Thursday, September 16, 2010

Grand Am at IMS – Should it Happen?

Here’s another story that’s apparently been trapped in a No Fenders WormHole... As this thought bubble was originally spurred by that clever story the ‘DAWG ” (PressDog) penned about disturbing occurances known as Angstadt Units of Time, (A.U.T.) which Y’all can read in Bill’s hilarious story: Investigators Probe Connection between Brazil IndyCar Race and USF1 Team. Although I prefer to call this phenomenon the IUT (“IngleFart” Unit of Time) Err No Fenders WormHole since we’re all supposed to be takin’ IndyCar Happy pills now! But I digress…

Obviously this won’t happen in the year twenty-ten with the IMS having just hosted its final “BIG” race of the year with the MOTO GP having just been completed... Yet with the Brickyard race sufferin’ and this being the final year of the current MOTO GP contract along with it being the middle year of the Three year Centennial-thon, it seemed like a good topic at the beginning of this year’s racing season...

Thus your Humble Scribe found it quite humorous earlier this year just how much traction the debate over whether or not the Indianapolis Motor Speedway should run those UGLY Duckling Grand-Am Sports Cars at the hallowed Speedway received from the “bloggaratzi” previously, which now seems like a long, lost, forgotten story, eh?

Years ago, when I was still a DIED in the wool CART Aficionado, I SWORE I’d NEVER-EVER-EVER attend the INDY 500 after the much maligned Tony G. started the rival IRL Ovals R Us series, especially after he enacted the infamous 25-8 Rule! Although my stance shifted subtly when “Bert ‘N Ernie” brought the Formula 1 circus to town and I made the cross country trek to see Schuey ‘N Co. run the road course at IMS in the fabled year of 2001… Even having the audacity to sit in the Indy Racing League chassis in the Hall of Fame museum, which was set up for the purpose of spectators having their picture taken professionally; you know as in a slight nominal fee… (As in I’ll gladly pay you Thursday for my picture taken Today!) Or better yet by a friend or family member, but I digress…

And upon the completion of last year’s MOTO GP event, I had an entertaining discussion with Danny B about how KOOL it would be to have Formula 1 and MOTO GP as a twin bill weekend, to which I promptly replied will NEVER happen as long as Uncle Bernaughty is alive…

Thus, it pains me once again to find some ‘Juan else beating me to the punch, as I have to say I agree with a lot of Geo. Phillips (Oil Pressure) sentiments, as I too originally considered it BLASTAMY to add a second event at the hallowed Brickyard, especially those GD BOMBERS, nee Tin tops, Err RASSCAR of which you can see how twisted they are by wanting to kiss the yard ‘O bricks; ACK! Yet Formula Uno? Bring it On!

Thus after having made my initial pilgrimage to “Mecca,” I’d be fortunate enough to see those funny ‘lil Foreign “Jobbers” (F1) run bass-ackwards at the Speedway a second time in ’06, when I’d delighted to doing my best Herr Schumacher impersonation of waving my Maestro’s baton whilst humming the Italian National anthem to the delight of the TERMINATOR’s record fifth victory at IMS…

Along with first riding the Indy Experience 2X Seater around the Speedway and then finally attending my very first INDY 500 last year, as I’m now looking forward to attending my inaugural MOTO GP event at IMS... While HELL, I’d even be game for watching a rival Sports Car event at 16th & Georgetown, since it would be somebody besides either Penske or TCGR winning, eh? (As I’m even starting to think a Tony Kanaan victory for Andretti Autosport would be refreshing...) While I’ll skip the ALMS vs. Grand-Am hullaballoo; as I’m decidedly an American Le Mans Series supporter, albeit they too, like IndyCars DON’T run at my Home track of Portland anymore… Uhm, queue the violins track as Tomaso starts to get all weepy ‘bout Portland!

As Sports Cars at IMS would provide a different flavour to the venue, while I continue pondering whether or not to attend this year’s INDY 500? (OOPS! I think I missed it, eh?) As George sez; there’s really no historical significance to the middle year of the Centennial Trilogy that IMS has so cleverly crafted and thus I wholeheartedly agree that a special “One-Off” Grand-Am Sports Car event should have occurred in 2010...

Why Grand Am Shouldn’t Race at IMS

Why?

Yet why not mimic the was then sound logic of back-to-back events of the Canadian-USGP by having the Grand-Am circus roll across the border the week after the Montreal event? And although “Scooter’s” (Scott Pruett) idea has merit of running from sunrise into twilight in order to experience the cachopany ‘O colours, I’d like to suggest making it a nine hour event; Number 9? Number 9? Number 9!!! Since there’s already six and twelve hour events being campaigned, thus making it different once again.

Of course its gotta run on the Formula Uno circuit the same direction they did as sweeping onto the nine degrees banked Turn 1 and blasting down the long main straightaway is the only way to express the Speedway’s flavour… While even better yet, if IMS was smart, make it a fall event that doesn’t conflict with either Motegi or Petit Le Mans in order to give some of the Indy Car Series “Supersarz” (Can uze say Princess-URGH!) the opportunity to compete.

So, where do I get my ticket at? As I’d gladly be willing to make the cross country trek to take in a special Grand-Am Sports Car race this year. Oh Never Mind, that’s right, I’m going to watch the “Scooters” instead...

Should IMS host a Grand-am race?