Racing fans likely have heard about the penalties NASCAR levied on the Hendrick Motorsports team of driver Jimmie Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus, stemming from a car brought to the Daytona 500. Supposedly—despite the insistence from Hendrick that the car had passed inspection in 2011 with no issues—the covers for the C-pillars were too rounded to suit NASCAR. The powers that be suspended Knaus and car chief Ron Malec for six races, and docked Johnson 25 points, which meant the driver left Daytona deep in the hole. The upshot from this event: NASCAR not only discourages innovation, it will punish you for it. That means even for something as minor and obvious as C-pillar covers that had already been run in past races without penalty or incident. NASCAR is not alone. Yes, IndyCar does have three engine suppliers this year, which makes it something slightly less than a spec series, but teams still run the same chassis, body, and tires—and therefore no real innovation is allowed. In Grand-Am, the success of the series is based on a tightly controlled rules package that allows teams to remain competitive with the same basic cars for a long time (this isn't really a bad thing). Even in Formula 1, the packages are both rules- and budget-based to the point where major in-season changes are rare. This is why, even before the 2012 season starts, Ferrari has been pegged as a backmarker team that may not win a single race. Ferrari! There is one, and only one, major exception in big-time North American auto racing that not only allows, but encourages, innovation: the American Le Mans Series, which kicks off its season at the 60th annual 12 Hours of Sebring this weekend. The ALMS has many problems, but as a feeder for the ACO (L'Automobile Club de l'Ouest), which sanctions the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Sebring is the place to go to see what's new in motorsports. No other series in the U.S. would or will embrace diesels and hybrids and multiple tire suppliers and the like. A prime example is the oddball DeltaWing, which takes its first public laps in a demonstration at Sebring, and will compete—not for points, but it will run in anger—at Le Mans. The DeltaWing, already dismissed by IndyCar as a possible car of the future, would be a minor footnote in racing history without ALMS support. At this point, it's a major footnote, but it will get its own chapter very soon. One reason: Scott Atherton, head of the ALMS, told me that he is dedicated to finding a class in which the DeltaWing can race next year if Highcroft Racing, the team running it, is so inclined. I suspect it will be. Which is why Sebring might be, in the long term, the most important sports-car race in America. The people who run the 24 Hours of Daytona would disagree, and they might have an argument within the confines of the U.S.A. But outside the U.S., Sebring is the race that people pay attention to given its status as tuneup for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, which no one denies is the king of all endurance races. Though Sebring's race lasts half as long as that of Le Mans, its track is twice as bumpy; many opine that if a car, team, and the drivers can survive Sebring, they can survive Le Mans. Sebring means tight, competitive racing; it also mean lots of new technologies, not all of which will work. It's exciting, and it's important. That's a compelling combination. from Car and Driver Blog http://blog.caranddriver.com | |||
| |||
| |||
|
Friday, March 16, 2012
Why the 12 Hours of Sebring Still Matters: Innovation
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Archive
-
▼
2012
(7297)
-
▼
March
(728)
- BMW i8 Concept Spyder Debuts: Same Plug-In Hybrid,...
- Sound and Fury
- New or Used: Replacement for Rusty Rocker’d Ride?
- Opel Labor Leader Threatens Mother Of All Plant Cl...
- This Week's Most-Read Stories
- Interest For EVs Fading
- Hammer Time Rewind: Hit Em Where They Ain’t!
- Speed, And The Cop Might Get A Free Pizza
- Pocket Rocket Lovers Of The World, Rejoice! Uhmm, ...
- Automotive Lawsuit History Unearthed, Junkyard Sty...
- Junkyard Find: 1987 Toyota Corolla FX16 GT-S
- 2012 New York Auto Show Preview
- FS: One-of-a-kind Mercedes “Benzamino”
- Most-Watched Video Reviews of the Week
- Car Collector’s Corner: This1939 Rolls Royce Wrait...
- Bye, bye, Miss Emm Kay Five.
- Volkswagen Reveals Alltrack Wagon Concept, Don’t G...
- How To: Mess With Your Buddies’ Cars
- 2012 GMC Yukon and Sierra Heritage Editions Announ...
- Volkswagen Alltrack Concept; A Diesel Wagon, But A...
- 2013 Lincoln MKZ Shows Off a Big Retractable Glass...
- 2012 Dodge Charger SRT8 Super Bee Tested: 470 HP o...
- GMC Celebrates 100 Years With Heritage Edition
- You Thought That Car Was Expensive? Wait Until You...
- 2013 Subaru Legacy Quietly Drops 2.5GT Model
- 2012 New York Auto Show: What to Expect
- Dodge’s Facebook Campaign For SRT Viper Backfires
- Boo, Hiss: Daimler And BYD Launch Denza Brand
- Cars.com Buzz Index: March 2012
- Sergio Marchionne Confirms Third Fiat Model By 201...
- Fiat Brazil: Uno Kicks Gol Off Top Spot. Films At ...
- 2014 Fisker Nina Spied Nearly Completely Uncovered
- Cars.com News Briefs: March 30, 2012
- What Is The Model T Of Our Time?
- SRT Reveals one More Viper Pic
- Recall Alert: 2002-04 Honda CR-V, 2003 Honda Pilot
- LeMons Good/Bad Idea of the Week: Two-Stroke Miata!
- Junkyard Find: 1975 Mercury Comet Sedan
- Modern Marvels: IG Metall Hires Bob King As Opel B...
- Young People Drive Less, Surf More
- Cars.com Family Reviews the 2012 Volkswagen Passat...
- Cadillac XTS' Seat Buzzes for Danger
- Car Collector’s Corner:1948 Plymouth Convertible w...
- SRT Previews 2013 Viper’s Interior on Facebook [Ne...
- Mini Baker Street, Bayswater, and Highgate Special...
- 2013 Volkswagen CC First Drive: New Nose, Same Goo...
- Shake, Rattle, and Squeak: Long-Term 2011 Mini Coo...
- Chrysler Dealers Who Regained Their Franchises Bac...
- Mitt Romney Slammed for Joke Referencing Plant Clo...
- What Car Would You Buy if You Won Mega Millions?
- Edmunds Sees SAARing March Sales
- New Ram Truck Teased Before Debut, We Expect Refre...
- You Won’t Need A License To Drive This Renaut
- 2013 Subaru Legacy at the 2012 New York Internatio...
- Mercedes Will Cut Platforms In Half
- Capsule Review: 2012 Subaru Impreza Sport 5-Door
- Cars.com News Briefs: March 29, 2012
- 2013 Subaru Outback at the 2012 New York Auto Show
- Introducing The 2014 Mercedes C Class
- Toyota Bumping Up RAV4 Production By 50,000 Units ...
- Americans Paying Off Car Loans Before Mortgage, Cr...
- New C/D YouTube Channel to Launch May 1; Here’s Ou...
- Honda Fit. Officially Hecho En Mexico
- OnStar's Family Link Helps Parents Keep Tabs on Te...
- Junkyard Find: 1975 Ford Maverick
- PSA And Toyota Open Tie-Up Season
- Opel Supervisory Board Meets, Decides Nothing. Eis...
- Would You Buy It? 2013 Ford B-Max
- 2012 Audi Q5: Car Seat Check
- Vellum Venom: 2012 BMW 328i Sedan
- 2013 Chevrolet Traverse: Hard Candy Shell, Soft Go...
- 2013 Acura RDX First Drive: A More-Mature Compact ...
- 25 Cars Worth Waiting For: The Choicest Rides Arri...
- Italy Seizes Gaddafi’s Stake In Fiat
- EXCLUSIVE: Jost Capito, Head of SVT and Performanc...
- Lotus Vehicle Development on Temporary Hold, Long-...
- European Patent Filing Reveals Possible Chevrolet-...
- 2013 Lexus ES Confirmed for NYC, Previewed in Phot...
- Cadillac Previews Driver-Assistance Systems for XT...
- Name That Exhaust Note, Episode 129
- 2013 Chevrolet Traverse at 2012 New York Auto Show
- Ford Explorer Sport Gets 3.5L Ecoboost
- 2013 Ford Explorer Sport: First Look
- 2013 Ford Explorer Sport: The Closest Thing to an ...
- Fiat’s Future In America And Elsewhere: A Counterp...
- Ontario Cutting Electric Vehicle Subsidies, $43 Mi...
- GM Issues Media Black-Out For Ellesmere Port
- Renault Opens Import Company In Allegedly Closed M...
- Hammer Time: Buy! Buy Buy!
- Generation Why: Jeep’s Old Man Truck, Pinterest An...
- 2012 Jaguar XFR Video
- 2013 Maserati Quattroporte Spied: Maserati’s Next ...
- Cars.com News Briefs: March 28, 2012
- New Lexus ES at New York Auto Show
- Buick Encore May Get Chevrolet Variant
- New Mitsubishi Outlander Sport at New York Auto Show
- UAW’s Bob King Will Fire 7,000, Close Two GM Plants
- Azure Dynamics Files For Bankruptcy, Suspends Ford...
- Junkyard Find: 1970 Toyota Corona Sedan
- Car Collector’s Corner:1966 Coronet 426 Hemi 2 Doo...
-
▼
March
(728)
No comments:
Post a Comment