City of Sao Paulo Hosts Season Opener

[DanicaFan]

Well, the location of the Indycar's first race of the 2010 season is finally confirmed. It is the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil. It is a street circuit. The race will be March 14th as expected.

[chopperdave]

thats promising to help keep the series going

[diamonddave]

14 years of split for this

[Touchette]

Originally Posted by diamonddave

14 years of split for this

Ok I must have missed the memo because I'm at a loss as to what you're getting at here...

I like the idea that they're expanding their reach, or attempting to, but at the same time I worry that they might be trying to be too big a player. I don't know though I guess. I'm not even sure if I care about open wheel racing in the US anymore...

[Insighter]

Dave's just a critic... He hated the original IRL 'vision' and now mocks anything that deviates from that. A couple years ago you'd have thought Dave loved CART but now that the IRL is becoming more like CART was he still complains.

Anyway, I like this move as long as it is profitable for the series. Starting the season with this race minimizes the schedule disruption and hopefully brings some team sponsorship that can last the season.

[MSulka]

I guess I'm looking at it as a swap of Australia for Brazil.

I liked Australia.

[Insighter]

I would agree that Brazil for Australia is a terrible trade, especially as established as Surfer's was.

I don't see it that way though. I see Australia failing on it's own and Brazil being a potential event regardless. Maybe the failure of Surfer's made Brasil more possible but I don't see any evidence that Brasil caused Surfer's demise.

[MSulka]

Originally Posted by Insighter

I would agree that Brazil for Australia is a terrible trade, especially as established as Surfer's was.

I don't see it that way though. I see Australia failing on it's own and Brazil being a potential event regardless. Maybe the failure of Surfer's made Brasil more possible but I don't see any evidence that Brasil caused Surfer's demise.

Yes. I'd agree. Wouldn't mean to imply that... but, I did mean to imply that the IndyCar series did seem to leave Australia basically saying they aren't an international series.

It seems that has changed.

[Insighter]

Originally Posted by MSulka

I did mean to imply that the IndyCar series did seem to leave Australia basically saying they aren't an international series.

It seems that has changed.

I don't recall that implication; maybe I missed it. The series did say they didn't think it made sense to have the season finale overseas, but I didn't find that to imply that they didn't care about international events.

[MSulka]

Originally Posted by Insighter

I don't recall that implication; maybe I missed it. The series did say they didn't think it made sense to have the season finale overseas, but I didn't find that to imply that they didn't care about international events.

I can't put my hands on statement I was thinking right now.

[diamonddave]

Originally Posted by Insighter

Dave's just a critic... He hated the original IRL 'vision' and now mocks anything that deviates from that. A couple years ago you'd have thought Dave loved CART but now that the IRL is becoming more like CART was he still complains.

half truths....


I won't trot out the irony that's the irl96 - present (you're welcomed)

I never thought a series that had more (anything) street races was better for the sport regardless of who owned/ran it.
Plus to make very clear the irl in the current or former state isn't even in the same ballpark as CART/CC was at their lowest moment. Sorry but these cars/racing just $uck - especially on street/road courses
Just saying I hear that from the gallows a lot. 'You should like it because it's turning into CART. the dallarda 'racing' on previous circuits run by CART/CC in the past doesn't make it so

[Insighter]

Originally Posted by diamonddave

I won't trot out the irony that's the irl96 - present (you're welcomed)

You do that in all your other posts about the IRL so you don't need to do it in this one.

Point taken, the series is not what it was in 1994 and the split is to blame for most of that downward trend. And the ideals that caused the split mostly didn't happen. We get it; you don't need to insert the same comments into every IRL topic.

[chopperdave]

the problem is that there are so many people just sick of series' that race all "identical" cars for cost effectiveness. when you do that you get one-sided racing and 2 teams battling it out for a championship instead of 4-5 like we used to see. yes the IRL being formed did stifle and pretty much murder open-wheel in the US. but now that its back together people need to accept what it is and TRY to make it better.

[MSulka]

Originally Posted by chopperdave

the problem is that there are so many people just sick of series' that race all "identical" cars for cost effectiveness.

Amen!!

[Insighter]

Originally Posted by chopperdave

the problem is that there are so many people just sick of series' that race all "identical" cars for cost effectiveness. when you do that you get one-sided racing and 2 teams battling it out for a championship instead of 4-5 like we used to see. yes the IRL being formed did stifle and pretty much murder open-wheel in the US. but now that its back together people need to accept what it is and TRY to make it better.

Perfectly stated. I hate the spec cars as much as anybody but hopefully it won't last for long. In the meantime expanding the schedule, if it helps keep the series healthy, is important.

[armin]

Ditto to MSulka

[diamonddave]

I've seen a proposed layout for the 'track'
it looks like Oklahoma or a very close copy of the San Jose track

[DanicaFan]

Here is the proposed layout of the track for the Brazil IndyCar race..

[Insighter]

Not very inspired.... I hope it's wide.

[chopperdave]

wow..thats pitiful. they couldn' toss in a couple chicanes somewhere?

[diamonddave]

Originally Posted by chopperdave

wow..thats pitiful. they couldn' toss in a couple chicanes somewhere?

why would they want them to brake/shift or have to accelerate

[Insighter]

It's all chicanes... no fast corners (by the looks of it). Chicanes are not any fun anyway. They will be braking, shifting, and accelerating a lot... but it's hard to be excited about a course with no sweepers.

The good thing is that with big braking zones there will be passing opportunities, if the course is wide enough.

[chopperdave]

thats the only problem I have with street cuircuits. its like the drivers are too scared to pass or the track simply is not wide enough

[skidmark]

Tried to check it out via google earth etc.

This one seems to have more in common with CC Denver or Houston (a parking lot race ...) based on the map DF#1 provided. At least where the start/finish area is concerned.

http://www.carnaval.com/cityguides/b...sambadromo.htm

http://www.gearthhacks.com/dlfile124...lo,-Brazil.htm

The surrounding avenues seem like triple-lane roads though you have to wonder how wide they'd be once they put the K-rail down. My guess is it will be wide enough for the brave to pass, but it won't be airport runway wide.

[diamonddave]

looks like Sao Paulo will be setting a theme for the irl in regards to future races














































street/parking lots

[Snapshot]

Originally Posted by Insighter

Not very inspired.... I hope it's wide.

But it will encourage passing in the braking areas after the straights. All of them! Could be interesting drag racing with corners.

[DanicaFan]

They finally revealed the track layout at Sao Paulo. It is a 2.6 mile, 11 turn circuit.

Here it is..

[Insighter]

That looks pretty good actually. I love the long straight. And turn 4 looks *reasonably* like a fast sweeper.

[IndyAndy]

Just found this on YouTube: a virtual lap around the track:

YouTube

[skidmark]

Another YouTube link with a guy driving the proposed circuit. It will give you some sense of scale of the circuit.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKbRL0ojlU4&NR=1

The commentary is all in Portuguese, but video is telling.

[diamonddave]

Originally Posted by skidmark

Another YouTube link with a guy driving the proposed circuit. It will give you some sense of scale of the circuit.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKbRL0ojlU4&NR=1

The commentary is all in Portuguese, but video is telling.

that got me totally confused

[skidmark]

Originally Posted by diamonddave

that got me totally confused

Just wait until Phillipe Giafone sets into the SUV to do a spin around the track and pay attention to the width in the Samborodome (the start/finish area) and the condition of street portion of the circuit. Remember the old saying a picture is worth a thousand words?

[diamonddave]

^yeah, (besides the language barrier). they kept jumping around - driving down a parking lot? then showing freeway - pulling out of another parking lot? then showing the freeway again?
alot of it looks rough - Houston anyone?
that suv looks like the next generation (USA) Ford Escape

[Insighter]

That's a Ford EcoSport, they also have those in Mexico...

I was dissapointed to see a chicane breaking up the long straight in the video.

[DanicaFan]

Thanks for posting that video skidmark.

[cptkablamo]

Indycar did offer to come to Australia in March and for A LOT of $$$...Qld Gov said no, preferring the oh so fantastic A1GP (bitter much?)

But this track does look like a good one...if they can get through turn 1, lap 1...

[DanicaFan]

I like the trophy the winner gets for this race, check it out..

[Touchette]

Originally Posted by cptkablamo

But this track does look like a good one...if they can get through turn 1, lap 1...

That's a big if with some of these guys...and gal...