Hello, motorsports enthusiasts! Welcome to another edition of Seven Points with Kobe Lambeth and Kenneth Lee Jr. We will provide weekly commentary, discussing various topics in motorsports. The majority of our content will focus on NASCAR but other disciplines will be discussed as well.
Lambeth is a student at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, who is a Communications major (mass media concentration) and minor in Journalism. In addition, he contributes to motorsports coverage at The Podium Finish. Lee is a graduate of Tuskegee University with a bachelor's degree in Communications, an alumnus of the NASCAR Diversity Internship Program and an Associate Producer in Content Development for the Motor Racing Network. 1. At the end of the 2020 season, Porsche will end its factory GTLM program in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, due to the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Porsche’s withdrawal leaves Corvette and BMW as the only remaining full-time GTLM manufacturers, with an occasional entry from the Risi Competizione Ferrari. Given these recent developments, what’s next for the GTLM class? Lambeth: Porsche's withdrawal from GTLM was a massive blow to the entire category. At the end of last season, Ford ended their program, leaving six full-time entries in 2020. Assuming that Corvette and BMW remain, we are looking at four GTLM competitors in 2021. To be perfectly honest, that is not a good look at all. I am afraid that we are witnessing the death of GTLM in IMSA. For years, the category has produced some of the most exciting battles in motorsports. It is truly sad to see it in its current state. In order to fix this problem, I think IMSA may be forced to scrap the category altogether and focus on the GT3 platform. You can have a single GT formula, with driver lineups making the difference. GT3 Pro and GT3 Pro-Am could be the solution to the current platform. If it goes this way, I think the Corvette C8.R could be transformed into GT3-spec without having to build a brand new car. Lee: While the world has kept going, there has been a lot happening within the motorsports world. With Porsche planning to depart the GTLM class in IMSA, it was a major blow to the current field of cars. While Corvette and BMW remain the only two full-time competitors heading into next season, this may be the very end of the GTLM. I think the end all fix may be to create a GT3 Pro class to make it easier on teams if they move in that direction. 2. On Monday, the 2020 Indy Lights season was officially canceled, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The series is planning to return in 2021, following a year on the sidelines. On Thursday, the W Series announced they would be on hiatus this year, promising a “bigger and better” 2021 season with plans for at least two support races on the Formula 1 calendar at COTA and Mexico City. Are we going to see more racing series end up canceling their seasons altogether? Should we be concerned? Lambeth: Given the current situation, it would not surprise me if we see other racing series around the globe cancel or shorten their seasons. It is certainly easy to understand why they decided to focus on 2021, instead of moving on with the 2020 season. This new development is a massive blow to everyone involved in Indy Lights and the W Series. Hopefully, they will be able to bounce back from the unfortunate effects of this global pandemic. At this point, we have no idea what the future holds, so I think we definitely have good reason to be concerned. Lee: With the way things are happening, at the moment, I think we will see more feeder series cancel throughout the summer. Of course, this is disheartening as a fan of motorsports, but it is probably going to be at the best interest of the teams going forward. It’s going to be a tough time but hopefully they will bounce back in 2021. 3. Formula 1 released a revised calendar for the 2020 season. Starting with the first eight races, they will visit the Red Bull Ring and Silverstone twice, while hosting single weekend events in Hungary, Barcelona, Spa-Francorchamps and Monza. Do you think the teams will be prepared for the grind across Europe as they get back into the swing of things? Lambeth: While I believe that the teams will be fully prepared, I expect a ton of pressure on all 20 Formula 1 drivers for the first eight races. We only need a minimum of eight events for it to be considered a world championship season. With many unknowns, you cannot afford to make mistakes, even this early in the season. F1 is a global racing series, traveling to many places all over the world. If COVID-19 becomes a hot spot in certain parts of the world, F1 could be forced to shorten their season. Anything can happen. Therefore, being in a good position after eight races would be ideal. Lee: These are some of the greatest teams in the world, so I expect them all to be ready to go. But there will be a lot of high pressure moments. I think teams are going to have to be on the money just in case the season does end up shortened. I expect teams to be on their A-game during this short period of time. The next two months could make the next season of Drive to Survive must see television. 4. On Saturday night, the NTT IndyCar Series returns to action at Texas Motor Speedway for their season opener. Given the intimidating nature of the 1.5-mile, high banked, fast oval track, are you a little concerned about the drivers starting off the 2020 season in the Lone Star State? Lambeth: Typically, at this point of a normal IndyCar season, the teams and drivers are well into their routine. Racing on a mix of road and street courses, then a lot of time at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway during the month of May. By the time Texas rolls around, the chemistry is already present and the drivers are "in the zone." I think there is some reason to worry, since the last IndyCar race occurred last September. It has been a while since the drivers were on track in racing conditions. Starting the season at a high banked oval, without enough time to get into a rhythm makes me a little nervous. Rookies Alex Palou, Rinus VeeKay and Oliver Askew are making their IndyCar debut at Texas. I bet those three will have their eyes wide open all night long. I am a little concerned about limited practice time for these drivers to get a feel for the track. I think some folks will worry about the potential of a massive accident, due to the lack of track time to fully prepare. However, we can only hope that all drivers bring it home safely. Lee: IndyCar has joined the racing world once again as they make their return to Texas Motor Speedway. Typically, by this time, teams are in quite a groove and have seen each type of course at this point. Going in fresh to a high speed oval like Texas is going to be quite a feat. While there’s a limited amount of practice for the race, it will be interesting to see how the rookies handle it. I think the veterans will roll right out the gate without any problems, but the concern for rookies is fair. Wishing for a safe race on Saturday night. 5. In the closing laps of Monday evening’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway, contact between JR Motorsports teammates Noah Gragson and Justin Allgaier sent the No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro spinning into the inside wall on the backstretch, prematurely ending Allgaier’s night. Do you expect tension between the teammates in future races? Lambeth: While I would not be surprised if the drivers race each other a little harder moving forward, do not expect any major conflict between Gragson and Allgaier. I am sure that JR Motorsports will put the unfortunate incident at Bristol behind them and move on. You cannot let something like this become a distraction to the entire organization. The Xfinity championship is the main goal. Lee: Sometimes, I feel like no matter what Justin Allgaier does, it seems like he runs into trouble that’s not his fault. However, knowing Allgaier’s character, I don’t think there will be any retaliation between him and his teammate Gragson. I’m sure they’ll bounce back as a team and move on. 6. Last Sunday, Brad Keselowski won his second NASCAR Cup Series race of the season at Bristol Motor Speedway, in a thrilling finish that resulted in Joey Logano and Chase Elliott getting all tangled up. As the two leaders slid up the hill, Keselowski was in prime position to take full advantage of the situation. Any thoughts on the final laps in Thunder Valley? Lambeth: The finish to the NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol was very entertaining. In general, the race itself was pretty good. We saw lots of action, passing and drama. Chase Elliott is very lucky that NASCAR installed social distancing because Joey Logano was not happy at all. Under normal circumstances, it probably would have ended with a post-race altercation between the 9 and 22 teams. I would not be shocked if Logano pays him back at some point. Drivers always remember incidents, even the smallest ones. Lee: Bristol put on a very good show last Sunday afternoon. While some people love the old Bristol (myself included), I thought we got a great deal of action with two racey lanes. The final laps were pretty entertaining and left me on the edge of my seat. Of course, the drama between Logano and Elliott just ramped everything up even more. 7. Following the death of George Floyd, many figures in the motorsports community have spoken out against racism and social injustice in the United States and around the world. Six-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton called out the F1 paddock for remaining silent, while NASCAR drivers Bubba Wallace and Ty Dillon engaged in respectful dialogue on Instagram Live. While professional athletes usually face criticism for taking a stand on social issues, being in the public eye, why do they need to use their platform for this very emotional topic? Lambeth: Regardless of what your opinion is on this particular subject, you are always going to make someone happy or mad. There is no in between. Everyone has different views and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. When people in the public eye speak up, I think it carries more weight than your normal individual. In my opinion, Bubba Wallace, Ty Dillon and Lewis Hamilton displayed an incredible act of leadership by speaking up. Hamilton's words carried throughout a silent Formula 1 paddock. After calling out his peers, we saw multiple drivers begin to acknowledge George Floyd's death and the social injustice in the world. Without Hamilton speaking up, I do not think that others would have said anything at all. I think Hamilton's criticism put pressure on them to make a statement. His impact is large. While covering the Xfinity race, I took a break to watch Wallace and Dillon have a respectful conversation about race on Instagram Live. These discussions are some of the toughest ones to have. However, they are necessary to move forward. Both NASCAR drivers provided good perspective and you could really learn a lot if you truly listened. Honestly, I think using your platform to speak out against racism and social injustice has more pros than cons. Will you lose some fans? Absolutely. Let the bad apples disappear. We are better off without them. The world is changing and people are beginning to open up their minds. I believe that people with larger platforms can be a benefit to everyone fighting for the same cause. However, every platform is important. Big or small. We have the power to change the world for future generations. Personally, as a black man in the motorsports community, it means everything to me watching many people speak out against racism. For years, my peers never understood why I chose motorsports, due to the common stereotypes. Without a doubt, it is a good feeling when people have your back and stand with you. Lee: As “uncomfortable” as this conversation comes across to people, I think it’s something that needs to be discussed, in general. What’s been going on in this country has been going on for a long time and it’s something that isn’t just seen in the United States. To see Ty Dillon, Bubba Wallace and Lewis Hamilton use their platform to provoke and educate people who may not understand is key. Someone might listen to any of those drivers before they do anyone else so it’s always something that helps out. I’m thankful for those who have been willing to speak up about it across the motorsports community. As time moves on, I hope that it’s a conversation that continues to echo inside and outside the motorsports world. *Check out a special program on GRID Tonight with Joe Samaniego and Kobe Lambeth, discussing racing and racism.* https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=s9LzIzbvBEI
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