WEC at Indy?

[Boorish Grobian]

I know this is a idea that has been batted around before, but it looks like it might be a reality sooner rather than later.
While the Indy road course is hardly a circuit of the gods (to be honest it's a over-sized karting track), I would certainly be interested in making a weekend trip over to the speedway to see the WEC.
http://www.racer.com/wec-le-mans/item/130239-wec-series-evaluating-indy-round-after-500-visit
Fax

[jimclark]

Huh??? Indy??? Puuulleeeze. 'Rather see em at Sebring (Hah! fergit that!) or even Homestead for a roval course. The GTs weren't too bad in '98 at Homestead.

Just 'cause of it's name don't do nuttin' for me anymore. After CART, Indy was done fer. F1 there was a joke.

Indy is now a joke. When I was younger,and it was what it was.....


edit: In my heart, all that's left is Le Mans. And sorrowfully, I'm a-scared........

[Boorish Grobian]

Wow! Nice bitter old dude rant...

[Kristof]

WEC at Indy ?  Surely there will be better options ?!?

With all due respect, but the road course at Indy is a joke. F1 was utterly boring and WEC will be even more. The only track where a WEC belongs in the States is Sebring. Never seen such a crowd down there as with the first ever WEC race. Best alternative to me seems Watkins Glen, VIR or Laguna Seca.  Unfortunately it won't happen as neither of these tracks are FIA grade 1 and WEC will only race at grade 1 tracks (Watkins Glen & Laguna Seca are grade 2).

Austin as a track itself is great but it's a commercial disaster. Even at the start of the race last year, they' didn't even manage to fill the main grandstand. Once you got out of the paddock, it was hard to find anyone watching the race from the public area. Can't imagine that the WEC will stay in Austin if this year's race won't have a decent crowd. The race in Mexico city will probably be one of the best attended this season, won't do any good to Austin's chances to stay on the calendar next season.

[Boorish Grobian]

Hi Kristof,
I went through this a few years ago when Austin was handed the WEC round.  I screamed from the roof tops that no one would show up, and that it should be at a place with some sports car racing history like the Glen, Road America, Sebring etc. but some guys on here were adamant that it be at a FIA Grade 1 venue. Apparently the facilities for the posers are more important than the actual circuit layout.
I'll be surprised if COTA is still around in a few years, the place has been hemorrhaging money from the second it opened, by all accounts the residents of Austin have no interest in the place, and see it as a big money pit.
The IMS road course is Mickey Mouse, no doubt about it, but the facilities are state of the art, FIA Grade 1, and that's what matters to the FIA. And I doubt it will draw any better than COTA, I'll go, and be one the two thousand spectators who probably do.  If they held race two hours east at Mid-Ohio, they would pack the place.  Sports car racing fans over here are a stubborn bunch, stage this race at a traditional sports car venue, and they'll show up.
Fax

[jimclark]

Wow! Nice bitter old dude rant...

Bitter nuttin'. Like I said, I'm scared   and sad   ...

Racin' was my passion...I'm sorry to say it's fadin' cause of where it's headin'...
(not a prediction, an observation)

[mgmark]

That would be really rubbish.....if not Sebring, then Road Atlanta always looked good when i wstched the old ALMS rounds on Eurosport.

MG Mark

[Dirk3D_NL]

if they would go to Road Atlanta i would book a roadtrip on the spot