Sunday, July 08, 2007

Just can't stop winning.

Lime Rock is a difficult course; narrow, bumpy, twisty and often compared to a roller coaster. It's not for the warmed over "race car inspired" vehicles using obsolete technology we are relentlessly told are the only true sports cars because they go stop and turn less well but are not American. It's easier and more profitable, of course, to make slick claims about performance than to build something that wins all the races and America is better at convincing people we're winning some war that isn't a war than at convincing people we make the best sports cars by actually winning sports car races again and again and again.

The Corvette team placed first and second again yesterday at Lime Rock, just as they almost always do in the GT-1 class, the category for the fastest production based sports cars. Somehow for me, that seems more appealing than "attitude" and "edge" and all the other nebulous and empty measures touted by advertisers, but what do I know? After all I'm one of those out of touch sorts who thinks the Dodgers aren't in Brooklyn any more and insists the 1972 Oldsmobile hasn't been made for 35 years -- and apparently I'm absolutely clueless with regard to urban semiotics.

So it's on to Mid-Ohio on July 21st and probably on to yet another season's championship for the American guys that will go entirely unnoticed by American guys.

Don't get me wrong, Companies like Audi make terrific "prototypes:" purpose built, off road only race cars that are great feats of engineering, but they cost millions and you probably can't buy one or drive it home much less find parts or service anywhere any more than you could for an Indy car or Formula 1. Unattainability is a strong attractant for some, but daydreaming about owning an R10 is just less satisfying than owning a thoroughbred you can still make the trip to Grandma's house in. That's just me though, you may prefer to spend two or three times as much for a loser. It's a free country.

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