San Jose Today

[nrc]

This story says that San Jose was to be announced today along and a schedule along with a four year extension for Toronto is expected by Friday. Of course other sources have cast doubt on the schedule, but we'll see.

http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/TorontoSun/Sports/2004/10/26/685325.html

[racer2c]

Grate,,Anuther fourun race!!!! :gomer:

[cart7]

Great, San Jose, just we need, an third race in Mexico. :p

[RichK]

I guess I haven't been paying attention, but this is a total surprise to me. Where are they proposing to have the race? Moffett Field or a downtown race?

Seems strange, seeing that Laguna Seca is only 1 hour away.

[Dr. Corkski]

I guess I haven't been paying attention, but this is a total surprise to me. Where are they proposing to have the race? Moffett Field or a downtown race?

Seems strange, seeing that Laguna Seca is only 1 hour away.There is no real downtown in San Jose anyway. Of the three proposed sites I was told about the only one I remember was the one based at Santa Teresa Blvd. My guess is the SJ street race is being peddled as the replacement for Laguna Seca, since most motorsports fans in the Bay Area, can't actually drive that far. :gomer:

There are knowledgeble fans here, but if you want street race type/level fans then it might not be such a good deal, since you will probably end up with mostly Honda and Toy fanboys. What is stranger is that the closest city that a tourist would even want to be at is also 1 hour away from SJ. :saywhat:

[RTKar]

I remember a time not too long ago when it was said there were too many races in the midwest within too close a proximity of each other......

[rabbit]

I remember a time not too long ago when it was said there were too many races in the midwest within too close a proximity of each other......
Yep, those were the good ol' days. :thumbup:

/misses Mid-Ohio, Michigan, and even Detroit
//and that one race in Indiana too...

[The Doctor]

Silicon Valley Grand Prix website:

http://www.canaryfund.org/champ/home.html

From Hird on champweb.

[jonovision_man]

Silicon Valley Grand Prix website:

http://www.canaryfund.org/champ/home.html

From Hird on champweb.

A non-profit cancer fundraising organization? I'm thoroughly confused.

jono

[RichK]

A non-profit cancer fundraising organization? I'm thoroughly confused.

jono

Non-profits have a history in racing. They find other companies to pay for the actual racing or event, and in return their name is advertised all over the place. The companies doing the paying also get a write-off for giving money to a non-profit. This is how I understand it, anyway.

[RichK]

There is no real downtown in San Jose anyway. Of the three proposed sites I was told about the only one I remember was the one based at Santa Teresa Blvd. My guess is the SJ street race is being peddled as the replacement for Laguna Seca, since most motorsports fans in the Bay Area, can't actually drive that far. :gomer:


Well, I was thinking they were considering racing around the fountain near the Tech Museum and Fairmont Hotel, maybe down near Gordon Biersch, that's pretty "downtown" to me. There is the Convention Center right there, too, that could act as a Long Beach-ish Expo Center.

I'd prefer Moffett Field, though. It could be a lot like Cleveland, and the dirigible hangars would be an instant racing landmark like the Corkscrew or the arch at Trois-Rivieres. Moffett is already used to large crowds from the air show, and NASA could take advantage of the exposure to show off the Space Camp, wind tunnel, etc.

[jonovision_man]

Non-profits have a history in racing. They find other companies to pay for the actual racing or event, and in return their name is advertised all over the place. The companies doing the paying also get a write-off for giving money to a non-profit. This is how I understand it, anyway.

It's interesting, I just wonder who is "doing the paying"... I have a guess.

jono

[JLMannin]

It's interesting, I just wonder who is "doing the paying"... I have a guess.

jono

And that guess is . . . . . .

[nrc]

The race is presented by "Canary Enterprises" and includes benefits for the Canary fund. "Canary Fund was started by technology executive Don Listwin to address the need for greater cooperation among cancer researchers as they seek a solution to the need for a universal cancer screening test."

Don Listwin is a silicon valley executive that made his money with Cisco and now runs Openwave. I haven't seen anything about his net worth, but the guy hands out $2.5 million education grants, so I think we can weigh another heavy hitter in on Champ car's side.

[RichK]

Moffett (could be a lot like Cleveland):

http://www.photon.com/proj/EOCAP/V0/doc/DEMO/images/mof2_cir.gif

[jonovision_man]

And that guess is . . . . . .

The same group who paid for LV? :p

Hope not, from nrc's post it looks like it's possible CCWS have found a sugar-daddy to make this a success. Especially with Singleton's history, there's definately some promise here.

jono

[Lola_B70]

Don Listwin is a good man to have on Champcar's side. He is passionate about what he does and follows through. Early detection research for cancer is one of his big ones, if aiding a champcar race in San Jose brings more awareness to the table for cancer research then that's probably the plan. I can't wait for San Jose to be a hit.
Moffett Field or downtown makes no difference at this point. It can all be massaged later on.

[Mark521]

I guess I haven't been paying attention, but this is a total surprise to me. Where are they proposing to have the race? Moffett Field or a downtown race?

Seems strange, seeing that Laguna Seca is only 1 hour away.

I'm guessing a track like Denver at the HP Pavilion.

[pchall]

Tentative Champ Car schedule according to Robin Miller on SpeedTV site:

March 20 -- Buenos Aires, Argentina (new, street);
April 10 -- Long Beach (street)
May 1 -- Puerto Rico (70/30 it won't happen);
May 22 -- Monterrey, Mexico (road course);
June 4 -- Milwaukee (oval, daytime show);
June 19 -- Portland (road course);
June 25 -- Cleveland (daytime);
July 10 -- Toronto (street);
July 17 -- Edmonton (new, street);
July 31 -- San Jose (new, street);
Aug. 14 -- Denver (street);
Aug. 28 -- Montreal (road course);
Sept. 24 -- Las Vegas (oval);
Sept. 4 -- TBA;
Oct. 16 -- Seoul, Korea (new, permanent road course?);
Oct. 23 -- Australia (street);
Nov. 6 -- Mexico City (road course).

He thinks RA, Laguna Seca, and Vancouver [!!!] are toast.

[Sean O'Gorman]

Not much to get excited about on there, but at least I've still got Cleveland.

[pchall]

Not much to get excited about on there, but at least I've still got Cleveland.

I think RM might be grabbing some of that 'schedule' out of thin air.

[Dr. Corkski]

I'm guessing a track like Denver at the HP Pavilion.I doubt it. The area surrounding the Arena is pretty much a junkyard, and the streets aren't what I would call "racing friendly".


Well, I was thinking they were considering racing around the fountain near the Tech Museum and Fairmont Hotel, maybe down near Gordon Biersch, that's pretty "downtown" to me. There is the Convention Center right there, too, that could act as a Long Beach-ish Expo Center.But beyond that, what else is there? There is little to no atmosphere in the area, and the roads in that area probably aren't ideal for racing (though you probably know that better than I do).


I'd prefer Moffett Field, though. It could be a lot like Cleveland, and the dirigible hangars would be an instant racing landmark like the Corkscrew or the arch at Trois-Rivieres. Moffett is already used to large crowds from the air show, and NASA could take advantage of the exposure to show off the Space Camp, wind tunnel, etc.Hell I would rather having just about anywhere over San Jose. Moffett Field would definitely provide a far better track and backdrop right by the bay, you can even set out a seperate drag strip for the riceboys to "race" their ricerockets with the stickers just so they won't leave when they don't see any Hondas and Toyotas there. To top it off Mountain View is a far better place to go at night than SJ.

[manic mechanic]

Tentative Champ Car schedule according to Robin Miller on SpeedTV site:

March 20 -- Buenos Aires, Argentina (new, street);
April 10 -- Long Beach (street)
May 1 -- Puerto Rico (70/30 it won't happen);
May 22 -- Monterrey, Mexico (road course);
June 4 -- Milwaukee (oval, daytime show);
June 19 -- Portland (road course);
June 25 -- Cleveland (daytime);
July 10 -- Toronto (street);
July 17 -- Edmonton (new, street);
July 31 -- San Jose (new, street);
Aug. 14 -- Denver (street);
Aug. 28 -- Montreal (road course);
Sept. 24 -- Las Vegas (oval);
Sept. 4 -- TBA;
Oct. 16 -- Seoul, Korea (new, permanent road course?);
Oct. 23 -- Australia (street);
Nov. 6 -- Mexico City (road course).

He thinks RA, Laguna Seca, and Vancouver [!!!] are toast.

I'm thinking Sept. 10 will be Seca, and Puerto Rico may be replaced by another venue. :thumbup:

Otherwise, I'm not gonna object to the preliminary.

manic

[KLang]

About 10 years ago I spent a week in San Jose while attending a class at IBM. I don't recall there being many hotels in the area. Has that changed?

[Wheel-Nut]

Not much to get excited about on there, but at least I've still got Cleveland.

It's a potential schedule for a series that wasn't supposed to answer the bell this year. What's NOT to be excited about?

[Sean O'Gorman]

You can't keep using that excuse forever. It is hard to get excited when tracks you love are being replaced with parking lots, I've said that a million times now.

[Turn7]

If you weren't the only one that loved them then they would still be on the schedule.

If RA and Mid-Ohio had the attendance figures needed to make a buck, they would be there. They didn't and they are gone. Sucks for the few but, you have known for over a year now that the current owner group isn't there to put on the S.O.G. GP of Ohio, it is going to have to be a money maker and not a charity event for the 10k fans of Ohio and Wisconsin.

You don't think that it is killing them to not be at Laguna, a track named after a FOMOCO division? If they aren't going to be at Laguna for a charity race to one of the principal sponsors of the series, they sure as hell won't give a race away to anybody.

Be glad you have a race within 1000 miles from your front door, many of us don't even have that.

[Sean O'Gorman]

The S.O.G. Grand Prix of Ohio, I like the sound of that. ;)

I know I'm lucky to still have a race so close to me, but its not so much about the races I can attend as it is the races I can't. I can't make it to Road America or Laguna Seca, but does that mean I shouldn't miss those tracks? They are great to watch on TV, and much better than anything we'll get from San Jose, or Sanye, China.

I just fear that Champ Car will become like the IRL, in the sense that it'll be a series with no "soul" to it.

[RichK]

About 10 years ago I spent a week in San Jose while attending a class at IBM. I don't recall there being many hotels in the area. Has that changed?

Yes, during the late 90s, hotels were popping up everywhere to serve the dotcom industry. The San Jose airport is undergoing a massive reconstruction that was spurred by that era.

Corkski, you are right about Mt. View, and Palo Alto is a great night spot. San Jose is working hard on revitalizing the "downtown" area right now, so I'll bet it's a street race near there.

[pchall]

The S.O.G. Grand Prix of Ohio, I like the sound of that. ;)


If Michelle Gajoch was not such a b-school twit and had some kind of understanding and passion for motorsports M-O would not be swinging in the wind and waiting for the Run-Offs to leave for freaking Topeka.

If Gajoch married Bruggentheis their spawn would be so stupid Mari Hulman-George could get her tubes cut and make a serious move on Mika Hakkinen.

:eek:

[FCYTravis]

We agree on Michelle. What a joke. :thumdown:

[Sean O'Gorman]

If Michelle Gajoch was not such a b-school twit and had some kind of understanding and passion for motorsports M-O would not be swinging in the wind and waiting for the Run-Offs to leave for freaking Topeka.

If Gajoch married Bruggentheis their spawn would be so stupid Mari Hulman-George could get her tubes cut and make a serious move on Mika Hakkinen.

:eek:

:thumbup:

I dunno, I'd imagine at the very least, it is harder to find crack dealers in the Mansfield and Elkhart Lake areas than it is in a bigger city like Indianapolis, so at least their spawn would have that on their side. :D

[Ankf00]

:thumbup:

I dunno, I'd imagine at the very least, it is harder to find crack dealers in the Mansfield and Elkhart Lake areas than it is in a bigger city like Indianapolis, so at least their spawn would have that on their side. :D

the secret of Wussy's rice rocket operation financing comes to light.

[FCYTravis]

Hey, give Sean some credit here.

He doesn't sell that downmarket crack stuff.

No siree, only the best pure white un-cut Colombian powder for Mr. O'Gorman's customers.

:rofl:

[msvphoto]

While Laguna is still apparently negotiating with OWRS (see this link: http://www.laguna-seca.com/Events/index.cfm?EventID=9 ) I think it would be a real shame to swap a premier road course for an unknown street circuit in San Jo (even though I live closer to San Jose than Laguna Seca by about 5 miles). Particularly ironic given that the first earl road race will be at Infineon (er, Sears Point) to the North next year too. As far as charity goes, all events at Laguna Seca are charity events.

On a positive note, it is great to see a tentative schedule released before season's end! Also, I wouldn't mind going back to Vegas next year--I had fun there shooting in the dark last month.

[Fitti Fan]

San Jose instead of Laguna??? :shakehead