Today is the time for auto racing, NASCAR and Indy. But I find American-style motor racing is for wusses–not much better than drag racing, and about as interesting.

Yesterday I watched the Formula One Grand Prix de Monaco. A real race for real men in real cars. European competition is done in the car’s natural habitat: on the road, not on an oval optimized for spectators and TV cameras. It is conducted on country roads and city streets, and even when held on racetracks, they are designed to simulate real roads. There are increasing and decreasing radius turns, chicanes, serpentines, hairpins, and even an occasional straightaway where they can wind their engines up in high gear.

The drivers have to brake, shift, accelerate, negotiate unbanked turns and go up and down hills. And there is no suspension due to weather: This year the track was soaking wet from a morning rain at the start, and it started raining again just a handful of laps from the finish. They are allowed to switch to rain tires at pit stops, for safety purposes. And its all done in the middle of town. Yes, left turns AND right; you don’t have cars specialized for only one. What a concept.

Auto racing in the US has gone the way of the America’s Cup in sailing; highly specialized machines in tightly controlled environments, easily marketed to the masses to sell beer and other macho consumer goods.

Boats should be raced on the open sea, in all kinds of weather, just as automobiles should be raced on country roads and city streets, in conditions that replicate as closely as possible the environments they are designed to operate in. Speed isn’t everything, the cars at Monaco averaged only 130 MPH. But that’s not bad for the middle of town, and there was some really fine driving…