Why can't they drop the **** ovals and get back to CART?

[maddog76]

How long does Richmond, Kentucky, Nashville last? Why race those lame pointless ovals when they could add Fontana and Michigan back.

What's funny is that when they do it the question will become "Just what the hell was the split for anyways?"

[Rogelio]

I agree 100%. I attended the Fontana CART race for many years. Even with the split, CART attracted a good crowd and had some very good racing. Whether, we like it or not, we need ovals. Like I have said before, a non-race fan would be more impressed by IRL/Champ Cars racing around an oval like Fontana than they would with a NASCAR cab. I like/love NASCAR racing, but Indy style racing is much more impressive on large ovals.

[DBell]

I've felt that a big part of the declining interest in OW on ovals is it's all become about a constant effort to slow cars down. Instead of fans seeing development of cars and new track records, it's about detuned engines and more wing to make the cars 10 mph slower. The IRL has, what, 650 hp? and they still do over 220 at Indy. But on road courses that's not enough hp for a top line OW series, imo. It's like you need one engine for ovals and a another one for road races.

[Cart750hp]

Hopefully, that since both series are coming into an agreement, there won't be another series doing Oval, another series doing streets, another doing roads. Hopefully, those days are over. Getting their heads into one series should be the key to get the right tracks.

[ShiftingGears]

I've felt that a big part of the declining interest in OW on ovals is it's all become about a constant effort to slow cars down. Instead of fans seeing development of cars and new track records, it's about detuned engines and more wing to make the cars 10 mph slower. The IRL has, what, 650 hp? and they still do over 220 at Indy. But on road courses that's not enough hp for a top line OW series, imo. It's like you need one engine for ovals and a another one for road races.

The same engine would do - the restrictor plate idea like in NASCAR and for the V10's in the V8 F1 era works.


Also, why the IRL's fascination with 1.5 mile ovals?

[gofastandwynn]

Also, why the IRL's fascination with 1.5 mile ovals?

I don't think it is an IRL obsession, it was just what was being built because it was the biggest superspeedway you could build on the smallest plot of land and have the crowd be able to see the whole track.

When you look at all of the superspeedways built since 95, you have California, Chicagoland, Homestead, Kansas, Kentucky, Las Vegas, & Texas with only Fontana being over 1.5 miles. Like the cookie cutter ballparks of the 70's, that was/is the fad...

[Rogelio]

The same engine would do - the restrictor plate idea like in NASCAR and for the V10's in the V8 F1 era works.


Also, why the IRL's fascination with 1.5 mile ovals?

I may be wrong, but some of the racetracks force the season ticket holder to buy both NASCAR and IRL tickets. Therefore, the IRL has gone to ovals where it knows it will draw a crowd. If, there is a merger (hypothetically), the series should do its best to stay out of NASCAR' strongest markets until they get back on their feet. Then, by all means start the battle for supremecy. A battle that in the early 90's we were winning.

[call_me_andrew]

Among the 1.5 mile tri-ovals, I've always liked Kentucky the best. Nashville is nice because the concrete surface gives it individualism. And Richmond is fun because it's fun to see big OW cars on a track that small. During the first IRL race at Richmond I think one of the drivers asked, "When do we get to run Bristol?"