Conference 7.286::sports_90

    They started to qualify this morning.  Backed up traffic all over the
    valley.  At least today it's free :-)

>    While I've heard no word at all from Phoenix, they're talking 4 g
>    cornering in testing, largely because of great advances in downforce 
>    achieved with the new monocoques - which could make the city street 
>    circuit in Phoenix break apart even worse this year (they had two
>    corners come apart last year).
    
    T, pavement doesn't do too well in excess of 100� under those driving
    conditions.  This Sunday will be a cool 70�.  BIG difference.
    
    Mike

>    I'd like to see them build a road course that uses part of the oval
>    outside of Pheonix, where speeds would be high and people could
>    view from the mountainsides.  Now *that* would be doing the US GP
>    the way it cian be done in The Valley Of The Sun!
    
    MrT, that does sound a lot better.  The outer loop isn't quite finished
    yet (about 1/3 done), but it would be ideal.
    
    Mike

    I'm not sure about the track area, but we had light rain showers on the
    north end, off and on Sunday afternoon.  That in addition to the coolness 
    probably helped.  
    
    Local interviewer asked Jackie Stewart what it would take for the F1 races 
    to take off in the U.S.  Jackie said, "The U.S. needs to get American 
    racers involved!  Let them come to Europe to get their feet wet.  After
    a while, they'll become successful and draw attention from the States." 
    He said there are no American drivers at the moment.  Jackie drew an 
    analogy to cycle racing and how the Americans have some of the best riders 
    since getting involved.
    
    Mike

    re MrT's comments on the Phoenix crowds:
    
    I read in the paper that there was an ostrich race in Chandler the
    same day that drew 2x the crowd in Phoenix.  They estimated 70,000+
    showed up to watch the birds pull some chariots around.
    
    Bruce

    re:-1
    Not to mention the thousands and thousands of smaller circle tracks,
    both paved and dirt, to which millions of stock car racing fans
    go.  In my opinion, road racing will NEVER be as popular as oval
    racing, for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is the
    cost of entry level racing and availability of tracks.  You can
    probably name on the fingers of both hands how many PERMANENT
    road-racing facilities exist in the USA.
    
       Tom_who_loves_oval_track_racing

    re -1 
    There is really THAT much ostrich racing?

Motorcycle Road Racing has more of a following here than GP.


And, while I following GP in a peripheral sort of way, I can't remember
if Mario Andretti ever won the World Driving Championship.  I seem to
think so, but it might be all the "medication" I'm  on ;^)

To me, there's nothing wrong with Stock Car racing.  It's truly an
American art form, being derived from running bootleg whisky on the
back roads down south...

But, I enjoy the open wheeled excitement of forumla I.  In fact,
because I'm so *sick* of seeing Lil' Al every week in Cart, why
don't we ship him over to Formula I.  Maybe he and Ayrton can
eliminate each other....

chainsaw

Yeah!  Lime Rock....

I have had some good times at Lime Rock.  When they get the
Camel BT Porsche 962s out there running, on Memorial Day, 
with a few beers, and my camera.....Heaven!

I've always wanted to get out to Laguna Seca to see the motorcycles
run....

Then again there's nothing like a Friday night at a small oval (like
Stafford Springs) with some NASCAR Modifieds and some beers, the
heat and exhaust coming up off the track, mixing with the humidity
of the summer....  I cain't wait!!!!!

Chainsaw

    Yeah,
    maybe several heundred.  Sometimes I get so carried away.   Last
    weekend I went to a race car show in Salem, NH, and spent quite
    a while talking to some SCCA reps.  They do have a large participation
    but the statement, as I understood it, was a number of spectators
    point of view.  I simply pointed out that there are far more oval
    tracks and therefore more spectators.  
    
    -1 Frank, have you ever been to Loudon, NH, for Motorcyle racing?
    They put on quite a show, either for Motorcycle Weekend (Father's
    Day weekend) or the club racing during other parts of the season.
    It should be much improved with the new track this year.
    
    
    			 Tom

Tom --

Never made it.  Been meaning to ride up there for the last couple
of years, but just haven't....maybe this year....

Chainsaw

    Re: -1
    
    
     >       - Ovals have lotsa full course yellows which, especially with NASCAR
     > on the button, makes for a lotta end-of-race heats for the flag.
      
    
    Boy, you got THAT right, T.   Agreed!!
    
    			Tom
    
    PS
    
    Don't we have to throw the yellow whenever Geoff spins???
    
    PPS
    
    They seem to throw the yellow too much on the smaller tracks, too.

I kinda like NASCAR.  Perhaps it's because as I kid I used to go
to Riverside Park in Agawam (� mile oval) and Waterford Speedbowl
and watch Modifieds and (more recently) SK Modifieds.

Plus, I know some folks who know Geoff Bodine...

Anyway, I've always enjoyed that.  I do like F1, and I tend to like
that better than CART.  I can't stand Lil' Al...  

It would be great if they started the Watkins Glen GP again, cause I
could go and see it...

JMHO,
Chainsaw

PS  I had to go out late in yesterday's race (Atlanta 500).  Bodine
    was in 2nd.  When I got back, Earnhart had won, but no Bodine in
    the top 5.  Anyone know what happened?

Yes, I heard about that...  

I cannot imagine plowing into a wall in one of those open-wheeled cars.
I'd much rather do it inside that nice crash cage in a NASCAR car...

Only thing worse than hitting the wall in an open-wheeled car would
be high-siding off a GP bike...(ouch!)

Chainsaw

    COULD ANYONE TEEL ME THE FERRARI'S ADDRESS ?
    
    
    

>    COULD ANYONE TEEL ME THE FERRARI'S ADDRESS ?
    
    ...there's too many letters there to be on the net!