One never knows the best time to bring up the state of racing in general. But given the upheaval in the last 12 months some changes in the scale, i.e. the balance of power, may be in the offing. So now’s as good a time as any to consider which type of racing stands where.

F1 continues to be at the top of the heap in terms of star power, financial clout and a relative lack of vulnerability. The best thing possible when it comes to any professional series are serious rivalries among top teams and drivers, which is precisely the state of F1 given the less-than-friendly competition among Ferrari, McLaren and Renault, much less Kimi Raikkonen, Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso. The Schumacher era is indeed over.

Who can argue with a series that commands a sanctioning fee of up to $30 million and a world-wide TV market? Despite the arrival of A1GP and the stillborn efforts of Champ Car in Europe, there’s not much in the way of rivalry for those big bucks, either. Despite the European Union’s arrival (hence an oversight of anti-competitive practices), the loss of tobacco money and the uptick in the popularity of sports car racing in Europe, F1 is as strong as ever.

The major weakness of F1 has been its increasing regimentation of rules that squelch the kind of technical development of the days of yore to keep costs in check. But the exciting flipside to that coin is the green evolution that promises some dramatic new technical developments in areas such as regenerative energy.

Speaking of which, another weakness is the lack of a succession plan for the aging Bernie Ecclestone.

For U.S. fans, the biggest weakness is the lack of a U.S.G.P. and an American driver. According to informed sources, at least one major manufacturer is looking to promote a young American. It remains to be seen if a combined open-wheel structure in the U.S. will help the chances of Marco Andretti or Graham Rahal.

More importantly, perhaps, do either of those young Americans consider NASCAR an option? I’d bet that the new IndyCar Series is likely to hold their attention far better than a 34-race oval season in the Car of Today plus two road course events. Also, given recent performances by Jacques Villeneuve, A.J. Allmendinger, Sam Hornish Jr. and Patrick Carpentier, one wonders if NASCAR team owners may give up on Indy car drivers in the near future anyway.

These are ultimately smaller pototaoes in the larger stew of NASCAR vs. IndyCar.

On the NASCAR front, the Car of Today has proven to be a driver’s vehicle, but remains as unwieldy as, well, a stock car. In Las Vegas, Mark Martin and Jeff Gordon each made mistakes in the closing laps of the Nationwide and Sprint Cup races, respectively, albeit with different results. On the other hand, the cars are “catchable” at high speeds and make one look forward to restrictor plate racing vs. the follow-the-leader drafts of the past. So in this case, NASCAR’s ruling France family has once again proven to be successful in its aggressive pursuit of building the sport.

It remains to be seen if the schedule changes, the multitude of new faces, the crackdown on driver behavior and the awkward TV times will linger as high negatives with NASCAR’s core fan group. I’d bet that lots of lead changes and slam-bang action with the COT is likely to be just like an exciting finish to a boring race when it comes to the recent drop in popularity. Most fans will forget about the negatives and the sport will benefit from more focus on the racing.

If a driver like two-time winner Carl Edwards stays hot and wins 10 this year for Roush Fenway Racing, watch out.

Can IndyCar begin to make a dent in NASCAR hegemony? Why not?

The 12-year schism between open wheel series was rightly blamed for some of NASCAR’s advantage, so the end of the split will help. Over the long haul, a series with fewer races and regular street events is going to have a difficult time posting significant numbers when it comes to ticket buyers compared to NASCAR. Can the IRL do something to promote TV numbers to comparable levels with NASCAR? Well, a unified Indy 500 is a good place to start.

By the criteria of increasing events and a diverse group of driving stars, the NHRA, no longer on the auction block, is the dark horse in American racing. Its limitation is the number of seats that can be built around a quarter mile track and, according to industry insiders, the inability to get a major TV contract. As it is, fan loyalty remains unsurpassed.

American sports car racing is as healthy as its ever been due to the number of financially fit individuals who want to pursue it. The Grand American series benefits most from the “back gate” income that arrives with a multitude of teams, including the “showroom stock” category of the Grand-Am Cup featuring up-rated road cars. The American Le Mans Series benefits more from the presence of manufacturers, which has proven to be a better “front gate” draw for fans, in addition to wealthy team owners.

Unlike the split in open wheel racing, the two sports car series can continue to co-exist profitably. The ALMS and the Grand-Am will run a total of 25 races this year. It was inconceivable to think of that many professional endurance racing events during the mid-1990’s. On the other hand, the sport is built around its major long distance races, which currently present insurmountable problems for a mjor TV contract.

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