The Year in Racing 2007

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JohnBM01

JohnBM01

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This thread is all about taking a look back at 2007 in racing. You can discuss ANY racing this year from any real racing series. I wanted to wait because some series, especially NASCAR and Super GT, don't end until November. But most other series are done at this point. So why not talk about the year in racing? This is the first in a series of two or three threads I want to release regarding looking back on 2007.

Any topic regarding motorsports in 2007 is fair game. I can certainly tell you that the death of Colin McRae was one of the darkest moments of 2007. He was one of the best. Can't imagine rallying without him.

Here are some 2007 racing topics I'd share:

* Maybe one of the best races of the year was the final lap at Sebring in GT2. It was my hometown Risi Competitizone up against Flying Lizard. To carry a dogfight around a track as long and as technical at Sebring is impressive. I am proud of Risi for the job they've done all season. Still wished they could have lasted longer at Le Mans. Which leads me...

* The 2007 24 Hours of Le Mans was a mixed bag in terms of weather. When it looked like Peugeot were going to make a statement at Le Mans, a LMP1 car bearing silver and red (guess which one) won this one. I still think Peugeot needs to rework the car to make it easier to work with. Anyone that saw a pit stop for the Peugeot 908 HDi FAP may have seen how long stops were.

* The Acuras in the ALMS did a great job in P2. But the true story was Penske's Porsches taking down Audi in a big number of races. A redesign is on the way for the Acura cars. They will still use the Courage chassis (I'm a Courage fan), but rework it greatly to make it shine for next season.

* Danica Patrick really impressed me by scoring her first podium as well as (in strange fashion) her 2nd place finish at Detroit. All she needs to do next season is win. I know she can do it. I'm behind her as a fan.

* I honor the Gainsco boys in Grand-Am. The 1000-mile(?) finale at Miller Motorsports Park was a thriller. I respect the Suntrust team very well, but they had a tough go.



Any series. Any race. Anywhere in the world. It's all fair game here. Let's look back on 2007 as most series are coming to an end this season.
 
In terms of very cool racing, I have to mension the 10 last laps at the Bathurst 1000 with the V8 Supercars. The entire race was indeed very nice racing, but the last 10, or even 15 laps, was a real nailbiter, and probably the best racing I´ve seen this year.

The F1 season has also been very good IMO. The best in many years actually! I hope FIA and FOM keeps the current regulations, because they sure promote some fantastic racing.

I also follow FIA GT as much as I can, and I must say that that formula of racing is growing rapidly. Sadly, the current regulations will be scrapped shortly, to promote some cheaper, but closer racing. So the current GT1 cars (My fave type of racecars!) will dissapear :( and be replaced with something slighlty slower.
All in all, the season has been great, with lots of cool races, at very different venues. FIA GT tends to change their schedule every season, but I think they should try to keep this one for the next. If they don´t go worldwide that is. And AFAIK, that is what will happen. The FIA GTWC? ;)

I also follow the LMS, but that doesn´t finish until November, so I´ll let that pass for now.
I watch some of the ALMS races aswell, and I must point to the Petit Le Mans, wich I found very entertaining.
The reason I watch LMS over ALMS is simply ALMS´s lack of big class cars, LMP1 and GT1. I don´t find the smaller classes as fascinating as the bigger ones, even if they promote good racing.
And the lack of big cars has really been the great issue with ALMS all season. Hopefully there will be a better GT1 section next season!

What else? Well Le Mans of course! Fantastic as always! The Audi vs. Peugeot was just amazing to watch, and I really look forward to their next clash!
 
To reflect on 2007, I go to NASCAR. I congratulate all the championship winners in the top three divisions. Jimmie Johnson is just amazing. I always said that when Jeff Gordon leaves NASCAR, Jimmie Johnson is going to be the man to beat in Cup. He's the man now and hasn't been beaten. Carl Edwards won a Busch title, and I think it won't be too long until he wins himself a Sprint Cup title. Ron Hornaday Jr. got it done in Trucks and may well do it again. He's a seasoned veteran that can really ride the high banks and make magic happen.

Congratulations to all NASCAR champs.
 
Great stuff. 👍

My favorite moment was easily the Flying Lizard/ Risi last lap shootout. 👍

Also, after reading through I'm suprised there was no mention of the huge change to NASCAR, that being the car of tomorrow. In my opinion, the car of tomorrow changes represent a growing trend in America... I think GT courses are going to become more and more popular and eventually NASCARs are going to be close to GT cars (although they will not be too close :ouch: ). In any case, I'm sure the Mustang/ Camaro/ Charger changes will help that along as well. 👍

Although I'm not a huge nascar fan, I enjoyed the season. Of course, I didn't enjoy a single moment of nascar nearly as much as watching the Risi/ Lizard race live (that was a while back now that I think of it).

Great fun with motorsports this year, let's hope '08 is just as good or better. :cheers:

Btw, I was also really happy to see the RS-Rs beat the Audis. :sly:
 
The title fight between Givonardi and Plato in the British Touring Car Championship was one of the most intresting battles in the whole of motorsport this season. I didn't see any of the races on telly, but I have been keeping up to date by reading my Autosport mags and watching clips on youtube, and I have to say it looked close. It was lost for Plato at the last round during the last race when one of the drivers crashed out and broght out the safety car, which meant Plato was'nt allowed to take the fight to Givonardi all the way to the end. Another intresting feature this year was that for the first time in the sports history, there was a diesel car on the grid!
 
I'm watching Speed Channel right now. The Quit Targa Rally from 2006 is on right now. I'm watching as to Peter Brock's final race. He was hammering that car around the targa rally course. It was an awesome-sounding car. I know this didn't take place this year, but just seeing Peter Brock in his final race before his tragic death was simply amazing. I would have hated to be an Australian and hear of the passing of a legend. Peter Brock to Australia was like Dale Earnhardt Sr. to America. It was just so cool to see Peter Brock tear up the road one last time.

And again, my deepest thoughts and prayers to all the racing stars and personalities we've lost both this year and last year.
 
How about Scott Dixon's heartbreaking moment on the last lap of the last race of the IRL with the championship in hand, he could see the finish line, and his car running out of fuel. After such a close championship to see it end like that that was one of the worse things to happen (for a scott dixon fan). Not as bad as the untimly passing of another of motorsport royalty RIP Colin McRae 1995 WRC Champion
 
Team666
In terms of very cool racing, I have to mension the 10 last laps at the Bathurst 1000 with the V8 Supercars. The entire race was indeed very nice racing, but the last 10, or even 15 laps, was a real nailbiter, and probably the best racing I´ve seen this year.

The F1 season has also been very good IMO. The best in many years actually! I hope FIA and FOM keeps the current regulations, because they sure promote some fantastic racing.
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Agreed. Bathurst this year was awesome and the F1 season was the best I've seen.

I also really enjoyed this years MotoGP season, as usual the series brought some awesome racing.
 

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