Rio/Brazil race still on?

[NickFalzone]

It's all in Portuguese, but according to my google translator it says roughly "We were interested in having the IndyCar race, but now that we have the Olympics we realize that the IRL race would be too expensive to have. With the Olympics, Soccer, and some other stuff, they're not longer interested in having an IRL event next year. And we will instead use the money to building a new racetrack."

http://www.blogdaindy.com/2009/10/rio-de-janeiro-deve-sair-da-disputa.html

I'm not sure if this means the IRL will be looking to find another track in Brazil, or if the event is now off. I read somewhere that they were hoping to announce the event location at Homestead this weekend. It seemed like Rio would have been the most exciting location though.

[philipbain]

I don't know about the credibility or reliability of that article but I thought that the proposed IRL race for 2010 had nothing to do with Rio and that it is going to be held on a street circuit in Ribeirao Preto (which Helio Castroneves' home town). So I don't see how the successful Olympic bid would affect the IRL race unless the IRL race had significant government backing which has now been diverted into the 2016 Olympic project.

[SarahFan]

this race is DOA....Toronto will be the next to go

[TURN3]

I don't see Toronto going anywhere. Where are you getting that impression from? Maybe Edmonton (unfortunately) with the airport situation.

[SarahFan]

I don't see Toronto going anywhere. Where are you getting that impression from? Maybe Edmonton (unfortunately) with the airport situation.


edmonton is good to go.... city council is sold on the 'economical impact'....and the airport situation was addressed a couple weeks ago.... it's a go for 2010

Toronto?....mark my words, different story.....

[TURN3]

edmonton is good to go.... city council is sold on the 'economical impact'....and the airport situation was addressed a couple weeks ago.... it's a go for 2010

Toronto?....mark my words, different story.....

Please substantiate if possible? If it is just a hunch or whatever then please just say so...Don't be an Eagle Eye wanna be LOL!!

[Lousada]

Please substantiate if possible? If it is just a hunch or whatever then please just say so...Don't be an Eagle Eye wanna be LOL!!

This year the Toronto council paid for the losses the Grand Prix made. Some people think that this arrangement only lasted this one year. No subsidy means no Grand Prix.
I have no idea if there is any truth in this.

[SarahFan]

T3.... Pure speculation on my part

but L is correct.... City coomitted to cover in any losses .... But the event was a pale comparison of what it once was .... No way the city could have been happy with effort AGR put in.....

Perhaps now that there has been a split between the racing team and pro otional arm the greens will able to sell another year .....

But I'm betting this race gets canceled.....

[EagleEye]

Please substantiate if possible? If it is just a hunch or whatever then please just say so...Don't be an Eagle Eye wanna be LOL!!

He would have to be right about something to even come close. That, and maybe actually talk to someone in person about things that are going on.

Danica deal with AGR has not been signed, as of today, despite Ken's post...and the reason it has not been signed yet? Since most of you can not handle truths, I'll keep it to myself.

[SarahFan]

He would have to be right about something to even come close. That, and maybe actually talk to someone in person about things that are going on.

Danica deal with AGR has not been signed, as of today, despite Ken's post...and the reason it has not been signed yet? Since most of you can not handle truths, I'll keep it to myself.

are you suggesting that Toronto isn't 'Iffy' at this point?

[SarahFan]

Since most of you can not handle truths, I'll keep it to myself.

i can handle it... and *** those that cant

spill

[SarahFan]

FYI....heres a tidbit on apex/brasil involvement with the Indy racing league and ethonal...

interesting website

http://www.apexbrasil.com.br/

[MDS]

I'm hearing there will a press conference on Saturday before the race to announce Salvador, which is where Tony Kannan is from. What I've heard in conflicting statements though is where in the city the race will be. I heard rather specifically it will be near the waterfront similar to Surfer's and Long Beach rather than Valencia. I've also heard that it will be on a revamped version of the course the COPA series ran on this year.

Both sources said the teams are going to have to prepare for having different tire compounds on the track because COPA is going to open their season there on that Saturday. That's good because there's a good chance that one of the former F-1 drivers like Zonta, Pizzonia or Marques will probably pick up a one off for the ICS opener.

Here's a picture of what I think was the COPA track this year, that got horrible reviews from the drivers btw http://ibahia.globo.com/recursos/BancoImagens/%7B6AA08741-7F32-4336-9CD7-A6B6B22DEC3B%7D_tracado_bahia400.jpg

[call_me_andrew]

Here's a picture of what I think was the COPA track this year, that got horrible reviews from the drivers btw http://ibahia.globo.com/recursos/BancoImagens/%7B6AA08741-7F32-4336-9CD7-A6B6B22DEC3B%7D_tracado_bahia400.jpg

Clockwise or counter-clockwise?

[MakinenLoeb]

That doesn't look like a very exiting circuit to race on. But it might be nice to see a new circuit on the calender.

[MakinenLoeb]

a track in aussie looks similar, the circuit is Queensland raceway. there are only very little similarities between the two, IMO.

[Lousada]

A1GP will be there too. It would be quite an exciting weekend as far as raceseries. The pitlane on that track looks pretty interesting too.

[beachbum]

...and the reason it has not been signed yet? Since most of you can not handle truths, I'll keep it to myself.On please, please.....



Keep it to yourself. The Danica soap opera is getting old. Let us know if/when she actually does something about a contract other than talk - or not. There are many more compelling stories that her latest fantasy .

Now, back to the Brazil race. Considering the popularity of racing in Brazil and the number of Brazilian drivers in the IRL, it would make sense they are trying very hard to make this happen. I just hope some announcement is made soon, or the conspiracy theorists will continue to have a field day with rumors.

[SarahFan]

12 days later it appears this topic is still wide open for discussion

[NickFalzone]

Feels very CC'esque, but I still think it's going to happen. I guess the bigger concern is that it's a little late to start ticket sales, etc. There are quite a few IRL tracks for 2010 that are already selling tickets. And this Brazil race is the first race of the season and they apparently don't even have a specific location chosen yet. Not to mention any work that needs to be done on that location to make it race-worthy. Still possible, and I think it will happen, but this is really cutting it close.

[SarahFan]

Feels very CC'esque, but I still think it's going to happen. I guess the bigger concern is that it's a little late to start ticket sales, etc. There are quite a few IRL tracks for 2010 that are already selling tickets. And this Brazil race is the first race of the season and they apparently don't even have a specific location chosen yet. Not to mention any work that needs to be done on that location to make it race-worthy. Still possible, and I think it will happen, but this is really cutting it close.



I think they could sell a resonable amount of tickets within a couple months....a;though race tickets cetainly would make a nice holiday gift...

actully finding a place to race generally tkaes longer than 5 months....

[MDS]

From what I'm hearing now is that St. Pete is going to open the season.

I have no idea what is going to happen, but it certainly doesn't look good to have a TBD still on your schedule in November.

[ykiki]

I'm trying to remember how large the crowds were when CART visited Brazil in the '90s. What I do remember is the crowd going absolutely bonkers when Ribeiro won.

So with that in mind, how much lead time do Brazilian race fans need for ticket sales? Are there enough passionate Brazilian fans eager to cheer on the many Brazilian IndyCar drivers that the stands will be reasonably full? How much of this depends on location (which has yet to be decided) is another question.

[NickFalzone]

Looks like Rio is the place:

http://www.indycar.com/news/?story_id=15347

[drewdawg727]

Another mickey mouse track...great.......

[SarahFan]

http://twitter.com/curtcavin

[ykiki]

Looks like Rio is the place:

http://www.indycar.com/news/?story_id=15347

Hmm...I didn't actually see a story there - just an ad for IndyCar Mobile. :( I must be missing something.

[NickFalzone]

Haha, I'm not sure whether to laugh or cry. This was a full page writeup full of detailed about the "confirmed" Rio race to start next season. Now it's taken down and I see a few blogs saying it was a "false alarm". Wow.

[SarahFan]

http://www.autoweek.com/article/20091022/IRL/910229987?utm_source=AutoWeek&utm_medium=twitter


^what a clusterfuk

[NickFalzone]

Well there's probably 15-20,000 Brazilian twitterers that are going to be unhappy, because TK posted the link earlier today saying the Rio was chosen as the track. Then he posted another link confirming it. Hopefully someone lets him know it's still in negotiations.

[Lousada]

I saw the article before it got taken down. If the description of the track is accurate it is really an A+ location. I was afraid this proposed streetrace would run in some unknown city on an obscure industrial park. But actually running alongside a beautiful Rio beach sounds amazing.

[NickFalzone]

I saw the article before it got taken down. If the description of the track is accurate it is really an A+ location. I was afraid this proposed streetrace would run in some unknown city on an obscure industrial park. But actually running alongside a beautiful Rio beach sounds amazing.

I agree Lousada, it sounded like a beautiful location from the description and images on the side of the article. Disappointing that this is not confirmed, or that any race at all is confirmed yet.

[DBell]

http://www.autoweek.com/article/20091022/IRL/910229987?utm_source=AutoWeek&utm_medium=twitter


^what a clusterfuk

I'm just waiting for the internet press conference. :dozey:

[grungex]

Series officials said that someone hacked IndyCar's site and posted the story that's been prepared for the moment the deal with Rio is struck.

Just how stupid do they think we are? Alternatively, just how stupid are they? Unreal. :rolleyes:

[gofastandwynn]

The web site wasn't hacked.

From the IRL



The implication of some statements out there made it sound like someone broke into the site and planted the story and that is not the case. In this case someone found the story accidentally in a non-public area of the site.
The reality is that we must prepare stories in advance of announcements on a regular basis. Those stories or draft stories wait in these non-public areas so they can be confirmed, or artwork matched with them, or revised before then being officially posted. That is what happened in this case.

[drewdawg727]

I saw the article before it got taken down. If the description of the track is accurate it is really an A+ location. I was afraid this proposed streetrace would run in some unknown city on an obscure industrial park. But actually running alongside a beautiful Rio beach sounds amazing.

I'm gonna be the sour grapes of this thread and say that an American series should not need to ride alongside a beautiful Rio beach. It honestly should be running alongside a nice American beach....on the EAST COAST would be even better....

[Easy Drifter]

Golly gee willikers I just learned something.
Brazil is not an American country.
I always thought it was in South America.
Would someone tell me where it has been relocated to?

[Mark in Oshawa]

Well, I think the more interesting question not answered in this thread is where Ken is getting his Toronto news from? I happen to have heard nothing, but considering the City of Toronto is run by an idiot, and they are bleeding red ink, I suppose there is some smoke. I just wish Ken you had a source.

As for Brazil, I don't see it happening. If they cant get it together by now, forget it. This is a test of how smart the IRL management is now with Tony gone. If they go down there with 5 months notice for some thrown together last minute deal on a street track that has never been used before, it is a sure sign that the inmates in the asylum were part of the problem.

[SarahFan]

Well, I think the more interesting question not answered in this thread is where Ken is getting his Toronto news from? I happen to have heard nothing, but considering the City of Toronto is run by an idiot, and they are bleeding red ink, I suppose there is some smoke. I just wish Ken you had a source.

As for Brazil, I don't see it happening. If they cant get it together by now, forget it. This is a test of how smart the IRL management is now with Tony gone. If they go down there with 5 months notice for some thrown together last minute deal on a street track that has never been used before, it is a sure sign that the inmates in the asylum were part of the problem.

Mark... read before you post

[Mark in Oshawa]

Kenny..I did read. I don't remember seeing the source. There has been nothing in the local papers that I have seen, but I am not in town during the week as much as I would like either.

[SarahFan]

Try post #8 mark...

you sound clueless when you call someone out on something they have already directly adressed

[grungex]

This is a test of how smart the IRL management is now with Tony gone.

This is pretty funny -- just how smart was IRL management when he was there? :D

[Mark in Oshawa]

Ken I saw post 8. What's your source? I am not saying I am disagreeing with you, I am suspicious of the mess AGR did promoting the race and City Hall in Toronto in general. Still would like to see more than speculation, even when I agree with it.

[SarahFan]

Ken I saw post 8. What's your source? I am not saying I am disagreeing with you, I am suspicious of the mess AGR did promoting the race and City Hall in Toronto in general. Still would like to see more than speculation, even when I agree with it.


What part of ' pure speculation' are you struggleing with?

[Mark in Oshawa]

What part of ' pure speculation' are you struggleing with?

I don't pure speculate about someone taking a race date away. That is my race, and I am tired of reading about how some commentator in the US is always telling the world how the Raptors are leaving Toronto with no substantion, or this leaving or THAT leaving. You were talking as if Toronto was good as gone on a Brazil thread. Ergo...I wanted your source. You have none. No source. Even on a idea that I would probably agree with if there was a sniff of smoke.

So it is your idle speculation. Just like you speculate about how dumb the IRL is for having broadcasts on VS. We know it sucks...

[SarahFan]

I don't pure speculate about someone taking a race date away. That is my race, and I am tired of reading about how some commentator in the US is always telling the world how the Raptors are leaving Toronto with no substantion, or this leaving or THAT leaving. You were talking as if Toronto was good as gone on a Brazil thread. Ergo...I wanted your source. You have none. No source. Even on a idea that I would probably agree with if there was a sniff of smoke.

So it is your idle speculation. Just like you speculate about how dumb the IRL is for having broadcasts on VS. We know it sucks...

not sure what to tell you mark....

but when i clearly state it was pure speculation on my part.... then you call for my source numerous times, even after being instructed that it was pure speculation...


well you look kinda silly is all....

*BTW... i dont understand your first line in the post above... I suspect you were thinking faster than typeing

[SarahFan]

and.... the IRL looking dumb for signing with versus isnt speculation.....a season long average of .25 is pretty compelling evidence wouldn't you agree