Rear View Mirror & The USGP Redux

It is time, said the Walrus, to speak of many things....

An addendum to the current RVM (16 June 2004) on the USGP is in order:

As is the norm, I meant to take One More Look before I fired it off and either didn't take another look or simply Did Not See, but it is now apparent when you look at what the Long Beach Grand Prix folks determine to be their lineage, that in 1976 it was the "Second Long Beach Grand Prix," being wedged twix the "Inaugural Long Beach Grand Prix" and the "Third Long Beach Grand Prix." The reference to the "United States Grand Prix West" was apparently a "come-on" and more the creature of media hype than reality. Then again, almost no one really cares to be bothered with this sort of nitnoid nonsense. Nor is there general agreement, but then again it is ancient history and can be tweaked to be what you want it to be.

A very interesting article. I hope there are sufficient people who are both interested in this sort of thing and willing to pay the (not exorbitant) Atlas subscription to justify the work Don must have put in to it.

I find great value in my Atlas subscription for various reasons, and RVM has proven to be one of those reasons.

I continually find RVM to well researched and written, and always thought provoking. I do hope that you shall carry on with RVM Don.

I remain absolutely convinced that I am not alone in this opinion.

Well said Dennis.

Don, RVM is consistently terrific. This latest is no exception - one of the best. Thank you for a great read.

An ignorant question from a fledgling member.

What is RVM?

Edward.

Originally posted by Don Capps
the RVM is about the only element of the Atlas magazine devoted to the non-contemporary scene, which is not a surprise considering that the focus of Atlas F1 is exactly what it says it is, F1 today.

It is this very point that I was thinking of on my morning commute to the office today.

It is precisely because RVM is the only non-contemporary element of the main Atlas F1 content that contributes to RVM being such a highly valuable component of the Atlas F1 pages. Should RVM be published on a historic racing related site for example, the uniqueness of RVM in its present form would be lost.

As fans of the present era of F1 peruse the main content of Atlas F1, it is very important to continue the availability of RVM to entice and capture the interest of the modern-era fan when their appetite extends beyond the news item of the moment into what has gone before.

Given these factors, if RVM echoes with only 20 to 25 fans per month then the effort and dedication shown by Don is well rewarded. For those of us who treasure quality over quantity, RVM is always a must read.

Don, on behalf of many, thanks for your commitment to RVM and always for your work on TNF.

Food for thought....

The William Kissam Vanderbilt II Cup
1904 to 1906 Long Island (I thru III)
1908 to 1910 Long Island (IV thru VI)
1911 Savannah (VII)
1912 Milwaukee (VIII)
1914 & 1916 Santa Monica (IX, XI)
1915 San Francisco (X)

The American Grand Prize
1908, 1910 & 1911 Savannah (I, II & III)
1912 Milwaukee (IV)
1914 & 1916 Santa Monica (V, VII)
1915 San Francisco (VI)

The International Sweepstakes
1911 to 1916 (I thru VI)
1919* to 1941 (*1919 Liberty Sweepstakes) (VII thru XXVII)
1946 to Present (1950 thru 1960, CSI WC for Drivers) (XXIX thru LXXXVIII)

The Grand Prix of the United States of America
1935 Briarcliff Manor (ARCA)

The George Vanderbilt Cup
1936 & 1937 Roosevelt Raceway

The United States Grand Prix
1958 Riverside (I)
1959 Sebring (II)
1960 Riverside (III)
1961 to 1980 Watkins Glen (IV thru XXIII)
1984 & 1985 The Meadowlands (CART) (XXIV & XXV)
1989 to 1991 Phoenix (XXVI thru XXVIII)
2000 to Present Indianapolis Motor Speedway (XXIX thru XXXIII)

The Questor Grand Prix
1971 Ontario (F1/F5000)

the Long Beach Grand Prix
1975 to Present (1976 to 1983 for F1)

The Caesars Palace Grand Prix
1981 to 1984 (1981 & 1982 for F1)

The Detroit Grand Prix
1982 to 2001 (1982 to 1988 for F1)

The Dallas Grand Prix
1984

Don, a wonderful piece if you don't mind me saying. One of the main reasons I have a subscription to Atlasf1 is for RVM I'll have you know. You had better carry it on or I shall be forced to write moaning letters to your offices signed "Angry from Leeds", and decrying the falling standards of this, that and everything else and...and... Well I really don't want to go there.

One thing I didn't realise before was that the organisors of the Indianapolis 500 had taken on the international F1 from 1948. I knew that they had done so from '38 and I'd always wondered whether the make-up of the WC might have been different had WW2 either not happened or occured later. I thought it a natural progression that, with the Indianapolis 500 being run to the International formula from '38 that the AIACR may have subscribed a World Drivers Championship including the 500. With the cost of getting the European racing teams out to the USA it would make sense to include another race whilst out there (the Vanderbilt Cup, perhaps). Later, maybe a US Grand Prix (or Grand Prize) may also have been a part of the package. This being the case there may have been an argument for all 3 races to count toward any championship. Germany would surely argue that (with the new Deutschelandring) the Grosser Preis could be augmented by the Eifelrennen and Avusrennen. Not to be outdone the French and Italians would also have requested similar status for such as the Coppa Acerbo and Tripoli races, the Marne GP etc.

So the WDC might have been a combination of road races, circuit races and ovals. And maybe now the championship would embrace the different branches of the sport and be more responsive to, and accessible by, the USA.

It's interesting - there's something of a debate starting up over on ten-tenths about autosport.com, now it's gone subscription only. Atlas/FORIX and dailysportscar are being held up as examples of sites that people will pay for because they have in-depth content that appeals to the serious fan, whereas Haymarket's strategy of making autosport a pay-per-view site seems to be backfiring on them.

John McIlroy (the current ed) has turned up, he seems to be a decent bloke and I get the distinct impression that the mag he wants Autosport to be isn't necessarily the mag the market forces it to be.

At the moment, line autosport.com up against atlasf1.com, take away the "name"on autosport there's no contest - Atlas stuffs it nine ways to breakfast if you're an F1 fan; DSC does the same if you like your wheels decently covered. I strongly urge everyone who's considering subscrbing to Autosport.com to try the pay-content on Atlas/FORIX first...

In the meantime please keep the RVM features coming, Don et al

Speaking from my experience, I used to frequent AtlasF1 before it went subscription. For several years I did not subscribe due to the "I didn't used have to pay for this before" attitude. I would go to the home page and read the little snipits and checkout the forums. Finally, I broke down and spent the bucks. The RVM articles are the ones I missed the most. Don't stop Don as there are a few of us that look forward to it on a weekly basis.