To his left on the podium, meanwhile, was Graham Rahal, the teenager more than a few consider the next American headed into F-1. In a recent private study of American prospects conducted by BMW, in fact, Rahal was rated at the top of the list. The other leading contender, Marco Andretti, is now rumored to be looking to replace Bourdais on the Newman/Haas/Lanigan team next year with help from a sponsor search by father Michael.

I spoke to one obviously capable employe at Champ Car who said “I’ve had eight or nine bosses since I’ve been here.” That would seem to underscore instability in the front office of the series owned by Kevin Kalkhoven and Gerald Forsythe. But one gets the impression presently that there are a lot of the right people in the right places and that the changes — much like push to pass, red lines to show tire choice and, more recently, standing starts — are for the better.

Then there’s the flourishing understudy Atlantic series, where Champ Car’s ownership has not meddled and at the same time given it the budget to succeed. That includes a $2 million “scholarship” to the champion should he or she want to move up to Champ Car. (A driver can survive on that kind of sponsorship, but it remains to be seen if it’s possible to really succeed.)

The question previously has been whether Kalkhoven and Forsythe would run out of patience (they aren’t likely to run out of money) before Champ Car could become profitable. Putting the TV and sponsorship issues aside, the key issue for a sanctioning body in addition to car counts are sanctioning fees and venues. It remains to be seen how the European schedule will go — although the Holland event looks far more rosey with the recent success of Robert Doornbos. But there are clearly enough reliable events for the ownership to build on.

So while NASCAR was making bigger waves at Watkins Glen, where a certain former F-1 driver created a lot of, um, excitement, Champ Car was soldiering along in the invariably cheerful Wisconsin summer. For those who look to open wheel road racing as the ultimate form of motor sport, the solid future of Champ Car also underscores the fact two open-wheel series can survive in the U.S. And, there will be races to watch on either TV or in person.

Then there’s the other news. Steady growth has its drawbacks.

If long lost re-unification for the sake of one powerhouse open wheel series is the goal, it’s less likely to happen in the face of sustained success for each of the current series. There’s no incentive to find some way over the hurdles of how each side can equiably participate in the cash flow in the case of a merger.

(Needless to say, rival Indy Racing League owner Tony George will not run out of either patience or money.)

If the goal is returning open wheel racing to the top of the heap in American motor racing, that appears highly improbable without a single entity representing the sport.

The proposition of being second is not appealing in motor racing any more than a tie. But on the other hand, it makes little sense to bewail the blue skies of a Wisconsin summer.