Forging Ahead, Chapter 8: American Racer - The 1978 season and the birth of a dream

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emailBy Paul Pfanner | July 27, 2022 4:15 AM ET

Hindsight is 20/20 but in the case of our “Forging Ahead” video series, hindsight is 78/22 during RACER’s 30th Anniversary year as we look back on the epic 1978 season that was pivotal for the sport and when the dream of creating something like RACER magazine began.

In 1978 American racer Mario Andretti realized his dream of earning the Formula 1 World Championship for himself and his adoptive nation driving Colin Chapman’s game-changing Lotus Type 78 and Type 79 Fords that revolutionized racing car design. Mario’s crowning moment came at Monza on September 10, 1978 amid eerily similar circumstances exactly 17 years to the day after fellow American racer Phil Hill had clinched the title for Ferrari on the same hallowed ground in 1961. Both men are now forever intertwined in a destiny of triumph, tragedy, and bittersweet irony.
Mario Andretti in 1978. Ercole Colombo / Studio Colombo

This was the same year that the Indianapolis 500 and the USAC-sanctioned National Championship entered a perilous period with profoundly negative consequences that echo to this day. Yet, despite IndyCar racing’s gathering political storm, two of the sport’s greatest legends delivered a unique achievement that will never be duplicated. That same season, a future Indy 500 legend first showed his true potential while substituting for Mario Andretti when the latter was chasing his F1 destiny.

During this turbulent period, my dream was to race so I was using my still-developing media skills as the art director for SCCA’s SportsCar magazine to get myself into a competitive Formula Ford any way I could. But, as you will see, it was fortunate that I had a Plan B to fall back on because my meager resources were not getting it done … or was it just me not getting it done? Anyhow, this failure to launch my racing career certainly wasn’t for lack of helping hands or proper guidance because I had some of the best people in the sport giving me advice — such as ace Formula Ford racers Mike Hull, Richard Shirey and the late David Loring along with the help of Automotive Development (and future Swift Race Cars) co-founder, the late Paul White.

So, the truth is that I have zero excuses — which is a shame since I’ve been told I am pretty good at making excuses — and telling stories, especially the tale of when the initial idea that eventually became RACER was first discussed between myself and my talented photographer friend, Jeff Zwart, 14 years before RACER became a reality. I’ve been working on my excuse for this embarrassing executional throttle-lag for about 30-years…

There is so much to unpack from this pivotal year so I hope you will forgive me for the longest “Forging Ahead” chapter so far. Thankfully, most of it is about people who deserve your attention and who don’t make excuses. I hope you will find this chapter as interesting as it was for me to have experienced this amazing era for our sport and such an inspiring moment for American racers. Now that I’ve survived in the motorsports media business for 50 years, my sincere hope is that I live long enough to see America’s third Formula 1 World Champion.

From all of us who have worked to feed your racing passion during the past 30 years and 317 issues of RACER magazine and during the 25 years since RACER.com went live, we say thank you for your support of our media platforms and for your encouragement over the years. Rest assured that we never forget that your devotion to the sport we all love is why we all do what we do.

Watch Forging Ahead, Chapter 8 below, or .

 

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RACER Fall 2022: The Champions Issue

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emailBy Laurence Foster | December 7, 2022 1:21 PM ET

Winning races is hard. Countless interconnected elements have to go right. Every decision has to be the correct one. Collectively, you need to perform at a higher level than the competition. But if a single thing goes wrong, you’re just one of the losers.

Winning championships is even harder. Which is why Team Penske’s NTT IndyCar Series/NASCAR Cup Series title double is such an extraordinary achievement.

Yes, Roger Penske’s race teams have been the benchmark in American racing for more than a half century, racking up more than 40 assorted national championships along the way, not to mention 18 Indianapolis 500 victories and a trio of Daytona 500 wins. But even this powerhouse had never sealed the deal on America’s top open-wheel and stock car titles in the same season. Until 2022, that is.

In RACER’s 2022 Champions Issue, we’re celebrating some of the champs of North American and international racing. Max Verstappen’s record-breaking 15 grand prix wins delivered him a second Formula 1 World Championship, while Pfaff Motorsports and Meyer Shank Racing earned the first GTD Pro and final DPi title, respectively, in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

But what Team Penske achieved, courtesy of Will Power in the NTT IndyCar Series and Joey Logano in NASCAR’s top tier (each taking their second career title for The Captain), is unique in the history of U.S. racing.

How do you follow that? Same way Penske always does. Regroup, reset and prepare for what comes next. For Roger and every single person within his race teams, the next win is the most important one. And with Penske adding factory programs with Porsche’s 963 LMDh in IMSA and the FIA World Endurance Championship in 2023, you can be sure the goal isn’t two championships, but four.

Power sits down for a closer look at how speed and smarts earned him that second title, and RACER collaborator Ricardo Santos provides a striking cover illustration that puts Will and Joey on the fast track together.

As well as celebrating those worthy champions, there’s a lot more fascinating content in RACER 319, including a look at how Adrian Newey and Red Bull Racing unlocked F1’s new-for-2022 regulations, insight on how IMSA’s four LMDH manufacturers are getting ready for the class’s 2023 launch, and everything you need to know on Formula E’s lighter, more powerful and much faster Gen3 racecar.

Add in a close-up view of Ferrari’s new 499P LMH prototype, an introduction to Aussie Supercars Championship rising star Cameron Waters, and some fighting talk from Monster Energy Supercross title contenders Eli Tomac and Chase Sexton, and that’s some championship-caliber reading right there.

CLICK HERE to purchase the new issue of RACER. Interested in having RACER delivered to your mailbox? CLICK HERE to find out more about print and digital subscriptions.

 

Climb onboard with The RACER Channel

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emailBy RACER Staff | December 19, 2022 1:43 PM ET

For years, The RACER Channel on YouTube has given you an up-close look at some of the most exciting and significant examples of racing machinery ever made — while sometimes also giving current racing stars a taste of different racing eras, as shown below. Climb aboard for our full list series of onboarda, just part of the treasure trove you’ll find at The RACER Channel.
The RACER Channel, Videos

 

RACER Fall 2022: The Champions Issue

share
tweet
emailBy Laurence Foster | December 7, 2022 1:21 PM ET

Winning races is hard. Countless interconnected elements have to go right. Every decision has to be the correct one. Collectively, you need to perform at a higher level than the competition. But if a single thing goes wrong, you’re just one of the losers.

Winning championships is even harder. Which is why Team Penske’s NTT IndyCar Series/NASCAR Cup Series title double is such an extraordinary achievement.

Yes, Roger Penske’s race teams have been the benchmark in American racing for more than a half century, racking up more than 40 assorted national championships along the way, not to mention 18 Indianapolis 500 victories and a trio of Daytona 500 wins. But even this powerhouse had never sealed the deal on America’s top open-wheel and stock car titles in the same season. Until 2022, that is.

In RACER’s 2022 Champions Issue, we’re celebrating some of the champs of North American and international racing. Max Verstappen’s record-breaking 15 grand prix wins delivered him a second Formula 1 World Championship, while Pfaff Motorsports and Meyer Shank Racing earned the first GTD Pro and final DPi title, respectively, in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

But what Team Penske achieved, courtesy of Will Power in the NTT IndyCar Series and Joey Logano in NASCAR’s top tier (each taking their second career title for The Captain), is unique in the history of U.S. racing.

How do you follow that? Same way Penske always does. Regroup, reset and prepare for what comes next. For Roger and every single person within his race teams, the next win is the most important one. And with Penske adding factory programs with Porsche’s 963 LMDh in IMSA and the FIA World Endurance Championship in 2023, you can be sure the goal isn’t two championships, but four.

Power sits down for a closer look at how speed and smarts earned him that second title, and RACER collaborator Ricardo Santos provides a striking cover illustration that puts Will and Joey on the fast track together.

As well as celebrating those worthy champions, there’s a lot more fascinating content in RACER 319, including a look at how Adrian Newey and Red Bull Racing unlocked F1’s new-for-2022 regulations, insight on how IMSA’s four LMDH manufacturers are getting ready for the class’s 2023 launch, and everything you need to know on Formula E’s lighter, more powerful and much faster Gen3 racecar.

Add in a close-up view of Ferrari’s new 499P LMH prototype, an introduction to Aussie Supercars Championship rising star Cameron Waters, and some fighting talk from Monster Energy Supercross title contenders Eli Tomac and Chase Sexton, and that’s some championship-caliber reading right there.

CLICK HERE to purchase the new issue of RACER. Interested in having RACER delivered to your mailbox? CLICK HERE to find out more about print and digital subscriptions