It's a new year but I fear a lot of the same old things that always bug me are in the forecast. So, wipe that smile off your face and let's get obnoxious. Here's a bunch of things I don't want to hear or see in 2007, along with a few wishes.
*** I don't want to see NASCAR's Car of Tomorrow until three days after the end of time.
*** I don't want to hear any driver talk about the "pressure" of qualifying for the Indy 500 since there are barely 33 cars anymore and you get 12 chances.
*** I hope Champ Car has eight or nine drivers confimed by its first test in two weeks at Sebring.
*** I don't want to see any 10-lap caution periods to clean up debris in any series.
*** I don't want to hear Rusty Wallace talk about Indy cars -- ever again.
*** I don't want to see Eddie Cheever back in an Indy car (and neither does the Andretti family).
*** I don't want to see Roger Penske in victory lane again at Indy.
*** I don't want to see Ricky Rudd come out of retirement.
*** I want to see Buddy Rice and Ryan Hunter-Reay in a competitive car, be it IRL or Champ Car.
*** I want to see "The Chase" expanded to any driver over 30, former pole winners, ex-champions and Michael Waltrip.
*** I don't want to hear about USAC starting a feature at 5 a.m. unless it's racing in Japan.
*** I want to see Bryan Herta win the ALMS championship.
Hornish in an Indy car? Yes. At victory lane at Indy again? Maybe next year. (LAT Photo)
*** I don't want to hear a NASCAR mechanic answer a question on national television by starting out with: "Well, our Acme/Esso Desoto was running real…" Just respond in mechanical terms and crawl back under the car.
*** I want to see the new Official History of the Indianapolis 500 by Donald Davidson and Rick Shaffer that just arrived at the IMS gift store.
*** If Mark Martin mentions the word "retirement," he must forfeit all his prize money and be hanged at sunrise.
*** I don't want to hear the word "unification" unless it's during the press conference to announce there is one series in open wheel racing.
*** I want to see Juan Montoya win the Daytona 500, admit it was easy, kinda boring and then come back to open wheel racing.
*** I want to see Benny Parsons back on the golf course.
*** I want to see Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty win the Rolex 24 at Daytona.
*** I don't want to see Tony George driving sports cars. I think sprinters might be his cup of tea.
*** I don't want Sebastien Bourdais to win his fourth straight title in Champ Car because that series needs a new storyline.
*** I want Sam Hornish Jr. to run poorly in Busch so he'll stay in Indy cars.
*** I don't want to hear Bernie Ecclestone throwing down on America or the USGP. That miserable munchkin' is lucky we don't make a hood ornament out of him.