Murphy should have posted his next Poop, and in fact, it’s just about three-quarters done. Then along comes A.C., top-notch-big-time journalist that he is, with a column “right out of the headlines,” Ok, maybe not exactly headlines, but a forum or two, after Roger E. was on that program called ”Wind Passing” (or something like that) on Speedtv. Well, Murphy just had to get it out there while the wind was still warm. As for the Bear, he’ll be around the Paddock in Utah, looking for dirt.-Murphy-
by A.C. Guillermo
Oil and water. The Hatfields and McCoys. Israel and Palestine. You get the idea.
Every so often we hear about possible unification of sports car racing in North America. Ain’t gonna happen! The reason is quite simple: The NASCAR Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Royal Crown Cola is so wildly popular, there is no reason to merge with the hapless ALMS.
The Bear forwarded me an email accusing us journalists who cover NASCAR, and its road racing endeavors, as being cheerleaders instead of true journalists. This person said we were nothing more than PR consultants for NASCAR and Grand-Am. Well first of all, that is a bunch of crapola. We take our journalistic responsibilities quite seriously. We are not scared to call the ISC to task on ANY issue, it’s just that they are NEVER wrong about anything.
Now and then we journalists will “stir the pot” a little at a press conference, like when one of my buddies used the “A-Word”([anti-trust) in one of his questions. That always makes Brian F. sweat a little. Or the time I asked Mr. Helton why the Car of Tomorrow has decals for headlights (that guy has no sense of humor).
Anyway, us journalists who regularly cover the NASCAR scene, and Grand-Am, came to the conclusion a merger should never happen. The ALMS has the fans, manufacturers and sponsors. They also have the technology, green initiative, and affiliation with Le Mans. They also have Sebring, Road Atlanta and more television, hospitality and world-wide media coverage. But there is one thing they don’t have: NASCAR as their guiding light.
Affiliation with NASCAR means everything. NASCAR is the all-knowing, all-caring, all-seeing organization that can do no wrong. Keep in mind Daytona is the “think tank” of road racing, the Harvard of speed, the perfect SAT score of sports cars, the Mensa of motorsports, the …. lets just say the boys from Braselton are not in their league.
As a well-known and respected associate of a Jacksonville automobile dealer once told me. “The France boys know what’s best for sports car racing, not that Panoz guy. And besides, I get to sit in one of those fancy suites in the Winston Tower whenever I want.”
Why would NASCAR want the headache of merging with the ALMS? First, one of the ISC guys might have to learn to speak French, and that ain’t happening. Parc ferme this!
Second, can you imagine the transition problems ALMS teams would have adjusting to the technology of Grand-Am cars? Of course I am assuming (correctly) that any so-called merger would result in the proven Grand-Am formula being used, and the Le Mans rules cars being washed down the bidet. If they used the Le Mans rules, then they would have to deal with all those pesky sports car racing fans. As mentioned in my first column – which the Bear quite reluctantly published – spectators are highly over-rated.
Third, and most important, a merger would result in too many cars on track. How in the hell could they run a race with 75 DPs and 50 Pontiacs? I think the Grand-Am fields are doing just fine, and the program of diminishing fields over the past three years has resulted in fantastic racing, especially at Iowa, which as you know is a hot-bed of sports car racing.
I could go on and on about this subject of “reunification.” Everyone gets so giddy about possible mergers ever since the IRL acquired Champcar. Well, think of International Speedway Boulevard as the Berlin Wall. But this one ain’t comin down, Mr. Gorbachev.