From: winalski@adserv.enet.dec.com (Paul S. Winalski)
Subject: Re: Nissan and IMSA
Reply-To: winalski@adserv.enet.dec.com (Paul S. Winalski)
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation, Nashua NH
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 1992 18:17:59 GMT


In article <1992Nov12.142700.16232@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu>,
dwood@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Deron A Wood) writes:
|>
|>I have a few comments about the recent decision of Nissan to pull out of the
|>IMSA GTP series.  They stated that they were going into Indy Car racing because
|>of the amount of exposure.  Well, they sure didn't seem to have any lack of
|>exposure when they won 4 (or 5) straight manufacturer's titles and 4 (or 5)
|>straight driver's titles.  They seemed to really exploit that in all of their
|>advertising.  Then enter the 1992 season, all of a sudden they are no longer
|>the top gun on the circuit.  The new Jag is blindingly fast, and the Toyotas
|>are on their way up.

I think that when Nissan are commenting about the amount of exposure, they're
referring to media exposure.  All of the IndyCar races this season were carried
on ESPN or network TV coverage, most live, the rest on relatively short tape
delay.  IMSA GTP got very spotty TV coverage.  Several races just plain weren't
shown, and most of the rest were delayed by weeks and only shown by ESPN in odd
time slots.

|>     The first thing that Nissan does is complain about how much the Jag is
|>dominating the competition, nevermind how Nissan has dominated for the past
|>few years.  The facts were that Nissan could no longer dominate the series.  In
|>fact, it had all it could handle just holding off the old Porsches.  My point
|>is that as long as Nissan was dominating the competition, everything was fine,
|>but the minute that someone one ups them, they bail out of the series like a
|>bunch of wusses.  Rather than meeting the challenge of the Jag and Toyota, they
|>withdraw.

Certainly some of this is sour grapes, but I wonder how much is due to
frustration at IMSA's continual tinkering with the handicapping rules?  At
the beginning of the season, Jaguar clearly had the best car.  IMSA's response
was to increase the weight that the Jag had to carry race by race, until the
car was no longer competitive, and Toyota waltzed away with the championship. 

|>     Now does this scenario sound familiar, like maybe the reaction of Honda
|>to Renault's onslaught?  I think that good racing demands does not need or 
|>want manufacturers deciding to pull out of series just because they may not be
|>winning as many races as before.  Nissan should accept the challenge, not
|>cower.  Just think, if Nissan were to come back and design a car to beat
|>the Toyotas, they could have all sorts of exposure.

Maybe Nissan thinks that if they designed a car to beat the Toyotas, all they'd
get for their effort is an extra weight handicap from IMSA.

Remember also that Japan has had a stock market crash and is in a recession, its
first in a long time.  The corporate bosses at both Honda and Nissan no doubt
are taking a hard look at their expenditures for motor sport and at what they're
getting in return.  Remember, these guys aren't in it because they like racing.

--PSW
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