Brasilia and Birmingham?

[mileman]

So - what are the feelings about adding a "foreign" street race and a road course? Are Angstadt's comments the real thing, or is the IRL fishing for reactions. (Not that I think they care...)

The Indy Star article noted that Milwaukee may be on the chopping block. As imagined, I would miss it - but it doesn't surprise me. From a marketing point of view, it's just a different world out there now.

What disappoints me the most is that Cleveland and Elkhart Lake seem to be way out of the picture. I have enjoyed being at both venues in the past.

Eventually, I imagine that it will all become just a travelling circus - with no tradition or continuity. It's the way of the world - yet disappointing all the same.

[indycool]

It at least APPEARS that a lot of sorting out is needed before a race is held in Brazil or Birmingham but it's early. Certainly, with the APEC deal and the Brazilian drivers, it heads that way. But CART tried it, too, and got stiffed, and Champ Car tried it but was a non-starter, so we don't know what gets in the way of these things.

Hopefully, Milwaukee will struggle back on the schedule. It had an okay crowd for the Indy cars but ran intio weather trouble with the truck and Nationwide series last weekend and probably lost some bucks.

[MDS]

The Brazil race isn't going to be a street race. They have a number of standing circuits that could be run as ovals.

As far as Birmingham goes, they need to have a race in the South somewhere. Atlanta is one of the biggest markets in the city and the closest race is St Pete, which means you have to either fly or take off Monday to see it. I'd rather see a bolder schedule, but it looks like it will be much of the same, which is "tradition" after all.

[indycool]

MDS, I agree....to an extent. But the Indy cars have tried several times since the '60s at Atlanta Motor Speedway and it hasn't come close to working, for whatever reaqson(s). Atlanta, IMO, is a major market but one of the worst sports towns in the U.S. They can't even fill 'em up for a Braves playoff game. That's why, if talks materialize with Birmingham, I'd be much more in favor of it than Atlanta, even though I'm an oval-track fan.

[NYHF]

Please, no more street races....................

[MDS]

MDS, I agree....to an extent. But the Indy cars have tried several times since the '60s at Atlanta Motor Speedway and it hasn't come close to working, for whatever reaqson(s). Atlanta, IMO, is a major market but one of the worst sports towns in the U.S. They can't even fill 'em up for a Braves playoff game. That's why, if talks materialize with Birmingham, I'd be much more in favor of it than Atlanta, even though I'm an oval-track fan.

I'm tired of Atlanta getting knocked for being a bad sports town. It's not that people here won't support sports, its just that the teams we have are horrible. The Falcons go up and down often then an elevator. The Hawks have been horrible for years, and are boring now. The Thrashers were building a tradition and then the Atlanta Spirit let it go to pot. The Braves made getting to the first round, and staying there, so routine it got dull.

Atlanta is a good sports town, you just have to have a package that works. The Falcons have routinely sold out since Vick arrived. Georgia Tech and UGA routinely sell out all but their cupcake football games. The Peach Bowl is a sellout every year. The Chick-Fil-A college kickoff is a sellout every year.

The reason why AMS doesn't work is they built it on the wrong side of town and over-built, over-priced their market. If they built it in Cherokee instead of Henry every race they had would be near capacity, but its on the bad side of town.

I didn't go to AMS for years, and I'm pretty much a native, because it was actually quicker to go Talladega than it did to go to AMS because while it was farther to Talladega the traffic flow was much, much better. Also, Talladega has free camping.

I maintain if you had a street race around Centennial Park or Atlantic Station it would work. Atlanta has always required its events to be easy to get to and entertaining. If you can't be both you might as well not show up. Since the IRL is boring as hell recently and can't stage a race in a commuter friendly place, they probably are better off not being in Atlanta.

[indycool]

MDS, I'll grant you that Atlanta likes its football.

[Mark in Oshawa]

The Atlanta Motor Speedway is on the wrong side of Atlanta? C'mon...be serious. People drive 5 to 10 hours without thinking about it to go see NASCAR events at most tracks if not further. The Atlanta sports fan if he cares for anything, it might be football, but I suspect if the Georgia Dome was outside in the burbs, they would struggle to draw there too.

Atlanta is a sucky sports town, and when you cannot draw well enough for NASCAR in the south, that says a lot. Half of Michigan doens't have jobs but they still go to 2 NASCAR Cup races a year and draw over 100000 people, and it is 2 hours into the farm country from Detroit with atrocious traffic in and out. Atlantans just don't put in the effort.

Indycar should avoid Atlanta, go to Birmingham, but maybe open the track up there with less curves. It is a very tight circuit in spots. Yes to Brasilia. A race in January and Feburary in South America would be perfect.

As for Milwaukee on the block...over my dead body. One of my favourite venues for racing...why give it to the NASCAR boys? It is an OW staple and belongs that week after Indy....

[chuck34]

As for Milwaukee on the block...over my dead body. One of my favourite venues for racing...why give it to the NASCAR boys? It is an OW staple and belongs that week after Indy....

+1

[SarahFan]

How exactly does a street race in brazil support and enhance and preserve the I500?

[MDS]

The Atlanta Motor Speedway is on the wrong side of Atlanta? C'mon...be serious. People drive 5 to 10 hours without thinking about it to go see NASCAR events at most tracks if not further. The Atlanta sports fan if he cares for anything, it might be football, but I suspect if the Georgia Dome was outside in the burbs, they would struggle to draw there too.

I'm willing to bet that you've not heard of "The Atlanta way." This city has racial dynamics that outsiders don't understand, and I'm telling you if the track was built in Cherokee, Douglas, Forysthe or Buford counties it wouldn't have the trouble drawing that it does. NASCAR is rumored to be considering moving the AMS spring date to Road Atlanta because they get the demographics, and honestly it would probably be a better show.

[dataman1]

How exactly does a street race in brazil support and enhance and preserve the I500?

My hunch is that it will bring Brazillian money to Indy in the form of sponsorship or free stuff (maybe ethanol). It should add revenue through TV ads. It may bring more reporters from Brazil to cover the Indy race to improve global media exposure.

[MDS]

Wow, it's not Brazilia or a standing road course. It's official the series is going to start in a city park in Ribeirao Preto, a small city with only about a half million residents, and fairly isolated.... okay. I guess the reason why they went there is that the the city is responsible for about 30 percent of Brazil's Ethanol production.

http://sports.yahoo.com/irl/news?slug=ap-irl-schedule&prov=ap&type=lgns

[bblocker68]

Is there a reason why IndyCar's can't race at Road Atlanta? The track handles the LMP1 cars just fine. Is it the facilities?

[SarahFan]

My hunch is that it will bring Brazillian money to Indy in the form of sponsorship or free stuff (maybe ethanol). It should add revenue through TV ads. It may bring more reporters from Brazil to cover the Indy race to improve global media exposure.


And..... How will it enhance protect and preserve the 500?

[DBell]

Is there a reason why IndyCar's can't race at Road Atlanta? The track handles the LMP1 cars just fine. Is it the facilities?

The pit area is ...well let's just say it could use some upgrading. The track would be very fast, but I never viewed as any more dangerous than Road America or Laguna Seca. I've heard that some ow people say the final corner (T 12) is an issue for them.

[DBell]

I'm willing to bet that you've not heard of "The Atlanta way." This city has racial dynamics that outsiders don't understand, and I'm telling you if the track was built in Cherokee, Douglas, Forysthe or Buford counties it wouldn't have the trouble drawing that it does. NASCAR is rumored to be considering moving the AMS spring date to Road Atlanta because they get the demographics, and honestly it would probably be a better show.

I haven't lived here that long, but from what I've seen I agree. Road Atlanta is NE of Atlanta and the Petite Le Mans has a good crowd show up. I've never been to the Speedway, but a lot of people around here (NE of Atlanta) have told me they don't like to go over there.

[indycool]

It is two tracks with one big Southern city in between. The airport and lower income sections and AMS are south. Road Atlanta, the higher income sections and the major suburbs are north.

[Mark in Oshawa]

Whoa. Wait a minute. I don't go through Atlanta a lot in my travels, and I get that the Northeast side is where the money is, but spare me that the oval is on the wrong side of town. Heck, it is out outside of the city by a few miles and it is where the racing at a top level is in the area. Period. If the locals cant be bothered to cross the divide and go "slumming" down near McDonough and the like, than I guess they wont have their racing. NASCAR visits there 2 times a year now but that might change to once if Bruton pulls the spring race to give to Kentucky.

Atlantans have no excuses. They barely go downtown to see the Hawks, and they didn't support hockey ever, and when the Brave's couldn't manage sell outs in the playoffs, that was an indictment of Atlantans as sports fans.

They may show up for Petit LeMans, and they may show up if the IRL went to Road Atlanta, but to me, Birmingham would be a hell of a lot more appreciative of a top OW race in their backyard. By the way, Talladega is inthe middle of nowhere but they still draw 150000 people for their NASCAR races....

[gofastandwynn]

Is there a reason why IndyCar's can't race at Road Atlanta? The track handles the LMP1 cars just fine. Is it the facilities?

I remember hearing that champ car looked at it a few years ago and said there was not enough runoff in a few areas, namely the final turn leading onto the start/finish straight

[Mark in Oshawa]

I remember hearing that champ car looked at it a few years ago and said there was not enough runoff in a few areas, namely the final turn leading onto the start/finish straight

That may be true, but an ALMS P1 car would be as fast if not faster through some of the corners there and they run there. It is probably not much extra work that would need to be done.

That said, I think Birmingham is the better market in that area. Atlanta hasn't asked for a race, but people in Alabama HAVE.

[MDS]

Whoa. Wait a minute. I don't go through Atlanta a lot in my travels, and I get that the Northeast side is where the money is, but spare me that the oval is on the wrong side of town. Heck, it is out outside of the city by a few miles and it is where the racing at a top level is in the area. Period. If the locals cant be bothered to cross the divide and go "slumming" down near McDonough and the like, than I guess they wont have their racing. NASCAR visits there 2 times a year now but that might change to once if Bruton pulls the spring race to give to Kentucky.

I can say this from attending a ton of sports events in this town. The people who go to AMS is largely a crowd of the faithful. They don't get a lot of casual fans there because its not exactly a place to "Be seen at" if it were, there would be a lot more support.


Atlanta is more than a little bit racist, and rather snobbish. Location matters in this town, just does.

[Mark in Oshawa]

Atlanta is more than a little bit racist, and rather snobbish. Location matters in this town, just does.


Well I can say that if the people of Atlanta choose to snub a race track because it is near some people they don't like, that is going to be really sad when they lose a NASCAR date and they wont get an IRL date.

I cant see a point in going to Atlanta when there has been little interest in asking for the IRL, whereas the people running Barber over in Birmingham are begging for a date.

[MDS]

I cant see a point in going to Atlanta when there has been little interest in asking for the IRL, whereas the people running Barber over in Birmingham are begging for a date.

The deal with Barber isn't as clear it might seem. They need to re-design the front stretch to make at least one good passing zone and they have yet to do that. So while the "want" a date, they haven't done what's required to get one yet.