Reading Dwight Clock's post about the death of Shane Hammond brought to my mind another sad anniversary. It was on April 7, 1968 that Jim Clark died in the crash of his Formula Two racer at Hockenheim, Germany.
Jim won the first Indy 500 I attended in 1965. I had heard so much about his exploits on the Formula One circuit and I was really excited to see him race in person for the first time. He was without a doubt one of the greatest drivers of all time. He accomplished so much in his relatively brief career.

He was quite a gentleman and definitely a heck of a racer. I went out to Phx Int'l Raceway about a month prior to his death and he was there testing tires for Firestone with the Andretti/Brawner team among others. I got to meet him and his well mannered personna left a lasting impression on me.

It seems that everytime I reminisce about him I recall the chapter in Andy Granitelli's "They Call me Mr. 500" biography about Jim getting ready to qualify for the 1966 500 (Al Unser Sr. was his teammate that year). Andy mentioned that it was always his habit of reaching down to tug on his driver's belts just before they went out. This particular time, Andy reached down and Jim grabbed his arm and gave a steely eyed stare down to him without saying a word. Andy pulled his hand back, and Jim went out and did his laps. Afterwards he then informed Andy (when he asked) that the belts literally broke when he went to tighten them.

Any miscue during the qualifying attempt, and Dale Sr's broken belt issue would have surfaced close to 40 years earlier.

I believe he died in a town called Hokenheim(sp?) Germany in a Formula III car. That would be the equivilent to AJ dying in a midget during the peak of his Indy racing career.

I wonder if anything should be said about Colin Champman?

Larry Otani:applaud:

OOPS! didin't read it close enough:headbang

here's a great article:
http://sport.scotsman.com/sport/Jim-...ver.3953077.jp

Colin Chapman was a great formula 1 car owner but those darned green rear engine cars completely screwed up AOWR. Between those and the Cooper CLimax traditional AOWR has suffered alot in my opinion. Those two events changed so much about the landscape of racing in this country and none of it has been for the better.

Amen to that!!!!

Well said. The biggest problem the rear engine revolution caused was that it made it nearly impossible for an American, schooled in the traditional arenas of midgets and sprint cars, to advance to Indy style racing. Those drivers now move on to NASCAR. The combination of unknown (to Americans) drivers and cars that bear no resemblance to what short track fans see on a weekly basis has led to the current sorry state of Indy style competition. It is decidedly better now with the merge but it remains a long way from where it should be.

So let me understand you. Do you feel if we went
to a front engine Indy style car or Champ Car, the Indy
type racing would be better today?

Or do we need something other than Nascar at the Indy Level
of racing/motorsports/IRL/Champ cars?

Do you think we need to go back to front engine only racing
in American?

Kind of like the sprint cars, Midgets and TQ's that really don't
seem to have changed much for the casuaul observer?

Thanks,

Larry Otani:headbang

Yes it would improve because the drivers we see in midgets, sprintcars, and Silver Crowns would be able to take their talents and fanbase to Indycars. The IRL wants ratings increase that is the way to do it.

I can probably guarantee you that there are more sprintcar and midget fans in America than there are fans of the IRL. What IRL race (outside of the 500) draws the number of fans that races like the Knoxville Nationals or the Chili Bowl arguable short track front engine OW racing's two biggest events?

Also which form of racing out numbers the other on entrants at events? MIdgets and Sprints or Indycar's?

Hell even the 500 doesn't have the car count it use to have. Look at USAC, POWRi, WoO, the All-Stars, and the Chili Bowl. I would venture a safe bet those series have more entrants at their events than the IRL does. Why? Because people are interested in those series and type of racing. Indycar is flat on the floor cookie cutter tracks where the race is decided mostly by engineers and strategists and not the race itself generally.

Give me a midget sprintcar or Silver Crown race anyday over anything (even the 500) the IRL has to offer.

If they ever get back to a series that has drivers in it I know Imay change my opinion but until then forget it.