Grand Am Rolex Series releases 2010 schedule

[imprttuner88]

Ok, so GA has released its 2010 schedule:

Race Date Race Name
January 9 - 10 Roar Before the Rolex 24 Daytona International Speedway January 30 - 31 Rolex 24 At Daytona Daytona International Speedway
March 6 - 7 Homestead-Miami Speedway Homestead Miami Speedway
April 9 - 10 Barber Motorsports Park Barber Motorsports Park
April 24 - 25 Virginia International Raceway Virginia International Raceway
May 28 - 31 Lime Rock Park Lime Rock Park Lakeville, CT
June 5 - 6 Watkins Glen International Watkins Glen International - Long Course
June 19 - 20 Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course July 2 - 3 Daytona 250 Daytona International Speedway July 17 - 18 New Jersey Motorsports Park New Jersey Motorsports Park Millville, NJ
August 6 - 7 Watkins Glen International Watkins Glen International - Short Course Watkins Glen, NY I actually might make this one too!
August 28 - 29 Circuit Gilles Villeneuve Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
September 11 - 12 Miller Motorsports Park Miller Motorsports Park

So, I am going along with my father and brother who have never been to anything like this before. Not alot of fanfair like Octoberfest but some great racing, I have always wanted to see Scott Pruett in person. Gonna be an early sat arrival, camp that night leave after the race on sunday type trip.

I'm psyched!

[Emre]

August 28 - 29 Circuit Gilles Villeneuve Circuit Gilles Villeneuve

Of all the tracks in eastern Canada, why the f-ck did they choose Gilles Villeneuve? Tremblant, Mosport, or Calabogie would have been 1,000,000x cooler.

[imprttuner88]

Of all the tracks in eastern Canada, why the f-ck did they choose Gilles Villeneuve? Tremblant, Mosport, or Calabogie would have been 1,000,000x cooler.

having only watched on tv races there, what don't you like about it? sure its long and alot of turns but definately interesting.

Just curious is all..

[Emre]

having only watched on tv races there, what don't you like about it? sure its long and alot of turns but definately interesting.

Just curious is all..

It's a stop-and-start track with absolutely zero flow to it. Long straights connected by painfully slow corners and zero runoff. Basically: hard on the gas for a 1/4 of a mile, then slow the car down almost to a complete stop, then crawl around the corners, then get hard back on the gas for another 1/4 mile. Yawn. Nowhere to pass except the hairpin. No elevation changes. No finesse. Nothing interesting at all, really.

In contrast Tremblant, Mosport, and Calabogie are thrilling. Challenging, technical corners; blind apexes; off-camber corners; elevation changes; mix of low/moderate/high speed corners; etc. etc. Each of them has a nice flow. Each is very rewarding to drive. Each offers ample opportunities to safely complete a pass on each lap.

[imprttuner88]

It's a stop-and-start track with absolutely zero flow to it. Long straights connected by painfully slow corners and zero runoff. Basically: hard on the gas for a 1/4 of a mile, then slow the car down almost to a complete stop, then crawl around the corners, then get hard back on the gas for another 1/4 mile. Yawn. Nowhere to pass except the hairpin. No elevation changes. No finesse. Nothing interesting at all, really.

In contrast Tremblant, Mosport, and Calabogie are thrilling. Challenging, technical corners; blind apexes; off-camber corners; elevation changes; mix of low/moderate/high speed corners; etc. etc. Each of them has a nice flow. Each is very rewarding to drive. Each offers ample opportunities to safely complete a pass on each lap.

Absolutely great answer! As a viewer/fan I suppose I never looked at it that way. Now off to search some footage of these other tracks...

[SkinnyVT]

Of all the tracks in eastern Canada, why the f-ck did they choose Gilles Villeneuve? Tremblant, Mosport, or Calabogie would have been 1,000,000x cooler.

While I 100% agree that Tremblant, Mosport and 'Bogie are better tracks. The reason they pick Gilles Villeneuve is because it is in Montreal which means easier to get high attendance which means more $$$ for the organizers. Also, there aren't any grandstands at any of the other tracks. Tremblant has stuff to do around it but have you been to Calabogie, while it is an incredibly fun track it is pretty much in the middle of absolutely no where.

[Charlie]

Of all the tracks in eastern Canada, why the f-ck did they choose Gilles Villeneuve? Tremblant, Mosport, or Calabogie would have been 1,000,000x cooler.

Because the nationwide series runs there that weekend as well. They're running as a support race.

-Charlie

[imprttuner88]

yeah, I guess I should have mentioned the Nationwide series as well

[Emre]

While I 100% agree that Tremblant, Mosport and 'Bogie are better tracks. The reason they pick Gilles Villeneuve is because it is in Montreal which means easier to get high attendance which means more $$$ for the organizers.

That's all fine...but it's not like Grand-Am attracts any significant numbers of spectators. If anything, they make their money from TV coverage. Certainly not from ticket sales.

Because the nationwide series runs there that weekend as well. They're running as a support race.

Ah. That explains it.

[BigD]

Of all the tracks in eastern Canada, why the f-ck did they choose Gilles Villeneuve? Tremblant, Mosport, or Calabogie would have been 1,000,000x cooler.

For the same reason that F1 will never be at any "good" track. Good tracks are hard to televise and hard for people to see (usually due to the elevation changes, you can usually only see one, two turns max from any one place). If you've ever driven up to MoSport or Tremblant, can you imagine trying to get a world class crew, helicopters et al, over there? The closest thing MoSport has to a hotel is an outhouse. No self respecting big budget team would ever be ok with it. Oh well, more dates open for us normies.

[Emre]

If you've ever driven up to MoSport or Tremblant, can you imagine trying to get a world class crew, helicopters et al, over there? The closest thing MoSport has to a hotel is an outhouse. No self respecting big budget team would ever be ok with it. Oh well, more dates open for us normies.

Yeah, I know...I've been driving and instructing at both circuits for maybe 10 years now.

But we have seen SCCA World Challenge events at both venues recently. We see races televised form Lime Rock, Mid-Ohio, VIR, Laguna Seca, and other venues with significant elevation changes and blind corners. So, I don't think TV is the big problem. It's the live crowds.

I'm 100% sure the teams would rather run Tremblant or Mosport than Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. All else being equal, I don't think anyone would care about Mosport's outhouses or whatever.

[RLLOVER]

Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is a logistical nightmare from a G-A team standpoint.

We have to take the subway to the track and back because there isn't enough parking for the Grand-Am guys. So you better load all the drinks and food you want for the weekend on the truck. That means no fresh anything. There is no room for the Sahlen's tent. So that means the only meals you can get are from track stands that are on the other side of the track from the garage, and you can't get to them while people are on track... wich is all f'ing day.

Then there is the 1.1 mile treck one way from our garage to the pit area. They don't let you in until the other guys are out, and if you miss the window to be on the access road, it can take 15 minutes to go a mile due to traffic. It's not the track to have any issues that take you off schedule.

It is fun winning there though.

[kishg]

yeah, it's a royal pita just watching f1 there, i can imagine how bad it is for the teams. that said, i'm glad it's back on the f1 calender for 2010. will have to start reserving hotel rooms soon.

[BigD]

Yeah, I know...I've been driving and instructing at both circuits for maybe 10 years now.

Does your last name begin with K by any chance? If so, small world, I've done a school with you at Tremblant in '03 (or could have been 04...)!

But we have seen SCCA World Challenge events at both venues recently. We see races televised form Lime Rock, Mid-Ohio, VIR, Laguna Seca, and other venues with significant elevation changes and blind corners. So, I don't think TV is the big problem. It's the live crowds.

I'm 100% sure the teams would rather run Tremblant or Mosport than Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. All else being equal, I don't think anyone would care about Mosport's outhouses or whatever.

I'm not saying it's impossible, or that the teams wouldn't make it happen if told to do so. But they have a choice and other than Gilles, the Canadian tracks just don't provide the facilities that any serious outfit (both the series and the teams) would expect. That includes having proper pits, not tents, and living quarters, not living in their trucks.

The real shame in my eyes, is that the Canadian tracks have no real excuse. Mosport has acres of space where they could build some 4 star condos, clean the place up, chop down some forest and put in some proper infield roads, parking and seating. I think Canadians just prefer to pretend that motorsport doesn't really exist - it's just some goofy thing that europeans do, and you can watch it on Sunday at 3 AM if you must.

[IsItElectric?]

Nice....I'll probably make June 5-6 at the Glen. 2009 has been the first year in many I haven't made it to the Glen for a race