Growing up around auto racing (that little guy looking through the fence is me watching my Dad's car get weighed in after winning the Indianapolis National), I still posess a great interest n it. This past weekend had some great racing, F1 @ Imola, AMA Supercross @ Dallas and some sport car racing. The reason I mention the F1 & Supercoss series, is that these are tow of the best years of racing in long time in both. F1 is tight w/ the long-time champion Schumi having to fight and scrap for every point against the new guard lead by current World Champ Alanso. And Supercross is down to the final two events with a tight points bought between Carmichael, Reed and Bubba Stewart, awesome!
More than these story lines is a bigger one that has not gotten much press, Diesel. My conscious has had me torn in the recent past about supporting racing, because it had seemed that racing was not leading the technology and direction to sustainable fuel resources. Except for a few cockroach looking vehicles scurrying accross the Australian desert, racing has been about faster cars, technology in the sense of computers and maximizing current resources, and saftey (which is a bad thing). But until a couple of weekends ago, it had nothing to do with environmental concerns, but that all changed in Sebring during the American LeMans Series 12 hour race, when Audi absolutely dominated a field of some of the most technically advanced autos with a pair of TDIs (Turbo Diesel Injection).
The Europeans are so far out front on diesel technology, it is not funny. There is an all-wheel drive TDI Golf, that will blow the doors off the new GTI Mark IV just now making its US debut (these have been out for 3 years in Germany). And it is coming in the near future that more race series will adopt these engines, right now they are in LeMans, and the German Touring Cras, be looking for them in more sports car series, WRC World Rally, and yes, F1. What about NASCAR? Not that I care, but they have their own issues w/ the big 3 bleedy massive amounts of $$$ every day, Toyota will step in the next year or two and take over that series. And when Chevy, Ford and Dodge are gone, I wonder what will that sticker of the kid peeing on their least favotrite brand will be peeing on?
Racing is as good as it has been, and things are looking like it can only get better with these big changes coming. It is great to see a sport I like so much, take charge and lead the change towards something positive, while still provide great competition and sport.
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