From Erik Tomas.... Raceline Radio
Random thoughts, some might actually have something to do with racing automobiles...
A shame Lewis Hamilton couldn't dispatch an F-1 World Driving Championship. He would have been the first rookie in history to pull off the feat. I think nerves got the better of the 22 year old and he stumbled with a panicky start in the season closer at Brazil. I bet you his feet were shaking on the pedals. His McLaren then slowed with bubbly hydraulics and a sticky gearbox. He lost drive for a moment, and he simply dropped too far back, 7th and a lap down.
Formula One tried their best to further pollute their season with the cold-fuel inquiry, that for a few hours after the race, questioned whether some BMW and Williams cars would be excluded from the finishing order, bumping Hamilton to 4th, good enough for the title.
You chill the fuel, it takes out some oxygen molecules making it denser, creating a horsepower boost. But F-1 decided it was no big deal, and the finish stood. Kimi wins the crown by 1 point over Hamilton. The pro-Hamilton British press are crying into their fish and chips.
Lewis' interview on Raceline Radio was a definite season hi-lite. He's a great kid and a wonderful talent. He'll have his day no doubt. I admit I was pulling for him to win the F-1 crown, but Kimi Raikkonen wins that. Kimi is a nice guy but he's as out-going as melted ice. He managed to crack a slight smile on the podium in Brazil. Kimi is not an exciting personality, but a fast and precise driver and full measure for it. He's an unlikely champ, ending an interesting but turbulent F-1 season.
Can someone please explain to me why CTV's "Corner Gas" is considered funny? And you would think the Network has another "I Love Lucy" on their hands. They promote "Corner Gas" in every single stop set in their evening programming. Folks, if you insist on pulverizing us with incessant promos, at least have the decency to produce at least 2 versions of it so we're not seeing the SAME damn promo every commercial break.
The mandate of this show is to spotlight Canadian driving talent and success. 2007 was a banner year for Canucks in DIRT Modified Racing. The 358 Division was commanded by Canadians, first and second in final points with St. Edmond Quebec's Mario Clair edging Kingston Ontario's Danny O'Brien for the title. Close to 70% of the cars in the pits at Super DIRT Week Syracuse were Canadian creations from the Bicknell shop in St. Catharines Ontario. We build 'em and drive 'em to victory lane. That works.
The phone rang in the Raceline office at 3 AM Sunday morning. I had set the alarm, so I was up. Sort of. It was Sebastien Bourdais after he clinched his 4th ChampCar World Series championship in a row. He chided me for complaining about the early hour. We have developed that kind of relationship. Sabby talked about his never-say-die Newman-Haas/Lanigan team again, and how time after time, recovered from the usual rash of racing set-backs to keep him in the fight.
The Flying Frenchman scored his 30th career win in Australia to lock down his 4th straight ChampCar title. That breaks Ted Horn's record of 3 set just after the close of World War II. How rare is 4 championships in a row? It's never happened in NASCAR or the NFL, and hasn't happened in 20 years in The NHL or Major League Baseball. And the truly amazing thing? This all happens in just his 5th year in the series. Paul Tracy has one title over 17 years of service. Bourdais finally gets that F-1 break, heading to Torro Rosso and Gerhard Berger's tutelage next year.
Sea-bass has become more Americanized than he thinks. While he allowed wife Claire is looking forward to moving closer to her family in France, Sebastien is more concerned about all the accumulated junk in their garage at their Florida place. Sabby was incredibly co-operative with us. I hope we can stay in touch as he disappears into the isolation of Formula One's infamous unavailability for media and fans.
Heck, I'd even help Bourdais clean out his garage if I thought it would score brownie points.
What do YOU think?
Any suggestions? Opinions? Comments on the show? Better ideas? Keep the E-Mails rolling in for The Raceline E-Mail Bag! The address: erik@raceline.ca We always invite your feedback!
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Until next time, talk to ya'll on Raceline Radio! ET
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ITMN EDITOR'S NOTE.... HEYYYYYY.... WE LOVE CORNER GAS!!
