|
 |   |
|
EVENTS Fantasy Central Inside Game Multimedia Central Statitudes Your Turn Message Boards Email Newsletters Golf Guide Cities Work in Sports
CNNSI.com GROUP
COMMERCE
|  |
A brief history Despite layoff, F1 has a rich tradition in the U.S.
LONDON (Reuters) -- The world championship returns to The Brickyard for the first time for 40 years on Sunday. Indianapolis, venue of Sunday's U.S. Grand Prix, was one of the seven original circuits used in the first title-chasing season of 1950. Eddie Jordan, whose team made their F1 debut at Phoenix in the last American race in 1991, relishes the return to the United States. He said he believed Indianapolis, dubbed “The Brickyard” because of the nature of the original track surface, was the world centre for motor racing fans. “I think that this is absolutely the number one,” Jordan said. “And, I say that without any reservations. “When I was manager of Stefan Johansson I stood on the front row for an Indy 500 race and to see those stands full with 350,000 to 400,000 people was probably the greatest sporting thrill I have had. “I couldn't believe the atmosphere.” Jordan told AtlasF1 that F1 had not had “anything like the same ratio of appeal” in the United States. “It is up to us to help them (American fans) understand it, to get it more exciting, to show the technology of it and to make sure the drivers become household names.” Indianapolis is best known as the home of the Indy 500 run on its vast oval track in front of huge crowds. Sunday's race will use a purpose-built infield circuit that uses only part of the main straight and turn one from the oval. In the past Indianapolis has hosted races which included Grand Prix machines and drivers but they were run to local regulations. It was little surprise that they were dominated by American drivers with their specialist cars and techniques for the oval and that few Europeans ventured across to take part. By the time they did, with some hope of success in the 1960s, the Indy 500 was no longer part of the F1 world championship. The 500 victories in 1965 and 1966 by Britons Jim Clark and Graham Hill came when it no longer counted as a Grand Prix. By then the U.S. Grand Prix had moved to a series of new venues in an itinerant existence. It has been staged at several venues under several names. It has been known as the United States Grand Prix (East) and also as (West) and enjoyed the labels given by Las Vegas, Dallas and Phoenix. In all, there have been 54 rounds of the F1 world championship run in the United States, a total that compares with 70 in Italy and 58 in Germany. The race was held for varying spells at Sebring in Florida, Riverside in California, Watkins Glen in upstate New York and at Long Beach in California. But it declined in popularity in the 1980s when the Las Vegas race was staged in Caesar's Palace hotel's car park in 1981, a year which also saw “American” events run in Detroit and Long Beach. A street circuit event was also held at Dallas in 1984 but once was enough in the unsuitable environment. The last three versions of the U.S. race were held on a street circuit in Phoenix and all were won by the late Ayrton Senna. McLaren team chief Ron Dennis said: “I think a world championship that contains America is a better world championship. “The U.S. is full of national sport, which makes it difficult for other sports to penetrate, and for financial reasons F1 has lost races to CART in the past. “But Indy has given us the chance to return...The razzmatazz should be colourful and amusing and hopefully we'll have a good race to satisfy a sell-out audience.”
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
| ||||||||||||||||||||
