AMERICA'S LAST F1 RACE HELD AT INDY

After a contract calling for seven F1 races at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway has run its course, Bernie Ecclestone, "F1 El Supremo", has stated, "We don't need the United States," and evidently America agrees with him.

Even the most ambitious and friendly reports from Indy said that "perhaps" 100,000 people attended the F1 race this year, 20,000 of those tickets purchased and distributed by Michelin, whose tire failures last year caused the most embarrassing and amateurish F1 event ever run in the modern history of the sport, with only six cars starting in the competition. (Photo of: Michael Schumacher)

This year, almost half the field (including the lone American, Scott Speed) was knocked out of the race at the first corner of the first lap by F1 racers driving way too anxiously for the first lap of a two-hour-long event. The race then unfortunately deteriorated into one of those typical F1 "parades" which American fans simply don't want to watch. And who can blame them? With no American manufacturer or American driver with a chance of winning the race, why should Americans care?

NASCAR star Jeff Gordon spoke to the media at Indy about his interest in F1 and his love of the F1 cars, the most exotic and expensive racing machines in the world, after having the chance to drive some, but it must be asked: Why would Gordon give up a guaranteed $40 million or so annually in NASCAR salary, prize money and endorsements, for an F1 contract with a salary of perhaps $15 million and very little in the way of endorsements and prize money the first several years.

  TV coverage of F1 at Indy showed near-empty grandstands which had been filled a few years ago. Attendance at the US GP has gone down dramatically each year since it started being held at Indy a few years ago. It appears that Tony George and Bernie Ecclestone, truly two peas of the same pod, have gotten what they deserve. George invested tens of millions in his legendary facility to meet the demands of F1 and Bernie. Bernie juggled the schedule to have the two North American F1 events just days apart from each other. (Photo of: Bernie Ecclestone)

What they can't guarantee is the quality of the race itself. Where other series, particularly NASCAR, understand that racing is first and foremost a SHOW and run their organizations that way, F1 runs an outfit with only two or three drivers and their cars capable of winning on any Sunday, and it's accepted that the rest of the field is simply "filler" or "cannon fodder", depending on your point of view.

The biggest mistake ever made in American racing was splitting CART into Champ Car and the IRL. The second biggest was ignoring F1 and halting the events which had been held successfully for many years at the fabulous Watkins Glen, NY track.

(Photo of: Scott Speed)

Comments

[Jim Hayward]

Little doubt Montoya was the quasi bad boy of Formula One; but what he did do on his departure is spot light Formula One as one of the world's most boring sports. The series have I passionatly followed for decades has been reduced to technically exciting cars which are relegated to 'Ho Hum' high speed sponsor saturated billboards during the 'race'.

Cars are fitted with virtual automatic gearboxes, and full time traction control so as not to hurt the expensive billboard. Treaded tires to keep speeds so slow Danika Patrict wouldn't even talk to them about a ride. Agressive driving, a la Montoya, is discouraged. Crash into your team mate because he's so bored having given up for the year and is moving on, and you are gone!!!

F1 is the second most followed sport in the world....followed by nations who have near pure nationalism and other than F1 and soccer, have little more in life to root for. It is, currently, a Spanish driver that rules F1, ergo the world!!!???