a decent read from Kirby....

[SarahFan]

http://www.gordonkirby.com/categories/columns/theway/2009/the_way_it_is_no186.html

[V12]

Great read! A very telling, and agreeable quote as well:



The perception is that the public will only get interested in an event where there's wheel-to-wheel, man-on-man combat, which if you look back historically is not how motor racing has ever been.

"Certainly Indianapolis used to be filled with some of the world's most boring races but the fans still came. Part of the excitement was not the man-to-man, wheel-to-wheel racing but the fact that somebody was leading in this powerful or different car that might not make it to the end. Some of the excitement was, is it going to hang together and make it to the end? But today I think everybody's got locked into the thought that you have to have wheel-to-wheel racing.

[chuck34]

That was a good article. I like the stuff about how to make racing "racing" again. It sounds like maybe one way to go is give everybody X amount of energy, from whatever source, and tell them to go the 500 miles on that. That could be interesting.

Either that or do what I would like to see. Your car has to fit in this box, conform to some basic safety rules, move the stands back, and have fun. I know that'll never happen, but a boy can dream right?

[Andrewmcm]

That was a good article. I like the stuff about how to make racing "racing" again. It sounds like maybe one way to go is give everybody X amount of energy, from whatever source, and tell them to go the 500 miles on that. That could be interesting.

Either that or do what I would like to see. Your car has to fit in this box, conform to some basic safety rules, move the stands back, and have fun. I know that'll never happen, but a boy can dream right?

The former idea I've had in mind for a while, for both F1 and Indycars - you have X million pounds/dollars to make a car go Y miles on Z amount of some kind of fuel - how you get there is up to you.

[chuck34]

The former idea I've had in mind for a while, for both F1 and Indycars - you have X million pounds/dollars to make a car go Y miles on Z amount of some kind of fuel - how you get there is up to you.

How do you police the cash outlay? That's always my problem with "caps" in racing. It's too easy to hide money in something else entirely.

Plus I think that perhaps specifying Z amount of some kind of fuel is too limiting. Every fuel has a specific number of BTU's (energy). So specify the energy content, not the fuel. That will open it up to gas, ethanol, methanol, nitro-methane, electric, nuke, who knows what. The diversity would be awesome.

[FIAT1]

I have said before that cars make stars. Indy for me was high tech fast cars and every year something new would come up to take it to a new level. That is problem with spec irl. Building future formula Indycar must come back to the fans of Indycars, fans that don't care obout 3 wide but care for speed and skill of real racing and we all come back home again in Indiana with pride.

[Andrewmcm]

How do you police the cash outlay? That's always my problem with "caps" in racing. It's too easy to hide money in something else entirely.

Plus I think that perhaps specifying Z amount of some kind of fuel is too limiting. Every fuel has a specific number of BTU's (energy). So specify the energy content, not the fuel. That will open it up to gas, ethanol, methanol, nitro-methane, electric, nuke, who knows what. The diversity would be awesome.

Oh yeah that's what I mean, you have Z amount of fuel, where the octane value (or otherwise) of the fuel determines how much of it the teams get. Budget caps are, how shall we say, work-aroundable and artificial but costs have to be contained somehow in the present world...

[wedge]

Bookmarked!

Thanks for that, never knew he had his own blog.

Kirby is easily my fave US writer. His writing style is far more readable and easier to digest than Miller who wants to leave a bitter taste.

[Easy Drifter]

Wedge: I wish to point out that Gord is a Cdn. originally. I do not know if he has taken out US citizenship. I knew Gord when he was a stringer for Autosport on the Cdn. scene and he used to hang out in the same shop I raced out of.
No big deal but us Canucks can be a little testy. :)

[Chamoo]

Wedge: I wish to point out that Gord is a Cdn. originally. I do not know if he has taken out US citizenship. I knew Gord when he was a stringer for Autosport on the Cdn. scene and he used to hang out in the same shop I raced out of.
No big deal but us Canucks can be a little testy. :)

I would like to claim Gordon as our own. You Americans like to claim lots of things, well, I'd like to keep Mr. Kirby as a canuck. Any objections? Any support?

[V12]

I guess it's symptomatic about how motor racing has become too "mainstream" and marketing-oriented as of late. It seems that quite a lot of people "following" it these days (not on these boards but in the general public) are less interested in a new and interesting engine configuration, fuel or chassis, and more interested in what Danica ate for breakfast this morning.

[Pat Wiatrowski]

I would like to claim Gordon as our own. You Americans like to claim lots of things, well, I'd like to keep Mr. Kirby as a canuck. Any objections? Any support?

Judging from some of his articles over the years (yes, I'm old), you can have him!

[Bob Riebe]

Simply adapt the rules that were in place in 1980 before USAC and CART screwed themselves, and over the next two years fine tune the rules.

[jimispeed]

Simply adapt the rules that were in place in 1980 before USAC and CART screwed themselves, and over the next two years fine tune the rules.


Hmmmmmm

[Mark in Oshawa]

Gordon Kirby may be the best writer covering Indy Car racing left. Robin Miller is one of my favourites, but the sober second thought comes from the ex-pat Canuck....