The Cool Racing News - /shakedown

From time to time you ask for it and here it is, the racing news. Today a bit of a random collection of what's going on mid-July, 2012. But kind of a theme of the things that racing is doing, could be doing, should be doing, to be cooler and more relevant to today's fans. So I'll rip through some news stories, maybe make an insight or two. But really, I just want to launch your thoughts and discussions in the YouTube comment section below. We want to hear what you think about Global RallyCross. They now race with NASCAR. In an earlier shakedown after the X Games debacle, I took the position that RallyCross show racing is ruining racing. But this weekend in New Hampshire, there was a better show. Travis Pastrana and Sam Hubinette actually did some good racing. No one got hurt. So what do you think about RallyCross? And by extension, what am I supposed to make of the DTM stadium show races this weekend at the Munich Olympics Stadium? Also MotoGP. They always put on a show. But it was Moto2, the step up development series that delivered the closer racing in Mugello. And that begets the question about spec racing, making the racing cooler. Then there's McLaren. They launched their animation division, deciding the best way to market their brand is with a cartoon called Tooned. Now besides the jokes I could do comparing their on track F1 performance with a cartoon, a few of you commenters don't want me to do jokes at all. So I won't also be making comparison jokes with our Tooned show with Matt Farah. But boy, my mind is working overtime. You know what, maybe I should ask you to write the jokes. So go ahead. What do you have for us? [CAR RACING SOUND] Let's go through this past weekend's news with your eyes and minds open to answer the question. What makes some racing cool? What other things would, should racing do to make it cooler to more people, to younger fans? Here we go. Global RallyCross, basically big horsepower cars jumping, bumping, sliding, and the speed. They were in New Hampshire, as I mentioned. You know, it kind of reminds me how the Mickey Thompson Stadium Truck Series was so popular a few years ago. So what makes Global RallyCross cool to you? Is it the cars, the drivers, the action? And why do I think it's brilliant that GRC is racing with NASCAR? Because I truly believe that in 10 years, it will be NASCAR. I'm determined the France family will decide to combine the jumping with their crashing, and the driver stars they have, and we'll be one step closer to a real death race. So while I'm on this purity of the sport pedestal, what do I think about DTM and their Munich Olympic Stadium event this weekend? It was a no points event. A show. All show. Two days of racing, team and manufacturer competition, and driver competitions. On the driver side, Mattias Ekstrom was the winning driver in his Audi. Manufacturer Jamie Green and Ralf Schumacher won, finally won, for Mercedes in the team and manufacture rounds. So what do you think of all this? It wasn't a points race. It was just a show. Is it good for racing? Is it good for DTM? You know MotoGP. Those are the bikes that raced this weekend in Italy. MotoGP was cool. Lorenzo stomped to his win and widened his championship points gap after the Hondas of Pedrosa and Stoner struggle. But it was Moto2, the junior step up series, that was the Mugello show. Andrea Iannone, an Italian in Italy who was debuting his firemen red Livery and his firemen style leathers, that took his second win of the year in his home country by hunting down Pol Espargaro. He had the 1.2 second lead going into the last lap. But he couldn't hold off Iannone. Through the race, we had five or six bikes battling at the front the entire race. Moto2 are cost cap kind of spec series. Everyone races 600 cc Honda four strokes with series-approved electronics. But chassis construction is open. Dunlap spec tires, steel brakes. In Moto2, I guess it's supposed to be more of a rider and team development series, working on chassis and set up. The rider and his skill. So cost controls and spec racing. Is it good? Is it cooler for you? And now the McLaren, and their animation division, and their translation of motor sport marketing, called Tooned, a cartoon, staring the images and voices of Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton. There's a link below if you haven't seen the cartoon yet. There'll be one toon released for every F1 race. And I'm curious if they'll emulate our toon with behind the wheel giggling, and show titles like the world's fastest, most exclusive, something or other. But Matt Farah's doing a great job, a hell of a job, and everyone loves him. And he doesn't need a cartoon image to be a-- no, that's not fair. Anyway, despite the fact McLaren's toon reminds me of Senninha. Remember? Created a generation ago. But what do you think about cartoons, animations, movies, pushing the attraction and appeal of racing? Remember this? Or even the Speed Racer movie. Or Cars, the movie. Or Michel Vaillant. So what do you think about this type of marketing extension? Or is it better for McLaren to market the more traditional way, as they're doing with their simraceway partnership. On simraceway, July is McLaren month. The promotional introduction of McLaren cars to simraceway, with new cars available. And challenge hot lap events to run a McLaren and win a simraceway S1 steering wheel, or a racy way to win up to $50 in cash. Thanks to a groundbreaking deal with the world famous British racing manufacturers, simraceway has become the first sim game in history to secure the licenses for McLaren's entire portfolio of cars, race and road. Of course, the current MP4-12C road car, and the M6GT, a Bruce McLaren passion. But it's the race cars that define McLaren. And the deal gives simraceway users access to every F1 car McLaren has produced, including the 1974 and '76 Emerson Fittipaldi and James Hunt cars, the Button and Hamilton 2011 Vodafone McLaren Mercedes MP4-26, all 36 F1 cars. In total, the deal brings 60 McLarens to the simraceway environment, including the MP4-12C GT3 car that we're going to see first hand when we go to the Spa 24, end of July, for a very special Shakedown. Hey, maybe July is our McLaren month. So stay tuned. Now comment away on today's topic about the news, and what would make racing cooler? More exciting formats, like Global RallyCross? Closer racing with spec cars and bikes? More media attention outside the race broadcast? More ops for you to experience racing yourself, like the sims and simsraceway. Looking forward to your comments. [MUSIC PLAYING]