The CART cars are quite a bit bigger, dimensionally, as well as considerably
heavier (some 400 lbs.), but the main visual differences are that CART
drivers don't sit with their feet hiked up in the air (within F1's
predatory-looking beaks) and the CART cars are shod with tires that look
like pukka racing tires (low sidewalls, no treads). I was shocked, shocked
at the speed differentials, too - in the GPL era, Champ cars and F1s could
lap at abt. the same speeds, but now the F1s are hugely faster (6 sec./lap
at Montreal). Drivers who have driven both types say the biggest perceived
difference is the F1 cars' carbon fiber brakes (vs. CART's low-tech,
low-cost cast iron). As the***pit views show, the CART cars are a lot
nastier to drive - the drivers are really fighting the wheel all the way
around the circuit.
I haven't seen a comparison of the crowds, tho. Looked like a nice turnout.
At least the Canadiens had somebody to cheer for. The only decent Yank
performance was from a former beach bum. Speaking of former, maybe CART
should change its name to Formerly American Racing Teams?
--Steve
John
> The CART cars are quite a bit bigger, dimensionally, as well as
considerably
> heavier (some 400 lbs.), but the main visual differences are that CART
> drivers don't sit with their feet hiked up in the air (within F1's
> predatory-looking beaks) and the CART cars are shod with tires that look
> like pukka racing tires (low sidewalls, no treads). I was shocked,
shocked
> at the speed differentials, too - in the GPL era, Champ cars and F1s could
> lap at abt. the same speeds, but now the F1s are hugely faster (6 sec./lap
> at Montreal). Drivers who have driven both types say the biggest
perceived
> difference is the F1 cars' carbon fiber brakes (vs. CART's low-tech,
> low-cost cast iron). As the***pit views show, the CART cars are a lot
> nastier to drive - the drivers are really fighting the wheel all the way
> around the circuit.
> I haven't seen a comparison of the crowds, tho. Looked like a nice
turnout.
> At least the Canadiens had somebody to cheer for. The only decent Yank
> performance was from a former beach bum. Speaking of former, maybe CART
> should change its name to Formerly American Racing Teams?
> --Steve
> > The F1 TV footage we get in the states...I know NOT the digital
> > channels...but what F1 provided really hid how gorgeous the Montreal
area
> > is. For all I knew the Circuit JV was merely a concrete lined parking
> lot.
> > The Cart broadcast, done by Canadien TV I think, had plenty of
> airborne
> > views that showed the island in a really good light. And the Champcars
> just
> > seemed bigger and brighter than the usual F1 views...I'm starting to
feel
> > cheated... :0
> > dave henrie
Those aren't the racing tires. Every team has a set of 'travel tires'
the moment the racing is done they pull off the slicks. I suppose it could
be a housekeeping issue. The trailers would be full of gravel and dirt and
such from being drug in with the still warm sticky racing tires.
If you notice when Shinji Nakanno climbed out of his dead car in the
pits...the team was NOT putting tires on. They left the racing tires off so
they could grab the traveling tires.(probably saved the team a couple of
thousand dollars too.
dave henrie
It is the only big city I know of that has a beautiful montain next to the
downtown area. I walked from the centre of the city, full of skyscrapers,
and 10 minutes later was wandering along a beautiful mountain trail on Mont
Royal, with not a sign of civilisation in sight.
Everyone is really friendly, and the atmosphere is laid back, with many
street markets, and street festivals. The locals are even happy to speak to
English to you, which makes a pleasant change from France where I get so
many bad looks as soon as I'm identified as an Anglophile.
Oh yeah - the bagels in Montreal are simple the best in the world - they
leave NYC for dead. If nothing else, you MUST try a Montreal bagel. I bought
a duffel bug just for bagels and brough 60 of them back to London to freeze.
Keith.
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There's a 2000 miles of difference between French from France and French
from Qubec you know ;-D
freeze.
Yeah we're known for that. Oh, and smoked meat sandwiches. And poutine.
<self-appreciation>
-- Fran?ois Mnard <ymenard>
-- MTFBWY
> > Steve, I was surprised to see one of the CART cars that went into the
> > kitty litter(can't remember which one), at Road America, have heavily
> > treaded rear tires. Almost looked like rain tires. Any idea what that
> was
> > about ?
> > It was after the race, they were washing it down.
> > John
> Those aren't the racing tires. Every team has a set of 'travel tires'
> the moment the racing is done they pull off the slicks. I suppose it
could
> be a housekeeping issue. The trailers would be full of gravel and dirt
and
> such from being drug in with the still warm sticky racing tires.
> If you notice when Shinji Nakanno climbed out of his dead car in the
> pits...the team was NOT putting tires on. They left the racing tires off
so
> they could grab the traveling tires.(probably saved the team a couple of
> thousand dollars too.
> dave henrie
John
I hate to say it, but they had to show something, there wasn't much racing
to show, thats forsure.
Looked like a completely full house. They didn't have the grandstands
at turns 6-7 erected, but they only hold a small number of people (I
was in them for last years race). They said they had 100,000 for
Friday-Saturday qualifying. So, I think they probably consider it a
success.
It's a beautiful circuit, and a beautiful city. And, SpeedChannel's
coverage did quite a bit better job than Bernie's World Feed.
