All-purpose open-wheel (F1, IRL) racing thread

Imola was/is counter-clockwise. So is Interlagos. So is Istanbul. I think one of the new tracks (Abu Dhabi?) might be too.

 

Five of them this year: Istanbul, Abu Dhabi, Singapore, Interlagos and Korea (if they every get around to paving it).

 

Against all odds, Korea is paved and drivable. Karun Chandok did demonstration laps there this morning. Still a lot of work to do, but it looks like the key parts will be done in time.

Love the Austin layout. It looks really promising to me.

And oddly enough, there have been a number of USGP tracks that ran counter-clockwise. Dallas, Detroit, Phoenix, and the jewel of them all, Caesar's Palace, were all run counter-clockwise.

 

Caesar's Palace is the shit.

 

In IndyCar: Helio uses strategy to win. Had he not, it would've been a night for old-school IRLers -- Panther Racing's Ed Carpenter & Dan Wheldon were 2-3.

 

Gents, thanks for the info. I should have remembered Detroit, since I walked part of the track one day. I dimly recall Interlagos, and have done my best to keep Caesars' Palace out of mind.

Interesting how the Austin track goes away from and then back to the grandstand. If it is built, and the elevation is right, and you're in the top of the stands with binoculars, maybe those fans will see more than the front straightaway.

 

Interlagos is still an active circuit on the F1 calendar. Has been for many, many years. Great track too.

 

Sure seemed like Will Power threw that one away, nearly crashing coming to the pits. He's shown he can drive the ovals but he can't put a full race together. He's had more speed than Dario the last two races, but couldn't put it together in the end (him or his team) while Dario got the good results. Will be interesting if Will finally puts it together on an oval or if Dario will step up the speed these last two races.

 

Just got an IRL schedule announcement from The Milwaukee Mile on Friday.

Looks like Milwaukee will be back on the schedule -- possibly taking the State Fair date that was also traditional? (The Mile used to host two races back in the USAC days -- the week after Indy and during the WI State Fair). I presume it's a track rental.

New street race in Baltimore will take Labor Day weekend, so Kentucky will be on the move. New Hampshire and Las Vegas going on, too. Looks like the remaining ISC tracks (Watkins Glen, Chicagoland, Kansas, Homestead) are being put to bed and these four races are replacing those. It's unfortunate that the Glen & Chicagoland are going away -- some very good racing at both venues, although both tended to draw really poorly.

 

Season finale in Vegas, then have the postseason banquet there the next night (plus keep SMI -- which owns the second-most attended track on the circuit -- happy). Makes perfect sense.

Homestead = snoozer. Won't be missed at all.

Chicago and Texas were great spots to have the finale, and Vegas seems to be a fitting one.

 

Ferrari escapes further punishment in the "team orders" controversy.

What a joke.