New owners could focus on streets - RM

[corkholio]

Originally posted by Omega99
...that's exactly how you get people top be fans of Champ Cars. If they enjoy the event, they'll be more inclined to follow the series, and the easiest way to draw hundreds of thousands of people to the event is to put it right in the middle of the city.

It's easy to think that but looking at it realistically that doesn't always appear to be the case. Take CART's signature event the LBGP for example. Attendance has always been sky high, and is often being compared to Monaco in terms of atmosphere. But then take a look at the two other California tracks, Laguna Seca and Fontana, where attendance numbers have been taking nosedives. You would think that certainly people who started following CART because of LB would be going to the two other races within the state as well, especially if they enjoyed the LBGP so much. The no car excuse would not apply here as California's public transportation system is a bigger joke than Studolfo Lavin's driving so most certainly if you could have made it to Long Beach the chances are that you would have been able to make it to Fontana (less than 1 hr drive from LA, just less glitz and glam in Fontucky). The strangest part of all this is that Fontana has always produced racing that is more suited to the "common fan" than the LB parades of the past few years.

[Rob29]

Originally posted by corkholio
It's easy to think that but looking at it realistically that doesn't always appear to be the case. Take CART's signature event the LBGP for example. Attendance has always been sky high, and is often being compared to Monaco in terms of atmosphere. But then take a look at the two other California tracks, Laguna Seca and Fontana, where attendance numbers have been taking nosedives. You would think that certainly people who started following CART because of LB would be going to the two other races within the state as well, especially if they enjoyed the LBGP so much. The no car excuse would not apply here as California's public transportation system is a bigger joke than Studolfo Lavin's driving so most certainly if you could have made it to Long Beach the chances are that you would have been able to make it to Fontana (less than 1 hr drive from LA, just less glitz and glam in Fontucky). The strangest part of all this is that Fontana has always produced racing that is more suited to the "common fan" than the LB parades of the past few years.

Actually Long Beach must have one of the better parts of the California transportation system.I was there in 1993,and seem to remember the tram terminal was in the next street to the circuit.On the Monday after the race I managed to get from my hotel in LB to San Diego and back.

[BobbyB]

Originally posted by corkholio
But then take a look at the two other California tracks, Laguna Seca and Fontana, where attendance numbers have been taking nosedives. You would think that certainly people who started following CART because of LB would be going to the two other races within the state as well, especially if they enjoyed the LBGP so much. The no car excuse would not apply here as California's public transportation system is a bigger joke than ....

Cork- I don't know where you live, but I'm a native Californian, and in the major cities, our public transportation is just fine, thank you.

The distance from Long Beach to Laguna Seca is about 350 miles (roughly 560 km), so its not necessarily an easy drive for an LA based CART fan. I live in Santa Barbara, 2 hours north of LA. Last weekend I was at Laguna Seca for some Historic Races (just imagine over 40 antique Bugatti boattails slugging it out in a single race- it was a sight to see- nothing held back by the drivers either!). My point in mentioning this is that it took me 4 hours to drive to Monterey... add the 2 hours from LA if you lived there, and you see, its not a simple task to get there even though it is in the same state. Needless to say, I had plenty of other things going on with classic car events in the area over several days to justify the journey.

[gttouring]

i agree with bobby- living inSoCal as i do now, it is tough to get to laguna, the road system is so windy and bodged up, Long Beach is popular because it is in a party/industrial town-a uni is there and it is basically on the coast of LA, now Fontana just needs more promotion, and i would say it is in the styx-and the hot desert, LBGP has shade, laguna is lovely, but Fontana eesh it is out there and ugly-nice track though go there myself to see craftsman trucks, Winston cup CART and club racing, but it is still a 2-3 hour drive into the heat, maybe the date for this track should be later in the year or earlier to be in the cooler months, and have support races galore-
NASCAR TRUCKS the first few seasons teamed p with CART on many venues to get interst up and it has worked, now CART would be wise to do th same thing, especially at FONTANA, i bet attendance would go up with that 100%