Racing to the green!

R.A.C.E C.A.R. - it spells conservation in English (Her Majesties Royal English)

Yes it's true despite my metro button ups and stlyish shoes I am infact still a guy. Or more to the point a car guy.

But in the context of this website most obviously, that puts me at some what at odds between two loves.

Enter the power of marketing.

For a number of years the FIA spearheaded by efforts from Presdent Max (google his recent scandal) Mosley has been crusading efforts to cut costs in Formula One.

With teams like Toyota spending sums estimated to be in the half billion dollars per year plus, these are not trivial amounts.

So that as in golf, strong players like Ferrari and McLaren Mercedes can be handicapped against newcommers like Indias Tata and Red Bulls twin race teams. So that a field of cars that numbers 22 can continue to draw a estimated fan base of 580 million tv viewers per season alone.

I myself are like 3 fans in one and I routinely tune into the 2am live broadcasts to see drivers who can get salaries of 46 million dollars per year, experiencing 5g's of cornering force in downtown Monaco or speeds in excess of 220 down the back straights of Indy.

Most of this is likely foreign goods to some but for those who thinks the sun rises and sets with NASCAR. But try asking a driver sometime where they'd rather be. (off the record)

So it's with this this idea that FIA started long ago getting tough on costs. First with the loss of Turbo engines in the 80's then with increasing smaller and smaller engne sizes, one manufacturer tire rules, drastically reduced testing miles and engines and gearboxes that last 2 races minumum.

That last one might not sound terribly difficult given the money. But try taking an engine the size of the one in your Corolla. Modify it to produce 900 horspower at 20,000 rpm and see how long it lasts in stop and go, let alone under 1000 miles of racing at this level. Drivers alone lose 10 pounds in water weight in those 2 hours.

Fortunatley for my sense of balance Formula One is based soley on participation. And at this level of money manufacturers are the only ones who can afford to compete at the top level.

And when 500 million a year turns into a mythical 1 billion in pre tax profits (not in republican owned states where only peasants are forced to support everyone of course) These publically owned companies are at the mercy of shareholders who want something for the profit earned from 400,000 Honda Accords.

Bragging rights doesnt cover it.

Lets take Honda for instance (yes I would buy Honda underwear if they made it, ask me about my first 3 shit errr... chevy's)

They have long produced cars with extrodinary fuel economy. As they originally grew from the need for small fuel efficient cars to pilot the streets of Japan this is an natural thing. They have even been named the most fuel efficient car company in the known universe. I mean in the early 90's they had civic models that rivals todays hybrids which btw they still hold the record for in a production car with 62 mpg long before the Prius.

But in 2006 they did an amazing thing thats relevant here. Those that are fans of F1, and many that werent saw 2 cars. Jensen Buttons and Ferrari defector Rubens Baricello draped in what appeared to be a vinyl google earth map. The only logos being a red Honda H and My Earth Dream .com appearing on the spoiler.

In a sport where sponsor logos can fetch tens of millions of dollars a car with none really must be saying something. Which is exactly the point.

My Earth Dream .com reflects both Hondas F1 effort and there continued push for cleaner and more fuel efficient vehicles.

Now take into account there are 2 cars competing and there are 580 million people exposed to this bit of marketing on tv alone and suddenly you have the single largest piece of advertising ever concieved.

Formula One itself has spun there own efforts as conservation and when your teams are using 8,000 miles less gas 100's less tires 100's of less engines every year it is doing exctly that, though for different actual reasons.

Quick brake check on the people that still think the whole thing is still the devil.

Racing is forever. Since we could run till the first wheel was turned it's in us to compete. 3 new race series alone were created in the time it took me to write this. Accept it.

Thats not to say to give up hope. Video games like Gran Turismo will likely replace actual driving in the future. But until then take this turn of events that were headed in the right direction.