Category: Weekend Preview

IndyCar Preview – Long Beach 2009

IRL IndyCar Series
– Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach (2/17)
– Long Beach, California, United States
– 85 laps
– www.indycar.com
– Track Map (PDF)

Event History
The Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach is one of the classic events in all of racing, starting out as a Formula 5000 test event before hosting Formula 1 for eight years. With Bernie’s ever increasing fees – and this was in the early ’80s! – the race organisers decided to switch to the nascent CART series which had recently split away from USAC. There was something of a drop-off in popularity for a short while before Long Beach found itself as one of the crown jewels of American motorsport and a level of prestige within Indycar racing second only to Indianapolis itself, with massive crowds and a party atmosphere.

This continued for many successful years until the damage from ‘The Split’ eventually found its way even to this event with the fall of CART. The re-formed Champ Car and the Long Beach GP stuck together until the death of Champ Car over the winter of 2007/08, and it was entirely fitting that the final send-off of the CART/Champ Car era was held at Long Beach one year ago, shortly following the unification announcement.

To the present then, and the IndyCar Series takes on the mantle of racing around these prestigious streets as the headline act and ensuring a long future for the Grand Prix of Long Beach. Toyota continues its long tradition as title sponsor (and the sponsor of the Pro/Celebrity race), and for the 3rd year running the ALMS is on the card and will be racing on the Saturday evening. The beginning of the IRL era at Long Beach also brings the Indy Lights to the streets for the first time in that series’ current incarnation.

Circuit
Long Beach is the all time classic American street race circuit, the one format all other US street tracks follow, and yet due to developments it has changed many times over the years.
The current lap begins with a long flat-out blast along Shoreline Drive, which is a dual-carriageway with the pitlane taking up the other side of the road. The cars then take a 90-degree left turn, one of the best passing places on the circuit, before passing the fountain and working back in a short loop to very briefly rejoin Shoreline Drive again. From here there is a 90-left into a short downhill section and then into the long back straight under the bridges. After that is the slippery run through to the hairpin, and back on to Shoreline Drive.

Here is Justin Wilson describing a lap of the track in 2007:

I’m not sure why he wasn’t flat out along the backstraight, it could be the audio was out of sync.

This track is one of the first I ever saw in American racing, late one night here in the UK, and is one of the reasons I fell in love with it.

Form
Justin Wilson always runs extremely well at Long Beach and given his performance at St Pete you have to think he’s looking very strong despite being with an unfancied team. Other ex-CCWS teams/drivers ought to fare well too including Will Power, and Ryan Briscoe knows the place well from his ALMS runs, but we’ll see if Helio Castroneves’ return will be disruptive to Penske’s efforts as they are said to be running 3 cars.
You can’t rule out the Ganassi team despite neither driver nor the team having run here for several years, the same is true of the likes of Kanaan. Marco Andretti also raced here in the ALMS.

Support Races
ALMS, SPEED Challenge, Indy Lights, Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race

TV Coverage

UK TV: LIVE on Sky Sports 3 at 9pm BST!

US TV: LIVE on VERSUS at 3.30pm EDT! (and catch the all new qualifying show at 6pm Saturday)
Don’t forget the race replay on Monday night if you miss it live or want to catch it again. Versus also carry the Indy Lights race highlights on Monday night.

Finally, be sure to check out their YouTube channel! Go there now to see highlights from St Petersburg and remember to check back later next week for Long Beach clips.

I’m not sure if I’ll be watching live as I may have double-booked myself with Sidepodcast.com’s Panel. If I don’t catch it live I’ll see be watching it as soon as I can on Monday!

Weekend Preview: 11-12 April 2009

We get something of a breather this week and F1-focussed fans certainly need it after the barrage of news and drama of the last fortnight – add in the IndyCar season opener, sports and touring cars and it’s been a very hectic opener to the season!

Time to relax with some motorbikes, if by relaxing you like clinging to the edge of your seat.

* * * *
Feature Event

FIM MotoGP
– Commercial Bank Grand Prix of Qatar (1/17)
– Losail Circuit
– Doha, Qatar, United Arab Emirates
– www.motogp.com
– Track Map

** EDIT 13/4/09 – Nobody spotted the deliberate mistake – Qatar isn’t part of the UAE, they are different countries! Okay, I got it wrong… **

The two-wheeled boys are back, the last of the big series to get going and the final signal that the 2009 racing season is truly under way. Qatar isn’t always the best race in the world in terms of close action and again this year it is a night race. In the middle of a desert. Okay.. In any case this is one to watch to learn who everyone is (if you are new) and to get used to team changes, livery changes, and to play “spot the newbie” (if you aren’t so new).

If you haven’t seen MotoGP before, you should probably start now. The races are only 45 minutes long and it is the only form of motorbike racing I watch. It is the F1 of bike racing in terms of technology – and in terms of politics. I’m a very casual fan, reading very little about it between races or in the off-season. I like to switch on the TV at the appointed time and watch some close racing, then leave it until next time. It’s a lot of fun in no small part due to that little Italian guy. When Schumacher won everything it was boring, when Rossi does it it’s entertaining and highly impressive to watch.

UK TV: LIVE on BBC Three at 8.45pm. Don’t worry about the channel choice, the rest of the season will be on BBC Two which is showing golf (The Masters!) this Sunday.
If you haven’t got BBC Three yet the race is available live on the BBC website to UK users. Qualifying is available on Saturday via red button* and online and everything will be on the iPlayer for 7 days.
British Eurosport will have their version at 10pm, just as the BBC coverage ends.

US TV: DELAYED on SPEEDtv at 10pm ET. I have no idea why they delayed this premier class race by six hours in order to show back-to-back episodes of ‘Bullrun’, followed by Dave Despain trying not to give the result away on Wind Tunnel (don’t read the ticker). This is the listing I found. You seriously need to write to these guys and complain at their handling of top class motorsport. This isn’t the first incompetency I’ve seen from them this year and it’s only April. They will be showing the 250cc at 8pm.

Support events:
125cc at 6pm UK, 250cc at 7.15pm UK with both live on Eurosport and BBC’s red button*/online.

* BBC Red Button notes: If you are new to digital TV all you have to do is go to any BBC channel and hit the red button on your remote control (not the standby button!). This will bring up a sidebar. The menu changes name depending on what’s on, though the live telly is usually at the top with the teletext options underneath. It may be called Sport Multiscreen, or there could be a MotoGP link directly. It can be quite slow but eventually it will load a multiple-choice screen – just press the number of the screen you want to see or pick it with your arrow keys and press Select. To exit press BackUp or Back at each stage until it goes away. *

* * *
Other International Events:

A1GP
– Algarve (Rnd 6*)
– Autodromo Internacional do Algarve
– Portimao, Algarve, Portugal
– www.a1gp.com
– Track Map

* I’ve given up writing the total number of events because it changes so often.

It’ll be very interesting to see a race at the fantastic-looking new Portimao circuit, which looked great in the F1 winter testing photos. It’s a very hilly track with a lot of gradient change and a lot of corners while also looking quite fast. This is it’s first major international race for cars (has it held a bike event?).

I’ve lost track of A1’s season because I’m about 4 events behind real time in my watching of the series, nonetheless it should be entertaining.

UK TV: Race LIVE on Sky Sports 3 from 1.30pm Sunday with repeats at 6.30pm and 11.30pm both on Sky Sports 2 (you can tell Sky have a financial interest in this one).

US TV: I think the answer is still ‘none’ so you’ll need the live stream at www.a1gp.com (as will UK viewers without Sky).

Support races: Ferrari Challenge (not televised)

* * *
National Events
(according to FORIX (sub req.))

NASCAR Nationwide Series
Nashville Superspeedway, Tennessee, United States

Cooper Tires British F3 International Series
/ Avon Tyres British GT Championship
/ UK Formula Ford
– Oulton Park (F3: 1/10 GT: 1/8)
– Oulton Park, Little Budworth, Cheshire, England
– http://www.britishf3international.com/
– http://www.britishgt.com/
– Track Map

The ‘other’ top line British package (alongside BTCC) comprises the domestic F3, GT and Formula Ford series and they have their traditional Oulton Park Easter weekend openers this week. Each series holds 2 or 3 races but look out if you are planning to attend: the racing will be on Saturday and Easter Monday! There’s no action on Sunday but racing on a holiday Monday makes for a great family day out.

UK TV: F3 will be on MotorsTV on April 18th in a 1hr show. GT will follow a week later. There is also a 30min show on Channel 4 but I don’t know when that will be aired.

Further supports from the Ginetta G20 Cup and VW Racing Cup.


German F3 / ADAC GT / Procar / ADAC FMaster
Oschersleben, Germany

French GT / Porsche Cup France
Nogaro, France

Dutch Supercars
Zandvoort, Holland

V8 Brasil
Curitiba, Brazil

British Superbikes
Brands Hatch

* * *
There are a lot of other European junior series too including various Formula Renault national and regional series.

Weekend Preview: 4-5 April 2009

Here it is people, it all kicks off this weekend! Tons and tons of racing!

* * * *
Feature Event

FIA Formula 1 World Championship
– Petronas Malaysian Grand Prix (2/17)
– Sepang International Circuit
– Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
– www.formula1.com
– Track Map

Please see my F1 Preview here.

Support events:
GP2 Asia Series (x2); Formula BMW Pacific (x2);

A much quieter support card to Australia. GP2 Asia is holding rounds 9 and 10 of the winter series with just one double-header remaining in Bahrain (again supporting F1).
FBMW Pacific kicks off their year here this weekend.

* * *
Other Events:

IRL IndyCar Series
– Honda Grand Prix of St.Petersburg (1/17)
– St Petersburg, Florida, United States
– www.indycar.com

Please see my IndyCar preview which follows imminently!

UK TV: Race LIVE on Sky Sports Xtra from 7.30pm BST Sunday.
US TV: Qualifying recap at 5pm ET Saturday.
Race LIVE on VERSUS from 2pm ET Sunday, race starts at 3.

Support races: Firestone Indy Lights (x2)

American Le Mans Series
– Acura Sports Car Challenge of St.Petersburg (2/10)
– St Petersburg, Florida, United States
– www.americanlemans.com

A very low entry of just 17 cars is a cause for concern with just 6 prototypes and no GT1 cars. GT2 is the battle to watch here.

UK TV: Race DELAYED by one day, from 3.00pm BST Sunday.
US TV: Race LIVE on ABC from 1.30pm ET Sunday.

Le Mans Series
– 1000km of Barcelona (1/5)
– Circuit de Catalunya
– Barcelona, Spain
– www.lemans-series.com/

The European endurance racing season gets going with an entry list of 43 cars this weekend! Aston Martin are currently topping the times in the absence of Peugeot and Audi, which means the LMP1 entry is fairly thin in number compared to last year – but it does boast Aston, Pescarolo and the two Kolles Audi R10s.

UK TV: The start can be seen LIVE on Eurosport at 10.15am BST for 45 minutes, with further coverage at 11.45am for 30 minutes. There will be highlights at 11pm. Eurosport are busy with GP2 Asia, World Rally, Superbikes, cycling and European basketball so they really had to fit in what was a late deal wherever they could.

NASCAR Sprint Cup
– Samsung 500 (7/36)
– Texas Motor Speedway
– Fort Worth, Texas, United States
– www.nascar.com

Yet another 500, they seem to have a lot of them in NASCAR. Didn’t 500 mile races used to mean something?

UK TV: TAPE DELAYED on Sky Sports Xtra from 10pm BST Sunday.
US TV: LIVE on FOX from 1:30pm ET Sunday.

The reason for the UK tape delay? SSX is showing IndyCars at St Pete live instead! Three cheers for the ICS bumping Cup! Hooray!

Support races: Nationwide Series (Saturday)

FIA World Rally Championship
– Rally de Portugal (4/12)
– Vilamoura, Portugal
– www.wrc.com

Intercontinental Rally Challenge
– Safari Rally (3/12)
– Nairobi, Kenya
– www.ircseries.com

Formula Nippon
– Fuji (1/8)
– Fuji, Japan
Support races: Japanese Formula 3;

HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship
– Brands Hatch Indy (1/10)
– Brands Hatch (Indy)
– Kent, England, UK
– www.btcc.net

Time for some proper tin-top wheel banging! The BTCC season opens on the one mile Indy configuration of Brands Hatch, with the three fast and frenetic 20 minute BTCC races and a packed support card.

UK TV: LIVE on ITV4 from 11.45am Sunday with uninterrupted coverage until 6pm including a whole bunch of support races.

The reason for the UK tape delay? SSX is showing IndyCars at St Pete live instead! Three cheers for the ICS bumping Cup! Hooray!

Support races: Porsche Carrera Cup GB, Formula Renault UK, Renault Clio Cup UK, Ginetta G50, Ginetta Juniors

* * * *
Hectic!!

I think that covers everything, please add your comments if you find anything more!

F1 Preview: Malaysian Grand Prix 2009

Welcome to the slightly delayed preview to the Malaysian GP!

* * * *
FIA Formula 1 World Championship
– Formula 1 Petronas Malaysian Grand Prix (2/17)
– Sepang International Circuit
– Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
– www.formula1.com
– F1.com track map
– Live timing (Java required, free registration required, worth it)

Circuit
Check the track map link above to see the three official timing sectors.

We move from the stop/start part-street track of Albert Park to the very fast, very open Sepang, sited adjacent to KL International Airport some 20 miles from KL itself.

Sepang joined the calendar for the 1999 season and was the first of the ‘Tilkedromes’, those circuits penned by the track architect Herman Tilke who has become the F1 track designer of choice. It set the tone for his later circuits including Bahrain, Shanghai and Istanbul. Features include an exceptionally wide racing surface, a very long wide pitlane and a large central grandstand with local styling cues.

The signature corner on this circuit is turn one, an ever-tightening right-hander leading into a very tight switchback to the left. Accidents are common here and drivers will need to keep their elongated noses clean. Tilke used a similar corner design twice for Shanghai, at the first corner and at the corner on to the long straight.

The track as a whole is very fast and flowing for the most part, with a couple of harder braking areas producing potential overtaking spots, as well as the two very long straights either side of the central grandstand – these straights ought to be ideal for those running KERS.

This track was very smooth for the first several runnings but in the last couple of years several bumps have appeared – many drivers and F1 analysts have perhaps unkindly stated this brings the circuit some much-needed character!

The overbearing heat is frequently the topic of the weekend with team personnel and media alike hiding away in the air conditioning of the paddock buildings (no such luck for the spectators). This year though, the 5pm start should negate some of this but it will bring another problem: rain. Typically after the race is over, usually 5.30pm local, and the sun begins to set, the track is engulfed in a tropical rain shower – this year the race begins at 5pm and the forecast is for rain. Last time we had heavy rain at Sepang it caused utter chaos with cars off the track at all angles.

Form
BrawnGP are the clear favourites after their performance last weekend however the race pace of the Toyotas and BMWs, and Vettel’s Red Bull, should not be underestimated. Neither should Hamilton’s McLaren. There is also the question of how the various combinations of KERS and diffusers – or lack thereof – will work at a very different circuit to Albert Park. Already in practice Kimi Raikkonen’s KERS battery has come to a smoking halt, will the heat of Sepang prove too much for KERS?


UK TV
Q: BBC One will air Qualifying live at 9am BST Saturday, session begins at 10am.
R: BBC One will air the Race live at 9am BST Sunday, race starts at 10am.
H: BBC Three will air 1hr Highlights at 7pm BST Sunday.

US TV
Q: Speed will air Qualifying semi-live at 5am ET.
R: Speed will air the Race live at 4:30am ET with the race to start at 5am. Rerun at 1:30pm.
– Canada should get coverage on TSN featuring BBC commentary, you may find Speed is blacked out.

Note for US viewers: Speed builds in a delay during qualifying coverage in order to fit in as many advertisements as possible. This completely screws up your chances of following live timing as well as ensuring anyone following F1 updates on Twitter gets spoilers 10 to 15 minutes ahead of seeing it on their TV screen. I don’t yet know if they do this for the race – either way, I urge you to complain!
Live Comments
I will be at Sidepodcast.com for qualifying and the race, and probably for the IndyCar race too (if they decide to live comment it). Fire up the Live Commenting Live..Thing at the appointed time, join the appropriate thread at the top of the screen, enter your name and then just type away! You’re welcome to join us as long as you keep the sweary exclamations away.

I’ll also be commenting on Twitter from time to time, but since I’ll be focussing on writing my race notes I may be fairly quiet.

Support events
GP2 Asia Series; Formula BMW Pacific;