Bob Barnard Track Engineering

Was anyone else underwhelmed by the new qualifying session for NASCAR? Unlike F1, which this is presumably based on, starting on pole is meaningless in NASCAR, so not really any sense of excitement. The first session saw cars backing out into pit lane, blocking other drivers, and then parked at pit out, effectively blocking that. Not a good arrangement in my mind. I know they are trying to build the show at the track, but the old system was actually more exciting with one car on the track, but with the speed tracker showing us where the car was at all around the track, and the fast guys in practice going last. Let's see what NASCAR does to tweak this.

My last blog talked about the lack of spectators, and there were certainly none at PIR yesterday, but they did show up for the 500 on Sunday, on the front stretch at least, only to sit in the rain, lightning and tornado warning. See what the Weather Channel thought of their severe weather response.

http://www.weather.com/news/nascar-daytona-500-severe-weather-did-track-officials-do-enough-20140223

Not good enough from what should be our best track operator.

Who watched the Daytona telecasts last weekend? Certainly no one at the track. I can recall in the mid 2000's and before when people would come and camp for Speedweeks starting at the Rolex and stay through the 500, and watch the races. Not any more. One week before the 500 and the camp grounds are nearly empty, and the grandstands are totally empty. Granted a few turned up for the "demolition derby" they now call the "Unlimited." It was limited, to 18 cars, and by the time the race ended there were a lot less. Qualifying had nobody watching.

NASCAR has become a "made for television" event. The fees Fox et al pay are the only thing keeping this alive, you certainly cannot make money from admission any more. Makes you wonder why they are building a new stand at Daytona? The back stretch is coming out and going to Phoenix to replace the old front stretch there. So gone are the days of 250,000 plus at the 500.

There is some hope though with the crop of rookies racing this year. As I said we are seeing a new era with nearly a quarter of the field being rookies, and good ones too. Good racing might just turn this around.

Oscar McIntyre, a 17 year old Queensland rider, died at Phillip Island on Saturday during a support event to the WSBK. Any death on a racetrack is tragic, and is more so to me if it happens at a track which I built. I have not seen the accident, but a friend who was there, Herod Lowery, e-mailed me to say Oscar went straight on at Turn One and crossed the track between Turns 2-3. Oscar was hit by two other riders who fortunately survived.

Now when I rebuilt the track I had an earth berm at the rear of the Turn One run off to prevent this, and somehow it has been removed. I would be very interested to know by who and why. Presumably the FIM Inspector OK'd this? It is hard to imagine the Turn One run off is not long enough if you saw Kevin Schwantz get off in 1990 due to a rear brake seizure at close to 200 mph and brush himself off and walk away. Large open run offs are a two edged sword, riders tend to try and "save it" rather than lay it down. I don't know if this is what happened, but if you can get hold of the video from 1989, first lap you will see some great on-board footage of Malcolm Campbell trying to ride out an off at Turn one, not successfully.

Oh, and the race? Checa crashed out of the first leg leaving his mate Biaggi to win it, but stayed on the bike to win the second with Biaggi recovering from a Turn One first lap incident to come through the field and finish second. Biaggi is leading the Championship, but it looks like a Checa/Biaggi veterans Championship. The bright note was the race form of the BMW.

Daytona 500 postponed for the first time in its history. That is amazing in itself given Florida's weather, and today does not look good apparently.

VJ Mallya looks to be getting further and further into trouble with his Airline, just when his F1 team is starting to fly.

The Gribkoswky trial has gone quiet, but Pit Pass has information that the lawyers are looking to do a deal and drop the bribery charges for lack of any real evidence. Gribkowsky still has a problem with the German tax man though. Where does that leave Bernie? Well it leaves him a lot poorer, and if Her Majesty's tax men want to know more about his trust then he could be even poorer. Still, always another would be F1 GP promoter to donate to the cause.  

Sebring Twelve Hour will be here in a couple of weeks. It should be an Audi benefit in the absence of Peugeot. Risi's Ferrari will also be absent for the first time in a long time. Sign of the times, economically, or a move to Grand Am? They managed to field a car at Daytona remember.

If you do not read the "Wired" magazine you should. It has fascinating articles over wide ranging subjects every month, and it will keep you abreast of developments in the "wireless" world. This month is a long feature on "auto" mobiles, cars that drive themselves. It seems a lot of progress has been made in this and it believes that by 2020 these will be common. It describes the host of features that cars like Mercedes already have to make driving safer, but it also raises some interesting legal issues. If the car is stopped for speeding who gets the ticket? And if it crashes is the manufacturer liable not the "driver" or rather passenger? Will you actually need a drivers license to sit in one if you are not actually "driving." The list is endless. As one who's computer has crashed within the last twelve months, and Mrs Barnard's had a hissy fit last week and did not want to start, can we be sure that the ECU will work when you need it?

Back where drivers still drive the Daytona 24 hour was run and won by Mike Shank Racing with Ford power, as was the Starworks runner up and the other Mike Shank car was third, so Ford swept the podium. As did Porsche in the GT class, no Mazdas to embarrass anyone today. I must admit that the Corvette DPs that debuted this year actually looked half decent, pity they did not race as good as they looked. 

In other news the Adrian Sutil trial is in session, verdict expected tomorrow, and Bahrain is still having trouble quietening the natives as it approaches the first anniversary of the demonstrations.

The Rolex 24 hour at Daytona started yesterday with practice and qualifying, with the newly reshaped Daytona Prototypes, DPs. They look somewhat sleeker, but are unlikely to win over fans used to Audis and Peugeots. Ryan Dalziel took pole in the Starworks Ford ahead of the might of Suntrust and Ganassi, but only just. In the GT class it is Brumos Porsche ahead of 458 Ferrari and another Porsche, but all in the 1.49.3 bracket, so very close. It's a long race as they say in the classics, and we can watch on Speed at 2:30 EST. Look out for Alan McNish in that Starworks DP, quite a change from the R18!

Elsewhere the economic fallout continues for F1. We have seen the BBC basically giving back the F1 coverage as it could no longer afford it, and now Spain's broadcaster has done the same with just weeks to go to the first race. Joe Saward is continuing the rumors about the financial viability of Sahara Force India, and we know Williams are struggling on that front. And who would give HRT much hope? Add to all that the Valencia, Korea, Japan, Spa, Nurburgring, Hockenheim, France situation and it would seem Bernie and CVC might be facing a difficult time continuing with their money pit. Not to mention Melbourne. I and many others have long suggested that the current business model is unsustainable.

Rubens Barrichello is off testing and Indy Retirement League car. Good luck to him, why not join his other Brazilian mates.