Is the Indianapolis circuit a good one?

[luke]

Indy is good.

No better place to hold an F1 race, and I do like the track layout.
Also has great facilities.

Just let it grow as an event, it will do.

[Chaynes321]

luke im suprised you like it as a fellow 'my tacks' designer!?

[2112]

Originally Posted by Silk Cut Jaguar

I suppose the question to ask is, which current American tracks are F1 grade?

I'm guessing the ovals with infields like Daytona and Homestead would be up to standard, but who else?

None I see.
Road racing takes a back seat to ovals here.
What needs to be done is to have some casinos in Las Vegas invest to build a new FIA standard track in the desert for a second US date.
Maybe a pipe dream, but it would work. Vegas thrives on tourism. The elements are all there, big city, big money, gambling, and F1.

[luke]

Originally Posted by Chaynes321

luke im suprised you like it as a fellow 'my tacks' designer!?

Well turns 9 and 10 could be missed out as it's micky mouse, but I like the rest of the lap.

[Menelaos]

I don't like Indy. However, it's a "fair" circuit, as you can pass quite a few cars if you drive well, contrary to Monaco or Imola...

[Sodemo]

I quite like the idea of having the GP at Indy, though the course they have built is awful.
I would like the course to go as follows.

Keep the same main straight, and turn 1, then after turn 1, then track immediately rejoins the oval, it then goes around the oval until the end of the 2nd banked turn, then there is a open hairpin, (a bit like Dunlop curve @ Nurburg), from there on I would like a series of fast bends on the infield, which then rejoins to where the track meets the oval as of now.

[Menelaos]

so you don't really like Indy

[Pingguest]

I like the banked turn, the long straight and the first corner. It provides some overtaking opportunities.

I would like to see two or three oval races on the F1 calendar.

[Kicking-back]

Oval racing should not be a part of Formula One - it is a left-and-right circuit racing series.

[2112]

Originally Posted by Kicking-back

Oval racing should not be a part of Formula One - it is a left-and-right circuit racing series.

On that I agree, after all, it`s just another disipline, one vote for one oval, that`s an easy 2nd US date.

[BootsOntheSide]

Running on a full oval is surely worth considering - a new challenge for the drivers and especially the engineers, and a different test of driver skill. Being too narrow in your interpretation as to what you and your product are about is the sure-fire way to failure - the IRL has moved to having a few road and street races this year, and no one has complained, while many have mourned ChampCar's gradual loss of ovals. How can you call it a 'world championship' when the highest-attended and fastest form of racing isn't included?

[Pingguest]

Originally Posted by Kicking-back

Oval racing should not be a part of Formula One - it is a left-and-right circuit racing series.

So? Oval races would add more differences.

[Silk Cut Jaguar]

You're got a point Boots, and I'd agree with you. Surely an oval race would put a rocket behind F1 in the States, afterall, ovals used to be included.

I guess the problem might be the cars, they'd probably top out at 250mph on some of the tracks and aren't really built to take the impacts an oval throws up.

[Kicking-back]

Lets add a forest rallycross track for F1 while we're at it, shall we?

No, no, no!!

[Pingguest]

Originally Posted by Kicking-back

Lets add a forest rallycross track for F1 while we're at it, shall we?

That would simply impossible.

[jhansen]

Quote from LongJohnSilver: "Laguna Seca has been having trouble drawing a crowd for champ car and thus may have the same trouble with F1. Champ Car wont be returning there this year, instead going to San Jose California. A1GP will be going there next spring which could show us if it can support super high powered open wheel cars."


Funny, because the ALMS races have drawn quite good attendance numbers. I'll be at the Moto GP race there next month, and ticket sales have been tremendous for that race. Laguna has some issues with regards to runoff areas and gravel traps. Both would have to be addressed for F1 to come. Not sure if it would lend itself to F1 racing, although it does have a few good overtaking opportunities.

[GP Racer]

Originally Posted by luke

Just let it grow as an event, it will do.

Absolutely agree luke!

One of the problems with F1 growing here, has been the lack of a permanent home for the USGP. You can't keep moving it all over this country - it's a big place! - and expect to grow a loyal audience. This will be my third time there, and my small group of F1 fanatics that makes the trip has grown from two guys, to 6 this year, and other friends are showing interest. Move it from Indy, and I'm not sure we would want to start all over again at a new venue and do the trip.

The other big problem with F1's lack of growth here, has been the complete and total lack of any promotion! If this market is so important as Bernie say's it is, than why can't Michael Schumacher do a 2 week promotional blitz of the states? Do the big talk shows, visit NYC, and LA, take in an IndyCar or NASCAR race, and really expose the sport to Americans. David Beckham does that from time-to-time, and it has been a huge success for soccer here.

Cmon Michael, your sport needs you!

[luke]

I was going to bring the oval thing up.

Perhaps F1 should have the Indy 500?

Seriously I would like to see the Indy oval as an F1 event.
Bring more excitment into it, and it would be something different.

I wonder how Montoya and Villeneuve would do?

Past winners of the 500 of course.

Now of course Schui wouldn't take part in an oval race, he wouldn't want to take the risk but I remember this very well reading on teletext that he took part in an oval race maybe after his F1 championship title in 2000, and he qualifyied near the back but I can't find any past resources, I'm sure I didn't imagine it.

[luke]

I agree GP Racer.

I remember for the first race at Indy for F1 on the road course back in 2000.
Schumacher checked into a hotel there as you do, and no one reconised him.
And Mansell said the same was for him, even in Champ Car's but there's an advantage with this, you can lead a normal life, I remember old Nige saying that he always use dto take his family for a bugger at somewhere like McDonald's as no one knew who he was.

[Kicking-back]

Schumacher has never done an oval race, luke

[429CJ]

USA is so large country it could easily have two GPs, US East (Indy) and US West (Las Vegas?), like there was before, in Detroit and Long Beach.

[Menelaos]

Yeah, but the US residents are not that much interested....

[luke]

Off the top of my head I they had 3 events one year and that was '84.

[rustyfan]

Originally Posted by luke

Off the top of my head I they had 3 events one year and that was '84.

As far as I know they only raced in Detroit and Dallas during the 1984 season.

EDIT - In 1982 they raced at Long Beach, Detroit and Las Vegas though, so you were off by two years

[GP Racer]

Originally Posted by Menelaos

Yeah, but the US residents are not that much interested....

The inaugural USGP at Indy drew some 200,000 fans, and while that number is down considerably, it is still a healthy 120,000. This year that number will hopefully rise with the end of Ferrari dominance and the emergence of some real competition. We'll see...


Bernie seem's to think he can have 2 profitable GP's here, and he is seldom wrong on matter's concerning big money!