The Crittenden Automotive Library

A Very American Grand Prix

Topics: United States Grand Prix
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A Very American Grand Prix

Bill Crittenden
25 October 2017

This past weekend's United States Grand Prix was a typical F1 race bracketed by major controversies at the beginning & the end. I’ll defer to the experts on Verstappen’s issue with F1’s officiating consistency.

One area where I feel that I do have enough experience to comment on, however, is being an American.

If you missed the introductions and the commentary, open up Twitter and search for the “Moment” titled “The US Grand Prix intro was a bit extra for some people.” Among the highlighted tweets was Jensen Button’s simple wide-eyed emoji, and one random guy chimed in with “Can we get the US Grand Prix removed from the 2018 race schedule solely for that ridiculous opening ceremony?”

Criticism and praise for the spectacle seem to follow a dividing line as clear as the Atlantic Ocean, and I’m definitely on the western side of that partition. Yes, compared to other events this was all the way over-the-top. Enthusiastic driver announcements (including making up a few new nicknames) by boxing announcer Michael Buffer of “let’s get ready to rumblllllllllllle” fame followed by drivers walking out down a red carpet lined with the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders.

Sure, it was a bit much for F1 regulars, but isn’t it part of the appeal of traveling the world to interject some of the local culture into each event? The United States invented over-the-top. We’re the country of Las Vegas, Hollywood, WWE, and President Donald Trump. A big damn country, too, and some of our states are bigger than some of the other F1 event hosts. While some New England states may be as subdued as the old England, the US Grand Prix was in Texas, a state that prides itself on big hats, big boots, big guns, and the motto “everything’s bigger in Texas.”

Our most popular homegrown motorsport celebrates the beginning of some races with track-width American flags pulled by huge trucks, pro wrestling style introductions with personalized music at Bristol, and Texas Motor Speedway winners shoot blanks from twin revolvers and have been awarded commemorative guns along with their trophies.

In comparison to NASCAR I feel like the F1 ceremonies weren’t American enough. Now it feels like they need to a John Ray lap of the track at the beginning, and maybe borrow the Texas Motor Speedway cowboy hat & revolvers for the podium finishers before Vince McMahon awards the winner a gold belt.

Insane? Sure! There’s more to American culture than fried food and loud everything but this is a once-a-year party where we get to show the world how much fun we can be, so why not go all out?

Oh, and as long as I’ve gotten someone’s attention (as evidenced by you reading this)...IndyCar should have a Saturday companion race before the F1 event. Maybe even the championship race since F1 comes to the US so late in the season. Our cars might not be as fast, but they put on a hell of a show.