By Peter M. DeLorenzo

Detroit. I started to buy in - at least a little - to the idea that with Monster Energy coming on board, NASCAR was starting down the path of enlightenment. This was NASCAR turning over a new leaf, finally acknowledging that things weren't going all that well after years of highly visible decline. I was looking forward to clarity and some strategically positive moves from the NASCAR brain trust down in Daytona Beach. But then the announcement was made that the NASCAR races would be broken into three segments, with points awarded in each segment. And upon hearing that I said to myself, "oh no." This manufactured excitement and gimmicky nonsense was the beginnings of the "new" NASCAR?

And that was followed by a strained press event, which saw driver after driver get up and extol the virtues of this openly convoluted points system, that if we'd all "give it a little time" we'd see how it transforms the NASCAR racing product into a compelling scenario week in, and week out. (I get the fact that NASCAR drivers are, for the most part, paid handsomely to toe the company line and boost their series whenever they can, but this didn't past the smell test with me, and watching some of NASCAR's star drivers, whom I have the utmost respect for, get up in front of the media and wax on about how this would be transformative and was just the magic elixir that NASCAR needed was excruciatingly painful to watch.)

But okay, let's give it a chance. So, Daytona begins, and the truck race on Friday night and the Nationwide race on Saturday afternoon are depressing crash-fests from start to finish. It was clear to me that there was nothing new about what was unfolding at Daytona, that this was restrictor-plate racing at its worst; but seasoned observers brushed it off as being a product of young, inexperienced drivers taking big risks on the racetrack, and that wouldn't happen in Sunday's main event, the Daytona 500.

And then Sunday's big race happened, and that's exactly what happened. I refuse to sugarcoat the mess that unfolded on Sunday, because it was the by far the worst Daytona 500 ever run in my estimation. I have made no bones about the fact that restrictor-plate racing is the dumbest idea in all of racing. It breeds "formation flying" and places almost superhuman pressure on the drivers to not make mistakes, because when they do, the consequences can be devastating. And this just in: drivers make mistakes. Lots of them. And the rampant carnage in Sunday's Daytona 500 was beyond ridiculous, with torn-up equipment strewn throughout the NASCAR garage area. I am glad that no drivers were seriously injured, but Sunday's race reaffirmed my fundamental belief that restrictor-plate racing isn't racing at all. Instead, it's abject stupidity and a motorized form of Russian Roulette that needs to be eradicated from the discussion altogether.

And, on top of that, you add the convoluted "segment racing" gimmick, and I had to remind myself that this was - allegedly - NASCAR's premier event of the racing season. This was supposed to be their "best of the best" on display going for the sport's biggest prize. And then I watched as the Daytona 500 descended into an embarrassing display of flat-out futility.

Listen, it has been clear to me for a long time that this whole discussion comes down to "a tale of two NASCARs." On the one hand you have the talented drivers and crews, who are some of the best in the business in all of racing, and whom I have nothing but respect for. If racing enthusiasts ever had the opportunity to be given a real insider's tour of the NASCAR garage, they would be amazed at the incredible level of talent, with resumes from all over the racing world, including F1, on display. Make no mistake, the talent in the NASCAR garage area plays second fiddle to no one.

And then there's the other side of NASCAR. A family enterprise now in its third generation that is doing its level best to run the whole thing into the ground. Abetted by the content-hungry hounds at the television networks and the enablers at the car companies who keep handing the failing enterprise money despite the obvious, the NASCAR brain trust conducts itself as if it's their inordinate right to repeatedly make the same mistakes over and over and over again, expecting a different outcome. That doesn't just describe the quintessential definition of insanity, it suggests a level of hubris that is simply beyond comprehension.

Faced with declining television ratings and in-person race attendance for going on ten years now, what does NASCAR come up with to slow the downward spiral? A gimmicky, segment racing points proposition that is designed to manufacture excitement. It's almost unfathomable that they would actually believe that this would make a difference to their racing product. NASCAR doesn't need gimmickry or manufactured anything at this point, it needs hard decisions based on a downward spiral that is picking up speed.

The litany of problems for NASCAR never changes either: The schedule is simply too long given the declining everything about this sport (a 25-race schedule should be the maximum, as I've said repeatedly over the last five years). On top of that, there are too many repeat visits to the same tracks on the schedule, which is nonsensical given the reality in this era of NASCAR's decline. And there's a crying need for more road races on the schedule - at least two more - while cutting the overall number of races. And the races are too damn long. Let me repeat that, the races are too damn long. There should be only a few "premier" 500- and 600-mile events on the schedule, and the rest of the oval races should be 300 to 350 miles in length. These four- and five-hour race marathons are simply ludicrous at this point.

And then there's the fact that NASCAR is clinging to old technology, still using five lug wheels, manual jacking and fuel cans, while the entire racing world moved to center locking hubs, on-board jacking and dry-break re-fueling hoses years ago. If nothing else this is an urgent safety discussion. And finally, there's NASCAR's clinging to the use of restrictor-plates on their "big" tracks, which is a disaster waiting to happen. Racing doesn't need a repeat of the 1955 Le Mans disaster, and NASCAR dodged a bullet at Talladega in 1987 when Bobby Allison's car went up into the catch-fencing and almost veered into the crowd. In fact, it was after that incident when NASCAR came up with the idea of restrictor-plates to slow the cars down on the super speedways. That was 30 years ago. It's time for a new idea.

Yet NASCAR persists. Refusing to deal with the major issues threatening the very existence of the sport itself, the NASCAR brain trust in Daytona Beach instead comes up with another gimmick to manufacture excitement. As I said, it's simply beyond comprehension at this point.

But expecting the drivers and team owners to step up and speak up against NASCAR's continued abject stupidity is too much to ask, apparently. Why? If you had the opportunity to experience Charlotte and the surrounding area 25 years ago and then see it now, the transformation due to the infusion of money directly attributable to the racing industry is staggering. And this is why no one speaks up, and why the drivers and team owners get up in front of the media suggesting that it's all good and there's nothing that can be done about the "haters" out there.

Well that is simply an inexcusable excuse, and NASCAR and its team owners, drivers, participating auto manufacturers, television networks, sponsors and associated dependents simply can't let this stupidity continue.

And that's the High-Octane Truth for this week.

Editor's Note: Many of you have seen Peter's references over the years to the Hydrogen Electric Racing Federation (HERF), which he launched in 2007. For those of you who weren't following AE at the time, you can read two of HERF's press releases here and here. And for even more details (including a link to Peter's announcement speech), check out the HERF entry on Wikipedia here. -WG

Publisher's Note: As part of our continuing series celebrating the "Glory Days" of racing, we're proud to present another noteworthy image from the Ford Racing Archives. - PMD

(Courtesy of the Ford Racing Archives)

Daytona Beach, Florida, February 26, 1967 500 Daytona FL 1967. Mario Andretti (No. 11 Holman-Moody Bunnell Motor Co. Ford) holding the Winner's Trophy after winning the Daytona 500. He spanked the NASCAR establishment that day and it wasn't all that popular with some in NASCAR land. Fred Lorenzen (No. 28 Holman-Moody LaFayette Ford) was second and James Hilton (No. 48 Bud Hartje Econo Wash Dodge) finished third.

By Peter M. DeLorenzo

Detroit. It was another roller-coaster year in the world of racing. F1 was, well F1; IMSA struggled mightily with The Future but offered the finest, most competitive racing in the world in its GTLM class; NASCAR was its usual seething cauldron of bureaucracy meted out in a go-along-to-get-along dance that grew old easily a decade ago; IndyCar continued to be locked in a time warp of its own making; and GRC offered the most scintillating racing of the year. I had a lot of thoughts about racing along the way, per usual, and here are a few of the highlights from my columns this year. Hopefully, it will give you something to think about before the new season begins.

As for racing in general, the usual scenarios will unfurl. Manufacturers on the winning side will gloat. And manufacturers who aren't winning will whine. The same for the drivers, because, let's face it, drivers aren't happy unless they're winning. Bernie will cajole, strong-arm and maneuver, because that's what Bernie does. And the Other Forces in F1 - orchestrated by Marchionne - will make lives miserable just because they can. The powers that be at IndyCar will crow about an uptick of a tenth of a percentage point in the TV ratings, because well, that's what they always do. IMSA will present its usual highs and lows, and NASCAR will suck the air out of the media landscape. And so it goes. As for the racing enthusiasts, without whom none of this would be possible, they will have to pick and choose their way around the calendar, because no one racing series has it together enough to present a first-rate on-track product throughout an entire season. ("WHINERS, LAWYERS AND OH BY THE WAY, RACING." January 6, 2016)

In my twitter feed over the weekend I talked about the looming "Battle for the Ages" in the GTLM class in the 2016 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Let's forget about the fact for the moment that this continent deserves an all-GT series and instead let's dwell on the reality of what is at hand, which is a monumental battle for superiority and bragging rights among the world's elite auto manufacturers. The Corvette vs. Ford vs. BMW vs. Porsche vs. Ferrari battle will intensify what is already considered to be the finest road racing in the world. And we should all be grateful, even with the "what ifs" and "what could be" that comes with it. As I reminded readers last week, nothing is perfect in racing. The endless politics and the never-ending Balance of Performance bullshit always seem to try mightily to derail great racing, so we're left with fleeting moments over the course of the season that play out in bursts of creativity and brilliance, and keep us coming back for more. Here's hoping for many of those moments in 2016, and try to savor and enjoy what we have, because you never know when the powers that be will conspire to mess it all up. ("THE BATTLE FOR THE AGES." - 2/18)

What you will see at Daytona this weekend in the Daytona 24 Hour race (Rolex 24) is the culmination of five years of due diligence, research, hard work and yes, more than a little hand-wringing, as Ford enters the most hotly-contested category in all of modern motorsport - the 2016 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship's GTLM class - with its brand-new Ford GT racer. That the Ford GT racing program exists to showcase its brand-spanking-new, limited-production, Ford GT production supercar is a given. But the racing program also exists to develop future superstar engineers, designers, aerodynamicists and electronics experts who will power the company's technological expertise into the future. It's also a quintessential branding and image exercise for the Ford suite of advanced technology as defined by EcoBoost, and to remind those who are interested and for those who didn't already know, that the Ford Motor Company's history is rich with motorsports participation at the highest level - and winning. ("GREAT EXPECTATIONS." - 1/27)

There were no stinkin' "team orders," no artificial political arrangements, no dismally pre-programmed manufacturer priorities. No, it was just two pure road racers at the highest levels of the sport - who happened to be driving for the same team - going balls out for the GTLM class win in the Daytona 24 Hour race. The epic duel between Oliver Gavin (No. 4 Corvette Racing Corvette C7.R) and Antonio Garcia (No. 3 Corvette Racing Corvette C7.R) will go down in history as the closest class finish in the history of the race, with Gavin edging Garcia by just 0.034 seconds. ("ONE FOR THE AGES, PART II." - 2/3)

To say that the romance is gone in Formula 1 is to state the obvious. For the legions of fans who became enchanted with the movie Grand Prix when it made its debut back in the stone age (1966), the sport has lost its luster over the subsequent decades, like clockwork. Not that there haven't been spikes of interest in the sport over the ensuing years, but there's a reason that some of the most actively followed auto enthusiast sites on Twitter post images of F1 from the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s. This will not be a wistful nostalgia screed about the "good ol' days" of Formula 1. And it won't be a detailed documentation of the sport's long, downward slide either, because the short story is simple: greed, along with manufacturer interest in skewing the results to justify their investment has cast a negative pall over the sport for years. Orchestrated by The Diminutive One, aka Bernard Ecclestone, the sport has been chasing the money for decades, bamboozling governments, track owners, and state and local city politicians to acquiesce to Bernie's wishes to the detriment of tradition, and in some cases, common sense. ("A MOST RADICAL SOLUTION FOR FORMULA 1." - 2/10)

Why? Because you simply can't put the technology "genie" back in the bottle. You can't put 60 years of aerodynamic development in racing aside and pretend that it just didn't exist. The same can be said for tire development, the emergence of radical new materials, new engine concepts, and all of the other myriad advancements in technology that are part and parcel of today's racing (we're not referring to NASCAR in this discussion because as we well know it simply exists its a world of its own making). And if you in fact can't put the technology "genie" back in the bottle then wouldn't a de-radicalized F1 become nothing more than a glorified nostalgia exercise? ("AND ANOTHER THING." - 2/17)

It's clear that Daytona and Sebring are head and shoulders above the other events, but it's also clear that America's most prestigious long-distance road racing event is the 12 Hours of Sebring, hands down. Normally, a 12-Hour event wouldn't eclipse a 24-Hour in terms of prestige, but Sebring is the oldest (the first 12-Hour event ran in 1952) and by far the toughest road race on this continent. Set amidst the surrounding orange groves, the Sebring circuit itself is partially made up of the remnants of an old W.W. II training base for the U.S. Air Force, Hendricks Army Field. That means running on old concrete runways that are brutally rough and unforgiving. So tough and unforgiving in fact that there are places on the circuit where all four wheels can leave the ground, if you happen to get caught out in a really bad section. ("SEBRING: AMERICA'S TOUGHEST ENDURANCE TEST." -3/9)

There are too many exceptionally bright minds in and around F1 for the series to be doing what it is doing. The lack of vision and fundamental unwillingness to be bolder with the technical aspects of the sport is staggering, because it suggests that the people involved actually believe the gravy train will last forever. It's not enough to suggest that Bernie has to go, because that is merely the price of entry in this discussion. Beyond that an entire rethink of the sport is needed, as in, what is Formula 1 and what does it want to be going forward? Does it want to respect the past while projecting into the future? Or does it want to continue along in fits and starts with incremental changes leading to nowhere? As I've said repeatedly over the last ten years or so, F1 must embrace a new vision if it wants to remain being the pinnacle of the sport. The problem is that no one can "fix" F1 except for the players involved, and so far they've shown a stunning lack of awareness and an even more pathetic lack of willingness to get out of their own way. ("THINKING OUT LOUD." - 3/23)

As I said last week, the lack of vision and fundamental unwillingness to be bolder with the technical aspects of the sport is staggering, because it suggests that the people involved actually believe that the current "greed circus" will last forever. We know that's certainly not the case, because obviously nothing - especially in racing - lasts forever. Money comes and goes, manufacturers come and go and the sport is constantly in the throes of a percolating, seething unhappiness as in someone, somehow is being slighted or worse, ignored, which seems to trigger petulant billionaire foot stomping of some kind or another. And make no mistake, "greed circus" is the perfect description of the current F1. How so? The series exists in a vacuum of its own making. The "circus" flies into a country or city that serves up the most money, while providing the required accoutrements, which include a (preferably new) circuit with the proper pit garages and entertainment suites so that nothing untoward surprises the competitors or their sponsors. Then the race meeting takes place, completely devoid of anything to do with a "show" of any kind, meaning that if the entire thing transpired without spectators no one in the F1 garage seemingly would even care, given their absence of involvement with the paying customers. Then it's on to the next mark, er stop, on the calendar. ("THINKING OUT LOUD, PART II." - 3/30)

"Racing in a Vacuum" is a term I coined long ago in these pages and unfortunately it resonates just as much today as when I first used it. What does it mean? It simply means that competitors in the various racing series at the top levels of the sport become so lost in the minutiae of the day-to-day inertia of what they're doing that they become inured to outside perceptions. It's completely understandable, to a degree, what with the constant thrum of procuring sponsors and the never-ending logistical challenges during a season, not to mention the competitive demands of the racing itself. It's a demanding 24/7 slog of incredible proportions, a dimension of razor-edged life that becomes almost addictive for many. Inertia, of course, has a lot to do with maintaining the status quo in racing. It makes a lot of the decisions for the players involved automatically, simply because getting the financial wherewithal to go forward for the next season remains paramount and all-consuming, while the sanctioning body is compelled to reinforce existing schedules and seal arrangements with track promoters, lock in car specifications and, well, keep the whole thing going for another year. But that doesn't make it right, or even a good excuse. I acknowledge that it's much easier to press on with the devil you do know, than it is to tackle the devil you don't know at all. ('RACING TO IRRELEVANCE." - 4/6)

My latest recommendation may not be quite that radical, but in comparison with what's going on now, it would be truly earth-shattering. I would start by throwing the current rule book out and creating a new set of competitive parameters consisting of three things: 1. A dimensional "box" that the cars can't exceed (which also implicitly means that everything else is "free"). 2. The machines must have four wheels and tires (again, everything else is "free"). And 3. A maximum of 50 gallons of fuel allotted for the entire 500 miles (an equivalency formula would be adjusted for diversified approaches in powertrains and energy density in fuels. Yes, in other words, "free"). Then I'd give everyone two years to come up with new machines designed to these new parameters, and we could all look forward to the first of the "new era" 500s in May 2019. I am convinced that the creative diversity of approaches on display at The Speedway would have a chance of transforming the sport and making manufacturer support and fan interest soar. ("THE INDIANAPOLIS 500 NEEDS A NEW IDEA." - 4/20)

I've written so many columns about the highly questionable judgment - or lack thereof - displayed by the powers that be at NASCAR over the last seventeen years of producing this web weekly that it grew old a long time ago. I have reserved particular ire for the lethal joke called "restrictor-plate racing" - the motorized form of Russian Roulette that plays out four times a year at two tracks - Daytona and Talladega. Except that it isn't racing at all. No, it's rampant stupidity of the highest order, a recipe for carnage that courts disaster lap after lap. The racers hate it. The team owners hate it. And the real fans hate it. And yes, there is a particular strain of vermin out there who call themselves "fans" who think it's highly entertaining and who believe that the drivers should just shut up and drive, but they are irrelevant to this discussion. Why? Because they view the whole display like a video game, where mayhem ensues and there are no real consequences for anyone. Except that there are and there will be. It's just inevitable. ('NASCAR IS OUT OF EXCUSES." -5/4)

Talking about the glory days at The Speedway in the 60s when crowds of 200,000 people would show up for Pole Day to see the upward march of lap speeds has become tedious. Historically relevant, certainly, but it was a different time and a different era, and we'll never bring it back. But make no mistake, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is this nation's "Cathedral of Speed" and the historical significance of that magnificent edifice at the corner of W. 16th Street and Georgetown remains powerfully important. It is not only IndyCar's only internationally significant race, it's one of the three greatest races in the world (along with Monaco and the 24 Hours of Le Mans). And even though I rate Indy over the other two, I get the sense that a lot of American racing fans have lost sight of the fact that the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indy 500 are revered around the world by racers and racing enthusiasts of all stripes. ("THE CATHEDRAL OF SPEED." -5/12)

There were plenty of possible scenarios for the 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500. Another win for Roger Penske in his 50th Anniversary year. A possible fourth win for Helio Castroneves to join Foyt, Unser and Mears as the only four-time winners. Another win for Scott Dixon or Tony Kanaan and Chip Ganassi Racing. Redemption for J.R. Hildebrand. A first win for Marco Andretti, and on and on. But instead it was an unlikely win for a 24-year-old Californian who had spent most all of his formative years in racing in Europe, who combined with a wily veteran in Bryan Herta, to make racing history. It was a spectacular homecoming. ("SPECTACULAR HOMECOMING." - 6/1)

And because of the prestige of Le Mans, and the fact that it is the biggest road racing event in the world, there's an intense pressure that comes with it. This pressure permeates the garage area throughout practice, qualifying and the race itself. The participating auto manufacturers are spending hundreds of millions of dollars to win. Let me reiterate that. To win. To place or show is nice, but ultimately that doesn't count for much in the Big Picture. Winning at Le Mans is absolutely everything to these manufacturers, and they expect nothing less. And every driver and team member carries that pressure on their shoulders. But then again this is part and parcel of the Le Mans experience. Ask the drivers and teams who have been fortunate to win there and they will speak in reverential tones, saying it's unlike any other feeling in the world. Ask the members of Corvette Racing - or other Americans who have had the opportunity to win there - what it feels like to be representing the United States when they play our country's National Anthem after victory at Le Mans. And they will shake their heads and almost tear up, quietly saying something like, "It's simply indescribable." ("HISTORY. PASSION. PRESSURE. AND HONOR." - 6/15)

The win for the Ford GT at the 24 Hours of Le Mans – 50 years after Ford’s overall win in 1966 – is a momentous achievement for everyone who has been involved with the program from the very beginning. It’s an extraordinarily proud moment for the entire company too. It reminds everyone hard at work at Ford that the company is about dedication, perseverance, creativity and the will to win. In fact, none other than its founder, Henry Ford, forged the company’s reputation and illustrious history through racing and it remains a shining legacy that’s as vibrant and essential today. It also means that sometimes you have to say, “What the f---” and just go for it, and be willing to put it all on the line in the world’s most competitive arena in order to demonstrate who you are and what you’re about. ("A WINNING IMPERATIVE." -6/22)

The real evil of the "Balance of Performance" concept is that it has deteriorated into a dismal shell game of "managed" competition, rewarding whichever manufacturer is currently in favor with a specific sanctioning body, depending on the political gerrymandering, promotional money being spent and the associate sponsorship outlays, of course. The bright-eyed creativity that once powered this sport to greater and greater heights in its formative years has been replaced by a rancid, cynical, "pay-to-play" manipulation based on corporate marketing initiatives tinged with personal agendas. And it's a giant bowl of Not Good. The ultimate effect? It dumbs down absolutely everything connected to the sport. ("BALANCE OF PAIN." -6/29)

Today racing is a giant, spinning, "Balance of Performance" wheel driven by inertia and cold hard cash. Racing sanctioning bodies around the world make "accommodations" to manufacturers who want to compete, because by doing so the racing organizations are guaranteed staggering amounts of money in promotional and marketing initiatives. They also continually "adjust" the BoP numbers for the manufacturers who have been loyal competitors within a given series to maintain their interest, so as to keep everyone happy and on the same page. When it works, the competition is equalized but competitive. But when it doesn't, it's a bitter cup of Joe. It's the way of the racing world and it's unlikely to change. ("CREATIVITY VS. A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD: CAN RACING EVER REWARD INGENUITY AGAIN?" -7/6)

What would GTX look like? Let's take the current Corvette C7.R., for instance. Imagine the 2016 racing package without the air restrictors, or perhaps a different engine altogether. Then imagine wilder bodywork to accommodate bigger rubber (and bigger brakes), and of course the corresponding wings, slats and aero necessary for the racing package to be um, quicker. Much quicker. Several years ago the top-level GTLM cars were circulating Road America at two minutes flat, before they were restricted and slowed. My target lap times for GTX cars at "America's National Park of Speed?" Around one-minute, fifty-five seconds. ("GTX: THE IDEA THAT JUST MIGHT SAVE IMSA." - 7/20)

Karl Ludvigsen, a PR man who once worked for my father and who became a famous - and gifted - author, journalist and historian, wrote the definitive tome about Porsche (among many other books), entitled Porsche: Excellence Was Expected. I am going to borrow Karl's title - with all due respect - because it applies to Corvette Racing as well. This team sprung from the doldrums of a company that had forgotten all about the competition heritage of its very own sports car, the Corvette, and with that one fateful decision back in the fall of 1996 decided to not only honor the machine's rich historical legacy, but endeavored to write new chapters on the race tracks of the world with a full-on factory racing effort for the very first time. And in doing so Corvette Racing has forged a level of excellence and achievement that will endure the test of time. And the icing on the cake? Corvette Racing has accomplished all of this while playing a definitive role in the constant, accelerated development and improvement to the performance of Corvettes that are available for enthusiasts to drive on the street, in an ultimate example of the efficacy of a focused ROI. Over the years it has been a constant battle within GM to use and promote the success of Corvette Racing. In too many instances the team's achievements have been underused, or ignored all together. And it's really a shame because Corvette Racing projects a level of excellence and success that should be cherished and used frequently by GM and GM marketing, because it represents the tip of GM's technological spear and the impressive capabilities of the company's best and brightest. For the True Believers within GM, Corvette Racing is a source of pride - and excellence - that never gets old. As it should be. ("CORVETTE RACING'S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE." -7/27)

But being "happy" with what we have in terms of a major league road racing series in this country doesn't exactly sit well with me. Why? Well, so, in effect, does this mean that in a changed racing world, where the status quo rules over everything, that we have to set the bar to "medium" and be done with it? I don't think so. Talking to a few significant manufacturer racing reps who would only do so off the record, there is a lingering feeling that there needs to be more. Much more. Meaning more excitement, more horsepower and more unexpected thinking. As one key player told me, "We get all of the predictability and sameness we can take from NASCAR. Same schedule year after year, same drill over and over again. It's borderline ridiculous. IMSA can do more. IMSA should do more." My sentiments exactly. ("LEARNING TO LIVE IN A RACING WORLD OF REDUCED EXPECTATIONS." -8/10)

Probably the most glaring example of NASCAR's resistance to change and head-in-sand approach to everything is the lack of road races on its schedule, when everyone - fans, teams, the television networks, sponsors, etc. - agree that the two road races on the Sprint Cup schedule provide the most compelling racing by far. And therein lies the problem. The Sprint Cup schedule includes two natural-terrain road courses at Sonoma and Watkins Glen, and that's it. And the groundswell of people begging NASCAR to add more road racing - especially adding a road race in The Chase - is becoming larger by the minute. And what is NASCAR doing about it? N-O-T-H-I-N-G, as always. After all, why fix what ain't broke in their minds? ("HOW TO SLOW NASCAR'S CONTINUING DOWNWARD SPIRAL? MORE ROAD RACES." 8/17)

Johan de Nysschen, the ex-Audi guru who is now the Supreme Leader of all things Cadillac, has indicated by the direction he's taking GM's luxury division that racing doesn't count for much within his Master Plan for the brand. And given what I know, Cadillac racing in the IMSA WeatherTech Championship really doesn't count for much. Does de Nysschen expect it will add engineering credibility to a brand that's clearly more concerned with the "ride-alongs" populating the back seats of Cadillac models in China? Is there anything about the non-V-Series Cadillacs that suggests that engineering integrity is something GM's luxury division is going to try to "prove" through racing to add credibility to its products? And if that is the case why limit it to IMSA? Why doesn't GM grow a set and make the bolder statement - and go for the overall win at Le Mans with a hyper-advanced Cadillac racing machine? Because this Cadillac Racing marketing initiative is going nowhere fast. ("CADILLAC RACING: A MARKETING INITIATIVE GOING NOWHERE FAST." -8/24)

*Racers, on the other hand, are less concerned with Cadillac's motives. If they're on the receiving end of GM Racing's largesse when it comes to getting Cadillac-branded power for their racing team, their attitude is 'Why ask why?" Remember, as Dr. Bud once famously put it, "Drivers will race through a Shit Storm for Twinkies they want to do it so bad." And if someone else is paying for it, even better. ("CADILLAC RACING: A MARKETING INITIATIVE GOING NOWHERE FAST." -8/24)

The point of this column is not just an appreciation of Dixon's immense talent, but to remind racing enthusiasts to appreciate what Dixon is doing right now, because we're witnessing one of racing's all-time greats. The sport of racing seems to do an excellent job at honoring the greats of the past - both alive and dead - but sometimes I think we tend to take for granted the greatness unfolding before our eyes in real time. Scott Dixon is simply one of the best ever, and if you have a chance to go out and see one of racing's all-time greats drive in person over the next couple of seasons, I would certainly recommend it. ("ONE OF THE ALL-TIME GREATS." -9/7)

Let's face it, the turbo V6s just don't sound like proper racing cars. Call me old-school, but the fact remains that the great sounding racing engines of all time, or in my time are the following (by no means a complete list): A small- or big-block American V8. The Cosworth-Ford V8 F1 engine. The Ferrari V12 or flat 12. The Porsche 917 (normally-aspirated). The Matra V12. The Gurney-Weslake V12. The Honda V10. The Judd engines. You get the idea. The F1 drivers know that the current cars sound like turbocharged tractors, and they're bored to tears with it. That's not what they grew up aspiring to drive, that's for sure. They grew up going to F1 races hearing that blood-curdling, gut-ripping, ear-splitting scream. And they wanted to drive that. It's funny, but racing enthusiasts are the same way. Hell, even casual racing fans expect to hear loud engines when they go to a race, not glorified UPS trucks with glass-pack mufflers. If the new owners of F1 want to make a splash and make a difference and bring the buzz back, they need to bring back the scream. ("BRING BACK THE SCREAM." -9/21)

Audi is in the midst of the greatest transformation in its history, and all-electric power will play a huge role. The commitment to FIA Formula E will begin in earnest in 2017, because it is regarded as the racing series with the greatest potential for the future. Audi has already intensified the existing partnership with Team ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport in the current 2016/2017 season by stepping up its technical development in preparation for a full-on Audi factory effort in 2017. Make no mistake, the decision by Audi to leave the WEC was helped by two factors. First, the ongoing crisis - and expense - over diesel emissions cheating has been costly, and those costs are still rising. Secondly, the fact that Porsche is now back in WEC competition mitigated the decision to shift Audi's racing priorities and made it easier to consider. Audi will remain in DTM, but no final decision has yet been made concerning a future involvement in the FIA World Rallycross Championship (World RX), where Audi DTM factory driver Mattias Ekström (Audi S1 EKS RX quattro) has already clinched the World Championship. Up to now, Audi’s involvement has been limited to supporting the private EKS team, but the brand is evaluating a possible extension of the commitment, with the topic of electrification being on the agenda in rallycross racing as well. With Audi's departure from the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), we should take note of one of the most successful efforts in racing history. Audi was active in Le Mans prototype racing for 18 years. During this period, it scored 13 victories in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and set numerous technical milestones. At Le Mans, Audi clinched the first victory of a TFSI engine (2001), the first success of a race car with a TDI engine (2006), plus the first triumph of a sports car with a hybrid powertrain (2012). In the brand’s 185 races contested to date, Audi’s Le Mans prototypes have achieved 106 victories, 80 pole positions and 94 fastest race laps. On two occasions, Audi won the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) with the Audi R18 e-tron quattro race car. In addition, Audi secured the title in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) for nine straight years, from 2000 to 2008. ("A MAJOR SHIFT FOR AUDI, AND FOR RACING." -10/26)

As I said, if it's a choice between embracing innovation (and with the staggering costs involved) and presenting Indy-type racing as it basically exists right now in a financially conservative - and sustainable - manner, the IndyCar owners will opt for the latter every time. And I certainly can't blame the IndyCar owners for doing it. But if IndyCar is ever going to become an innovative racing environment again, one that projects toward the future of the sport, the owners and the participating manufacturers will have to take a different path. It's a quandary that is not going away anytime soon. ("THE QUANDARY FACING INDYCAR." -11/9)

I am proposing an all-electric 500-mile race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway that would run one week before the Indianapolis 500. It would be an event where every major automobile manufacturer in the world would be welcome to showcase their technological capabilities. As with HERF, the rules would be simple: The cars - no more than two would be allowed to negotiate the 500 miles, meaning a 250-mile range at racing speeds would be a minimal requirement - would have to fit in a dimensional "box" and meet current and future safety regulations. Everything else would be "free" and up to the creative abilities of the manufacturers involved. Can you imagine the creativity that would be unleashed for this event? Can you imagine how the pace of development for batteries, recharging and range would be accelerated due to the intense competition between the manufacturers? I feel the time is right for an event of this kind to capture the imagination of racing enthusiasts and the broader consumer public alike. It would require a massive buy-in by at least four manufacturers initially, but I think the field would grow exponentially - and quickly - from there. It will require vision on the part of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway - and IndyCar team owners - to see a concept like this through to fruition, but if the most famous track in the world wants to enhance its status as America's "Cathedral of Speed" well into the future, an all-electric 500-mile race as part of its festivities in May would be just what the doctor ordered. ("THE TIME IS RIGHT FOR AN ELECTRIC INDY 500." -11/16)

I know in this age of political correctness that it's just not proper etiquette to compare champions in different eras in sports. But Jimmie Johnson has flat dominated in a time that was so much tougher than previous eras in NASCAR in terms of the quality and intensity of the competition, the brutal 36-weekend death march of a schedule, the constant demands of sponsors and other requirements etc., that his achievement is even more incredible. There is no question in my mind that Jimmie Johnson is the greatest driver of all time in the history of the sport of stock car racing. ("THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME." -11/23)

Shit happens on a race track, and if you're thinking that having two "No. 1" drivers on the same team isn't going to cause friction, then you're naive and deserve whatever is coming to you. I have no sympathy for the Mercedes-Benz F1 team on this. None. Hamilton was the leader of the race, and he had a right to conduct himself however he saw fit while leading the race. If Nico didn't like it, then pass him on the track and make an emphatic statement that way. Otherwise, hold the whining, please. ("HOLD THE WHINING." -11/30)

And that's the High-Octane Truth for 2016.

Editor-In-Chief's Note: We were again pleased to be able to feature the work of John Thawley in these pages this year. John is an extraordinarily gifted talent who brings the drama, passion and exhilaration of sports car racing to life in scintillating images that resonate throughout the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season. We are featuring John's work in Fumes and "The Line" for the rest of the year, and you can connect to his full year-end gallery here. Also, read this piece by John that appeared in Portfolio Magazine on how he approaches his creative work. Very interesting and informative. -PMD

I'd also like to take this time to recognize the countless people - including the corner workers, the track officials and IMSA personnel, to mention just a few - who work tirelessly to make sure these racing events are presented professionally and with precision; it is much appreciated by the entire racing community. We will be updating "The Line" as needed with racing news and updates until we take our annual break. -PMD

(John Thawley ~ Motorsports Photography @ www.johnthawley.com ~ 248.227.0110)

(John Thawley ~ Motorsports Photography @ www.johnthawley.com ~ 248.227.0110)

(John Thawley ~ Motorsports Photography @ www.johnthawley.com ~ 248.227.0110)

(John Thawley ~ Motorsports Photography @ www.johnthawley.com ~ 248.227.0110)

(John Thawley ~ Motorsports Photography @ www.johnthawley.com ~ 248.227.0110)

(John Thawley ~ Motorsports Photography @ www.johnthawley.com ~ 248.227.0110)

Editor's Note: Many of you have seen Peter's references over the years to the Hydrogen Electric Racing Federation (HERF), which he launched in 2007. For those of you who weren't following AE at the time, you can read two of HERF's press releases here and here. And for even more details (including a link to Peter's announcement speech), check out the HERF entry on Wikipedia here. -WG

Publisher's Note: As part of our continuing series celebrating the "Glory Days" of racing, we're proud to present another noteworthy image from the Ford Racing Archives. - PMD

(Courtesy of the Ford Racing Archives)

Daytona Beach, Florida, 1956. A children's race in 1956 Ford Thunderbird pedal cars was part of NASCAR's Daytona Beach Speed Week festivities that year.

By Peter M. DeLorenzo

Detroit. With the start of the new IndyCar season upon us (Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, Noon, Sunday, 3/12, ABC), I have more than a few things to say about the state of the sport.

First of all, we are in another year of being in a holding pattern with the current cars and manufacturer-supplied aero packages. The initial idea behind these aero packages from Chevrolet and Honda may have come from a good place of reasoned thinking, but the reality of them left a lot to be desired when it came to the actual racing (not to mention the piss-poor aesthetics). As for lessons learned, the 2018 cars appear to be very promising in terms of looking like proper open-wheel racing cars, whatever the definition of that is these days. (I admittedly abhor the look of the current cars both in IndyCar and F1, but I am encouraged by the clean-looking conceptual designs brought forth by IndyCar for 2018. It remains a giant "we'll see," however, as far as I'm concerned.)

In terms of the schedule, I will speak the High-Octane Truth here, which won't be very popular in some circles (as if that has ever stopped me before). I am not a fan of the St. Petersburg course - at all - but it clearly has become poisonous for any Indycar driver to speak negatively about anything, so I will do it for them: It's a Mickey Mouse layout that does the performance potential of the cars no justice whatsoever. I am not a fan of Long Beach either (I know, blasphemous!), because it qualifies as another "CSS" event (as in actual, real live paying customers "Can't See Shit"), which celebrates the "happening" rather than the quality of the circuit itself. I do love the Alabama race (no, I'm not giving all of the official titles of these sponsored events, so sue me) at Barber Motorsports Park, because the cars are an absolute handful there, placing a premium on mental toughness and supreme car control.

Phoenix is another old-timey venue that racing veterans insist that it's important for IndyCar to be racing there, but I have never liked the circuit, allegedly improved or not. The IndyCar Grand Prix on the road circuit inside the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is an interesting diversion and a good idea schedule-wise, but no one is going to stand up and say that it is a great road racing layout. At least no one who isn't being paid by The Speedway anyway.

The Indianapolis 500 should need no introduction at this point. It is simply the greatest single motor race of any kind in the world and it's unquestionably IndyCar's raison d'etre. I cannot possibly convey what it's really like to go to the Indy 500 and experience all that it has to offer. Suffice to say, if you've been there you know what I mean and understand what a rush and how special it is. And if you've never been, you simply have to go once in your life. The start of the Indianapolis 500 remains the single most electrifying moment in all of sport.

From the sublime high point of the IndyCar schedule we end up in RidiculousVille, aka the doubleheader IndyCar "CSS" weekend on Belle Isle in Detroit. I am so politically incorrect in saying this - what with me being from around these parts - but I don't care: One race on the temporary Belle Isle road course is plenty, two is flat-out absurd. You have to understand that this event is a political happening as much as it is race weekend, because it's tied into the perpetual, recurring "renaissance" theme of Detroit and everyone involved insists that it is an essential part of Detroit's way forward. I'm sorry, but it just isn't. The powers that be at IndyCar simply don't have the guts to make this a one-race weekend, but they should. Until that time the misery will continue, which is too bad.

From there it's off to Texas Motor Speedway, the one event where I hold my breath the entire time IndyCar runs there. I am just glad when it's over, and thankful when no one gets seriously hurt. Next up is Elkhart Lake's Road America, the other pillar of the IndyCar schedule (along with Indianapolis). "America's National Park of Speed" is the spiritual home of IndyCar road racing, with a history that dates way back to the scintillating days of F5000 (look it up if you're not familiar with it). Along with Indy, Road America is the other can't-miss event on the IndyCar schedule.

Iowa is the surprising stop on the IndyCar schedule where it all works, and knowledgeable enthusiasts come together in the middle of nowhere to celebrate witnessing the blinding speed of the Indy cars. Toronto is a "happening" CSS event, Mid-Ohio is another natural-terrain circuit that is sorely needed on the schedule (although they should cut the race distance), and Pocono is the tri-oval that requires big balls, big horsepower and big speed.

And having been to Gateway Motorsports Park in Madison, Illinois, for the last Indy car event run there, it should be a fine addition to the schedule. The final two stops on the IndyCar schedule at Watkins Glen and Sonoma - two more natural-terrain road circuits - are essential to the schedule (although I wouldn't end the season at Sonoma, I'd move Road America from its June date and make it the final race of the IndyCar season).

As for the driving talent in IndyCar it is clearly the deepest field in years, an exciting mix of veteran stars, rising talents and ultra-promising - and lightning-quick - rookies. Yes, Team Penske, with Simon Pagenaud, Will Power, Helio Castroneves and Josef Newgarden (with Juan Pablo Montoya for the Indy 500 only) - with Chevrolet power - has to be considered the team to beat, again, but Chip Ganassi Racing with Scott Dixon, Charlie Kimball, Tony Kanaan and Max Chilton will be formidable competitors as always, and they're back this year with Honda too. And Andretti Autosport counters with Ryan Hunter Reay, Alexander Rossi, Takuma Sato and of course, Marco Andretti, also with Honda power.

Other teams include Dale Coyne Racing (Sebastien Bourdais and Ed Jones; Honda); Schmidt Peterson Motorsports (Mikhail Aleshin and James Hinchcliffe, with Jay Howard for the "500"; Honda); A. J. Foyt Racing (Carlos Munoz, Conor Daly; Chevrolet); Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (Graham Rahal, joined by Oriol Servia for the "500"; Honda); Dreyer & Reinbold Racing (an Indy 500 entrant only with driver Sage Karam); and last but not least, Ed Carpenter Racing (Ed Carpenter - with Spencer Pigot on the road and street courses - and JR Hildebrand; with Chevrolet).

Make no mistake, this is a terrifically talented field of drivers and I believe it's the deepest driver lineup - from top to bottom - in the history of the sport. Do I have any favorites for the title? The usual suspects - Team Penske, Ganassi Racing and Andretti Autosport - will contend for the title, but of those I'll watch for Newgarden, Pagenaud, Power, Hunter-Reay and Scott Dixon in particular to be at the front. As for the rest, I expect strong runs from Rahal, Aleshin, Marco, Hinchcliffe, Chilton, Daly and Jones; and I really expect great things from JR Hildebrand, who, given a much-deserved full-season ride, should be a real contender. Hildebrand is just too good to be considered a dark horse, but I expect him to be one of the stories of the 2017 season.

And that's the High-Octane Truth for this week.

(Shawn Gritzmacher/INDYCAR)
JR Hildebrand will wheel the No. 21 Fuzzy's Vodka Chevrolet for Ed Carpenter Racing.

Editor's Note: Many of you have seen Peter's references over the years to the Hydrogen Electric Racing Federation (HERF), which he launched in 2007. For those of you who weren't following AE at the time, you can read two of HERF's press releases here and here. And for even more details (including a link to Peter's announcement speech), check out the HERF entry on Wikipedia here. -WG

Publisher's Note: As part of our continuing series celebrating the "Glory Days" of racing, we're proud to present another noteworthy image from the Ford Racing Archives. - PMD

(Courtesy of the Ford Racing Archives)
Indianapolis, Indiana, May 28, 1978. Al Unser (No. 2 Chaparral Racing First National City Travelers Checks Lola/Cosworth) on his way to the win in the 1978 Indianapolis 500. Pole-sitter Tom Sneva (No. 1 Penske Racing Norton Spirit Penske/Cosworth) finished second and Gordon Johncock (No. 20 Pat Patrick Racing North American Van Lines Wildcat/DGS) was third. Watch an extended race video here.

By Peter M. DeLorenzo

Detroit. It was good to see the new IndyCar season get started over the weekend at St. Petersburg, though it's not one of my favorite venues. Yes, that's a politically incorrect statement to make, what with so much riding on IndyCar's perennial tenuous standing - except for the Indianapolis 500 - but there you have it. For the IndyCar series and its participants, including the teams, drivers, sponsors and the media who cover it on a weekly basis, criticizing anything about the series is just not acceptable, and I get that. But some perspective is sorely needed and I will gladly provide it.

First of all, staging a race of this magnitude is a monumental task, and when you find a willing participant - in this case the city of St. Petersburg - it's not insignificant, especially when you consider how difficult it is to develop a race weekend with staying power that occupies an annual spot on a city's event calendar; and in that regard, the city of St. Petersburg and IndyCar have a great thing going. But I'm not so much into the event, as I am the quality of the circuit and the racing, and when I factor that into the equation, the St. Petersburg circuit will always come up short, especially for a season opener. (By the way, Sebastien Bourdais went from last to first in a magnificent run for the entire Dale Coyne Racing team. See more coverage in "The Line" -WG)

But as it has been pointed out to me many, many times, the St. Petersburg race qualifies as a "happening" and in that regard it is an unqualified success, at least for the people directly involved. But stepping outside of the IndyCar "bubble" for a moment, let me say that it's a very fine line between being pleased with a "happening" and inferring that this automatically suggests that the event itself is conducive to great racing. My message to everyone involved in the IndyCar circus is that it would probably be a good idea to move beyond being pleased that there's a viable race weekend being staged at St. Petersburg, or wherever, and really analyze the quality of the event itself, as a race.

St. Petersburg clearly qualifies as a "happening" as does the Long Beach Grand Prix (neither one of them are my favorites, by the way). I get the whole philosophy of "bringing the racing to the people," but these events staged on temporary street circuits are happenings more than races, plain and simple. Yes, convenient for fans, etc., but certainly not conducive to actual race viewing, which is why I will always classify them as "CSS" events (for Can't. See. Shit), because the racing plays second fiddle to everything else. Again, the people within the IndyCar "bubble" will say, "So? Who cares? If we can stage a successful event, why does it matter if it doesn't qualify as a successful event for 'purists?'" They have their point, but ultimately the overall credibility of the series takes a hit when "happenings" are staged to fill out the calendar.

The perfect example? The twin IndyCar races on Belle Isle in Detroit. Now, you have to be from around here to understand how terribly politically incorrect it is for me to deign to criticize this event, but I have no problem with doing so. Let me just say that the constant drum-beating about how this city is on the rise has grown to be annoying (again, you have to be from around here to understand this perspective). Yes, all of the glossy improvements to a specific section of the city are, at least on the surface, impressive, but the reality is that it's all top-down eyewash, and the fundamental issues bedeviling the city - the chaotic educational system that's in a perpetual state of disarray and the relentless social problems just to name two - are not being addressed, at least not to the level that they should be. 

Again, the people in the IndyCar "bubble" have a completely different view of things because they parachute in, have expedited access to the island, and everything seems wonderful and beautiful to them. And then they fly out and it's on to the next race. (The grumbling, however, about the fact that there are two races staged back-to-back in Detroit cannot be quelled, even in the go-along-to-get-along IndyCar paddock which, taking everything into consideration, indicates a significant level of disdain.) But for the real citizenry who actually have to pay money to attend the Detroit Indycar event and deal with the perennial ingress/egress problems that come with the Belle Isle location, it never gets better, no matter how hard the organizers try. And once the spectators do get on the island, the actual opportunities to see the cars, other than in fleeting glimpses, are severely limited.

Will St. Petersburg, Long Beach and Detroit exit the IndyCar calendar anytime soon? No, of course not (although I wouldn't be surprised if Detroit gets cut back to one race), because there are too many interconnected factors, too many sponsors on the hook, and too many team owners with a vested financial interest in the events in question to make any significant changes. But please spare me in trying to project that the racing is paramount at these events, because it just isn't. It's not the point, as it has been made clear to me by many inside the IndyCar "bubble," and I need to get over it and move on.

I won't by the way, in case you were wondering.

As for the TV coverage from St. Petersburg, I cannot stress enough how dismal ABC's coverage of IndyCar is. The broadcasting team is third rate (Eddie Cheever and Scott Goodyear are tired and dismally predictable), and I always get the distinct feeling that ABC is going through the motions and just phoning it in. I know the agreement between IndyCar and ABC is coming to an end (not before they get a chance to ruin the Indy 500 one more time, unfortunately), but it can't come soon enough because if the powers that be at IndyCar think this is putting its best foot forward on national television, they're sadly mistaken.

At any rate, Sebastien Bourdais salvaged the St. Petersburg race with his scintillating performance (see "The Line") and now, it's on to Long Beach.

And that's the High-Octane Truth for this week.

Editor's Note: Many of you have seen Peter's references over the years to the Hydrogen Electric Racing Federation (HERF), which he launched in 2007. For those of you who weren't following AE at the time, you can read two of HERF's press releases here and here. And for even more details (including a link to Peter's announcement speech), check out the HERF entry on Wikipedia here. -WG

Publisher's Note: As part of our continuing series celebrating the "Glory Days" of racing, we're proud to present another noteworthy image from the Ford Racing Archives. - PMD

(Photo by Dave Friedman, courtesy of the Ford Racing Archives)
Sebring, Florida, April 1, 1967. The "Le Mans" start of the 1967 12 Hours of Sebring. Bruce McLaren races to the pole-winning (by two seconds) No. 1 Ford Mk. IV that he shared with Mario Andretti. Jim Hall/Mike Spence (No. 6 Chaparral Cars Chaparral 2F) qualified second (you can see the high wing); A.J. Foyt/Lloyd Ruby (No. 2 Ford Mk II B) started third; and Bob Johnson/Bruce Jennings (No. 5 Chaparral Cars Chaparral 2D) started from the fourth position. McLaren/Andretti won going away; Foyt/Ruby finished second; and Scooter Patrick/Gerhard Mitter (No. 36 Porsche 910) finished third. See a gallery of Dave Friedman's images from the 1967 12-Hours of Sebring race here.

By Peter M. DeLorenzo

Detroit. It wasn't supposed to work out this way. The dominant Chip Ganassi Racing Team brought three Ford GTs to contest the GTLM class at the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh From Florida - the second race on the 2017 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship - and the expectations were that they weren't just going to win, but that they were going to crush the opposition from BMW, Corvette, Ferrari and Porsche. After winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the top GT class last June and then the Daytona 24 Hours just two months ago, the Ford GT juggernaut was aiming to make it three straight victories with a win in the 12 Hours of Sebring. Nothing was left to chance, either, with CGR bringing three Ford GT GTLM machines to Sebring, including the No. 66 Ford GT driven by Joey Hand, Dirk Müller and Sebastien Bourdais; the No. 67 team car with Richard Westbrook, Ryan Briscoe and Scott Dixon; and the No. 68 machine from its WEC team with Stefan Mücke, Billy Johnson and Olivier Pla.

And after Ryan Briscoe grabbed pole position with a blistering 1:55.939 lap in the No. 67 Ford GT, and Dirk Müller turned in a 1:56.175 in the No. 66 car for second-quick in the class, the competition was left reeling. Why? The feeling was that the Fords could run those speeds at will, and that they were able to dial-in more power as needed with the mapping of their turbocharged engines. It didn't help that the the third-place qualifier, Tommy Milner (No. 4 Corvette Racing Mobil 1/SiriusXM Corvette C7.R, co-driven by Oliver Gavin and Marcel Fässler), who had turned a lap of 1:56.252 in his factory-supported Corvette, was found to have an illegal ride height in post-qualifying inspection and would have to start dead last in the GT category. It was going to be a long, tough race, and in the GTLM class - which is the most competitive road racing in the world - the feeling was that the Fords were damn-near unstoppable. But then again this is Sebring. The track still utilizes some of the brutal concrete surfaces remaining from the ancient Hendricks Army Airfield - a U.S. Army Air Forces training base for B-17 bombers in WWII - and it flat-out destroys cars.

Right off the bat, the No. 67 pole-winning Ford GT encountered a problem; it wouldn't start, so it would have to start at the back of the field. And the No. 4 Corvette Racing Mobil 1/SiriusXM Corvette C7.R retired with water temperature issues in the opening hour, and was out. But once the race settled down, the Ford GTs ran at the front at will for most of the race, with one of the factory Porsche 911 RSRs right there too. The No. 3 Corvette Racing Mobil 1/SiriusXM Corvette C7.R driven by Antonio Garcia, Jan Magnussen and Mike Rockenfeller at one point led at the three-hour mark, but the No. 3 machine encountered many troubles along the way, including bouts with traffic and a less-than-ideal pit sequence that cost the team dearly. But despite it all, the No. 3 Corvette was still running sixth in GTLM at the eight-and-a-half-hour mark, but a fortuitous full-course caution and a perfect pit stop by the crack Corvette Racing team allowed Jan Magnussen to emerge for the restart in third place, and it was then that the complexion of the race changed.

The gifted - and lightning quick - Antonio Garcia climbed into the No. 3 factory Corvette for the final and two hours and 53 minutes, and put on a stunning display of driving that will be remembered for a long, long time. He ran down the leaders and stormed into the lead with 35 laps left, and then he withstood intense pressure from the Ford and Porsche factory teams to pull out a 4.453-second victory. Even though it was the third straight victory by Corvette Racing at America's oldest and most prestigious endurance road race - and its eleventh class win at the classic venue - it still felt like a huge upset.

Garcia was exhausted and thrilled with the result. “I knew it was going to be really, really tough," Garcia said. "Since yesterday in qualifying it was super close, the first two hours I managed to make my way up to P2. I did two hours first following the No. 66. Then I did that third hour and I was kind of sick of following Fords. So at some point I just needed to go. We made that really good call to come in with the Ferrari. So the Fords stayed out on a poorer set of tires than us. I knew that had to be my stint. That first stint with two or three stints to go, I needed to make the moves and pass the Ferrari. I passed the No. 68; I passed (Scott) Dixon. I passed everybody because I knew it had to be done then because that was probably the only time they would be a little bit weaker than we were. It worked. At the end the Porsche looked very, very strong. That second-to-the-last time they pitted quite a bit later than us, and they were flying. They passed all the way up to us until that last safety car. Again, there was a magnificent stop by the Corvette Racing crew. I think the Porsche made a mistake there. Without knowing, I thought it was Joey (Hand) behind us, but it was again the Porsche. I knew it was going to be tough. I didn’t know if I was going to be able to hold him , but probably. The car kept going faster and faster. When you lead the way, the aero works pretty decent compared to when you follow someone. At the end things went a little bit in our favor. It was a sprint to the end. I can’t believe what Corvette Racing did today. Just awesome. Amazing.” Saturday’s victory was also Magnussen’s fifth at Sebring; it was the third for Garcia and first for Rockenfeller. The trio also won the second of four Tequila Patrón North American Endurance Cup rounds of the season.

The team was understandably jubilant. “I think what we saw tonight may have been the most intense mix of tremendous engineering and strategy from our engineering crew and flawless pit stops all day long by our Corvette Racing crew," Doug Fehan, Corvette Racing Program Manager, commented. "Then there was the driving exhibition that I’m sure will be a highlight of Antonio’s career - certainly at Corvette Racing. When you put those three elements together, we are hard to beat. It was an amazing demonstration by everyone at Corvette Racing.”

As people who have been in and around racing understand so well, anything can happen on any given day, especially at Sebring. Since the 50s, racers have learned the hard way that at Sebring expectations can go begging, bad things can happen, dreams get crushed and the best laid plans are meaningless. It's why they play the games in football no matter what the odds are and it's why they run the races, because absolutely anything can happen. And as proved yet again on Saturday, at Sebring it usually does.

Congratulations to Corvette Racing, Pratt&Miller Engineering and GM Racing on a superb effort and a job well done.

And that's the High-Octane Truth for this week.

(John Thawley ~ Motorsports Photography @ www.johnthawley.com ~ 248.227.0110)
See more coverage from the 12 Hours of Sebring in "The Line."

(John Thawley ~ Motorsports Photography @ www.johnthawley.com ~ 248.227.0110)

(John Thawley ~ Motorsports Photography @ www.johnthawley.com ~ 248.227.0110)
See more outstanding photography from Sebring by John Thawley in the Autoextremist Gallery here.

(Courtesy of Michelin)
The jubilant Corvette Racing Team celebrates its historic win at Sebring.

Editor's Note: Many of you have seen Peter's references over the years to the Hydrogen Electric Racing Federation (HERF), which he launched in 2007. For those of you who weren't following AE at the time, you can read two of HERF's press releases here and here. And for even more details (including a link to Peter's announcement speech), check out the HERF entry on Wikipedia here. -WG

Publisher's Note: As part of our continuing series celebrating the "Glory Days" of racing, we're proud to present another noteworthy image from the Ford Racing Archives. - PMD

(Photo by Dave Friedman, courtesy of the Ford Racing Archives)
Sebring, Florida, March 21, 1964. The Lew Spencer/Bob Bondurant No. 12 Shelby American Cobra makes its final night pit stop on its way to a fifth overall in the 12 Hours of Sebring that year. Mike Parkes/Umberto Maglioli (No. 22 S.E.F.A.C. - Ferrari 275 P) won that intensely hot day, followed by Ludovico Scarfiotti/Nino Vaccarella (No. 23 S.E.F.A.C. - Ferrari 275 P); John Surtees/Lorenzo Bandini (No. 21 S.E.F.A.C. - Ferrari 330 P), Bob Holbert/Dave MacDonald (No. 10 Shelby American Cobra Daytona Coupe) and Spencer/Bondurant. Watch a cool video here (see Roger Penske wheel a Corvette Grand Sport!). And go to racingsportscars.com for more historic race info.

By Peter M. DeLorenzo

Detroit. Now that the dust has settled from the Formula 1 Grand Prix opener in Australia, a few things can be said with a modicum of certainty. The cars are more aggressive looking with the wider tires, they're notably quicker, and judging by the overall performance of the Ferrari team and Vettel's win (see more in "The Line" -WG), it looks like there will be real competition for Mercedes this year. All very good things indeed.

But has enough changed with Formula 1? Or all that much when it comes right down to it? Not really, no. This isn't a knock on the new ownership group, because any meaningful changes will be much slower to bring about, and I get that. F1 has been doing things basically the same way for a long, long time, so shaking things up will only translate into a mild procession of differences here and there rather than a torrent of change. Maybe I will be surprised, but I seriously doubt it. Formula 1 is a giant ship of corporate enterprise and profitability, and turning this Leviathan will not be easy, or quick.

But there's one big thing missing, one that I believe should be addressed so that in a couple years' time we can revel in its wonderfulness, and that is the sound of the engines. Last fall, I wrote a column entitled "Bring Back The Scream," which generated a lot if interest and (mostly) positive comments. In it I said, "If you listen to the growing grumbles from the people who actually drive the machines in F1, they seem to be echoing each other in their comments. They want more power. They want the machines to be as difficult to drive as possible. And they want more noise, which all sounds perfectly reasonable to me."

In F1's corporate push - in sync with the participating engine manufacturers - to make the engines technically more in keeping with production efforts, they have completely lost the plot. People don't go to see an F1 race to revel in production engine technology. We can revel in that kind of mundane all we want on a daily basis. But when the effort is made in terms of time, money and scheduling to actually attend a Formula 1 Grand Prix, enthusiasts want to be wowed. And engines that are muted and uninspiring, no matter the technical aspects and prodigious power development, just don't cut it. This is supposed to be the pinnacle of the sport, not an apologist demonstration of relevant technology. That's why the FIA created Formula E, and that's where it should stay.

Changing the engine formula would be the one fundamental thing that the new F1 owners could do to demonstrate their willingness that this is not business as usual. In case you need a reminder of what "bring back the scream" really means, here's a clip of Ayrton Senna in his McLaren MP4/6-3.5-Liter V12 Honda in qualifying for the 1991 Australian Grand Prix.

I got into this discussion about bringing back the scream on Twitter yesterday in the aftermath of the race and Chris Dyson, the two-time IMSA/ALMS champion sports car racer, offered some interesting perspective as well. Chris said, "True, but the full fat turbo engines from 1986 did sound so wonderfully powerful and angry. *While they lasted!" And I agreed.

I remember watching practice for the 1986 Detroit Grand Prix on Saturday morning - this was on the old, gritty downtown circuit - and it was raining fairly hard. And only two drivers went out in the entire session, Eddie Cheever in his No. 16 Team Haas Lola THL2/Hart 415T, and Ayrton Senna in his No. 12 John Player Special Team Lotus Lotus 98T/Renault EF15B. Watching Senna grab that black Lotus by the scruff of the neck and masterfully control the on/off nature of the massive power in his Renault Turbo while blistering that nasty circuit in a downpour is etched in my memory forever, and I'll never forget it. You can get an idea of that circuit in this clip (not in the rain) here.

I should stress that my perspective here isn't based on a some sort of "everything was better back then" nostalgia play. When enthusiasts go to an F1 race or watch it on TV, they should be wowed. Not by the antiseptic orchestration and rote cadence of a typical F1 weekend, but by the sheer, gut-wrenching power and pure speed.

I'm not getting that right now. And I want it back.

And that's the High-Octane Truth for this week.

Editor's Note: Many of you have seen Peter's references over the years to the Hydrogen Electric Racing Federation (HERF), which he launched in 2007. For those of you who weren't following AE at the time, you can read two of HERF's press releases here and here. And for even more details (including a link to Peter's announcement speech), check out the HERF entry on Wikipedia here. -WG

Publisher's Note: As part of our continuing series celebrating the "Glory Days" of racing, we're proud to present another noteworthy image from the Ford Racing Archives. - PMD

(Courtesy of the Ford Racing Archives)
Portland, Oregon, June 21, 1992. Michael Andretti (No. 1 Newman Haas Racing Kmart/Texaco Havoline Lola/Ford-Cosworth XB V8) on his way to the win in the Budweiser/G.I. Joe's 200 CART race at Portland International Raceway. It was the first race win for the Ford-Cosworth XB V8 engine. Emerson Fittipaldi (No. 5 Roger Penske Racing Marlboro Penske/Chevrolet) was second and Al Unser Jr. (No. 3 Galles Kraco Racing Galmer/Chevrolet) finished third.

Editor's Note: Given that F1 is discussing a new engine specification that calls for more noise - albeit not until 2020!! - we're going to leave Peter's column up for another week. He will return next week with a new "Fumes" column. -WG

By Peter M. DeLorenzo

Detroit. Now that the dust has settled from the Formula 1 Grand Prix opener in Australia, a few things can be said with a modicum of certainty. The cars are more aggressive looking with the wider tires, they're notably quicker, and judging by the overall performance of the Ferrari team and Vettel's win (see more in "The Line" -WG), it looks like there will be real competition for Mercedes this year. All very good things indeed.

But has enough changed with Formula 1? Or all that much when it comes right down to it? Not really, no. This isn't a knock on the new ownership group, because any meaningful changes will be much slower to bring about, and I get that. F1 has been doing things basically the same way for a long, long time, so shaking things up will only translate into a mild procession of differences here and there rather than a torrent of change. Maybe I will be surprised, but I seriously doubt it. Formula 1 is a giant ship of corporate enterprise and profitability, and turning this Leviathan will not be easy, or quick.

But there's one big thing missing, one that I believe should be addressed so that in a couple years' time we can revel in its wonderfulness, and that is the sound of the engines. Last fall, I wrote a column entitled "Bring Back The Scream," which generated a lot if interest and (mostly) positive comments. In it I said, "If you listen to the growing grumbles from the people who actually drive the machines in F1, they seem to be echoing each other in their comments. They want more power. They want the machines to be as difficult to drive as possible. And they want more noise, which all sounds perfectly reasonable to me."

In F1's corporate push - in sync with the participating engine manufacturers - to make the engines technically more in keeping with production efforts, they have completely lost the plot. People don't go to see an F1 race to revel in production engine technology. We can revel in that kind of mundane all we want on a daily basis. But when the effort is made in terms of time, money and scheduling to actually attend a Formula 1 Grand Prix, enthusiasts want to be wowed. And engines that are muted and uninspiring, no matter the technical aspects and prodigious power development, just don't cut it. This is supposed to be the pinnacle of the sport, not an apologist demonstration of relevant technology. That's why the FIA created Formula E, and that's where it should stay.

Changing the engine formula would be the one fundamental thing that the new F1 owners could do to demonstrate their willingness that this is not business as usual. In case you need a reminder of what "bring back the scream" really means, here's a clip of Ayrton Senna in his McLaren MP4/6-3.5-Liter V12 Honda in qualifying for the 1991 Australian Grand Prix.

I got into this discussion about bringing back the scream on Twitter yesterday in the aftermath of the race and Chris Dyson, the two-time IMSA/ALMS champion sports car racer, offered some interesting perspective as well. Chris said, "True, but the full fat turbo engines from 1986 did sound so wonderfully powerful and angry. *While they lasted!" And I agreed.

I remember watching practice for the 1986 Detroit Grand Prix on Saturday morning - this was on the old, gritty downtown circuit - and it was raining fairly hard. And only two drivers went out in the entire session, Eddie Cheever in his No. 16 Team Haas Lola THL2/Hart 415T, and Ayrton Senna in his No. 12 John Player Special Team Lotus Lotus 98T/Renault EF15B. Watching Senna grab that black Lotus by the scruff of the neck and masterfully control the on/off nature of the massive power in his Renault Turbo while blistering that nasty circuit in a downpour is etched in my memory forever, and I'll never forget it. You can get an idea of that circuit in this clip (not in the rain) here.

I should stress that my perspective here isn't based on a some sort of "everything was better back then" nostalgia play. When enthusiasts go to an F1 race or watch it on TV, they should be wowed. Not by the antiseptic orchestration and rote cadence of a typical F1 weekend, but by the sheer, gut-wrenching power and pure speed.

I'm not getting that right now. And I want it back.

And that's the High-Octane Truth for this week.

Editor's Note: Many of you have seen Peter's references over the years to the Hydrogen Electric Racing Federation (HERF), which he launched in 2007. For those of you who weren't following AE at the time, you can read two of HERF's press releases here and here. And for even more details (including a link to Peter's announcement speech), check out the HERF entry on Wikipedia here. -WG

Publisher's Note: As part of our continuing series celebrating the "Glory Days" of racing, we're proud to present another noteworthy image from the Ford Racing Archives. - PMD

(Courtesy of the Ford Racing Archives)
Zandvoort, Holland, June 4, 1967. Jim Clark (No. 5 Team Lotus 49 Ford Cosworth DFV) at speed in the sensational new Lotus 49 - powered by the brand new Ford Cosworth DFV V8 - at the 1967 Dutch Grand Prix. Clark's teammate, Graham Hill (No. 6 Team Lotus 49 Ford Cosworth DFV), started from the pole and pulled out a substantial lead, but he would drop out on the eleventh lap. Clark then took over the lead and scored a dominant debut victory for Colin Chapman's brand-new Lotus and the Cosworth DFV. Jack Brabham (No. 1 Brabham-Repco BT19) was second and Denny Hulme (No. 2 Brabham-Repco BT20) finished third. Watch a cool video here.

By Peter M. DeLorenzo

Detroit. For a sport that loves to portray itself as a hotbed of visionary thinking, technology and innovation, the sobering reality is that racing is stuck in a perpetual funk of non-change. Since technology swallowed the sport whole in the 70s, racing has become a game of managing specifications and expectations in equal amounts. Designers plug in a set of parameters based on the specs given by the sanctioning body - usually revolving around limiting speed and cost - and spit out racing machines that look a certain way and are "equalized" to the thousandth of a second on the race track.

Everyone has become comfortable with this too. Budgets can be fine-tuned, sponsors can be hunted down and racing teams can plan for the future, even though that future might only extend out to the next twelve months. Racing is a business, after all, and as I've been reminded many times over the years by car owners who actually hang their asses out in the breeze to build a sustainable business, "It's easy to lob grenades from the cheap seats, but until you try to run a racing team and are responsible for the lives of many people dependent on your expertise, you don't have a fucking clue," or something along those lines.

And they're right, of course. Running a racing team is a singular pursuit that requires a level of expertise and a willingness to succeed that eclipses many other less volatile professions. This is why racing sanctioning bodies agonize over rule changes, balancing the need to juice "the show" while keeping in mind that any changes may involve costs that may seriously impact their participating racing teams. As a result, racing finds itself in this giant holding pattern where innovative changes are almost anathema, or something that occurs only at figurative gunpoint.

Can anything be done about this? It is very doubtful. Let's take IndyCar, for instance. The new look of the cars for 2018 is a huge step forward, even thought it utilizes design cues from the past. But the engines will remain the same because even though another manufacturer is rumored to be coming aboard, those engine specifications are strictly defined to manage horsepower vs. cost and reliability. That's just the way it is. The days of innovative, blue-sky car designs and alternative propulsion ideas showing up at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway are permanently part of the past.

The same can be said for major league sports car racing here in the U.S. The FIA and the ACO (the overlords of Le Mans) hold sway over international sports car racing, and for the most part IMSA - except for its DPi machines - acquiesces to that concept, so any moves to usurp that power don't carry much weight or last long, if they surface at all. Could IMSA go its own way to carve out a series that flaunts its differences with the FIA and the ACO? Yes, that certainly could happen, but since manufacturer support for major league road racing in this country runs hot and cold, the likelihood of IMSA doing that is slim and none. Because the reality is that IMSA is absolutely dependent on manufacturer participation, and anything that might upset that delicate balance is not a value-added activity.

And Formula 1? The owners and the participants in that series are so obsessed with the money at stake and the comfort of the accommodations at the various tracks they visit, that the fact that their cars sound underwhelming and their racing weekends are so regimented that it has become an exercise in tedium doesn't even register. Yes, they're talking about doing something about the engine "problem" - by 2020, but I don't think we should hold our collective breath that they will make the right decision. There are too many egos and assholes involved - aka Sergio Marchionne - to expect a positive result.

NASCAR, of course, is in its own racing bubble that defies explanation. I am frankly tired of writing about NASCAR because it's a monumental waste of time and energy. The whole "segment" racing idea may be a revelation to the participants, but it counts for exactly zero outside of the NASCAR circus. I view it as so much eyewash because the powers that be at NASCAR have demonstrated repeatedly that they are incapable of meaningful, substantive change. It's much easier to come up with a gimmick like "segment" racing - and make no mistake, it is a gimmick - than it is to tackle the festering problems of a form of racing that's in a death spiral.

That is, of course, the fundamental problem with NASCAR. The powers that be in Daytona Beach simply refuse to accept that NASCAR is in a downward spiral, despite the glaring signs everywhere you look. Every time NASCAR is confronted with more evidence of the decline of its series, they come up with reasons not to cut the most ridiculous schedule in all of motorsports ("we have longstanding agreements with tracks that cannot be altered"); for not dealing with the fiasco called "restrictor-plate" racing ("the fans like it"); for not adding more road races (see the excuse for not changing the schedule, above); for not advancing its technology ("we need to give our teams years to prepare for any substantive changes, besides, why fix it if it ain't broke?"); and on, and on, and on. As I've said repeatedly, until the content whores at the television networks come to the realization that they're being scammed by NASCAR and decide to adjust their budgets downward accordingly, nothing will change. As for innovation? In NASCAR? Please. Though some of the smartest people in the racing world are at work in the NASCAR garage, innovation will not be entertained or even tolerated, not even at gunpoint.

So this is the reality of racing in 2017. The concepts that fueled the sport when it was on its upward trajectory - innovation, blue-sky thinking, visionary technology - are now set aside in favor of restrictions, regulations, cost management and taking into account the direction of the political winds.

Once upon a time the allure of racing almost took on romantic overtones. Now? That seems like a galaxy far, far away.

And that's the High-Octane Truth for this week.

Editor's Note: Many of you have seen Peter's references over the years to the Hydrogen Electric Racing Federation (HERF), which he launched in 2007. For those of you who weren't following AE at the time, you can read two of HERF's press releases here and here. And for even more details (including a link to Peter's announcement speech), check out the HERF entry on Wikipedia here. -WG

Publisher's Note: As part of our continuing series celebrating the "Glory Days" of racing, we're proud to present another noteworthy image from the Ford Racing Archives. - PMD

(Courtesy of the Ford Racing Archives)
The "J-car"-derived Ford Mk IV undergoing aerodynamic tests in Dearborn, Michigan, in early 1967. The Mk IV would win the 12 Hours of Sebring and the 24 Hours of Le Mans that year.

Editor's Note: Since the "giant holding pattern" is still gripping racing, Peter will return next week with a new edition of Fumes. -WG

By Peter M. DeLorenzo

Detroit. For a sport that loves to portray itself as a hotbed of visionary thinking, technology and innovation, the sobering reality is that racing is stuck in a perpetual funk of non-change. Since technology swallowed the sport whole in the 70s, racing has become a game of managing specifications and expectations in equal amounts. Designers plug in a set of parameters based on the specs given by the sanctioning body - usually revolving around limiting speed and cost - and spit out racing machines that look a certain way and are "equalized" to the thousandth of a second on the race track.

Everyone has become comfortable with this too. Budgets can be fine-tuned, sponsors can be hunted down and racing teams can plan for the future, even though that future might only extend out to the next twelve months. Racing is a business, after all, and as I've been reminded many times over the years by car owners who actually hang their asses out in the breeze to build a sustainable business, "It's easy to lob grenades from the cheap seats, but until you try to run a racing team and are responsible for the lives of many people dependent on your expertise, you don't have a fucking clue," or something along those lines.

And they're right, of course. Running a racing team is a singular pursuit that requires a level of expertise and a willingness to succeed that eclipses many other less volatile professions. This is why racing sanctioning bodies agonize over rule changes, balancing the need to juice "the show" while keeping in mind that any changes may involve costs that may seriously impact their participating racing teams. As a result, racing finds itself in this giant holding pattern where innovative changes are almost anathema, or something that occurs only at figurative gunpoint.

Can anything be done about this? It is very doubtful. Let's take IndyCar, for instance. The new look of the cars for 2018 is a huge step forward, even thought it utilizes design cues from the past. But the engines will remain the same because even though another manufacturer is rumored to be coming aboard, those engine specifications are strictly defined to manage horsepower vs. cost and reliability. That's just the way it is. The days of innovative, blue-sky car designs and alternative propulsion ideas showing up at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway are permanently part of the past.

The same can be said for major league sports car racing here in the U.S. The FIA and the ACO (the overlords of Le Mans) hold sway over international sports car racing, and for the most part IMSA - except for its DPi machines - acquiesces to that concept, so any moves to usurp that power don't carry much weight or last long, if they surface at all. Could IMSA go its own way to carve out a series that flaunts its differences with the FIA and the ACO? Yes, that certainly could happen, but since manufacturer support for major league road racing in this country runs hot and cold, the likelihood of IMSA doing that is slim and none. Because the reality is that IMSA is absolutely dependent on manufacturer participation, and anything that might upset that delicate balance is not a value-added activity.

And Formula 1? The owners and the participants in that series are so obsessed with the money at stake and the comfort of the accommodations at the various tracks they visit, that the fact that their cars sound underwhelming and their racing weekends are so regimented that it has become an exercise in tedium doesn't even register. Yes, they're talking about doing something about the engine "problem" - by 2020, but I don't think we should hold our collective breath that they will make the right decision. There are too many egos and assholes involved - aka Sergio Marchionne - to expect a positive result.

NASCAR, of course, is in its own racing bubble that defies explanation. I am frankly tired of writing about NASCAR because it's a monumental waste of time and energy. The whole "segment" racing idea may be a revelation to the participants, but it counts for exactly zero outside of the NASCAR circus. I view it as so much eyewash because the powers that be at NASCAR have demonstrated repeatedly that they are incapable of meaningful, substantive change. It's much easier to come up with a gimmick like "segment" racing - and make no mistake, it is a gimmick - than it is to tackle the festering problems of a form of racing that's in a death spiral.

That is, of course, the fundamental problem with NASCAR. The powers that be in Daytona Beach simply refuse to accept that NASCAR is in a downward spiral, despite the glaring signs everywhere you look. Every time NASCAR is confronted with more evidence of the decline of its series, they come up with reasons not to cut the most ridiculous schedule in all of motorsports ("we have longstanding agreements with tracks that cannot be altered"); for not dealing with the fiasco called "restrictor-plate" racing ("the fans like it"); for not adding more road races (see the excuse for not changing the schedule, above); for not advancing its technology ("we need to give our teams years to prepare for any substantive changes, besides, why fix it if it ain't broke?"); and on, and on, and on. As I've said repeatedly, until the content whores at the television networks come to the realization that they're being scammed by NASCAR and decide to adjust their budgets downward accordingly, nothing will change. As for innovation? In NASCAR? Please. Though some of the smartest people in the racing world are at work in the NASCAR garage, innovation will not be entertained or even tolerated, not even at gunpoint.

So this is the reality of racing in 2017. The concepts that fueled the sport when it was on its upward trajectory - innovation, blue-sky thinking, visionary technology - are now set aside in favor of restrictions, regulations, cost management and taking into account the direction of the political winds.

Once upon a time the allure of racing almost took on romantic overtones. Now? That seems like a galaxy far, far away.

And that's the High-Octane Truth for this week.

Editor's Note: Many of you have seen Peter's references over the years to the Hydrogen Electric Racing Federation (HERF), which he launched in 2007. For those of you who weren't following AE at the time, you can read two of HERF's press releases here and here. And for even more details (including a link to Peter's announcement speech), check out the HERF entry on Wikipedia here. -WG

Publisher's Note: As part of our continuing series celebrating the "Glory Days" of racing, we're proud to present another noteworthy image from the Ford Racing Archives. - PMD

(Courtesy of the Ford Racing Archives)
Indianapolis, Indiana, 1963. Colin Chapman's brand-new Lotus "Powered By Ford" Team during practice for the 1963 Indianapolis 500. Jim Clark pulls out in his No. 92 machine (with a new, unpainted helmet), while Dan Gurney slides into his No. 91 team car. Clark finished second to Parnelli Jones (No. 98 J. C. Agajanian Willard Battery Watson/Offy) in a controversial finish orchestrated by USAC. Check out a video (hosted by Brock Yates) here.

By Peter M. DeLorenzo

Detroit. The hue and cry from the F1 establishment following the announcement that Fernando Alonso would forego the premier race of the F1 season - the Grand Prix of Monaco - in order to compete in next month's Indianapolis 500 was priceless, and I loved every minute of it. A few F1 drivers spoke up in favor of it but for many it was an outrage, an affront to all that was righteous and holy, and flat-out ridiculous.

The negative bleating from the blowhards in F1 was considerable. And to say that they came off as petulant, tedious and completely out of touch - and I'm talking about you in particular, Christian Horner - is an understatement. Instead of applauding Alonso for adding a little much-needed buzz to motor racing overall, they chided him for deigning to slight F1 by agreeing to run in an "inferior" event. Now that was ridiculous.

The fact that Alonso was willing to skip F1's premier race for a chance to run in the Indianapolis 500 is the motorsport story of the year. Instead of waiting for his F1 career to wind down, Alonso is stepping out of his hopelessly noncompetitive McLaren-Honda for a chance to win the biggest auto race in the world. What does Alonso lose by skipping Monaco? Not much. Though the power differential of the Honda-powered McLaren will be less pronounced in the confines of Monte Carlo, giving Alonso the possibly of delivering a top-six finish, why pound around for a "good result" when he could possibly win the one race that every racing driver dreams of winning?

Make no mistake, the challenge facing Alonso is monumental. He will have to learn a completely new racing discipline, racing an open-wheel car on a super speedway - arguably one of the toughest - in a matter of weeks, while racing against drivers who are the best in the world at the Indy car craft. Andretti Autosport is bringing in noted veteran Gil de Ferran to be Fernando's sounding board for all aspects of the art of speedway racing at the most hallowed speedway of them all, but Alonso will have multiple resources at his disposal, including Michael Andretti himself, who was among the very best to have ever turned a wheel at The Speedway.

Alonso's Indy adventure is the best news for racing in years. Let's fact it, the sport overall needs as much juice as it can get, and Alonso, a two-time World Champion, pursuing his dream to win racing's "big three" races - the Grand Prix of Monaco (which he has won twice), the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Indianapolis 500, the single greatest motor race in the world - is huge. I applaud Zak Brown, an American who is the recently-minted executive director of the McLaren Technology Group, for being willing to shake things up a little. Okay, a lot. He put the Team McLaren/Honda/Andretti Autosport deal together, and he understands the promotional value of this move, but he also understands that by letting Alonso pursue his dream he may be able to keep Fernando interested in driving for McLaren in F1 while Honda struggles to get its act together. Brown has also suggested that it might signal the possibility of Team McLaren returning to the IndyCar series full time, which would make sense since the U.S. is rapidly becoming the most important market for McLaren's impressive array of sports cars.

So to hell with the hand-wringing and the naysayers in F1 who want to quash Alonso's dream. It's nice to see that a two-time World Champion still harbors dreams, and I respect the man for pursuing his dream on the biggest motor racing stage in the world.

And that's the High-Octane Truth for this week.

(Photo by Christopher Owens/INDYCAR)
Fernando Alonso: Shaking up the racing world in pursuit of his dream.

 

Editor's Note: Many of you have seen Peter's references over the years to the Hydrogen Electric Racing Federation (HERF), which he launched in 2007. For those of you who weren't following AE at the time, you can read two of HERF's press releases here and here. And for even more details (including a link to Peter's announcement speech), check out the HERF entry on Wikipedia here. -WG

Publisher's Note: As part of our continuing series celebrating the "Glory Days" of racing, we're proud to present another noteworthy image from the Ford Racing Archives. - PMD

(Courtesy of the Ford Racing Archives)
Indianapolis, Indiana. Jackie Stewart and Lola's Eric Broadley giving Graham Hill some pointers before his first laps in his John Mecom-entered American Red Ball Lola-Ford at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway during practice for the 1966 Indy 500. Hill would win the world's greatest race on his first try.

Editor's Note: Since Fernando Alonso didn't even complete a lap in last Sunday's Russian Grand Prix, magnifying his frustrations with the dismal McLaren-Honda situation, Peter's take on Fernando's pursuit of his Indianapolis 500 dream bears repeating. Peter will return next week with a new "Fumes." -WG

By Peter M. DeLorenzo

Detroit. The hue and cry from the F1 establishment following the announcement that Fernando Alonso would forego the premier race of the F1 season - the Grand Prix of Monaco - in order to compete in next month's Indianapolis 500 was priceless, and I loved every minute of it. A few F1 drivers spoke up in favor of it but for many it was an outrage, an affront to all that was righteous and holy, and flat-out ridiculous.

The negative bleating from the blowhards in F1 was considerable. And to say that they came off as petulant, tedious and completely out of touch - and I'm talking about you in particular, Christian Horner - is an understatement. Instead of applauding Alonso for adding a little much-needed buzz to motor racing overall, they chided him for deigning to slight F1 by agreeing to run in an "inferior" event. Now that was ridiculous.

The fact that Alonso was willing to skip F1's premier race for a chance to run in the Indianapolis 500 is the motorsport story of the year. Instead of waiting for his F1 career to wind down, Alonso is stepping out of his hopelessly noncompetitive McLaren-Honda for a chance to win the biggest auto race in the world. What does Alonso lose by skipping Monaco? Not much. Though the power differential of the Honda-powered McLaren will be less pronounced in the confines of Monte Carlo, giving Alonso the possibly of delivering a top-six finish, why pound around for a "good result" when he could possibly win the one race that every racing driver dreams of winning?

Make no mistake, the challenge facing Alonso is monumental. He will have to learn a completely new racing discipline, racing an open-wheel car on a super speedway - arguably one of the toughest - in a matter of weeks, while racing against drivers who are the best in the world at the Indy car craft. Andretti Autosport is bringing in noted veteran Gil de Ferran to be Fernando's sounding board for all aspects of the art of speedway racing at the most hallowed speedway of them all, but Alonso will have multiple resources at his disposal, including Michael Andretti himself, who was among the very best to have ever turned a wheel at The Speedway.

Alonso's Indy adventure is the best news for racing in years. Let's fact it, the sport overall needs as much juice as it can get, and Alonso, a two-time World Champion, pursuing his dream to win racing's "big three" races - the Grand Prix of Monaco (which he has won twice), the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Indianapolis 500, the single greatest motor race in the world - is huge. I applaud Zak Brown, an American who is the recently-minted executive director of the McLaren Technology Group, for being willing to shake things up a little. Okay, a lot. He put the Team McLaren/Honda/Andretti Autosport deal together, and he understands the promotional value of this move, but he also understands that by letting Alonso pursue his dream he may be able to keep Fernando interested in driving for McLaren in F1 while Honda struggles to get its act together. Brown has also suggested that it might signal the possibility of Team McLaren returning to the IndyCar series full time, which would make sense since the U.S. is rapidly becoming the most important market for McLaren's impressive array of sports cars.

So to hell with the hand-wringing and the naysayers in F1 who want to quash Alonso's dream. It's nice to see that a two-time World Champion still harbors dreams, and I respect the man for pursuing his dream on the biggest motor racing stage in the world.

And that's the High-Octane Truth for this week.

(Photo by Christopher Owens/INDYCAR)
Fernando Alonso: Shaking up the racing world in pursuit of his dream.

 

Editor's Note: Many of you have seen Peter's references over the years to the Hydrogen Electric Racing Federation (HERF), which he launched in 2007. For those of you who weren't following AE at the time, you can read two of HERF's press releases here and here. And for even more details (including a link to Peter's announcement speech), check out the HERF entry on Wikipedia here. -WG

Publisher's Note: As part of our continuing series celebrating the "Glory Days" of racing, we're proud to present another noteworthy image from the Ford Racing Archives. - PMD

(Courtesy of the Ford Racing Archives)
Indianapolis, Indiana, 1963. Dan Gurney sits in the Lotus "Powered By" Ford Indy car during the first private test of the machine at The Speedway in 1963. Dan was instrumental in bringing the Ford Motor Company and Lotus founder Colin Chapman together to build a new racing machine that could win the Indianapolis 500. Though Jack Brabham first appeared at Indy with a mid-engine car in 1961, demonstrating that the concept was viable, it was the Lotus-Ford combination that would end the front engine "roadster" era at The Speedway for good. Though Gurney would never win the "500" as a driver, Jim Clark won "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing" in a Lotus-Ford in 1965, proving Dan's vision. And of course Gurney dominated The Speedway for years with his All American Racers-built Eagle Indy cars.

By Peter M. DeLorenzo

Detroit. Anyone who has read this column over the years knows that I am a True Believer in the Indianapolis 500. In terms of historical context, the Grand Prix of Monaco, the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Indianapolis 500 are the three major races that make up the pinnacle of motorsport. And of those the "500" is still, despite the countless naysayers suggesting otherwise, the greatest single motor race in the world, the one that drivers and team owners from around the world dream of winning. We were all reminded of that fact by some of the comments by two-time Formula 1 champion Fernando Alonso when asked about his quest. Yes, as a racer he wants to do it, he wants to challenge himself in a completely different style of racing, but most of all, he wants to win "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing" because it's the one race in the world that every driver wants to win.

The Indianapolis 500 transcends geographical boundaries and genres of racing to sit at the very top of the motorsports world. It's still the singular motorsports event that every racing enthusiast should see in person at least once, the one race that gets seared in memories forever. And added to the allure of the race itself is the opportunity to bask in the glow of the majestic Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which remains a monument to speed unlike any other. And therein lies the problem: the Indianapolis 500 and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway are so dominant in the Indy car racing world that the rest of the schedule pales by comparison. This was made painfully clear - again - by the IndyCar race at Phoenix a couple of weekends ago. To say that it was a debacle in terms of attendance (there were maybe 10,000 people there - maybe) is an understatement. It was simply embarrassing, excruciating even. And the race itself was a processional exercise that did little to fan the flames of passion from racing enthusiasts, the kind of passion that the IndyCar series is so desperate to cultivate.

I have commented many, many times over the last ten years that the entire concept of the IndyCar series is on life support. Indy car racing has been the Indianapolis 500 - and then everything else - for the last 40 years. Yes, there are a few exceptions - the addition of Road America to the IndyCar schedule was essential and heartily welcomed by True Believer racing enthusiasts - but that doesn't mask the fact that IndyCar is the quintessential example of "racing in a vacuum," a term I have coined to describe the quandary Indy car racing finds itself in.

What does "racing in a vacuum" mean, exactly? It means that between the IndyCar team owners, the engine manufacturers and the owners of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a calculated decision has been made that as long as the Indy 500 remains the single greatest motor race in the world, and as long as they can keep their programs funded, well, whatever else happens outside their collective "bubble" is inconsequential.

In other words, annual racing team budgets are calculated on the appeal of the Indianapolis 500, and as long these team owners can continue to talk companies into buying into that angle and sponsoring their efforts for an entire season because of that, they clearly don't care about the rest of it. This is simply unsustainable. As I've said repeatedly, the IndyCar owners despise when I write things like this, because they come from a perspective that suggests that, "until you try to run a racing team and have the responsibility for many livelihoods, you don't have a frickin' clue as to what you're talking about." Or something like that.

Point well taken, but that doesn't excuse what happened at Phoenix, or what will happen at too many of the other racing venues on IndyCar's schedule this year. Just because the TV package is in place for a particular race and the sponsorship deals are a "go" for the season it doesn't mean that it's acceptable or that the IndyCar community can ignore what happened in Phoenix, because what happened there is simply inexcusable.

Yet, the excuses remain. "Sparse" crowds? "We'll do better next time," or "it was the weather," or "we need a different spot on the calendar for this venue." Almost nonexistent TV ratings? "We need to do better." Or, "We were up against (insert other sporting event here) and it was tough." You get the picture.

This is what "racing in a vacuum" means: As long as the team owners have their programs funded based around one race - the Indianapolis 500 - the bigger picture of the sport is a nonissue and of little interest. And this is flat-out wrong.

I'm embarrassed for the powers that be in IndyCar, the teams, the manufacturers, the drivers and the series itself. A total rethink for Indy car racing is in order, but I can guarantee you that as long as everyone has their "deal" in place for the season, no one really cares enough to do anything about it. Which is truly unfortunate. And pathetic.

Yes, the Indianapolis 500 is still magic, thankfully. But if IndyCar and the sport of Indy car racing wants to survive, let alone thrive, that's not going to be nearly enough.

And that's the High-Octane Truth for this week.

Editor's Note: Many of you have seen Peter's references over the years to the Hydrogen Electric Racing Federation (HERF), which he launched in 2007. For those of you who weren't following AE at the time, you can read two of HERF's press releases here and here. And for even more details (including a link to Peter's announcement speech), check out the HERF entry on Wikipedia here. -WG

Publisher's Note: As part of our continuing series celebrating the "Glory Days" of racing, we're proud to present another noteworthy image from the Ford Racing Archives. - PMD

(Courtesy of the Ford Racing Archives)
Indianapolis, Indiana, 1965. Jim Clark sits in his No. 82 Team Lotus-Ford with Colin Chapman standing next to him, during practice for that year's Indianapolis 500.

By Peter M. DeLorenzo

Detroit. After last week's column - "The 500 is still magic, but is it enough?" - I received several emails asking basically the same thing, as in, what would I do to move the sport forward? As I've stated many, many times before, it's far easier to suggest things when you don't have any skin in the game. And as I've been reminded by IndyCar team owners in the past, suggesting changes to IndyCar is far easier when you aren't responsible for the livelihoods of a large group of people and their families, while running a viable business in racing. Indeed, there is no question that it is one of the more difficult endeavors you can choose to do, no matter what the racing series (NASCAR owners have been struggling for years to maintain their sponsorship momentum in a series that's clearly in a downward spiral). Much of these reminders from IndyCar team owners have been blunt, as in, "until you try to run a racing team and have the responsibility for many livelihoods, you don't have a frickin' clue as to what you're talking about." Or something like that. And they do make an excellent point.

But still, "racing in a vacuum" - meaning, racing for the edification of the team owners and the business-to-business deals in the paddock - is not sustainable. Yes, the Indianapolis 500 is the monumental exception, but as I pointed out last week, IndyCar can't keep stumbling along with one major league, must-see event, and the rest of the schedule being a forgettable mishmash of races with varying degrees of attraction (Road America being the one shining exception). So what to do? How can the sport of Indy car racing evolve and change to generate real interest going forward? I'm not talking about the cleaner look of the 2018 cars here, which is a decidedly positive step in the right direction, as I find the current cars to be relentlessly ugly, I'm talking about what comes after next.

Once upon a time the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was a hotbed of innovation, with each May brimming with new, creative ideas in the quest for speed. But then again, waxing on about the old days isn't productive at this juncture. It's no secret that advancements in technology - specifically in aerodynamics - swallowed the sport whole, and Indy car racing became a game of restrictions and speed management with controls put in place designed to keep the cars qualifying at around 235 mph and racing between 220 - 225 mph. And the sport has been in this holding pattern for 35 years now.

In an attempt at breaking out of this holding pattern, ten years ago I proposed a radical departure for the Indianapolis 500 that involved racing hydrogen-fueled electric vehicles. The Hydrogen Electric Racing Federation (see more on HERF at the end of this column - WG) was designed to accelerate the development of hydrogen electric vehicles for mass transportation applications, allowing the creative minds of racing to attack the problems associated with these vehicles in terms of hydrogen storage, range, refueling time, safety, heat management, etc., etc. The HERF proposal was well received and it drew serious consideration from several manufacturers, but alas, it was way ahead of its time.

Am I proposing a jump-start of HERF again? If the manufacturers wanted to do it, I think a 500-mile demonstration race one week ahead of the "500" would be very interesting and technically beneficial for all. But given the current financial climate, I don't see this as a viable proposal. That doesn't mean that I think we should leave the status quo intact, however. Not by a long shot. As I stated before, the 2018 IndyCar machines are a step in the right direction, but given that, I still think the Indianapolis 500 could be an even more compelling event than it already is today.

How to go about it?

First of all, I would create a dimensional box that an entry into the "500" must not exceed, which would not be too far off the footprint of the current Indy car. Secondly, I would allow 40 gallons of fuel - a corresponding fuel measurement for alternative powertrains would be factored in - to run the 500 miles. And that's it. Everything else would be "free." I believe these specifications would spark a new wave of creativity in the sport as a whole. This new specification package would mean that the technical issues would have to be solved all over again. How fast you wanted to go would have to be weighed against how you actually go about going fast. Yes, speeds would come down dramatically at first, as managing fuel consumption would be paramount, but I believe speeds would start climbing in no time as manufacturers focused their considerable technical resources on maximizing efficiency and speed.

And that's the key to all of this. My recommendations for shaping the future of the Indianapolis 500 would require intense manufacturer commitment and participation, as IndyCar and its teams cannot be expected to foot the considerable bill. But I also believe it would be well worth it, bringing about the dawn of a new age both at The Speedway and for the overall relevance and viability of the sport as a whole.

And that's the High-Octane Truth for this week.

Editor's Note: Many of you have seen Peter's references over the years to the Hydrogen Electric Racing Federation (HERF), which he launched in 2007. For those of you who weren't following AE at the time, you can read two of HERF's press releases here and here. And for even more details (including a link to Peter's announcement speech), check out the HERF entry on Wikipedia here. -WG

Publisher's Note: As part of our continuing series celebrating the "Glory Days" of racing, we're proud to present another noteworthy image from the Ford Racing Archives. - PMD

(Courtesy of the Ford Racing Archives)
Indianapolis, Indiana, 1966. Dan Gurney (No. 31 All American Racers Eagle Ford) leaves the pits in the first AAR Eagle Indy car built by his own company during practice for the Indianapolis 500. A shirt (below) worn by the Wood Brothers when they crewed Dan's car that year.

(Photo courtesy of the Wood Brothers)

By Peter M. DeLorenzo

Detroit. It's no secret that I consider Scott Dixon to be one of the finest racers of the modern era, and certainly one of the greatest Indy car drivers of all time. The guy just flat gets it done with a style and consummate flair that is a beautiful thing to watch. And yes by the way, he is blistering quick in a racing car as he demonstrated again in final qualifying for the 101st running of the Indianapolis 500 last Sunday. With a "warm up" lap of 225.326 mph followed by laps of 232.595 mph, 232.135 mph, 232.018 mph and 231.907, for a four-lap average of 232.164 mph, Dixon captured the pole position for the biggest race in the world in convincing fashion.

Battling the conditions and battling the changing track temperatures, Dixon, The four-time Verizon IndyCar Series champion and fourth-winningest driver in Indy car history, ran at the absolute ragged edge for his ten-mile run and delivered the fastest qualifying speed in 21 years at the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It was the fastest speed seen at IMS since Arie Luyendyk set the track record of 236.986 mph in second-day qualifying on May 12, 1996, and it was a magnificent sight to behold too.

"It feels fast," Dixon said. "Any speed (above) 215 or 220 around this place feels really fast, but I think you just block it all out. You're constantly just trying to feel how the car is, see where you can place it, see if you can improve the next lap. It's been so intense this weekend just trying to hold on to the car for the four laps. I think that's where all the focus has been. But I think for the Verizon IndyCar Series, it's cool to see these speeds gradually creeping up. It's good to see we've made a big improvement. I think I did a 227 average last year, so it's a nice little jump."

This is Dixon's third Indy 500 pole position - he won from the front spot in 2008 - and the 26th of his 17-year Indy car career, moving the 36-year-old New Zealander past Paul Tracy and alone into 11th place on the all-time poles list. "Today, we managed to get it done and we're starting in the right place," said Dixon, the 40-time Indy car race winner. "The hard part now is to keep it there."

Dixon's scintillating run and the impressive field of chargers and former champions sets up a tremendous race for next Sunday. The field is so deep and so talented that the battle will rage for the entire 500 miles, with the last ten laps sure to be a frantic give-it-everything-you've-got finish to win "The Greatest Spectacle In Racing." Yes, it is that still. I've offered changes for The Future of the sport of Indy car racing in many, many columns over the years, especially for The Speedway, but that doesn't take away from the fact that it's the one motor race in the world that every driver dreams of winning. Just ask Fernando.

I can't close out this column without mentioning the vicious crash that Sébastien Bourdais suffered in the first round of qualifying on Saturday. It was eerily similar to the most horrific crash I've ever seen, and that was Gordon Smiley's crash in qualifying for the 500 back in 1982. (No, I am not going to provide links to either crash video, but if you feel compelled to do so you can find them on the Internet.) Smiley was killed instantly and with such brutal finality that it is still very hard to take to this day. The fact the Bourdais "only" suffered multiple fractures to his pelvis and hip is nothing short of a remarkable testament to the advancements in safety that have been an ongoing part of racing over the decades.

A special mention must go out to the team that developed the SAFER (Steel and Foam Energy Reduction) Barrier, a fantastic safety device designed by a team of engineers led by Dean Sicking at the Midwest Roadside Safety Facility at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. It was developed from 1998–2002, and first installed at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in May 2002. And Tony George deserves all the credit in the world for pushing for - and funding - the development of the SAFER Barrier, because it transformed the sport. There have been countless other safety developments throughout racing, but the dramatic improvement in the safety of Indy cars in particular is worth noting, and likely saved the life of Sébastien Bourdais, which we're all grateful for.

Yes, racing is an incredibly dangerous sport. Despite all of the safety advancements, anything can happen at any given time that can change - or end - lives instantly. I was thankful that the sport avoided another monumental tragedy last Saturday and that the Bourdais family isn't having to deal with a crushing loss.

I am excited to see another Indianapolis 500 next Sunday. There really is nothing like it, with the start alone still the most electrifying moment in all of sports. I hope for a safe race, of course, but I will avoid naming any favorites, because making predictions in racing is a fool's errand.

And that's the High-Octane Truth for this week.
(Photo by Joe Skibinski/INDYCAR)
Scott Dixon with his family after winning the pole for the 2017 Indianapolis 500.

Editor's Note: Many of you have seen Peter's references over the years to the Hydrogen Electric Racing Federation (HERF), which he launched in 2007. For those of you who weren't following AE at the time, you can read two of HERF's press releases here and here. And for even more details (including a link to Peter's announcement speech), check out the HERF entry on Wikipedia here. -WG

Publisher's Note: As part of our continuing series celebrating the "Glory Days" of racing, we're proud to present another noteworthy image from the Ford Racing Archives. - PMD

(Courtesy of the Ford Racing Archives)
Indianapolis Motor Speedway, 1965.  Jim Clark (No. 82 Team Lotus-Ford) smiles brightly after qualifying second fastest for the Indy 500 that year with a speed of 160.729 mph. He would go on to dominate the race for the win.

By Peter M. DeLorenzo

Detroit. It wasn't impossible and it wasn't quite improbable either, but Takuma Sato's win in the 101st running of the Indianapolis 500 was certainly inspired and in many ways satisfying. Sato (No. 26 Andretti Autosport Panasonic Honda), a 40-year-old journeyman racer with seven years of F1 experience but with just one previous IndyCar win to his credit, clawed his way to the front and out-dueled Helio Castroneves (No. 3 Team Penske Shell Fuel Rewards Chevrolet) by 0.2011 of a second at the finish line for the win, becoming the first Japanese driver to do so in the history of "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing." It was the sixth-closest finish in Indy 500 history.

Before Sunday, Sato was best known for his "now or never" pass attempt of Dario Franchitti in Turn 1 of the last lap of the 2012 Indianapolis 500, when Sato crashed out of the race after contact with Dario. This time it was different. "It's such a privilege to win here, so whether it was the first attempt or eighth attempt or you had a drama in the past, it doesn't really matter. Winning today, it's just superb." As for gaining some measure of vindication after the 2012 race episode, Sato added, "But, yes, I do feel after 2012 I really needed to correct something I left over. Today, I was so happy that I made it and won in a good move."

Castroneves, who was going for his fourth win in the Indy 500 - which would have tied him with A.J. Foyt, Al Unser and Rick Mears for most wins, all time - had an eventful day. He overcame a black-flag penalty for jumping a restart and avoided mayhem in two major race incidents to finish second at Indy for the third time. Castroneves is now one of seven drivers with three Indianapolis 500 runner-up finishes, and it was the 41st second-place finish of the Brazilian's 20-year Indy car career, which ranks second all time. "It was so close. I say, 'great job' to my guys," added Castroneves, who recovered from the worst Indy 500 start (19th) of his career. "They worked their tails off, we saw it all today. We were in the back and we led some laps. We avoided disaster and we almost got (win) No. 4."

Talented Indy rookie Ed Jones (No. 19 Dale Coyne Racing Boy Scouts of America Honda) finished an impressive - and career-best - third. Jones charged from the rear of the field after having the rear wing assembly on his Honda replaced during a pit stop. "We kept pushing on, kept making up positions," the 23-year-old from Dubai said. "I had a great Dale Coyne Racing car underneath me the whole way that got me to make those passes. ... Congrats to Sato. I didn't really have the pace for him and Helio at the end, but we did the best we could."

Despite going a lap down early with handling issues, Max Chilton (No. 8 Chip Ganassi Racing Gallagher Honda) led the most laps (50) before finishing fourth. It was the best showing of the 26-year-old Brit's two-year Verizon IndyCar Series career. "I don't think anyone has ever won this race without a little bit of luck," said Chilton. "When we did end up getting out front, the car was really quick and you can see why this place is so special and so electric in that moment. ... To come from a lap down to lead and have a chance to win here at Indy is a massive accomplishment for the whole team." 

As I predicted last week, the race was frantic from start to finish, with a record number of lead changes and some harrowing crashes thrown in for good measure, including one involving Scott Dixon, which had the entire racing world holding its breath. I have nothing more to say about the details of Scott's crash - I'm well aware that most of our readers saw the crash in real time and in replays many, many times - except that I'm thankful that I'm not having to write a completely different piece this morning. Dixon (No. 9 Chip Ganassi Racing Camping World Honda), who escaped with an ankle injury, had this to say afterward: "I'm just a little beaten up. It was definitely a bit of a rough ride. I was hoping that Jay (Howard) was going to stay against the wall, but obviously, there was the impact. I had already picked that way to go and there was nowhere else to go to avoid him. It was definitely a wild ride. Big thanks to the Holmatro Safety Team, INDYCAR and Dallara and everyone for the safety standards we have on these cars."

And what more can be said about Fernando Alonso, who put on a spectacular display of pure talent and poise both on and off the track? The two-time Formula One champion, who skipped the F1 Monaco Grand Prix to fulfill a dream to drive in the Indy 500, started fifth, ran up front most of the day and led 27 laps in the No. 29 McLaren-Honda-Andretti Honda resplendent in the original Papaya Orange factory livery. Alonso's race came to a premature conclusion 24th place with a blown engine after 179 laps. "Obviously disappointed not to finish the race because every race you compete, you want to be at the checkered flag," Alonso said. "Today, (it) was not possible. Anyway, (it) was a great experience, the last two weeks. I came here basically to prove myself, to challenge myself. I know that I can be as quick as anyone in an F1 car. I didn't know if I can be as quick as anyone in an Indy car. Thanks to INDYCAR, an amazing experience," the 35-year-old Spaniard added. "Thanks to Indianapolis, thanks to the fans. I felt at home. I'm not American, but I felt really proud to race here."

As for the key stats of the race, a total of 15 drivers led the event, breaking the record of 14 set in 2013. The race was slowed by eleven cautions periods for a total of 50 laps. A red flag stopped the race for 19 minutes to repair the SAFER Barrier and catch fencing in the short chute between Turns 1 and 2 that was damaged in the Jay Howard/Scott Dixon incident.

At the end of the day, however, it was Sato's day. Maligned in some quarters in the Indy community for hanging around too long, Sato displayed the tenacity and the sheer will to win of a true champion on Sunday, proving once and for all that he belongs. And now he's permanently affixed in the record books of the greatest single motor race in the world.

Heartfelt congratulations go out to Takuma Sato, Michael Andretti and the entire Andretti Autosport team, and Honda on a magnificent win.

(Photo by Shawn Gritzmacher/INDYCAR)
Takuma Sato, winner of the 101st running of the Indianapolis 500.

(Photo by Shawn Gritzmacher/INDYCAR)
A close-up of Takuma Sato's winning No. 26 Andretti Autosport Panasonic Honda after a very tough 500 miles at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

(Photo by Chris Owens/INDYCAR)
Takuma Sato and Michael Andretti: Pure elation in Victory Lane.

(Photo by Chris Owens/INDYCAR)
Michael Andretti and Takuma Sato at the traditional Monday morning winner's photo shoot. Beautiful indeed.

(Photo by Chris Jones/INDYCAR)
Takuma Sato: He'll always be introduced as an Indy 500 winner.

(Photo by Richard Dowdy/INDYCAR)
A proud moment for the Andretti Autosport team.

(Photo by Shawn Gritzmacher/INDYCAR)
Not just the greatest trophy in motorsport, the greatest trophy in all of sport.

Editor's Note: Many of you have seen Peter's references over the years to the Hydrogen Electric Racing Federation (HERF), which he launched in 2007. For those of you who weren't following AE at the time, you can read two of HERF's press releases here and here. And for even more details (including a link to Peter's announcement speech), check out the HERF entry on Wikipedia here. -WG

Publisher's Note: As part of our continuing series celebrating the "Glory Days" of racing, we're proud to present another noteworthy image from the Ford Racing Archives. - PMD

(Courtesy of the Ford Racing Archives)
June 1, 1965. The winner's "morning after" shoot for that year's Indianapolis 500. Jim Clark, Colin Chapman and members of Team Lotus pose for their victory pictures around Clark's winning Lotus/Ford. Clark flat dominated the race, leading 189 of the 200 laps and winning with an average speed of 150.686 mph. Parnelli Jones (No. 98 J.S. Agajanian Hurst Lotus/Ford) was second and Mario Andretti (No. 12 Al Dean/Dean Van Lines Hawk-Ford) finished third.

Editor's Note: In preparation for the summer racing season, Peter is revisiting one of his favorite subjects today - Road America. He tells you what to see, where to go and what not to miss. Enjoy! -WG

Detroit. Road America, the 4.048-mile jewel of a track - "America's National Park of Speed" - carved out of Kettle Moraine country about halfway between Green Bay and Milwaukee, is the finest road racing circuit in the U.S. For many enthusiasts, Road America is a state of mind as much as it is a destination. History oozes out of the magnificent circuit and the postcard town of Elkhart Lake, as it is one of three places - along with Watkins Glen and Pebble Beach - that hosted open road sports car racing in the early 50s. For first-time visitors I highly recommend that you take the time to check out the historic roadside markers arrayed in the town and along the roads surrounding it, because it is one of the birthplaces of sports car racing in this country. 

The permanent track was the dream of Clif Tufte, a trained civil engineer who walked the 525 acres of Wisconsin farmland and laid out the track himself. Tufte spent almost a year planning Road America and his dream became a reality when the track opened in April 1955. By September 10, 1955, the track's first SCCA national race weekend was held. One of the most amazing things about Road America is that Tufte's visionary layout has remained unchanged ever since, which is pretty incredible when you think about what has happened to other tracks over the decades since.

Everyone who goes to Road America has a story, because they've usually been attending races there for years, or decades, as the case may be. So I'm presenting a few high points for viewing the action at the track only as a suggestion, not a be-all and end-all proclamation. People inevitably find their own favorite places at the track the first time they go there, so what follows are a few of mine.

1. Stand along the fence on the front straight on the outside of the track just north of the the start/finish line. You can get remarkably close to the cars as they crest the massive hill on the front straight and blast by. It will get your attention real quick, trust me. Just for the record, cars reach their top speed at three different places per lap on the track, which is why it is so damn fast, and that is the end of the front straight, the end of the Moraine Sweep going into Turn 5, and at the end of Kettle Bottoms going into Canada Corner (Turn 12).

2. Watch on the outside of Turn 1. You can see the cars braking and setting up for the fast, sweeping right-hand corner. And yeah, you can see who's going fast just by the way they get through here.

3. Turn 3 is another favorite spectator area. The cars come over the hill and head down into the right-hand sweeper, which is a quicker corner than it looks at first. It's extremely important to get through there right, too, because it pours on to the second top speed section: the Moraine Sweep.

4. Walk through the woods and watch the Moraine Sweep and the cars braking into Turn 5. Before the FIA catch-fencing was installed (a sad day for Road America purists) you could stand at one of the fastest places on the entire circuit and watch the cars just pound by, with nothing but a low guard rail between you and the track. I distinctly remember watching the Can-Am cars here, with the sun glinting off of their huge rear wings as they powered by at 190MPH plus. The Sound. The Guts. The Glory. There was just nothing like it then, and it's still fantastic to this day.

5. Keep walking along the outside of the track down to Turn 5. Watching the drivers stand on their brakes going into Turn 5 is a sight to behold, especially the Indy cars on their qualifying laps. Then stand by the fence or sit in the bleachers at Turn 5. There's a reason that it is one of the most popular viewing places at Road America. Stuff happens there.

6. Make your way to the top of the hill at Turn 6. You can watch on the inside of the corner and see the cars heading to Turn 7 and then Hurry Downs. Or, you can sit at the outside of Turn 6 under the trees as the cars blast under the Corvette bridge and crank left through Turn 6. Either way is good, especially on the outside, because the cars are right there in front of you. As in close.

7. Turn 7 (and Hurry Downs) has a hilltop viewing area. It's cool, but walk down to the fence and position yourself so you can see the cars coming out of 7 hard on the gas. It's an awesome view.

8. Turn 8 is the hard left after Hurry Downs. I like to position myself on the inside of this corner (although other people swear by the viewing area on the outside of the track here) and watch the drivers do their hard braking into this corner and then power out for the set-up into the famous Carousel Corner.

9. I like to position myself on the outside of the track (just past the Johnsonville bridge) to see the drivers commit to the turn-in to get around the Carousel. The inside view of this corner by the main camping ground is really good too.

10. You can walk around and watch the cars power out of the Carousel below, but now there's a foot bridge (the Hawk Performance bridge) that allows you to walk down and get a fantastic view of the infamous Kink, the most ball-jangling corner in all of American road racing. I recommend you go down there for qualifying, too, because it will give you a renewed appreciation for the concept of being on The Edge.

11. The spectator viewing area on the outside of Turn 12 (make sure you have good hiking shoes on) is another fan favorite because you can see the cars approaching out of Kettle Bottoms (the third place on the circuit where the cars reach top speed) and the drivers doing heavy braking for 12. There's a reason people congregate here. There's action galore for one thing, but it's the sound that's notable here, because it seems to hang in the trees down there. They don't call the area immediately after Turn 12 Thunder Valley for nothing. It's a beautiful thing.

12. The new spectator viewing on the inside of Turn 12 is a must see too. You can walk all the way down to see the exit of The Kink from this position, or you can park yourself on the inside of the corner and watch the heavy braking. And the sound will knock your socks off.

13. I like to stand up on the little hill overlooking the Bill Mitchell Bend (it used to be the Bill Mitchell bridge, another sad day for Road America purists), looking down on the cars as they get through Turn 13. The other place to watch here is on the inside of the track, from the paddock side. Then there's the hilltop viewing area that overlooks the entire north side of the track where you can see Turn 5, Turns 13 and 14, and the cars powering up the hill on the main straight. Some people never leave from this spot.

14. I like to watch on the outside of Turn 14 because you can see the cars emerge from the Bill Mitchell Bend, approach Turn 14, get through the corner and blast up the hill. Faster through this corner means more top speed at the end of the front straight, and the good drivers always shine here. You can also see who peels off for the pits from this vantage point too.

15. And I should mention one other great vista, and this is from the Gear Box concession stand at the northern edge of the paddock. Besides having the best food at the track (which is saying something because Road America has the best track food in the country), you can see Turn 5, Turn 13 and Turn 14 here, plus watch as the cars blast up the hill toward the start/finish line. It's all good.

No, not the definitive guide by any means, just my favorite viewing areas at my all-time favorite track.

Road America has everything: a state park-like setting, a fantastic - and blistering fast - track layout unaltered since Day One, authentic sports car racing history and a postcard town to go with it, a beautiful new Road America store, and genuine, knowledgeable racing enthusiasts who share a common bond and appreciate what the track represents in this graceless age of instant gratification.

If you've never been you need to go, and if you're going back this summer, then I don't need to say anymore. Have fun and enjoy one of this country's greatest treasures: Elkhart Lake's Road America.

P.S. When you go into the town of Elkhart Lake there are two must-see stops: The bar at Siebkens. And the Off The Rail coffee shop. You can thank me later.

And that's the High-Octane Truth for this week.

Editor's Note: Many of you have seen Peter's references over the years to the Hydrogen Electric Racing Federation (HERF), which he launched in 2007. For those of you who weren't following AE at the time, you can read two of HERF's press releases here and here. And for even more details (including a link to Peter's announcement speech), check out the HERF entry on Wikipedia here. -WG

Publisher's Note: As part of our continuing series celebrating the "Glory Days" of racing, we're proud to present a noteworthy image from the GM Racing Archives. - PMD

(Courtesy of the GM Archives)
Le Mans, France, 1960. The No. 1 B. S. Cunningham Chevrolet Corvette driven by Briggs Cunningham and William Kimberly being pushed to the starting grid before the start of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Cunningham entered three specially-prepared Corvettes in the French endurance classic. The No. 3 B. S. Cunningham Chevrolet Corvette team car driven by John Fitch/Bob Grossman finished eight overall and first in GT 5.0.

By Peter M. DeLorenzo

Detroit. I will reiterate yet again that I have the utmost respect for the drivers, teams and team owners competing in the IndyCar series, but what went on at the Texas Motor Speedway Saturday night was sheer lunacy. Pack racing has no business in an open-wheel racing series, especially at 220 mph, and the fact that IndyCar found itself in that position in Texas is simply inexcusable. I'm not really interested in the pundits and commentators who say that "it's crazy but it's undeniably compelling to watch" because that is inexcusable too. We have progressed far beyond the ancient "racers as gladiators" perspective - at least I hope we have - so what went on Saturday night was completely unacceptable.

It is stating the obvious that touching wheels in an open-wheel racing car is not sustainable, and the hoary "rubbin' is racin'" adage from NASCAR is simply not applicable here, but yet there were the IndyCar drivers putting their lives on the line lap after lap, banging wheels like they were in full-bodied stock cars. What part of this is acceptable? What part of this seems rational? Yes, I get it, as we've said many, many times in these pages "racers will race through a shit storm for Twinkies" they all want to do it so bad. And that is still very true. But IndyCar playing Russian Roulette with its star drivers by competing at a speedway they simply have no business competing at is flat-out stupidity. And excruciatingly so too.

The ridiculousness of NASCAR with its restrictor-plate races at Talladega and Daytona is well documented, and the powers that be in that series have demonstrated repeatedly that they are simply incapable of doing anything about it, even though at any given moment tragedy could strike. You would think - and I would hope - that the powers that be in IndyCar would bring a little more smarts to the proceedings, but by continuing to keep the Texas Motor Speedway on the schedule they are demonstrating a level of irrational thinking that is almost comprehensible.

Genuine enthusiasts inside and outside the racing industry read this column regularly every week, and I am quite certain that none of you want to see another fatality in IndyCar, or in racing, period. Yes, racing is one of the most dangerous pursuits out there, and of course there is only so much that can be done to prevent a tragedy from happening. But by racing at a venue that is simply wrong for its drivers and cars, IndyCar is tempting fate, and eventually its luck will run out.

Shifting gears, the greatest endurance race in the world - the 24 Hours of Le Mans - happens this coming weekend. One of the crown jewels in all of racing (along with the Indianapolis 500 and the Grand Prix of Monaco), Le Mans is simply one of the most magnificent challenges in all of motorsport. But it's clear - and not news by the way - that the ACO, the organizers of the event, is guilty of manipulating the playing field and playing politics in order to bestow favor on selected competitors, according to their whims and the financial expediency of their decisions. Nowhere is that more evident than with the games the ACO plays with the GTE-Pro class, the top factory-supported GT class competing in the 24 Hours.

This week, the ACO reduced the air inlet for Corvette Racing, which is a head-scratcher, at best, especially since the team didn't run with any clear-cut advantage on the official Test Day. But there's more going on too. The inside word is that the organizers want a Porsche vs. Ferrari battle in GTE-Pro this year and, since they always favor the manufacturers who compete in the World Endurance Championship (WEC) as standard operating procedure, you can expect that Aston Martin will get "blessed" by the ACO too. It's clear that the American contingent, Corvette Racing and especially Ford Racing - who got "blessed" last year - are not favored competitors in the GTE-Pro class this year.

As I said, is all of this is a surprise? No. But Bush league Bullshit is Bush league Bullshit, no matter what the language.

And finally, heartfelt congratulations must go out to the Wood Brothers this week for their huge win at Pocono with their 23-year-old future star driver, Ryan Blaney. The Wood Brothers are the nicest people in racing, but make no mistake, they're smart and savvy too. I expect we'll be hearing a lot from Mr. Blaney and the resurgent Wood Brothers in the future. Well done, ladies and gentlemen!

And that's the High-Octane Truth for this week.

Editor's Note: Many of you have seen Peter's references over the years to the Hydrogen Electric Racing Federation (HERF), which he launched in 2007. For those of you who weren't following AE at the time, you can read two of HERF's press releases here and here. And for even more details (including a link to Peter's announcement speech), check out the HERF entry on Wikipedia here. -WG

Publisher's Note: As part of our continuing series celebrating the "Glory Days" of racing, we're proud to present a noteworthy image from the GM Racing Archives. - PMD

(Courtesy of the GM Archives)
Le Mans, France, 1960. Just before the start of the famous 24 Hour of Le Mans, with Briggs Cunningham's Corvette team in the foreground.

Editor's Note: Even though we ran Peter's "Enthusiast's Guide to Road America" column just a couple of weeks ago, we felt it was appropriate to run it again for the enthusiasts heading to Elkhart Lake for this coming weekend's IndyCar race at Road America. Peter will return next week with a new "Fumes" column. -WG

Editor's Note: In preparation for the summer racing season, Peter is revisiting one of his favorite subjects today - Road America. He tells you what to see, where to go and what not to miss. Enjoy! -WG

Detroit. Road America, the 4.048-mile jewel of a track - "America's National Park of Speed" - carved out of Kettle Moraine country about halfway between Green Bay and Milwaukee, is the finest road racing circuit in the U.S. For many enthusiasts, Road America is a state of mind as much as it is a destination. History oozes out of the magnificent circuit and the postcard town of Elkhart Lake, as it is one of three places - along with Watkins Glen and Pebble Beach - that hosted open road sports car racing in the early 50s. For first-time visitors I highly recommend that you take the time to check out the historic roadside markers arrayed in the town and along the roads surrounding it, because it is one of the birthplaces of sports car racing in this country. 

The permanent track was the dream of Clif Tufte, a trained civil engineer who walked the 525 acres of Wisconsin farmland and laid out the track himself. Tufte spent almost a year planning Road America and his dream became a reality when the track opened in April 1955. By September 10, 1955, the track's first SCCA national race weekend was held. One of the most amazing things about Road America is that Tufte's visionary layout has remained unchanged ever since, which is pretty incredible when you think about what has happened to other tracks over the decades since.

Everyone who goes to Road America has a story, because they've usually been attending races there for years, or decades, as the case may be. So I'm presenting a few high points for viewing the action at the track only as a suggestion, not a be-all and end-all proclamation. People inevitably find their own favorite places at the track the first time they go there, so what follows are a few of mine.

1. Stand along the fence on the front straight on the outside of the track just north of the the start/finish line. You can get remarkably close to the cars as they crest the massive hill on the front straight and blast by. It will get your attention real quick, trust me. Just for the record, cars reach their top speed at three different places per lap on the track, which is why it is so damn fast, and that is the end of the front straight, the end of the Moraine Sweep going into Turn 5, and at the end of Kettle Bottoms going into Canada Corner (Turn 12).

2. Watch on the outside of Turn 1. You can see the cars braking and setting up for the fast, sweeping right-hand corner. And yeah, you can see who's going fast just by the way they get through here.

3. Turn 3 is another favorite spectator area. The cars come over the hill and head down into the right-hand sweeper, which is a quicker corner than it looks at first. It's extremely important to get through there right, too, because it pours on to the second top speed section: the Moraine Sweep.

4. Walk through the woods and watch the Moraine Sweep and the cars braking into Turn 5. Before the FIA catch-fencing was installed (a sad day for Road America purists) you could stand at one of the fastest places on the entire circuit and watch the cars just pound by, with nothing but a low guard rail between you and the track. I distinctly remember watching the Can-Am cars here, with the sun glinting off of their huge rear wings as they powered by at 190MPH plus. The Sound. The Guts. The Glory. There was just nothing like it then, and it's still fantastic to this day.

5. Keep walking along the outside of the track down to Turn 5. Watching the drivers stand on their brakes going into Turn 5 is a sight to behold, especially the Indy cars on their qualifying laps. Then stand by the fence or sit in the bleachers at Turn 5. There's a reason that it is one of the most popular viewing places at Road America. Stuff happens there.

6. Make your way to the top of the hill at Turn 6. You can watch on the inside of the corner and see the cars heading to Turn 7 and then Hurry Downs. Or, you can sit at the outside of Turn 6 under the trees as the cars blast under the Corvette bridge and crank left through Turn 6. Either way is good, especially on the outside, because the cars are right there in front of you. As in close.

7. Turn 7 (and Hurry Downs) has a hilltop viewing area. It's cool, but walk down to the fence and position yourself so you can see the cars coming out of 7 hard on the gas. It's an awesome view.

8. Turn 8 is the hard left after Hurry Downs. I like to position myself on the inside of this corner (although other people swear by the viewing area on the outside of the track here) and watch the drivers do their hard braking into this corner and then power out for the set-up into the famous Carousel Corner.

9. I like to position myself on the outside of the track (just past the Johnsonville bridge) to see the drivers commit to the turn-in to get around the Carousel. The inside view of this corner by the main camping ground is really good too.

10. You can walk around and watch the cars power out of the Carousel below, but now there's a foot bridge (the Hawk Performance bridge) that allows you to walk down and get a fantastic view of the infamous Kink, the most ball-jangling corner in all of American road racing. I recommend you go down there for qualifying, too, because it will give you a renewed appreciation for the concept of being on The Edge.

11. The spectator viewing area on the outside of Turn 12 (make sure you have good hiking shoes on) is another fan favorite because you can see the cars approaching out of Kettle Bottoms (the third place on the circuit where the cars reach top speed) and the drivers doing heavy braking for 12. There's a reason people congregate here. There's action galore for one thing, but it's the sound that's notable here, because it seems to hang in the trees down there. They don't call the area immediately after Turn 12 Thunder Valley for nothing. It's a beautiful thing.

12. The new spectator viewing on the inside of Turn 12 is a must see too. You can walk all the way down to see the exit of The Kink from this position, or you can park yourself on the inside of the corner and watch the heavy braking. And the sound will knock your socks off.

13. I like to stand up on the little hill overlooking the Bill Mitchell Bend (it used to be the Bill Mitchell bridge, another sad day for Road America purists), looking down on the cars as they get through Turn 13. The other place to watch here is on the inside of the track, from the paddock side. Then there's the hilltop viewing area that overlooks the entire north side of the track where you can see Turn 5, Turns 13 and 14, and the cars powering up the hill on the main straight. Some people never leave from this spot.

14. I like to watch on the outside of Turn 14 because you can see the cars emerge from the Bill Mitchell Bend, approach Turn 14, get through the corner and blast up the hill. Faster through this corner means more top speed at the end of the front straight, and the good drivers always shine here. You can also see who peels off for the pits from this vantage point too.

15. And I should mention one other great vista, and this is from the Gear Box concession stand at the northern edge of the paddock. Besides having the best food at the track (which is saying something because Road America has the best track food in the country), you can see Turn 5, Turn 13 and Turn 14 here, plus watch as the cars blast up the hill toward the start/finish line. It's all good.

No, not the definitive guide by any means, just my favorite viewing areas at my all-time favorite track.

Road America has everything: a state park-like setting, a fantastic - and blistering fast - track layout unaltered since Day One, authentic sports car racing history and a postcard town to go with it, a beautiful new Road America store, and genuine, knowledgeable racing enthusiasts who share a common bond and appreciate what the track represents in this graceless age of instant gratification.

If you've never been you need to go, and if you're going back this summer, then I don't need to say anymore. Have fun and enjoy one of this country's greatest treasures: Elkhart Lake's Road America.

P.S. When you go into the town of Elkhart Lake there are two must-see stops: The bar at Siebkens. And the Off The Rail coffee shop. You can thank me later.

And that's the High-Octane Truth for this week.

Editor's Note: Many of you have seen Peter's references over the years to the Hydrogen Electric Racing Federation (HERF), which he launched in 2007. For those of you who weren't following AE at the time, you can read two of HERF's press releases here and here. And for even more details (including a link to Peter's announcement speech), check out the HERF entry on Wikipedia here. -WG

Publisher's Note: As part of our continuing series celebrating the "Glory Days" of racing, we're proud to present a noteworthy image from the Ford Racing Archives. - PMD

(Photos courtesy of the Ford Racing Archives)
Le Mans, France, June 7, 1967. Dan Gurney and A.J. Foyt, two of America's all time motor racing greats, grin broadly after winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans in their No. 1 Shelby American Ford Mk IV. For Gurney and Foyt, who won by a margin of four laps over the No. 21 Ferrari 330 P4 driven by Ludovico Scarfiotti/Mike Parkes, it was a tremendously satisfying win. Before the race the snobbish European motor racing press had scoffed at the idea that this unlikely duo had even the slightest chance of winning because though they had tremendous respect for Gurney, they felt that Foyt wasn't up to the task. They were sadly mistaken. Gurney devised a brilliant race strategy that revolved around being disciplined in the car and conserving their Mk IV for the entire 24 Hours; and Foyt not only deferred to Gurney's considerable expertise and bought into it, he helped execute the strategy to perfection. It was a hugely popular win. For many insider's in the Ford racing effort, the 1967 win was even more satisfying than the first Ford win in 1966, when an orchestrated 1-2-3 finish by Ford executives was botched, costing Ken Miles and Denny Hulme the win. Miles, who was absolutely key to the Shelby American success over the years and who did most of the development driving of the Ford "J-car" (which would become the Mk IV), lost his life testing that prototype at Riverside International Raceway the previous August. Miles was said to have remained bitter about what had happened at Le Mans right up until the day of his death. The All-American Gurney/Foyt win is, to this day, considered to be the greatest achievement in international racing by an American manufacturer. Eleven days later, on June 18, 1967, Gurney made history again when he drove his beautiful No. 36 Eagle-Weslake V12 T1G to victory in the Belgian Grand Prix. No American driver/car combination had won a Grand Prix since 1921 and no American driver had ever done it with a car of his own construction. It would remain the only win for the Eagle in Formula 1 racing.

(Photo courtesy of All American Racers)

By Peter M. DeLorenzo

Detroit. Yes, even though the two words least likely to be used together in a sentence are "NASCAR" and "reality," and even though it's clear that the powers that be in Daytona Beach don't get and that isn't likely to change anytime soon, it's time to draft a new schedule for the "stock" car series that accounts for the following indisputable realities: 1. Declining in-person attendance; 2. Declining or moribund TV ratings; 3. The scramble for sponsors that is growing more difficult by the minute, even for the established, big-buck teams; and 4. The fact that the teams and drivers are burned out by a death march of a schedule that everyone is trapped in but apparently are powerless to do anything about, because speaking out would be going on record against the NASCAR company line, which is simply unacceptable.

The NASCAR company line states that the long-term contracts with the tracks prevent them from cutting the schedule, which we all know is unmitigated bullshit because NASCAR controls most of the tracks and the ones it isn't in control of are controlled by Bruton Smith's organization. In the skewed logic put forth by the NASCAR brain trust, cutting the schedule is anathema because it is a sign of weakness and an acknowledgement that things are royally screwed up. But yet, doing nothing about the length of the schedule contributes to the declining spiral (see the points above) caused by the fundamental oversaturation, which has become the overriding reality, which, of course, NASCAR pretends doesn't exist in the first place. Notice the recurring theme here?

So, for what it's worth - and I freely acknowledge this exercise is a complete waste of time, given the realities that NASCAR refuses to acknowledge - I am presenting a revised 2018 schedule, with my comments.

2018 MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES SCHEDULE, REVISED.
Date                 Track
2/11                  Daytona International Speedway (Clash/Daytona 500 Qualifying)
2/15                  Daytona International Speedway (Duel)
2/18                  Daytona 500
2/25                  Atlanta Motor Speedway
3/4                    Off weekend (The spring race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway is dropped)
3/11                  Phoenix International Raceway
3/18                  Texas Motor Speedway (Texas is moved up two weeks, Auto Club Speedway is dropped)
3/25                  Martinsville Speedway
4/8                    Bristol Motor Speedway (Moves up one week)
4/15                  Richmond International Raceway (Moves up one week)
4/21                  Off weekend
4/29                  Talladega Superspeedway
5/6                    Dover International Speedway
5/12                  Road Atlanta added (Kansas Speedway in the spring is dropped)
5/19                  Charlotte Motor Speedway (Monster Energy All-Star Race)
5/27                  Charlotte Motor Speedway
6/3                    Pocono Raceway
6/10                  Michigan International Speedway
6/24                  Sonoma Raceway
7/1                    Chicagoland Speedway
7/7                    Daytona International Speedway
7/14                  Kentucky Speedway
7/22                  New Hampshire Motor Speedway
7/29                  Watkins Glen International (The Glen moves up one week as the second race at Pocono Raceway is dropped)
8/5                    Off weekend (A two-week summer break in the schedule begins here)
8/12                  Off weekend (The second race at Michigan International Speedway is dropped)
8/18                  Bristol Motor Speedway
9/2                    Darlington Raceway
9/9                    Indianapolis Motor Speedway (Run on the IMS road course)
9/16                  Road America added (The second race at Dover is dropped)
9/22                  Richmond International Raceway
9/30                  Charlotte Motor Speedway (The "roval")
10/7                  Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Moved back four weeks)
10/14                Kansas Speedway (Kansas moves up one week as the second race at Talladega       Superspeedway is dropped)
10/21                Martinsville Speedway (Moves up one week)
10/28                Texas Motor Speedway (Moves up one week)
11/4                  Homestead-Miami Speedway (The season finale moves up two weeks as the second race at Phoenix is dropped)

Whoa, you're thinking, that isn't going to fly. No, of course not, but here's the breakdown: 30 points-paying races on a schedule that is two weeks shorter; the addition of three road courses (Road Atlanta, Indianapolis and Road America), including two in the Chase; Auto Club Speedway is dropped from the schedule and second races at Las Vegas, Kansas, Pocono, Michigan, Dover, Talladega and Phoenix are also dropped; the Chase would now begin at Darlington; and there are four off weekends, including a two-week mid-summer break in August.

The bottom line? It would be a much-improved schedule in terms of logistics and flow, the wear and tear on the teams and drivers would be greatly reduced, and the season would end on the first weekend of November. What's not to like? Yes, from the NASCAR perspective this schedule is E-V-I-L personified, but I bet if you asked the drivers and the teams and they could respond without fear of reprisal, they'd love it.

And that's the High-Octane Truth for this week.

Editor's Note: Many of you have seen Peter's references over the years to the Hydrogen Electric Racing Federation (HERF), which he launched in 2007. For those of you who weren't following AE at the time, you can read two of HERF's press releases here and here. And for even more details (including a link to Peter's announcement speech), check out the HERF entry on Wikipedia here. -WG

Publisher's Note: As part of our continuing series celebrating the "Glory Days" of racing, we're proud to present a noteworthy image from the Ford Racing Archives. - PMD

(Courtesy of the Ford Racing Archives)
Riverside, California, January 16, 1977. The great David Pearson (No. 21 Wood Brothers Purolator Mercury) on his way to the win in the Winston Western 500 NASCAR race at Riverside International Raceway. Cale Yarborough (No. 11 Junior Johnson Holly Farms Chevrolet) was second, and Richard Petty (No. 43 Petty Enterprises STP Dodge) finished third.

Editor-In-Chief's Note: As longtime racing enthusiast readers of this site know, we have been privileged to present the photographic work of John Thawley throughout the racing season. You can usually enjoy John's work in "The Line" and in our Autoextremist photo galleries,  but this week we decided to feature "the best of the best" of John's work from this past weekend's IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race at Watkins Glen in "Fumes." Now admittedly, picking the best of John's work is extremely difficult because it's all excellent, but here are some of our favorites. -PMD

(John Thawley ~ Motorsports Photography @ www.johnthawley.com ~ 248.227.0110)

(John Thawley ~ Motorsports Photography @ www.johnthawley.com ~ 248.227.0110)

(John Thawley ~ Motorsports Photography @ www.johnthawley.com ~ 248.227.0110)

(John Thawley ~ Motorsports Photography @ www.johnthawley.com ~ 248.227.0110)

(John Thawley ~ Motorsports Photography @ www.johnthawley.com ~ 248.227.0110)

(John Thawley ~ Motorsports Photography @ www.johnthawley.com ~ 248.227.0110)

(John Thawley ~ Motorsports Photography @ www.johnthawley.com ~ 248.227.0110)

(John Thawley ~ Motorsports Photography @ www.johnthawley.com ~ 248.227.0110)

(John Thawley ~ Motorsports Photography @ www.johnthawley.com ~ 248.227.0110)

(John Thawley ~ Motorsports Photography @ www.johnthawley.com ~ 248.227.0110)

Editor's Note: Many of you have seen Peter's references over the years to the Hydrogen Electric Racing Federation (HERF), which he launched in 2007. For those of you who weren't following AE at the time, you can read two of HERF's press releases here and here. And for even more details (including a link to Peter's announcement speech), check out the HERF entry on Wikipedia here. -WG

Publisher's Note: As part of our continuing series celebrating the "Glory Days" of racing, we're proud to present a noteworthy image from the Ford Racing Archives. - PMD

(Courtesy of the Ford Racing Archives)
Venice, California, 1964. Carroll Shelby poses for a Shelby American publicity shot with production and competition versions of the new 289 Cobra.