Thoughts on the IRL running on roadcourses

[SteveH]

One of the great many pleasures associated with attending a ChampCar weekend at a track like Road America or Mid-Ohio is the number of support races that run along with the ChampCars. OWRS can supply Formula Atlantics, Barber Dodge, TransAm and most likely the rumored BMW series. Generally there are 3 or 4 races for the weekend, a great entertainment value.

So if the IRL runs a roadrace weekend, what will its support series be? The IPS? Can those cars even turn right? Looks like that series will only have about a dozen participants this year, if it costs more for them to run on a road course I would imagine several teams would take a pass at the upgrade cost just to run one or two road races. What else? Formula Ford 2000?

Or does the League think that having the IRL on a road course is enough to gaurantee a good gate?

[RichK]

Star Mazdas ran with the IRL for some years at Phoenix & Pikes Peak, along with FF2000. Those tube-framed cars didn't really belong on the ovals going those speeds, IMO. There were some bad crashes.

I'm sure many lower formulae would be happy to get the exposure from an IRL weekend at a road course.

[RacinM3]

Rich, are the new Star Mazda chassis tube frame? They sure look like monocoque construction to me....

Star Mazda at any rate seems to have aligned themselve pretty well with ALMS.......a quick check of the '04 schedule shows them at every ALMS event, and at one NASCAR oval event (Phoenix).

So, who could support the IRL? Maybe the IPS (are they even running this year?), or FF2000.

Then there are a number of other groups, such as Spec Miata, or even groups like the World Challenge (although their alignment with ALMS is pretty much set in stone the next few years as well).

Knowing TG's ego, he's probably assuming F1 could make a pretty good support race for his road racing "events"....

:gomer:

[Chaos]

I can see IPS definitely being a support series.

[RichK]

RM3, the new Mazdas are tubs. The old ones are still running in Star Mazda regional pro series, as well as in SCCA of course.

In the past, the IRL picked and chose support races depending on where they were racing. In the West, it was Mazdas, and in the Midwest/East, it was FF2000 mostly, I think.

As an amateur, it's pretty fun racing during a pro weekend (although you end up qualifying at 7am and racing looking directly at the sun at 6pm), so I'm sure those jerkoffs will have no problem finding run groups.

[Methanolandbrats]

I can see IPS definitely being a support series. They will be lucky to turn a wheel this year. There are only five of em. They'd get kinda strung out at RA.

[fourrunner]

Yes the IPS can turn right...

Right into the car next to them!! ;)