Led By Stepneygate, 2007 Had More Thunderclaps Than Usual

One writer’s Top Ten list of the biggest stories in the 2007 motor racing season. 

 1. Stepney Trips On His, Um, Gate — Stepneygate had it all: intrigue, espionage, an incredible $100 million fine, a bearing on the F1 championships, internecine warfare among teammates and between teams. If I’m ever in jail, I’m calling Ferrari’s smooth-talking lawyer.

2. Little E Leaves DEI — How can you top a most popular son leaving the team of his late father, a seven-time champion? Easy. It’ll be the No. 1 story if Dale Earnhardt Jr. ever returns to Dale Earnhardt Inc., which won’t happen until he can afford to buy it from stepmother Teresa Earnhardt. Little E would need several championships at Hendrick Motorsports to pull that off. One title would be enough to finally convince those other than his fans that he can drive.

3. Johnson Repeats As Nextel Cup Champ — Just when folks started believing nobody will ever tie Cale Yarborough’s mark of three straight under the Chase format, Johnson wins his second in a row by taking four victories on the trot down the stretch. Who says the point system, which now rewards winners, needs further revamping?

4. John Force Breaks A Leg — He’s in show biz, but this accident was a little hairy. (As far as this writer’s concerned, until proven otherwise it was the equipment in the timing pylon that cut the rear tire.)

5. Porsche Beats Audi — The hefty all-conquering Audi diesel, the one with a V-12 twin turbo and two straight Le Mans victories, got beat eight times in the American Le Mans Series by Porsche’s little Spyder that could. Oh yes. Roger Penske was involved.

6. Joe Gibbs To Race Toyotas — Nimble enough to get re-hired as coach of the Washington Redskins, Gibbs required no heavy breathing to accept Toyota’s offer of $25 million per year versus coffee and doughnuts from ailing GM.

7. Rallying’s Colin McRae Killed — It’s a terrible tragedy to lose a retired world champion, family and friends in a helicopter crash. It’s also a watchword for all race car drivers who fancy flying whirlybirds.

8. Raikkonen Wins On Final Day — OK, so he sounds like a one-note kazu. A helluva driver finally gets his chance, then makes good on it to win F1’s world championship. It turns out Lewis Hamilton walks on Fleet Street, but not on water.

9. Three Indy 500 Champs Start At Homestead — This list doesn’t even include Dario Franchitti, who next year will join Juan Pablo Montoya, Jacques Villeneuve and Sam Hornish, Jr. in the attempt to crossover into NASCAR, the world’s richest souvenir market. Gentlemen, start your wallets.

10. The U.S. Grand Prix Leaves Town. Again — The price for Indianapolis to get back on the schedule, the same one paid by Singapore, is now $30 million for the pleasure of F1’s company. (Indianapolis paid roughly $12 million annually through 2007.) Yes, this is the same F1 company whose TV/marketing rights have been bought and sold several times at exhorbitant prices. The loans/bonds for the original defaulted deal carry over $200 million in annual interest. So who’s the guy fixing the problem? Bernie Ecclestone, the same guy who sold the rights for real cash at an exhorbitant price in the first place.

Jonathan Ingram can be reached at jonathan@jingrambooks.com.

Tuesday, December 11th, 2007 Filed under Uncategorized |