Baltimore Gets IndyCar Race

DanicaFan · 5 May 2010, 21:32 (Ref:2685044)

Well, it looks like the city of Baltimore will get an IndyCar race next year. It will be a street course. The city got an $8 million dollar grant in state and federal funds to prepare a 2.4 mile stretch of roads. The Board of Estimates signed a 5 year deal with the Baltimore Racing Development Corportaion. The race will be on the 2011 schedule.

Im not excited. Yes, Im glad its another race but Im not wanting nor does the IRL need another street course. They are losing good ovals. I cant wait to see what oval or ovals are dropped next year and this new street course takes it place.

Here is a map of a proposed track layout..

Canada ALMS fan · 5 May 2010, 21:55 (Ref:2685059)

"good ovals" - no such thing, compared to road courses and street courses (Indy excepted). At least until we get away from a spec series.

nickyf1 · 5 May 2010, 22:42 (Ref:2685070)

Danica doesn't like road courses herself...

The street circuits are helping alot, they are bringing Indycars to the people, and the people are certainly going there to watch some excelent racing. Sao Paulo, St Pete and Long Beach were really entertaining this year. Kansas was a bit meh IMO.

Get them at Trenton Speedway, I would watch that

And Indy is always fun to watch.

ptclaus98 · 5 May 2010, 23:27 (Ref:2685082)

GO TO ROAD AMERICA. How hard could it be?

JagtechOhio · 6 May 2010, 00:48 (Ref:2685092)

A northeast market venue is a good thing. Nicky, I agree with you about the racing (at the first two, at least) and the event atmosphere the street races produce.

At Kansas, the driver meet and greet was at a furniture store across from the track.

Maybe next year they have a pre-race appearance at the National Mall in Washington D.C. instead.

Props to Al Jr. for putting this together, it was his pet project as the IICS representative.

Purist · 6 May 2010, 01:27 (Ref:2685100)

So this is Unser's work? I'd been wondering what he'd been up to for the last 5-7 years.

"Good ovals"? Add one to the calendar that isn't 1.5 miles with 14-24-degree banking, and then, maybe, we'll talk.

JagtechOhio · 6 May 2010, 02:06 (Ref:2685107)

Al Jr. is also a driver coach, and helped with getting the rookies up to speed at Kansas.

He'll be driving at MIS too: hope they check the track for

first.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Indy-5....html?x=0&.v=1

jondownunder · 6 May 2010, 12:11 (Ref:2685312)

Quote:

Originally Posted by ptclaus98

GO TO ROAD AMERICA.

How right you are. Like the supposedly protected 'classic' tracks in F1, IndyCar should be at Road America no matter what.

HJJ · 6 May 2010, 14:08 (Ref:2685379)

Adopting the "3 Day Festival of Speed". Everything old is new again. Hope it comes off better than San Jose.

JHamilton · 6 May 2010, 17:13 (Ref:2685476)

What about Cleveland? Road America? Baltimore is a dump.

JagtechOhio · 6 May 2010, 17:28 (Ref:2685486)

They're supposedly talking to RA, who hasn't wanted to pay anything close to the asking price for the sanctioning fee in the past.

Lanigan might be working on Cleveland, he is a promoter who floated the Houston plan as well. Lots of free time and presumably money in his pocket he didn't invest elsewhere.

It's not like IICS is turning down a lot of party invitations to pick the place they'd prefer to show up, is it.

fasteric · 7 May 2010, 03:46 (Ref:2685766)

supposedly Lanigan is on with Baltimore group.link to follow

fasteric · 7 May 2010, 03:56 (Ref:2685769)

sorry..it was a Robin Miller reply on speed that Lanigan left Newman-Haas to work on promoting Houston and Baltimore..can't find the link

fasteric · 7 May 2010, 04:00 (Ref:2685770)

he was getting heat for not backing Graham Rahal with Mi-Jack cash to Newman-Hass from the wife ..took a flyer

fasteric · 7 May 2010, 04:05 (Ref:2685771)

i would suppose to see MiJack and Giel support Rahal's Indy bid..

fasteric · 7 May 2010, 04:12 (Ref:2685772)

my reaction to the race in charm city..awesome..tired of going to richmond...it has the potential of making a big event on the east coast..like long beach ..the harbor area there is awesome..party central..i think it will be a big event

Purist · 7 May 2010, 15:00 (Ref:2686036)

From what I've been able to gather elsewhere, the course is run clockwise, with the pits and start/finish along the straight at the top of the picture.

icemachine · 7 May 2010, 21:20 (Ref:2686270)

Quote:

Originally Posted by HJJ

Adopting the "3 Day Festival of Speed". Everything old is new again. Hope it comes off better than San Jose.

Double rail tracks parallel to Howard Street get crossed twice. That will provide for some 'excitement', the right hander from Camden to Howard will make for an interesting brake zone, and the crossing on Pratt should be near top speed. How well does the Dallara handle with all 4 wheels off the ground

mountainstar · 7 May 2010, 21:33 (Ref:2686274)

Quote:

Originally Posted by icemachine

Double rail tracks parallel to Howard Street get crossed twice. That will provide for some 'excitement', the right hander from Camden to Howard will make for an interesting brake zone, and the crossing on Pratt should be near top speed. How well does the Dallara handle with all 4 wheels off the ground

I've been down in this area before and the issues are too numerous to mention. Good luck is all I can say.

Purist · 7 May 2010, 23:38 (Ref:2686313)

Alright, my bad, the pits are apparently supposed to be along that straight heading down to the hairpin in the lower left of the picture, presumably on driver's left of the racing surface.

The article does say that road workers will begin preparations this month, so they're being proactive about it, it would seem. Also, I don't think Tony Cotman has forgotten the problems at San Jose in 2005, so I think there are a number of good reasons to think this will NOT be a disaster by any means.

mountainstar · 7 May 2010, 23:52 (Ref:2686322)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Purist

Alright, my bad, the pits are apparently supposed to be along that straight heading down to the hairpin in the lower left of the picture, presumably on driver's left of the racing surface.

The article does say that road workers will begin preparations this month, so they're being proactive about it, it would seem. Also, I don't think Tony Cotman has forgotten the problems at San Jose in 2005, so I think there are a number of good reasons to think this will NOT be a disaster by any means.

Well I hope so because the street surface is right out of Kazakhstan and there are other issues as well. They have a lot of work to pull this off. I wouldn't go walking anywhere around the football stadium as there are needles and crack baggies everywhere, not to mention all the bums. If you are looking to get mugged or worse this is the place to go!

icemachine · 8 May 2010, 02:43 (Ref:2686350)

Quote:

Originally Posted by mountainstar

Well I hope so because the street surface is right out of Kazakhstan and there are other issues as well. They have a lot of work to pull this off. I wouldn't go walking anywhere around the football stadium as there are needles and crack baggies everywhere, not to mention all the bums. If you are looking to get mugged or worse this is the place to go!

If they can have people come in for Football and Baseball games safely, I'm pretty sure they can get them in for a race

JagtechOhio · 8 May 2010, 03:01 (Ref:2686355)

Cotman is not responsible for the design of this track, unlike Brazil, where the local crime rate was predicted to add to the pestilence which would bring the great Plagues to the event. Not to mention the

potholes.

Betcha there isn't any shiny smooth concrete in Baltimore.

mountainstar · 8 May 2010, 03:34 (Ref:2686360)

Quote:

Originally Posted by icemachine

If they can have people come in for Football and Baseball games safely, I'm pretty sure they can get them in for a race

Yes it's completely safe.

Birddog07 · 8 May 2010, 05:00 (Ref:2686374)

Cool, can't wait.

Who cares about ovals, they all suck.

Also, interestingly enough, back when I was a kid and going to O's games, always thought that'd it be amazing to see the CART cars racing around that area. Now it is going to happen (well, IRL, long live CART

)

.

Just wish I still lived 30 minutes from Baltimore. :/ Pittsburgh street course anyone?

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