September 20, 2006

IRL's plans might include Daytona race

By Curt Cavin
curt.cavin (AT) indystar (DOT) com

Indy-car racing at Daytona International Speedway no longer sounds like
a far-fetched idea, Indy Racing League president Brian Barnhart said
Tuesday.

In fact, Barnhart said during a national teleconference that next
week's compatibility test at NASCAR's home in Daytona Beach, Fla.,
could be a preview of a race to come.

Previously, league officials insisted that Daytona only would be used
as a preseason testing venue.

"We've got to take steps first," Barnhart said of the test. "But the
goal should be to race down there sometime in the future."


http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dl...54/1004/SPORTS
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scottscottscott wrote:
fans that have shunned Indy cars in the past as the pointy cars. First
I can't see it working even on the road course.

First the infield area is loaded with armco. Not good, especially for
open wheel cars. The track on the infield section can be quite narrow.
With the limited road racing experience of those "heros of the short
tracks" the challenging nature of the course would add a degree of
difficulty that I don't think many of them would be able to cope.

The chicane on the back straight would help, but the acceleration of
these cars would have them up to speed so fast that I think they will be
surprised at the speeds of the Nascar turns. It will lead to a braking
that will not be matched anywhere else in the series season.

Frankly there have been very good reasons why they haven't raced there
since the 50s. I see nothing that has happened to or changed to make
those good reasons such that they no longer apply to the current situation.