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Old 8 Jun 2016, 19:12 (Ref:3648283)   #8
Purist
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Join Date: Dec 2003
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Wichita, Kansas, USA
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Purist is going for a new world record!Purist is going for a new world record!Purist is going for a new world record!Purist is going for a new world record!Purist is going for a new world record!Purist is going for a new world record!
NBU38, I'm glad to have agreement on that first point.

As for Watkins Glen, the CART records, at least what I've found, are kind of useless. The 1979-80 races were on the short course. The 1981 race was on the long course, but thus far, I cannot find a record of what the fastest race lap was from that event. This is of note, because Qualifying was clearly in the wet, as the Race average speed was faster than the pole. Also, the Scheckter Chicane at the Esses (installed where Francois Cevert crashed in 1973) may have still been in use for that 1981 event.

The 2009 pole is the fastest lap modern IndyCar has put up at the Glen, a 1:28.597 (138.154-mph). That was with the old Dallara, which wasn't even designed to do road racing. The DW12 will be faster. Also, outside of serious fuel saving, race pace is faster relative to qualifying than it used to be.

Since I expect Watkins Glen to be close in speed to Road America, it just made sense to have the two run a similar race distance. And who wouldn't want a few extra laps at those two crown jewels of American road racing?

FoD79, I'm happy you're okay with the minor adjustments.

I'm not exactly thrilled with Texas myself, but I think a real, intermediate oval belongs on the IndyCar calendar. The trouble is, they've even raised the banking at one end of Kentucky, so I don't necessarily see an option out there that's "better" than Texas. Hopefully, they pin the cars down a bit more than they have been doing with the downforce level the last few times, so they can actually race each other more down there this year.

Last edited by Purist; 8 Jun 2016 at 19:21.
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