Young Canadian go-karters will certainly find other ways to move up the ladder with the disappearance of the Formula BMW USA Series, but they may need to find some extra polish along the way.
While the entry-level, single-seater series provided a good platform to help rising stars make the transition from karts to cars, former Formula BMW USA rookie of the year James Hinchcliffe thinks talented drivers will simply look for another set of stairs to climb.
"I'm sure there are certainly going to be a few kids who will look at the European route, especially if their long-term goal is Formula One," said Hinchcliffe, who races in the Indy Lights Series.
"But the options are out there for those who want to stay in North America. The Formula 2000 Zetec championship fell to the wayside a little bit when FBMW came up because the car was more advanced, a manufacturer was involved, and they had the lure of F1. Now, it should see a revival."
The FBMW USA Series was cancelled by the car manufacturer in July. FBMW began in 2002 in Europe and expanded to Asia in 2003, with North American and U.K. versions added two years later. While the North American series and U.K.-based versions are now gone, the European and Pacific FBMW offerings will continue.
So far, the European series has been successful in helping drivers get to the top, with five of the 20 drivers on the F1 grid -- Sebastien Buemi, Timo Glock, Nico Rosberg, Adrian Sutil and Sebastian Vettel -- learning the ropes in FBMW.
But Canadian drivers made it to the top of racing's ladder before FBMW came along and there's no reason for that to change, said Canadian driver Ron Fellows.
The veteran racer, who started his open-wheel career a couple of decades ago in Formula 1600 and then moved to F2000, feels that talent will find a way.
"It will have an effect, but if you look at the history of single-seaters, it's a roller-coaster ride of quality formulas that come and go," he said.
"I think the kids will find a way, but the sanctioning bodies are going to have to share in the responsibility to ensure the kids can move into something that is a quality step in the ladder that's not too big a jump."
The FBMW car offered a perfect step as young kids graduated from karting into single-seater competition. It also created a solid way to bridge the gap between karts and the more challenging Atlantic Series and Indy Lights.
Powered by a 140-horsepower, 1,200-cc BMW motorcycle engine, the FBMW car was also one of the safest racers designed for young drivers.
"There's no doubt that the car they made was perfectly suited for the transition from go-karts to cars," Hinchcliffe said. "It was a great stepping stone and it's sad to see it go."
What will be difficult to replace is FBMW's extensive off-track component that taught young drivers the ins and outs of dealing with sponsors and the media, as well as training regimes to keep the drivers in top shape.
"A lot of the things behind the scenes will be missed," said Fellows.
"Some of the activities they had were unique to FBMW, such as the hospitality they had at the track for drivers and their sponsors and families. It was expensive they way they did things but it was a great addition to the training."
The series produced two Canadian champions, Robert Wickens in 2006 and Daniel Morad a year later. Wickens moved up to the Atlantic championship in 2007 before heading to Europe to pursue his Formula One dreams.
Wickens now races in the Formula Two Series, where he's second on the point standings with the final two races of the season set for the end of the month in Barcelona. Should Wickens finish in the top-three, he automatically qualifies for a super-licence, which is needed to race in F1. Morad races for the Team Lebanon in the A1GP Series.
With FBMW gone, Fellows thinks North America's top single-seater series, IndyCar, would be well advised to start emulating the NASCAR model where it helps young drivers earlier in their career.
"I don't mean to beat on the sanctioning bodies, but if you look at what NASCAR has done through development series, that's what the single-seater guys need to do. They need to have a stronger hand in the lower formulas," Fellows said.
Hinchcliffe is doing his part with the Hinchtown.com Canadian Karting Award. The inaugural competition for young karters earlier this month saw Toronto's Enrico Menotti emerge as the winner. He receives a full three-day race-licensing course at the Bridgestone Racing Academy next year.
