One more step has been taken toward having a Formula 1 grand prix race in Austin, Texas. The proposed Tilke-designed track map including elevations has been released. My first thought is that this can’t be a Tilke track. There’s no chicane in front of the hairpins. (tongue firmly planted in cheek) 3.6 miles in 20 turns with 133 feet of elevation change, hairpins, high-speed sweepers, medium-speed technical sections, the circuit really does seem to have everything you need in a quality grand prix track. It is interesting to me that…
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IndyCar – The Texas Two-Step: Cool, Gimmick, or Both?
Last night, sandwiched between two lengthy NASCAR announcements, Texas Motor Speedway President and promoter extraordinaire Eddie Gossage announced plans for the 2011 IndyCar event at his facility in Dent County, TX. The good news is that Texas will again be the first event after the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race but with a week break between them. This is a much needed break for both the teams and the fans as the Month of May as exciting and enjoyable as it is, is also very exhausting. The questionable aspect of the…
Read MoreF1 – How Can Austin Succeed Where Indy Failed
McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh recently made his feelings known about the return of the USGP to Austin, Texas in a phone interview with Autosport. His most poignant statement was “I think Formula 1 is used to being poured into markets that want us badly there…. North America frankly doesn’t need Formula 1, so I think it’s for us to go and prove to North America that this is an interesting sport and spectacle and something that it’s worthwhile them taking an interest in.” The US is a stick and…
Read MoreVideo – IndyCar Flaming Safety Failure at Texas
IndyCar – Flaming Texas Failure and the Decline of Safety in the IndyCar Series
Silvestro on Fire in Texas Simona de Silvestro’s effort at Texas came to an inglorious end on Saturday night. After an accident that left her stranded on track with the right sidepod spouting flames, it took the IndyCar travelling safety crew 40 seconds to extract her from the car. Apparently, the fire hose that they have attached to the safety truck failed and the fire bottles that they brought to bear on the blaze proved insufficient for the task. This resulted in one of the crew members forcefully yanking Simona…
Read MoreIndyCar – Texas! Now THAT’S what I’m talking about!
Everything is bigger in Texas, even the racing! The IZOD IndyCar Series race at the Texas Motor Speedway has historically been an exciting event with close side-by-side, wheel-to-wheel racing. Last year was a disappointment as we saw a procession with exception of Briscoe who darn near lapped the entire field until a caution for “debris” obliterated the huge lead he’d built. This year, however, the close racing was back! As you may remember, the league made mid-season changes to the oval aero rules, allowing the teams to use some devices…
Read MoreF1 – USGP Returns in 2012
The United States Grand Prix is set for yet another return as the traveling circus trades in their glitz in glamour for cowboy hats. The event was announced to day by Formula 1 and will be held in Austin Texas from 2012 to 2021. The race is slated to be held on a new fixed circuit that will be purpose built for the event. This is the first time since 1980 that the race will be held on a purpose built, fixed road course and the first time ever a…
Read MoreIndyCar – Teammates Tussle at Texas
The IndyCars under the lights at the Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, TX always look spectacular, and this year was no exception. The weather was excellent and so was the crowd. Attendance at this week’s event was strong, something that the series desperately needed for a 1.5-mile oval after the anemic showing at Kansas. As usual this year, the start’s and the restarts were fantastic with lots of jockeying for position all through the grid. After a few laps, however, the ability for drivers to pass lapped traffic, let…
Read MoreIndyCar – Texas Showdown
Once again the IndyCar Series returns to the Texas Motor Speedway. TMS is one of the few venues where the IndyCar series has had a sustained run of good attendance numbers that have been helped by lots of the NASCAR season ticket holders who have stopped selling or giving away their IndyCar tickets and started attending the race. So far this year though, the most competitive oval race has been last week at Milwaukee. With TMS being a 1.5 mile cookie cutter track, it may be yet another dull oval…
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