Baltimore Gets IndyCar Race

[fieldodreams79]

Originally Posted by Purist

I really don't think running at Dover is a good idea.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37Kpsi8oxvo

With the speeds the open-wheelers can run there, the space is too confined. Also, with the banking, even on the straights, you get guys sliding down the track, until they careen back up onto the track going into Turns 1 and 3, which is a MAJOR hazard.

I'll look at some more videos, but I would say that the best oval bets are New Hampshire, Las Vegas, Rockingham, and Charlotte. After the 2001 "BIG ONE", I don't think I want to see Indy Cars at Atlanta again.

i had no idea they actually ran there! that place was packed, too! sorry but you have missed my sarcasm, Purist. i have just about always thought OW cars should NOT be run on high banks, either. those thoughts were further cemented after witnessing first hand the disaster at Atlanta.

Even still, Dover would be better than most other ovals the IRL runs and is in the same region as the new Baltimore circuit, as is New Hampshire (although i have never really cared for NW). not sure if it is good idea to run Charlotte again after the fan tragedy that occurred there BEFORE the "pile up" race at AMS. with those two accidents alone, they shouldn't be racing at Texas. maybe the high banks of Rockingham (or did you mean Rockingham GB?). and i am still not sure what's wrong with PIR and Milwaukee.....

i just don't see the IRL supporting itself and bringing American OW racing back to it's proper prominence with running untested tracks like Baltimore.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by fieldodreams79

I just don't see the IRL supporting itself and bringing American OW racing back to it's proper prominence with running untested tracks like Baltimore.

They ought to jack the whole thing in and start again, it's all such a mess.

[Purist]

I would agree that it's somewhat surprising any of the high-banked, 1.5-mile ovals survived on the calendar beyond the 2001 season.

I'll have to look up Charlotte, as I don't really recall what happened there; that race probably wasn't on network TV, so I don't think I got to see it.

I meant Rockingham, North Carolina. The track surface is wider than Dover. The tri-oval means that the turns are more open, and there's a bit more space between the walls at that track.

Milwaukee still has to sort out its finances. The track operators, for car races at least, have to pay a lease to the Fair Board (or whatever it's called), and then have to pay the sanction fees for the NASCAR Nationwide Series and the ICS. They lapsed on their payments, and so the races have left, at least for the moment. That's why the NNS will be running at Road America this year instead of Milwaukee.

BTW, New Hampshire is very definitely NOT in the Mid Atlantic. New Hampshire is right next to Vermont, which puts it NORTH of New York and Pennsylvania.

Phoenix wasn't drawing a good crowd in the latter years of the Indy Cars racing there (up through 2005), and so they haven't been interested in paying what the ICS would like them to to have the "privilege" of having the Indy Cars back.

As Pikes Peak is open again, that one might be a thought. It's rather like a slightly larger version of Iowa.

Back to Dover, and lumping in Nashville, I'm not sure these are good options to return to, among other reasons, for their highly abrasive, concrete surfaces. The expansion joints also make them particularly rough, which isn't good in a lightweight, open-wheeler when you can average north of 180mph at those tracks.

[marcel82]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

Is there a map of the track layout?

there's a proposal in the first post of this thread

[Birddog07]

Originally Posted by nickyf1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2JLups6WQU

Amazing. I wish Cart would return in all it's glory (multiple engines, chsis, tires?, fuels?) plus even better (all road tracks and standing starts). F1 could sure learn a bunch from Cart.

[roachy101]

i think the track could work out alright but it would be nice to see the indycar stuff have a go at road america or road atlanta. they'd be better.

[nickyf1]

Originally Posted by Birddog07

Amazing. I wish Cart would return in all it's glory (multiple engines, chsis, tires?, fuels?)

From all the interviews of the candidates, that I have read anyway, for the 2012 Indycar Contract, its clear that the people involved with Indycar want this alot. But Indycar has to work on a budget at the moment. Perhaps in 10 or 15 years time it may return to that. (multiple chassis etc)

Remember, Indycar is now Indycar in its pre 1996 sense. Dont think of it as the IRL, because it isn't, its Indycar, all of the people involved with OWR in teh USA are there, all the CART people are there (well, most of them). Its unified now.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by nickyf1

Remember, Indycar is now Indycar in its pre 1996 sense. Dont think of it as the IRL, because it isn't, its Indycar, all of the people involved with OWR in teh USA are there, all the CART people are there (well, most of them). Its unified now.

It's nothing like it was pre 1996.

[Quintin03]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

It's nothing like it was pre 1996.

What nicky means is that all that were there in CART pre-split are still there in IRL today, or they've been bankrupted, shutdown, moved to another series or stopped altogether for one reason or the other. It may not be what it was in 1993 but we don't know what it would have been like if the split never happened at all. The best thing we can hope for is improvement. it'll take time and will be hard to achieve but in that respect we're atleast going in the right direction. You may think otherwise but I'm optimistic and hope for the best.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by Quintin03

What nicky means is that all that were there in CART pre-split are still there in IRL today, or they've been bankrupted, shutdown, moved to another series or stopped altogether for one reason or the other. It may not be what it was in 1993 but we don't know what it would have been like if the split never happened at all. The best thing we can hope for is improvement. it'll take time and will be hard to achieve but in that respect we're atleast going in the right direction. You may think otherwise but I'm optimistic and hope for the best.

I'm all too aware of CART's history, the split and the subsequent unification. At the moment there's not a lot to be positive about, hopefully that will change if something positive comes from the ICONIC group and their deliberations on a new chassis.

[DanicaFan]

This race in Baltimore will be held on August 5-7th in 2011.

[johntt]

FFS, North East USA should equal New Hampshire!

Agree with Road America as well, thats an essential part of AOWR

[NaBUru38]

I'm so glad!

Mid-Ohio is very unlikely to host Star Mazda and USF2000 "powered by Mazda" races, because the weekend is sponsored by Honda and Acura. So I guess that the next week (August 12-14) the IndyCar and ALMS will visit Mid-Ohio and the Star Mazda (and perhaps the USF2000) will go to Trois-Rivières as usual. Now the issue is where to fit the Indy Grand Prix of Alabama, above all if the ALMS joins them.

[Quintin03]

Neither will visit Canada this weekend and both will visit Iowa next week along the other IRL series.

[NaBUru38]

Honda also sponsors the Toronto and Edmonton races, so they are striked. The Road to Indy joining the F1 at Montréal? Hard to believe. Mosport (ALMS) and Trois-Rivières (Nascar Canada / Grand-Am Continental Tire Challenge) are the more likely Canadian rounds of those championships in the mid term.

Back to Baltimore, the organizers want the full Road to Indy there. I suggested them to get more tin-topped series instead, because the Star Mazda and USF2000 have a Mazda-only weekend at nearby New Jersey and it would harm Baltimore to get enemies.

Now, no more temporary courses in IndyCar. If Houston, Cleveland or whatever city wants them, one of the current venues should lose them. May I say the Edmonton is in the bubble?

Johntt, New Hampshire is quite a bit far from Baltimore, both could coexist. Trouble will come from finding the right time of the year, because being so far from the sun, summer is the only possible time and the Nascar Cup races block the perfect post-Iowa, pre-Glen spot.

[JagtechOhio]

I'd like to see a schedule that shows Mid-Ohio's date for 2011. It would be nice to know that the Baltimore race is an addition, not a replacement.

[bjohnsonsmith]

I wouldn't want to see a track like Mid-Ohio replaced by an untried street circuit in Baltimore.

[icemachine]

Looking at what races are confirmed, its going to be interesting to see what gets shuffled next year. I think the opening line up is pretty much set

Sao Paulo Mar 13 or 20
St. Pete Mar 27 or Apr 3
Alabama Apr 10 or 17
Long Beach Apr 24 or May 1
Kansas? May 1
Indy May 29
Texas June 5
Iowa? June 19?
New Hampshire? June 26 or July 3
Toronto Jul 10 or 17
Quebec?Cleveland? ???
Baltimore Aug 7th
Mid Ohio Aug 14 or 21
Infineon Aug 21/ 28/ Sep 4
Chicagoland? Sep 4/11
Kentucky Sep 11/18/21
Motegi ???
Qingdao? ???
Las Vegas ???

I'm assuming SMI gets the 5 race deal (TX, NH, Inf, KY, LV) Smith wants, and Edmonton doesn't keep pumping money into Northlands especially with the airport being shut down. I doubt Kansas or Chicagoland will be on the schedule but I've slotted them in anyhow

[bjohnsonsmith]

I'd really like to see a return to Cleveland. Quingdao, a race in China, that will ruffle Bernie's feathers.

[Purist]

I think it's fairly safe to say the Sao Paulo will be at the earlier date, and that, in fact, Long Beach will more likely be on the 17th of April. Timing of other races at the track might make an early September date at New Hampshire a better idea. And given the likely ALMS schedule, I think Mid Ohio will be August 14th.

There seemed to be plenty of people at both Mid Ohio and Watkins Glen last year (I was at both), so it wouldn't seem to make sense to drop either of those. I don't know how many were in the stands throughout the events, but the hillsides and campgrounds sure looked to be getting plenty of use at both tracks.

Now, if we could just get Road America and Cleveland back.

[JagtechOhio]

I wasn't talking about what makes sense, I was wondering about what the IRL is going to do.

Ice, you got Mid-Ohio confirmed for 2011?

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by Purist

Now, if we could just get Road America and Cleveland back.

I personally would like to see the historically, traditional tracks back on the calendar. The series needs to expand but it also needs to consolidate first, so return to Road America and Cleveland, would be a step in the right direction.

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by Purist

I think it's fairly safe to say the Sao Paulo will be at the earlier date, and that, in fact, Long Beach will more likely be on the 17th of April. Timing of other races at the track might make an early September date at New Hampshire a better idea. And given the likely ALMS schedule, I think Mid Ohio will be August 14th.

There seemed to be plenty of people at both Mid Ohio and Watkins Glen last year (I was at both), so it wouldn't seem to make sense to drop either of those. I don't know how many were in the stands throughout the events, but the hillsides and campgrounds sure looked to be getting plenty of use at both tracks.

Now, if we could just get Road America and Cleveland back.

Mid Ohio gets fluffed with a lot of free tickets paid by Honda for it's employees.

Cleveland is a tragic victim of the great open wheel war. Road America as well.

[icemachine]

Originally Posted by JagtechOhio

I wasn't talking about what makes sense, I was wondering about what the IRL is going to do.

Ice, you got Mid-Ohio confirmed for 2011?

No confirmation, but I assumed Honda would still want that race. The only way I see it dropped is if the Cleveland double race occurs

[JagtechOhio]

Cleveland "double"???