Milwaukee Mile

[theracegypsy]

Keep Milwaukee, I have it on next year's list of must does - together with Surfers.
Keep Rockingham too, the fan base is there and the vibes this year were so much better than last. It's a shame about the Lausitzring, such a suberb venue, and if you have had the chance to drive it (which I have) you will realise what an aweinspiring speedway it is. I am surprised with the amount of EC money being poured into that area of East germany that there were not more attempts to bail it out.
A new superspeed way may work in Spain, but the short ovals are not likely to be financially viable in Europe.

[Liz]

Going into a place like the Poconos would be IMO just getting back into the mess we had in Nazareth. If Mario Andretti couldn't drag fans to that track, nobody can make people go to a short oval track in the mountains of New York either.

Short Ovals are an American dirt track tradition and I agree that they won't translate overseas. I'd put a superspeedway in Spain, it's cheap to travel there and a lot of Brits go there already for racing. And I'd do some kind of MotoGP or WSB promo with it as the Spanish are nutz about their bikes -- and get Carlos Sainz into a Champ Car for a demo run, if he can fit.

[JohnSSC]

Maybe I am misreading your post Liz, and I apologize if I have but Pocono is still in Pennsylvania. It is not a short oval but a Tri-oval with fairly flat corners. Not sure of the length but it is certainly more than a mile (1.5?). If the paving problem has been solved (used to be fairly bumpy due to frost heaves, etc) it would make quite an entertaining race, not unlike the track used in Brazil.

[LateBraker]

Originally posted by JohnSSC
Maybe I am misreading your post Liz, and I apologize if I have but Pocono is still in Pennsylvania. It is not a short oval but a Tri-oval with fairly flat corners. Not sure of the length but it is certainly more than a mile (1.5?). If the paving problem has been solved (used to be fairly bumpy due to frost heaves, etc) it would make quite an entertaining race, not unlike the track used in Brazil.

You're absolutely right. Pocono is in PA...and it isn't small at all! It's 2.5 miles in fact! I race with EMRA on the infield of that track, and half of our track utilizes the oval. It's amazing how long it takes to get around the oval part...when comparing it to how fast you see the NASCAR guys fly on it!

[Liz]

Sorry, I don't know anything much about ovals, and I stil don't understand what the difference is (what on earth is a "tri oval"?) And I'm almost positive Nazareth is also in Pennsylvania, or it used to be when it was a dirt track anyway. So the point of saying that the Poconos are in Pennsylvania escapes me.

But the point remains it's in a place where nobody can go who doesn't have a car, and in a place that is subject to rotten weather in which cars can't race, more often than not. (The hotels all have heart shaped bath tubs though, so if you can't go racing at least you won't be bored.)

[JohnSSC]

Think of a "rounded triangle" and you have a mental image of a "Tri-Oval."

Pocono raceway is in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. It is a short drive from Allentown, PA and about 100 miles from Philadelphia, both of which have airports. So "the point of saying the Poconos are in Pennsylvania" is that "Pocono Raceway" is in Pennsylvania, not in New York as you originally posted. Nazareth is also nearby and unless one holds races in Spring or late Fall, one could expect the same weather there as can be found in most of the Temperate Zone.

It would be convenient if every race were in a major metro area so we did not need to worry about driving to attend, but many tracks well worth seeing races at are not (Road America, Nid-Ohio, etc). Pocono is a cool track where the NASCAR boys must actually shift gears and everything. It is flat enough to make the drivers "drive" or approach the corners as if it were a road course. I am not familiar with the infield road course so I cannot say if it could accomodate CART. I believe CART has been there in the past and put on a rather good show, so don't knock it (or the location) till you have tried it! They have regular hotels with rectangular shaped baths, too, by the way!

[power&glory]

I went to Pocono a couple times when I lived in Easton PA (near Allentown), and it is great and all, but because of its layout, u cant see anything! And its not like a superspeedway where they go so fast and that adds some excitement, but this place is flat and not that fast (although ive only ever seen busch series there, nothing else), so it might not make up for the lack of view for the fans. But of course champcars are much faster, but the only champcar oval ive been to is Milwaukee, where u can see very well. And speaking of Milwaukee, anyone else heard these rumors of a night race in 03? Sounds good to me, but would CART be willing to pay for lights?

[The Snout]

I read on Cart.com about Cleveland maybe being a night race a while back. Apart from this forum I haven't seen anything on a Milwaukee night race.

[JohnSSC]

I would welcome a night race at Cleveland! Every time I have gone it has been hot, hot, hot!.

Be pretty cool (no pun intended) to be downtown with the various buildings lit-up, the R & R Hall of Fame, etc and racing under the lights.

[Liz]

oops I did say it was in New York. I was thinking of the Catskills. Sorry!

But being 100 miles from an airport still means that a person such as myself could not attend. And I think the reason that nobody went to Nazareth (aside from the fact that the racing was boring) is that it is a long way from anywhere and hard to get to.