Long Beach GP in Review

We just witnessed the last CCWS Long Beach Grand Prix, or the first Indycar Long Beach Grand Prix -- whichever way you want to look at it -- and I have to say that IMS certainly took a bad situation and achieved a decent race. Some random thoughts:

* I was very impressed to see 20 cars take the green. I figured that with only 9 drivers participating from the Indycar Series, it would be tough to scrounge up another 5 or 6 -- but 11? Great stuff. It raises the question: if there are this many teams and drivers willing to run Long Beach as a one-off in 2008, might we see one-off teams in the 2009 LBGP, just like we do for the Indy 500?

* Very little mention of this race as CCWS's finale, nor any mention of the DP-01 running its swan song. The event was very clearly covered as any other Indycar event. It's probably for the best.

* I will certainly miss some of those sharp liveries, such as Forsythe's InDeck paint scheme. And it's a shame to throw those DP-01's in the scrap heap. Here's hoping that the 2010 Indycar incorporates a single-wing nosecone for road courses and gives Panoz a little input in the overall chassis design.

* Listening to those engines makes we wonder about Cosworth's future with Indycars. They aren't poised to win in F1, and they have a storied history at the Brickyard. Might we see another Ford-badged Cosworth at Indy in 2009?

* Any Indycar fan who thinks street courses are big parades need not worry about Long Beach. There are at least two very nice passing areas, at the end of each straight. Lots of on-track passing today when the field was tight.

... And with that, we bid ChampCar a fond "adieu". We look forward to very bright future as one series.