Champ Cars

[Amanda]

A question for all those that were at Brands over the weekend or saw the Eurosport coverage ~ what did you think of the Champ car 'race'.

I will post my own thoughts later but have already told Richard West! :D

[touring fan]

I thought the cars were fantastic (as ever) but brands indy is the wrong track for them, couldn't overtake and couldn't even let it go properly either. I think they're better at rockingham, they looked a bit "ordinary" at brands, could have been just about any single seater race (albeit with a different sound) out there.

[cos]

The ChampCars were all running stupid fuel-economy runs because they had to make 2 stops (under greens) in the 165 laps. This meant no one could really overtake...

[Invincible]

I enjoyed the Champ Cars but felt it was a procession, there was really no oppurtunity to overtake whatsoever.

Hope it returns in 2003 though - hopefully on the Grand Prix cirucit!

[The Stig]

Have already ventured my opinion before the weekend. Nothing I saw yesterday would greatly change my view. Didn't think Brands Indy was the right circuit. Champ Cars would probably be better suited somewhere like Silverstone. Not being cynical, Champ Cars were the only disappointing thing at this meeting for me. Would also like to see them back, but not, as previously stated elsewhere, at a BTCC meeting. Thank heavens the Tourers lived up to my expectations.

[Stuart]

I watched the Eurosport coverage and thought that the drivers spent 2 hours just itching to open up and be let off their leads.
Shame because the Indy circuit is one of my absolute favourite race tracks - its just too tight and short for these type of cars.
The cars looked great and I really hope that this becomes an annual visit to Brands' - I would have been there had I not been on call all weekend.
Maybe a move to the full GP circuit would be better though?

[Alan]

Well I watched the whole of last years race at The Rock, and wasn't overly impressed then, but hoped it was the exception. Unfortunately it seems I was wrong!!

Comment by cos re the fuel would explain the lack of overtaking, and it is a fairly narrow circuit.

Positive side to this - it will, at least to the uninitiated, have made touring cars look absolutely fantastic.

For the record I lasted about 35 laps this time.

[Claire]

I was bored, they were noisy and boring. All they seemed to do was go round and round in a big crocodile. I lasted 3 laps. The only good thing was the number of spectators who got to see two good BTCC races, lets hope a few come back to see some more.

[Sarah]

The Daily Express had a big feature on the race headed "Fuel farce makes it Chump Cars" saying the Champ Car officials had put a lot of thought into the rules for Brands but it did not happen as they wanted. A few of the drivers are also quoted as saying they want the GP circuit used next year.

[Ann]

I'm struggling to continue supporting Darren Manning this year when I can't keep my eyes open during his races!

My main memory of the Champ Cars' contribution to the weekend is how difficult it was to carry on conversations with far more interesting people in the BTCC paddock when they (or their subtle jet engined hoovers) were out on track! The only plus point was that they didn't reverberate quite as much as they did at the Rock!

[Les]

I fell asleep on lap 30+, woke up at 50+ and went down the paddock.
Also told Westie my thoughts.... (yawn)

[Peter]

The race was undeniably uneventful and left a lot to be desired. However, I know full well that CART are definetly capable of putting on some of the best racing in the world. Any doubters of this should find a tape of the final lap of the 2000 Michigan 500 or the last lap of the 2001 Rockingham 500! I think you will all be pleasantly surprised by the spectacle of next weekend's German 500, of which you can see same day tape delayed coverage on Eurosport.

I was always a little bit concerned about the race CART would put on at Brands Hatch, because of the nature of that Indy track. On the similarly tight and twisty circuit at Mid-Ohio, the Champ Cars have just been too powerful to find any over taking opportunity. However, the show is vastly superior at Road America, which is similar to the Brands GP loop. I therefore feel a move to the longer circuit is vital.

Regardless, thanks to CART, 40,000 people were treated to the BTCC races, as opposed to the usual 20,000.

[lauz]

i was standing at paddock. the cars looked really good coming through the corner but there was no overtaking and it just got a bit boring half way through. it would have been a lot better if there was more overtaking.

[theUKrules]

i didnt really think the champ cars were that good the race was too long and there wasnt much over taking. they should have used the GP track instead

[touring fan]

Apparently the race is staying for another 5 years (dammit, I wanted it at rockingham) but they might change it to the GP layout.

[Amanda]

I have to agree with those people who have said they found the champ cars boring! I had lost the will to live after ten minutes!! I like to watch racing not a high speed procession.

This is the second time I have seen the champ cars as I also saw them at Rockingham last year. I think they were better there ~ I managed 65 laps at the Rock!!!!

[Les]

Originally posted by Peter
Any doubters of this should find a tape of the final lap of the 2000 Michigan 500 or the last lap of the 2001 Rockingham 500!

so you are saying 2 good laps out of 1000 - ummm - I'll stick to my touring cars please

[Paul Rayner]

As I said to Les on Monday, Champ Cars aren't boring, but that race was. I agree with Peter, there have been some fantastic races. I for one loved the two Rockingham races, and could not separate Brands from Rockingham for the first two days - Champ Cars on both were awesome for very different reasons. On race day though, I thought Rockingham was superior, at least overtaking was possible (although still difficult) there.

The meeting was fantastic for Touring Cars because, as Westie pointed out in MN this week, hardly anyone left after Champ Cars - 40,000 people were watching instead of the usual 20,000, and that's got to be a good thing. There's no way 40,000 will come back next year at the same price on the same circuit layout, but hopefully some of them will come back in August for the BTCC. If Champ Cars are coming back to Brands it has to be the GP circuit. Even on that track layout though, are there really that many overtaking opportunities for a Champ Car?

[The Stig]

What was that jet engine blower thing all about ? My toupe ended up in Hampshire!!

[Peter]

Originally posted by Les
so you are saying 2 good laps out of 1000 - ummm - I'll stick to my touring cars please

No I certainly am not saying that. I am referring to two major highlights out of about 1000 breathtaking races.

[Peter]

Originally posted by The Stig
What was that jet engine blower thing all about ? My toupe ended up in Hampshire!!


The jet blower removes all the sharp debris and oil from the track, making track conditions safe for high speed racing.

[The Stig]

Peter, cheers for your reply, I was aware of that. I wonder could F1 employ a similar machine if they don't already. Is the jet truck used at the scene of accidents in conjunction with safety type cars in the US? Just thinking about puncture causing slivers of carbon fibre etc

[Jackie]

I normally like champ cars but have to admit to finding this race more than a bit boring. The track didn't really suit the cars.

Peter.....2000 Michigan 500 or Cleveland 1999...great racing!!

[Paul Rayner]

My favourite Champ Car moment was Portland 1997, Mark Blundell taking victory out of the last corner to win by 0.027 seconds over second place, with third just 0.028 seconds further back. I haven't watched the series though, apart from at Rockingham or Brands Hatch, since Channel 5 stopped showing Champ Cars.

[Amanda]

The tv coverage of the German race was on Sky last night. Guess what? Ten minutes in and I was fast asleep!!! Must have been as exciting as Brands!:D

[Stuart]

Amanda - you should have stayed awake. The race was brilliant! The last 15 laps were real heart in the mouth stuff!
The first three crossed the line pretty much as one!

[Alan]

You are right Stuart - while the other half fell asleep on the sofa I managed to keep my eyes open and watched till the end (and as we had spent all day at the crashfest that was ASCAR this was no mean feat!!).

But what was all this penalties for blocking business? In my view they penalised - was it Dominguez, then let Bourdais get away with at least as bad.

That alone spoiled the race for me as it looked as if it was a bit contrived. There was still very little actual overtaking amongst the leaders, although the racing was alot closer and more entertaining than it was at Brands.

I would be interested in the views of others on the blocking situation - is it just me?

[touring fan]

I agree, to penalise Dominguez and not Bordais was unfair.

[Jackie]

Bourdais blocking looked a bit more blatent to me and can't understand why he wasn't penalised.

A friend listened to the entire race on the internet and said it sounded like a great race but was a bit bored when watching the highlights on TV. I don't think you can do justice to an oval race in a highlights programme.

[speedy]

Chris Pook (CART boss) wants to keep the race on the Indy circuit :( because its better for spectators (about 95% of whom wouldn't mind not seeing everything if the racing was good). Keeping the Indy circuit is pointless if the racing doesn't improve, because there won't be any spectators who want to watch a procession! An exaggeration, I know, but still...

CART and BHL / Octagon (or whoever it is now) should bite the bullet, and bring the GP track up to scratch, let spectators out along it, and then the Champ Cars can be let off the leash. :D

[Peter]

Originally posted by Alan
There was still very little actual overtaking amongst the leaders, although the racing was alot closer and more entertaining than it was at Brands.

I would be interested in the views of others on the blocking situation - is it just me?

If you want to see over taking every single lap amongst the leaders, I recommend you see the California 500 on 2 November, as that race ALWAYS has lead changes on every single lap! However, some people find that passing every single lap makes the odd pass for the lead less special.

I also think Eurosport butchered the coverage of Sunday's race. Carlton Kirby's innability to identify drivers, in addition to the lamentable editing spoilt the race for me. Unfortunately, we are stuck with one hour highlights for the next three or four races.
:(