"It's time for a new song and dance. Now that it's official and the principals have acknowledged discussions -- and one of my underground parking garage sources tells me that the buzz behind the scenes is that Humpty Dumpty might be back in one piece as early as next year and an announcement could come during the Indianapolis 500 next month -- it's time to offer suggestions regarding the cleanup of the mess."
Turbochargers:
"It's far and away the most significant decision, and most hotly contested, of the unification negotiations. Should the new series go in the direction of the turbocharged 2.65-liter Ford/Cosworth of Champ Car or the naturally aspirated 3.0-liter Honda? For the sake of eyes and ears, go turbo. Truthfully, the IRL cars look and sound ugly, while Champ Cars are more aesthetically pleasant. Since a byproduct of unification would be the opportunity to present the new series to a new audience, one thinks it wise not to present it in the form of a fat, loud car."
Checks and balances.
"The root cause of the split was the lack of a strong leader. The smash-and-grab mayhem of CART in the mid-90s provided George his cause (right or wrong). When 20 wealthy men, each armed with a selfish agenda, try to run things by committee, chaos is the only possible conclusion. Elect a strong, decisive leader, give him the power of veto and give him the reins. At the same time, though, make him answer to a board of team owners and manufacturers, set term limits and maintain the ability to overturn vetoes. Others argue that sanctioning bodies only succeed under dictatorship (has anyone been watching NASCAR or Formula 1 lately?). In the case of U.S. open-wheel racing, a dictator only decorates the palace for another revolt. The balance of a powerful president and a competent, active board is the only reasonable option."
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