Sept. 23, 2008 - Open Competition

There has been talk for years about the diminishing number of open-wheel race cars, especially sprint cars, currently competing in the United States.

Numbers compiled by Jim Harris in Omaha, Neb., and supplied to NSSN by National Sprint Car Hall of Fame and Museum Curator Tom Schmeh, seem to refute that point. As a huge devotee to open-wheel racing, we think they are terrific numbers.

While we are amazed at how Harris obtained these numbers and are interested in his methodology for arriving at the totals, the results are impressive.

According to Harris, there are currently 710 winged 410 sprint cars (like those run with the World of Outlaws) competing. That does not include back up cars or cars in the back of a garage somewhere. Harris’s figures show another 939 410 c.i. engined machines that are racing wingless.

Gaining in popularity every year, there are a whopping 1,828 winged 360 sprint cars visiting race tracks across the U.S., according to Harris’s figures. The longtime open-racing enthusiast also counts 616 winged 305 c.i. sprint cars.

Finally, Harris lists 184 — a number that surprised us — winged and non winged supermodifieds and 51 winged super sportsman cars that compete in Pennsylvania.

That’s 4,328 active descendants of the big/sprint car.

Those are numbers we like.

Sept. 16, 2008 - Loyalty To Be Tested?

In racing relationships between drivers and teams and teams and sponsors change more frequently than some drivers change driving suits.

However, some are more long lasting and most of those can be found in drag racing. Kenny Bernstein and Budweiser will celebrate their 30th year together in 2009. If that is not loyalty, I do not know what is.

Two-time NHRA Top Fuel driver Larry Dixon has been driving for Don Prudhomme for his entire racing career. He started working for The Snake as a teenager pushing a broom in the team’s shop.

From there, he worked in nearly every crew member position there is until getting the chance to drive Prudhomme’s Top Fuel car in 1995.

He promptly won the U.S. Nationals in his first season and claimed the Top Fuel title with dominant seasons in 2002 and 2003. But since then the years have been a little lean. And most of the reason for that has been the performance of rival driver Tony Schumacher and his crew chief Alan Johnson.

Well, after Schumacher and Johnson put the wraps on yet another championship here in a few weeks, the pair will be splitting up, with Johnson starting a new team. Word is Dixon is on his short list of potential drivers.

But will Larry go. He has the chance to work with the winningest crew chief in the Top Fuel division, a man who has won three championships with Gary Scelzi and four (likely five) more with Schumacher. It would certainly mean a plethora of victories for the now 41-year-old second-generation racer.

But Larry Dixon is humble and he’s loyal. He says he’s staying with The Snake, but the temptation of victories, glory and money is great for a race car driver.

Dixon has always admired Prudhomme and been a loyal servant and supporter through good times and bad. And should Dixon become seduced by the glory a hook up with Alan Johnson could bring the end to one of those relationships that we’ve all taken for granted, one of those combinations that we all thought would always be around.

Like Richard Petty and STP, Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers and Kenny Bernstein and Bud.

And knowing the class with which both Dixon and Prudhomme conduct business I’m guessing Alan Johnson will make a hero out of some other driver, and Dixon and Prudhomme will mark along the NHRA trail as they have for more than 15 years as driver and team owner and much longer than that as friends — together.

Sept. 9, 2008 - Another 'F' For F-1

As you all know I make my living through auto racing and as part of that wonderful job, I’ve seen thousands of auto races — both in person and on television.

However, I haven’t made it a point to watch too many Formula One races through the years. For the most part, F-1 events are as dry as the desert sand. There’s little action and even less passing.

But I was watching Sunday morning when the final laps of the Belgian Grand Prix ticked off, and I was entertained to know end. I even came out of may chair a couple of times during what may have been one of the most-thrilling finishes to a Formula One race in history.

Two hours later I was outraged that I had wasted my time watching such a debacle.

The powers that govern Formula One just can’t stand prosperity. There they were basking in the glory of an exciting finish, which was to be shown in highlight films across the world, and they shot themselves in the foot and relegated the video to the scrap heap.

Apparent winner Lewis Hamilton was penalized for cutting a chicane, which he did. However, the rule reads that the driver cannot improve his position. Hamilton did not, but was still assessed a 25-second penalty, which dropped him to third and left an entire planet of F-1 fans to find out hours and even days later that Felipe Massa had won in Belgium, NOT Hamilton.

I was at my desk when I received word from NSSN contributor Dan Knutson about the penalty, but three hours later while watching NASCAR on ESPN, we read incorrectly on ESPN’s bottom line that Hamilton had one. Half a day later, the world leader in sports coverage was still reporting the incorrect winner.

And in the end, what were racing fans left with? Another controversy in Formula One racing — Spygate, Max Mosley and a Belgian Debacle.

This Sunday morning I’ll be watching highlights of Saturday’s football games, NOT Formula One.

Sept. 2, 2008 - What About Wheldon?

Who will hire Dan Wheldon?

Well, that is certainly the question of the hour after Target Chip Ganassi team owner Chip Ganassi announced the hiring of 2007 IndyCar Series champion Dario Franchitti to drive the No. 10 Target Indy car next season, leaving Wheldon without a ride.

While Franchitti returns to Indy car racing after a failed attempt at NASCAR that was derailed by the lack of sponsorship, Wheldon, who won the series title and the Indy 500 for Andretti Green Racing in 2005, should be a hot commodity during the off-season, which begins after Sunday’s points finale at Chicagoland Speedway.

Where will he land? Team Penske has the most money, but it seems set with Helio Castroneves and Ryan Briscoe, who has turned his career around during the second half of this season.

Wheldon could return to Andretti Green Racing, but that seems unlikely. The team has four drivers with the recent re-signing of team leader Tony Kanaan. Danica Patrick and Hideki Mutoh bring sponsors and Marco Andretti is family.

One of new IndyCar Series teams, which came over from Champ Car prior to the 2008 season, could use Wheldon’s status to leap to the top echelon of Indy car teams and prove they are not just involved to compete, but to win. From that group, the KV Racing Technologies team seems the most likely to part with the cash that would lure Wheldon.

Newman/Haas/Lanigan also has the assets to attract a driver of Wheldon’s caliber, but currently has no open seats with Graham Rahal and Justin Wilson already proven Indy car winners in their first season in the series.

Other teams like Panther Racing, Vision Racing, Rahal Letterman or Conquest Racing could use Wheldon’s ability and  marketability to make the leap from player to winner.

Let the bidding begin.