[Jasper and one o nin]

Okay, I'm going to start something. Im not a big race fan, but the one thing that I like when I watch F1 or Champ Car is the Cities that have street tracks. It really shows off the City and its pretty cool watching the cars fly down city streets.
So what if Edmonton decided to ditch the airport track idea and go into the City...
What would be a good circut? and what would be a good circut that shows off our City?
Can there be hills? If so, I would try to have Bellamy Hill. Think River Valley Road with the high level water fall. Probably too much straight track??
What do YOU think???? Ideas

[feepa]

http://img408.imageshack.us/img408/9998/cityracemr1.jpg

^ my vision for a race in the city.

[Jasper and one o nin]

pretty hilly... and probably too long. I went to the champcar site and courses are around 2 mile long - I think it would be a very scenic route

[Jasper and one o nin]

http://img186.imageshack.us/img186/8018/circutgi7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
about 2.4 miles

[SHOFEAR]

http://img186.imageshack.us/img186/8018/circutgi7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
about 2.4 miles

That would work very well.

[IntotheWest]

^Isn't that still too hilly? I also think it would be unrealistic because of how narrow the streets are...compare it to TO and where Vancouver raced (maybe I'm wrong).

Anyway, as a Champcar (racing) fan, the airport track is one of the best, since you can see the 95% of the race at all times...seeing racing through streets is neat, but not as good.

Plus, it really shows of Edm skyline from the airport :tup:

[sdimedru]

they could never fix enough potholes to allow for a roadrace in my opinion..... the cars need a pretty smooth surface, a small jolt here and there is often seen, but most road races are pretty smooth.....

that being said.... if we could do it, i'd be all for it!

also, i don't think they usually do "steep" hills, the only hills i could see them climbing would be the groat road windy section, and the hill up to the UofA

[brento79]

I would leave it the way it is and build upon it. Edmonton has been quoted many timesas having one of the best courses in the circuit.

[Distill3d]

though i enjoy the track at the city center airport, this is my street course envisionment:

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j155/starfcuk/EDMRace.jpg

[Jasper and one o nin]

Dont get me wrong. Im not saying there is anything wrong with the current track. I think its great. Just thought it would be interesting to see what could be possible for a road circuit - that would work well, and show off certain parts of the city.

[Coldrsx]

wont happen...muni is a phenominal venue. Security, view, logistics.

But if it did happen.....

Groat rd, river valley road, belamy hill, jasper - 124st - 107ave - groat.

unreal.

[big W]

Yeah love the current venue. Just wish there was LRT going there and it would be perfect.

[murman]

There's no way Edmonton's roads are smooth enough to hold a race like this.

You'd have cars going airborne all day long.

[Coldrsx]

^you'd get NASCAR fans interested this way:>

[jonjacob]

^Isn't that still too hilly?

I'll chime in here, as I love F1 and Champ car. Hillyness shouldn't be an issue, considering that Champ car used to race at Laguna Seca which includes the "corkscrew" and a 300 foot elevation change around the track. The Laguna Seca race then got shifted to the streets of downtown San Jose, where I used to live. The race track actually crosses the light rail tracks, which causes the cars to get completely airborne for a split second.

I'm a bit disgruntled that Vancouver lost it's race to Edmonton, and then San Jose got a race just when I left to come live in Vancouver! :haha:

Oh well, I'll be at the F1 in Montreal this summer.

[Coldrsx]

^lest we not forget monte carlo.

[Distill3d]

right, but we don't want to turn the "West Edmonton Mall Grand Prix brought to you by The Brick" into the Pikes Peak Hill Climb.

yes CART Cars can race up the hills, so can the F1 cars. but i wanna see them race flat out and not have to blow an engine going up the Grierson Hill.

[IKAN104]

Having CART cars race along the High Level Bridge at 320 km/h could turn it into the "bridge of death". No room for error if you're trying to pass. Yikes!

[IKAN104]

There's no way Edmonton's roads are smooth enough to hold a race like this.

You'd have cars going airborne all day long.

Irrelevant. The course would be repaired / repaved as needed prior to each race.

[Coldrsx]

Having CART cars race along the High Level Bridge at 320 km/h could turn it into the "bridge of death". No room for error if you're trying to pass. Yikes!

how cool would a tangled up cart car be....

[Distill3d]

Having CART cars race along the High Level Bridge at 320 km/h could turn it into the "bridge of death". No room for error if you're trying to pass. Yikes!


my question is would they turn on the waterfall during the race? :shrug:

[The Jabroni]

Well, the track in Monaco is relatively bumpy and very narrow, so why not hold it in the streets of Edmonton instead at the airport? Just make the pit and straight at a reasonable location, like a boulevard, and you're good to go.

[IKAN104]

Now that you mention it, where the heck would you put the pit in such a street race? Hmmm... cool idea, but there may be some holes in our plan.

[Coldrsx]

pits only take 2 lanes of roadway, so no prob there....jasper ave.

[Edmonchuck]

While the scenery is nice in many routes, and I understand the physics of the concerns on hills and potholes, there is NO way that CHAMP is going to leave the Muni.

Again, it is purely a logistics issue.

Logistics in track maintenance - what's better than a runway for strength, smoothness, and the ability to segregate this work from city roads.

Logistics in containment - crowd is in one area, cars are in one area, crowd can see the whole race.

Logistics in road capacity - contained track = no shutting down of roads. All of these road course plans shut down major portions of arteries. Yes, can be done, but if you have a phenominal anc self contained site with still pretty good views of the skyline, why in the sweet name of whatever you think is holy would you try to negotiate otherwise?

If anything, redevelop YXD into a grand prix circut. Leave the roads alone.

[IKAN104]

hmmm... good point. Convert the muni into a permanent track. That's a much better idea.

[Coldrsx]

no need to make a permanent facility really....maybe some permanent stands on the north section, but it works well as is.

[slapshot™]

Okay, I'm going to start something. Im not a big race fan...

No more needs to be said. :]

[Jasper and one o nin]

No more needs to be said. :]
What the hell was that for Fonzy? :shrug:

[Xelebes]

no need to make a permanent facility really....maybe some permanent stands on the north section, but it works well as is.

It's a good excuse to get rid of the airport though.

[IntotheWest]

Any predictions for attendance this year? I for one did not renew...I'm waiting for ChampCar and Indy to merge before I slap down a few hundred on a ticket again...

With price increases again, and attendance down last year, I suspect it may go down again...

[Coldrsx]

It's a good excuse to get rid of the airport though.

why the rush?

[Coldrsx]

Any predictions for attendance this year? I for one did not renew...I'm waiting for ChampCar and Indy to merge before I slap down a few hundred on a ticket again...

With price increases again, and attendance down last year, I suspect it may go down again...

you almost always have highest 1st yr with something like this....id bet about the same as last year or so...which still is oh significantly more than Van's or MTL's.....and ahead of TDOT.

[slapshot™]

Any predictions for attendance this year? I for one did not renew...I'm waiting for ChampCar and Indy to merge before I slap down a few hundred on a ticket again...

With price increases again, and attendance down last year, I suspect it may go down again...

Man, was it ever HOT last year. I spent waaaay too much time at the beer tents on the second day. The inaugural year is always going to be bigger than the second year and with the sweltering heat last year, I think that turned off some of the walk-ups from showing.

Terrific improvements were made to the "midway".

I've had the same seats (row 1 in the silvers) for the last 2 years and am thinking of upgrading for '07. My guess: if the weather cooperates (no rain and not as hot as last year) attendance will be somewhere in the middle of 2005 and 2006.

The IRL and Champ split does absolutely nothing for attendance. Everyone is waiting for the merge, so get it done!

[sdimedru]

Man, was it ever HOT last year. I spent waaaay too much time at the beer tents on the second day. The inaugural year is always going to be bigger than the second year and with the sweltering heat last year, I think that turned off some of the walk-ups from showing.

Terrific improvements were made to the "midway".

I've had the same seats (row 1 in the silvers) for the last 2 years and am thinking of upgrading for '07. My guess: if the weather cooperates (no rain and not as hot as last year) attendance will be somewhere in the middle of 2005 and 2006.

The IRL and Champ split does absolutely nothing for attendance. Everyone is waiting for the merge, so get it done!


couldn't agree more.... i'm looking forward to going for my first time this summer.... i've had to miss the past 2 because of summer jobs up north. Should be fun!!!

[West_aust]

You guys in Edmonton are getting a better show each and every year, compared to Montreal who started in they heydays of CART with all the big teams, lost most of them, the bankruptcy years...

[sdimedru]

do they have a timeline as far as getting back together?

I know they had talks.... few and far between.....

I think it would do wonders for Edmonton's exposure if our race was shown to more people everywhere (assuming if they merge that Edmonton is kept)

[Distill3d]

You guys in Edmonton are getting a better show each and every year, compared to Montreal who started in they heydays of CART with all the big teams, lost most of them, the bankruptcy years...

The Grand Prix of Montreal...was first held...from 1984 through 1986. The Champ Car series revived the race in 2002, and it has been held in late August each year until 2006 at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, a permanent road course most famous as the home of the Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix. In 2007, the event will move to the permanent road course at Mont-Tremblant.

Though the first races in MTL were in the 1980's, they only got the race back 3 years before Edmonton stole (err replaced) Vancouver's race. It wasn't until 2003 that CART went bankrupt and became ChampCar. so Montreal only had one season with "all the big teams" and I doubt that made any difference. Montreal gets Canada's F1 race, if you ask me, thats a better show then CART or its current incarnation ChampCar could ever put on.

[IntotheWest]

Montreal gets Canada's F1 race, if you ask me, thats a better show then CART or its current incarnation ChampCar could ever put on.

It is a bigger event - but I wouldn't say a better "show"...this coming from likely one of the most die-hard F1 fans (go Senna!), and watching the competition dwindle over the Shumacher years (I mean that without taking away from Schuey - I've done a couple paintings of him as well).

There's no doubt the drivers aren't up to par with F1, but the track in Edm is definitely one of the best for a spectator, and the racing is a lot closer - which to many, is more exciting.

Some significant changes to this season makes me want to return this year (I'm still thinking about it) - first is the new Panoz chassis cars...it was well known that an F1 car would beat a ChampCar around Villeneuve by several seconds - but the design of the Champcar had to accomodate oval racing as well...which is also gone (and possibly another step towards a merger?). The new car's underbody should help close the gap between an F1's downforce and ChampCar.

Also, Champcar will return to Europe this year...hopefully they get support there - I'm thinking it may be a long shot.

[Distill3d]

^ I don't deny that ChampCar puts on an amazing show. I was a spectator of the Vancouver race for many years. It was the one race a year I absolutely loved. I've also seen the race in Edmonton both years, with intent of seeing it again this year.

however, that said, the atmosphere of the F1 racing in Europe (where i've had the experience of seeing a few races) is almost like watching the Flames play the Oilers. its also a more established series.

Agreed that the Schumacher years in F1 were hell for competition. The new crop (Alonso, Button, Raikkonen) is hopefully going to bring back to the sport.

ChampCar in Europe...yeah...if it works...i'm very skeptical of it.

[IntotheWest]

^Even Montreal is amazing...I haven't been in nearly 13 years (the year Senna crashed, and Schuey started his amazing career), but the atmosphere is amazing. As a car-guy, I also like the manufacturers battling it out (though FIA was planning on putting a limit to new advances in technology being used), but it's usually at the cost of competition.

Edmonton is a great city to host a race - I hope it can continue to build on the past couple years..but it really will depend on what happens with indy/Champcar.

[itom 987]

Man, was it ever HOT last year. I spent waaaay too much time at the beer tents on the second day.

Good God! That hot day rocked! I hope we get more 30c days this summer!

[IntotheWest]

Good God! That hot day rocked! I hope we get more 30c days this summer!

30c is not bad, but that was pushing past 40c at the track...too much.

[Coldrsx]

30c is not bad, but that was pushing past 40c at the track...too much.


i was on the track, a corner worker, it was +43:<

[itom 987]

Slurpee weather!

[Distill3d]

i was on the track, a corner worker, it was +43:<

Off Topic:

what was worse was going from spending the day at the track on the 22nd to EdFest and seeing Our Lady Peace...

I damn near passed out due to the heat stroke. it had to have been around 45ish at the track and probably about 50 (if you factor in body heat) at EdFest...

[IntotheWest]

My watch has a thermometer on it, and it was showing 45c in the stands, and 47c in the main entrance areas....all that concrete wasn't helping. I was with my nephew, and we spent more time in the misters than watching the race.

The Americans liked it though ;-) And I really don't want to complain, given the first year's weather.

[fengshui]

Ah, you can't beat Montreal in the summer on F1 weekend. Truly amazing. I've been to 7 of the last 10 races. Going to try for a European race this year.