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View Full Version : Watkins Glen Affirms Interest in IRL IndyCar Race



Steve99
06-03-04, 10:55 PM
Just stumbled on this from speedtv.com (http://www.speedtv.com/articles/auto/indycar/11350/)

International Speedway Corporation is negotiating with the Indy Racing League to stage a round of the IndyCar Series at Watkins Glen next season, as part of a plan to introduce road courses to the all-oval series. However, the track wants to know soon if the league wants a date at the New York circuit, which has not hosted Indy-type races since 1981.

"We need to know in the pretty near future if an '05 race can happen,” said Watkins Glen International president Craig Rust. “The ball's in the IRL's court. We feel good about the opportunity. We are waiting to hear from the IRL about what issues we will need to address."


So Watkins Glen will be closed down by '08? '09?

Should be fun watching all those USAC dirt-trackers.

Wally
06-03-04, 11:00 PM
ISC!! What a friggin shock. :shakehead

Methanolandbrats
06-03-04, 11:25 PM
Gonna be a long red flag to clean up the car parts and bodies the first time they try to go through the esses. Gaurdrail and open wheel cars is just stupid.

Tall1
06-03-04, 11:42 PM
Unless the Glen has made significant safety improvements, the guard rails will claim as many crapwagons as the walls on ovals. Didn't CART decline racing there because of the improvements needed to handle the speed of open-wheelers?

Michaelhatesfans
06-04-04, 03:46 AM
I think this is less "We'd love to have the IRL here" and more like, "We'd love for Tony George to pay for twenty years worth of updates." Get your checkbook out again, Tony.

Railbird
06-04-04, 06:00 AM
." Get your checkbook out again, Tony.


tru dat

tomahawk
06-04-04, 06:02 AM
I think this is less "We'd love to have the IRL here" and more like, "We'd love for Tony George to pay for twenty years worth of updates." Get your checkbook out again, Tony.
I think you've hit the nail on the head - so to speak! WGI has wanted to update for years - remove the blue hedges and create a "little" run-off. Anyone who has been to WGI knows that this would be an expensive proposition...

:tomahawk

lone_groover
06-04-04, 06:12 AM
tru dat

YO!

:p

Rogue Leader
06-04-04, 07:58 AM
oh man considering the current cars and the current WG coruse, this is gonna be a bloodbath..... :rolleyes:

4wheeldrifter
06-04-04, 08:04 AM
Cevert. Tony, look him up in a racing history book. Then just say no.

pchall
06-04-04, 08:11 AM
Cevert. Tony, look him up in a racing history book. Then just say no.

TG doesn't have enough synaptic firing left to do anything but write checks.

chop456
06-04-04, 08:17 AM
If K&K are smart, they'll steer well clear of this deal.

Hello, Lloyds?

RTKar
06-04-04, 09:07 AM
oh man considering the current cars and the current WG coruse, this is gonna be a bloodbath..... :rolleyes:



Maybe Brainfart will have 'em bolt safer barriers on the cars....

Andrew Longman
06-04-04, 10:04 AM
What would it actually take to upgrade the place?

T1 would need more run off and the stands would need to move back into the parking lot, but those are temporary type stands anyway.

And the guard rails would need to be removed most everywhere and replaced with concrete barriers and fencing placed farther off the track (and I can't think of a spot except may T8 and 9 where there is not land available). How is that different from setting up a temporary street course in some place like Toronto?

I'm not saying it would be cheap, just not impossible, especially if TG is paying. Perhaps I'm missing something :confused:

I say let him pay for it and run his pigs. No one will show (I hope) and Champcar can then walk in and run to their usual road course crowds (assuming ISC has a change of heart towards Champcar :rolleyes: )

RacinM3
06-04-04, 10:27 AM
I hope this happens. I hope TG does open his wallet and pays to get this great old historic track into the present day, safe enough for OW cars. Then I hope he loses his ass on it and the rest of the IRL, and OWRS goes there and puts on one hell of a show.

edit - sorry Andrew, didn't read yours close enough, but I agree.... :)

Brickman
06-04-04, 11:15 AM
What would it actually take to upgrade the place?

T1 would need more run off and the stands would need to move back into the parking lot, but those are temporary type stands anyway.

And the guard rails would need to be removed most everywhere and replaced with concrete barriers and fencing placed farther off the track (and I can't think of a spot except may T8 and 9 where there is not land available). How is that different from setting up a temporary street course in some place like Toronto?

I'm not saying it would be cheap, just not impossible, especially if TG is paying. Perhaps I'm missing something :confused:

I say let him pay for it and run his pigs. No one will show (I hope) and Champcar can then walk in and run to their usual road course crowds (assuming ISC has a change of heart towards Champcar :rolleyes: )

They added new fencing a few years ago and the front straight temporary seats that have been up since 1989 are being replaced (http://dbserver.iscmotorsports.com/TheGlen/index.cfm) with new stands. Replace the armco with blue concrete New Jersey (http://www.roadstothefuture.com/Jersey_Barrier.html) or other barriers. But in all reality I think a driver's opinion like Tommy Kendall would mean more than opinion of fans of the track. I personally think turn 8 would be the trickiest to create a better runoff area. However IF the cars are dogs why even bother.

Chaos
06-04-04, 11:42 AM
However IF the cars are dogs

i guess we'll see next year with these cars can do.

RacinM3
06-04-04, 12:08 PM
Regardless of how much the cars are "dogs", I gaurantee they'll be able to build enough speed to spear the armco and kill a driver. Saying otherwise is plain silly.

Andrew Longman
06-04-04, 12:37 PM
Looks like the IRL may have already given it the safety OK

http://www.tsn.ca/auto_racing/news_story.asp?id=86145

"IRL president Tony George and senior vice president Ken Ungar recently visited Watkins Glen International in early May and for the most part, Ungar gave his preliminary approval to the circuit."


Wow Brick, thanks. I'm a Jersey guy and I never knew those are called New Jersey barriers. Learn sumpin evry day. Add that to Springsteen, toxic waste, and the Sopranos as Jersey exports

jonovision_man
06-04-04, 12:45 PM
Looks like the IRL may have already given it the safety OK

http://www.tsn.ca/auto_racing/news_story.asp?id=86145

"IRL president Tony George and senior vice president Ken Ungar recently visited Watkins Glen International in early May and for the most part, Ungar gave his preliminary approval to the circuit."


Wow Brick, thanks. I'm a Jersey guy and I never knew those are called New Jersey barriers. Learn sumpin evry day. Add that to Springsteen, toxic waste, and the Sopranos as Jersey exports

What is the IRL's criteria for road course safety??? "Looks ah-ight?"

On the bright side, maybe we'll see OW back at Mosport... :rolleyes: hey, if it was safe enough for F1 in 1977, it's safe enough for IRL in 2005.

RaceGrrl
06-04-04, 01:00 PM
Remember when Dario and others complained about track safety? Any chance they'll complain about WG? :rolleyes:

Don Quixote
06-04-04, 01:06 PM
I sense a "season ticket package" scam about to be shoved down the NASCAR faithful's throats. I wonder how long they will continue to put up with that? :gomer:

Chief
06-04-04, 01:17 PM
I sense a "season ticket package" scam about to be shoved down the NASCAR faithful's throats. I wonder how long they will continue to put up with that? :gomer:

Naaah, invisible means of support, just like this http://www.texasmotorspeedway.com/promo/freeoffer_a.asp

FREE TEXAS TIX!!! FREE WATKINS GLEN TIX will be a big seller too...and this from the speedway itself....

Don Quixote
06-04-04, 01:41 PM
Naaah, invisible means of support, just like this http://www.texasmotorspeedway.com/promo/freeoffer_a.asp

FREE TEXAS TIX!!! FREE WATKINS GLEN TIX will be a big seller too...and this from the speedway itself....

Let me see here, the Earl is so popular that they have to give the tickets away on the track's website. I guess it is a fan friendly league! :laugh:

Napoleon
06-04-04, 03:45 PM
Well I plan to run at the Glen in a few months so I will scope the place out and report my findings. The last time I was there it appeared to me to be totally unsuited for it.

Madmaxfan2
06-04-04, 04:25 PM
I hope this happens. I hope TG does open his wallet and pays to get this great old historic track into the present day, safe enough for OW cars. Then I hope he loses his ass on it and the rest of the IRL, and OWRS goes there and puts on one hell of a show.

edit - sorry Andrew, didn't read yours close enough, but I agree.... :)

If this happens, maybe Tony will have done some good afterall with his money

FRANKY
06-04-04, 04:30 PM
Well I plan to run at the Glen in a few months so I will scope the place out and report my findings. The last time I was there it appeared to me to be totally unsuited for it.

Cool. Look forward to your report. Have fun.
:thumbup:

oddlycalm
06-07-04, 06:24 PM
Giving WG tentative approval the way it is today is about what I would expect from these jagoffs. Welcome back to the USAC Trail where track owners and promoters call the shots and drivers just hope for the best and pray a lot. Can you say 'full circle'?:shakehead :thumdown:

I'd love to see someone drop the paper to bring WG up to modern standards, but that's not what is happening here. They intend to run there as is.

oc