 years old ... so that's not allowed. That was good trouble."

And, despite not donning pads himself, Rahal's a big football fan.

He watches his beloved Ohio State Buckeyes each fall with his legs propped up, both knees intact - thanks to dad.

"Obviously, everyone that lives in Columbus, Ohio, is pretty passionate about the Buckeyes," Rahal said.

"And if you're not, I don't think you're a real Ohioan."

Check out this for more Indycar preview news:

Thursday, June 19, 2008

This Spice is nice

I got a chance to see (on TV at least) the Group C cars run at the historic race before this year's 24 Hours of LeMans, and was very happy to see the 1990 SE89P.002 Pontiac Spice in action once again.

I have a certain affinity for this car - my father worked at Pontiac in the 70s, I have always owned Pontiacs and I've always had an affinity toward the Spices and Pontiacs (both in Lights and in GTP).

The Pontiac Spice was a lightweight car with a powerful engine, but initially was skittish on the track because, thanks to its light weight, it couldn't get heat into its tires. By 1990 the team had switched this car to Goodyear tires and an Oldsmobile engine, which lead to some improvements.

That weekend in 1990 the car was being driven by Mike Brockman and Paul Newman. They had qualified seventh for the race, and finished in the same place. It was one of four races the car would run in 1990, a time when IMSA was changing the rules to favor the stockblock, push-rod engines developed by Olds and Pontiac. But it was also a time when the fortunes of many teams was in a state of flux, as the Milner team demonstrated. There was the feeling that there was a lot of potential in the car, but that there wasn't the budget to make it a true front-runner.

In 1991, the car was sold to Rudy Klein and raced by Tom Milner's group, but it would not continue beyond the 1991 season. It sat in Milner's garage for over 10 years before Rudy sold it to Jim Oppenheimer in 2005. The car would spend only a short time in his company before being sold to Italian racer/businessman Stefano Rosina.

I watched Jim a couple of years ago when he brought his 1990 Nissan NPTI-9/C to the Goodwood Festival of Speed, just a few months after he bought the Spice, which had been restored to its original specifications by Florida-based John Starkey. I had always hoped to see Jim run the Spice-Pontiac in anger stateside, but was happy enough to see it found a home in Europe running the the historic Group C championship series.

Rosina, who has 18 years of rallying experience, has been a regular visitor to the historic LeMans races; he qualified the Spice toward the front and finished in the top 10 in the "classic" race.

The following is the complete broadcast of the Classic race from this year, courtesy of my youtube page.

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

The day Gordy hung up his helmet

The following article appeared in Time magazine following the decision by Gordon Johncock to retire from racing. It was a well-written, insightful piece on what "drives" someone to race, and to know when to stop.

"A Circus Kind of Calling" Monday, May. 27, 1985 By Tom Callahan (published Monday, May 27, 1985)

Just as qualifying trials began for next week's Indianapolis 500, the illustrious class of 1965 lost Gordon Johncock, a two-time winner. His car was ready: it had been running near the front at over 210 m.p.h. But the driver was out of tune and time. "That morning I lay there in bed thinking about everything. All of a sudden I sat up and said, 'That's it for me.' " Mario Andretti, a classmate present later at Johncock's valedictory press conference, called his friend's retirement "clever," an odd word. "I've always thought of race-car drivers as being clever or stupid," Andretti explained. "I'm still trying to figure out which we are."

Twenty years ago, Andretti finished third, Johncock fifth and Al Unser ninth in their first Indy, when a bumper haul of eleven rookies made the field of 33 and five finished in the top ten. "An eternity ago," says Andretti, 45, a compact man with a Roman bearing. "It doesn't seem that long" to Unser, 45, who at first professed to understand Johncock's decision. "No, that's not fair," he amended. "I don't understand it. I haven't done it." This is the usual difficulty in discussing anything about auto racing. No one who hasn't done it can quite understand it.

Sixteen years since his only victory, Andretti will start the 69th Indy 500 from the second row, just behind Pole-Sitter Pancho Carter and just ahead of Unser. Sons Al Unser Jr. and Michael Andretti will follow in the fourth and fifth rows of brilliantly painted cars scattered three abreast across the asphalt track. A circus kind of calling, racing regularly summons more than one generation of the same family, though these are the only fathers and sons who have ever raced together at Indianapolis. In his christening two years ago, Al Jr., 23, brought a smile to the speedway during the closing laps by trying to block the path of Winner Tom Sneva on behalf of Runner-Up Al Sr. Last May, Mario welcomed Michael to the life with a short glance across the row they shared. "I don't have any first memory of my father, the race driver," says Michael, 22, "because that's my whole memory. Ever since people started asking me what I wanted to be when I grew up, there has been only one answer."

"I'm happy but I'm not happy," his father mutters. "I don't like to talk about the downside of racing, but obviously I'm guilty of getting him involved. 'Guilty' may not be the right word. But it's the only one I can think of. In my whole life, I've let myself get really close to just three drivers. They're all dead." One was another of the Indy rookies of 1965, Billy Foster, killed two years later in a stock car. "But on the upside, my son now knows what I do, or he's starting to. All along he's been a passenger on this road. Now he's a driver. He's beginning to see."

Unser would seem to have even greater cause for dread. His brother Jerry was killed at Indianapolis in 1959. But, to the contrary, he says the risks do not haunt him. "If I felt that way, I would never have got my boy involved. You ask yourself: Is it in the blood? I don't know. I don't think anyone does. Let's not kid ourselves: at seven or eight, Al Jr. didn't know what he wanted -- it was me. But at 16 or 17, he started to realize partially what it was all about. It's about being the best there is." Still as boyish as his freckles, young Unser recalls, "When I was five and six, I always sat in my dad's lap and steered the family car. Uncle Louie (nine-time champion of the Pikes Peak Hill Climb) sometimes would clamp his hands over my eyes to scare me."

In this family, helling on highways constituted such a free-form joy that Al Jr. reached the surprising age of eight before discovering it was a business. "We had a wrecker yard and towing service, and Dad was just an auto-repair guy to me. The first time I realized he didn't have an eight-hour job was in 1970, the day of the Indianapolis 500. We went to the closed-circuit showing in Albuquerque, and I got to sit in the front row. I couldn't get over how big the cars looked on the screen. How big and beautiful. Dad won." That was Unser's first championship of three. Another brother, Bobby, would win three too and quit abruptly at 48.

Several multiple winners, other men of advanced years, remain in this year's field. Johnny Rutherford, 47, also seeks a fourth championship. Only A.J. Foyt, an Indy racer since 1958, has won that many. Foyt is 50 now, the age of senior golfers. While old duffers try to make a putt to save their lives, Foyt continues to be the principal star of the Indianapolis 500. Johnny Bench retired from baseball at 35 when his mind started wandering at the plate. If Foyt's attention ever slips in the middle of a game, he will never settle into any sedentary life appropriate to his paunch. "In a race car," says Al Unser Jr., "experience overcomes youth, overcomes strength, overcomes agility, overcomes just about everything there is. That's why the Old Guard endures here."

Johncock's experience must have told him to go at 48. "What he had to tame inside him," Andretti figures, "must have been unbelievable. He was a truly fierce competitor." In 1982 Johncock beat Rick Mears to the finish line by 1 6/100ths of a second, one of the sunniest moments at the dreary old track. But in 1973 he had been awarded the race after several rainy days and 332 1/2 hideous miles. Art Pollard was killed in practice. Swede Savage was mortally injured during the race. A young pitworker named Armondo Teran was run over by a fire truck rushing to Savage. He died too.

Home on his Arizona ranch, tending cattle and repairing fences, Johncock sounds a little let down, left out and relieved. "I guess I've seen the best and the worst of Indy," he says, "and I have to say I've loved the competition, though I needed to get away. If your heart isn't in this, you might get yourself in trouble, or somebody else." After 20 years of loving something, the heart is not always wise. "I'm not going to say that two or three months from now I won't go back to racing," he says wistfully. "But I hope I don't." He says that cleverly.

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Racing in Cuba

I was doing some research on the great Gran Premio's held in Cuba in the late 1950s, just before the revolution and Castro's rise to power. In doing the research I came across a wonderful blog about the 1957 race by Albert Quiroga, who was there to witness the race when he was a child. His memories of the 1957 race were much more pleasant than what took place during the race in 1958.

His post included an article from Time which appears below. It's the story about the 1958 running of the race, of Juan Manuel Fangio's "kipdnapping" and of death and danger in pre-revolution Havana.

"Death on the Malec" originally appeared in the Monday, March 10, 1958 edition of Time magazine.

As the world's No. 1 road-racing driver, Juan Manuel Fangio is an old friend to danger. The 46-year-old Argentine has seen its blurred face in the swirling landscape of a hundred tracks, known its angry snarl whenever his sports car skidded through a tight turn. But one evening last week he stared at danger in a new form: the muzzle of a pistol. Poking the weapon at him in the lobby of Havana's Hotel Lincoln was a tall young man in a leather jacket. "Fangio, you must come with me," he ordered. "I am a member of the 26th of July revolutionary movement." One of Fangio's friends picked up a paperweight and cocked his arm. The pistol moved alertly. "Stay still!" its owner said. "If you move, I'll shoot." Fangio went obediently to a waiting car and was whisked off.

In town to race in the Gran Premio de Cuba, Fangio was himself the prize of no ordinary kidnapers. His captors rushed to tell the world who they were, as they launched a week of revolutionary sabotage right in President Fulgencio Batista's front yard. No sooner had they hidden the racing ace than they were bragging to the newspapers: If President Batista wanted to hustle up the tourist trade with a big sports-car race next day, he would do it without Argentina's defending champion.

Steak & Fear. Fidel Castro's rebels embarrassed the authorities, but the race went on. Next afternoon the cars were ready, the Malecon that curves along Havana's lovely coastline had been cleared. A crowd of 150,000 lined the broad boulevard. The Cuban National Sports Commission delayed the race for more than an hour while local cops ran down false rumors of Fangio's release. Then France's Maurice Trintignant slid into Fangio's empty seat in a blue Maserati, and the big buckets of power were sent careening around the 3½-mile course.

Fangio, meanwhile, was under guard in a comfortably furnished apartment. He had eaten well (steak and potatoes, chicken and rice), and he had slept "like a blessed one." Faustino Perez, Castro's second in command, had come personally to apologize for the inconvenience. The rebels even supplied a radio so that Fangio might listen to the race. But he preferred not to. "I became a little sentimental," he said. "I did not want to listen because I felt nostalgic." Yet Fangio was also fearful that his life was endangered, not by his abductors but by a clash that might come at any moment between them and the police.

Turn to Trouble. On the Malecón, the danger more familiar to Fangio began to haunt his fellow racers as they whirled into the long (315 miles) grind. Britain's Stirling Moss took the lead in a Ferrari, Missourian Masten Gregory, driving another Ferrari, was second. Fangio's Maserati, in Trintignant's hands, fell far back to 13th place. By the end of five laps, all the drivers saw that almost every turn was slick with spilled oil; they knew that they were in for trouble.

Next time around, Cuba's Armando Garcia Cifuentes, 27, met trouble headon. His bright yellow-and-black Ferrari skidded out of a shallow turn and tore into the crowd. It spewed up at least 40 casualties, including seven dead. In its wake lay empty shoes; spectators had been knocked right out of them. Said Porsche Driver Ulf Noriden, who stopped his car and ran back to help: "I couldn't even see the Ferrari. The bodies were piled all over. I was wading in arms and legs." Panicky survivors swarmed across the Malecón, careless of the still racing cars, and police swung their billies to keep the mob in check. Just 15 minutes after it started, the race was called off.

Stirling Moss, who held the lead, was declared winner.

After that, Fangio had no trouble talking his captors into turning him over to the Argentine embassy. "Well," he philosophized, "this is one more adventure. If what the rebels did was in a good cause, then I, as an Argentine, accept it."

Person or Persons. Satisfied that the oil slick was not rebel sabotage, the authorities placed all the blame for the accident on Driver Cifuentes, who was barely alive in a hospital. He was charged with manslaughter. Criminal charges were also filed against the "person or persons unknown" who kidnaped Fangio. No one found it worthwhile to criticize the "person or persons who" permitted the crowd to line the trackside, i.e., the National Sports Commission, headed by Brigadier General Roberto Fernandez Miranda, who is President Batista's brother-in-law.

Monday, June 16, 2008

Even USA Today is covering Indycar

Not that I consider USA Today one of the nation's best newspapers, it is, after all, a national paper and considering how it had been covering Indycar/Champ Car/IRL in the past few years, a large article in today's editions was impressive. You can read the article here - there's even a poll you can take!

Also, the Des Moines register, despite the very-necessary flood coverage, is also paying attention to the upcoming Indycar race there. Click here for an article on Dancing Helio. In fact if you want a lot of coverage about the upcoming race, check out their auto racing page.

Just updated over at my youtube video page are two new videos from the 2008 24 Hours of LeMans. The first is Speed TV's rolling credits at the end of the broadcast, a MTV-generation music and video highlights montage. The second is Speed Report's report on the race. Kudos to Speed and its commentators for another great broadcast from LeMans.





The stuff of legends

"McQueen Drove the Car, Too" is the headline of a New York Times article written by Richard S. Chang about an upcoming auction featuring the Porsche 908/2 raced at Sebring by Peter Revson and Steve McQueen. The car is expected to fetch between $1.5-$2 million. The car was also featured in the movie LeMans, but that year's Sebring is long-remembered as one of the greatest endurance races of all time. In fact a book's been written about it.

Although Chang states that it may be the greatest race no one has ever heard of, there is a lot of information out there about the race - enough that the comment is better "adjusted" to no one outside of racing enthusiasts has ever heard of. Check out this site with a short review of the race and plenty of photos. And Paul Spurell has a bit about the race and his Alfa Romeo Spyder.

The article:
VERY few auction notices that appear in my e-mail inbox catch my eye. But a recent one did that was from Bonhams & Butterfields about a Porsche 908/2 being auctioned on Aug. 15 during the Pebble Beach auto weekend in California. Steve McQueen raced the Porsche in 1970 in the 12 Hours of Sebring, one of the greatest sports stories you've probably never heard of.

Mario Andretti won, driving for Ferrari, but the race was an event where even the subplots were tremendous tales, none more intriguing than the driver pairing of the second-place car, McQueen and Peter Revson, a budding Formula One driver. Revson was also an heir to the Revlon cosmetics fortune.


The lineup that year included Andretti, Jacky Ickx and other Grand Prix legends. McQueen's accomplishment was more than a celebrity dabble. He drove Sebring with a broken foot in a cast that was duct-taped together.

''I remember they kept announcing, 'Steven McQueen! Steve McQueen! Steve McQueen!' '' Andretti told me. ''They never mentioned Revson, and Revson drove the lion's share of that race because Steve had a broken foot. Revson was doing a phenomenal job, obviously, but he never got mentioned.''

Running out of fuel in the final laps, Andretti made a quick pit stop (a move that's become part of racing lore) before regaining the lead. Revson finished only 23 seconds behind.

''I thought he did a tremendous job in that car,'' said Andretti, who figured Revson drove eight or nine hours that day. ''I think he deserved all the credit for keeping it so competitive. He had to be so focused. I mean, I was spent.''

Revson, who finished second in the 1971 Indy 500, was killed in a crash in South Africa in 1974.

Check out these photos from the race and a complete list of winners is available too.

Sunday, June 15, 2008

The return of Porsche

By 1968 Porsche had returned to LeMans to claim victory. The following two Time magazine articles chronicle their attempts in 1968 and 1970.

"Porsche Parade"
Friday, Feb. 16, 1968

Oldtime fans still talk with awe about the thundering Auto Unions that dominated the Grand Prix circuit in the late 1930s, and the howling “Silver Arrows” of Mercedes-Benz that Juan Manuel Fangio drove to victory after victory in the mid-1950s. But for a nation that once ruled the road, Germany has taken few top honors recently.
Its last triumph in the 24 Hours of Le Mans came way back in 1952, and no German car has won a Grand Prix race for half a dozen years. But in Florida last week a trio of long-tailed Porsche 907 prototypes put on a performance that suggested this year may be Deutschland über Alles once again. They finished one-two-three in the 24 Hours of Daytona, the longest sports-car endurance race in the U.S. and a major tune-up for Le Mans.

With its little 2.2-liter engine, the Porsche 907 is a 270-h.p. midget compared with the seven-liter, 500-h.p. Ford Mark IV prototype that averaged a record 135.4 m.p.h. at Le Mans last year. But it is a muscular midget—durable, exceptionally nimble in the turns, capable of straightaway speeds up to 175 m.p.h. And this year, with prototypes restricted to engines under three liters in displacement, it does not have to try to keep pace with far bigger Fords and Ferraris.

No factory Fords or Ferraris were entered at Daytona, but there were several privately owned Ferraris and two Ford GT40 “sports cars”—production copies of the old 4.2-liter prototype that ran at Le Mans in 1964. Although they were not technically in competition for prototype-class honors, the Fords were still the cars to beat.

Porsche’s strategy for the race was to run at the heels of the faster GT40s, hoping that the strain of the 24-hour grind would take its toll. “The important thing,” said Baron Huschke von Hanstein, Porsche’s team manager, “was to stay with the Fords, not losing contact, and wear them out.” The plan worked perfectly. One after another, the little white Porsches took turns dicing with the Fords for the lead; after only four hours, one of the GT40s pulled into the pits with transmission troubles, the other retired eleven hours later with a damaged fuel system. From that point on, it was a Porsche parade. Averaging 106.7 m.p.h., Britain’s Vic Elford in No. 54 took the checkered flag as the winner, in the company of two other Porsches that escorted him across the line.

-30-

"Power to the Porsches"
Monday, June 29, 1970

Horsepower, that is. Always a top competitor in its class, Porsche in past years was known as the Volkswagen of sports cars—a small, sturdy “superbug” that made up in precision performance what it lacked in muscle. In the past two years, however, Porsche debuted two models designed to mix it up with the big boys. Last year the Porsche 908, with a larger 3-liter engine and 380 h.p., proved that it could more than hold its own when it won the World Manufacturers’ Championship, losing only three of the ten races on the circuit. The most disappointing defeat came at Le Mans, France, when—hurt of all hurts—a heavy, outdated Ford GT-40 managed to best the new 908 by the scant margin of one second in the closest finish in the 38-year history of the event.

Last week Porsche returned to Le Mans revved up for revenge. This time they had the new Porsche 917, a low-slung speedster with a 4.9-liter engine and 660 h.p. that can hit speeds of up to 200 m.p.h. on the straightaway. As was the case last year, the West German cars had already clinched the world championship, having won endurance races in the U.S., England, Italy, Belgium and Germany. Nonetheless, as the most prestigious race on the international circuit, the 24 Hours of Le Mans was one trophy the Porsche team dearly wanted to win —a feat they had never accomplished in 19 years of trying. The Ford GT-40s were not competing, but Ferrari, which handed Porsche its lone defeat this year at Sebring, Fla., was strongly represented, as were Alfa Romeo and Matra-Simca. As it happened, the cars might have made a better showing if they had been equipped with water wings instead of wheels.

No Heir in Sight. Swept by torrential rains, the race became a dangerous game of dodge ‘em in which the only strategy was survival. After a few sloshy turns around the twisting, 8.4-mile course, Ferrari Driver Ronnie Bucknum allowed that “this race makes Indianapolis look like a Sunday drive. I was plain terrified most of the time.” Ferrari, which had eleven entries, lost five cars in the first three hours, three in a single accident. Early the next morning Belgian Driver Jacky Ickx slammed his Ferrari 5125 into a one-lane S-curve in an attempt to overtake Swiss Driver Jo Siffert’s front-running Porsche. Ickx lost the gamble, jammed on the brakes, and his racer skidded off the road. He emerged with minor injuries, but a racing official in the car’s path was fatally injured.

A half-hour later, Siffert’s Porsche was sidelined with engine trouble. No matter. Among the 16 of 51 starters still moving at the end of the race, eleven were Porsches. More important, the West German cars finished one-two-three, with the Porsche 917 driven by Hans Herrmann and Richard Attwood leading the way at an average speed of 119.29 m.p.h. over 2,863 rain-slowed miles. Slow as the pace was, the closest contender to Porsche was Bucknum’s Ferrari, which finished fourth at a distant 248 miles behind the winner. Since there is no heir apparent in sight, the 1970 Le Mans was further proof that the Porsche will be the sovereign of sports-car racing in the '70s.

Saturday, June 14, 2008

Indycars to head north?

The Boston Herald is reporting that Indycar may return to New Hampshire for 2009 or 2010.

The complete story is here or below:

"IndyCar returns to N.H." By David Exum

Jerry Gappens, executive vice president and general manager at New Hampshire Motor Speedway confirmed yesterday that the IndyCar Series will most likely return to “The Magic Mile.”

“There is 100 percent interest from both the IndyCar Series and Speedway Motorsports Inc. to having the IndyCar Series return to New Hampshire Motor Speedway,” Gappens said in a telephone interview.

After meeting with IndyCar Series executive Terry Angstadt last weekend at Texas Motor Speedway, Gappens said open-wheel racing could return to NHMS as soon as the 2009 season and definitely in 2010.

“If it doesn’t happen in 2009, it’s almost guaranteed for 2010 when (IndyCar Series) can do their schedule from scratch,” Gappens said.

Gappens believes a perfect scenario would be to have the IndyCar Series race at NHMS next season in either late July or the beginning of August.

The last time an IndyCar Series race was held at NHMS was in 1998.

Since then, Gappens has received much correspondence from open-wheel fans in the New England area thirsty for the return of IndyCar.

“Danica Patrick’s win this season in Japan and Helio Castroneves winning ‘Dancing with the Stars’ has just been huge for the sport,” Gappens said.

John Griffin, vice president of public relations for the IndyCar Series, said via e-mail that the series is extremely confident it will return to New Hampshire.

“We definitely have interest in returning to NHMS - the geographic location gives us a presence we don’t already have and the oval layout is one that is very attractive for IndyCar racing,” Griffin said.

Griffin also said the only real dilemma would be if the IndyCar Series could squeeze a possible date into the 2009 schedule.

Ford at LeMans

As part of my retro look at LeMans, this being LeMans weekend, today is the first of a two-day look at Time magazine's coverage of LeMans. Such was the might of Ford that when they took on Ferrari at the great 24 Hour race, Time was there to cover it, and did a fine job capturing some other sides of the race.
What follows are articles from the 1966 race and the 1967 event. Tomorrow it's all about Porsche.

"An Affair of Honor"
Friday, July 1, 1966

Nothing intrigues a Frenchman like an affair of honor. Last week in the farming town of Le Mans, France, 250,000 spectators turned out to watch a duel to the death.
The weapons were in keeping with the times: automobiles. The battle ground was the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the world’s toughest, most famous auto race, the one the French themselves call “La Ronde Infernale.” The combatants: Italy’s canny old Enzo Ferrari, whose heraldic emblem, a rampant black stallion, has been the proudest marque in racing for more than a decade; and the U.S.’s Henry Ford II, a businessman-turned-sportsman mostly because he had a score to settle. Three years ago, Ford tried to buy control of Ferrari. Ferrari turned him down.

“Or Else.” History was against Ford. No U.S. car had ever won at Le Mans; Ferraris, on the other hand, had won nine times, including the last six years in a row. But Ford also had two things going for him, money and determination. The eight sleek Mark II prototypes on which he based his hopes last week cost $100,000 apiece, and they were the last word in automotive sophistication. Only 40 in. high, each packed 475 horses under its hood. Henry himself was on hand to watch them run, and he made no bones about how he expected them to finish. “You’d better win,” he told his director of racing, Leo Beebe, “or else.”
Beebe heeded his master’s voice. Pre-race speed trials proved that the Fords were far faster than the three lighter but less powerful (by 70 h.p.) P3 prototypes entered by Ferrari. California’s Dan Gurney set an unofficial lap record of 142.9 m.p.h. in a Mark II, and Fords won the first four places on the starting grid. That made it easy for Beebe. Start in front, he ordered his drivers, stay in front, force the Ferraris to press, and wait for them to break down. It worked. Pouring on the gas, nudging 210 m.p.h. on the 3.5-mile-long Musanne straight, Ken Miles in the No. 1 Ford broke the official lap record five times in the first 20 laps. Then Gurney took over. Driving the No. 3 Ford, he bettered Miles’s mark three times, finally equaling his own practice speed of 142.9 m.p.h. on the 39th lap. Gurney’s mechanical-rabbit act ended when his car conked out on the 270th lap. But the damage was done, to the Ferraris.
“I Bet $1,000.” In the eighth hour, a Matra-B.R.M. and a C.D.-Peugeot collided in the tight Tertre-Rouge turn directly in front of Ludovico Scarfiotti’s speeding Ferrari P3. Scratch one P3. The second P3 went out with a broken gearbox after only ten hours, and the last of the Ferrari factory prototypes ground to a stop six hours later with a blown head gasket. With Fords running one-two-three and no more challengers in sight, Team Manager Carroll Shelby ordered a slowdown. Then Beebe got an inspiration. To make the inevitable Ford victory all the more impressive, he decided to stage a deliberate dead heat between the leading Mark Us—No. 1, driven by Miles and Denis Hulme, and No. 2, piloted by New Zealanders Bruce McClaren and Chris Amon. Headlights blazing, the two Fords coasted across the finish line side by side at 15 m.p.h.
“It was worth all the effort,” bubbled Henry Ford II, downing a glass of bubbly. Indeed, the only even slightly sad face in the Ford pits belonged to Henry’s Italian-born wife, Christina. “I bet $1,000 on Ferrari,” she confessed. “I like to see Italians win.”

"A Second for Ford"
Friday, June 23, 1967

There is one place in France where Americans still have some clout: Le Mans. For a while, after a trio of U.S. Ford Mark 11s finished one-two-three in last year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans, officials talked about changing the rules of the race — to require that cars go 30 laps between fueling stops (the Fords needed gas every 20 laps) and have room inside for four persons (the Mark 11s could barely squeeze in two). They changed their mind when Ford threatened to pull out of this year’s race altogether, leaving the field wide open for Italy’s Enzo Ferrari, whose siren-red racing machines won every 24 Hours from 1960 through 1965.

A Better Idea. If the thought of another Ferrari runaway was too much for Le Mans officials, the thought of another Ford runaway was too much for Ferrari. Still smarting over last year’s debacle, the “Monster of Maranello” entered three cars in last week’s 35th 24 Hours: brand-new, 330 P4 prototypes, little hand-tooled bombs that weighed only 1,875 Ibs., were powered by 4-liter,450-h.p. engines, and could nudge 200 m.p.h. on Le Mans’ Mulsanne Straight. Unfortunately for Enzo, Ford had a better idea: a new prototype of its own, called the Mark IV, that carried a 7-liter engine and 500 horses under its hood. In pre-race trials, Ferrari mechanics watched disconsolately as four Mark IVs lapped the 8.3-mile track at better than 144 m.p.h., hitting speeds as high as 215 m.p.h. on the straight. The best any of the P4s could muster was a 142-m.p.h. lap.

Still, speed is one thing at Le Mans — and survival is another. The Ford Mark IVs were obviously faster, but could they outlast the Ferraris? Gambling that they could not, Ferrari Team Manager Franco Lini ordered his drivers to hold back, bide their time, and wait for misfortune to hit the Mark IVs. The gamble almost paid off. One Mark IV went off the course, got stuck in sand and never got out; another lost its rear hood, had to pit for repairs and dropped far behind. Then there was Mario Andretti. Running second in the No. 3 Mark IV, Andretti barreled into a turn at 150 m.p.h., only to lose control of the car when his right front brake grabbed. The Mark IV caromed off one wall, then another, bounced back and finally spun to a stop in mid-track — directly in the path of two other Fords, Mark II-model backup cars driven by Roger McCluskey and Jo Schlesser. “I didn’t know if Mario was still in the car,” McCluskey said later, “and I knew I would kill him if I hit him. So I had to put her into the wall.” So did Schlesser. Scratch three more Fords.
One in the Run. That left only one Mark IV in the running — driven by Dan Gurney and Indianapolis 500 Winner A. J. Foyt. But it was exactly where it was supposed to be—in the lead. “We kept expecting mechanical trouble,” Gurney said later, “but it never came. The Ferraris were no real threat.” With Foyt at the wheel, the first man ever to win at both Indy and Le Mans, No. 1 merely coasted across the finish line, 32.5 miles ahead of the pack. In 24 hours, Gurney and Foyt had covered 3,251 miles at a record average speed of 135.4 m.p.h.—10 m.p.h. faster than the old mark set by last year’s winning Ford Mark II. In the winner’s circle, Gurney sprayed champagne on Henry Ford II—and Foyt waved an arm at a group of beaming Ford executives. “Well,” he announced, “we saved those guys’ jobs again.”

Friday, June 13, 2008

Drivers from the past

In what I hope becomes a regular feature, I'm going to focus on drivers, events and cars from the past. These won't always be profiles of the more-famous drivers or their machines; hopefully interesting drivers. In honor of LeMans, my first is Ronnie Bucknam. Why? Because the 1966 24 Hours of LeMans really helped cement Ronnie's reputation and because he often gets overlooked despite being a fantastic talent.

I do my best to be as accurate with these profiles as possible - but I can always use some help. For instance, I don't have much on Ronnie's Trans-Am days. Any help on this would be much-appreciated!

There are many drivers who have earned the term “legend.” And there are many, many more who end up — sadly — as something of a footnote in motor racing’s past. Some of them deserve more of a legacy than that. One is Ronnie Bucknam.

Today many may not have heard of him, unless you live on the West Coast where, among racers, he is a legend. But in his time Ronnie was there to bear witness to some of motor racing’s greatest moments. He finished third at LeMans in 1966, competed in F1 for the Honda factory team and took part in the USAC Indycar series, including six Indianapolis 500s.

Born in Alhambra, California in 1936, Bucknam was one of many race car drivers to emerge from the California racing scene of the late 50s and early 60s. He had a reputation as a competent driver in many SCCA events, which lead to a series of “fortunate circumstances,” as he put it, that lead him to F1, LeMans and USAC.
That first was Honda in its F1 program. In an interview from the late 1980s, Ronnie took exception to the modern-day idea that he got the drive because he was an unknown driver, and that was what Honda was looking for. As he rightly pointed out, he was known for his skills as a test driver, as well as being sympathetic on his machinery, two areas Honda was looking for.

The team was facing a monumental task, building its own chassis and engines, something only Ferrari and BRM attempted to do. Its first season, 1963, coming just three years after they began building cars, proved that they needed sympathetic drivers up to the challenge of developing their cars. There was also a sense of secrecy surrounding Honda; they sought drivers with no connections to other F1 competitors so they could ensure information about their car would not be leaked to other teams. There was certainly a shortage of race-proven European drivers who met the criteria and were willing to risk their reputations racing the Honda.

A search led them to Bucknam, by this time a top driver in SCCA series in Southern California, who joined the team in 1964, where he finished 13th in his first outing in Germany. He would retire from two more races, Italy and Watkins Glen.

Bucknam himself admitted he was “shocked as hell when Honda called" and asked him to test their car. At the time he was in his late 20s and had only driven sports cars. But his reputation, as well as Honda’s desire that development work be carried out in secret, made him a perfect choice.

In 1965 he was back with the team, this time in a more full-time role, competing with the RA272 in six Grand Prixs. His teammate was Richie Ginther, a driver who also came out of the California racing scene. Their best result came in Mexico, where Bucknam finished fifth and Richie won.

Despite a lack of results, Honda were more than satisfied with his help in sorting out the car, and, in 1966, he returned to compete in the final two races of the season (Watkins Glen and Mexico) where he retired from the race and finished fifth (respectively).

The year 1966 would prove to be a watershed for Bucknam. In addition to two F1 drives, he made his first visit to Indianapolis, where he failed to qualify his Western Racing Associates Lola-Chevrolet. To his credit, the car was uncompetitive, the team inexperienced and he had never raced a single-seater on an oval. It also happened to be the same year Graham Hill won, with Jim Clark finishing in second, in their Lotus-Fords in what would be a year of change at the Speedway.

But greater success would come the next month for Bucknam. In truth Indy and F1 were sideshows to a bigger challenge, for Bucknam was working with Carroll Shelby and Dick Hutcherson on the Ford GT40 Mk.II. While Shelby was Ford’s frontman and the key organizer of Ford’s assault on LeMans, it was Hutcherson who can be credited with much of the development work of the GT40, and Bucknam who logged many test miles developing the car.

Their reward was to be named Ford’s third entry at the 24 hour race. Neither had any misconceptions about what was expected of them. They were entered under the Holman & Moody moniker, therefore not an “official” Shelby/Ford entry, and they were not to pass the leading two Fords, raced by Bruce McLaren, Chris Amon, Ken Miles and Denny Hulme.

But, thanks to their mechanical sensitivity, these two drivers, who had never before seen LeMans or competed in such a long endurance race, finished third, as asked, albeit 12 laps down, owing to mechanical trouble during the race.

Hutcherson would move on to success in NASCAR, as a driver, team owner and parts supplier, while Bucknam turned his attention to USAC.

In 1967, with backing from Vita Fresh Orange Juice, Bucknam raced a Gerhardt-Ford in five USAC events, including the 1967 Indianapolis 500, where he once again did not qualify. As in 1966, the team was hastily-prepared and just not ready in the face of stiff competition. His best result that season was third place at St. Jovite.
He would make the famous 500 mile race in 1968, finishing in 21st place because of a fuel leak. A podium followed at Mosport, another at St. Jovite before he took his first win in USAC competition at Brooklyn, Michigan, in the first race at the new track.

In 1969, he competed in just three USAC Indycar races, finishing 30th at Indy after suffered a burned piston. Single seaters beckoned him two more years, in 1970 and 1971, where he competed in five more events, all with mixed results and in undeveloped chassis.

This was in stark contrast to the success Bucknam would find in the new Trans-Am racing series in the late 60s.

In between all of this, Ronnie continued to race with success in USAC, particularly in California, where he turned his attentions full-time in the early 70s.

Though he had long-retired from racing, Ronnie did make appearance in vintage racing events, including a “street race” for classic F1 cars held in the 80s around the Tacoma Dome in Washington State as sanctioned by the SCCA’s North West Region.

Sadly, Bucknam passed away in the early 90s at the age of 57 of diabetes. His son, Jeff Bucknum, became another second-generation driver to take part in the Indycar series a few years ago, and even drove one of his dad’s Honda F1 cars before practice for the 2005 Bridgestone Indy Japan 300 at the Twin-Ring Motegi, where Honda keeps its motor racing collection.

What a cool class project

For endurance racing fans this is the weekend of weekends - the 24 Hours of LeMans. To celebrate the great round-the-clock race, I decided to delve into the archives and share some LeMans memories. I found a series of articles in Time magazine featuring coverage of LeMans during the great Ford-Ferrari-Porsche battles of the late 60s and early 70s. I'll post these over the next three days.

First up though is a look ahead, not back. What made me delve into Time's archives was this article on a Japanese team's visit to LeMans, a team made up of university students. I'm always rooting for the little guys in motorsports, and this was a story I couldn't pass up. It first appeared in the April 29, 2008 edition of Time. The photo below is the car in a practice session for the race.


"The Fast and the Studious"
By Yuki Oda
Come June, 24-year-old Japanese graduate student Yusuke Sakamoto will face an unusual final exam. While most of his classmates at Tokai University near Tokyo will be sweating out answers in a classroom, Sakamoto will be in pit lane at France's legendary Le Mans race track, hoping his 550-horsepower school project survives one of the world's great endurance races.

Sakamoto and his team of Tokai University engineering students have spent the past seven years designing and developing a car to run the storied 24 Hours of Le Mans, to be staged this year on June 14-15. The Tokai University-YGK Power machine, unveiled at an April 24 press conference, is the first entry by a university in the 85-year history of the French race. "Now we are really going," Sakamoto says. "So we can't fail."

The project is the brainchild of Tokai University Professor Yoshimasa Hayashi, a former top automotive engineer with Nissan Motor and author of the Japanese book To Make the World's Best Race Car. In 2001, Hayashi decided to spice up the school's drab curricula with a little real-world engineering project: a competitive endurance racer, designed and built by his students. "Studying a race car is a great way to learn a variety of advanced technologies," says Hayashi. "And, of course, it's appealing to young students."

Hayashi gave a team of 17 the assignment to build a car that was durable yet powerful and highly maneuverable — at the same time instilling in his charges a sense of teamwork, responsibility and commitment. Of course, college students couldn't create such a sophisticated machine from scratch. Much of the work has focused on fine-tuning components purchased elsewhere, such as the chassis, which is manufactured by Courage-Oreca of France but has been highly modified to fit the students' specifications. The car is powered by a four-liter V8 turbocharged engine — meant to be compact, and costing half as much as a conventional racing engine — created for the university by Japanese venture company YGK, to which Hayashi is a consultant.

The project has been a vast collaboration, completed on a very tight budget. Since it began in 2001, more than 150 students have participated. Necessity has sometimes forced them to come up with innovative solutions: For example, the team decided that instead of using a bell housing (which contains the car's clutch) made of expensive magnesium, students designed and built a lightweight substitute made of cheap, sturdy iron. Hayashi won't disclose the car's total development costs, but he says it will cost some $785,000 just to compete at Le Mans. Funds have come from Tokai University, sponsors, and from Hayashi's own pocket. Additional cash is trickling in from a donation drive backed by the governor of Japan's Kanagawa prefecture, and Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn.

Now that the car, dubbed the TOP03 (Tokai Original Prototype 03), is completed, Hayashi's team is ready to begin testing, as well as learning how to manage a racing campaign in time for Le Mans. While Hayashi plans to hire some professional pit crewmen at the circuit, during the competition students will handle most of the track communication, data analysis and race coordination, with Hayashi serving as coach. They'll have professional help behind the wheel: Three experienced drivers, led by Toshio Suzuki, winner of the 1992 Daytona 24-hour race, have signed on.

Hayashi reckons the TOP03 has a top speed of 193mph, fast enough to spar in the LM P1 class with well-financed factory teams from Audi of Germany and France's Peugeot. The immediate goal is to complete the race, but Hayashi is already aiming at a podium finish at Le Mans within three years. At the same time, he hopes his students will learn more than engineering. "To win, the team is the most important," Hayashi says. "However advanced your machine may be, it's the people who bring out the best. I hope they will cherish each moment."

As for team leader Sakamoto, he's decided not to pursue a career designing electronic circuits and now hopes to become a chief engineer at a major car manufacturer. Test day is approaching. "I'm so happy the car is finally done," he says. "We will have to drive well so we can meet everyone's expectations." Go, speed racer, go.

I also came across this compliation showing highlights of the 1988 24 Hours of LeMans. My compliments to Porsche911GT1 for their fine work:

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Runway racing

Cleveland was always one of my favorite races. Like Belle isle in Detroit, it's a race that takes place on the water's edge, and there is something special about the mix of raw machine power against the backdrop of nature.

I always felt Cleveland was a "locals" race, the kind of event that folks in town went to rather than a destination like Road America or Mid-Ohio. My first visit to Cleveland was in 1983, and over the years we've watched the race from a variety of spots, including several years from a boat on the water listening to the race chatter from a scanner. I wasn't pleased that the 2008 combined Indycar/Champ Car calendar did not include Cleveland, but I came across this item from the Cleveland Plain Dealer, so there is hope for Cleveland's return in 2009.

"City officials make their pitch to revive lakefront IRL race for 2009 open-wheel season"

In a quiet, yet high-powered, round of presentations and meetings, Indy Racing League officials heard from Cleveland political and civic leaders Wednesday afternoon about the importance of putting the Grand Prix of Cleveland back on the open wheel racing calendar for 2009.

Since the IRL and Champ Car merged in February, many races -- including Cleveland -- were bumped off the schedule. But the IRL also said 2009 will offer a chance for several events to get back on the slate. Cleveland is among a number of cities trying to make the cut, including Toronto, Portland, Houston and Mexico City.

Cleveland, with its 26-year racing history, has always been a popular venue with the Burke Lakefront Airport circuit being a favorite for fans, drivers, race teams and team sponsors. But Cleveland now must compete with IRL events already on the schedule at the Mid-Ohio course in Lexington, 90 miles south of Cleveland, and at Detroit's Belle Isle, 175 miles northwest.

Combined with the lack of a title sponsor in recent years, and attendance that only recently showed signs of rebounding, getting back on the schedule is not a sure thing. John Lewis, vice president for League Development and Marketing with the IRL said as much.

"We hope there is an opportunity here, but we don't want to give any false expectations, either," he said after lunch. "At first blush, [Cleveland] looks like good people, well supported, and certainly some open-wheel heritage. But the challenge will be finding a slot on a busy calendar. And you certainly have to mention we have a good relationship, and are very happy, with our promoter in Mid-Ohio, Michelle Trueman.

"I guess the key word would be balance. If something works out where everybody wins, that's a good business model. But if it's going to have challenges in respect to this venue, or other venues that we're already at, we'll have to address those and see where that plays out."

With clear hurdles in front of them, Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson and his cabinet met with Lewis and other IRL officials following a presentation and lunch from Grand Prix Charities, a tour of the Burke facility with airport director Ricky Smith and a surprise visit from current race team owner and former Indianapolis 500 winner Bobby Rahal.

"I apologize for crashing this meeting," said Rahal. "But when I heard of this last week I wanted to be here as a team owner, and a former driver. I am a huge, huge fan of this track, and a lot of people other than myself will say that.

"Some of the greatest races in this sport were on this circuit. Cleveland is the race that started the concept of bringing the event to the people [in 1982]. It elevated Indy car racing, suddenly. I hope Cleveland can be on the schedule. My hope is something favorable can be done."

The IRL remains committed to announcing a 2009 schedule by early July, so this may have been Cleveland's best chance at impressing those who will make a final decision.

Mike Lanigan, Cleveland race promoter and CEO for Mi-Jack promotions, believes the possibility of the race returning is realistic. But it's not guaranteed.

"The IRL is very open-minded," he said. "I think they like our history and they like our tradition. They definitely like the city. However, we do have competition. So we hope to do enough to get them to want to come back."

On a more solemn note, it's with sadness that we mark the death of Ove Andersson, who was killed while competing in a vintage rally race in South Africa. Ove was connected with Toyota for much of his career, and headed up the firms' F1 program before retiring. I was saddened to hear of his death and offer my heart-felt condolences to his family.

Here is something from my youtube page, featuring the 1983 Cleveland Grand Prix. I plan on uploading the 1982 race soon. You can check my page out here

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Big things from Texas

Once again the Indycar series enjoyed another successful weekend (the yellow-flag finish aside) - this time from Texas. A record 75,000 people turned out and the race drew a 1.0 on ESPN2, a record for an Indycar race on the duce. I stumbled on a blog written by a staffer at the Star-Telegram that went into more detail about the ratings and race.

Here's what she had to say:
"Saturday night's Bombardier Learjet 550 at Texas Motor Speedway ranks as the highest-rated and most-viewed IndyCar Series race broadcast on ESPN2. The broadcast produced a 1.0 cable rating and reached 939,160 households, up 44 percent over last year's event which drew a 0.7 (639,952 households). The race, which was won by Scott Dixon, surpassed ESPN2's previous high rating of .85 set this year in the season-opening race at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
The Bombardier Learjet 550 also was the second most-viewed IndyCar Series race in ESPN and ESPN2 history, trailing only the 2005 event at Kansas Speedway which drew a 1.05 (970,450 households) on ESPN.
“A full field of 28 cars as a result of the unification and the thrilling three-wide racing fans expect from Texas Motor Speedway translated into a very successful broadcast for our television partners at ESPN,” TMS President Eddie Gossage said in a statement. “We also put forth more effort on the national level in terms of promotion and we hope that had an effect on the amount of viewers as well.”
It also couldn't have hurt that the Bombardier Learjet 550 immediately followed a live NASCAR Nationwide Series race on the deuce.
On a similar note, Friday's NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series broadcast on SPEED saw a 40percent increase from last year's event. The Sam's Town 400 posted a .94 (677,000 households), peaking at a 1.14 (826,000 households). It was the fifth consecutive NCTS race on SPEED that has received a ratings increase this season.
-- Michele Vincze"

It's a great blog, check it out!

Speaking of Texas, an observation. Gossage says Indycar should concentrate on ovals...but history suggests otherwise (open-wheel racing's biggest days came when it had a mix of road courses, ovals and street tracks) and the "league" seems to agree with history. Homestead's been nixed, as has Nashville for 2009, and Tony George is heading to Mexico to talk about Indycars running there next year.

Indy get's his money's worth
For the last three races, Marco Andretti's been sponsored by Blockbuster and the new Indiana Jones movie and boy have they gotten their money's worth. Marco's been involved in three incidents, giving his car and sponsors plenty of air time, but not exactly helping his quest to contend for championships.

I call it young driveritis, the tendancy for young drivers to push too hard and not give others enough room on the track (read Paul Tracy in the early 90s). He squeezed teammate Tony Kanaan at Indy, and did the same to others at Milwaukee and Texas. Sometimes not driving flat out and not being so aggresive will put you in contention for a win...it's hard for some young guns to understand, but the sooner he does, the better for everyone out there. There's no doubt he has the skills, now he just needs the patience.

For those who are interested, below are Marco's crashes:

At Texas....


...and Milwaukee...


...and Indianapolis...

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Fast memories - Williams gets a turbo

Imagine being a leading Formula 1 team and, after partnering with a major car manufacturer, your first "delivery" from them arrives in nothing more a a packing crate. Such was the case with Williams Grand Prix and Honda and their marriage back in 1983. F1 author Alan Henry has chronicled many things over the years, including the history of Williams and the story of the turbo era. It is hard to imagine that those at William's Didcot facility back in 1983 could have thought how dominant a force Honda would become based on what was given to them.

Inside the crate was, as described in Henry's book, "Formula 1: The Turbo Era," an engine that was a "lumpy, untidy 80-degree V6 Honda engine...The package also contained two turbocharges, but little else. It was down to Williams to evolve a means of installing the engine into a chassis, to say nothing of finalising the such ancillaries as radiators and general plumbing for the turbo and exhaust systems."

Henry pointed out that despite being a title-winning team, Williams, like many teams to form out of the 1970s, was effectively running a customer Cosworth engine program with everything from radiators to clutches and gearboxes coming "off the shelf." Yes, there were differences in design, but essentially teams had a proven package from which to start with.

This left them with a monumental task of dealing with a turbo charged engine. The first task for Patrick Head and his designers and engineers was to simply sort out how to install the engine into the back of the chassis. Plumbing was doubly difficult because the team had to content with cooling the engine and power the turbo (using exhaust gases). There were a number of other issues which took the better part of the 1983 season to sort out. One of these were concerns about chassis flex from the engine.

Turbos produce copious amount of power, and the Honda delivered its power in a narrow band. Turbos had been employed for years in sportscar racing and in Indycar racing, but in F1 it was an unknown science. Chassis flex was not a great concern in sportscars because the engine was not a stressed part of the chassis; but in F1, as in Indycar, it was an integral part of the rear of the car, with everything from the gearbox to the wing to the rear axle and suspension bolted on to it. If the engine twisted in any way as the turbo's power "kicked-in," the result could be multiple failures at the back of the car.


This was an initial concern, as Keke Rosberg lamented during an early test of the FW09, the first Williams chassis to carry the V6 turbo. He bluntly told the team's Patrick Head that the chassis was flexing, an issue he would continue to raise into 1984, the turbo-powered cars first full season of competition. The culprits, it later turned out, were "insufficiently rigid cylinder blocks and engine mounts" that caused the engine to flex and sent the vibrations through the tub to the driver. Once these were corrected, the car "behaved" much better.

Keke would win with the FW09 in Dallas in 1984 before the FW10, Williams' first carbon fibre monocoque, began service in 1985. By 1986 the team was contending for championships, and Honda would achieve even greater success in the hands of McLaren by 1988.

Henry presented an interesting theory about why certain engine manufacturers achieved so much success with turbo charging while others struggled. The two most successful firms were BMW and Honda, both of which also manufactured motorcycles. Both, independently, arrived at the same conclusion early in their turbo development - that older, "broken-in" engine blocks made for the best base on which to build a turbo charged motor because any imperfections in the block would have been exposed much earlier in its lifetime. BMW would first take old blocks, some having seen nearly 100,000 miles of service, from road cars, shave them down to fit the design parameters of their engine program and build their F1 engines from them. When these blocks became scarce, they took to aging new blocks outside and exposing them to heat and various other extreme measures to break them in.

They came up with this idea because they had, for years, applied the same idea to their motorcycle engines, preferring to "age" their blocks before building the air-cooled motorcycle motors.

Honda, also familiar with motorcycle motors, had come to the same conclusion when developing its turbo motors having first built their engines with all-new, and shiny, components, with blocks that often cracked apart within a minutes on the dyno.

These motors never looked as attractive as the shined and polished engines offered by Ferrari, Renault or Ford, but they were workhorses. In fact, when Brabham experimented with its low-line chassis, which meant the BMW engine had to be canted over at 75 degrees in the chassis, it is remarkable that the engines lasted as long as they did. The engines suffered from oil scavenging which would have blown other turbo-charged motors much sooner than it affected the BMWs.

If you are in the shopping mood, then check out Alan's new book. It's titled "The Grand Prix Companion" and it's a must read for those who are in love with the sport.

Today's video of the day is not from me - it's probably one of the most memorable moments in GP racing.

And, for those really, really, really into turbo F1 cars, check this out:

Monday, June 9, 2008

A memorable weekend

Missed Friday because I had to work. A delayed flight almost had us missing Saturday - but we got to the track in time for qualifying. For what we missed, what we saw was great. Congratulations are in order to BMW and Robert Kubica. I didn't realize it until we were heading back to the hotel and our driver pointed it out - this was BMW's first win since Nelson Piquet won in a Brabham-BMW at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in 1982!

With all the focus on the young guns of Kimi Raikkonen, Fernando Alonso, Felipe Massa and Lewis Hamilton, it would have been easy to forget Kubica. Still, he was fast from his first time out and I was among those who felt his day would come in short order.

We had dinner Saturday night with some Panasonic Toyota F1 folks - interesting talk. Of course, "Mad" Max Mosley and the rigged vote of confidence was on the table, but more interesting were the thoughts of mechanics and engineers about today's Grand Prix machines.

The concensus around the table is that the success of today's F1 cars are in the hands of the areo guys and the drivers. With F1 regs effectively locking engine design, gearboxes and major chassis redesigns, its up to the "boffins" working with computers and in the wind tunnel to make any performance gains. Where gains used to be measured season-to-season in hundreths of a second at a time, today it's in the thousandths of a second. It's also the reason the cars this year have sprouted so many winglets, towers, and other such "jewelry." It's also why the cars are so sculpted, to the point that expelling the heat is a major issue.

Drivers, too, are much more important because the only way to get a gain of a thousandth of a second a lap to mean anything is to have a great driver get the best out of the car.

So what's the consensus of the Toyota folks about their car this year? Well, any gains they hoped to make from 2007 to 2008 were lost because they didn't develop their areo package as fully as other teams (read BMW, Williams). They also still have heat exhausting issues that stop them from developing the rear bodywork seen on McLaren and Ferrari. They are working flat out, though, to work on cooling and better areo performance.

It's ironic, but fitting when you are talking about F1, that rules meant to reduce costs and close the competition gap, have the opposite effect. As my dinner companions said, the budgets didn't go down; the dollars simply went from engine development to areo development and wind tunnel time.

Thanks to NASCAR's Nationwide racing going over, we got back to our hotel in time to see the end of the Indycar race at Texas (we're getting too old to party in downtown Montreal!). Second time in as many races that the race ended under yellow, but at least no big injuries.

By a roundabout way of celebrating the success of BMW, in the next few days I'm going to share a story told to me by motorsports writer Alan Henry over breakfast a couple of years back during a United States Grand Prix weekend when they were still coming to Indy. It's about Williams Grand Prix's first experiences with the Honda turbo and shows how far - maybe too far - F1 has gone from the "wild" days of the late 1970s and early 80s. Williams did run BMW engines at one point, BMW was a pioneer in developing turbos, and did win its first race, and both the Williams and BMW have similar paint schemes. Hey, I did say it was "roundabout," didn't I?

Video of the day - a theme is developing. I plan to post a video with, well, each post. They come from my youtube site . Today's looks back at a great IMSA race memory. Enjoy!