Indianapolis Historic 500

[Rudernst]

This is the time of the year when we cook up foolish projects......
For a while I have been wondering, 2 of the 3 great classic races run a classic version.
I mean The Monaco GP Historique and Le Mans Classic.
The latter one draws a huge crowd and seems to generate nice revenue.
Indianapolis does nothing of the kind.. Aaaaaaand Indy and the Hulman family certainly can use the money nowadays, after having slowly run the 500 to the ground.
I did contact them a while a go through their website, surprisingly I got a very friendly answer within minutes pointing to their councours de elegance for vintage Indy racers, no comment on historic racing.
When I pointed out that concours and racing are worlds apart and that they could probably charge the racers for actually beeing allowed to entain the crowds I got not answer.
I would run my Edwardian Stutz of the type that did quite well befor the Great War........ and get that Penske.

Anybody keen to race there ?

Rudolf

[Simon Hadfield]

A possible candidate for the shortest meeting ever? The mind boggles at the thought of the great unwashed let loose competitively on a real oval, with real Indy type cars (of any period)......if people think Gerards at Mallory is a concern then what chance somewhere seriously quick which really has no run off area.
That said I would move heaven and earth to do it if historic racing ever happened there!

[delta]

Before we all book our flight tickets to Indy what about looking a bit closer to home. Rockingham, AFAIK there has not been a race organised/run on the full oval.

[Alex E]

They do make a small effort at the Indy 500, before the race they run some historic cars. The owners / drivers have a choice of `speed lanes` a bit like the M25, slow in the first lane fast in the top lane.
Surely they would never let them loose......

[Rudernst]

Originally Posted by Alex E

They do make a small effort at the Indy 500, before the race they run some historic cars. The owners / drivers have a choice of `speed lanes` a bit like the M25, slow in the first lane fast in the top lane.
Surely they would never let them loose......

Örmm..
The driver safety or competence issue had not occured to me..apart from the usual requirements demanded by organisers at this level.
I figured that if an internstionasl C-license allows me to race a 200 mph Group C car or a DFV engined 3 litre F1 I might be experienced enough for Indy.
Buuuut, yes the oval might different and some sort of novece rookie procedure might be advisable as part of the event.

Nobody really tempted ?
This by the way explains the relatively low car values
You cant do much with them

Rudolf

[Tim the Grey]

Historic Indycar Series in Europe... Oh the Irony!
There's Rockingham, and Lausitzring.
Oh, and Brands Hatch 'Indy' circuit.
All have history, even if for just the one race.

[ORP]

Interesting thread, but I cannot see IMS risking a historic race on the oval. In the past they have let the historic cars run at the end of 'Carb day' behind a pace car.

These range from all era's, from cars with ride-on mechanics, roadsters (my favourite!) to G-force and Dallara's. With the faster stuff staying up high on the track.

[NaBUru38]

They could run at the road course.

[Adam43]

How much non-contemporary/club/amateur racing on ovals happens?

[Cliff Ryan]

HNY Adam,

I've raced on the oval at Daytona, you get to do the whole oval and the infield, as you go back on to the oval from the infield right beside where you leave it.

It was at the HSR International Historic meeting in November. I am sure if you look on other oval circuits websites that they may also have other non contemporary / club / amateur events.

[Simon Hadfield]

A lot of US oval circuits, like Rockingham here, have a "road circuit" set into them. Like Daytona they are usually set up so only one corner of the oval is taken at full speed- I know the tri-oval kink is flat at Daytona but it is used to set up the turn into (onto?) the infield section. The infield loop before the last section of banking at Daytona is a reasonably modern addition, the thought of 917s and 512s through there flat really makes you think!
To return to the OP as far as I know there is no oval used as an oval for historic racing (as we know the sport) anywhere. Where they do have demonstrations, as other posters have said it is behind a pace car.

[morninggents]

Originally Posted by Tim the Grey

Historic Indycar Series in Europe... Oh the Irony!
There's Rockingham, and Lausitzring.
Oh, and Brands Hatch 'Indy' circuit.
All have history, even if for just the one race.

I'm sure I saw them at Silverstone too.

[formerf1champ]

I went to a historic meeting at Sandown, here in Melbourne last weekend. There was a demonstration run of an Indycar I had no clue about. A Buick Sabre, a 1990 model. I haven't been able to find anything on it since. Does anyboday here have some info?

[johnh875]

Originally Posted by Rudernst

Örmm..
The driver safety or competence issue had not occured to me..apart from the usual requirements demanded by organisers at this level.
I figured that if an internstionasl C-license allows me to race a 200 mph Group C car or a DFV engined 3 litre F1 I might be experienced enough for Indy.
Buuuut, yes the oval might different and some sort of novece rookie procedure might be advisable as part of the event.

Nobody really tempted ?
This by the way explains the relatively low car values
You cant do much with them

Rudolf

There is definitely a rookie procedure at Indy, in the past reigning F1 world champions have had to start out running laps a quite a low speed and working their way up.

formerf1champ, I think they were Indy Lights cars rather than the top tier. There is some info on the Savy Motorsport website - http://www.savymotorsport.com.au/web...%20flyer-2.pdf

[Juarez Jed]

http://www.can-am-cars.com/productca...&idproduct=484


This ones a bit cheaper

[Patrick Morgan]

It sounds like a great idea but in reality it would be very dangerous for a whole host of reasons. Taking driver ability aside racing on ovals is completely different to racing on a road course. The drivers have to be extremely disciplined as a step wrong ends up in a huge accident. Emerson Fittipaldi wrote at some length about this and by happy coincidence a part of it was published on the motorsport website last month...

http://www.motorsportmagazine.com/ra...oval-racing-2/

We ran our '97 car at Rockingham last year which was terrific but very nerve wracking even with just one car lapping much slower than in period (we only hit 208mph on the straights and were much slower on the corners). No one makes oval spec tires for these cars that you can buy and the road course tires really suffered after 15 laps.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcU9z-0a9uU

I fear you would also get a mix of aero packages as unless you really know what you are looking for a superspeedway floor can look much the same as a short oval floor - obviously the wings are easily identified. Then you must run with proper oval suspension and tire stagger.... I can't viably see any tire manufacturer accommodating that for historics.

All that said, like Simon, I would find it pretty hard to turn down the opportunity to take a car out there. It's a hell of a track - once you seen a car go though turn 1 from the pitwall your life will never be the same. The speed they turn in it is just unreal. Fontana is quicker over a lap but the corners are so much more gentle. Indy is just brutal.

For road courses it's a different story, Indycars are pretty viable things to run and the motors last 600 miles which is handy. The mid 1990's cars made around 900 - 950 bhp at 45" of boost which tends to keep the drivers entertained. And they look good...