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Here They Come
10/29/2007I'm of sufficient vintage to remember when Jack Brabham and Jimmy Clark and Colin Chapman showed up at the Indianapolis 500 in the early 1960s. That was enough to set off the old-timers, called "railbirds" back then, to decry this "foreign invasion."
Apparently, they never bothered to examine their tickets, which proclaimed the race to be a "500-Mile International Sweepstakes."
Clark and Chapman's 1965 victory in the Lotus-Ford not only was the first for a rear-engine car, it set in motion the arrival of Graham Hill, Jackie Stewart, Denis Hulme, Jochen Rindt and other Formula One aces before the end of the decade. The issue faded away like the Novi. Years later, Emerson Fittipaldi and Nigel Mansell were welcomed as prestigious additions to the hallowed field of 33.
The record reflects all were world champions.
NASCAR - which has zoomed past Indy as American motorsports' destination-of-choice - now squarely faces the question: "Are non-U.S. drivers good for the sport?"
It's a no-brainer: YES.
It's also not even remotely the same situation.
What Indy - and especially CART/Champ Car - devolved into were (and are) playgrounds for international ride-buyers. Too often, this has reminded me of the kid who gets a place on the neighborhood team only because he brings the ball. Or after his father picks-up the tab for bats, gloves and ice cream.
Can even the most ardent fan of either open-wheel series honestly tell me anything other than this: That Neel Jani, Tristan Gommendy, Milka Duno or Kosuke Matsuura (just to name a few) would not be in action absent a personal financial, or hand-delivered corporate check, provided to a pay-as-you-go owner?
Only those who believe Northern Light still backs the IRL think Dario Franchitti, Juan Pablo Montoya, Jacques Villeneuve or Patrick Carpentier aren't the ones cashing-in.
Which is not to say winning isn't the sole reason for their arrival in the Nextel Cup garage area. Are they attractive to sponsors? Absolutely. Are they excellent complements to NASCAR's marketing thrusts into Canada and Mexico and the worldwide marketplace? You bet.
However . . .
Are these guys ticket-selling/TV-watching "names" who increase the overall value of the series? True. Are they also proven winners at the sport's highest levels? Yes.
Memo to the obscure OW ride-buyers considering a visit to Daytona Beach. You need not apply.
[ Next column: November 12 ]
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(I.N. Sider is the pen name for an independent motorsports business-person who has a quarter-century of professional experience working in almost every major North American racing series. The writer is not an employee of Valvoline or Ashland Inc. The column is intended to inform, entertain, and stimulate thought on the contemporary motorsports scene. The opinions expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of Valvoline or Ashland Inc.)
BackAbout I.N. Sider
I.N. Sider is the pen name for an independent motorsports business-person who has a quarter-century of professional experience working in almost every major North American racing series. The writer is not an employee of Valvoline or Ashland Inc. The column is intended to inform, entertain, and stimulate thought on the contemporary motorsports scene. The opinions expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of Valvoline or Ashland Inc.