Racing Eagles

BMW quits… Michael Schumacher comes back… how absolutely depressing.

I've never really been a Schumacher guy. He was a face for everything I hated about the sport from 2000-2004. True, He is a great driver. Also, He had a talent to rally people around him. Plus his competitiveness and drive was astounding.

However all the ugliness which that competitiveness and drive is the reason why I don't want him back. The Todt / Schumacher team bullied other teams, FOM, and the FIA to get their way. They single handedly brought down the U.S. Grand Prix at Indy by turning into a joke with the finish in 2002 and Todt being a roadblock to a resolution to the tire issue in 2005. I could go into things like Monaco 2006, chopping Hill (twice) and JV. Ferrari, Schumacher, and Todt wanted to win no matter what. No matter what the cost, no matter how much of a bully or jerk it made them look. The biggest crime of all is that the FIA and FOM let them do it for far too long. In my point of view, it was only last year when were finally over all the damage the Ferrari years have done.

Now he is back. I know, I know... it is temporary till Massa gets better (hopefully sooner than later) but I just don't want to see him. There are just so many bad memories with the guy. It like going on a blind date and finding it's with your ex-wife who cheated and tortured you during the marriage. There is an awkward conversation, some reminiscing about some of the good portion of the old times, but in the end you remember how much she hurt you. You just want to get up, walk away, and cry a little bit.

I feel that way with Schumacher right now. I don't want to see him. I don't want to hear him. I want to enjoy Button, Hamilton, Webber, and Vettel duke it out for the championship. I don’t want a sideshow which Schumacher joining Ferrari is. The sport has been so good since he left.

Yet is bigger than just him. See the race weekend is the only respite from all the nightmare the sport is in off the track. The political games and the way the sport has been run has completely destroyed any good will the fans have.

SpeedTV's Review of the Hungarian Grand Prix (Video)

Lucky doesn't even start to begin... (SpeedTV's Qualifying Review - Video)

Lucky doesn't even start to begin how fortunate we are to still have Felipe Massa still here with us on earth. If you didn't see it, a suspension spring fell off Ruben Barrichello's BrawnGP car and struck Massa right in the helmet. It struck right where the visor meets the helmet right over his left eye. He is currently recovering from surgery for a concussion and damage to his skull. Here is hoping for a speedy recover. Get well soon Felipe Baby.

There was two things I would like to note. First, it is amazing how fast and effective the marshals and medical crew were in getting to and treat Felipe. Kudos to them for the amazing effort in getting to and treating Massa. Second, this accident was that much more scary because of the similarities to the horrible Henry Surtees of just last week.

Parts and debris striking cars and drivers are not anything new. From the beginning of Grand Prix racing, people have been injured and killed by getting hit by debris. It has always been part of the sport. No mater how much we sweep tracks, take measure to keep debris off tracks, improve the quality of the tracks, and inspect the cars... it will always happen.

It's been 15 years since there have been a fatality in Formula One. We are lucky that streak didn't end yesterday. Yet looking at this accident, I don't know what more can be done. I think all we can do is be vigilant and hope for the best. The safety measures we have now in motor racing is amazing. However, the sport will always be dangerous as fast cars and brave men (and women) drive machines and each other to their limits.I think the only way to encapsulate it is by quoting one of the great American writers.

“Auto racing, bull fighting, and mountain climbing are the only real sports ... all others are games."

-Ernest Hemingway

Hungarian Grand Prix: Speed TV's Chalk Talk

Steve Matchett has made an interesting video discussing everything that a Fromula One team has to account to get the proper weight at the end of the race. Really interesting stuff.

USF1 news round-up (7/22/09)

Alright time for a USF1 news round-up. When it rain it pours. A lot of news out this week on USF1. It's nice that the silly season has finally started.

- AUTOSPORT reports that USF1 expects to have their car ready by October. Lots of good stuff. Now that Cosworth is sorting its' engine, the team can finally move forward in producing a car. YEAH!!! Also the team might be close to a deal with a track in northern Spain to use as their European base. Judging by the photos, it looks like a spectacular part of the country. Finally, the team is rumored to be making some sponsorship announcements next week.

- Also from AUTOSPORT, Cosworth has given some deals in the engine that USF1 will be running next year. Instead of the proposed 20,000 RPM limit that was proposed, the engine will be tuned to 18,000 RPM. Regardless of the RPM, I get the feel that this engine is going to be a gremlin and the FIA under a post-Mosley regime might be less flexible in getting the engine up to snuff.

- SpeedTV has a story that rumors that Jacques Villeneuve might be close to a deal to drive for USF1. I am taking this with a huge grain of salt since it is a GMM story. If it proved to be true, well then I will write a post about my mixed feelings if Jacques was to come to USF1. Yes he is a world champion, but his stint at BAR was really telling of how well he does working with a new outfit. Also, I think he has been out of an F1 car for a little bit too long. I would love to see him as a test driver and adviser though. It would really depend on who his teammate would be in my opinion.

- The rumor that was never going to happen finally died the death it deserved, Danica Patrick is not coming to Formula One and USF1. It best for everyone. I don't think Danica would cut it in Formula One and she couldn't get a drive that would be worthy of her star power. For USF1, I think it would of been a bad move since they would basically become 'Team Danica' instead of focusing on developing and incubating the USF1 project.

Henry Surtees (1991-2009)

 

Every death is a tragedy, however there are some that just resonate more than others. Especially when it is someone who is just at the beginning of their professional life.

If you hadn't heard by now, Henry Surtees died Sunday in a Formula 2 race at Brands Hatch. He was 18-years-old. A car in front of him lost control and slammed into the barrier. This cause the wheel of that car to break its' wheel tether and bounce back onto the track where it struck Surtees. Surtees was on his way in his motor sports career. He was working up the ladder of open wheel racing by competing in Formula BMW, Formula Renault (where he was runner-up in the series,) Formula Three, and currently in Formula Two. Son of the motor sports legend John Surtees, Henry was fast becoming a name in his own right.

I will admit, I never watched him race. I know of him in passing via his involvement in Formula 2. Yet somehow, his sudden death is a shock. It's not just that he was so young or that he has an amazing father, it's that death in motor sports is so uncommon now. Thankfully, Formula One has not had a fatality since both Aryton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger died at Imola 14 years ago. Since NASCAR started to take safety seriously with the death of Dale Earnhardt in 2001, even serious injuries are rare in motor sports races around the world the last decade. In the 1980's, Robert Kubica would not have limped away from that awful wreak at the Canadian Grand Prix three years ago. We as a sport have been very, very lucky.

For all the amazing technical and regulatory changes that have been made to make motor sports safer, it still is a very dangerous business. It's terrible that it takes a death like that of Henry's to remind us of that. I hope that Henry's death will be a constant reminder to motor sports championships around the world to continue their devout commitment to safety of the drivers, teams, and fans.

On a personal note, my heart goes out to the entire Surtees' family and everyone that was blessed enough to know that man half a world away. I hope they can find solice and peace in this most tragic of times.

SpeedTV's German Grand Prix Review (Video)

For the last few months now, I've really enjoyed SpeedTV.com web-only roundtable discussions which they preview and review each Grand Prix. Since they’ve graciously give the option to embed the video, I will be putting them on the blog. They are really worth a view.

Racing Eagles Endorse Ari Vatanen for FIA President.

OLYMPIA, WA, USA - Racing Eagles is proud to announce that it will be endorsing Ari Vatanen for President of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA).

"I believe that the incumbent President and the current administration of the FIA for too long have instigated political rows in Formula One that has caused great harm to the sport," said Dan Brunell, editor-in-chief of RacingEagles.com. "Max has showed time and time again over the last decade that he puts petty political victories over the good of Formula One. Also his contradictory way of doing things (such as wanting to lower the cost of the sport yet adding costly things like KERS and constantly changing the regulations wasting millions) has only steadied our resolve that the man must be replaced."

"It's about time that the FIA receives the leadership it deserves. It needs someone without a infamous scandal. It needs someone who will not disrespect former world champions like Sir Jackie Stewart. It needs a person who loves motor sports and will not use it as a substitute for a failed political career. It needs someone of great intelligence. It needs a person who is respected. Most importantly, it needs a person who is respectful. It needs Ari Vatanen," said Brunell.

Ari Vatanen is a former Finnish rally driver turned politician and Member of the European Parliament 1999-2009. Vatanen won the World Rally Championship drivers' title in 1981 and the Paris Dakar Rally four times. Also according to Joe Saward he is a great guy,

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RacingEagles.com is a website dedicated to Formula One and its' newest team: USF1. It is read by ten's of people every day.

Three ways to improve the Indy 500 and the IRL.

The IRL is in shambles. I know the last several blog posts has focused a little too much on this, but hey... it's my blog. I think the reason why I care so much about this is that I want open racing to be strong again in the states. I want it like in the late eighties, early nineties when CART packed in the crowds nation wide and the Indy 500 was THE race. I don't know if that makes me a nostalgic sap or not, but I think we can have those times yet again.

However, for those good times to come back, the sport really needs to take a very close look at itself. In my view, there are some very serious flaws in how the series operates, marketed, and how the ownership view the series. I hope with a change in in leadership at the IRL, that things will change. Here are some suggestions.

So here is my three point plan to save the Indy 500 and the IRL.

- Recruit and keep drivers around that people can relate to. It is ironic... one of the chief complaints that Tony George gave when he set up the IRL in 1995 is that their were too many foreigners drivers in CART. Well Mr. George, how do you like the field in the IRL now? The top two teams (Penske and Ganassi) in the series have drivers which are all born out of North America. There hasn't been a North American driver who has won the drivers championship since 2002. There hasn't been a driver from North America who have won more than two races in a year since 2006. The lack of a strong domestic presence on the grid was one of the leading factors of why I believed that CART fell apart.

Formula One needs to give back more than just controversy to the world.

Before I begin...does anyone... anyone in Formula One know how to to do damage control or the basics of public relations. I mean COME ON!!! Between the Mosley v. FOTA row and the latest comments that emerged from the mouth of one Bernie Ecclestone; I swear no one in this sport has two brain cells to rub together when it comes to public relations.

Now to the article. You've might of read Ecclestone's recent comments in the Times of London. Everyone has focused their criticism of Bernie on the "Hitler" comment that he made later in the article. I would like to focus on what he said in the paragraph before that:

He (Ecclestone) has more to say on the shortcomings of democracy. “Politicians are too worried about elections. We did a terrible thing when we supported the idea of getting rid of Saddam Hussein, he was the only one who could control that country. It was the same [with the Taleban]. We move into countries and we have no idea of the culture. The Americans probably thought Bosnia was a town in Miami. There are people starving in Africa and we sit back and do nothing, but we get involved in things we should leave alone.”

I find it ironic that Mr. Ecclestone should complain about how democracies fall short; especially with helping out the needy. It is Formula One that has a less than stellar track record when it comes to helping the less fortunate in my opinion.