NHRA 2010 Schedule Out: Some Good, Some Bad
August 30, 2009
The NHRA released the schedule for the 2010 Full Throttle Drag Racing Series earlier this week and I will have to admit that some changes I like, others I disagree with. Because most people enjoy controversy I’ll start with the dislikes. What is up with the addition of a second race date at zMax Dragway in Charlotte? I get that Charlotte is rapidly approaching the same level of status as Indianapolis in regards to being a motorsports Mecca but I thought the NHRA was out of the game of awarding new tracks with multiple dates. History has proven time and time again that double dates outside of Los Angeles rarely work. Read more
Wishy Washy NHRA
August 20, 2009
It seems the NHRA and the powers within are up to their same old tricks. Just when you think they may be showing signs of sensibility with their efforts to get nitro cars back to 1320 foot racing, something I feel is integral to the heritage of our sport, and with their continued efforts to offer their loyal spectator base discounted tickets, they go and kick the guys in the groin who make the whole deal go round, the racers.
The restrictions on testing implemented by the NHRA for the 2009 season were made clear to the teams well before the first event of the season in Pomona, CA. This was done as a way to level the playing field between the “haves”, like Schumacher, Force and Bernstein and the “have not’s” like Gary Densham, Joe Hartley and Terry Haddock during tough economic times.
In a statement issued to all the teams from NHRA VP of Racing Operations Graham Light, it was made clear that no driver or individual team could exceed four test sessions over the duration of the 2009 season, once the Winternationals had begun. That included Monday testing after NHRA sanctioned events, competing in International Hot Rod Association events and independent test sessions. This quote comes directly from the issued statement; “In an ongoing effort to assist in curtailing escalating costs associated with the operation of Professional nitromethane-category vehicles (Top Fuel and Funny Car), NHRA has implemented the following testing limitations for the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series season. Unlimited testing for Top Fuel and Funny Car teams will be permitted until the 2009 season opener at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, Feb. 5. At that point, and during the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series season (Feb. 5 to Nov. 15), Professional nitromethane teams will be limited to a maximum of four one-day test sessions. This policy applies to both the team and driver.” And until this past Monday that policy seemed to be enforced as it was introduced in the off-season.
Enter John Force Racing.
With the very real threat that one of his heavily sponsored teams, the AAA Auto Club of California Mustang driven by his son-in-law Robert Hight, may not make the Countdown to the Championship, the patriarch of JFR made the decision that he would put Hight in his Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford for the next two events leading up to the countdown. Now that move in and of itself is completely within the boundaries of what a team owner can do. However, when that driver switches vehicles, which Force made perfectly clear was happening directly following the conclusion of the Lucas Oil Nationals in Brainerd, MN, that means the driver points earned that season transfer to the new team essentially making that team the one associated with Robert Hight.
This is where the head scratching begins. On Monday following the Brainerd event Hight tested with his “new” team behind the wheel of Force’s Castrol sponsored Funny Car. The only problem being that Hight had already used his maximum of four test sessions for the season which, given the original guidelines provided to the teams for the testing restrictions, would mean that no matter what vehicle he was driving, he no longer had any test sessions available in 2009. On the other hand Force’s “former” team had only used two of their potential four test days to that point in the season. The NHRA states that they granted JFR permission to conduct the test, claiming that the Castrol GTX High Mileage team that Hight tested for, still had two test days remaining, regardless of who was driving the car…BUT WAIT A SECOND…wasn’t this the final line in the statement issued in January; “This policy applies to both the team and driver.”?
So was this a case of flagrant disregard for the rules on a part of John Force Racing? Not at all. He asked the permission of the NHRA before making the move. What this is is another perfect example of the NHRA’s blatant disregard for the handling of relationships with their professional competitors. Sure, John Force is happy because he got to put Hight in the seat to get a feel for his new ride, but what about the other teams who have been using qualifying sessions as testing in order to ensure they stay ahead of the curve?
Well the answer is obvious only three days after the incident took place. Ron Capps, who drives the NAPA Auto Parts Dodge Charger for Don Schumacher Racing, couldn’t believe that the NHRA allowed this to take place given the way it was laid out to everyone from the start. And how about Terry Haddock who had prior commitments, made before the restrictions were made public, for the 2009 season? He even went so far as to notify the NHRA once he found out about the restrictions in order to let them know that he had already made other commitments. But did the NHRA grant him an exemption for those non-NHRA sanctioned events? Not a chance. Instead they stuck to the ruling that, no matter where the driver is competing it counts towards their allotment of testing days.
So, now you have Terry Haddock, the ultimate salt of the earth independent trying to make a living racing with no major sponsorship, sitting in 12th position in the points, might I point out the same position as Hight currently sits, who was penalized by not being able to earn points at one of the NHRA events he competed in because of his participation in other previously committed to events. Here is a guy who has helped the NHRA at several events this season by filling out some very thin Top Fuel fields and that finishing in the top ten in points would be a huge boost to. And let’s be honest, he poses no real threat to win the championship this year, so why penalize him and allow the guy who has finished as runner-up for the championship and has more money than Terry Haddock can dream about to break the rules?
Your guess is as good as mine, but I’ve got a few!
The Pedigree of a True Champion
August 19, 2009
2-time NHRA Funny Car Champion Tony Pedregon and the Crew Chief that guided him to both those championships, one with John Force Racing and the other as a team owner, parted company just two days prior to last weekend’s Lucas Oil Nationals in Brainerd, Minnesota.
Crew Chief juggling and changing of teams is nothing new in the sport of drag racing but for any team at this point in the season, just three events shy of the cutoff for the Countdown to the Championship, it makes for a newsworthy story if their Crew Chief decides to move on. What can make it even more intriguing is when you consider the characters involved and the amount of success they have achieved recently.
The fact that Tony Pedregon and Dickie Venables had such a successful relationship in the past, and heading into Brainerd found themselves atop the Funny Car points standings made this story that much more interesting.
Now in most cases, under these circumstances, the majority of teams going through this type of transition would struggle for a few events with a new crew chief at the helm. Oh but not T-Ped. His veteran savvy helped him make all the right moves when it came to filling the vacancy on such short notice. Rather than allow someone to come in and change the winning combination in his Quaker State Impala, he went out and found two guys who could work with the data that Venables left in his wake, in order to keep the team on track. Pedregon acquired the services of Tony Shortall and former team owner Dexter Tuttle who were able to analyze the data and apply that knowledge to his Funny Car the same as Venables had been doing.
They say the proof is in the pudding and I guess when you go out and win an event just days after losing an integral part of your team youre obviously doing something right.
So my hats off to Tony Pedregon, who rather than putting his head down and avoiding the steely eyed glare of adversity, instead starred that menacing force straight in the eye and served notice to the rest of the drag racing world that he’s got one goal in mind…to win his third NHRA championship this year and he’s not going to let anything stand in his way.
Motivation is a powerful thing!
ALMS announces new class structure for 2010
August 19, 2009
AMERICAN LE MANS SERIES ANNOUNCES REVISED CLASS STRUCTURE
Elkhart Lake, WI (August 16, 2009) - In a progressive step designed to keep ahead of the rest of the industry, the American Le Mans Series today announced plans to overhaul its four-class structure beginning with the 2010 season. The four classes will be Le Mans Prototype (LMP), Le Mans Prototype Challenge (LMPC), Grand Touring (GT) and Grand Touring Challenge (GTC).
“In today’s changing environment, choosing the status quo over evolution is a potentially serious mistake,” proclaimed American Le Mans Series President and CEO Scott Atherton. “Our sport has always been about evolution, and our plans for 2010 and beyond reflect it.
When Was the Last Time a Driver Truly Won an Event?
August 19, 2009
Now I know most of you are probably just reading this and licking your chops to get through it so you can post a comment about how “off beat” or “out of touch” I am with the reality of the sport. But before you run off on some rant consider the following things:
When was the last time that you saw a Top Fuel or Funny Car driver singlehandedly win an NHRA national event? And so you say, don’t they win them all? Technically yes, they are the ones with the stones big enough to jump into those 8000 horsepower, fire breathing monsters and aim them towards the ultimate glory our sport has to offer. But isn’t it time that we start to give a little more recognition to the crew chiefs, and to a lesser degree the team members, who put those drivers in the winner’s circle time after time?
Now granted, the driver has to perform under extreme pressure and is for all intents and purposes the face of their respective teams, but what about those unsung heroes that make the difficult and calculated decisions between rounds? Don’t they deserve a little more credit when a driver wins a Wally?
Just pause for a second, think back, way back…when is the last time you can remember off the top of your head that a Top Fuel or Funny Car pilot put his or her car in the winner’s circle, based solely on driving talent, on a consistent basis? Whether that is because they cut a better light than their competitor or had to do a pedal-job to get the car to recover and make it to the finish line first, it doesn’t happen as often as the car going from A to B without missing a beat.
Think about Antron Brown’s sweep of the Western Swing or Tony Pedregon’s recent dominance of the Funny Car class. How many of those races were won more so because of the crew chief, rather than the driver?
It appears to me that, although it still takes a ton of skill and guts to get behind the wheel of a car that accelerates form 0-100 miles per hour in a second, the current versions of Top Fuel Dragsters and Nitro Funny Cars have become point and push (the accelerator that is) machines.
The driver guides the crew chiefs vision down the quarter mile. If the driver pedals the car, pre-determined settings automatically retard the engine so the driver can recover quicker with less “feel” for the car. And just who do you think determines what those settings will be?
Whatever happened to classic pedal-fests like Force vs. Pedregon in ’92 and how can we bring those classic, crowd pleasing types of runs back? I say the answer lies somewhere in the NHRA’s commitment to reinstating 1320’ drag racing for the Top Fuel and Funny Car classes. If you’re going to reduce the number of fuel pumps, blower overdrive, tire size or whatever it may be to slow the cars down, why not at the same time reduce the amount of electronic assistance the crew chiefs have at their aid and give some of the ability to determine a race based on driving skill and experience back to the drivers?
Just food for thought in world where everyone’s got an opinion…now let’s hear yours!
Now for some good ALMS news: Peugeot to run Petit Le Mans
August 4, 2009
While the news of Acura’s likely exit out of ALMS at the end of ‘09 is still hot on the blogosphere, some much better and brighter news has emerged. Peugeot has announced that they will be running the Petit Le Mans endurance race at Road America coming up in late September.
Now we wait to hear from Audi. Hopefully they will jump into the mix and bring some competition to the Peugeots who would pretty much destroy the rest of the field otherwise.
Wired News: Peugeot Comes To The Petit Le Mans
What will ALMS look like if Acura leaves at year’s end?
August 4, 2009
AutoWeek put out a story today that brings new light to the rumors that Acura will exit ALMS at the end of 2009, leaving the series without much of a LMP1 class.
AUTOWEEK:
Acura looks increasingly likely to quit its LMP1 prototype program in the American Le Mans Series.
News that all three of its teams–De Ferran Motorsports, Highcroft Racing and Fernandez Racing–are eyeing a move to the IndyCar Series has fueled speculation that the sports-car effort will come to an end and supports AutoWeek sources that insist that the decision has been made.
“[The future of the Acura program] doesn’t look good from everything you hear and everything you see,” said team owner Adrian Fernandez. “The future of [LMP] prototypes doesn’t look good to me.”
While this is depressing, I’m not sure if it is as depressing as Murphy The Bear’s rumor that the Daytona Prototype “Guppies” might find their way into ALMS?
The horror!
In 2007 as Champ Car was folding, it seemed like ALMS had an opportunity to become the premier American road racing series. The series was touting its “green racing” and technology, and seemed to be emerging into the mainstream of the American sports landscape. But with P1 and P2 both gutted with the exit of Porsche and Audi in 2009, things have rapidly changed for the worse.
These latest developments will add fuel to the fire regarding the M-word with Grand Am, that’s for sure. And what a shame that would be. While the two series don’t have the enmity against each other like Champ Car and the IRL had, they are as different in philosophy and technology as their open wheel counterparts were to each other.
Why is it that American racing fans generally lose out on the better of two series when it comes down to one folding and the other standing? If racing were like stick-n-ball sports, today we’d be watching the USFL and the ABA.
Historical day for NASCAR
August 2, 2009
Saturday was a historic day for NASCAR at both the Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series races. The festivities began in Iowa at Rusty’s little track in a cornfield in what was being called an “Inaugural” race for the Nationwide series. Well, actually, Indy Car has raced there a couple of times already, but it was the first time that NASCAR darkened the tunnels of the 7/8ths mile circuit.
The best part of the day was watching Brad Keselowski hold off a charging Kyle Busch, who’s been more annoying than usual lately. Busch’s JGR crew brought Busch in for two tires late in the race, but Tony Eury Sr. was calling the shots for Keselowski who kept the youngster out on the track. Eury’s gamble paid off, and Brad drove hard in the end to hold of Busch.
Here are some highlights:
More NASCAR history was made in Nashville where Ron Hornaday posted his fifth straight victory. The Harvick-owned truck squad is on fire, and are in a class of their own. The win gave Ron his first Nasville Speedway guitar. And no, he didn’t pull a Kyle Busch and slam the gorgeous Gibson guitar on the asphalt. Nope. Mr. Hornaday has something Kyle Busch doesn’t. It’s called “class”.
Indy Car puts on great show at Kentucky
August 1, 2009
*SPOILER ALERT*
***
***
Wow, now *that* was a race. After a season of snoozers, Indy Car made up for it with a bona fide thriller that ended with Ryan Briscoe running wheel-to-wheel with Ed Carpenter in the closing laps and squeaking out a win by 81-thousandths of a second. And that’s no a typo. Ed Carpenter almost won his first Indy Car race tonight, and put on a heck of a show for the fans at the track and those watching on VERSUS.
AP: Briscoe edges Carpenter to win Kentucky 300
Whether or not you like Tony George, you had to root for Carpenter. He ran a clean race, and seems to be a pretty nice guy and a good oval racer. It would have been fantastic to see him get the first win for himself and his team. But the Penske juggernaut could not be stopped. Briscoe did exactly what he needed to do to win, and he did it.
Tony George was interviewed by VERSUS at the end of the race, and was looked pretty disappointed. I’m sure it would have put a feather in his cap to win this one, especially in regards George no longer running IMS. But it wasn’t to be.
The new aero rules and the addition of push-to-pass on the Dallaras were a big hit, and Graham Rahal praised the changes after the race, claiming that he passed more cars tonight than he had in passed in the rest of his open wheel oval career. I’m not sure that’s saying that much, but Graham’s point is understood. The IRL needed to do *something* to make the 1-1/2 mile ovals exciting.
The race was also made exciting with some new players in the mix for a chance. Not only did Ed Carpenter have a great race, but Tony Kanaan had a solid finish and mixed it up at the end and had a legitimate shot to win if the leaders tangled and crashed out (which almost happened several times).
Indy Car should be careful to declare that everything is perfect now, but tonight’s race was the best of the year.
The Indy Car Series stays close to home next week and takes to the road course at Mid-Ohio.
F1 at peace with new Concorde Agreement signed
August 1, 2009
The dust has settled. The swords have been laid down (for now). F1 is at peace, and should be intact at least until 2012. The FIA announced that Max Mosley signed the 2009 Concorde Agreement, much to the relief of the motor reacing world.
The details of the regulations have not been revealed, but spending limits remain as part of the agreement. We might have peace now, but what happens in 2012? Hopefully, with Max on the outs, there’s less of a chance of another split when the current agreement expires.
FIA Press Release
Concorde Agreement
01/08/2009Following approval by the World Motor Sport Council, late last night FIA President Max Mosley signed the 2009 Concorde Agreement, heralding a renewed period of stability for the FIA Formula One World Championship.
The Concorde Agreement – a contract between the FIA, F1’s Commercial Rights-Holder and the participating Teams – sets out the basis on which the Teams participate in the Championship and share in its commercial success.
The WMSC has also approved a slightly revised set of stable Sporting and Technical Regulations (to apply from the 2010 Championship onwards), which have been agreed by the FIA and the Teams and which will be published shortly on the FIA’s website.
The new Concorde Agreement, which runs until 31 December 2012, provides for a continuation of the procedures in the 1998 Concorde Agreement, with decisions taken by working groups and commissions, upon which all teams have voting rights, before going to the WMSC for ratification.
In addition, as agreed in Paris on 24 June 2009, the Teams have entered into a resource restriction agreement, which aims to return expenditure to the levels that prevailed in the early 1990s.
With the 2009 Concorde Agreement and the resource restriction agreement in place, the FIA looks forward to a period of stability and prosperity in the FIA Formula One World Championship.
