9. Speaking of processions, the World Motor Sport Council has more than a few members who vehemently argued that McLaren should not only be excluded from this year’s constructors championship. They argued its drivers should lose all points in the championship as well. Had that been the case, we’d see an excellent battle among four drivers reduced to Ferrari designating Kimi Raikkonen as the next world champion. It’s hardly a matter of major material advantage gained in the Stepneygate scandal. And isn’t a $100 million fine and the loss of one championship enough? How is it that so many obtuse people reach such high levels in motor racing?

8. Some teams in NASCAR these days are spending a lot of time, energy and money looking for the next big star. Why don’t more try the Richard Childress method? The team owner first saw Clint Bowyer in an ARCA race on TV while sitting in his hauler one afternoon. Childress placed a call the next week to Bowyer and a contract deal was done shortly thereafter.

7. Here’s another procession. IndyCar drivers looking at the greener (as in richer) pastures in NASCAR and deciding to make a career move after winning the Indy 500. Do they really understand the commitment it takes to go back to the bottom of the heap and start working your way up again? (See Sam Hornish fail to qualify at New Hampshire.)

6. Newman/Haas/Lanigan recently tried to jump into the NASCAR frenzy by signing a deal with Robert Yates this summer to provide engineering services to the former engine builder’s team. Did Robert ever mention he was going to retire in a couple of months and sell the team to his son Doug — which would immediately render any agreement with Newman/Haas/Lanigan null and void? Where was Ford on this one? Was Ford pushing for a deal with the Champ Car guys or for the eventual agreement reached by Doug Yates to use Roush Fenway Racing as an engineering resource?

5. Is there any difference between the curent ownership of Champ Car and the CART ownership that preceded it? Kevin Kalkhoven and Gerry Forsythe, despite their riches, have palms outstretched at every turn of the daily calendar to locate the next opportunity for a cash infusion from a promoter. I honestly wonder if the importance of maintaining a consistent schedule with date equity has ever entered their minds when considering the success of F1, NASCAR, the Indy 500, American sports cars, World Rally, the FIA GT, etc., etc.

4. Ron Dennis may be a stone wall when it comes to the issue of F1 teams’ independence and rights under the Concorde Agreement. And, he may have a peculiar and careful oral presentation, which can obscure his intent at times. But, other than those who hate the McLaren team for the usual fan/sporting reasons, is there any specific reason to believe he’s Nixonian?

3. If you create big, unwieldy cars that are equal in performance, do you really expect no contact in close championship races? (See the Grand American Rolex Series finale at Salt Lake City.)

2. Nigel Stepney believed he could follow in the footsteps of Ross Brawn at Ferrari and become a technical director after working as a mechanic for many, many years. If the opportunity had not knocked yet, why would sheer loyalty and hard work be considered enough? For his part, Brawn went through many intermediate steps at several teams before his transition from mechanic to a technical director was complete. In retrospect, there seems to be a great deal of reason to lack confidence in Stepney’s judgement.

1. How is it we have lost another racer to an aviation crash after retirement from such a dangerous business? How sad to add the name of Colin McRae to a list that most famously includes Graham Hill and Curtis Turner.

Jonathan Ingram can be reached at jingrambooks.com