There have been a lot of rumors about the AMA looking to add IMS to the schedual next year, and Erion is supposed to test there this month to check out the posiblity of running motorcyles on the F1 track. Did anybody see the F1 race there yesterday? I watched it just to check out the track. There seems to be a lot of concrete walls in very bad spots, but that has never stoped the AMA before. I think it would take a whole bunch of Air fence to make the place safe, but overall it is a very, very nice track. I would be very excited to partisipate at a race at IMS as long as I didn't have to race there...... What do you guys think?
I don't know. Haven't walked the track. Which walls make you nervous? I would think that place would be awful expensive for an AMA race....
The only wall I can think of (other than the straight) is the Oval T1, if they can make some kind of a chicane going onto it I think it might be somewhat safe. But as it is now I don't think it's any more dangerous than Daytona.
I've been going to the brickyard for about 7 years now, and started going to the f1 races since they started. the first time I saw the track, I said it would be a shame not to run bikes there, the opposite dirrection of nascar, same dirrection as f1. Personally, I would cut of one nut to have a chance to race there!
Heard today first hand that A Ducati team and another team is going to be running the f1 track from 10 to 12 and 1 to 3 tomorrow. All press would be turned away but you could get into the infield to the musem to see that bikes run.
Heard today first hand that A Ducati team and another team is going to be running the I would love to see that, but my racing habit requires me to work. thanks for the info though!
Check it out: http://www.amasuperbike.com/2003-Sep/030930nj.htm I talked with someone at IMS today. After I begged him to give me the scoop, he quietly told me what was up, and said, "KEEP IT ON THE LOW DOWN!!!" I told him to check out amasuperbike.com. OOPPPS!!! Shocker, somone let the cat outta the bag. Guess who's going to the ehr...museum tomorrow. I'll see if they let me in with my video camera, or just my digital camera. Tony George has been talking about motorcycles for a while now. As long ago as two years back he was quoted in the press as having an interest. The old article, which I cannot find, he said he'd do it when he felt it was right. First concern was an open weekend on the World motorcycle schedule, and that needed to coincide with the track being set up for F1. Hard to move all those stands, and then move them back 4 times a year. With F1 moving to June 20th next year, what's the schedule look like? They're talking as early as 2004. With the recent success at Barber, this would have to be World superbike, I'd imagine. Then again, in this article http://www.indystar.com/print/articles/5/059207-3845-141.html, Tony G says this: Q: You added NASCAR and F-1. Are you planning any new events for the Speedway? A: Not really. I want these three events to be the best they can be. Some people talk to me about motorcycle races or endurance races for cars, but they are not a priority for me. Interesting, considering they are going to be testing tomorrow. The odd spot they're worried about is the S turn just after the back straight. It would be probably going from 6th to 1st gear for bikes. By the way, I got to walk across the back straight on Thursday. The track is smooth as glass. I've got a picture from under the bridge down down into the S, if I can figure out how to post it. I think it would be torture on the brakes for bikes. Just the sight of that turn coming up on you at nearly 200 MPH might be enough to cause an oil slick in your leathers. As far as the other walled turns, I've heard talk of them using the pit road, which now extends all the way to the 500's back staight. Therefore, if you go down, you'd have to slide off that road, through some grass, back onto the 11 degree banking, and then somehow make it up the track to hit the wall. We'll see if they use that tomorrow. I'm not sure how far they'll let us wander around tomorrow, but I was told we could get up on the mound in the back straight. That would allow me to see turns one all the way through to the back straight. WOO HOO! I'm getting pumped.
Anyone can go and watch, below is a respone I got a few days ago from the administrative office. Not sure where the times of 10-12 and 1-3 where gotten above, but I called the admin office this morning and they don't have a definite schedule. Meetings this morning and will probably be on the track around 10 - 10:30, but that is all they knew. ******************************** now there is . . . two teams representing the AMA Superbike series will be testing on the IMS road course this Wed. Oct. 1. This will be a private "compatibility" test. Fans and media can observe the test in the South Terrace Grandstand. "AMA is taking advantage of the fact IMS is in its road course configuration coming off the USGP, so it was a good time to conduct a compatibility test. This doesn't mean there will necessarily ever be a superbike race." Indianapolis Motor Speedway 4790 West 16th Street Indianapolis, IN 46222 Phone: (317) 492-6780 Fax: (317) 492-6482 New Website: www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com *********************************
Just got back. showed up a few minutes after they stopped testing. The reports from some folks around the track are that they were at full lien almost all the way through Indy's turn 1 and 2. A security guard told we that he herd over the radio, "One of 'em almost lost it in turn one. He come out and did that wiggle thingee." Not sure he was a huge AMA fan. Aside from that, nobody really saw much that I know of. Security was pretty tight, not letting anyone get back down around anything but those two turns. There was one chap I saw coming out with a video camera. I asked if he got some footage, to which he gave no reply. After asking three times, he finally responded with, "yeah, so what of it?" I think he might have thought I was going to take away his ultra secret footage or something. I bet the video hits the net sometime soon. So, that's the big Indy report. If anyone cares, they ran a little after 10 until a little after 12, took lunch, and came back out for another few laps. First, each seperate, and then two together. People said it looked like Bussei and Zemke. Then, someone with orange on their leathers on the Ducati. Who might that be? Or just Bussei with different leathers?
Story on the test: AMA Bikes Test On Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course Pictures from the test jcr
www.indystar.com A few of their details are wrong, but some good info. www.ussuperbike.com will have a more detailed story on Thursday.
