POST-ROLEX 24

 

DAYTONA BEACH – I tried but just couldn't conjure a catchier title. I'm out of 'em for the time being.

WHO CARES!? - "Superstar Power In Focus," the live-coverage sTuporCenter Talking Head said from New Orleans on Monday of the just-passed week, "teasing" a short subject of video-taped instances last weekend done, of which deeper examinations were to come and within which were references to Tiger, basketball, hockey and of course, The Bowl of Stupor.

Entirely absent from that following hour's coverage was even a mere mention of The Rolex 24 or its newest five-time overall winner.

At least the español version of the video bible of all things sport, StuporCenter Deportes, displayed a 30-second blip (no, Menendez, not "clip") that seemed inadequate when it portrayed in such little time an event whose total time dwarf's nearly every other sporting activity (remember The Iditarod).

Then again, maybe ESPN still is irritated about the time when it was locked out of the 2003 Daytona International Speedway NASCAR paddock.

Of course, one can voice their displeasure and "vote" with their TV dial (ask your grandpa), but how might ESPN understand why it may have lost any viewership? Osmosis? Should the same happen next year, Twit (or whatever the next-best instantaneous messaging means might be) your displeasure.

AJ WAS RIGHT - In Daytona International Speedway's post-race media center, A.J. Allmendinger, who co-drove the third-place Michael Shank Racing Not-A-BMW Ford-Riley, was asked about his late race mano-a-mano restart tilt with João Barbosa and his No. 9 AXR Not-A-BMW Corvette-Coyote.

(All things considered, with respect to the "Corvette" your humble scribe prefers dispensing with the "chassis by Coyote" or "chassis by Dallara" as stated by numerous talking heads. Let's just call it "Corvette," K? GM likely would prefer it, anyway. And, maybe the same time next year, we'll be able to dispense with Ford-Dallara in favor of "EVOS" or, even better, "Mustang." Surely the Riley gang won't mind losing the chassis face time if they're raking cash, right?)

João Barbosa is one of those guys that most everyone on sight alone fails to perceive a race car driver. Barbosa exhibits a reserved, gentlemanly street-side demeanor that is far more desirable to the CIA than, say, "Bond James Bond," because he doesn't draw attention to self unless conditions warrant – like a fight for position.

Put O Assassino Português in a car and have someone threaten to overtake and, well, it generally doesn't go well for "the threat." (Such not being a matter of doing bad things to good or bad people. It's just that Barbosa is disinclined to change a line if he owns it. Why would anyone?)

Remember if you will, The 'Dinger and O Assassino Português had a late-race, final-restart, door to door dust-off that put The 'Dinger into the dirt while exiting the Pedro Rodriguez International Turn (a.k.a. "The East Horseshoe" and/or "Turn 3" and/or "The First Horseshoe" and/or "The Horseshoe That's Not The West Horseshoe" – really, all of the preceding and still more have been heard by this correspondent).

Soon enough, O Assassino Português was ordered to the penalty box, though not without some dispute beforehand by team manager Elton Sawyer. (And it wasn't Mark Raffauf who levied the penalty! Can anyone imagine that!?).

Frankly, at the time even yours truly thought The 'Dinger's move a dumb one, figuring perhaps at fault was The 'Dinger's lack of familiarity with O Assassino Português, who in 2012's summer Detroit visit properly fired back a eerily calm "the track's green" when sister-car driver David Donohue took verbal umbrage with his sudden one-position fall after Barbosa, within a millisecond's time, drove around a fractionally blocked Double-D.

Back in Daytona and facing press representatives from around the world (in a very busy media center) during the post-race news conference hardly an hour afterward – flanked by John Pew, Ozz Negri and Justin Wilson – The 'Dinger seemed entirely indifferent to having been run off the road by O Assassino Português.

" . . . With an hour to go it's 'go' time . . . (so) I got around him (O Assassino Português) on the outside in (Turn) 1 and at that point I knew I had to go. That was my only chance . . . (because ) we weren't going to beat the (No.) 01 (Chip Ganassi Racing) car . . . so I thought we had a chance to compete for second . . . (so) we were (door handle to door handle) and (Barbosa) just used me up (pursuing the line, pushing The 'Dinger to the grass, er, dirt) . . . (filling) the whole radiator up with dirt so we had to pit (so as to remove the debris)."

"Fortunately(,) he (Barbosa) got a penalty for that so we could get the podium. (It is) just one of (them) racing (deals). No hard feeling there; it was a fun battle," The 'Dinger said.

Wanna bet Barbosa doesn't see it differently?

Note that The 'Dinger didn't say anything, didn't even hint at Barbosa's penalty as being "deserved" or "what he shoulda got." Indeed, one might infer The 'Dinger feels he and the team caught a lucky break after his taking an off-line, top-of-turn, apex-way-the-heck-out-there run on a higher position.

Generally applauded are drivers who manage to pull off such a gutsy but a generally low-percentage-return move ("low percentage" because such rarely is accomplished and, according to Ol' DC's Skip Barber schooling, the turn's track-out point is massively shortened) and that without heroic measures will put a car into the very dirt in which The 'Dinger found himself.

A.J. ALLMENDINGER, WINNER - Still, The 'Dinger actually won, overall, after agreeably taking, calmly answering questions focused on his "The Nightmare On International Speedway Blvd.," at one point noting with a smile, "This track hasn't been very kind to me, you know," he for the first time revisiting for a competition the place where it all began to go "right" last summer, admitting and detailing what he'd since learned of himself in the wake of that early July weekend.

There really isn't much desire on this writer's part to deeply delve into what The 'Dinger said as much as it is a desire to note that he well handled the overall situation when he could've done a "Mayfield" in the first instance.

Hopefully, with The 'Dinger singing "I can see clearly now" that it'll all work out in his favor. True, the banned substance thing was a setback – he's a bit behind where he probably would've been had it not gone down – but based on what Ol' DC has seen The 'Dinger also is way ahead.

Oh! About what was The 'Dinger correct?

No one was " . . . going to beat the (No.) 01 (Chip Ganassi Racing) car."

HINT, HINT - And, speaking of "no one," that's coincidentally the same quantity that should've been surprised at the BMW's strength because a considerable hint was delivered of its ability to, uh, "motor" during Test Days or, as Daytona International Speedway would prefer, "The Roar Before The 24."

Dane Cameron, a young (sorry, Dane, but you are that as compared to Ol' DC), hungry driver with clearly settled ability and who, with Katherine Crawford, Mr. Joe Sahlen and the Family Nonnamaker's support (in the sense of "team") drove the No.42 Sahlen's BMW-Riley – an "older" chassis bought from AXR with updates and a Gen-3 body – cut a second-best "Roar" 1:42.101 lap in early January's third practice session (only the Sahlen Racing car's second) at the end of Day One of the three-day test.

Reiterating Cameron's skill: Somebody shoulda seen it and believed it.

Maybe next time they will.

AWOL AMBROSE - Marcos Ambrose's contract evidently didn't carry a "post-race news conference" codicil inasmuch as he skipped the post-race microphone lineup in which journalists demand answers.

Giving him doubt's benefit, Ambrose might've been ill after failing to remember a Rolex 24 isn't terribly fun unless you're, say, highest on a podium – something he surely learned in 2005 as part of the "Aussie Assault" Rolex 24 team that didn't do anywhere near as well as it may have planned.

Then there's the possibility Ambrose also was aware no penalty at all had been exacted of Juan Pablo Montoya when El Asesino Colombiano left teammates Scott Dixon, Jamie McMurray and Dario Franchitti at the, um, altar of media inquisition after the 2012 Rolex 24 At Daytona's conclusion.

Whatever the case, Ambrose is an interesting guy. A pleasure with which to spar verbally (he's got smarts) and it would've surely been a gas to learn his post-race thoughts. It's probable Ol' DC will catch up with Mr. Ambrose at a later time and during which his post-24 thoughts will be gathered and of which the reader will be informed. (Hopefully; I'm an old guy and all.)

SHANK TAKING THE STAND - No, the MSR team didn't get a first place to back their 2012 Rolex 24 win, but they did finish solidly in third and climbed the post-race podium, even though later rescinded. As is usually the case, no specifics were given, only the oblique, “Somebody done somebody wrong song.”

The team still finished third. Then again, might that be the reason Marcos booked it?

Nah.

Days before the event team owner Mike Shank recorded a fairly profound statement in a pre-race MRN Radio interview, later played during the race, in which Shank said, "After 10 years we know how to do this gig" – or something to that effect.

This listener at that moment realized he, since Shank's first race of the 2004 season, has watched nearly every moment of an in-the-making "Ganassi-style" dynasty in a relatively young Shank. Someday, when Ol' DC is dead and gone, Shank will be hoisting Rolex 24 and Indy 500 winner's trophies high in the air. Later, publicist Matt Clearly (yes, Menendez, it's intentional), still dressing in a white shirt over black pants, will remind Shank that "Ol' DC once predicted" the two-trophy wins.

Shank, his hair still on fire, will turn to Clearly and say, "Who?"

Really? Does anyone have any doubt to the contrary? (About Shank winning, folks.)

WELL, STARWORKS DARN-SURE DIDN'T - What the heck happened to Peter Baron and his two-car squad?

First of all, some end-of-2012-season changes – most notably Enzo Potolicchio booking it (apparently fairly so for the most part and not, repeat, owing any more money to Baron than contractually obligated) – kind of led to some off-season changes that whittled Starworks Motorsport to one car it could or would fully call its own.

Running the risk of appearing to maliciously malign Starworks Motorsports' No. 8 Sunoco Ford-Riley, the top car administered by Starworks Motorsport is the No. 2 Starworks with Alex Popow Ford-Riley entry (Really. Write nasty letters to: Felix Sabates, C/O Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, 8500 Westmoreland Drive, Concord, NC 28027).

The No. 2 Starworks with Alex Popow Non-BMW-Riley entry was in the battle until the final couple of hours after some ingested sand/grass did a very quick, near-disastrous number on the engine, via a clogged cooling system.

Finishing sixth and 13-laps down for a Baron-led team isn't where they'd like to have been if it is to successfully again challenge for the championship, especially when one considers the defending Rolex Series DP champs won the opening race of that team's final Grand-Am championship defense. (Now Chip, don't get all riled and all. It is what it is, you know.)

Principally, they missed the car's setup. Little wonder when the rear-wing rules were changed the week of the Rolex 24, thereby possibly trashing for years to come the value of early January's "Roar Before The 24."

Huh?

RAMBLE ON, WILLIAMS, RAMBLE ON - Crew: $500-per-night lodging, under the best of conditions. Food: easily the equal, but let's give it $250 a day (three squares for ALL the crew). Car rental: Let's be cheap, real cheap and say $50 per rental at, say, two rentals, equals $100 a day. Commercial air, when airplane seats sell out – and they did on so many flights that Delta first added more 757, 737 and, when all of that was full, an extra flight – at $300 per round trip is a decent cost estimate and at, say, seven people per team, including drivers (a lot of 'em drove up from South Florida. Even better for João Barbosa and AXR: He slept in his own bed).

Okay, so what we've got is $850 each day (on the big-time, probably no-way cheap) for 5- to 7-team members at three nights equals $2,550. Throw in the airfare, six sets of tires and, suddenly, we're pressing 20 large, very large . . . and not the first gallon of race gas, at $WayHigh each gallon, and so on goeth prices.

All that spent and then someone else trashes the data by moving, say, an aero surface at a veritable last minute?

People tend not to want to play a game called "Futility." When people have to cut fat checks just to get, ahem, "frustrated" they tend to stop those checks before writing 'em. Really. Think about it a moment or two when coming down from the anger high.

Racing's supposed to be fun! I mean, how many people tell drivers to climb into cars and "Have a bad run!" Or, even better, "'Pop a tire!' because your chassis settings will change when others don't."

Yes, yes, I can hear Tim Keene now, saying something to the effect of, "We had a Riley and we finished the race."

"Mr. Keene, you also had an engine program shared only with Team Sahlen and Highway To Help." (Not argued herein is the partially conceded point that others could've gone "BMW," too, but didn't. Steve Dinan wouldn't have been able to build sufficient numbers of engine had, say, even three other teams switched in the last two or three months.)

One supposes DIS will have all the entries it can handle next year. On the other hand, it might have fewer than it would like, especially with the grumbling from the guys on the other side, saying something like, "And then they changed the rules just before the race and screwed up tire wear for at least a few Rileys that had just managed to dial it in earlier in the month."

If one loses 10-percent on, say, $100, it's 10 bucks. Lose 10-percent on $1 million and we're getting into a couple-or-three annual DIS salaries, folks.

LET'S TWEAK THE RULES ONE LAST TIME - It's the final season before the New World Order comes to the forefront, roughly one-year-minus-one-month hence.

You folks over in "Consolidation" really need to concentrate on the 2014 rulebook, right? Bringing together two series formerly having disparate philosophical views is fraught with twists and turns that need proper straightening, right?

So, please, just give everyone what they'd like to see at least one (and last) time: No more dinking with 2013 performance equivalencies, moving wings here nor increasing or decreasing restrictor plates there.

Just cut "Competitor Bulletin 2013-7" and within which strike all applicable DP mechanical language and insert: "Run What Ya Brung, Son."

Might as well do it with GT, too.

Then witness the crowd counts.

It'll be only for the 2013 season's remainder (on the record) and during which the powers-that-be can focus on 2014 with all the "necessary" restrictions properly threshed beforehand.

It'll be fun "For The Fans"; the ensuing races will burn immense sums of money (and convince owners to gladly accept a return to "restrictions").

Should sponsors turn out in droves to support the new "Run What Ya Brung" format and (nearly) everyone makes gobs of money, then burnt will be the proposed 2014 rules, everyone learning the "Run/Brung" was a strategy the whole doggone time.

With Run/Brung in the rules forefront, unneeded then is a "technical" staff – who has as much of a vested interest in a perpetual fine-tuning of rules as do legislatures filled with lawyers likewise parsing new statutes (rules), which then provide generations of Morgans, Morgans and Morgans, Attorneys In Perpetuity, plenty of advertising time.

Later,

DC