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out, and two rows of brand new suites stretch for a couple hundred yards from the new pagoda tower back toward turn one. The thirty-some double garages are immaculate and air conditioned, with doors exiting directly to pit lane, but are to be used exclusively for Formula 1, as NASCAR and IRL continue to occupy the Gasoline Alley area behind the new stuff. Tony George has put in some $70 million in track construction just to lure the FIA gang back to the states, not to mention the multi-million buck sanctioning fees for each race. Therefore the ticket price scale will be about 4 times the Brickyard numbers, plus you’d best bring your platinum Visa to the Grand Prix as many hotels are asking a 5 night minimum at about 4 times the standard "rack rates."
At any rate, the suite was neat, and with most of the occupants opting to watch the actual start from the stands on the roof, I was able to stake out prime viewing area right by the windows overlooking turn one with a TV monitor back over my shoulder. As the cars started the warmup laps, Tony George cruised in and plopped down in the row of chairs right in front of me remarking that "this was the best seat in the house." He also graciously asked me if I could see o.k., but apparently didn’t remember me from the time we met at BIR in the mid-eighties when he was running a Swift FF. Actually these weren’t quite the best seats, as that honor goes to George’s office perched up at the top of the pagoda overlooking the whole facility. Our top ranked company executive was invited up there for a few laps at mid race, and said it was pretty good. George comped our co-chairman a couple of Grand Prix tickets, but our guy (who knows almost nothing of the racing scene) thought George was a bit impersonal during their conversation, while his wife thought he was "kind of a lightweight." Interesting observations of the man who, for better or worse, has completely revamped the US racing scene.
Andretti was knocked out of the top ten in the early going after he apparently picked up some debris from the earlier Mark Martin crash in turn one, and cut down a tire on the back straight. Our group’s interest level dropped off markedly, and as the final round of pit stops was in progress we headed for the infield parking lot. We passed the Petty transporter on the way to the airport, as they also got a jump on the traffic heading back to North Carolina to swap the cars for the road-racers and head for Watkins Glen. The facility is tremendous and the improvements fantastic, but Indy remains (to my mind) somewhat unsatisfactory as a NASCAR venue. There’s a single line in the corners, and the non-restrictor-plate cars don’t seem to be
able to draft closely on the straights, so passing is a major project which often involved some paint-swapping. Thus there isn’t a whole lot of passing except in the pits, but the F-1 crowd is used to that. Maybe NASCAR needs a sort of Handford device to close things up at the Speedway. We were taking off for the cities about the time Bobby Labonte was pulling into victory lane, so I didn’t catch his late race pass of Rusty Wallace until that evening on SportsCenter. I hope we get back to Charlotte this fall to continue my NASCAR evaluation. Al Murray reminded me that we are fast approaching that time of year when end of year awards will be considered. Please think about possible candidates while you are finishing out this year’s racing season, as ballots will be in the mail before you know it. We may have a handout available at the Jack Pine event. Although as usual I missed the Comp Board meeting when the Jack Pine (but hey, I KNOW Jack Pine) schedule was debated, I was pleasantly surprised (shocked maybe) to see the FF race as a single class National event. In penance for missing said meeting, I have posted a $75.00 check for the CenDiv legal highest finishing CFF in the National, if six or more CFFs start the race. Eight or more and I pop for a trophy as well, as I’d like to see the FF tradition of over 20 years continue. See ya at the Kettle or Jack Pine!
TEST DAY AT CBIR SEPT. 1
There will be a non - SCCA test day Sept. 1st at Colonel's Brainerd International Raceway sponsored by Donnybrooke Auto Service.
9:30am to 5:00pm with a one hour lunch break.
Worker lunches will be provided
Cost - $175 Credit cards will be accepted prior to the test day - contact Donnybrooke.
Cash or check will be accepted on the test day.
Donnybrooke 612-471-8518
Ann Hefty 651-786-1164
Tonneau On-Line September 2000
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Copyright 2000, Land O'Lakes Region Last revised: March 13, 2003
