The Weekly Nightcap - Feb 27

Welcome to the first ‘Weekly Nightcap’. I’ll use this as a forum to give my views on multiple topics in the motor racing world that I (a) didn’t have time to get to during the week or (b) didn’t have enough to make a proper article out of it.

This week, I’ll be touching on the impending (?) Honda team takeover, A1GP wanting to be Formula One.. or is that the other way around, BBC’s announcement on Formula One coverage, the banks bailing not only on their customers, but on Formula One and finally on Dale Earnhardt Junior.

Honda buy-out imminent?
This week ends with news that supposedly, a rescue plan for the Honda team is almost sorted. Judging by some of the news reports, it is a case of dotting ‘i's’ and crossing ‘t's’. The buyout option appears to be that headed by Ross Brawn and Nick Fry.

The pair is an interesting way to go. Over the past few months, we have been told that there have been many enquires. Although, according to Honda, none were feasible. It’s hard to believe that the Brawn/Fry bid was the only one that really ticked all the boxes for Honda. If Branson was serious about a Virgin bid, his deep pockets would make more sense than those of a cobbled together bid.

Perhaps the two leaned on their connections in Japan to get across the line first. A number of potential buyers were said to be unhappy with Fry being involved in the vetting process, given that he was tabling a bid of his own. Regardless, 20 cars on the grid is better than 18 come Melbourne.

I want to be like you!
At the A1GP race in South Africa last weekend, series boss, Tony Teixeria, stated that Formula One was looking to become more like A1GP with the recent changes to the sport. Oddly enough, despite this claim, he still has dreams of starting his own Formula One team. While his standpoint maybe that Formula One is trying to emulate his series, his ambitions appear to realise that A1GP will never match Formula One.

Practice, Qualifying and Race, Oh My!
The BBC announced its scheduling for Formula One this week. The great news is that they plan to show extensive coverage, including the practice sessions. The Beeb will offer the sessions online, if of course you are lucky enough to live in the United Kingdom. Ah, fun times. They will also be available on television, via the red button – if you have one. (Yeah, Kieran, I’m looking at you!)

Extensive pre and post race coverage is also touted. The line that caught my attention from Mark Wilkin, producer of the Beeb’s TV and online coverage was that "we want to personalise these guys because we don't know who they are. The British public knows who Lewis Hamilton is now, but there are 17 other drivers that we need to get to know as well."

I’ll believe it when I see it. But, ITV Sport did send the set new lows in my view for overall coverage of the past two years. It can’t take that much effort for the BBC to beat that standard level this year. As long as the BBC don’t follow ITV’s lead and create ‘The Lewis Hamilton Show, featuring a Grand Prix’, all should be fine.

Closure
RBS has joined Credit Suisse and ING as the banks pull out of sponsorship in Formula One. ING announced a few weeks ago that they would be leaving Renault, much to the joy of retinas. RBS will honor their contract until the end of 2010 with Williams, giving the privateer manufacture time to search for a new sponsor. I suppose, when you announce loses of 20 plus billion, another few million down the drain is like a penny in a pond.

I wonder if some lay awake at night and wish the sport still had tobacco sponsorship. Don’t get me wrong, I have no inclination for smoking. I personally don’t touch the stuff. But, it’s a lifestyle choice for some. In their time, they brought some serious cash to the table (and still do in the case of Ferrari.)

Better late than never
Nascar travels to the glitz and glam of Las Vegas, Nevada for the third stop on the Sprint Cup tour. Something I didn’t get a chance to mention last week was Dale Earnhardt Juniors response to what occurred at Daytona.

At the time, Earnhardt Junior didn’t take any of the blame. On one hand, it was to be expected given that he didn’t have an opportunity to assess the situation. On the other, it irked me as a viewer, since he chose to question another rule entirely in the same interview.

The weekend of the Fontana race, we got the see an interview between Earnhardt Junior and Darrell Waltrip. It was a candid and open interview that allowed the viewer a glimpse behind the mask we see on race days from a driver. I don’t think that anyone other than DW could have gotten such responses out of Earnhardt Junior. In it, he took responsibility for his part in ‘The Big One’. It might have been a bonehead move, but at least he can stand up and admit when he did wrong.

The American Dream

As the weeks roll on, the USF1 project seemingly has a leg to stand on. When I first heard about this project, I was definitely sceptical. Actually, I still am.

How many times has a new team project being floated around the media, only for them to disappear into oblivion. The most recent of which being Prodrive. A whole lot of singing and dancing came from David Richards. They even won the right for the tender for the then twelfth team on the grid. They should have being on the grid at the start of 2008, but the team failed to appear after the customer car row went against their ideals.

If this project had come up a couple of years ago, it would have made perfect sense. However, North America has lost both its races in recent years, leaving Formula One with no beachhead in the country. While there has been talk about a return, nothing is set in stone. The sport has failed to settle on a permanent home in the country, with no less than nine different circuits since the first championship race to the US in 1959.

Europeans are quick to criticise US motorsports and it is pretty much vica-versa on the other side of the pond. Formula One has hardly left with its head held high either. The lowest point of the sport’s most recent return to the States was 2005 United, where only six cars started due to tire issues. That been said, it wasn’t the first race in the US that ended with beer cans on the track!

Even as more details have been released about the USF1 project, it just sounded like a fantasy. They intend to set up in North Carolina, right in the heart of Nascar country. I question whether a Formula One team can work comfortably out of North America. Sure, there will be skilled people in the area, but not for the sport of Formula One.

That is why so many teams have set up shop in the United Kingdom. Teams have a readily supply of skilled labour on hand for whatever task is needed. Currently, only four of the eleven teams are based outside of the UK. Even when Toyota launched their F1 project, many questioned their decision to set up shop in Cologne.

Another component mentioned for the team is a desire for an all-American line-up. Much like the choice of base location, it is a head scratcher. US racers have a long history of failure in the sport. Mario Andretti stands as the only US national champion in Formula One’s history – and he was born in Italy. Since then, the sport has being littered with failed attempts. The most recent of these was Mario’s son, Michael, in 1993 and Scott Speed in 2006-07. Both left their respective teams before the end of their final seasons.

Immediately, Danica Patrick was linked with a seat. When I look at that possibility, I just think ‘PR stunt’. Danica is a good racer, but she has yet to firmly establish herself as a contender in the Indy Racing League. When you see that past US single-seater champions have struggled in Formula One, you have to question what hope Danica could have. I could be wrong, but, I’m sure I am not the only one thinking that.

A more respectable choice would be AJ Allmendinger. Should ‘Dinger not find himself a full season sponsorship to run in Nascar this year, an option to return to single-seaters might suit him. Although, given his growing potential in the stock car series, I can’t imagine him staying jobless for long. Unlike Franchitti, Villeneuve and Carpentier, Allmendinger seems settled for the long haul in Nascar.

I expect Marco Andretti, grand-son of ex-champion Mario, to be heavily linked in the coming months. Unlike Allmendinger and Patrick, Marco has tested a Formula One car and showed potential. As part of a racing dynasty, he would be the perfect face to lead the team as they attempt to conquer Formula One. He is taking part in A1 GP this year in an attempt to improve his road racing talents for the upcoming IRL season.

There is an air of confidence around not only the USF1 project leaders, but from elements of the F1 paddock that this could work. I will remain sceptical until we learn more. A soft drink tastes great while the fizz is still in it, but it doesn’t take long before it goes flat.

GPVWC Syndication

Greetings one and all,

A big announcement for The Chequered Flag is that I have secured syndication on a sim-racing site. My articles will be posted on the GPVWC blog section. The GPVWC is a sim-racing site which supports the game rFactor. As an avid racing game junkie, I am delighted to link up with a site that matches me love of motorsport and gaming.

The deal has been in the works for a while now. We discussed doing it this time last year, but we didn’t quite get it off the ground as planned. Second time around, we are confident of it. Hopefully, it will bring in more readers to the blog!

The Chequered Flag in 2009
There will be some changes to the way I construct my articles this year on the blog. On some occasions, I was content to just give an overall review of a race in a competition, especially on those boring days. This year, I will be focusing more on the talking points of a race. Results can be found easy enough on any site, but what makes a blog unique is to deal with the talking points.

I will also be introducing a weekly review article on the Friday of each week, briefly covering motorsport news that has happened in the week. There are times that I can’t make a full article out of something that has happened during the week. This will allow me to comment briefly on a number of issues on the fly.

I’m looking forward to contributing here and wish you all a successful year in whatever category you are taking part in.

Life in the old dogs yet

It may be early days in the 2009 Sprint Cup, but so far one thing is clear – the veterans aren’t going to let the next generation have their time just yet.

As the old saying goes, it may take a while for a bus to come, but when it does, there are usually a few in quick succession. Matt Kenseth backed up his rain-shortened Daytona triumph with victory in California. The track has long been the stomping ground of the Roush and Hendrick superteams. There was little surprise when these two teams dominated the overall lead lap charts.

As the sun set, intermixed with sprinkles of rain, it was Matt Kenseth and Jeff Gordon who led the push to the line. It is great to see the old guard running back up front. I’ve read too many pieces writing these guys off, claiming they were past it. Kenseth himself has often been labelled as someone who didn’t have a killer instinct to win a lot of races during the season.

Along with Kenseth, Jeff Gordon had a great day for the #24. He was up at the front all the day, just lacking the ability for that final push on Kenseth. But boy did he give it a go. After a winless season last year, seeing the veterans back up there where they belong only adds to the intrigue as the season goes. Last year saw the wins spread too thin. With the amount of contenders we appear to have, hopefully we won’t have any runaways.

My final mention goes to Kyle Busch. He may not have won, but the #18 still had a sterling weekend. The Las Vegas native made history with winning the Camping World Truck race and the Nationwide Series race on the same day. He might have fallen short of a historic hat-trick, but the intent is clear.

The Big (One) Debate

Matt Kenseth took his and Jack Roush’s first Daytona 500 victory in the rain shortened season opener in Florida. As the lights went down the rain began to fall. Nascar hoped to restart the race, but the rain continued to persist, bringing an end to the 51st edition of the ‘The Great American Race’.

The main talking point regarding the 500 will remain Dale Earnhardt Junior. The fan favourite started strong but a pair of pit lane mishaps saw him go one lap down. Driving like what can only be described as a pissed off teenager, he got into the rear of Vickers’ when the Toyota blocked him all the way down to the double-yellow line. The action resulted in the ‘Big One’, taking out numerous cars, included those who had been in contention all day.

While the majority of fans are already sweeping it underneath the carpet, those who hold a more neutral view are scratching their heads as to why Nascar didn’t dish out a penalty. A similar incident occurred only 24 hours earlier in the Nationwide, where Jason Leffler received a five-lap penalty in a similar incident. Yet, no penalty was given to Earnhardt Junior.

I don’t believe it was intentional. Trying to wreck someone at a Super-Speedway is just insane. Earnhardt, more than anyone, knows the pain that a massive wreck can cause at those speeds. The problem is, Earnhardt was not in the best state of mind. Anyone watching the race could see that he appeared more agitated following a pair of pit-lane issues.

Yes, he was fighting to get in position for the Lucky Dog, but as the day showed, blocking people was the norm. He could have afforded to lift ever so slightly, given that nobody was tucked up behind him either. The result of the incident saw many good race cars wrecked. Patience is the key in any race.

Ironically, in his interview after the incident, Dale Junior was questioning whether to have the rules looked at in regards to Vickers’ move. Not exactly the most ideal time to bring that up.

But as I said, it is likely to be swept under the carpet. In Earnhardt Nation, Junior can do no wrong. Regardless, even more pressure has been put on a driver who is already carrying an already massive on his shoulder in the 2009 season.

2009 Nascar Season Preview

A new year, but the aim is still the same – stop Jimmie Johnson. Nascar kicks off the new season with the Daytona 500 on Sunday evening. It starts off a gruelling 36 race schedule that criss-crosses America as they determine who will be the Sprint Cup Champion.


#00 – David Reutimann.
Reutimaan returns to his familiar #00 which he used during the 2007 and start of 2008 season. Towards the end of last year, the Michael Waltrip Racing driver steadily improved. I expect him to continue leading the line for his young organisation. Sponsorship could be an issue, according to some reports.

#1 – Martin Truex Jr.
Truex leads the new Earnhardt-Ganassi line-up, although his long term future at the team will remain in question with his contract up at the end of this year. After making the Chase in 07, there was little to shout about for Truex in 2008. If the new Earnhardt Ganassi team fails to spark, I would expect Truex to seek pastures new.

#2 – Kurt Busch
Like Truex, the elder Busch brother failed to make the Chase last year. With a year that starting with promise for the Penske team, it quickly evaporated into a tough slug for the team. Busch visited victory lane once, in a rain-shortened race. With his brother on the rise, Kurt needs to remind everyone that he was once a Nascar champion.

#5 – Mark Martin
The veteran returns for one final tour (again) with a full time rid in a Hendricks car. He is the popular choice for a run at the title. Personally, I would love to see him do it. I’ve been a Martin fan since I first started watching Nascar years ago. While it would be a fairytale, I don’t seem doing it. Expect him to be in the Chase though.

#6 – David Ragan
The man who won the ‘Most Improved Driver of the Year’ in the first annual Phillies here on The Chequered Flag, big things are expected of Ragan in 2009. A first one is a must, along with a Chase berth. The pressure is on the youngster. All the eyes are on him, even within his team. Roush has to cut one of their cars at the end of the year to comply with the four cars per team rule. Ragan and McMurray are the ones thought to be on the chopping board.

#7 – Robby Gordon
One of the few remaining full-time single car teams, I expect another year of struggle for Gordon. 2008 was a poor year and was not helped by issues with then technical partner GEM. A messy divorce was on the cards, leaving Gordon freelance. There is only so far one can go running solo. I wouldn’t be surprised if Gordon has finally reached the limit.

#07 – Casey Mears
Nascar’s journeyman finds himself yet again in a new car. There can be little excuse for Mears if he fails to light up in the #07. Clint Bowyer has taken this crew to the Chase two years in a row. After failing at Hendricks, he will be looking at Kyle Busch as an example of what can happen if you leave the best team.

#8 – Aric Almirola
The youngster who ran the part-time schedule with Mark Martin last year takes full control of it this year. A promising youngster is still likely to be thrown in at the deep end, with a team that is still trying to find its feet. A lot of confusion has been made over sponsorship for the #8 and whether it would have enough for the full year.

#9 – Kasey Kahne
It looked at once stage that Kahne could be a legitimate threat for the Chasse in the middle of the season. A spectacular nose dive saw him miss the cut and disappear off the radar. He leads the re-organised Richard Petty Motorsports (RPM) from the ashes of GEM and Petty Enterprises. With the number of Chase-potential drivers in the field, he could find himself on the outside looking in yet again.

#11 – Denny Hamlin
The youthful Hamlin is now the veteran within the Joe Gibbs stable. He needs to reverse the slide his career appears to be on. Jumping onto the scene with a bang, it is been nothing but fizzle lately from him.

#12 – David Stremme
Stremme returns after a year out, replacing Ryan Newman. After giving way to Dario Franchitti in the #40 last year, Stremme subbed for the injured Scot last year. Looking at how he handled the car, you had to wonder why the switch was done in the first place. A year in the Nationwide series has kept his skills honed.

#14 – Tony Stewart
A venture into the unknown with ‘Smoke’, as he takes command of his own team. Up’s and down’s are expected, but if he can make the Chase, it will likely feel like a championship for him.

#16 – Greg Biffle
The Biff came from nowhere to make a run for the title late last year. Now he just needs to build on it. Too many times, a good year is followed by a bad year for Biffle. It was for that reason I had lumped him with Ragan and McMurray in regards to been the odd one out at Roush. If he can pull off what he did last year, his seat will be well cemented.

#17 – Matt Kenseth
The former champion endured a winless year, which was altogether too quiet, even by his standards. I do wonder if Kenseth has it in him for another championship. Honestly, I didn’t see anything that would convince me to the contrary last year.

#18 – Kyle Busch
After crashing and burning in the Chase, Wild Thing is out for blood. If lessons are learned for why the team dropped off so much late last year, there could be no stopping him.

#19 – Elliott Sadler
It will be interesting to see how this team works this year. The messy situation regarding his contract is likely to lead to some frictions within the team. Whether that brings out the best, or worse, only time will tell.

#20 – Joey Logano
‘Sliced Bread’ will be staring at the mountain he has to climb with his first full season. Expectation is at fever pitch for the youngster. He takes over from Tony Stewart, meaning he has the best team possibly built around him to help adjust. A victory isn’t out of the question, if he can live up the hype.

#21 – Bill Elliott
Awesome Bill will remain with Woods Brothers for select outings this year. Like a fine wine, he continues to put the car on the field without the need to fall back on a champions provisional.

#24 – Jeff Gordon
A winless year has seen alarm bells ringing within the media. Gordon may be down, but he certainly isn’t out. I expect him to break that duck this year. A driver of his talent just doesn’t go bad overnight.

#26 – Jamie McMurray
A strong end to the season has left Roush in a tight spot with trying to make five go into four. If McMurray can be as consistent as he was fast, he could be a fly in the ointment when it comes to finalising those Chase berths.

#28 – Travis Kvapil
Travis did an awesome job of keeping a car that ran a good chunk of the year without sponsorship. Again he finds himself in the same boat. Added pressure comes with his points being transferred, meaning he has to qualify on speed for the first five races.

#29 – Kevin Harvick
Another driver who endured a winless year, he started this year in the best possible way with winning the Bud Shootout. Like Kenseth and Gordon, he has a point to prove.

#31 – Jeff Burton
A new sponsor on the hood of the #31, but expect more of the same. Burton should solidly qualify for the Chase, but I feel that he doesn’t really have the killer instinct to actually win it.

#33 – Clint Bowyer
Bowyer moves to the new RCR team in an attempt to keep sponsors happy. Good news for Clint is that he doesn’t need to worry about qualifying on speed, after the team received points from the #22. Biggest question for Bowyer will be can he make the Chase with a new crew,,

#39 – Ryan Newman
The second of the new Stewart-Hass cars, Newman is a lock for the first five. With the quality of the Chase field, I don’t see him making it.

#42 – Juan Montoya
The talent is there, but is the machinery? I think Montoya has a lot to prove, but I don’t think he can do that with his current team. He may need to consider moving if he is realise his potential.

43 – Reed Sorenson
The youngster has big feet to fill in the famous 43. He hasn’t shown much in the way of race craft that screams we are going to see something difference. Perhaps the guidance of the great Richard Petty can steer him right.

44 – AJ Allmendinger
After the fiasco over which car he would drive, Allmendinger ended up with the short stick. He has guaranteed for the first eight races, after which the team needs sponsors. It would be a waste of talent to see him not on track.

47 – Marcos Ambrose
The likable Aussie starts his first full season in the JTG Daugherty organisation. The team is running out of Michael Waltrip’s factory and is essentially, an unofficial third team there. Needs to be consistent on the ovals before he can really romp at the road courses.

48 – Jimmie Johnson
Four-peat? That is what everyone is thinking and why not? The best team is hard to bet against. I’m looking forward to Johnson vs Edwards vs Busch this year.

55 – Michael Waltrip
Team owner Waltrip says that he will quit if he endures a bad season this year. Despite keeping the car solidly within the top-35 during last year, I feel that I don’t think he can get much higher than that. Indeed, it might be a good time to move over and let someone else take over the reins.

77 – Sam Hornish Jr.
A second season beckons for the former Indycar racer. Last year, Hornish showed flashes of potential in his race craft. Unfortunately, it wasn’t consistent enough. He will have a lock in for the first five races, ever important for a driver that could easily struggle as he would shine on any given weekend.

82 – Scott Speed
The years second rookie confirmed for a full-time seat, Speed wasn’t really impressive when he replaced Allmendinger late last year. So much so that the team had to swap Speed and Vickers on the final race to ensure the car would make the top-35. Importantly for the former F1 driver is that he has cut his teeth on a few races. With the lack of testing time this year, such experience is all the more valuable.

83 – Brian Vickers
Like Kasey Kahne, at one point it looked like he would make a strong run for the Chase. Like Kahne, he also suffered a drop in form that saw him drop from contention. A Chase berth and a win are on the cards, but it will be tough. Credit to the team for the amazing turnaround from 2007 to 2008. If they can continue in that vein, who knows what might be possible for the Red Bull outfit.

88 – Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Earnhardt Nation expects. A fuel mileage and a non-championship win was hardly what they expected. But he did have more victories than team-mates Gordon and Mears. This year is definitely a put up or shut up year for him. He has had a year within the team. Now it is time to show that there is more to him than being the son of Dale Earnhardt.

96 – Bobby Labonte
Former champion Labone will drive the Hall of Fame/Yates car, with a lock for the first five races do the job that Kvapil and Gilliand did last year in their respective rides. A driver of his calibur should keep the team afloat in the top-35

98 – Paul Menard
In a time where sponsorship is hard to come by, Menard is a hit commodity. Not the greatest driver in the world but when the family business has their name on the hood, it is an easy choice to find him a ride. Like Labonte, he finds himself with a lock for the first five because of the work done by the ’08 Yates drivers.

99 – Carl Edwards
Edwards is my tip for the title this year. Underneath that charming smile is a man with a racers instinct. He isn’t afraid to take risks and when the chips are down, he doesn’t have any qualms about driving the stones off his car. The expected three-way battle with Johnson and Busch should make for good watching.

Easy does it best

Nascar fired up its engines and kicked off the season in style with the Budweiser Shootout on Saturday night.

Kevin Harvick came from the back to steal the victory away right at the depth as carnage ensued behind him. Harvick ran at the rear for the most of the race, dodging early accidents and losing the draft twice.

The Shootout saw a record number of competitors, 28, with the rule changes in place for the event. This year saw each manufacturer supply their best six cars of 2009, plus an additional wildcard for each. The new format saw new faces in the race for the first time, but saw a number of Shootout stalwarts left watching from the sideline.

Given the testing ban, the drivers are taking every opportunity to get track time before the opening race next Sunday. That didn’t kill the competitive spirit of many, who duelled throughout the 75 laps. Cautions were a plenty, with plenty of torn up cars and yellow flags, including a last lap smash that took out many of the contenders for the race.

This coming week will see the unique qualifying for the 500 take place, before the big on Sunday night. I’ll be doing a review during the week. I’m doing a slight change of format than the one previously mentioned. I’ll be doing it via numbers rather than a team-by-team basis, since it is hard to know for sure how many will be full-time or not.

Bourdais Retains Toro Rosso Seat

Torro Rosso has made a good call on resigning Sébastien Bourdais for the upcoming season. Despite a difficult start, the Frenchman acquitted himself well with some stirring end of season drivers. They may not have been as noticeable as team-mate Vettel’s – but he did show that he was worthy of a second chance.

With another Sebastian – Beumi, joining Torro Rosso, at least the team only have to remember surnames! Seriously though, Bourdais was the better choice between him and Sato. Beumi has shown raw pace in the end of season tests. But that often isn’t enough. Despite entering only his second year, Bourdais brings a wealth of experience to the table after an extremely successful stint racing in the US.

As for Sato, well, he is still an unknown quantity. When I read reports about him being in the frame, it was more to do with money than skill. That is never a good sign. Perhaps Honda’s pull-out had a ripple effect on his own chances of securing a seat. Another name mentioned was Jenson Button, following Honda’s pull-out. At this stage, Button is obviously clinging in desperate hope that Superman flies in to save the team.

Back when this all kicked off, Bourdais said he wasn’t keen on waiting. Could you blame him? While talented, he isn’t a spring chicken anymore. It would have been a shame to see him return to the US. His gradual improvement earned him a spot on the 2009 grid in my view.

I’m guessing the economic downturn somewhat played into his hands. With money being tight, chances of getting a seat in the IRL would have been limited. Even his old team, Newman-Hass-Lanigan, is struggling to have more than one car running this year. Chances are, Bourdais had no choice but to wait.

Nice that it paid off for him. Now he has to deliver. He is sitting on a pressure cooker and must perform if he is to have a long term future in the sport.

New Year, Different Sport, Same Problems

Not exactly motorsport news, but it goes to show that while the BBC coverage for Formula One is a voyage into the unknown – we are better off over ITV.

Last night saw the FA Cup replay football match (soccer for any US readers) between Liverpool and Everton. For those not inclined to watch football, this is one of the biggest rivalries in English football. Both teams are from the city of Liverpool and this match is popularly known as the Merseyside derby.

The match went past the regulation 90-minutes. Given that it was a replay, a winner had to be decided on the not, prompting a half-hour overtime period. On the 118th minute, Everton scored the winning goal.

But where were ITV? On a break, of course.

It is something we have become used to on Formula One, as the broadcaster cuts away at a potentially pivotal moment. It’s one of the reasons I was happy to do a song and dance with the switch to BBC. But to put an advert break so close to end of the match is nothing short of farcical.

ITV are putting it down to a glitch in the system. A plausible excuse, but not good enough. According to reports earlier last year when it was announced that ITV lost the F1 contract, some of the reasoning’s on their side was purportedly due to wanting to focus on football.

I’m sure many will be happy to stick with Sky Sports if this is what ITV consider to be a ‘quality’ broadcast.

A-What GP

A1GP – in theory, it is a great idea. It had a mix of motorsports with a dash of nationalism to it. Unfortunately, five years since its incarnation, you have to ask what is has accomplished.

I’ve been meaning to write this for a good while now. I suppose in a way, my constant delay in writing it is formulaic to how many perceive A1GP – as something that can be put off consistently over other things.

As I said above, the series is five years old. Unless you are a fan, or your country is doing exceedingly well, it is likely you might not have heard of it. Sky Sports handle the coverage of it in this region, which is symptom of the problem.

Motorsports always seems to be the poorer cousin for Sky Sports. Even Speedway bike racing gets more advert coverage than four wheeled sports – and that is including the American sports car series. You would be hard pushed to find a dedicated advert on their channels for the sport. They are usually found inside the collage adverts, which promote all their sports.

Another option is to watch it on their website. I did this for the season opening race in Zandvoort. The commentary was the same as you would find on the Sky Sports coverage, the advantage being that you don’t have to deal with advert breaks.

But coverage isn’t always the problem. With the exception of a few races, the calendar is set in Asia. That leaves the series trying to convince prospective watchers to get up in the wee hours of the morning to watch the races live, or record it. What about a repeat? Well, when I have gone looking, Sky Sports don’t show them on the day. By then, I have likely tripped over a sports sit that will show the results, (one of the pitfalls of been a motorsport blogger; I have to stay on top of things).

I’ve tried to get in to the series, especially during the winter when the more popular series are having their respite. But I have found it nigh impossible to do so because of the dodgy timing.

Unfortunately, my issues with the series doesn’t end there.

Is it me, or is the safety car in constant usage in the series? Or have I just tuned into the wrong races. Over the last five years when I have managed to catch some of the racing, nearly every race had a situation where the safety car was called out. It felt like that if you sneezed, the safety car was deployed. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy close up racing – but when your series isn’t set up for it, like the American series, it is a problem.

The current season had all the hallmark of been the breakout year for the series. A deal with Ferrari to supply their car and engines. What better badge to have on the car than one of the most iconic names in motorsport.

All was well and good – until there weren’t enough cars to start the year with. In all seriousness, how does that happen? The deal was done early enough in the year that for this to happen is farcical at best. This led to suggestions that the first race of the year would be a non-championship race, (which I’m sure the organisers and ticket buyers of that event would have loved!) before settling on a format where their best nine results would count.

The problems didn’t end there, with scheduling problems that saw race dates switched and others cancelled. All in all, for a series that is trying to carve a niche amongst a plethora of other series, it just seems like they stumble from one blunder to another.

Series scheduling, even before it turned into a bit of a lucky bag, had me scratching my head. Personally, when a series starts, you want it to build momentum and get a rhythm going. How are you supposed to get into a series which can go on a month long hiatus between races? It is so easy to forget about the series with that long a wait.

Time to go racing!

The wait is nearly over. The time for racing is near!

This weekend, gentlemen will start their engines for the pre-season Daytona races that will sort out those who make it for the 'Great American Race'.

Despite the season only finishing in November, it feels a lot longer than a few months since we saw the cars in action. This weekends event will be preceded by the big race next weekend!

I will be doing a pre-season preview of the upcoming season over the coming days. I will be running down on them by team-by-team, from top to bottom!