Honda Indy Toronto

[the bro]

Map from 1986

[NaBUru38]

Thanks, bro! The front straight was faster then?

[the bro]

As Mark said that turn on the front straight was really fast. I recall at the time it may have been one of the fastest road course turns of the tracks that CART visited. Mario Andretti called it "pucker corner" because he had to pucker his lips going through there or something.

The corner now is more or less 90 degrees, the old corner was more open. They had to change that part of the track when they constructed the Direct Energy Center. Probably a lot safer now, there was no runoff there just a cement wall. Also probably the entry for turn one was faster then too. I can recall a couple of bad accidents at turn one in the early days.

[Chamoo]

I'm really looking forward to this event. Hoping my schedule works out well so I can attend Sunday.

[Mark in Oshawa]

As Mark said that turn on the front straight was really fast. I recall at the time it may have been one of the fastest road course turns of the tracks that CART visited. Mario Andretti called it "pucker corner" because he had to pucker his lips going through there or something.

The corner now is more or less 90 degrees, the old corner was more open. They had to change that part of the track when they constructed the Direct Energy Center. Probably a lot safer now, there was no runoff there just a cement wall. Also probably the entry for turn one was faster then too. I can recall a couple of bad accidents at turn one in the early days.

The new corner has a steady radius but is taken about 50 mph slower. The upside is, the front straight is now that much longer, so going into 1, they really are hauling the mail pretty good...likely as fast I think in retrospect. I don't have loop data from over the years but I know as a spectator who always stood in one for the most part, I didn't see any lack of velocity after they made the changes.

[Marbles]

I hear the commercials on Fan590 and other radio, and have heard them since Mid May, so they are covering the basis there, and I have seen ads on TV at times...

I guess we live in two different worlds Mark. Out here at the Uni-bomber shack, I've heard absolutely nothing... zilch, zip. I imagine, already being a fan of the sport, they've cunningly managed to save a few dollars on tageting me.

I saw Lance Brown do a buffoon bit with an open-wheel two-seater last Thursday on local CTV sports but that's been it.

[Easy Drifter]

Here in the boonies, less than 100 miles from Toronto there has been zip. Nothing in our local papers (dailies) and nothing on A Channel Barrie which everyone in northern Simcoe County and all of Muskoka watches. Of course Muskoka is so depressed are there are only 3 areas known as millionaires row.
The CDN. Tire NASCAR support race is being shown on TSN.
The IC race is relegated to TSN2. Wow!
At least I can watch it on ABC. Well maybe a 1/3 of of it since the rest will be commercials or Danica Mania if she gets into the top 20.
I will not go to a race where I cannot even take my own water or food, especially water. And I could get a media pass plus Fri. is free!

[Mark in Oshawa]

Well, they will have empty seats, and it serves them right. You cannot treat Toronto with disdain by taking the race away for a year ( for the sake of The GLEN) and then handing it to a promotor who comes in and annoys the hell out of just about everyone.

I have seen ads in the Sun, I have seen ads on TV on TSN...but it isn't as pervasive as the old Molson campaigns were...but then again Molson's knew how to promote...

[Tex]

I just wanted to jump in and clarify something Mark said, Andretti Autosport doesn't promote the Toronto race anymore. It's Greene Productions (or some such name).

If you recall, Michael and his partners seperated with them taking the promotions business and Michael taking the racing business.

So you can bash Michael for last year but not this year. Same group, different ownership (sorta).

Kinda sad to see what the Indy has become. Even the last couple years of CCWS sucked big time. Like you said Mark, Molsons knew how to promote the race!

[the bro]

Official name of the promoter for the race is Green Savoree Toronto ULC.

As far as the promotion this year, they seem to have a lot of ads on The Fan 590. They seem to run it quite a bit, the ad I find is a bit annoying. Lots of ads in the Sun.

They have a big display down at Dundas Square for 2 days. I was down there yesterday and there were a lot of people around. Whether this translates in to people in the seats, who knows.

Overall I would say the promotion is better than last year, better support races.