'Senna' much more than a racing movie

I finally saw the movie "Senna," which has been released throughout the world for more than a year but screened only sparingly in major cities in the States.

It's now available on Netflix and Amazon streaming, and it's well worth watching, whether you're a racing fan or not. 

Ayrton Senna, for those who don't know, was one of the greatest Formula 1 and karting drivers ever, delivering electrifying performances that left fans, viewers and competitors slack-jawed. He was also a Class 1 jerk, blinded in a nonstop quest to finish first that left many friendships and relationships by the roadside.

Senna won three world championships in the late 1980s and early 1990s before dying in a horrific race crash in 1994. "Senna" chronicles his meteoric climb to the top of motorsports, his unwavering love of God, and the complex relationships caught in between.

The film is 106 minutes long and uses only archival video, some of it rare in-car footage that captures Senna's mad skills and just how magical Formula 1 was during those days. But it's the scenes showing interpersonal relationships, or lack thereof, that are captivating and keep the pace moving quickly. Throughout it all you're taken inside the mind of a complex man, particularly toward the end as he struggles to overcome a slow car and the death of a fellow racer on the same fatal weekend. You can sense his end is near, not because you might already know the story but because you can see it in his eyes and body language. It's disturbing in a way, but powerful nonetheless.

I became a hardcore auto racing fan in 1985 for two reasons: I moved out on my own and finally had access to cable sports channels and found myself getting up at 5 a.m. on Sunday mornings to see what fresh trick Senna would pull out of his hat in shaping Formula 1 his way. 

Some would argue his aggressive driving has changed all racing in a negative way, putting an end to what was long a gentleman's sport. There's some truth in that, but he also brought a level of intensity and drive that influenced many people outside the sport. He had a sole focus and gave his life in pursuit of being No. 1. He may not have died happy but I think he died satisfied.

Formula 1 gets a taste of dirt-track racing

It's not often that one sees a Formula 1 car purposely take to the dirt.

But Red Bull, ever the promoters of the unorthodox, did just that in showing how its world championship-winning car performs on the under-construction Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, which will host a Formula 1 race next year. And by "under construction," we mean dirt, a long way from the smooth asphalt that make F1 cars the most fearsome on Earth.

World of Outlaws, you have nothing to fear.

Ferrari F1 car turning 19,000 rpm at Laguna Seca

Formula 1 has never raced at Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey but F1 cars have taken flying laps in historic races and exhibitions. 

Case in point is this Ferrari F1 car tackling the tight track, including the famous Corkscrew. Laguna Seca is too small for F1 cars to really open up at high speed, but this video captures the glorious sound of a normally aspirated F1 engine revving to more than 19,000 rpm and accelerating like no other cars on Earth.  

It's hard on novice ears but heaven for any race fan, particularly on the eve of racing season. 

Whoops!

The March issue of Racecar Engineering has an "exclusive" that isn't so relevantGreat moments in bad timing:

Just saw on newstands the latest edition of Racecar Engineering magazine, which features an "exclusive" look at the new car from U.S. F1. "Inside a New Breed of Grand Prix Team," the teaser reads.

One problem: U.S. F1 earlier this year missed deadlines to race in 2010, and earlier this month laid off all employees.

D'oh!