A few days ago I finished reading Jackie Stewart’s autobiography, “Winning Is Not Enough”, and that combined with recent happenings in F1, IndyCar and NASCAR, got me thinking.

Like many F1 fans I was sad to see the demise of the Super Aguri F1 Team, and disappointed that Dave Richards ProDrive project never even made it to the grid this year. The reason for both being the turn around by the F1 teams on the concept of customer cars. Without being able to use someone else’s chassis start up teams are never going to survive in modern F1.

(Anthony Davidson in the Super-Aguri /Honda)

It seems that F1 has forgotten it’s own, not so distant, past. Reading Stewart’s book reminded me that he, and the Tyrrell organization, started out running “customer” cars, as did people like Frank Williams.

(Piers Courage in a Frank Williams entered Brabham BT26 at 1969 British GP)

When I first started watching F1 in the mid 1970s (during a time of fuel crisis and cost cutting – doesn’t that sound familiar?) customer cars (such as March) were common the grids were so full that they held pre-qualifying sessions. Yes you had to qualify to even get the chance to qualify for the race itself!

(1976 era March F1 car)

Wouldn’t allowing top teams to supply other less well budgeted teams with chassis, help spread the cost and due to economies of scale reduce the costs of development and spare parts?

Limiting customer cars to being at least one year old would make it easier for new teams to enter, build experience, and make the move to becoming constructors as the desire to become more competitive overcame budget constraints.

Wouldn’t this be a great opportunity for some of the manufacturers to run multiple teams under different brands while sharing R&D costs? – That’s the thought that bought me around to NASCAR and IndyCar. With stories of Danica Patrick and Kyle Busch having “courtesy” F1 tests lined up at the end of the season – wouldn’t it be cool if they were real tests with real chances of race seats?

Imagine a USGP at Indy with Kyle Busch in a Toyota, with Danica and Marco Andretti teamed up in a Acura branded American-Honda team? Or Jenson Button and Dan Wheldon in a Aston-Martin livered Pro-Drive McLaren?

Ah I can dream….

NHRA.com reports that Funny Car driver Scott Kalitta, 46, died June 21 from multiple injuries suffered after his car went out of control and crashed in a high-speed racing accident at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park during the fourth and final round of qualifying at the Lucas Oil NHRA SuperNationals. Kalitta was extracted from his car by NHRA emergency services officials and transported to Old Bridge Township Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. Kalitta, a two-time NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Top Fuel champion and one of only 14 drivers in NHRA history to earn victories in both premier nitro categories, earned 18 victories during his career, his last coming in Chicago in 2005 in Top Fuel.

Kalitta earned most of his racing success in Top Fuel, where he claimed back-to-back world championship titles in 1994 and 1995. He retired from racing in 1997, sitting out most of two seasons before returning for a 10-race campaign in 1999. He sat out three more seasons following that brief stint and then returned again in 2003, joining cousin Doug as a second driver for the family’s two Top Fuel dragsters.

Kalitta started his pro career in Top Fuel in 1982, running limited events for four seasons before moving to Funny Car in 1986 for his first full season of competition. He returned to that category full time in 2006. He posted a runner-up finish two weeks ago in Chicago, his 36th career NHRA final-round appearance.

Kalitta is survived by his father, legendary NHRA racer and team owner Connie Kalitta; wife, Kathy; and sons, Corey, 14, and Colin, 8.

Once again World Rally ace Mikko Hirvonen stays at the top of our overall driver rankings for another month with his preformance on the Sardinian Rally continuing a run of strong finishes.

The Speed Blog Ranking list compares drivers from World Rally, F1. NASCAR, IndyCar and NHRA based on the number of top ten finishes and the avearge finishing position.

The Top 10 Drivers at the end of May 2008 were:

1. Mikko Hirvonen (WRC)
2. Helio Castroneves (IRL)
3. Scott Dixon (IRL)
4. Lewis Hamilton (F1)
5.  Sebastian Loeb (WRC)
6. Robert Kubica (F1)
7. Chris Atkinson (wrc)
8. Kimi Raikkonen (F1)
9. Tony Schumacher (NHRA)
10. Kyle Busch (NASCAR)