Cleveland's first Champ Car night race was hailed a massive success by all concerned and now more night-time road races are expected to fill the CART calendar in 2004.
Indycar legend Mario Andretti raved about the night race at the disused waterfront airport in Cleveland: "I think it was a brilliant idea. It was great to watch the brakes light up". The former F1 and CART champion felt it was yet another positive step for CART as it seeks to connect with a disillusioned fan-base: "People get much more of a feel of the punishment drivers are having to put their cars through."
Special metal floor pans added to the Lola and Reynard machines added to the spectacle as sparks flew from underneath each car over the bumpy airfield track. Up-and-coming CART racer Oriol Servia enjoyed the addition of the 'spark boards': "When you're behind a car, you see the sparks and you feel part of something cool."
Race organisers were particular happy with the impact the night race had on attendance. Over 110,000 spectators attended the event, the highest Cleveland attendance for five years, raising speculation that CART will host more events in the future.
This season has seen night races at the Milwaukee oval and the Cleveland track. Lighting specialist Musco Lighting, who cut their teeth on Winston Cup night races, have gained valuable experience in lighting the event which is a much larger project than lighting an enclose oval area. Other street races such as Toronto, Vancouver and Brands Hatch are now expected to consider the viability of running night races next season.
Back to CART News & Discussion Page
Back to Main Page
Visit
Linksheaven! The Motor Racing Directory
© 2000 motorsportforum@yahoo.co.uk