New races...

Tailwind · 3 Oct 2002, 05:31 (Ref:394631)

Champweb.net posted today (Oct 2) that there may be two new races on the 2003 schedule. (I thought the schedule was set.) Any guesses as to what those venues might be?

I'm hoping one is Brazil...

With the possible alliance with the ALMS, maybe Sebring or Road Atlanta.

Are there any Super Speedways or ovals that aren't owned by ISC?

macdaddy · 3 Oct 2002, 07:00 (Ref:394671)

Likely to be a second European date... There's a date set aside on the schedule for it already...

Brazil would be nice. Detroit would be nice too, seeing how Ford is running the whole show now.

f1manoz · 3 Oct 2002, 09:01 (Ref:394733)

Brazil would be an excellent addition to the calender, but I think it was Muzza who explained the difficulty with getting the thing organised.

Whatever happens, I think there will be a link-up between CART and ALMS in the future. It will probably depend on how this weekends Miami race goes.

Liz · 3 Oct 2002, 11:04 (Ref:394815)

They've been discussing making Sebring a week-long event and having Champ Cars on the weekend before. Since most of us go early, that would only involve an extra few days and give a great value for the money! And if they had reciprocal credentials would be even better.

Tiresmoke · 3 Oct 2002, 16:33 (Ref:395020)

I'm hoping that when Pook was in Europe he was spending time with ORECA and trying to get Paul Ricard or (pipedream) Spa on the calendar. I, for one think its a shame that we've lost the asia/pacific market.

I don't think the Sebring surface is ideal for Champ cars and I don't think Road Atlanta is up to CART safety standards, although they were building towards that when they wanted a CART date in '98.

Lee Janotta · 3 Oct 2002, 16:52 (Ref:395028)

I think Sebring is a strong possibilty, and yes, I'd be very suprised if there aren't talks about running CART at Spa next year. It's under threat of being dropped from the '03 F1 calendar due to tobacco regs, and would be a golden opportunity for car to improve their presence in Europe.

Jordi · 3 Oct 2002, 17:09 (Ref:395044)

Paul Ricard's owned by Ecclestone... maybe that's why Pook approached Bernie?

Don't they always test at Sebring? It must suit the Champ Cars then..

Tiresmoke · 3 Oct 2002, 17:18 (Ref:395052)

Lee, although I love the european presence, its just so hard to land a sponsor thats willing to pay, then take them to a market they may not even be in. CART should be asking where the team owners and sponsors want to go. If CART takes their show over to Europe, there should be somebody there to foot that bill.

If I'm a sponsor, and I spend $12mil next year. I'd like a race at least every other weekend in the markets I work in. I want to see my name on my car on television. I want the people in that market to see my name on that car on television. Now if I don't do business in say, Belgium, I still want to be able to see my name on my car while its racing in Belgium, and I want it at noon til 2pm on Sunday so other people can see it too.

CART's got the fans, they need the TV deals to bring their product to the fans and to the sponsors.

power&glory · 3 Oct 2002, 20:48 (Ref:395203)

We need a Chicago street race! It would be so immensly popular b/c everybody like me from the burbs could take the train in!!

muggle not · 3 Oct 2002, 21:50 (Ref:395256)

Good points by Tiresmoke. Television and sponsors is the "name of the game".

For my 2 cents, I believe that Sebring and Washington DC are two possibilities. DC would draw fans from Richmond to Philadelphia.

Tiresmoke · 3 Oct 2002, 22:01 (Ref:395264)

CART racing in the nation's capital would be great too. It's close to so many large eastern cities.

A Chicago street race would be amazing. But Mayor Daley doesn't (and can't) close down the loop area, or even anywhere close to the loop on a thursday and friday. Plus the streets are in terrible condition.

Lee Janotta · 3 Oct 2002, 22:38 (Ref:395287)

Oy, please, no more urban races!

greg.n · 3 Oct 2002, 23:38 (Ref:395322)

Ricard is owned by Bernie but has been rebuilt as a test track with little or no attention paid to crowd needs. That may not matter if all you want is a TV date and you televise the event but who would buy into a TV deal like that? Sebring can't be that bad as a track surface-they test on the short track. It would make up for losing Fontana. I still think the Euro race will be in Spain, Portugal or at Imola. Spa would be nice though.

Lee Janotta · 4 Oct 2002, 01:53 (Ref:395387)

Hmm... Now if we _were_ to have a street race in Chicago, it should at least be off the grid system streets. Better for the city and for the track. Could something like this work?

Jay · 4 Oct 2002, 02:20 (Ref:395396)

Ah...Meigs right?

That's one hell of a long straight, I'd probably tighten up the corner at the end of it to create a passing zone, but other than that it looks good. Whether it's feasible...you'd have to ask the people that run the airport.

muggle not · 4 Oct 2002, 02:37 (Ref:395399)

Chicago....Oy, please, no more urban races!

Liz · 4 Oct 2002, 02:50 (Ref:395401)

Why not more urban races? They are our most successful venues and draw from many outlying areas as well as the city they are in.

But I will still vote for Sebring. It's a great place for a race!

Lee Janotta · 4 Oct 2002, 02:50 (Ref:395402)

Quote:

Originally posted by muggle not
Chicago....Oy, please, no more urban races!

I'd be willing to compromise if they'd move the Toronto race to Mosport.

Tailwind · 4 Oct 2002, 03:29 (Ref:395408)

I like the Meigs idea. It dosen't impact the street system much and Meigs isn't that busy. Meigs has been battling to stay open for years. That may help their cause too. The water front and the round building make for a nice setting. (I can't remember what that building was. I'm not from the Chicago area. Wasn't it part of the Worlds Fair that was held there many years ago?) How long of a course do you figure it to be?

Lee Janotta · 4 Oct 2002, 05:05 (Ref:395435)

That's the Adler Planetarium in the upper-right corner.

I the track looks to be around 2.5 miles with minimal impact on traffic (if it runs out to the east, but turns back in a hairpin before going into the stadium parking lot, which I shouldn't have drawn in, as it'll be crucial for parking for the race).

That layout would have a minimal effect on city traffic, and allow fans to be park in fairly close proximity to the track. Sidewalks there are sufficient that with some asphalt ramps put in, ambulances and shuttle vehicles should have no problem getting around the track. Some grading would also, of course, be need to allow the race cars to get around... They don't hop curves very well. But it's entirely feasible if the backing and political will is there.

I designed the track to run counter-clockwise in any event, BTW... I wasn't sure everyone understood that.

Jay · 4 Oct 2002, 05:11 (Ref:395437)

Geez...that pic reminds me of Microsoft's Flight Simulator. The default aiport is Meig's Field. For fun, I've tried to land/take off in a 737 on that field, then weave through the building in downtown Chicago...usually to crash into something...still fun. A great piece of software too...they actually train pilots with it.

It would be great, Cart needs Chicago!

Flatspot · 4 Oct 2002, 05:24 (Ref:395444)

That place looks to actually have a lot of potential, and Chicago is a great party town at night. Well worth the price of admission (for me its a $600 plane flight + the ticket, and hotel).

Lee, any chance of breaking that straight about 2/3rds down onto the tarmac on the lakeside then back out for another short straight? Do you ever forward your ideas to CART? This may be a good one.

brightline · 4 Oct 2002, 05:53 (Ref:395458)

Quote:

Originally posted by Liz
But I will still vote for Sebring. It's a great place for a race!

Sebring is a great place for a race and I go there every year for the 12 hours, but three Florida CART races in 2003?

If CART were to run in conjunction with the 12 hours of Sebring it would be hitting primarily the same Tampa Bay market (about 100 miles apart) in less than one month! and then only about a week to truck (or fly) the equipment to Mexico for the next race. Plus with the length of the Sebring track 18-21 cars would be so spread out after about 10 laps it would look silly and then add attrition on top of that.

Honestly, I think a CART race would be a great reason to get people to stay at Sebring on Sunday with those giant crowds they've had the last couple of years. Unfortunately, CART already has Tampa Bay with the St. Pete circuit which will hopefully (fingers crossed) will be a big success. The course is picturesque.

My vote is Washington DC with ALMS and Spain (Chris Pook made a comment recently about it being important to support Oriol Servia).

Lee Janotta · 4 Oct 2002, 06:22 (Ref:395468)

Quote:

Originally posted by Flatspot
Lee, any chance of breaking that straight about 2/3rds down onto the tarmac on the lakeside then back out for another short straight? Do you ever forward your ideas to CART? This may be a good one.

I thought about that, but that tarmac on lakeside is really badly broken up... Looks like it hasn't been repaved since the airport was built! And it'd require additional paving to get back onto the runway. It would make for better racing, though.

No, I never send my ideas off, I just post them on ten-tenths. This is the first time I've ever designed one that wouldn't require a boatload of money building or renovating a road course, though. I suppose it wouldn't hurt....

paul-collins · 4 Oct 2002, 13:12 (Ref:395747)

In response to the proposal for Washington:

Quote:

Originally posted by Lee Janotta
Oy, please, no more urban races!

Actually, Lee, the RFK track, aside from lack of change of elevation, proved to be an excellent track. Great access, wide track, and lots of passing room. ALMS absolutely loved it.

But I agree, move CART to Mosport! Dedicated tracks are sooo much better...

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