Paul Tracy's admission that he has used traction control illegally since 1994 is just another in a growing list of reasons why CART should consider its current Ford-Cosworth engine specification more than just a stop-gap. Originally intended only to provide CART with stability in the face of the massive exodus of teams, engines and drivers, 2003-spec Champ Car racing has proven popular across the board and it is this popularity that makes changing a big gamble.
Fans have been energised by the new season of Champ Cars. Faced with the complexity of F1 and the inevitable dominance of the IRL by CART mercenaries, fans have turned to Champ Cars as a real, dare I say it, simple alternative.
Customer chassis's mated to a standard V8 Cosworth power plant is a winner simply because it is as close as a major racing series can get to parity without a season of NASCAR-esque rolling rule changes. The cars are spectacular, sliding and wheel-spinning in almost every gear, visibly forcing the driver to make the car do what he wants. They entertain, pure and simple, leaving the spectator feeling that it is the driver who is doing the work and somehow that always seems like better value for money than a field of computer driven racers.
Value for money is also a key theme for any motor racing category but it is particularly relevant when we consider the teams and sponsors who have stuck by or joined the Champ Car ranks this season. Undoubtedly the 2003-spec rules were intended to encourage teams to stay or join and that has been pretty successful. But tampering with this set-up potentially jeopardises the good work that will be achieved in 2003 and 2004 with new and growing teams.
There is already a chill wind blowing through the IRL at the thought of how much Toyota and Honda may eventually spend slugging it out to take the Indy 500. CART, for the moment, is free from that worry and given the economic climate more stable and healthier for it. Having said that, there is always something exciting for a racing series when new manufacturers enter the fray; increasing spending and public interest and generally creating one giant corporate seal of approval. But it also seems, with the notable exceptions of NASCAR and F1, to seal the fate of the championship concerned. CART can avoid this - and avoid a repeat of 2002 - by maintaining the stability and parity of the series.
If the championship were to keep standard engines for 2-3 seasons and only updated chassi's every second season, it would become more cost-effective for new teams to enter and existing teams to field more cars. The end result is beneficial for all: fans see massive grids of equal cars, teams can compete even without a massive sponsor, and drivers don't have to bring a stack of hard cash to just get a race.
But praising the current Champ Car set-up may be pointless. Chris Pook and his team seem set on chasing manufacturers like Porsche and Volkswagen to build cheap V10 Formula 1 style engines in 2005, creating synergy with the international flavour of Champ Cars and re-introducing manufacturer support and interest. European manufacturers and perhaps some other international ones may deliver but with or without them Champ Cars could be left ruing the day it decided to trade simplicity and parity for spiralling costs, political battles and traction control, legal or not.
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