Smoke in your eyes

In the week or so since the events at the upstate New York dirt track, blame for the accident has been squarely put on Tony Stewart's shoulders: The big bad racing superstar who, in a moment of rage, mowed down "the kid".

Almost the totality of media immediately convicted with headlines that included some form of "...Stewart killed..."

Only Tony Stewart and perhaps an onboard camera know what happened with certainly but at the time I, like almost everyone I know who is in any way involved in motorsport,  wondered why Kevin Ward Jr. would crawl out of a wreck and run around a live racetrack looking for a fight with a moving car.

Clearly, I'm not a oval racing enthusiast...



Now, aside from a shocking lack of any safety protection for infield workers, public or drivers, as pointed out by Motorsport Safety Foundation's founder Henrique Cisneros,   I would argue that when you have a form of racing where policemen are regularly on hand to restrain drivers, you have a systemic problem.

Motoring journalist Jack Baruth,  explores  in a piece in his personal blog:

...I think young Mr. Ward knew this was his chance to get on television and raise his profile as a driver. I think it was a calculated move. I think he wanted to maximize a situation. Face it — even if Stewart hadn’t hit him, it would have made highlight reels and would have put his name on people’s lips... 

...So Kevin Ward, Jr. saw a chance to make a name for himself. To get lucky. To be the kid who faced down Tony Stewart on the highlight reel. But in his haste to do that, he didn’t think about the risks. Which, I would add, is a characteristic of nearly all successful drivers. If you sat and thought seriously about the risks, you’d never go wheel-to-wheel racing at all. He made a quick decision, a judgment call. That’s the way racing works.
It cost him his life.

Wasn't  Kevin Ward Jr. trying to give what so many of those so quick to condemn Tony Stewart, exactly what they wanted?

Certainly, it was not racing because crowds are regularly whooping and hollering with delight at this kind of crap.

Formula 1 at Watkins Glen

Yup that's a recent spec McLaren F1 car running turn 11 at Watking Glen. The picture was posted by Nathan Sunseri who was on hand to see the Mobil 1 organized promo event. Lewis Hamilton and Tony Steward swapped a tight F1 for a big NASCAR . It's going to be shown on SpeedTV later tonight.. 2:10 for the NASCAR..really?

.

Tony Stewart gets stuck in Hamilton's F1car

OK, this is funny, well played!
(Mobil1)
end of post

Formula 1 rumor roundup

Let's face it, sometimes there is not a whole lot to discuss between races...or is there? Let's examine a few of the rumors floating around before the British GP.








Rumor #1: David Coulthard turns in on Formula 1 career.

The speculation is that the square jawed Scot will use the occasion of the British GP to announce he is finally moving full time into the hotel business. Presumably DC got into the hospitality industry so that he would always have room for his many girlfriends because DC not only has the fourth best point scoring record (533) but also worked his skirt on a considerable considerable carnet of conquests.




Coulthard also holds the record for most embarrassing promotional tie in ever when he took to the podium in Monaco with a Superman cape. In the picture even Montoya looks embarrassed!





Rumor #2: Senna in F1.

Bruno Senna is a marketer's no brainer so if he is anything better than competent he will get an F1 ride. So far rumors have him close to BMW or Red Bull/STR.




Rumor #3: Tony Stewart?

This is by far the best one. As reported by GrandPrix.com, this would be the next step in the birth of an American Formula 1 team. It could not be more bizarre as it involves a man currently in jail for tax fraud... just the stuff F1 is made of! Let's read:

"The future of Tony Stewart remains a talking point in NASCAR. The 2002 and 2005 champion, is now close to doing a deal to leave Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) and rumours say that he could buy into Haas CNC Racing.
What does this have to do with F1? Haas CNC racing is funded by machine tool magnate Gene Haas, who is currently in jail for tax evasion. He is due to be released in October 2009. It is speculated that Haas may move on from NASCAR and could be the man to help bankroll the rumoured American F1 Honda team. Haas is also the owner of the Wind Shear windtunnel in Charlotte and employs Ken Anderson, the man who is tipped to be heading the F1 team.

Haas's company Haas Automation is one of the largest computerized numerical control machine manufacturers in the world, selling around 12,000 machining centers and lathes every year. The company is aiming to raise its turnover to $2bn by 2015, which will require manufacturing outside the USA. The firm recently opened its first non-US facility in Shanghai and is trying to cash in on the booming markets in Asia and the Middle East. A Formula 1 project thus makes a lot of sense for the company."

GP.com looks to have pulled the article...perfect rumor material!