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Driver vs. Machine

© Amanda Stachowski

Which form of racing is truly better? Driver vs. driver, or machine vs. machine?

On the one hand, you've got series' such as the Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series. Series' where the cars are becoming more equal, which in turn is moving the focus toward the skills of the driver rather than the makers of the car.

On the other hand are series' such as the American Le Mans Series. Series' such as this are highlighting the skills of the machine and those who construct it, rather than the people who actually go out and participate in the race.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of both forms of racing? And is it possible to choose one form of racing over the other? Perhaps yes, or perhaps no, but after listing some thoughts for and against each form, we may be better able to come to our own conclusions when faced with the subject.

Some advantages that result from pitting the drivers against one another include the fact that more cars will be competitive. With relatively equal cars, the better drivers often win, but the equality makes it possible for several drivers to have the chance to do so. This equality in turn prevents one team from winning every event, much like we have seen with Team Joest Audi in the American Le Mans Series. Plus, series' with equal cars are usually more affordable for teams to compete in. This promotes the development of additional teams.

Some disadvantages that stem from pitting the drivers against each other include the fact that the cars are never at their best. Teams don't strive as hard to improve their cars and when a technological advance does occur, it sometimes takes years for the advance to make it into the racecar. Another disadvantage is the increased amount of rule bending. When all the cars are equal, teams often put more emphasis on finding small "cheats" that might make their car one step better than the competition rather than work on improving the overall skills of the driver.

When looking at the advantages of the machine vs. machine series', such as the American Le Mans Series, one thing that comes to mind is the fact that the cars are always the best each team can afford. Great advances are often made to the racecars, which often leads to improving the safety and performance on the racetrack. The first of which is highly important when attempting to decrease the severity of injuries suffered by those who drive.

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