Bill Oursler On Doing The Right Thing

Bill Oursler On Doing The Right Thing

Sometimes the hardest things to remember are the most simple. In the case of

the motorsport industry a prime example is that one needs to learn from history if

one is to avoid repeating its mistakes. Several years ago Bernie Ecclestone and

Max Mosely decided to take matters into their own hands and rewrite the Formula

One rulesbook in an attempt to keep Ferrari and Michael Schumacher from totally

dominating the F-1 scene. And, while Schumacher and Ferrari are at times

struggling today to keep up, it is because of the advances made by others rather

than any effective countermeasures by Mess. Ecclestone and Mosely. Indeed, the

legacy of their actions has done little other than to make the Grand Prix universe

nearly incomprehensible to anyone but the most diehard fan, while at the same

time making it likewise far more expensive than it was previously.

Agendas in racing are something we all have learned to live with, but hopefully

not accept. As for F-1, one has to wonder, not so much about its short term future,

but rather its longterm success. Clearly, it has not caught on here in North

America, in part because it is so difficult to comprehend for a country used to

simplicity. Yet, the issues brought forward by the actions of those at the FIA who

are in charge of its welfare did not have a positive effect, quite the opposite as

what they did nearly led to a disastrous revolt by the manufacturers who are the

foundation of the sport.

Give �em the shut out
In the mid 1960�s the then French-oriented FIA decided it had enough of the

American-built Fords at Le Mans and elsewhere, changing the rules to impose a

three-liter displacement cap on the World Manufacturers� prototype division in the

ridiculously short time of just six months. And, why three-liters? The suspicion

than and the suspicion now is that the figures just happened to match the size of

the new French Matra team�s V-12s. It was an attitude bolster by the fact that after

Porsche and Ferrari found a loophole in the regulations which permitted them to

run five-liter cars, the FIA shut the door on those machines, outlawing them after

1971, leaving the Matras to win Le Mans for three years straight from 1972 through

1874, and thru World Makes crown in both those latter two seasons. The fact that

the governing body ruined the sports car scene in the process appeared to matter

little to it as this once solidly popular form of motorsport began a steep decline

which many will are argue has continued nearly uninterrupted ever since.

Of course, there have been bright spots along the way including the

aforementioned five-liter Makes era. Among the others are the original Can-Am,

and IMSA�s Camel GT series. Unfortunately, as was the case with the 917s and

512s, these were forced into early graves before there time by agendas resting on

less than sound foundations. In the case of IMSA it was a desire to curb the

performance of Porsche�s 962, whose owners parked their cars and left the IMSA

scene, a move which nearly ended the existence of not only IMSA, but professional

sports car racing in North America during the latter part of the 1990�s.

Carling Black Label vs. Budweiser
As for the Can-Am, there it was a case of the rank and file competitors, most of

whom had hopelessly outdated Chevrolet-powered McLarens and Lolas who got

the Sports Car Club of America to changes its regs at the end of 1973 to cripple

the turbocharged 917 set, something which brought the original championship to

a premature, but permanent halt due to a lack of interest before it had completed

its 1974 schedule.

These days, sports car racing, especially in North America is enjoying something

of a revival with both the American Le Mans and Rolex tours gaining in popularity.

Now, however, the question is whether or not those in charge will cause history to

repeat itself, particularly since the latter championship is administered by many of

the same folks who oversaw the original IMSA parade.

For the most, age and experience appear to have worked their magic among the

Grand Am universe where stability reigns, no matter who anyone might feel about

the rules. The ALMS, though, is still a work in progress as the Panoz crew

continues to refine its product looking towards an ever expanding independent

horizon within a basic structure defined by the rulesbook laid out for the annual

Sarthe 24-Hour classic.

And once upon a pair of wheels�.
And that, dear readers, brings us to the heart of the matter.

The ALMS has had as one of its principles �fan satisfaction.� But, how can the

series keep its fan base happy if the competitors don�t come? Car counts have

fallen off for the ALMS during the past several seasons, a trend which in recent

months seems to be reversing itself, at least marginally. Yet, some of those

newcomers have tilted the playing field, particularly the turbo diesel Audi R10s in

LMP1 and to a degree, the Porsche RS Spyders in LMP2.

Although there have only been hints that the ALMS brass is not totally overjoyed

having the Roger Penske run Porsche clean house on an overall basis as they did

at Mid Ohio, where they finished one-two, there is little question that IMSA�s

officialdom wants the diesel R10s to have the same superiority when they return

for the Mid July Miller Motorsport Park round in Utah as they did when they

stomped the field at Sebring this past March.

To combat such runaways, the ALMS, though its IMSA sanctioning organization,

has developed, in cooperation with its manufacturers and sponsors, a

�performance balancing� system intended to keep things in check, a laudable and

valiant, and perhaps even brave move on the ALMS� part. What is worrisome,

though, is the matter of inappropriate pressure, such as was present in the Can-

Am of 33 years ago, from unhappy competitors threatening to leave if the

regulations are further modified to move they playing field�s angle more in their

favor.

Scoot down the road�
Don�t get me wrong. There has been no suggestion of that so far. But, given the

past, it doesn�t seem totally unreasonable that it could happen. Certainly the most

recent failure of the SCCA�s Trans-Am championship which sank at the end of

2005 after several years of being a �play toy� for its participants should serve as a

warning that inwardly focused agendas are as destructive as ever. Those

pressures haven�t gone away in either the ALMS or the Grand Am. Like a volcano,

they are merely dormant, and they can erupt at any time.

So, the hope is that in this case the responsible parties will remember history�s

lessons rather than repeating its disasters.

Bill Oursler
July 2006