Carpundit

Lewis Hamilton Won the U.S. GP at Indy

As foretold here, Lewis Hamilton won the 2007 United States Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.  That was a good prediction on my part and, as I also said last week, "Having seen him race, I say he's the next world champion.  I doubt anyone can catch him."

I stand by that.  Hamilton is Formula One's next World Champion.  Simply awesome.

Carpundit At the Canadian Grand Prix

Let's get one thing out of the way: it's incredible that Robert Kubica survived the 2007 Canadian Grand Prix.  His accident, about halfway through the race, took the wind out of the crowds' sails - at least out of the sails of the sober, which included me.  I wish F1 had announced something; the uncertainty was the worst.  I hope he's back soon.  Now to the actual race.

It was clear, from Lap 1 -when Alonso went off course in a desperate bid for first- that Lewis Hamilton was going to win.  His speed through Turn One (Senna Corner), where I sat, was noticeably and significantly faster than anyone else's.  He had the car and the course mastered, and his driving was amazing.  Simply amazing.  Having seen him race, I say he's the next world champion.  I doubt anyone can catch him.

At left is Lap One, Turn One.  Click for larger, as always.  That's Alonso going off, overdriving the corner as he would three or four times in the race.  Hamilton is the lead car (from pole) of the pack properly on course.

At right is Alonso's second or third agricultural excursion.  He simply couldn't drive that turn as fast as Hamilton.  He may have psyched himself out, or pushed too hard trying to catch his team's number two.  It must be tough to be reigning world champ and have your own teammate showing you up.  So far in 2007, Hamilton's a better driver.

Let's see what happens at Indy.  I predict Hamilton wins.  He's had a taste, and he's that good.

Carpundit at the Canadian Grand Prix of 2007

The McLarens rounding the first turn on a gorgeous Saturday at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in practice for the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal.  Later in the day, they qualified in spots one and two for the race.  In this photo, Alonso is ahead, but that's not how the qualification turned out.  Race day tomorrow, with perfect weather forecast.  Hamilton's on the pole.

Malaysian Grand Prix

Well, McLaren's back in the F1 game after a lousy season last year.  The Malaysian results are better than they could have hoped, and their British rookie is everything they could want.  Lewis Hamilton is to the U.K. exactly what Scott Speed isn't to America - a fast driver with elan and poise.

That race was fun to watch.  I'll be going to Canada again this year.  I hope the fun continues.

Speed's Pinks

I watched Pinks for the first time last night - Speed TV had back-to-back episodes.  For those unfamiliar, it's best described as a reality game show in which two contestants (backed by large teams) drag race purpose-built cars.  The winner gets the "pink slip" to the loser's car, hence the name.

Maybe there's something I don't understand about the whole scene, but there doesn't seem to be much racing.  As far as I can tell, it's mostly a show about cheating and arguing.  The contestants deceive each other and the host, make their cars look slower than they are, and yell a lot in a bid for better starting position.

Is the NHRA like that?  I kind of doubt it.  But then again, what do I know?

Oh, and does anyone know when I should plant the early tomatos?

I Guess He's a Drag-Racing Fan

Commenter "dave buutles" doesn't think much of my racing acumen.  In a comment here, he wrote,

you should be a writer for a gardening column or something. You are brain dead when it comes to motorsports

I can't disagree.  But he should see how little I know about gardening.

This Is Going to Sound Stupid, But NASCAR Should Ban Burnouts

I think NASCAR should ban smoking-tire burnouts by the race winners.  They're cliche.  They're not interesting.  And they gratuitously pollute.  (Yes, I know the racing itself is gratuitous pollution, but there's no reasonable chance of banning that.)

Those clouds of tire smoke are foul.  They are probably toxic, and there's just no reason to let them happen.  Unless you tell me the fans love it, are too stupid to see it for what it is, and would never stand for ending it because it's just the sort of excitement that gets them out of their trailers and down to the track in the first place, in which case it's too late to save the planet so let's party while it burns out.

No, I don't really think a weekly burnout ban will make a difference to the planet, but I think the symbolism is important.  If NASCAR is trying to go upmarket, all the way to the dead-center of the middle-class, it could take this opportunity to evince a little environmental goodwill and a bit of awareness about the world outside the racetrack.  Fans accept change like sheep -just a bit of bleating and they all forget the whole thing.

I recognize there may be little correlation between NASCAR fans and Al Gore viewers, but little steps are better than none.

Pipe dream?

Another Racing Death

Racing is dangerous.  The faster you go, the harder you crash.  HANS devices, crush zones, and the SAFER barrier make things better, but there's no stopping physics.  Eric Medlen, a funny car driver was killed by his encounter with the guardwall during on-track testing in Flroida.  I've never understood the appeal of Funny Car racing, but people love it.  Eric Medlen sure seemed to be having fun.

(That NHRA photo is huge.  Don't click on it unless you're really interested.)

Grand Prix of Boston

Several years ago -was it 2000?- the American Le Mans series ran a Grand Prix in Washington, D.C.  I was skeptical they'd pull it off and certain it would never be repeated, so I went.  It was a blast.  It was a great road course snaking around the old stadium.  Spectators could get right up to the action, separated only by a single chain link fence over the crash barriers.  It was by far the best professional race I've ever watched, in terms of access and vantage points.  Afterwards, the drivers said the course was fantastic and they all wanted to come back next year.

Being D.C., of course, it never happened again.  The local residents around the stadium complained that they didn't have enough influence over the process and weren't getting enough of a benefit.  Everyone's greedy hand was out for the next one, as it is for everything in D.C., so they never held it.  My point?

We could pull one off here.  Storrow Drive and Memorial Drive and a couple bridges.  Who's with me?

(Autoweek photo)

Tom Brady's Kid

I don't follow football or celebrity gossip, so I'm neither inclined nor qualified to comment very much on Tom Brady's situation.  I will opine on a slice of it: It isn't about money.  It isn't about notoriety.  It isn't about football.  It isn't about the fans.  It's about a child.

No matter what his relationship with the mother, if that's his child, he needs to be involved, loving and generous.  No absentee fatherhood.  No mailing in the checks.  Show up.  Every time.  That's what a real man does.

If his public image is even close to the truth, that's what Tom Brady will do.