Perhaps you caught the 40 minute press conference hosted by Bob Varsha on the SPEED channel, live from their Charlotte HQ last week? In which Team Principals Ken Anderson and Peter Winsor held court with members of the media.
And while I cannot say that anything of much detail was offered about the new United States Formula 1 team in the making... It was refreshing to relive the “Glory Days” of the storied American participation in the world of Grand Prix racing.
The team will be officially known as USF1, with it’s Sporting Director being Peter Winsor, as in SPEED’s Formula 1 pit lane reporter Messer Winsor; whom will keep his day job for the upcoming Formula 1 season, While the Team Principle will be Ken Anderson, whom will also oversee the Technical direction of the team including the designing of their race car, to which you may have already read about.
Entertainingly, Winsor tossed out the words Skunk Works several times over the past few days in regards to his and Ken’s vision for running this new entity, which dare I say it? Peter cheekily mentioned was possibly the “Poster Child” for the vision of Max & Bernie’s New World Order in Formula One, albeit the enticement into ushering in new racing teams onto the shrinking F1 grid.
And while many may think that this is all just wishful thinking, both of these men have been around the world of Motorsport for very long times indeed, as it is neither’s first shot at running a Formula 1 team, as Winsor noted having known Ken since his days as a Damper expert for Penske Racing... To which Dave Despain was quick to point out those thingy’s are known as shocks over here, Mate. With Anderson’s sporting roots going back to his work with Fox Shocks before stints at Penske, Ligier, Onyx and Ganassi to name a few, while Winsor’s background is already known somewhat, having been with Williams twice and Ferrari once prior to his longstanding association with FOX/SPEED as a commentator, which was preceded by his trying to start not one but two different Formula 1 teams.
Obviously there’s plenty of good reasons for leaving out his past discretions during the soiled Brabham saga from his dossier, as I’d forgotten about the alleged “Mafioso” who’d kidnapped and unabashedly beaten the Brit prior to the whole deal becoming unraveled. Although Winsor would ultimately received some $2.0 million in punitive damages...
So, while everybody else is in a tizzy over who just possibly the drivers will be, as funny enough three names I’d previously mentioned were bantered about, along with some other good choices, I’d just like to know why American John Edwards name is being left out, while I eagerly await the arrival of USF1 to the F1 circus in 2010.
Meanwhile the debate simmers on over whom the potential driver’s should be, with the names of Graham Rahal, Marco Andretti, Danica Patrick and Kyle Busch still being bantered about. Thus, I particularly like Joe Saward’s outlook upon the Princess ‘N Wild Child being picked... As in it won’t happen, although America would swoon over the thought of this Hollywood typecast Angelina & Brad partnership, while Messer’s Graham and Marco still have miles to go in honing their potential race craft.
I mean C’mon, do you really think the FIA would let the Queen of Indy Car’s do her Danicker Stomp in the Pit Lane...
The Peter and Ken Show
