19 Sep 2000, 19:39 (Ref:38047)
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Racer
Join Date: Sep 2000
Posts: 167
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Quote:
Eddie lrvine made his debut on Broadway today - at the wheel of the Jaguar R1 Formula One car. The
Jaguar Racing driver piloted the R1 along five blocks of Broadway in the heart of theatreland while
team-mate Johnny Herbert ran alongside him in a New York taxi cab as part of a promotion to signal
Formula One’s return to the United States.
The R1 set off at 10.00am, and with the assistance of the NYPD, fought its way through New York‘s
notoriously heavy traffic to the finish line at Times Square. Thousands of onlookers lined the route
from Broadway to Times Square to add to the excitement of the event.
Eddie said: ‘I was thrilled to be given the chance to take centre stage, albeit a bitumen one. It
was a fun day. I’ve encountered traffic on a race track, but to be in the thick of it in a Jaguar on
the streets of New York was brilliant. It was an effective way for Jaguar Racing to help the
promotion of Formula One in the US ahead of the Grand Prix in Indianapolis. There is so much
expectation among the American fans -we certainly won over a few more Formula One converts today.
‘I trust that we won’t be running at such a sedate pace when we get to lndy for the Grand Prix. I am
really looking forward to this weekend‘s race. The track layout is challenging and will throw up a
few technical challenges we haven’t seen before in F1.’
Team-mate Johnny Herbert, who trailed lrvine in an old-style New York cab, said: ‘The atmosphere was
unbelievable. I knew we would create a fuss, but the turnout was overwhelming. It shows that the
American public are really getting behind Formula One.’
As for the race, Herbert, who is heading to the United States next year to compete in CART racing
said: ‘It’s really great that F1 is returning to the USA at Indianapolis, the home of the lndy 500,
which is a race I want to compete in the future. I’m looking forward to the challenge of the banking
and can’t wait to get out there and give it a go!’a
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