Bob Barnard Track Engineering

There are a lot of pointers to suggest we may be seeing a new era in motorsport. Bernie's ongoing legal issues must distract him, if nothing else, and CVC have apparently decided to take more interest in what Bernie is doing. There are ongoing reports that American businessman and friend of Leo Hindery, John Malone, is sniffing around about buying F1. Seeing as how Bernie seems to keep ownership every time it is sold that will be interesting to watch. If successful it is deemed likely that his business model will be a better deal all round than the current one of CVC taking the money and running. That in itself makes me more optimistic. As a past promoter I can tell you the current business model is not sustainable in the long term, and I am not talking about being green.

Which leads us to the new F1 cars for 2014. I asked a while ago if anyone understood them, and received no takers. It seems the Mercedes boys don't understand them either.

http://www.motorsport.com/f1/video/main-gallery/lewis-nico-uncut-off-the-record/   

I'm sure most of you have seen this, but too funny not to post. Motor Sport has a great article this month to explain the differences to last year's cars if you want to know more. We've had the first test, which went well for some and very badly for Red Bull, so a new era? Don't write them off too soon. The Lotus has run OK with the Renault engine so it is a packaging issue in the Red Bull. Niki Lauda said a while ago that these engines will destroy themselves if the operating temperature is not maintained within a very narrow margin. Pre-season tests are never a great guide to form, so let's see what happens in Bahrain. Early reports suggest a lot more attitude on the cars, which will be good to see. Speeds so far have been similar to GP2 cars, but most drivers feel that will improve. Let's hope so or we could really make the sport cheaper by running GP2 cars. Bernie is getting serious about a budget cap, offering a 1m Euro reward to whistle blowers who tell on over spenders. Let's see if that gets anywhere.

NASCAR is fiddling while Rome burns, changing qualifying and the way the Chase works. I said a long time ago that the Chase should be a knockout deal, with the last placed of the final ten or twelve, or thirteen, what ever Brian decides, being eliminated each race. That could get very interesting with team mates helping rivals out, literally, out against the wall. Nice to see some new blood here though, with the likes of Kyle Larson getting a top ride. Seems like Richard Petty had a few choice words about Danica.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nascar-from-the-marbles/richard-petty-doesn-t-danica-chances-winning-says-163159096--nascar.html?&co=f000000013912s-1248979085

Is he the only one man enough to say what we all think?

Sportscar racing started a new era with the Tudor United Sportscar Series. Did anyone else find it odd that the first race of the series, sponsored by a watch brand no one has heard of, was the Rolex? The only signage was Rolex, so what is that all about? Can't say I enjoyed the 24 Hour. Thanks to Fox the first few hours were not on our cable system, than around 5 pm they showed the first two hours, totally unscheduled and lucky to even find it. Daytona is a boring track, and can't say the racing was great. Not hard to stage close races when you are running spec cars. Hopefully IMSA will get the balance of performance right soon. I could not believe Calvin Fish's comment about IMSA trying to get the P2 class up to the DP level, when we all know last year they were much quicker at Road America when they both raced on the same weekend. He is either an idiot or a liar, and who benefits from that sort of misleading comment if not the DP cars which are the child of ISC?

If you want to see great sportscar racing then you should have watched the Bathurst 12 hour. No spec racing here, and four cars capable of winning right down to the wire. Ferrari, Mercedes, McLaren and Mercedes, all on the limit after 12 hours. This is real Bathurst, not the spec series the V8's put on with 24 cars all the same. We had Ferrari's, Lambo's, Porsche's, Audi's and Merc's all dicing with Fiat Abarths, and even a Ford Focus with a V8 squeezed in etc. What endurance racing is about, and how Bathurst used to be. I cannot believe how small the crowd was to watch this great racing. Surely worth more of a look than the 1000? But I am forgetting the Ford V's Holden mentality of the Aussies motorsport fan. What are they going to do once both of these stop making cars in Oz very soon, go back to HQ V's Falcon from the 70's? Due to the time difference I am sad to say I did not stop up to see the end, but did watch it later thanks to YouTube, great stuff. Live streaming with Radio Le Mans commentary, does not get much better, but of course ISC knows better so we no longer have John and Paul for the TUSCS.  

So, on to a new year with renewed hope we will not get a repeat of last years snooze in F1. No wonder the ratings are dropping.

With the raft of ideas coming out of the FIA lately you would think someone has been at the cool-aid. Or maybe Bernie thinks if he makes it more like NASCAR the Americans will understand and like F1. Driver's permanent numbers, compulsory pit stops, what next, yellows for debris?

Bernie has spent a long time making F1 about teams and not drivers. In his words, "drivers are like busses, another one will be along soon." He has built the teams into valuable franchises with permanent numbers except for the current driver's championship. Now he wants to change all that and give drivers permanent numbers, as if we can read the car number anyway. Good for merchandise I guess, except under the current system they get to change numbers so we all need to buy new stuff don't we? 

Then there are compulsory pit stops. Either you want to spice up the racing with short life tires and different strategies or you don't. If you don't then just make tires last the whole race, or more, like the engines and gearboxes and really start getting serious about being green.

Let's not forget double points for the last race. How about a "Chase" where the points get reset so Vettel has to start even for the last four races. Oh yes, NASCAR thought this was a great idea. How to piss off fans without really trying.

This all smacks of that old trick of floating a lot of stupid ideas wherein is the one you really want so you trade those you don't want and seem like a good guy. What is it Bernie or the FIA want? How about a real budget cap? Good luck making that work. How about giving more money to the people who make the show, the teams, so they do not need pay drivers and make it a bit more equitable. Yes the best teams should be rewarded, but the teams at the back are never going to make it if starved of cash. I am not suggesting an NFL style inverse system where the worst team gets the best players. You would see teams trying to lose to get more money, but there should be a more reasonable basis than now. I for one can't wait to be shot of CVC, and not just for another robber baron. 

Last weekend saw three major races, each with their own character, equally interesting and worth watching.

It kicked off with Lewis Hamilton taking an unlikely pole position, surprising himself and everyone else. I will admit to being tired and not getting up to watch qualifying live as it seemed from Friday practice it would be a Red Bull walk over. But we've seen this before haven't we? Just wait for the race. Now Hungaroring is not the most exciting track, we've seen races won from pole because no one could pass, but that was not likely was it? Well no it wasn't because as Lewis said, "today I was not having it." We saw a determined Lewis, but a very different one from the days when it seemed he could not overtake without running into someone, usually Massa. How good does Lauda's move to grab him for Mercedes look now? Great race, with the usual whining from Vettel, and a smooth controlled drive from Kimi to take an unexpected second. I can't see him at Red Bull playing second fiddle and putting up with Marko can you? Great crowd, nearly back to what we saw when the track first opened.

So, who is going to get the second seat at Red Bull? Not sure Ricciardo is the one, don't see Kimi, and certainly don't see Alonso. How about Hulkenburg? Good driver, another German and probably happy with Vettel winning, just to get paid for a change!

And what GP's are going to miss out in 2014? Korea seems good riddance, and New Jersey never really looked like it did it, even with Bernie's lust to have a race with the Manhattan skyline as backdrop. India is being given the Bernie treatment to bring them in to line, or else they just spent loads of money on a white elephant. Appropriate for India. Nurburgring? Is the Red Bull Ring again just something to bring the Germans into line, or is the Nurburgring so broke it is out of the game. It was reported that Bernie waived the fee this year, but that probably meant he took the gate money and the rest of the income.

What is going on at Sauber? Sad day when Peter Sauber has to sell out to a bunch of Russians. Has he looked at Marussia and how well they are doing? And of course the money has not arrived yet.

So, back to the races. Next was the Spa 24 hour. Great track and a great field of 65 GT cars, all of them top class. Who needs prototypes to get in the way? The eventual first and second separated by a lap after racing together with the two BMWs for the first few hours, nose to tail. No rain! Must be a first, but plenty of accidents, including two at Eau Rouge, which thanks to the four row tire barriers the drivers walked away from. Can't help but think what would have happened at Tetre Rouge a month ago if there were similar tires in place?

Finally we saw a very odd NASCAR race at Indianapolis. No accidents, and no one brushed the wall that I recall. The field strung out which I guess reduced the contact, but that was not to say there was no overtaking or it was boring. Well done Ryan Newman, and why does he lose his drive next year when Danica doesn't? The suits are running, or is that ruining, the sport. Nothing like the crowd they had at the early races.

Finally, well done Tony Stewart for the truck race at Eldora. He got the crowd he deserved and the plaudits. He could start it earlier next year if it is going to be mid-week, bit hard to stay up till midnight. Track prep was perfect. With that many laps you might have expected a few problems, but it slicked up just right. Again a good drive by Newman, he just had a couple of young guns that were too quick. Someone needs to sign up Kyle Larson!

Watched the Australian V8Supercars from The Circuit of the Americas this weekend. With Texas paying for these events wouldn't you think they would want Texas somewhere in the track name? Texas International Raceway perhaps, as corny and over used as that is, but perhaps some 1/4 mile drag strip or oval already has that. Goodness knows what it cost to fly that circus to town, and I hope Texas thinks it got its monies worth. The size of the crowd was never going to pay for it. Cars no one knows driven by people they have not heard of is not a recipe for success, ask Indycar. If possible there were even less people at Indy for Pole and Bump Days than at COTA. Does no one watch what goes on elsewhere in the world? Why do you think V8Supercars do not go to Bahrain any more, and Bahrain has more money to waste than Texas. This incredible white elephant cannot survive.

Talking of white elephants and people paying for them, Bernie is so determined to have a race in New York, or at least New Jersey looking at New York, that he is willing to pay for it.

http://www.pitpass.com/49086-Ecclestone-ready-to-buy-New-Jersey-race-promoter-to-get-race-off-the-ground

As soon as I heard the news of Long Beach and Pook I could see this coming. Well at least the race will happen, as long as Bernie is on the outside. The German Authorities seem to have other plans, but his mates at CVC say they will stick with him, as long as he is outside. And why not, they are on a "nice little earner" as they say in the classics.

People write blogs for a variety of reasons, but I do it as an outlet for opinions I have on current events, not as a news source. So, unless something moves me to put pen to paper, or hands to keyboard, then I do not post every day, especially when I am busy building a track or writing expert opinions as I have been the last couple of weeks. Moooresville is ready to pave and will be done next week weather permitting. Then to install curbs, barriers and striping and we are good to go!

So, with a lull in proceedings I thought I should at least post some thoughts, although not much seems to change. Bernie is still waiting for the shoe to drop over the Gribkowsky affair, staying away from Germany even though he was supposed to meet the guys from the bankrupt Nurburgring there over next year's contract. Mercedes are reported to be holding off signing anything to do with the new Concorde Agreement until they know something, or do they already know it? The teams are still bickering over the Resource limitation agreement and Red Bull still trying to manipulate the engine mapping. McLaren keep shooting themselves in the foot, although I guess Lewis' puncture cannot really be their fault. The rumors about Massa continue and that dog of a Ferrari cannot help winning.

Over in the MotoGP world Spies has given up on Yamaha, or is it the other way around? Rossi seems likely to give up on the Duke, despite Hayden seeming to be able to get something out of it. Not enough to keep his seat next year though. So who's left for America, and if Casey retires, Australia? How the world changes from the 80's and 90's. CRT's are here to stay, otherwise Dorna would have nothing to put on the grid.

The whole state of GP racing on 2 and 4 wheels is not healthy. Joe Saward has a piece on the business model in F1 which supports what I have been saying for a long time. It is not sustainable. When Hockenheim with 5 German drivers, two of which are World Champions, cannot fill the stands then there is something very rotten in the State of Denmark.

The GT world is not immune with Ratelli dropping out as promoter next year, and the ELMS being cancelled. ALMS struggles along with three LMP1's, only two of which can compete, and two LMP2's. Without the grid fillers in the LMPC and Porsche Cup it would be a very thin field indeed. Too many Championships here and overseas for the current economy.