Graham Rahal, USF1: The Official Death of Open Wheel Racing in the USA

By
at Internationaled.org

Published: March 10, 2010

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I wrote an article here on BleacherReport a few months ago about why I thought that Formula One and open wheel racing was dying in North America and especially in the States. I postulated lots of things; NASCAR, foreign drivers, the auto industry.

But I when I wrote that article I still had hope that reunification, new sponsors, and the possibility of new engine suppliers for the 2012 season and beyond could re-energize and usher in a renewal for open wheel racing in the U.S.

That hope went beyond just IndyCar, I was also hopeful about the new USF1 team.  Peter Windsor and Ken Anderson had so hyped up their theoretical capability, American know-how, and that good ole' go get'em spirit that I, like many others, was blinded to what USF1 was supposed to be from the very beginning.

An experiment, nothing more, nothing less. Windsor made us all believe that USF1 was a realistic endeavor. That the U.S. would actually be able to fund, construct, and run a Formula One car and team when the interest in the sport here is close to zero. Soccer/football is more popular and well known stateside than Formula One has ever or will ever be.

Ken Anderson with his wind tunnel, autoclaves, and CFD software didn't even have a chance to do what Dan Gurney did out of what was basically his shed. It's hard to maintain that DIY ethos of good ole' boy American racers, in the ilk of Dan Gurney or the moonshiners in the mountains of western North Carolina, especially if the team's main financiers are a nerd from Silicon Valley and a failed Argentinian F1 prospect.

The dream that USF1 was from the very beginning was just that: a dream, nothing else. In a way I'm relieved they didn't make to it the grid in Bahrain; this country has enough to be embarrassed about.

But coming back to IndyCar, Graham Rahal—I repeat, GRAHAM RAHAL!!!!—will not be driving an Indy car in 2010. How does that happen? The most pr...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Formula 1

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