The death of the roadster

The virus first infected Indianapolis in 1961.  The typhoid Mary's of the epidemic were John Cooper and Jack Brabham.  The germ was a comparatively tiny, rear engined Cooper Formula One car.  It was under powered compared to the roadster monsters it was trying to slay.  Turned out, the brutes were defenseless in the face of the technological onslaught brought by the little car.

Jim Hurtubise was the last man to successfully qualify a front engined roaster for the Indianapolis 500, in 1968.  It was the dying breath of an entire line of beautiful, traditional looking race cars. 

This Sunday at Bristol Motor Speedway, the Car of Tomorrow, soon to be renamed, will debut in Nextel Cup competition.  Jerry Wilson, in his blog has has this to say...

The ideas behind the car are sound.  Increased driver safety = good idea.  Increased level of competition by making a more box-like, less aero dependent vehicle = good idea.  Saving teams money... call me when that happens.  These aren't what is bothersome about the thing.

It's the car itself.

This has nothing to do with the cow catcher up front and the 'didn't I see that on a pseudo-hot rod driven by some seventeen year old who thinks he's a too tough to handle street fighting man but who faints dead away at the sight of a tattoo needle' wing in the back.  It also has nothing to do with how the car will actually perform come race day, as this is the great unknown not to be revealed until the green flag waves at Bristol five days hence.

It's the car itself.

It's a race car.

more...

Financial pressures and logistics will most likely force the full time introduction of the Car formerly know as CoT for the 2008 Sprint Cup season. 

The forty year anniversary of the death of the roadster will be marked by the official death of the stock car.

Rest in peace.

Comments

[Man In Black]

Is this a NASCAR blog or just a remake of the old Elvis Presley song? Here ya go old timer. Enjoy

Memories, pressed between the pages of my mind
Memories, sweetened thru the ages just like wine

Quiet thought come floating down
And settle softly to the ground
Like golden autumn leaves around my feet
I touched them and they burst apart with sweet memories,
Sweet memories

Of holding hands and red bouquets
And twilight trimmed in purple haze
And laughing eyes and simple ways
And quiet nights and gentle days with you

Memories, pressed between the pages of my mind
Memories, sweetened thru the ages just like wine,
Memories, memories, sweet memories. MIB

[Steve]

Ahhhh, yes--those good old days of leather helmets, no seat belts and no rol bars. Man that was when racing was fun to watch. There was nothing better than seeing one of those era drivers rolling his car over, being trown from it and landing on his head. How could you not be nostalgic for that?

The end of the roadster era was brought on by individuals, not the sanctioning body. The rear engine "modern" formula car was the brainchild of forward thinking, rule interpretating car owners, and that forward thinking revolutionized ALL open wheel racing. I'ts a good thing that NASCAR won't allow that sort of CRAP to invade it's series. Welcome back all you suspended crew chiefs.

For old times sake, this weekend at Bristol, everyone disconnect your radios and use some pit boards to communicate with your drivers. Charlie would be in 7th Heaven.

Steve

[charlie]

Hey, MIB. You're the one that "only watches ESPN Classic so I can watch Dale Earnhardt the Elder, stuff Terry Labonte into the Bristol wall over and over and over, again. I like the "Purple Haze" reference though. And to Steve, pay attention. I actually like the Car of this Weekend.

[Man In Black]

Charlie...at least we can all remember Dale Earnhardt Sr. Those other guys you write about, Johnny Clark, Don Gurney, Joe Hurtubise and the like, are just vague, purple hazy recollections of brief conversations I had with my Great Grandfather back in Coshocton Ohio. Just tryin' to "rattle your cage" Papa!