Friday, October 28, 2011

Just Another Guy Who Doesn't Get It...

If you happen to be a subscriber to Sports Illustrated, as I have been since high school, you probably came across a piece in this week's issue by Lars Anderson, staff writer and resident motorsports "expert," entitled "Up Against the Wall."

The piece details the horrific accident in Vegas and its aftermath, along with some opinions, I assume the writer's, on what needs to be done to improve ("save?") INDYCAR. Without getting into too much detail about Mr. Anderson's conclusions, (I'll touch on those later,) the one thing that the piece is missing is any input from anyone associated with INDYCAR. In fact, the only person cited in the piece REMOTELY connected with INDYCAR is Texas Motor Speedway's uber-promoter, Eddie Gossage.

What I saw were quotes from Jimmie Johnson, not the "revised" quotes he gave out after feeling the wrath of many INDYCAR fans, but the original quotes that got Mr. Johnson into the "doghouse" to begin with. Also quoted was that preeminent INDYCAR sage, Jack Roush, who noted that INDYCAR had just had its "Dale Earnhardt moment." (Of course, what was NOT mentioned was that if Dale, Sr. had hit a SAFER wall and been wearing a HANS device, BOTH pioneered by INDYCAR, he'd probably still be with us.) And, of course, there was a quote from the prodigal son, Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

My initial reaction was to just write thie piece off as a typical NASCAR-slanted "hit" piece. Then I Googled "Lars Anderson." Most of the early listings about Mr. Anderson pertained to baseball. Then I saw a couple about NASCAR, so I did a little digging. As it happens, Lars Anderson has an extensive history on SI.com, most of it dealing with NASCAR. There was, however, one story that caught my eye. Dated May of 2011, was a tome entitled "Why the Indy 500 is My Favorite Sporting Event of the Year."

(http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/lars_anderson/05/24/Indy.500/index.html?xid=shareFB)

To give you the "Cliff's Notes" version, Mr. Anderson makes a case about his exposure to the Indianapolis 500, his first attendance being in 2003. He, like many of us who have been there, describes the emotions, the traditions, the rush of the race itself, acknowledging that even NASCAR drivers Tony Stewart, Juan Pablo Montoya, Sam Hornish, Jr., and Robby Gordon consider Indy the preeminent race in the world. (Of course, what would they know: They just raced there and two of them won the 500, with a third coming within a lap of so doing.)

Okay, I understand that Lars' primary occupation is covering NASCAR for SI. But to propose ways to "fix" INDYCAR following the suggestions of NASCAR people is almost akin to asking the fox how to fix the henhouse problem.

Don't get me wrong: some of the things listed there are things that I am sure will be looked at. Suggestion one, however, gives you the skinny: Stay off of high banked ovals. (Again, this was at the behest of that famous INDYCAR expert, one Jimmie Johnson.)

Number two: Reduce the speeds. On this one, I'm kinda scratching the ol' melon. We just finished using cars that are significantly slower than the ones we raced back in the 90's (with turbochargers.) One of the results of this was that everyone was going about the same speed. Up until Kentucky a couple of years back, what did we have? Parades, that's what. No passing, no excitement, pit strategy races that NO ONE cared about. So, after that, we loosened up a little on the aerodynamic limitations and the racing got exciting, at least on the ovals. Now, assuming what we're talking about is reducing the downforce while adding back the turbos, that's fine. When the racing is boring, who's going to watch? (And, of course, sooner or later the engineers will find other wqys to make the cars go fast.)

Number 3: End the double file restarts. On street circuits, why bother? The drivers aren't abiding by them anyway. If we get three rows of two lined up at the "go" cone, we're lucky and we're going green. At Indy this year, they changed the rules to allow the cars to accelerate in the north chute. I was sitting at the end of the main straightaway, and I can tell you they were STILL going two and sometimes three wide going through turn 1. It is, after all, called racing.

Number 4: Raise the SAFER walls. At some tracks this might work. This was mentioned on "Trackside," this week. I'd sure want to look at the sight lines before going there, however, as Curt Cavin suggested. One of the great things about some of the mile and a half tracks is that you can follow the cars all the way around. Take that away at your own peril. We already have attendance issues.

Number 5: Cover the back wheels. Okay, this one is, assuming no changes in the DW12 design, going to happen, at least partially. While a lot of purists did not like that aspect of the design, most have acquiesced after the Vegas accident. If the new design keeps the cars on the ground, this will allow the SAFER barriers to do their assigned task of energy absorption and keep the cars out of the catch fencing.

Look, Mr. Anderson's suggestions are not without merit. What I don't agree with is his dependence on NASCAR drivers to make put forth these ideas. Why wasn't he talking to Roger Penske, Chip Ganassi, A. J. Foyt, or Mario Andretti? I saw no indication that he did in this piece. Seems to me, if he wanted to get the straight dope about INDYCAR, he should have talked to INDYCAR engineers or drivers. Therein lies the problem.

A lot of us who have followed this series were overjoyed when Randy Bernard talked about breaking the decade-old speed records at Indianapolis. We can do that, given the qualifiying format at Indy and the addition of the turbos. When the engineers can really "trim" the cars out (because they're going around the Speedway solo,) I think this is very possible. Dealing with the turbulence of running with 32 other cars, however, those same engineers are going to seek stability, at least if they want to be around at the finish.

I have maintained that since Indianapolis will be the first exposure of the new cars to an oval track, there should be some extended multi-car testing before we get to the "15 days of May." Failing that, perhaps the Speedway should consider extending practice for this year only. We all know the havoc that weather can play with Indy's schedule. Wouldn't it be wise that all drivers get as much exposure to the conditions there as possible?

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Going Forward, Part I

This will be part one of a two (or maybe three) part blog on going forward. I've made it perfectly clear, I am no journalist, just a fan who loves to write, particularly about INDYCAR racing. Good thing, because as a journalist, I missed an information avenue (or at least the first half of it,) by missing part of "Trackside" this evening. I'll probably listen to the podcast tomorrow morning to catch the first hour.


I'm going to, over the next two or three posts, cover a lot of areas in brief. Much of it will be opinion, and some will be things that will work themselves out over the next few months. Some of it will be fact based and some will be purely speculative "wishful thinking."


First, I'm going to climb on my soapbox for a minute. I have made it no secret in postings to OPB's (other people's blogs) that INDYCAR needs to do some serious, mutli-car, multi-venue testing before the upcoming season. Let's face it: what Dan Wheldon told us from stage one testing of the new chassis is that the new car is stable, but do we know how they'll handle in packs? Engine performance will offer a potential variable in speeds, but, particualrly as it pertains to ovals, everyone is going to be a proverbial "rookie" in this chassis.


When you consider that a number of the drivers in this series are limited in their oval experience, their next "shot" at an oval will be at Indianapolis, and you add in the usual number of one-offs, let's just say, the more experience, the merrier. These guys need to be as comfortable as possible with all the characteristics of the new cars. Anyone who has followed the Indianapolis 500 for any length of time knows the propensity for things to go wrong at the start.

2012 is one year that that simply must not happen, especially since that will be the first exposure to a large number of potential fans subsequent to Las Vegas.

Speaking of that new car, I have found it amazing how a lot of the controversy about the wheel enclosures and the rear "bumpers" has quieted since the accident. Before, there were many who felt that these features were an unwelcome addition to the car; Now, I suspect almost everyone gets that they are there for a reason.

One thing about which I heard Curt and Kevin speculating tonight on the tail end of "Trackside" was who will end up in the #7 GoDaddy ride. Obviously, GoDaddy is an important stack of sponsor dollars, dollars which this series needs to keep involved. With that ride goes a lot of marketing responsibility, so it's not for just anyone. A listener had suggested that it might be Conor Daly, but both Kevin and Curt think young Mr. Daly is a year away, at least. I'm not entirely certain that Conor doesn't have more F-1 leanings than INDYCAR, but maybe next summer, if he runs a full season of Lights, we'll know more.

If Michael Andretti does NOT go outside the "family," maybe either Ryan Hunter Reay or Marco wind up in the ride; More likely, in my opinion, is that Michael holds off until Penske makes a move as to his stable. If Penske should cut a driver loose, (presumably Ryan Briscoe,) then you have a whole "domino effect" to look at. That's all speculation for a few months down the road. And there's lots of time for "Silly Season."

The one part of this off season that is not going to be silly is the investigation of the accident at LVMS. As that investigation continues, my hope is that it will be thorough and open. While I, for one, have no desire to see all the gruesome photos, it is important that this investigation not be in any way "swept under the rug." The more we, and more importantly IICS officials know about what happened, the more steps that can be taken to avoid a recurrence.

And finally, I ask that everyone consider this: INDYCAR has come a long way in the pursuit of safety. Some of the "old guard" of fans, (of whom I consider myself one,) remember when this sport was much less safe than it is now, and the lessons learned under tragic circumstances, often serve to bring about more innovations in the area of safety. Whether that innovation comes in the form of improved catch fencing, changes in the cars, or in some other area, this is racing and it will never be 100% safe.

We as fans and followers have become complaisant, lulled to "sleep" by watching seemingly horrific crashes from which our heroes walked away or recovered. This has been a wake-up call for all of us. I have used the analogy of Indianapolis after the ill-fated 1973 race. Two driver deaths and one critical injury in one month of May (that everyone except Gordon Johncock would like to forget,) led to some innovations that, while bringing the speeds down significantly, led to one of the safest months of May in Speedway history the following year.

Let's hope that we can write a similar story this time next year.

Saturday, October 22, 2011

To Tomorrow and Beyond

Tomorrow we will say our public goodbyes to Dan Wheldon. Everyone who follows IndyCar racing has had some time to remember, looking back fondly, cherishing our "family," and pouring out our sympathies to Susie, Sebastian, and Oliver; Dan's parents and brothers.

The family serivces today, as covered by USA Today ( http://www.usatoday.com/sports/motor/indycar/story/2011-10-22/dan-wheldon-funeral/50869962/1) are available here.

Most of my fellow bloggers have had beautifully written pieces talking about our grief, sense of loss, and personal thoughts. I strongly recommend the piece written by "The Ragin' Canadian," Meesh, (http://meeshbeer.wordpress.com/) normally an R-rated (for language) blogger who's not ever afraid to express an opinion. Her very personal take on feelings at this time I found very moving. Ditto for George Phillips at Oilpressure.com.

Personally I want to thank several of our friends in NASCAR for the condoleneces and gestures during this period of loss. They too, lost a brother driver, and I noticed in Talledega qualifying that many were subdued, effected by racing's loss.

Looking forward, perhaps Dan's greatest legacy will be the new chassis, which will bear his name in some form or fashion. Much work was done in the design phase of that chassis to lessen the potential for just the type of accident that we saw last Sunday. It is my sincere hope that The IZOD IndyCar Series will go forward with some sort of group testing of the new chassis, before we go racing again to understand what the traffic characteristics of this new chassis will be. This will allow time for any "tweaks" needed to ensure as much stability in the chassis as we can find.

While next year's schedule is still not finalized, it is apparent that all of our racing prior to Indianapolis will be on road or street circuits. Before we approach the month of May and the speeds of Indy, we need to know how these cars will operate together. In addition, because we have a significant number of drivers with limited oval experience, it might be wise to expand practice for Indy somewhat.

Please, let's make sure before we're going three wide down the main straightaway toward the green flag on Memorial Day Sunday that everyone is as comfortable as possible with that new chassis and engine. We all know how fast the start at the Speedway can go wrong, particualrly when there are some drivers who try to win the 500 on the first lap. To many who do not follow our series regularly, that first lap at Indianapolis will be the first INDYCAR race they have seen since the tragedy of last weekend. It is imperative that it be safe.

Finally, several have pointed out that there has been a significant amount of irresponsible journalism during the period following last Sunday. I suspect that in the coming weeks, a few of those who put their names to such pieces are going to be called out and I know at least a couple of my fellow bloggers who have withheld their viewpoints until the immediate shock of this has mitigated, at least to some degree. As many blogger-friends have expressed, this has NOT been the week to forward an agenda: time will come for that. And frankly, some of the folks who will be singled out just flat did not do any homework before spouting their bile. (Hint: If you call it the IRL, you've been asleep for two years.)

The next few months should be interesting....

Monday, October 17, 2011

Requiem

It's been a little over 30 hours since the tragedy in Las Vegas that took the life of Dan Wheldon. Many of my fellow bloggers have come up with beautifully worded tributes, far better than I can express.

Personally, I feel for everyone in the INDYCAR family. Obviously, Dan's widow and children top that list along with his immediate family. Deeper than that, it was clear to me in watching yesterday that our sport IS a family. The pictures of Tony Kanaan, Dario Franchitti, Danica Patrick, and Sarah Fisher in obvious emotional distress are burned into my mind. My heart goes out to all who mourn this loss, be they fans, drivers, crew members, owners, or media.

I sensed from the hushed tones of the announcers early on during the red flag yesterday that the result was not going to be good. I've often been highly critical of Marty Reid as the lead announcer for the ABC/ESPN coverage. Yesterday, however, Marty must have been channelling his inner Sid Collins, as his words were very reminiscent of Sid's impromptu eulogy of Eddie Sachs during the red flag of the 1964 Indianapolis 500. In fact, the entire ABC crew deserves credit for their respect to the gravity of the situation. Very well done, gentlemen and ladies.

The five lap tribute was heart wrenching. I was dealing with the whole of the reality fairly well until I heard "Amazing Grace" being played over the PA. I'm not ashamed to admit, that was the end of my composure for the day. Most of last night was spent reading tributes, many from media sources, others from the bloggers I follow. I even tried to write my own last night, but when I pulled up my blog, all I could see was my earlier post (that never got published) about the great anticipation of the race to come. After that emotional downdraft, there was no way I was going to be able to put coherent thoughts together. Again, my hat is off to those who could and did.

Those who have been a fan of racing as long as I have, have experienced this before. Back in the 60's and early 70's, death was a far more common visitor to our sport. Perhaps because of the advances in safety and medicine, we have recently become accustomed to horrible looking accidents from which drivers walk away or, at the very least, recover. Only the night before, there was an accident in the NASCAR race in Charlotte that was eerily similar to the one that took the life of Dale Earnhardt. Big impact, but thanks to the SAFER barrier and the HANS device, no serious injury.

The irony is lost on no one that Dan Wheldon spent this summer testing the 2012 Dallara, a car designed to lessen the likelihood of the car getting airborne. That initial testing program will be a legacy for which he will be remembered as 2011 becomes 2012 and beyond. More than that we will remember the joy of this May past, when he captured his second win at Indianapolis by leading about 1/8th of one lap.

Rest well, kind soul.