2015 - Quick Thoughts

I am really enjoying Formula E. I like the good looking modern race cars, the city street circuits, and am enjoying the racing! I am hoping to go to London for the final round in June. The Virgin cars have rapidly become my favourite modern single seaters, with their flash chrome, red and purple colour schemes, but more of that in a bit...

Once again the Red Bull Air Race has got me hooked. Great spectacle, great entertainment and really close racing!

Oh dear, only three races in and we are already discussing this years NASCAR Sprint Cup Series aero rule changes, and not necessarily in a favorable light.

On the same topic, after the build up to, and, hopefully, drama of the Daytona 500, I find it hard to get excited by NASCAR over the following few weeks. To be fair, a general disliking of Atlanta and Las Vegas doesn't help... Yawn!

Also, I can not shake a feeling of disappointment towards this years Daytona 500. All that anticipation, those 15 or so laps of fantastic 3 wide racing and it ends under yellow, and yes I know NASCAR were right to put the yellow out, safety first blah blah blah, just don't ask me to like it. I wanted a last lap, last corner one on one slingshot for the win. The only comfort I took from the yellow was I am not sure it changed anything. As great as the racing was, I do not believe the drivers were able to overtake, one on one for the win, without a push from another driver, and on the last lap that was not going to happen.

I have been patiently waiting to see what the new Indycar aero kits look like.. and now the Chevrolet aero kit has been unveiled... One word... UGLY. The DW12 used to be my favourite modern single seater but not anymore... They had better race well 'cause that looks hideous!

On paper I like the "idea" of the new Nissan Le Mans car. A front engined sports car, a modern Panoz if you like. Something different to the normal mid-engined prototypes. But sorry what did you say? Front wheel drive? Oh dear, moving on...

As someone who has owned and loved two mark 1 Mazda MX5's I am loving the the look of the new version. If all I read about it is correct, it sounds like it will be a great car too, just like the original!

Another thing I like about Formula E is the School Series. I just like the idea of getting the host city's schools involved!

Marco Ambrose back in a V8 Supercar, and a Penske, of sorts! Sounds good to me. His car is pretty too!

I am looking forward to this year's BTCC. Lots of new driver, team, car combinations! I hope the relative stability in the rules package helps more teams get to the front.

And finally... the Honda Indycar aero kit has been unveiled, and guess what? Just when you thought things couldn't get any uglier...

While NASCAR Decides, I Can't!

So you all know about the changes NASCAR have made to the format for the Chase for the Sprint Cup.

By now you will all be deciding if you like NASCARs vision of the future or if you long for the days of the "Winston Cup".

I can't make up my mind.

NASCAR is and has always been about putting on a show for the fans. End of, as they say. You can forget thoughts of an in depth, highly involved discussion about the finer points of motorsport. Put aside your aguments about the "fake" or "artificial" elements of the new format. If it is good for the show, it stays... end ... of!

Racing is about winning. NASCAR are trying to emphasise this with the new format.

NASCAR have introduced an "Elimination" aspect to the Chase. This happened anyway as "the cream always rises to the top".

As I write this I find myself making up my mind, for now at least.

I like it. If it adds excitement, what's not to like.

I do find myself considering one thing though. What is the real point of these changes?

In my eyes everything NASCAR is doing is in an attempt to improve the racing, the show, the sport. Why?

One opinion is because the show is not as good as it should be. The other, because NASCAR want to make it even better.

I tend to agree with the former.

Some racing series have weight penalties for the winners, F1 have DRS zones and KERS boost, Indycar has push to pass. All serve the same underlying purpose, improve the product, improve the racing.

To me the more important question prior to the start of the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is how successful will the technical changes made to the Gen 6 car prove to be, for it is these changes which hold the key to the future of the sport. Better, closer racing, especially at the cookie cutter, mile-and-a-half tracks will do as much to create excitement in the sport as a new Chase format. Nothing beats good nose to tail, side by side racing.

Get back to the basics of NASCAR  "racing" and the rest will take care of itself.

I have decided!

I think the new format will be good for the show for all the obvious reasons, more emphasis on winning, less on just getting the points, more excitement, more headlines, more action. 

For this reason it has to be a good thing, just leave your deep, fanatical arguments at the door.

I am looking forward to this season, new point system and all, but to me the success of the 2014 season does not rest on the shoulders of a fancy new Chase format. I am sure it will help, but getting the Generation 6 race car to deliver on its promise of better racing is just as important in my honest opinion!