Excitement!

**drewdawg727** · 21st January 2007, 15:56

I just got finished watching the 1995 Indycar race at Belle Isle, and i just pictured the 100% ethanol indy cars running around there yet again this year. I really like the track. There are a lot of beautiful sites and the track is really unique. Do you think that the race at Belle Isle this year will be a success?

**Easy Drifter** · 21st January 2007, 20:50

Might be a good race. Access is a problem for spectators. It is an island with very limited access. Even the approaches are not that good. Doea have a neat Aquarium though.

**Mark in Oshawa** · 21st January 2007, 23:56

It isn't a great layout for passing. Lots of twists and interesting corners, but it is a bear to get by someone on. I liked the track there whenever I watched it on TV, but the impression I got was the teams got tired of the Mud. Penske was one of the biggest critics of the old track, so I find it funny he is one of the guys bringing it back.

**T-D** · 22nd January 2007, 00:11

from a pure racing perspective this will be an unmitigated disaster.

**Jag_Warrior** · 22nd January 2007, 00:20

Originally Posted by drewdawg727

I just got finished watching the 1995 Indycar race at Belle Isle

Sounds like we need to do some tape trading. I watched the '96 Grand Prix of Miami (Homestead) yesterday. Today's race is the 1996 Rio race. I'm still watching it... so don't tell me who wins (

).

**Mark in Oshawa** · 22nd January 2007, 08:22

T-D, hard to say if it will be or not. The IRL cars on a road course seem to race different than a Champ Car would. They come off the corners with more bite initially and less thrust at the end of the straight. They corner maybe a bit slower, but maybe not as much. It could make zones where a Champ Car might not get by usable for an IRL car. One of the main reasons I have turned onto watching the IRL events is to see these cars race on a road course. From watching the race at St. Petes, the only course I had seen a Champ Car event on (TV) of course I think the IRL guys were able to put on a hell of a show. So lets just wait and see what goes down at Belle Isle.

Every race track races different for a different type of car. Some courses put on great shows no matter what, but I think until you see the cars on the track, it is hard to say how much of a procession this could be.

Of course, if you are one of those fans who loves only ovals, well, I cant help ya then....

**drewdawg727** · 22nd January 2007, 12:53

Originally Posted by Jag_Warrior

Sounds like we need to do some tape trading. I watched the '96 Grand Prix of Miami (Homestead) yesterday. Today's race is the 1996 Rio race. I'm still watching it... so don't tell me who wins (

).

My lips are sealed. There was a pretty nasty crash though in that race..

**Quetch** · 22nd January 2007, 12:57

The IRL will use the old Belle Isle layout, not the later one with the long straight after Turn 2.

**Chamoo** · 22nd January 2007, 22:35

Originally Posted by Starter

Just pray it doesn't rain. The one rain race CART ran was the pits. Mud up to your knees and the track drainage was pretty poor too.

I thought I heard somewhere that they were going to pave the infield to avoid the mud and such?

**Mark in Oshawa** · 23rd January 2007, 07:00

They should be using the longer Belle Isle circuit, that extra section has better passing in it.

AS for the paddock, hope for a dry spell, because although adding maybe a parking lot would work that could be used as a paddock, the City of Detroit doesn't seem to agree.