YOU DREAMED IT ALL, DOROTHY

KANSAS CITY – "They've got some crazy little women there . . ."

Beg your pardon, but continued resistance to the temptation of reciting one of the all-time-great song lyrics/tunes was ultimately beyond your humble scribe's capacity.

Had the September meeting of the minds between Mr. James France and Dr. Don Panoz (respectively, at left) not occurred, the Kansas Speedway test now past likely would've allowed everyone's first look at the Ford EVOS EcoBoost V6 Daytona Prototype.

Alas, just because a couple of guys got together and decided the two major North American sportscar series was just two too many (think about it) ardent Ford fans everywhere are again left pining for the good ol' days when the carmaker dominated endurance races like the Rolex 24 At Daytona . . . um, uh, er, just as it had earlier this year in the race's Golden edition.

Okay, so a Ford can still dominate, as did Michael Shank Racing, Ozz Negri, John Pew, A.J. Allmendinger and Justin Wilson prove at the 2012 Rolex 24 at Daytona.

With a Ford engine, that is.

Yet with all due respect to the boys (hmmm, one wonders the number of women on the production or R&D floors) back at Roush Yates Engines, a Rolex Series DP engine wasn't ever quite enough "identity" for the boys back at Dearborn, who both loved and cringed at the sight of the Ford oval on the front of Starworks' DP (at right) and with the 2012 season's advance would mysteriously disappear.

When asked the relative importance of a race car's cornering ability versus that of an engine, the teacher of great-racer teachers, Terry Lee Earwood, replied (over 3 nanosecond's time), "I'll take horsepower any day. It's a racer's best friend."

Thus, a fellow whose blackboard mantra generally was confined to five words – "turn in, apex, track out" – still wished for "more power."

However, when not in the seat and viewing from afar – where most fans find themselves – the shape of a car, not an engine's power or, for that matter, its sound (Doppler Effect), allows the easiest, most-often-correct recognition.

INTERSECTING

If, as some say, luck results from the convergence of knowledge, opportunity and awareness then Grand-Am's rules makers were all over it in the spring of 2011 when begun anew was the second of the every-now-and-again rules evolutions promised when the Daytona Prototype concept was publicly unveiled in January 2002.

With an updated DPG3 on the 2012 racing horizon, Grand-Am's upper management were soon calling upon GM and Ford for exploratory discussions on the shape of things to come. (Remember the song, perchance? Mike Curb produced it. Yep, THAT Mike Curb.)

Those at GM/Chevrolet/Corvette divisions were totally okay with joining the Daytona Prototype's ranks so long as "their" car bore certain visual styling prompts that when appearing together unquestionably communicated "Corvette."

At about the same time as Chevrolet began its massive breakneck effort (beginning late-spring 2011) "Ford" was likewise given the same opportunity but it declined for reasons, at the time kept close to the Blue Oval's vest, that later (and later herein) became clear.

As males everywhere possessing sufficient testosterone will display, if not personally attest (and women everywhere flat-out know), a simple challenge of male ego often is in and of itself enough to spur testos . . . er, competition – as has clearly happened often enough over the last 60-or-so years in North American sportscar racing.

Indeed, the official Ford story of Ford Motor Company's founding being directly tied to a bet arising from racing is indisputable, but it's highly likely that Henry "The Original" Ford's testosterone also played a role, too.

It's safe to say "considerable" was the media impact of the Corvette Daytona Prototype's December 2011 introduction at Daytona International Speedway's Daytona 500 Club. (above)

SWITCHING GEARS

Other than the Ford Muckety Mucks theirownselves, what or who pushed them over the top is a matter of conjecture to the rest of us down-the-food-chain types, but react they did.

Heck, it could've even been that big blue Ford Oval on the front of Starworks' second-place 50th Rolex 24 At Daytona car or, finishing ahead of it in first place, was a nicely liveried but nevertheless plain-Jane, vanilla-flavored Riley (no disrespect intended, Mr. and Mr. Riley) out of Mike Shank's Pataskala, Ohio, race shop. (at left, Shank on sidepod)

Concluding a Rolex 24 dry spell lasting since its 2003 Daytona Prototype class win (Multimatic Ford Focus DP), its engine-powered 1999 overall win (Dyson Ford-R&S Mk III) and, 45 races beforehand (count 'em; all of 'em), the Shelby American all-Ford Mk II (no, it wasn't a "Lola") win, Ford after the 2012 victory got some well-deserved credit after paying some serious dues in the 2009 Rolex 24.

Somebody internally at Ford must've then wondered: "If we can get this kind of PR after a privateer took disparate parts and won, what if ?" because by the following summer squeezed onto the already well-crowded space of Ford aerodynamicist Bernie Marcus' drawing board was a Ford DP blank sheet. (And, yes, Marcus still draws his designs with graphite in hand, as also does the elder of the two aforementioned Riley chaps.)

As did his counterparts at GM rely on cues taken from an iconic GM product, German-native Marcus (who as a snot-nosed kid partially designed the ducting on the famed March 83G) likewise borrowed the looks of a Ford-crafted icon, only it wasn't the longstanding iconic "Mustang" expected by just about everyone in the universe.

Instead, chosen as the DP styling model was a slightly newer Ford icon – the Ford of Europe, Stefan Lamm-designed Ford EVOS. (right)

FUSION' IT TOGETHER

Known internally as the Kinetic 2.0, the hybrid EVOS wasn't so much about Ford's "future" as it was the "near-term," as exemplified by the 2013 Ford Fusion whose design elements clearly are shared with the EVOS.

Indeed, expect to see EVOS design aspects arise throughout the Ford vehicle lineup over the next model year or so, as it was even in the company's version of its NASCAR Sprint Cup competitor for 2013, the Ford Fusion EcoBoost race car. (below)

In a loaded comment made along with the 2013 Ford Fusion's NASCAR introduction – that for most listeners went in one ear and out the other – Ford Racing director Jamie Allison's "We are very excited about what is upon us for 2013,” went well beyond the then-presently obvious.

ADD ECOBOOST

Extending Ford's ever-growing EcoBoost "green" powerplant theme in Grand-Am from its Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge series' Ford Focus ST-R with EcoBoost (fielded by Multimatic Motorsports; driven by James Gué, Gunnar Jeannette, below), destined for the "EVOS DP" was a turbocharged V-6 developed by Roush Yates Engines in Mooresville, N.C.

An iteration of RYE's Project Libra, a Ford-based EcoBoost 3.2-liter V6 turbocharged engine was destined to occupy Ford's Daytona Prototype engine bay.

At Allison's direction, Marcus' infusion of EVOS elements into the Ford DP design along with The Boys In Marketing's nomenclatural EcoBoost was at the least a well conceived, well coordinated rolling billboard campaign that would have cut a broad swath across North America's racing series (wanna bet there isn't something afoot for the NHRA's Team Ford Racing, too?).

When a Grand-Am decision to "hold" (read: "altogether stop") the Ford DP project a week after Dr. Don Panoz sold the ALMS lock, stock, tracks and hotels to Mr. James France, it's little wonder Ford's Allison blew two sets of Ford Racing Pro Stock Mirror-Image Head Gaskets (part no. M-6051-JC501).

Then again, what's another $900 when burnt were million-dollar Ford design, research and development chips?

And THAT, folks, seems to be about as much a part of racing as is racing. It wasn’t the first; won’t be the last. Though it could darn well be Allison’s.

THE GOOD NEWS:

Born today in radically different years, um, decades were Elliott Forbes-Robinson and Michael "Rocky" Rockenfeller – both Rolex 24 At Daytona winners and neither of whom yours truly would bet against, regardless of age – even against each other.

Later,

DC

NO “DOROTHY” JOKE HERE

KANSAS SPEEDWAY – In a faraway place long, long ago, author Paul Erlich wrote in a best-selling (Chicken Little) book that by the 1980's Planet Earth's food production would tank and couldn't, wouldn't sustain fewer than half the stomachs now inhabiting Terra Firma, your faithful author tripped through Kansas City.

What’s food, population and the like got to do with racing? The same as President John F. Kennedy touting across-the-board tax cuts. Erlich was wrong; Vice President Joe Bidden was wrong, too, when a lot of folks initially agreed with each.

It was the Age of Aquarius, a time when people were "dodging" bullets in more ways than one, and the dummy which preceded this one learned Kansas City straddled two states: its namesake and Missouri.

The second lesson learned was the cleanliness of Kansas, or at least the parts which this westward bound traveler then saw.

Arriving late Friday evening much as he had way back in The Day, both appeared nonetheless as true today as when Jupiter was in Mars, or wherever the heck it was. (Now, how such a large planet could fit within the smaller of the two was, still is outside of yours truly’s capacity to grasp.)

Yet, on Friday, combating colder temperatures was at the top of many agendas and a Saturday morning subject wagged by the tongues of darn near everyone having made the trek to Kansas Speedway for two days of Rolex Sports Car Series and Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge testing.

The colder Kansas City area temperatures – something which the residents said had only just chased away "beautiful 70-degree days" – brought forth grumbles equal to the throatiest Ford V-8s found in the Rolex Series and Continental Tire garages. Yet, everyone was equally full of praise for the area's lush green grass and, forbid, even Kansas Speedway, itsownself. (No, boys and girls, "itsownself" isn't proper, but Ol' DC is hisownself improper. Just remember to eat your grits, listen to your grandfather's stories and learn one of the best tunes of all: a race engine at full song.)

Enough with that sideline filler: on to the important stuff.

It's cold. The tires are cold and, as Starworks Motorsport's driver Alex Popow put it, the track itself is in need of tire warmers more so than the tires rolling over it.

Then again, Saturday's heavily clothed Popow is Venezuelan – inhabitants of a South American country situated just north of the Equator (it's really hot and humid along the Equator, Menendez). For Popow, who nowadays calls South Florida "home" more than not, temperatures even at his Miami-area home – where the last recorded snow flurry occurred in Jan. 1977 – are a touch too low.

At the midday lunch break Roush Performance No. 51 Mustang Boss 302R driver Joey Atterbury smiled from ear to ear as he talked of the 1.5-mile tri-oval portion's challenging radius banking – heretofore reserved for those of the stock car-only crowd – prompting his perplexed wonderment.

Atterbury's co-driver, Shelby Blackstock, named the road course's Turn 6 transition from infield to tri-oval – two hard-left turns – as most the vexing for him.

"It is a new track to everyone here," said a smiling Michael Shank Racing driver Oswaldo "Ozz" Negri Jr., who agreed with Blackstock when it came to Turn 6, though Negri’s reasoning was one involving overall familiarity.

"Just driving on a new track provides a bunch of challenges that we got over a long time ago at tracks like Watkins Glen or Daytona.

"At those tracks, we know where we are, the turn-ins, apexes and so on. We even know where to find certain light poles or fences. Here, it's a different deal. When you’re in unfamiliar surroundings, everything is weird."

For Negri and the roughly 20 other drivers on hand, Kansas Speedway's 1.5-mile tri-oval radius banking – of which about 95-percent is used before being interrupted by about nearly mile's worth of infield road course – makes for a very fast track.

Unofficially, the two Roush Boss 302R's on hand had bested the 100 mph average-speed barrier in the Saturday morning session and by afternoon's end session picked up another five mph.

Five DPs are here for the test – MSR's No. 60 Ford-Riley; Starworks usual flotilla (amazing for such an "underfunded" team, huh?) of three cars (2 Gen3; 1 Gen2 Ford-Riley); and Action Express Racing's No. 9 Corvette DP.

The above order pretty well respectively represents how the DPs ran by the end of Saturday's final session, averaging roughly 20 mph faster laps than that of the Roush Mustangs.

(The primary driving contingents for the DPs: AER, João Barbosa, Brian Frisselle; MSR, Ozz Negri; Starworks, "Don't Call Me" Al Popow, Sebastien Bourdais and, possibly, Scott Mayer.)

So, then, with all this cold weather and, certainly, warmer weather expected for Aug. 16 and 17, 2013, when both series return here for earnest combat, what exactly does one learn?

“First and foremost; the track,” MSR owner Mike Shank said. “While the temperatures will be far different, we’ll be able to take data from this test and adequately extrapolate the future conditions we expect to encounter. It gives us a leg up. That’s about it.”

And, at this time, comes the end of this particular session, leaving still more extrapolations to come.

Later.

DC

NEW YORK CITY‼!?

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – In 2000, Grand-Am's Rolex Sports Car Series and then Motorola Cup, now Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge, held its banque. . . um, hor d'oeuvres awards ceremony in Daytona USA (the shrimp was fabulous).

Later retiring to its Imax Theater, found there were the pretty wimmin handing winners' trophies awarded by a furtive series hopeful that it'd one day have a history upon which to reflect.

Some would at least note the top-dog prototype winners – named "Dyson" in one respect or another – had a last name absent of the letter "P."

Today, that history is populated with the once-absent letter with an accompanying name, "Pruett," along with "Ganassi," "Sabates," "Rojas" and a Mexican-based telecommunications company, "Telmex," now making inroads into the United States – if nothing else, probably because a substantial number of its customers are migrating here.

Monday evening's Rolex Sport Car Series awards banquet heralded something new, something unknown and, therefore, something that some might find somewhat uncomfortable.

In a word: "Change."

One needed to look no farther for evidence of such than to see Scott Atherton, once the bane of any series other than the ALMS, beckoning the spirits of Bob Akin and Jim Trueman as he acknowledged top amateur winners in GT and DP, Emil Assentato and Alex Popow, respectively.

Described in yet another single word: "Surreal."

Even though this end result has been a known entity to your scribe for its five-year process, it just seemed altogether odd now that it has concluded.

THE POP & POP BUSINESS WINS AGAIN

Well, "Mom and Pop" just didn't seem to fit; know what I mean?

Bob Riley often fondly recalls his days with Gary Pratt and Jim Miller, founders of Pratt and Miller, and who, along with the senior Riley, conceived, built and raced one of the world's most daring cars of its time, the Chevrolet Intrepid.

Even Riley The Younger, Bill, worked on that team, learning and developing skills that have served him well over the years since – especially those years during which Riley Technologies was formed and became a mainstay in those who would build and field superiorly crafted racing machines (a recognition of accomplishment Bob Riley is quick to counter with, "We've had our bad days, too, you know.")

At the 2012 season's start and the advent of the Pratt & Miller-crafted Corvette chassis, who would've imagined Bill Riley taking home yet another manufacturer's trophy to show his father.

An uninterrupted string of championship wins since scoring their first DP-connected trophy at the end of the 2004 season, one wonders if Bill and Bob Riley have a shelf large enough to accommodate the nine such trophies they've since won.

TESTING, TESTING

Upcoming are tests in Kansas City (Oct.), Daytona (Nov., Dec. and The Roar) but the most often discussed test is one not yet scheduled – at least publicly so.

Austin's Avenue of the Americas (yes, yes, I know) is ready to roll, according to the FIA.

Set for a fist-weekend-in-March race, most everyone who expects to be there is likewise expecting a test date between now and then – one that one come sometime between the 51st Rolex 24 At Daytona and the Austin race date.

BY THE WAY

Has anyone ever seen anyone else hauled off a commercial aircraft for having tampered with the restroom smoke detector, which is in violation of Federal law?

JUST DESSERTS

Joining the aforementioned Riley constructor's (yes, yes, I know) title were Chevrolet for its engines; Starworks Motorsport for the inaugural North American Endurance Championship win (engines by Ford's Roush Yates Engines) and its Alex Popow for scoring the Trueman award; Chip Ganassi Racing With Felix Sabates (BMW engines) for the overall championship; T-Roy and Michelle Flis for the Spirit of Daytona team having won three of the season's 13 races; and, Mike Shank Racing for the Rolex Sports Car Series most important moment: winning the 50th Rolex 24 At Daytona.

Diverse? Slightly, huh?

THE LITTLE RED CAR

AIM Autosport just didn't get much respect when it was a Daytona Prototype team, even though the team and drivers, mostly Mark Wilkins paired with Brian and/or Burt Frisselle, having scored victories and been in the thick of more than one championship points fight.

Not unlike what most in motorsports have experienced, times were when AIM (Grand-Am Division) wondered how it'd make the next race.

In a whirlwind marriage that for all intents and purposes can easily be described as an unexpected odd-couple arrangement occurring at the veritable last minute in December 2011, Jeff Segal convinced co-driver Emil Assentato and Ferrari to take a flyer, if not a clear leap of faith of belief in Segal hisownself, and hook up with AIM to run a brand new Ferrari 458 Italia program for the 2012 season.

They walked away as champions.

AIM principals Ian Willis and Andrew Bordin, as good as they may be, were quick to shift the blame, um, oops, praise to "a loyal bunch of guys on this team" who, no doubt, feel the same of Willis and Bordin.

Later,

DC