Return of USGP at Indy?

[cosworth151]

Bloomberg News, a major US business news service, has reported the Indianapolis Motor Speedway President's Joie Chitwood expects Formula One to return to the track.

"I think that Formula One will come back, I really do,'' Chitwood said yesterday in an interview in New York. "There's nothing definitive but I think there has been some dialogue. It's coming up with the right plan so everybody can benefit from it.''

"We've made a lot of investment in the property. We were disappointed when it went away. For us, the goal is to see if we can get them to come back at some point.''

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway didn't disclose how much it spent to attract Formula One.

Formula One Management didn't immediately return a call placed to its London office after business hours.

Oddly enough, the Bloomberg.com article featured only one picture: Danica Patrick's IndyCar leaving the pits! It also refered to Formula One as "the world's biggest auto-racing circuit." I thought it was a series.

I've never been to any sporting venue, racing or otherwise, that does as good a job of putting on an event as IMS. No other venue treats its fans any better, either.

Cos

[John S]

It's good to hear someone on the side of the fans. Ironic don't you think that Bernie can allow Michelin to really c*ck up the US Gp and then a year later tell the IMS they are not up to standard. Obviously Bernie needs to make up the lost dollars from the joke Bridgestone benefit race since Michelin are no longer around so he finds fault with IMS.
           

[J.Clark]

I grew up 35 miles from Indy.

I was extremely disappointed by the loss of that GP.

I do think the infield section needs a bit of work, but I am afraid that a chicane placed down off of the final turn banking is what will happen.  My changes would be to make turn 1 another 50 yards down the track and make turn 1 a 25-30 mph corner instead of turns 1 and 2 being 70 - 80 mph esses.  Perhaps eliminate turn 7 or 8, whatever the next to last before the Hullman Blvd straight.

I do hope they return to Indy though, whatever the changes.

[cosworth151]

Have you seen the changes being made to the road course?

http://www.redbullindianapolisgp.com/pages/motogpcourse.php

They're doing it for the Moto GP, but the FIA has approved it for F1. Most of the changes are up in what used to be the last corner.

I grew up 35 miles from Indy.

Which direction? I was born about 30 miles south of Indy, on the Army post at Camp Atterbury.

Cos

[Scott]

Indy was the best show in F1 in my opinion.  Although I've never been to Indy (still way up on my list, but life just hasn't allowed it until now), I've seen enough televised races, historical movies and behind the scenes shows that I have a pretty good idea what it's all about. I also had a friend who used to go, but I won't use her as a reference since she said she was usually passed out drunk by the time the race started.

Anyway, point to this ramble is that generally in the U.S., they know that a happy customer is willing to pay and pay and pay even more.  But the value has to be there.  In Europe, they get as much as they possibly can out of a customer just so long as they buy the ticket.  They don't bother with the little extras (like decent food or souveniers, clean toilets, non-race entertainment, maximum access for the fan...I could go on and on).  Maybe Bernie and Paddy do a good job in the Paddock Club, but I can't afford it, so I'll never know.

The U.S. deserves 3-4 races if you ask me, and if it got it, things would change in F1 like you've never seen.  They would learn from the best how to treat the fans, the sponsors and put on a great show.  We just need to get Bernie and Max out of there.