The reaction among Nextel Cup team owners to NASCAR’s decision to advance the Car of Tomorrow to full-season status next year has been widespread approval, eliminating the need for twin-car efforts with unanimous agreement on its money-saving aspect. But Jack Roush, who currently campaigns four Nextel Cup Ford teams, concurs on the cost-cutting aspect of the move but says his Roush Fenway organization now has between 80 and 90 show cars in service with various sponsors that will become irrelevant once the new season begins. “It’s not a happy circumstance obsoleting all the show cars,” he said. Roush has not made known his plans for replacing this fleet of soon-to-be obsolete show cars, so I do not hesitate to recommend he offer them for sale to racing fans — via advertising in these pages, where else? After all, it was the ride-seeking ad placed in this newspaper by Carl Edwards that got him his current Roush drive. Then, of course, there are the hundreds — that’s right, hundreds — of current Nextel Cup cars that will be rendered obsolete as well. Will ARCA, Hooters Pro Cup and other regional circuits be able to absorb these cars?  My guess is that many, perhaps most, will be cannibalized, with engines, running gear and other common parts transferred from today’s racer to the CoT.      

There is a lot on Alltel’s plate these days. The wireless telecom company, which sponsors Roger Penske’s No. 12 NASCAR Dodges driven by Ryan Newman, has some major decisions to make. Firstly, the Alltel company was recently sold, and it is not known if racing is in the plans of its new owner. Then there is the temporary court ruling allowing industry-leading rival Cingular to rebrand its Nextel Cup cars with AT&T logos, which was originally prohibited. Alltel and Cingular are direct competitors with NASCAR prime series sponsor Sprint Nextel, but both were grandfathered in as sponsors as they pre-dated Nextel’s arrival. All other telecom entities are barred from participation.    

Stick-and-ball sportswriters gave Indy 500 headman Tony George lots of credit for taking precious time away from his busiest days of the year — Pre-Indy 500 week — to help wage the battle for Indianapolis to become host city for the 2011 Super Bowl. George said he wanted to help in every way he could, but, alas, Indy got beaten out by Dallas.

Much talk was heard in Indianapolis of the prospect of a big-money sponsor possibly coming the Indy 500’s way. Supporting this speculation was the recent naming of Greg Gruning as the new VP of IMS Sales and the IRL’s reactivated commercial division headed by Terry Angstadt. Those, plus the track’s contracting of Zak Brown’s locally based Just Marketing International to assist with marketing projects, spurred the talk. Many numbers are being bandied about, one being a seven-figure deal for title sponsorship of the race.     

Neglected to mention last column the ragged 500 start — worst in history — and Indianapolis gasoline prices on the days surrounding the 500. When turning in my rental car the day after the race — to save money over what Hertz charges — gassed up near the airport at $3.60 a gallon! In years past, Speedway-area filling stations have upped gas prices a few pennies a gallon around the race, but $3.60 is the highest ever recalled by ye ed in his 59 trips to the 500! On my first Indy visit in 1938, my recollection is that one could find stations offering seven gallons of gasoline for $1. And they pumped!

Though no records of consequence were set on the track at Indianapolis this year, the detailed statistics logged by the Speedway and the Indy Racing League crews produced remarkably interesting data. An example: When Marco Andretti took the lead on lap 104, it marked the 1,000th leading lap in the Indy 500 by a member of the Andretti family. Another: When all 33 starters pitted for fuel and four tires on lap 13, the seven-second stop — with a front- wing adjustment thrown in — by Helio Castroneves was the fastest recorded. Next best were those of Dan Wheldon, Sam Hornish, Jr. and Roberto Moreno at eight seconds each. At the other end of the clocking were John Andretti and Darren Manning at 19 seconds.    

Interested in tilt? One week after the Indy 500, Delaware’s Dover Downs was in the news. The straightaway banking at Dover’s Monster Mile — nine degrees — is identical to the turn banking in each of Indy’s four corners! A good question to drivers by TV reporters on duty at the Brickyard  400: “Which track is harder to drive?”

Who to believe? On Sunday morning’s ESPN2 racing show, Angelique Chengelis was asked of rumors that Toyota is pursuing a deal with Joe Gibbs Racing. “Nothing to it” was her reply. A few hours later on Fox, Darrell Waltrip told viewers “Serious discussions are in progress between Toyota and Joe Gibbs Racing.” 

The Executive Vice-President of Audi of America, Johan de Nysschen, in addressing California’s Motor Press Guild at a recent monthly meeting, touched on technology, a subject which Audi revels in. The VP said more than 90 percent of new automotive technologies are electronic and, in time, will account for 30 to 40 percent of the cost of a new car! This ever-escalating cost of car construction, triggered by technology and the need for space-age materials, is the biggest problem currently facing car owners in U.S. auto racing.

The Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix is scheduled for Labor Day weekend this year. It will feature the Indy Racing League and a supporting American Le Mans Series sports-car race on the  2.1-mile road circuit. The track is now undergoing major improvements, reports Bud Denker, speaking for the Downtown Detroit Partnership, a civic promotional entity chaired by Roger Penske. Denker advises Merrill Cain has been named Public and Community Relations Director and that 580,000 square feet of new concrete is now going in to improve both the racing roadway, paddock and fan interaction areas. He also said ticket prices have been reduced 15 percent from those charged at the last series of Belle Isle races and that free fan buses to the circuit from downtown Detroit hotels and parking areas are being explored. More from www.detroitgp.com.           

Bye-bye stick shift. It took a while, but Italian sports-car maker Maserati has finally added an automatic transmission model to its 2007 lineup. Result? An instant U.S. sales boost of 30 percent for its $116,500 Quattroporte, plus a decision to add eight new U.S. dealers for a total of 55 in this country. Maserati North America president James Selwa forecasts U.S. Maserati sales of 2,400 to 2,600 cars this year.

Think he’ll make it? New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has announced a plan to replace every one of the city’s 13,000 taxicabs with gasoline-electric hybrids in the next five years. Though hybrids don’t fare well in highway miles per gallon, they excel in stop-and-go traffic, which is the daily drill in Gotham.