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PHILLIPS: In Search of the Real Cars of Tomorrow
Written by: David Phillips
SPEEDtv.com   http://www.speedtv.com
03/26/2007
Pittsburgh, Pa.
 
Today is quickly giving way to tomorrow in the American Le Mans Series. » More Photos

The past two weekends witnessed some historically significant coming-out parties in American motorsports, among them the 2007 American Le Mans Series (at Sebring), the 2007 IndyCar Series (at Homestead) and the Nextel Cup "Car of Tomorrow" (at Bristol). The buzz and spin emanating from each says much about how each organization views and positions itself in the motorsports market.

Leading off, alphabetically and chronologically, was an ALMS' Twelve Hours of Sebring themed on motorsports' linkages to the automotive industry. Whether it's the GT2 Porsches that spend part of their gestation on the production line with the 911 Carreras, Targas and Turbos destined for your local doctor, lawyer or hedge fund manager, or the ALMS' commitment to alternative fuels now (be it "clean" diesel or E10) and in the future (E50 within 18 to 24 months; bio-diesel and perhaps hydrogen fuel later), Sebring celebrated racing as an incubator/proving ground for cutting-edge technology with direct applications to the broader automotive industry.

Indeed, the tone for the weekend was set less in practice and qualifying than in Thursday's Motorsports Industry Association's "Energy Efficient Motorsport" symposium at Sebring's Four Points Sheraton (aka The Chateau Élan) attended by representatives from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Argonne National Laboratories, Shell Oil (suppliers of Audi R10's diesel fuel), VP Fuels (suppliers of the E10 fuel) and the major auto makers competing in the ALMS (as in Acura, Audi, Chevrolet, Mazda, and Porsche).

"Formula 1 may have high technology, but participants and manufacturers in Formula 1 will one day have to be accountable for the lack of relevance in automotive applications for every-day driving," said Johan de Nysschen, executive vice president of Audi North America. "You will see the diesel engine in the R10 and its technology on the roads of North America within the next 18 months. This [American Le Mans Series] is where we are developing the 'Cars of Tomorrow.'"

If anything, the XM Satellite Radio 300 IndyCar race was even "greener" than the "Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring." From the Honda Hybrid pace car and all 20 Honda-powered Dallaras running on pure ethanol to Jeff Simmons' sound bite on ABC's "World News Tonight" that he prefers "getting our fuel from the Midwest rather than the Middle East," the IndyCar season opener was cloaked in green . . . all but for the crushing dominance of the red and white Target/Ganassi cars of Dan Wheldon and Scott Dixon.
Arguably the greenest racing in America is unfolding on the IndyCar circuit. (LAT photo) » More Photos

In contrast, the only green to be found on Sunday's Food City 500 at Bristol was on the Nextel Cup cars of David
Gilliland, Sterling Marlin, Jeremy Mayfield and J.J. Yeley. Ethanol? Clean diesel? Hydrogen? This is a series that is only now switching to unleaded gasoline, a mere 34 years after federal regulations mandated the automotive and petroleum industries phase-out leaded gas. Nor did the other "Car of Tomorrow" provide much solace for those hoping NASCAR will reverse field on more than five decades of technophobia. With their carburetors, rudimentary electronics and acres of sheetmetal, the CoT's closest brush with contemporary (let alone future) automotive trends are its Avenger-, Camry-, Fusion- and Impala-headlight/grill decals.

Rather than relevant technology or environmental awareness, NASCAR has always been about making green, as in the greenbacks flowing into its coffers. To that end, NASCAR has focused on entertainment . . . and keeping its spokespersons relentlessly on message, be it how NASCAR is all about the fans, how its Nextel Cup competitors are the world's best drivers, its cars the world's fastest race cars or how the NASCAR Nation is 75 million strong.

All the more remarkable, then, that such a mixed message emanated from Bristol, from the babble over just what to call the CoT now that "tomorrow" has come . . . "Super Car," "Car of Today," "Car of Now" and even "Car of Yesterday" . . . to Kyle Busch's astonishingly impolitic post-race comments. ("I'm still not a big fan of these things. I can't stand to drive 'em. They suck.")

All of which goes to show that NASCAR is far from the sports-marketing juggernaut of popular wisdom. From the fact that some teams had to buy new haulers to accommodate their Car of Tomorrow, to widespread disappointment at the Car's uninspiring appearance and performance, its confusing "phase-in" to Nextel Cup competition and Sunday's nationwide "dissing" by the first winner in a CoT, the Car of Tomorrow is proof NASCAR does not have a Midas touch.

If you still think otherwise, may I suggest you click on the links below:

http://www.thecaroftomorrow.com/
http://www.therealcaroftomorrow.com/

David Phillips is a Senior Writer for RACER magazine.




Catch up on the latest sports car racing developments each month in RACER. Check out our "In Focus" photo shoot of the new Lola-Acura LMP2 prototype in our April issue, on sale now!