Missed Gear      Road Blog

Speed week is well under way. The ROLEX 24 ran a couple of weeks ago. The Gatorade Duel is run and done and the field is set for the upcoming Daytona 500. It’s a new season and again it is time to go through your NASCAR fan gear and see what needs to go out the door so you won’t look like a fashion loser on race day.

photo courtesy NASCAR / Getty Images

Most noteable is Jamie McMurray and his move to the #1 Bass Pro Shops ride with Earnhardt Ganassai. Roush-Fenway came up against a four team NASCAR ruling and the #26 program was cut.

So…  Where is Martin Truex, Jr.? He is behind the wheel with the new #56 team of Michael Waltrip Racing, which is also running David Reutimann’s #00 and a #151 driven by Waltrip.

So… Where is the #55 that Waltrip drove last year? That number is now under the banner of Prism Motorsports with Michael McDowell handling the driving. Prism also handles the #66 Toyota with Dave Blaney.

And the #26 that was McMurray’s ride …? Latitude 43 Motorsports has Boris Said and the #26 with Window World Cares sponsorship. Window World Cares is also sponsoring the #34 Ford with John Andretti being backed by Front Row Motorsports with Yates racing.

photo courtesy NASCAR / Getty Images

TRG Motorsports is running the Sprint Cup Series again in 2010. Last year a few drivers drove the #71, including Mike Wallace and David Gilliland. TRG has been running in the Camping World Series Trucks and comes to NASCAR from Grand-Am where they have a very successful Porsche program. For 2010, Bobby Labonte is taking the TaxSlayer.com Chevy through the early season.

David Gilliland is driving the BAM Racing #49 on track with Warner Music Nashville / Larry the Cable Guy. Perhaps Gilliland can “Git-R-Done” in the #49…  (Apologies, but it had to be done)

Mike Wallace is starting the season in the really high numbers…  #198, with K-Automotive Motorsports. The #198 is not the only triple digit entry. Waltrip has the aforementioned #151, Todd Bodine will be in the #127, Reed Sorenson is in the #132, Casey Mears will be trying to get the #190 qualified for 2010 races…

Now, there probably won’t be a rush to Goodwill with last year’s gear as there aren’t many of the stereotypical, high profile drivers shifting rides. Jamie McMurray and Martin Truex, Jr. fans…  Well, sorry. You had your fun with Dale Jr. fans a couple of years ago. Bite the bullet and get new gear or get really talented with a Sharpie real quick.

Oh…  Wait…  You might want to check on sponsors for your favorites this year. For instance, Mark Martin, on the pole for the Daytona 500, has Go Daddy on his car… 

Watch the Daytona 500, check the driver list at nascar.com, see who is driving what and who is paying their bills and find out if you need to buy a new hat. Either way, or whoever you shout for, the race, my friends, is ON!

Sitting and watching the ROLEX 24 on SPEED I have to wonder….  Where are the racing fans? I have to watch on TV as I’m several states away with a driveway full of snow but what of racing fans in Florida, South Carolina, Georgia….? Looking at the stands at Daytona during the ROLEX 24 it looks like the Grand-Am guys snuck in started racing! It appears there are more people around the infield than in the stands. Is it the cool weather? Maybe the rain at the start on Saturday?

Seriously…  Drivers from practically every motor sports discipline on hand to get the racing season started with a 24 hour showcase of speed and the stands are so empty you would have food left over from a Bojangles Family Pack! I don’t get it…

But I don’t understand the average racing fan anyway. Perhaps that is the key. Perhaps there are very few “racing” fans out there. It seems there are millions of NASCAR fans but offer an INDY or Formula 1 or Grand-Am race and they just turn away. Why…? Either step up and be a “racing” fan or pose away in your Dale Jr. cap.

I say open yourself up to anything that goes fast. There are people out there that want to shut it all down for political, social or supposed “green” reasons so those of us that enjoy motor sports need to broaden our horizons and embrace some of these other racing series.

Support you local weekend tracks, drivers and race events. If you get the chance to see the INDY, LeMans, Grand-Am or even SCCA races in your neck of the woods get a ticket and GO! It is all racing and it is all good.

All I’m saying is don’t let the naysayers have their way. Be a “racing” fan and support as much of it as you can!

We sit upon the weekend to start the racing reason in a spectacular fashion. Grand-Am drivers of Daytona Prototypes and GTs share their seats with Formula One, LeMans, Indy and NASCAR drivers for this roar of color and a 24 hour speed parade. For the visiting series drivers this is a fun step away from their regular jobs. It is a chance to shine in an endurance race with exotic cars and maybe get a little ink before their own cars roll out to their respective starting lines. However, the Grand-Am / ROLEX Series drivers bank points on this race to officially start their season.

The Grand-Am / ROLEX season start with the ROLEX 24. Do the regular drivers secretly harbor some hidden issues with these usurpers in their seats? It is a double-edged sword when you turn it over and look at it. On the one hand, the starting series points could be jeapordized by the one race visiting drivers. On the other, the fact of these visiting drivers brings a huge motor sports spotlight on the series as a whole.  It is a frenzy of media and speed for this January weekend in Daytona with Grand-Am drivers catching a lot of attention because of the presence of the stars from other dimensions of racing. Is it a good thing…? Yes. Whatever points may be won or lost due to the presence of these other drivers falls in importance next to the attention drawn to Grand-Am racing because of them. The ROLEX 24 is a bright start to the racing season for everyone involved.

Enough commentary and philosophical drivel. Let’s talk racing. Qualifying is done for the 2010 ROLEX 24. There were some incidents during practice sessions that left 3 cars on the lift for repairs. All should be ready to race by Saturday to take the green. The Daytona Prototype pole position is held by the #10 SunTrust Ford Dallara following the drive by Max Angelelli. The outside spot on row one is held by the #60 Crown Royal Ford Riley driven through qualifying by Ozz Negri.

The GT series front spot is held by the #69 SpeedSource FXDD Mazda RX-8 driven to qualify by Jeff Segal. The GT series has a large pool of entries consisting of Mazdas, Porsches, BMWs and Chevy Camaros.

The large field of GT cars sharing the track with the Daytona Prototypes is going to make for some tight racing and challenging pass positions. The size of the road course layout at Daytona makes for a 3.5 mile distance but when these cars bunch up in groups fighting for series position it will be a force of will and patience to move through.

It all adds up to one thing. The ROLEX 24 is a must watch on SPEED this weekend. They will broadcast all but the overnight ours of the race which, in a way, is a bit disappointing. Some of the best racing can happen under the lights. However, those of us who are fans might also benefit from a little sleep and catch the headlight highlights on Sunday dropped in over live coverage.

Get your pizzas and snacks and beverages of choice and get ready to watch some racing to get 2010 off to fast start. The Super Bowl is yet to come so no conflict there. Basketball…? Are you kidding? Hockey…? Do we need to be reminded it’s cold outside? This is racing! This is speed! This is a world wide showcase of some of the best drivers from the hottest disciplines of racing. Put aside anything that has no wheels and watch this. Enjoy.

Yes! They all fit together like a jigsaw puzzle of a weather map. Copenhagen is the location of a big world summit on Climate Change. “Climategate” refers to thousands of e-mails and documents from the University of East Anglia which have been made public bringing up many questions about the reliability of the research which has been deeply involved in setting the agenda for the Copenhagen meetings as well as setting in motion legislation in many individual countries. Chicago is where Al Gore had his status as the Green Spokesman recently questioned during a book signing for his new climate book “Our Choice“.

As the out in front spokesman for the man-made global warming scare, his statements and his Oscar winning movie are touted as banners and talking points for everyone who has been frightened into action on the behalf of polar bears and sinking land masses. However, the “Climategate” explosion has caused a wave in his rising water. He has recently cancelled an appearance in Copenhagen of which thousands of tickets at up $1200 a pop were sold. In Chicago, he was confronted with pointed questions about details of man-made global warming and, rather than answer with facts which he should have easily been able to do if there was an ounce of integrity in him, had the people removed. (See Youtube Vid – click here) He left in a Mercedes-Benz GL Class SUV.

The GL Class, pictured above, comes in several trim packages including the GL320 diesel powered version. Now, we could give Gore the benefit of the doubt and suggest he and his security team were in the GL320 which is a new technology diesel powered and rather efficient luxury SUV sporting a 3.0 liter, 210hp V6 rated for the new G2 Bio Diesel fuels with an estimated 17/23 mileage rating. However, the imaging in the video does not match the GL320 trim package. 

courtesy BenzBlogger

Note the twin spoke wheels on the Merc. They were standard on the GL450 which is a 4.7 liter, 335hp V8 burning gasoline (premium rated). The GL450 has an estimated 13/18 mpg rating.  Hmmmmmmm.

Either way, the vehicle is definitely not one of the many full size hybrid SUVs available with 35+ mpg ratings…  Hmmmmmmmmm.

 These actions raise several questions:

Why did he not simply counter these questions with answers of fact that could be easily verified and substantiated? Why was his movie the subject of a British court fight resulting in the action of having the inconsistencies in the movie pointed out before it could be shown in British classrooms?  Why does the Man of Green get around in a Mercedes GL SUV? He has not said, but why cancel his appearancein Copenhagen just as the “Climategate” news began to get notice? Why does the cover of his book “Our Choice” contain factual image errors? Does he have a financial stake in the passing of “green” legislation which could be proven to be the same as “racketeering” with false claims to push the legislation forward?

These are just questions that open the discussion for motives beyond “save the world” scare tactics. The statements of a “consensus” on man-made global warming are obviously false. The released e-mails from East Anglia point to references of exclusion of non-conforming papers in peer-reviewed journals, modification and destruction of data, and many references to the top names in the global warming scientific community. On top of all that, the obvious hypocrisy of these people setting in motion legislated demands of how we live and what we drive while they arrive in Copenhagen in private jets and imported limousines.

We, the public, are not stupid. Well, most of us…  Many are clinging to this scam simply because they have invested so much time and effort into it. However, the basic assumption that we, as human beings, can and should make moves to be better stewards of the air, sea and land are correct. We can develop better energy and cleaner lives. That said, the actions of these people to frighten the general public into accepting their view as how we do that and set in motion laws that also make us pay them for the privilege are criminal and should be investigated completely before ANY law or treaty is designated.

Maybe we’re just too cynical around here. We’ve seen United States Taxpayer Dollars go to Chrysler and Chevrolet and we’ve seen the Cash for Clunkers program throw more of the Citizens’ money towards pushing the American car market.

Has it worked? Have the execs at these companies learned anything? Imports made out nicely with small car offerings for “clunkers”. Ford did OK. But they did not take the “bail out”. GM and Chrysler sales fell in August.

Maybe they just don’t get it. Maybe they don’t see the American auto buyers’ market the way they should. Chrysler has the 2010 line out there and the cars look good and are likely great vehicles offering the range from sipping economy to road burning performance. The question is…  Will the public take notice?

Take, for instance, the 2010 Dodge Demon. It looks sharp and reports list it with a 172 horsepower, 4 cylinder engine. It should appeal to sports car lovers with an eye towards effeciency.

However, it has been introduced as a concept car. It might showcase in Europe. Will the U.S. have this car? If not… Why not?

A few other details holding it back are unclear sources for the engine and base chassis. The chassis could come from Chevy… from China! The engines could be Mitsubishi or Hyundai produced. So what we have is a Chinese Chevy with a Japanese or Korean engine and a Dodge logo glued on the front. Yes…  I can see where Americans would be clammering to get one.

Another hurdle is the mindset. We’ve heard what Chrysler and Dodge execs have to say about the 2010 lines. Peter Fong, President & CEO at Chrysler had this to say.

“The Chrysler brand delivers provocative, eye-catching designs engineered for passionate living. Our owners are expressive, creative and vibrant, and seek a vehicle that rewards their independence. Through American design and ingenuity, Chrysler strives to deliver premium vehicles that exceed the aspirations and needs of our customers, all at a great value.”

Here’s an idea, Mr. Fong. How about “sexy, fast cars that offer economy and heart-thumping excitement at every acceleration, every turn and, yes, even every trip to the corner market.” Dammit, man! What does “expressive, creative and vibrant” have to do with how the car feels on a country road at 62mph?

The Dodge CEO, Michael Accavitti, is no better.

“In 2010, the Dodge brand stands as the quintessential American brand that continues to defy industry convention in order to build products that allow customers to do more, grab more life and flat-out live life to the fullest.”

Michael…? Quintessential…? You want to sell Challengers you better drop “industry convention” and let consumers know the thing is going to snap them back against the headrest when the light turns green!

Have you people been out of the office and seen the way American consumers think, speak and live? Have you seen the way Mitsubishi, Honda, Mazda and others from the other side market their vehicles? All we’re saying is you would be better off talking to real people instead of reading a thesaurus. You aren’t selling cars to first year art students. You are selling cars to Americans. If you can’t tell us what you’ve got without using words like “aspirations” and “quintessential” you had better prepare for the biggest year-end closeout clearance sale you’ve ever had. We’ll look for it in November and December of 2010.

Chrysler and GM might well be building cars “Americans” would want. Unless they can deliver a message to let us know that, they might as well be selling burgers at a PETA convention.

Football…? Really! Just as the racing series close on the championships people leave Pit Row for the 50 yard line. It begs the question as to “WHY”? Of course, here at Missed Gear, we could give a white flag about football. However, we know enough to tell that the first few games of the season are merely there to begin to determine the win-loss ratio for the playoffs. Yes… auto racing is the same, to a degree. The early races go from green to checkered with a wide open points system that really only gets tight after the season puts some mileage on the tires.

But football…? Why does the Monday morning talk shift from “Did you see the race?” to “Did you watch the game?” Even the heads from the sports news are all crazy about the football season. They spend hours on player trades, camp reports, predictions and all types of pre-season blather. Women talk about shoes less than that.

While all this football talk is going on, what coverage does racing get? You might get the NASCAR race winner… Maybe Indy… Formula 1…? Not likely unless something spectacular happened. Grand-Am…? NHRA…? Nada. Zip.

But get 6 weeks away from the first pre-season NFL game and you can’t shut them up about football! What is it?

The short answer is probably “money”. Odds makers and wager takers love it as so much money is tossed over the line on football bets. That means that all these “fans” who wager on the games simply must know every minute detail about every team so they can place their bets. That keeps these talking heads yammering away while thousands are hanging on every word to get some line on a bet they will make in two months.

Yes. There is wagering on racing. The difference is there is one race on any given race day. There are 15 games on NFL Sundays. Betting on a football game essentially gives you two choices. Betting on a race could give you 40+ choices. Football variables are more predictable. Point spreads give the wager a cushion. Fifteen games gives the option to pick a few “sure bets” and go for the bomb on a possible payout.

The wagering offers a possible explaination on the popularity of football. However, not everyone gambles on the game. The majority do not. So… Why? Why abandon racing for football just when the points are tight and the championship is on the line?

NASCAR is racing at full spead with some points drama still left in the chase. There some Sunday night races so if you simply must watch the day games to maintain some kind of conversation on Monday, have at it.

Don’t get suckered in to College Football Saturdays, either! Flip channels until you find something fast and watch it! SCCA, F1, Motocross… We don’t care. As long as it is fast and the only balls involved are the ones it takes to make a 3-wide pass on the outside in lap traffic.

We believe you will enjoy the race much better. Wanna bet on it?

Cash for clunkers? They have got to be kidding! The full and applicable program subsidized from the Obama Government to allow older cars to be traded for newer ones with up to $4500.00 in federal money has hit the wall in less than week!? Less than a week!

Despite the EPA mileage changes for formerly qualified vehicles, it ran out of money. Despite the incomplete but cautious  information available before it was implemented, it ran out of money. Before the ink was dry on Obama’s signature, it ran out of money!

And this is the same bunch that wants to handle health care for Americans? How stupid do they really think we are? Sure, there are a bunch out there that are clinging to “Yes We Can” because they voted and won’t let go of the propaganda of change simply because Obama said it. There is another bunch clinging to “Yes We Can” because it is their open door to get their fingers into the federal pie and the citizens’ lives. Thankfully, however, many who voted for this administration are beginning to wake up to just what has happened. The promises have been broken and the eyes are opening.

They passed the stimulus – did not read it. They passed “cap and trade” – did not read it. What happened to the five day promise? What happened to the transparency? Beltway “business as usual” as transformed into “You ain’t seen nothin’ yet!”.

“Cash for Clunkers” is merely an indication of what is in store if this administration continues to move at this speed and behind the veil of “Yes We can”. The lobbies in bed with these people (greendiot lobbies) are twisting the arms and pushing for every “live as we think you should” law they can get.

EPA banned reports on CO2, Congressional Budget Office figures disputing Obama health care promises, public town hall meetings where the President says he hasn’t read all the details…  Is this what was elected in November of 2008? Is this what we have to put up with until 2012?

Now is the time to pay attention and verify every statement, every promise that comes from anyone in Washington DC before our government becomes a “clunker” and we’re paying the “cash”.

That said, can we assume that knowledge, engineering and applications of building race cars from the ground up can directly translate to building production cars for the general public? We likely have our chance to find out. Roger Penske (Penske Racing) has signed on to take the Saturn brand from economically challenged General Motors. Penske is taking on a challenge but that is nothing really new. GM has failed the Saturn brand on several fronts leaving Penske open to rebuild the name as he sees fit. If he can keep cars running in NASCAR, INDY and GrandAm then this may seem like an easy win. He’s got a shot but not a guarantee.

General Motors launched Saturn in the mid 1980’s as a “different kind of car company”. Saturn quickly became a high ranker in consumer satisfaction. Their cars were attractive and held value. They were competing quite well with some of the imports know for economy and life span. So… what went wrong? You probably can not take one singular point as the problem but a high ranker could be the GM mindset of building one car with several labels. Saturns began to be built on the same platforms as other GM brands’ models. What was a “different kind of car company” became “the same car with a different badge”.

Enter Roger Penske. Anyone familiar with the Penske name will know he doesn’t jump without looking. It does not mean he never misses (Penske Car Care Centers…) but it does mean he sees something with potential. He has a deal with GM to basically supply Saturn models for the next couple of years. Penske will have to eventually set up or take over his own design and manufacturing facilities. Some current Saturn models are re-badged European models from Opel/Vauxhall. It has been rumored the Chinese are looking at the Opel label and it would seem unlikely that Penske would, with the facilities in place in the U.S., purchase a Chinese owned product just to drop his badge on it.

The questions remain and the answers may be some time in coming. Can Roger Penske succeed with Saturn? Will the Chinese take control of the Opel name which some of the Saturns are based on? Will Penske get control of manufacturing facilities inside the United States? What would a Penske design team put out to the American public? Will it continue to be “Saturn” or will we see a “Penske” brand take shape?

The answers to these questions will, hopefully, be very exciting for the American automotive public.

See Race Photos Here

Auto racing at 160+ mph is something to see. It is literally a flash of color and sound and wind chasing the wings as they go by. Combine these speeds with a short track setting such as Richmond International Raceway and you get a 5g vertigo festival. It is fun to watch and definately a bit different from a NASCAR Sprint Cup race on the same track. The lighter cars allow for quicker acceleration so the Indy cars shoot out of turns like rockets while NASCAR cars are thrown out of a turn on sheer power and momentum. Another noticeable difference is that the nature of NASCAR racing puts more cars in the same space and sheet metal is bound to get banged up while IRL cars are wide open with all four wheels exposed. While “rubbing is racing” is expected in NASCAR it can be a race ending disaster in IRL. Touching open wheels rotating at these speeds can send two cars in a dozen directions – including straight up. That seems to be frowned upon…

This past Saturday (June 27, 2009) the SunTrust Indy Challenge sped through 300 laps at Richmond International Raceway. With few cautions to shake things up, the race resembled a high speed parade for the majority of laps. It is difficult to pass at Richmond anyway and these cars are so evenly matched the chances at passing on the Richmond track only grow slimmer. The lead changes were mostly taken care of with pit strategy and pit stop speed more than ducking under the inside diving at speed into the turns. Dario Franchitti even apolgized to the fans after race making a mention of the lack of excitement on this particular race day.

All that aside, this race was fun to watch despite tha lack of two-wide turns and chasing through the field. The novelty of the design of these cars in an area known for closed cockpit, left side driving is one thing. The sheer speed, acceleration and quick braking is another. The personality of the race is different, too, but that is harder to put a finger on. Better to go see for yourself.

I found the race, the facility, the fans and the day to be thoroughly delightful from the point of view of a racing fan. My only dissapointment is the same I have at every auto race that does not have a Gordon or an Earnhardt in it. Where are the people. Go to any NASCAR track for a Sprint Cup race and the stands are crowded and the midway is busy. However, put a different kind of car on the same track and the fan response is much different. I’ve said it before. If you are a racing fan, be a “Racing” fan and support as much and as many types of racing as you can.

At the end of this one, Scott Dixon took the checkered in the Target Chip Ganassi #9 while team mate Franchitti rolled in the 2nd spot right behind him in the 10. Graham Rahal took 3rd, Hideki Mutoh was 4th and Danica Patrick grabbed another top 5 and 300 laps were done. Check out photos by clicking here.

picture from ANAVRIN on Flickr

Well… They did it. After a long and unsteady courtship the two finally got married. It was widely speculated it would never happen. After all, both of them have very separate and distinct personalities. One is overbearing, controlling and has been known to be abusive. The other is narcissistic, headstrong and has been known to be uncultured and naive. There have been numerous accounts of infidelity on both sides and some of the confrontations have been legendary in the legal system.

Can a marriage such as this have any traction at all? Can Mr. Federal Government and Ms. American Auto Industry have any chance of a happy relationship? The prenup alone is nothing short of “War and Peace” with a “Gone With the Wind” forward.

Look at the wedding party! It is actually hard to tell who really has been married. The characters involved resemble a mass bigomist ceremony more than it does a union of two happy partners. Look at the Best Man, for example. The UAW has been the Fed’s best friend for many years while hopping in bed with the Auto Industry whenever there was a shiny trinket involved. He has played both sides to his advantage and Mr. and Mrs. Federal Auto seem oblivious to the pull-strings.

Bridesmaids… What a collection! Who would have thought there was that much chiffon in Detroit to cover the hides of these bloated cows? Bankers, accountants, managers… All of which have survived and grown fat on the spillings of the auto industry. They stood there bright and beaming as the favored few while many that were actually responsible for Auto’s successes were locked outside the church.

The wedding itself was even too bizarre for a “Saturday Night Live” sketch. After all, when the minister asks if there is anyone present who has a reason why these two should not be joined and everyone in attendance stands at once… shouldn’t there be at least some notice of the response? Aren’t the words supposed to be “I do” instead of “I’ll try” and “You better!” Is it strange to have the foreign gigolo and the groom sharing cake while the bride is kissing the Best Man?

However it went down on the wedding day it is now a vision for the future. But what future? Will it shape into a prosperous and fruitful relationship or be crushed by the weight of its own cost? The auto industry may have thought she would be getting a strong visionary partner able to look at the consumer and technological horizon and help her improve and grow as a viable business. What she got were more investment bankers.  Steven Rattner is the co-founder of private-equity firm Quadrangle Group LLC and is now chief adviser on auto-industry issues. Ron Bloom, a former vice president at investment bank Lazard Ltd., will advise Mr. Fed’s auto task force. How does that work? The auto industry has had their Big Day only to find out on the honeymoon the husband is impotent… and in debt… and probably always drives 5 below the speed limit.

This is a wedding in name only. In reality, it is an incestuous relationship involving the Federal Government, the UAW leadership and favored financial backers. The auto industry is being forced to wear the ring to make it all look legitimate. The “children” of this matrimonial nightmare will be the cars she is forced to produce. What these little bastards will be like is yet to be seen. The Fed is busy “genetically engineering” the design parameters to meet many arbitrary restrictions being demanded from the mistress that is politely referred to as the environmental lobby. In reality, this mistress is, at best, a manipulative child pouting every time it does not get its way. Disturbed that other people actually find joy in their automobiles, she has found a way to stop crying and start legislating through the manipulation of gullible politicians.

So how does a wedding such as this work? The bride is “kissless” on the honeymoon and has lost any sense of individuality. The groom entered the marriage with a mistress already pregnant. One married for money and the other for power. There is no money. Well, no money in the real sense of value. That leaves only power. And only one side has that card in their pocket.