F1, IRL and NASCAR

F1

Yesterday I wrote about the changes FIA president Max Mosley has introduced for the future of F1. I was a tad remiss in that I did not write that Mosley's plans are an effort to drastically cut costs in F1 racing. Certainly his intentions are noble and frankly, necessary for the long term health of the sport. If you look around at the team owners and principals you notice it is not a group of young men. Rather it is older guys who may be nearing retirement age. And look at the companies involved with F1 racing. Ferrari, BMW, Daimler-Chrysler (Mercedes), Ford, Renault and Cosworth. These are companies with deep pockets, but in a world economy that is still coming out of the 90's hangover, these guys are not really willing to up their ante's any more than what they are currently.

Ferrari has a reputation in the world beyond F1, but since they limit the number of cars they sell they are limited on budget even though they are part of the Italian government. Daimler-Chrysler is under extreme pressure from stockholders to turn a profit and pouring more and more money into racing at this level is not cost effective. And go right down the line and the story is the same.

Next week the teams are meeting in Monaco to discuss the future. One thing is for sure, unless changes are made the circus may get shut down.

And people think IRL has problems.

IRL

Day one of ROP is over. Larry Foyt was just as happy as a clam when he was finished. I'm going to try to go out tomorrow during lunch if anyone is interested. The IRL is conducting an open practice Wednesday and Thursday. Yesterday, Foyt, Ed Carpenter, Mark Taylor, Kosuke Matsuura, Luis Diaz, Marty Roth and Jeff Simmons also took part in the ROP yesterday. Simmons and Roth will still need to complete their programs when the track opens May 9th.

Local boob Robin Miller floated what he called a "rumor" in his online column on Friday that TG was going to cut the 500 down to a one weekend event because he wanted to have another IRL race in May. Miller is filled with so much hate towards the Speedway it just clouds his vision.

First of all, no one would ever let RM in on any secret. Ever. Second, if he did hear it, it was because someone wanted to make him look bad. But as usual, he does have his faithful followers who eat up his word as if it were the Gospel truth.

That radio show him, Dave Scoggins and Jay Baker do is just pathetic. Piss poor attempts at humor, constant stabs at the IRL while trying to make it sound as though they are sympathetic to the open wheel cause and a lot of F1 news that is both untimely and usually inaccurate. Keep trying boys, maybe OWRS will actually finish the season.

NASCAR

In what is one of the biggest surprises to me is that NASCAR is NOT contemplating fining Junior for the fans reaction to Jeff Gordon's win on Sunday.

Tony Stewart, however has been squarely in NASCAR's sights since Sunday. The moron of the year was involved in two accidents on the track for which he took no responsibility. But NASCAR is considering disciplinary action against the blockhead for an incident after the race. Stewart, slowed with the rest of the pack as they took the checkered flag under the caution, decided to turn left directly onto pit lane (the wrong direction) instead of taking the usual lap around. Of course the boob claimed it was because of the debris being tossed onto the course after the race. Stewart rammed into Terry Labonte demolishing his car. Stewart, no stranger to idiocy, will probably be fined and put on probation. This turd needs to be suspended for a season until he proves he is fit to live among human beings.