Brands Hatch

[pirenzo]

How would sportscars at Brands Hatch go down?

Not that it's actually happening, but, the circuit has been linked to hosting a CART race in place of the event at the Rockingham Oval (UK, i've heard there is a circuit of the same name in USA).
The changes neccessary for a CART race would also be sufficient for holding a sportscar race, possibly as part of the ELMS schedule.

The thought of Audis and others at Brands is awesome.

It's sort of my "home" circuit, since I live about an hour from it.

I have thought that Octagon Motorsports would be wiser to drop trying to host a GP, since the cars aren't good enough to grace a circuit like brands .

Maybe instead, Octagon should concentrate on a broader selection of racing, real racing.

They already have a successful World Superbike race, so why not a CART race and an ELMS race in to the bargain?

[Lee Janotta]

There's no ELMS anymore, but perhaps if IMSA put together a 3-hour non-points one-off run to ALMS rules in May while CART's there, some of the European teams and LeMans-only entries like Bentley would consider the race worth running to break in their ACO-spec motors and other parts.

If a couple of the ALMS teams wanted to run, there'd probably be room on the planes with CART.

[Graham Goodwin]

It's still a fantastic circuit and any top-line Sportscar race would be fantastic there. It seems a long, long time since the BPR!!!

[SFonseca]

Originally posted by Lee Janotta
If a couple of the ALMS teams wanted to run, there'd probably be room on the planes with CART.

It is unlikely that we will see any events with CART and ALMS together (other than the event we already have in Miami). IMSA want to stand-alone, headline event, as does CART.

[pirenzo]

I'm not saying that CART and Sportscars would run in the same event, but on separate occasions.

As for the ELMS, it has been annonced there will be a return in 2003 or 2004, but the races are yet to be named.

I'm not sure how long it was since the BPR was at Brands, but I remeber a race that I went to when the new Porsche GT1's turned up fresh from Le Mans and trounced everybody

[pirenzo]

I know there is no ELMS at the moment, but as far as I am aware there is to be a return of the series next year.

The circuits are yet to be confirmed

The ELMS and CART would not neccessarily have to run at the same event

I think the concept would be a good way of bringing in the money needed to stop the circuit being redeveloped into a housing estate

By the way, wasn't it at Brands in '96 that the Porsche GT1 took it's first win?
That certainly was a good race.

[Graham Goodwin]

Yup, I think it was the 911 GT1's first race wasn't it?

Rumours were rife that it was sandbagging and it still massacred the best that Mclaren, Lister and Lotus could throw at it - The beginning of the end for BPR!!

[pirenzo]

I think so

[Lee Janotta]

Originally posted by SFonseca
It is unlikely that we will see any events with CART and ALMS together (other than the event we already have in Miami). IMSA want to stand-alone, headline event, as does CART.

I have to disagree wholeheartedly. ALMS cars did a demo at Mexico City during the CART weekend this year, and the links between CART and IMSA are growing stronger all the time. Neither series is having spectacular commerical success, so it only makes sense that they should combine their resources.

Certainly, they can have very separate schedules, but with some combined marquee events to really pack the grandstands.

[pirenzo]

All the above would need the circuit facilities and track to be improved, and having the two races together, would draw a larger crowd to pay for this.