ChampCar closer to Argentina? Amongst other topics...

[devilmaster]

In an interview today in Vancouver, as part of the spinup towards their race, Patrick Carpentier talked about the future of Champcar, and talked about Argentina in a way that makes one assume its a slamdunk.

Also, Pat talked about the TV package, and talked about possibly live tv packages next year.

I'm waiting to see if I can vidcap the news report.

Steve

[SurfaceUnits]

Cool beans:

From Brasilian Website:
Argentine automobile race track prepares to receive Formula CART

Owners of autodromo Miguel de Güemes, located in Salta, Argentina, already plan important improvements in the infrastructure of the circuit in the next months, with the intention to receive a race from Formula CART.

http://www.indybooks.net/DATA/SaltaTrackPhoto.jpg
Autodromo Martín Miguel de Güemes, Salta,Argentina

The Auto Club Santa, proprietor of the automobile race track, thinks about constructing a new area of pit boxes to receive the cars from the series and new paddock in top of this construction, to give greater visibility and comfort for the public. The OWRS will go visit the circuit to verify all the changes that will need to be made.

Photo from CCWS Visit:
http://www.indybooks.net/DATA/SaltaVisit.jpg

Left: Jacques Kremer, Gaston Mazzacane's agent, and (former) President of PanAmerica Sports Network.

Center: Ron Dickson, Team Forsythe

Right: Alejandro Urtubey, Argentine Sportscar Driver

[Insomniac]

If this happens, I'd expect a race in Brazil too. Do you think they are expecting to lose a fair number of US venues and are going to make them up by going more international again? (Not to mention that those are probably more profitable)

[KLang]

profitable

I believe that is the answer. Hopefully they can make enough to subsidize places like RoadAmerica and Cleveland during these lean rebuilding years.

[devilmaster]

here's the video clip from last night.....

fixed. http://www.mnsi.net/~smicalef/sportsnet.avi
Steve

[Insomniac]

Thanks Steve!

[Spicoli]

Nice find. Makes sense.

I have been hearing the following:

SKorea and Vegas - no go this year, but absolutely for next year.

St. Pete's - working very hard to make it happen, and should NOT be a problem - season opener if it all comes together.

A couple of "surprises".....

As much as we ALL hope MidO gets back on - you can chalk it up to Michelle and her lack of promotion, care of the facility, and WGAF attitude to say its gone forever, which is a big damn shame.

Season will be 20 races total. Like it to be a race every 2 weeks, 3 week break max. And a return to CBS is very likely for at least a few races. F1 is seriously looking at Spike, where CCWS is happy with their new home.

[Warlock!]

here's the video clip from last night.....

fixed. http://www.mnsi.net/~smicalef/sportsnet.avi
Steve
Cool. Thanks, Steven.

Warlock!

[pferrf1]

Cool beans:

From Brasilian Website:
Argentine automobile race track prepares to receive Formula CART

Owners of autodromo Miguel de Güemes, located in Salta, Argentina, already plan important improvements in the infrastructure of the circuit in the next months, with the intention to receive a race from Formula CART.

http://www.indybooks.net/DATA/SaltaTrackPhoto.jpg
Autodromo Martín Miguel de Güemes, Salta,Argentina

The Auto Club Santa, proprietor of the automobile race track, thinks about constructing a new area of pit boxes to receive the cars from the series and new paddock in top of this construction, to give greater visibility and comfort for the public. The OWRS will go visit the circuit to verify all the changes that will need to be made.

Photo from CCWS Visit:
http://www.indybooks.net/DATA/SaltaVisit.jpg

Left: Jacques Kremer, Gaston Mazzacane's agent, and (former) President of PanAmerica Sports Network.

Center: Ron Dickson, Team Forsythe

Right: Alejandro Urtubey, Argentine Sportscar Driver

The gentleman at the centre is not Ron Dickson... that is David Clare.

[pferrf1]

Here's a link to the track layout..... Looks like a recipe for a parade to me

http://www.racingcircuits.net/Argentina/Salta2003.html

[pchall]

As much as we ALL hope MidO gets back on - you can chalk it up to Michelle and her lack of promotion, care of the facility, and WGAF attitude to say its gone forever, which is a big damn shame.


Honda thinks of M-O as their home state track and if they write a check the IRL will race there in 2005. :thumdown: :flame:

[mueber]

Great news about St. Pete's. Too bad about Mid-Ohio. Can't imagine what they are thinking there.

[Mr. Vengeance]

If this happens, I'd expect a race in Brazil too.


http://www.czabe.com/images/snicky/snicky120-2.jpg


Brazil. Must. Go. To. Brazil.....

[Spicoli]

Great news about St. Pete's. Too bad about Mid-Ohio. Can't imagine what they are thinking there.




Those were my 2 favs from 03 (course my boy PT wins both ;) ) and I agree its bad about MO. I think it has less to dow ith Homoco than you think. Its beeen said around the ChampCar paddock that all Michelle did was "Mow the parking lots, turn on the lots, and empty the trash" to get ready for the CCWS race there....and I tend to agree. Of all the years I visited, I noticed the biggest decline over the last 3 years. Now you can place blame wherever you want, but the crew from Cbus will tell you that there is very little promotion going on, and even Miller pulled out (I was told they were not impressed with management anymore - and saw a big problem with a course in the middle of nowhere with zero promotion.) So the buck stops at the track owner(s) desk. You can sit back, not invest, take the easy money, and be short sighted - OR - you can work for the future, extol the virtues and experiences, get creative, and be proactive, and you just might last ALOT longer. MO seems to be pretty shortsighted if you ask me. There are sponsorship $$$ to be had. You just need to be creative about it!

BUT -

Places like that can and SHOULD be viable! We all know how wonerdful the experience of a natural terrain road course is. We've taken friends and camped for the long weekend - made new friends, seen ALL the support series, and eat/drink like heathens.....but it all takes promotiona nd investment, something aparrently lacking.

[Rogue Leader]

Here's a link to the track layout..... Looks like a recipe for a parade to me

http://www.racingcircuits.net/Argentina/Salta2003.html


wow that is crappy....

[Ankf00]

did they think "hey, miami's gone, so we have to bring back some ****ty **** to make up for it" ?!?

[devilmaster]

Just out of curiosity, why do some think this track sucks?

Its longer than most of the tracks people here have complained about(at 2.55 miles), if its wide, (and i dont know if it is or not) i see 2 or 3 possible passing zones, and maybe 1 or 2 straights where the cars could stretch their legs.

With its basic shape, it reminds me of an old Monza, which was basically a banana shaped track, before they put all the chicanes in.

I'm not saying anyone is wrong on this, but compared to some of the short street circuits that champcar has seen in the past, I'd like to see this track in action before I pass judgement.

Steve

[nrc]

Just out of curiosity, why do some think this track sucks?

Its longer than most of the tracks people here have complained about(at 2.55 miles), if its wide, (and i dont know if it is or not) i see 2 or 3 possible passing zones, and maybe 1 or 2 straights where the cars could stretch their legs.

I don't know whether it sucks, but my first impression is that the straights really aren't that long and there aren't many places where they lead into hard braking zones to provide good passing opportunities.

[devilmaster]

Ok....

I found a video online. It looks like the work of one man and a handycam, but it gives an idea.

It doesn't look like a wide track. But the turns I saw looked like good sweepers.

Take a look for yourself and post what you think, folks.....

http://www.e-driver.com//multimedia/video.php3?advID=28211

you might have to right click on the black video screen and click 'play'

Steve

[Insomniac]

http://www.czabe.com/images/snicky/snicky120-2.jpg


Brazil. Must. Go. To. Brazil.....

Shhhh....keep Brazil a secret. ;)

[RusH]

If they really want Argentina, why are they not persuing the F1 track in Buenos Aires?
The Salta track is must be 1000 miles from where 1/3 of the population lives.
Good luck though, but to me it`s the equivalent of having a race here in Utah.
The locals outside of BA are probably not going to pay big money to see Champ Cars because most won`t be able to afford it unless it`s made cheap for them. Are they expecting mostly fly-in race fans?
Whats stopping from them having a race in a major urban market...where they will get huge media attention from the only media that most Argentines ever listen too.
Sorry to be down on this but I was born there, and I know that most people that have any say down there barely pay any attention to anything outside the province of Buenos Aires.
I can possibly see close cities helping the event like Mendoza and Cordoba.
It`s also harder to get fly-in fans from other counties like Brazil.
I know there is a bright side.....
:D

[pferrf1]

Ok....

I found a video online. It looks like the work of one man and a handycam, but it gives an idea.

It doesn't look like a wide track. But the turns I saw looked like good sweepers.

Take a look for yourself and post what you think, folks.....

http://www.e-driver.com//multimedia/video.php3?advID=28211

you might have to right click on the black video screen and click 'play'

Steve

I don't think that sweeper corners create passing opportunities for open wheel cars. For that I think you need long straights, hard braking zones, and runoff.

[rabbit]

I don't think that sweeper corners create passing opportunities for open wheel cars. For that I think you need long straights, hard braking zones, and runoff.AKA: chicanes. :thumdown: Look at Cleveland and Road America, argueably the two raciest road course on the schedule. Both only really have one hard braking point (T5 at RA and T1 at Cle). Other than that they are known for their sweeping corners, or as Gil de Ferran once called it, "fluid racing." If you want nothing but long straights, hard braking zones, and runoff, might I suggest the NHRA.

After watching the video, it reminds me of a cross between Cleveland and Laguna Seca. Cleveland because of the sightlines - it looks like you can see quite a bit of the track. And Laguna Seca because of the narrowness and the brown terrain. There aren't as many elevation changes on this track as Laguna, but there did appear to be a few. On a scale of 1-10 (just going by the video and the map) I'd give it an 8.

[BNica]

Salta is kind of in the boondocks of Argentina, border area with Bolivia. My family knows the area well, and I will tell you there ain't much there. :gomer:

[devilmaster]

After watching the video, it reminds me of a cross between Cleveland and Laguna Seca.

Ya know Rab, when I watched it, it kinda reminded me of MO.....

Steve

[pferrf1]

AKA: chicanes. :thumdown: Look at Cleveland and Road America, argueably the two raciest road course on the schedule. Both only really have one hard braking point (T5 at RA and T1 at Cle). Other than that they are known for their sweeping corners, or as Gil de Ferran once called it, "fluid racing." If you want nothing but long straights, hard braking zones, and runoff, might I suggest the NHRA.

After watching the video, it reminds me of a cross between Cleveland and Laguna Seca. Cleveland because of the sightlines - it looks like you can see quite a bit of the track. And Laguna Seca because of the narrowness and the brown terrain. There aren't as many elevation changes on this track as Laguna, but there did appear to be a few. On a scale of 1-10 (just going by the video and the map) I'd give it an 8.

I did not say all i wanted was long straights.... take Toronto for example... the action points are at the end of the two longest straights (T1 & T3).

In Montreal, it is the hairpin and turn 1.. again, the end of hte longest straights. You need the straight before the braking zone to be long enough that the passing driver can gat a run on the car in front and either capitalize on the mistake of the guy he is following, or capitalize on his own superior driving.

As for Salta - the four 'carousels' look like they could be good passing zones, but the strights before them don't seem conducive to passing in open wheel cars. The layout is very similar to the Brand's Hatch short course. I'd expect a similar result....

[devilmaster]

As for Salta - the four 'carousels' look like they could be good passing zones, but the strights before them don't seem conducive to passing in open wheel cars. The layout is very similar to the Brand's Hatch short course. I'd expect a similar result....

You may be right. I'd like to find an incar video of a hotlap. But I will point out one thing though. Brands Hatch Indy course is 1.2 miles in length. Salta is 2.55 miles.

Steve

[molive]

The only rational choice is Buenos Aires.

And a doubleheader with Brasilia, of course. :cool:

YEY! :thumbup: