IndyCar to open season on a Sambadrome in Brazil
SAO PAULO (AP) -The IndyCar Series will open its season on the streets of South America's biggest city, parading through a Sambadrome and a mile-long straightaway that is the series' longest ever.
The inaugural Sao Paulo Indy 300 will kick-start the IRL season on March 14, marking the return of Indy-style cars to Brazil for the first time since the CART series ran in Rio de Janeiro from 1996-2000.
The race in Sao Paulo will be a great show, the track is awesome, Brazilian driver Tony Kanaan said. I can't wait to see the stands filled with fans and to feel their enthusiasm.''
The 2.6-mile temporary street circuit in Sao Paulo is highlighted by the Anhembi Sambadrome, a stadium-like venue where Sao Paulo's traditional Carnival parades are watched by tens of thousands of revelers every year in this city of nearly 12 million people.
The Sambadrome stretches for about a third of a mile, flanked by grandstands and VIP suites on both sides that accommodate nearly 30,000 people. It is where the 75-lap race will start and end, and where the podium celebration will take place.
The Sambadrome will lead to a chicane called the Samba S,'' which will be built just across from where colorful Carnival floats from last month's parades remain parked in public view.
Another unique feature at the Anhembi track will be its back straightaway, which at just short of a mile is the longest of all 17 tracks visited by the series this season. It also is longer than any at other venues the series has raced before, according to track designer Tony Cotman.
Drivers are expected to reach nearly 190 mph around the halfway point of the straightaway, which runs parallel to the Rio Tiete.
The straightaway, which will be followed by a sharp hairpin leading to the front straight, should provide drivers several passing opportunities.
It's a special circuit,'' Cotman said. It will provide a great opportunity for Indy and its drivers to put on a good show.''
Cotman said the track is similar to the one in Surfers Paradise, Australia, which also is fast and provides several passing opportunities. The other four street races in the 2010 season will be in St. Petersburg, Fla.; Long Beach, Calif.; Toronto; and Edmonton, Alberta.
The announcement that Sao Paulo was picked for the race in Brazil was made only in November and organizers didn't have much time to chose a location in the city and set up the track. Construction began in January, and although not everything is completed, organizers guarantee the track will be ready in time.
Auto racing's governing body, FIA, was inspecting the track Wednesday and will decide whether any changes or adjustments are needed.
Weather is a concern for organizers, as Sao Paulo commonly faces severe flooding at this time of the year. It rained for nearly 50 days straight earlier this year, and road closures because of flooding were almost a daily occurrence, including at the Marginal Tiete highway, which is where the long back straightaway is located.
Organizers said, however, that measures are in place to avoid the floods and dismissed the possibility that any significant problems will jeopardize the event.
Sao Paulo was one of the many cities that tried to bring an Indy race back to Brazil. Rio de Janeiro, Salvador in northeastern Brazil and the interior Sao Paulo state cities of Campinas and Ribeirao Preto also bid for the event, but organizers chose the country's financial center mostly because of its infrastructure.
I looked at six or seven different locations, Cotman said. ``Sao Paulo has more traffic than most places in the world, so that was an important factor. (But) Anhembi has an infrastructure already in place ... and that was key in the decision.''
In addition, Brazil is the home country of the IRL's biggest sponsor last season, APEX-Brasil, which provides ethanol fuel for the IndyCars. Brazil is the world's biggest ethanol exporter, and a huge consumer. The fuel powers most new cars sold in the South American country.
Six Brazilian drivers are set to compete at the inaugural race in Sao Paulo - Helio Castroneves, Tony Kanaan, Vitor Meira, Mario Romancini, Raphael Matos and Bia Figueiredo. Mario Moraes may also make the field.
Sao Paulo also will host the season finale for the Formula One season in November, and currently is the only city to host both events in the same year. Sao Paulo also will host a race for the GT1 World Championship.