[Muzza]

The problem to take a CART race to Argentina is simply lack of cash - the local organizers would have a very tough time to raise the capital to run the race. I worked for years in the Interlagos circuit (tourism and local endurance races, non-F1 stuff) and many of you folks cannot imagine how difficult it is to raise money for motorsports in a country that, we have to recognize, has much more important and urgent social priorities to deal with.

I wish my Argentinean friends would get a CART race though... Who knows? Chris Pook has considerably lowered the sanctioning fees for the races, and with a little goodwill... It could happen. Another problem, though, is that Argentina is not a "big market" to sponsors and car manufacturers - both the size of the local market as the average purchasing power are relatively "small" compared to other places. But a combination of CART races in Brazil and Argentina would benefit both countries (although I think the CART calendar is getting a little too stretched).

In Brazil, Brasilia is an excellent racing track, and Goiania has good facilities. But Rio is one of the most charming places on Earth and it would be difficult to envision the racing held elsewhere.

(Why Rio lost CART? The current Rio de Janeiro mayor used the agreement between CART and his predecessor - and political rival - as an "example" of "bad administration of public assets". He also seriously hinted that some sort of "dirty water could have run under the bridge" (corruption). I don't know if this is true or not, but actually the city is cash-starved and the CART sanctioning fees have been significantly increased on the course of the last years. The mayor tried to gamble with CART and with the local promoters to get a good deal, but he did not expected to have the CART circus being professionally run... His behavior was pretty pathetic during the negotiations, a real shame, and the whole thing fell apart)

Also, the proposed race in Salvador - that would be organized and promoted by Emerson Fittipaldi - was never a real possibility. It was propelled by a disagreement between Nelson Piquet and Fittipaldi, who had an agreement to co-manage the Rio circuit. Piquet and Fittipaldi parties did not agree about the calendar for the venue or about the renovation of the road track. Things got very sour and the two walked apart. They no longer have business together.

Still talking about Salvador (State of Bahia), there was quite some "support" by the local governor (then and still involved on a mud war with his opponents) for the race (the famous "panis et circensis" policy - entertaining the people with non-important things). And there are already enough street circuits on the CART calendar!

Cheers,

Muzza