ALMS cars as fast as IndyCar

A reader writes, Dear AutoRacing1.com, Let's hear it for Gil de Ferran. He comes out of racing retirement and wins the ALMS pole position Saturday. His ALMS Acura posts a time of 1:07.969 (119.596 mph) late Friday that basically mirrors Marco Andretti's 1:07.9102 (119.699 mph) on Friday. I remember they had almost identical lap times at St. Pete too. How pathetic is that? An endurance car is as fast as an IndyCar?

IndyCar is going to need to get themselves back at the competitive pinnacle of motor sports in North America. Maybe it is time to deep-six the Dallara. Just based on lap time comparisons where Champ Car always buried the ALMS lap times on doubleheader weekends, I think a turbo Cosworth DP01 Champ Car might go a bunch faster. Tim Shaughnessy, Knoxville, TN

Dear Tim, Certainly the IndyCar looks slow. Champ Car was more potent than an IndyCar, but that series went belly up and there was no way Roger Penske was going to buy all new equipment when the IRL absorbed Champ Car. So if you want to buy a show car, you could probably pick up a Champ Car for pennies on the dollar. Mark C.