IN THE YEAR 2525

LAGUNA SECA, Calif. – With the sea fog all around and Monterey Peninsula temperatures dipping so low that the area was being cited among the coolest, if not “coldest” in the U.S. of A. over the July 9-10 weekend, why not delve into the 2012 schedule?

Yes, Ol’ DC’s kinda running a tad late on the discussion, others having grabbed a seemingly fumbled ball. In the grand scheme of things and 1.5 billion years from now, though, who really will give a darn?

But wait, there’s “but first” . . .

HALLOWED GROUND

Anyone who has any serious connection to racing has heard of “Indianapolis” or, to many, just plain “Indy.”

Daytona International Speedway figures pretty doggone prominently in racing. So, too, Sebring International Raceway, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Road Atlanta and Road America.

Whether conversationally or in print, those familiar with racing often use a shortened “Daytona,” “Laguna” or maybe even “’Bring,” and yet be understood.

(“Daytona” actually doesn’t exist, by the way, “not officially” at any rate. The cities of Daytona Beach, Daytona – no beach, just mainland – and the Town of Seabreeze merged in 1926 to form Daytona Beach.)

Arguably, though, no motorsports facility of abbreviated name will produce anything like a near-universal instant recognition like that of Indy’s mention. It, after all, doesn’t also compete with :”The World’s Most Famous Beach” (I don’t make them up folks; just repeatedly mouth that which marketers have worked to ingrain).

For decades organizations like AAA, USAC, CART, NASCAR and IRL have at one time or another been integral in providing the fans an Indy show. Now, NASCAR’s“Grand-Am” (and Nationwide) can as well.

Whatever the reason, however the end realized, the reality now is that should anyone (outside of those having special connections) wish to race a sportscar on Indy’s hallowed ground, that” road” exclusively runs through Grand-Am.

Fairly easy to realize, too, is that Grand-Am, “a NASCAR Company,” likely wouldn’t have gotten its Indy date had big-brother NASCAR not first gained a toe-hold there, starting with 1994’s The Brickyard 400 – the first race at Indy not solely devoted to open-wheel race cars.

The idea of conducting yet another form of racing at The Brickyard began simply enough in a casual January 2009, boardroom brain-storming session of the same nature that brought Formula One and MotoGP racing to IMS.

Still, the matter was made only more difficult when an IMS family squabble broke into the public domain and altogether shifted IMS’ power dynamics, albeit it since having been at least partially reconstituted.

The deal-sealer, though, came when NASCAR added its Nationwide Series to the mix, allowing for near-continuous Thursday-through-Sunday action at IMS (when included is the Thursday, July 26 Rolex Series and Continental Tire practice day that opens the racing weekend).

The Rolex Sports Car Series, Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge, Nationwide and Sprint Cup’s “Brickyard 400” made for a three-day race event (four when added is a Thursday practice session) that is expected to give attendees one whale of a bang for the buck.

Thus born is the IMS-named “Super Weekend at the Brickyard.”

Perhaps one of the more important aspects of the 2012 schedule is that it is being scheduled at all – at least at this time of year.

No, the Rolex Series isn’t on the verge of going away.

Rather, Grand-Am president Tom Bledsoe is aggressively pursuing the 2012’s schedule completion and, should  last-minute curve balls absent themselves from the process, it’ll be concluded sooner than any in recent memory.

More importantly – again presuming corporate-type curveballs are held at bay – it’ll be a an upgraded schedule in which Indy, while still a standout, will be among rarely seen venues, at least on this side of the sports car fence.

TIMING IS EVERYTHING

Thus, if released earlier than has been the past case, team owners will have new, exciting venues to pitch and a reasonable timeframe in which to present that package to potential sponsors.

Corporate-year budgets generally run from October 1^st of a given year and thus are largely “closed” by mid-September of any given year.

Implementation of a corporate budget and past late releases of Grand-Am schedules has made it tough for team owners just to make a pitch to potential sponsors, much less endure a process that can take weeks, if not months, from the time of the first pitch to inking a contract full of particulars that at times seem only to be quibbling fodder for gleeful attorneys.

Though certainly not the only key in opening sponsorship doors, it’s a big one for team owners - if not the series, too, as a result.

THE UPGRADE

Treasured in the world of frequent flyers is being on the receiving end of a “bump.”

Having nothing to do with being physically jostled, it instead means the difference between flying in style – “up front” in a commercial air carrier’s first-class “cabin” – or “riding in the back of the bus” along with the chickens, pigs and various other farm animals.

Usually excitedly discussed among small groups of allied corporate types who gather in little groups facing a nearby flat screen, “The Bump” is a highly desired “ticket to paradise” – especially for transcontinental flights.

Supposedly among an airline’s means of “thanking” its most devoted, well-traveled pigeons, er, passengers (generally a corporate type), The Bump also provides the means by which to increase revenue in moving one passenger to the front and then selling his former, more affordable seat yet another passenger.

A cheap, cheap, cheap  Ol’ DC, disinclined of needlessly spending money for anything short of a Porsche, books trips well in advance of his actual travel date so as to (hopefully) score two things: a “poor-man’s first class” seat (exit-row) at an inexpensive, non-refundable price.

Though Ol’ DC quite strongly starts each “new flying year” with many bumps to first, such ground is quickly lost as his more expensively ticketed brethren start racking up their points with later-bought tickets.

But by a season’s midpoint this frequent flyer usually is just one or two below the coveted cut line.

While girding for the customary gate-scrum ritual for a recent flight, Ol’ DC found himself at line’s rear and alongside James Guè, of Patrick Dempsey Racing driving fame.

“I’m surprised you’re not up front” Ol’ DC said to Guè, who easily compiles more frequent-flyer miles in a week than does yours truly in a month.

“I was, but I wanted a seat next to my girlfriend,” said Guè. “So I gave mine up” and thus was self-sentenced to the bus’ rear. To add “rearness” to his self-inflicted injury, Guè placed himself directly between the MD-88’s two engines where any “sweet-nothings” conversation becomes a shouting match by necessity. Nice guy, he, still the same.

Having advanced to the line’s head, the ticket-scanning machine whirred, its lights flashed and bells sounded: Ol’ DC’s ticket had hit the “The Delta Lotto!” and spewing forth was a last-moment reprieve from the chicken-carrying section.

Onward to the aircraft and walking the plank (oh, the gangway nowadays has been given all manner of “nice” names, but flying on Delta of late seems ever more like a potential date with Captain Bligh or, rather, a flight-attendant wannabe), Ol’ DC wondered aloud as to the seat Guè had sacrificed for love, surrendering a sometimes provided pre-flight beverage service (a “chance” being better than “no way”).

“1-D,” Guè answered.

One and the same “winning number” Ol’ DC carried – with great appreciation.

Later,

DC