Feature Events
Formula 1
– Formula 1 ING Turkish Grand Prix
– Istanbul Park, Turkey
– (7/17)
– 58 laps
– www.f1.com
The Turkish GP is held at another Tilkedrome out in the middle of nowhere, miles away from the city it purports to represent. All the team personnel, media, etc. complain that it takes 1.5 hours to travel to/from the circuit from Istanbul, and that’s on a good run from the ‘near’ side of the city.
The problem in Turkey is the same as at a lot of other ‘new’ venues – lack of attendance. The prices are too high for the locals, or the locals are not sufficiently interested, or they like dressing up to look like grandstand seats.
That said it is one of the more interesting Tilke circuits, particularly the high-speed high-load multi-apex Turn 8, which creates a passing opportunity into the Turn 9 chicane, which in turn leads on to the back straight and another passing opportunity. The cars can race at this circuit.
TV Guide:
UK – LIVE on BBC One at 12.10pm BST (race start 1pm)
USA – DELAYED on FOX at 3pm EDT
BEFORE THE RACE at 11am UK be sure to head to www.sidepodcast.com and join the live Parade Lap! It is an online radio show loosely discussing F1 with a laid-back Sunday vibe. It will end as the BBC coverage begins and there is live text commenting!
Support races: GP2 Series, Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, Turkish Touring Car Championship
IndyCar Series
– Bombadier Learjet 550
– Texas Motor Speedway, somewhere in Texas, United States
– (6/17)
– 228 laps
– www.indycar.com
TMS is crazy. Fast, furious, non-stop action. If you’ve never seen a race here you won’t believe what’s going on.
TV Guide:
UK – DELAYED on Sky Sports Xtra at 11am BST
USA – LIVE on VERSUS at 9pm ET
Other Events
NASCAR Sprint Cup
– Pocono 500
– Pocono, United States
– (14/36)
– www.nascar.com
TV Guide:
UK – LIVE on Sky Sports 3 at 7pm Sunday
USA – LIVE on TNT at 12.30pm ET Sunday
Support races: Nationwide Series (Saturday), Camping World Trucks (Friday)
GP2 Series
– Istanbul Park
– Turkey
– (3/10)
– www.gp2series.com
British F3
– Hockenheim, Germany
– (4/10)
Grand-Am
– Six Hours of the Glen
– Watkins Glen, USA
Isle of Man TT
– http://www.iomtt.com/
The classic time trials are running over the whole week, up to next Saturday. These guys are utterly insane! I will post an ‘On The Limit’ video tomorrow, when I’ve found one, in the meantime check YouTube yourself.
ITV4 has been running nightly updates at 9pm and will continue to do so throughout the week, and ITV1 will have highlights on Sunday 7th and Sunday 14th.
* * *
This is actually a fairly quiet weekend when you think about it, in Europe all the other series try to schedule races for when F1 isn’t on so that has a big effect. Let me know if I’ve missed anything.
I will try to find time for a Le Mans preview during the week, possibly Thursday when qualifying is on and when things aren’t so hectic for me. Of course since you’ll all be listening to www.radiolemans.com and will have downloaded their preview podcasts, you’ll know all there is to know already!
I Watch Too Much Racing 