Oval racing in Europe

[mac]

Simply, have CART made the right decision in going oval racing in Europe, and not trying to infringe on f1? Or should they have gone to a road or street circuit to show them Europeeeens what real racing is all about?

[f1manoz]

I think CART have made the right decision to oval race in Europe, as it will give Europeans a real chance to watch real oval racing and discover what all the hype is about.

However, they might be going over at the worst time. Isn't this time of year supposed to produce some of the heaviest rainfalls?

That alone could ruin the European adventure.

[Laagri]

As a European fan of both CART and F1, I would say that it is right of CART to race on ovals in Europe, but it is a risk (in terms of the weather - you can't say when the heaviest rainfall usually is as it could be anytime). The negative publicity if either of the races gets rained off will be huge. But a street race would definitely be the wrong decision. F1 fans would get fed up with those tedious yellows all the time (as do I), caused so often by amateurish mistakes at restarts (like Kenny, Christian et al in Vancouver). And they wouldn't stand for having the pace car out for lap after lap simply because the safety team can't move stranded cars out of the way - F1 has cranes to do that, even on temporary street courses.

In fact, I honestly believe that a street race in Europe would turn Europeans off, simply confirming the typical view held by unenlightened F1 fans that CART drivers are F1 rejects who are past it or who were never good enough in the first place (and, again, they would cite Kenny and Christian as prime examples).

But if you were able to get CART to race on a European track with something like the layout of Cleveland, now that would be a guaranteed winner. And hopefully the ovals will be winners too, if it doesn't rain...

[Speedworx]

CART have made the rigth decision. There is a rule that CART can't race on a road course outside America. This does not leave many suitable tracks in Europe. Before you start saying the Surfer's Paradise is not an oval. The rule came into effect after that race was first run, so it not affected.

[Ian-S]

There is a rule that CART can't race on a road course outside America.

The rule doesn't exist anymore, the FIA had to agree to it's demise in their agreement with the EU over the way the sport is run.

CART can race anywhere they want, on any track they want now, hense why the Mexico and Brazil (next year) races are not on ovals.

While we're on the subject of the EU, they also made the FIA retract the clause in the Concord Agreement about F1 teams not being allowed to racing in other series, so maybe one day we'll see the likes of Williams and McLaren racing at Indy - oh god could you imagine that? - Ron "waffle" Dennis would have a field day

[Craig]

I can't wait! I was up at Rockingham last weekend for a club meeting on the road course there and was hugely impressed. Granted it's not finished, nor *will* it be in time for the race, but it is going to be something special, something different... bring it on!

And PLEASE don't rain! I'm going to be at Donington on the Sunday, and I couldn't bear missing the CART race!!

[Liz]

What bits of Rockingham have not been finished?

There was a very good review of the premier ASCAR race in the Newsletter a couple of weeks ago - for those of us who grew up with local short oval or dirt track, local boy racing, the description was a very pleasant memory. Our local short racks are booming - Barrie Speedway, where I was on Saturady, has quadrupled their attendance in the last year - and it may be the best marketing idea to do it that way. But I wonder if the Europeans will recognize the style of racing and commentary, and enjoy it?

P.S. I'm going to do my no-rain dance for Rockingham. I hope it works.