And now, back to our story…The Bear’s still recovering from his trip to the World Center of Racing. Circumstances beyond his control kept him from his favorite places – Down the Hatch, Racing’s North Turn, and the Boondocks – to say nothing of Molly Brown’s, even though Molly’s was right around the corner from his Wednesday and Thursday night digs. He finally did get to Hooters on International Speedway Boulevard.

Story Lines

On a pure racing basis, if you came to the Rolex with no biases or favorites, there was a lot to like. But “cars racing close” isn’t really much of a story line. However, here are some possibilities:

Blundell and Brundle – the elderly Brit story. They gave it a good go, right down to a last lap challenge.

Ganassi – if you’re in the BMW CCA or a sadist.

Anti-Ganassi – everyone else. The sadists carried the day – again.

There was Flying Lizards to pull for if you’re a Porschephile or a wayward ALMS fan.

For the 3 NASCAR Jimmy Johnson admirers there was GAINSCO to cheer for.

Ferrari fans could have checked out early – there was only one Ferrari that was ever going to be competitive, and that was withdrawn without turning a wheel.

How about  Dempsey Racing for the McDreamy fan club and the Mazda Club of North America? Well, from what Murphy can tell, Patrick’s fans are on board (there’s even a “McDreamy Racing” fan site in France), while the Mazda bunch could give a damn, preferring stories in their magazine like “On the Track with the Mazda Speed 3,” and “Newest Member of the Family,” about a 1999 B3000. Grand Am – Whazzat? Dyson Racing – Whozzat?

Murphy at the Wing House

He only made it to Hooters after hanging out at the Wing House just outside the door of his Friday-Sunday room. What to say about this Hooters clone? Huge thinks it’s the greatest place on the planet. It’s not hard to see what attracts the snapper brigade. This place is the “gentleman’s club” of the restaurant world. Hooters’ girls are way overdressed compared to the Wing House babes. The service wasn’t great, even when the place wasn’t real busy. One kind of cool thing (pun intended,) there’s a chill core in the beer pitchers. The wings? Connoisseurs tell Murphy – and he agrees – a great wing has to have a crispy skin; these didn’t. Medium sauce shouldn’t be sweet, either. The Bear made a beeline to Hooters from the Turn 4 tunnel on Saturday night. Overdressed Hooters girls or not, he was happier there.

A Silly Season Story

Atlas eFX Team FS has done precious little racing (three entries, two finishes in last season’s LMS). Murphy thinks that’s fine as far as it goes – that abbreviated schedule even accounted for 25 points and a season runner-up in GT1, more a comment on GT1 than on Atlas eFX. Since then, however, these guys have embarked on a run of pure PR fantasy, getting their rather dubious press releases turned into articles by otherwise legitimate (but often fawning) racing news outlets and eliciting excitement amongst the most gullible of racing fans. First there was the “Official Abruzzi European team,” which was “set” and “likely” to contest the 2011 season in the ILMC at a time when an Abruzzi racing anywhere was – and remains – anything from certain. If that plan seemed at least marginally plausible, paired as it was with running a Creation in LMP1 in the same series put the whole thing out there with aliens in Roswell, since Creation Autosportif is moribund at best,  and more likely the racing version of Monty Pyton’s famous Norwegian Blue.

So the Bear ignored both stories and wasn’t surprised when those “plans” came to naught. Surprising was that the same media mavens – fans get a pass here, the word is, after all, a contraction of “fanatic” – published articles based on yet another specious announcement, this time that the team would campaign Lou Gigliotti’s ALMS Corvette in that same ILMC. That’s the series that now includes Le Mans, and which we already knew was unlikely to allow the entry of the car by the ACO, and in fact the car had been previously rejected for that very same event, even though the entry was requested by a far more viable team than this one. The Montenegrin (not German) Atlas eFX-Team FS illustrates again that you can’t believe everything you read – even when presented as “news.” This little bear’s rumor site filtered these stories out as improbable…is it too much to expect the same care from the biggest of the sport’s media outlets?

Murphy in the Infield

The Daytona Beach News-Journal put the “media consensus” attendance at 50,000 for the Saturday afternoon start. That probably nearly doubled the actual total, but never mind, the infield was full, and not with the redneck beer-swilling crowd that the Grand Am stereotype might suggest. In fact the whole thing was not only “Un-Daytona” (of a decade ago), but “Un-Sebring.” Families tended fires, played bean bag toss, watched Speed TV’s feed of the race from satellite.  All very suburban.

Class A motor homes were much in evidence, side-by-side from the International Turn through the Kink, and on around the Rodriguez Turn. They lined Lake Lloyd (except for the carnival), they filled the area behind the garages. FYI, for those used to the American Le Man Series easy access, a garage pass (called a paddock outside NASCAR) cost extra – $25 extra, Saturday afternoon and Sunday, when the garages were empty.

fútbol de Colombia

Montoya had a great time punting folks off the track. Should there have been rough driving or careless driving tickets? Not in Florida, where they’re picky about jurisdiction and we’re pretty sure that the Tri-oval is outside everyone’s except the Daytona Brown Shirts. Speaking of J.C., he was back on track after his little layoff.

Paddy’s in Daytona

Murphy was at the Daytona Ale House Friday night. So were Gill, and George, and other North American racing officials, representing tracks, teams, and other parts of the vast racing infrastructure. At the end of the bar was a scene eerily like that at Paddy’s last October.

They’ve all got interests here, and having good business sense, know they have to cultivate those interests. George had tended that garden well, bringing NASCAR on board at the Wisconsin track to replace the departed open wheel series. Gil’s Laguna Seca keeps its ties to Grand Am and to ALMS while building its bike business. And club weekends at the California track? Get in line –literally – they’re drawing numbers to assign priority for the available weekends.

Looking Ahead to Sebring

The Bear gets that Sebring will be a great show – 2 Audis, 2 new Peugeots, 1 old, maybe one faux Aston Martin (old vintage or new), one for-sure old faux Aston Martin – yadda, yadda. By all means spring for the ticket and party your brains out in Green Park, because after that, until Petit in October, they’re nearly all gone. In LMP1 you can only be sure of seeing Dyson and Cytosport. Only Tucker’s pair of Lolas are likely to “race” in LMP2. It’s another easy championship for Tucker. Reg and Matt Tarleton (Signature Motorsports) could add a P2 during the season, but they’ve not made it official yet…so the Bear won’t, either.

There’s a real show in GT, though, as long as that sorry LMP entry can stay out of its way. One perspective the Bear heard today: Other than the Audi-Peugeot head-to-head, the best thing happening at Sebring will be repeated at every ALMS stop – that GT battle. In that sense, you’ll do as well attending any other ALMS stop.

“So am I, buddy, so am I. Sure. But not over the phone. Can you meet me?” was the response from NASCAR’s favorite local scribe.

“Sure, where?” asked the Bear.

“I hear you’re in town on business, I’m near Hooter’s on International Speedway…across the street, actually. Can you meet me there?” asked A.C.

“I’m close,” said the Bear, with a grin (Hooter’s in Daytona Beach is one of Murphy’s favorite places.) “When?”

A.C.: “About 15 minutes.”

Murphy: ‘You’re on, my friend.”

The Bear got there first, renewing acquaintances – and getting hugs. By the time he’d ordered a Warsteiner and some wings (Murphy’s been a Warsteiner fan since the “German Budweiser” sponsored the GT1 championship in the late ’90′s), a shadowy figure with a turned-up collar and a turned-down hat was sidling up to the table. It was A.C.

“What the hell…” blurted the Bear.

“Shhhhh…” from the muffled figure.

Murphy: “A.C?”

“Yes. Hold it down…if someone sees me…” whispered A.C.

“Hell, A.C., you’re right across the street from the World Center of Racing in a trench coat, talking to a stuffed animal, and you think no one will notice?” asked Murphy.

“You might be right, Murphy, but they’re used to odd characters around here…I mean, there’s J.C.,” the Daytona Beach News-Journal’s crack scribe let his voice trail off, aware he’d said something that could, well…cost him his media pass, the key to the executive wash room at the World Center, and frequent luncheon spreads…life is good, he thought to himself. Murphy’s voice brought him out of his reverie.

“So, about the stories I’m hearing…” asked the Bear, leaving the question hanging.

A.C.: “Ah yes. Well it’s true. The Miller thing, that is.”

Murphy was aghast. “What, why, how…” he sputtered. He’d already written that such a thing was unlikely.

“One question at a time, old friend,” retorted A.C.

“First, what: They haven’t done it yet, but it’s serious…hot and heavy, you might say. They’re talking to the Don about grabbing the whole shebang. It really is a mess over there – as I’ve been trying to tell you ALMS Cool Aid drinkers for over a year.” A.C. had that ‘I-know-more-than-you’ look on his face, like you get from big-time print scribes, from Miller, and over at motorsport.com.

“So, if Miller was right, how come he’s kind of backed off it now? asked Murphy.

“Geez, you are a dense bear, aren’t you?! Miller sometimes engages mouth just a little bit before brain. He knew this time he was risking the gravy train, so he clammed up. But this is a good as the ‘Tony-on-the-bricks’ thing, trust me,” explained A.C.

“Why, then?” asked the Bear.

A.C. looked at Murphy like he had couch stuffing for brains. “Because it’s there,” he said (quoting Sir Edmond). “Look. Who went after NHRA? Who bought bike racing? Who created Grand Am?” A.C. put up his hand to quiet the sputtering bear. “Who?” Jim-Bob. Brian-Bob. J.C.-Bob. Control. They want it all. Besides, ALMS and that Elan thing are pretty much in the poor house. The Don doesn’t own a big chuck of the Irish drug biz any more, so today’s J & J thing doesn’t do anything big for his cash flow, either.”

“But what does NASCAR get they want?” asked the Bear. “I mean, they won’t run P1 and P2 against their protoguppies, will they?”

“Of course not….and it’s prototurtles, not guppies,  you stuffing-for-brains-bear,” the famous scribe said, endearingly, to his old friend. “But think of the other stuff: three tracks, Sebring being the prize that Jim-Bob’s always wanted. Star Mazda, the little BMW’s. Control of sports car racing. They’ll cherry-pick the events for the gup…er ah, turtle…damn, now you’ve got me doing it…those beautiful Daytona Prototypes. The rest gets dumped. Including that dump in the Georgia hills…ever see Deliverance, Murphy?”

“But A.C., no one goes to Grand Am races,” exclaimed the Bear.

“So what?” responded A.C. “They will when that’s all there is, won’t they?”

“OK, how, then?” asked the Bear.

“Cash,” said A.C., “something the Don needs right now.”

“But, I hear Grand Am isn’t doing all that well either,” said Murphy.”

“Ah, do I have to educate you all the time? chided A.C. “At the risk of repeating myself…’So what?’ Haven’t I told you to look out when NASCAR grabbed the reins at Grand Am over the winter? More money than god, of course. If they want to spend it on keeping Chip in Grand Am rather than keeping Richard in Cup, well, then that’s their business, ain’t it. And ol’ A.C. ain’t got no doubt of Brian-Bob and Jim-Bob’s business sense. No siree!”

“Ganassi gets…?” Murphy sputtered.

“Second car, the one with Kyle Busch in it this weekend,” smiled A.C. “How – or why – does that happen on Chip’s nickel? It doesn’t, that’s what. It does prove Jim-Bob and Brian-Bob are serious about all this, though.”

“How serious?” interjected the Bear.

“Big money serious, said A.C, “as in over half of DP regulars get some cash-type, ah, incentive, to keep going.”

“Geez,” murmured Murphy, “that’s kind-of “T.G.-like. Who else?”

“Ever wonder how nice guys in a little Daytona Beach race shop go from a single ancient tube frame crapping out on lap ten once a year in February to a pair of full-schedule DP’s? It ain’t because they’ve been cultivating “grass roots motorsports,” A.C. said, chortling over his own joke, “although Florida’s a good place for that kind of importing business, isn’t it? Hey, getting those Coyotes from Cheever, paying Pratt & Miller for development, that takes serious scratch, ya know?”

“I’ll take that as good news,” said Murphy, wryly.

“Brumos doing it all alone? That’s more J.C. than the Porsche dealer, for sure. I know a rent-a-ride driver who’s come up short for this season. Jim-Bob kicked in. Team owner’s not really happy, says ‘If he’s going to put out money, then send it my way and I’ll hire the driver I want.’

“But if the Cup teams are suffering, aren’t they pissed off at money going to Grand Am?” asked the Bear.

“Of course they are,” said A.C. “But what are they going to say? They’ve been on a gravy train, and they aren’t going to upset that apple cart. There’s some trouble, though. I hear a couple of Grand Am teams – one “biggie” included – may be on the way out anyway. At the end of the season it could get pretty nasty, but of course if ALMS is gone…see? They’re business geniuses across the street…”

A.C. suddenly remembered where he was, gave the Bear a quick – but manly – squeeze, said, “one more thing, “If – as is possible – the Nationwide taxi race gets rained out, then it clears, the DP’s just might have to go home without turning a wheel. You didn’t hear anything here,” then quietly slipped out the door. A moment later the Bear heard the rumbling tones of a V8 – but a V8 rarely heard in this World Center of Racing.

“What’s with the wheels?” wondered Murphy.

(to be continued)