V8 Supercar: Race Driver - Strategy Guide (Page 04)
Below are the cheat codes, hints and help for V8 Supercar: Race Driver - Strategy Guide (Page 04).
# March 1, 1998-Inaugural Las Vegas 400 NASCAR Winston Cup, won by Mark Martin. # Oct. 11, 1998-Pep Boys Indy Racing League Las Vegas 500k, won by Arie Luyendyk. # Nov. 8, 1998-NASCAR Craftsman Truck Sam's Town 250, won by Jack Sprague. # March 6, 1999-NASCAR Busch Series Sam's Town 300, won by Mark Martin. # March 7, 1999-NASCAR Winston Cup Las Vegas 400, won by Jeff Burton. # September 24, 1999-Nascar Craftsman Truck Series Orleans 250, won by Greg Biffle # September 25, 1999-Nascar Winston West Gold Coast 150, won by Kevin Richards # September 26, 1999-Pep Boys Indy Racing League Vegas.com., won by Sam Schmidt # March 5, 2000-NASCAR Busch Series Sam's Town 300, won by Jeff Burton # March 6, 2000-NASCAR Winston Cup Series Carsdirect.com 400, won by Jeff Burton # April 7, 2000-Inaugural NHRA Summitracing.com Nationals, winners were Kenny Bernstein (TF), Jim Epler (FC), Jeg Coughlin Jr. (PS), Bob Panella (PST), Angelle Seeling (PSB) # April 21, 2000-NASCAR Winston West, Orleans 150, won by David Starr # April 21, 2000-IRL Vegas Indy 300, won by Al Unser Jr. # March 1, 2001-NASCAR Winston West NAPA 300, won by Mark Reed # March 3, 2001-NASCAR Busch Series Sam's Town 300, won by Todd Bodine # March 4, 2001-NASCAR Winston Cup UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400, won by Jeff Gordon # April 8, 2001-NHRA Summitracing.com Nationals, won by Kenny Bernstein (TF), Tommy Johnson Jr. (FC), Jeg Coughlin Jr. (PS), Bob Panella (PST) # Oct. 14, 2001, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Orleans 350, won by Ted Musgrave # Oct. 28, 2001, Inaugural NHRA ACDelco Las Vegas Nationals, won by Darrell Russell (TF), Ron Capps (FC), Mark Pawuk (PS) and Shaun Gann (Bikes) # March 2, 2002, NASCAR Busch Series Sam's Town 300, won by Jeff Burton. # March 3, 2002, NASCAR Winston Cup UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400, won by Sterling Marlin # April 7,2002, NHRA Summitracing.com Nationals, won by Larry Dixon (TF), Gary Densham (FC) and Ron Krisher (PS). See the official Web site for more information. ============================================== CIRCUIT HISTORY: MAGNY-COURS Characterized by its three parallel straightaways (which can be aurally difficult for drivers while on the middle straightaway), Nevers Magny-Cours has hosted F1 events since 1991. The 4.226-kilometer (2.641-mile) circuit is also used for Motorbikes Championship, FIA GT Championship, Formula Renault 2000 Eurocup, FIA Sportcar Championship, Formula Nissan, historical races, and various endurance races. F1 winners at Nevers Magny-Cours: Nigel Mansell (1991 and 1992), Alain Prost (1993), Michael Schumacher (1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2001, and 2002), Damon Hill (1996), Heinz-Harald Frentzen (1999), and David Coulthard (2000). Visit the official Web site for more information. Unfortunately, the site does not include any circuit history in either the French- or English-language versions of the site. ============================================== CIRCUIT HISTORY: MANTORP PARK The official Web site is currently available only in Swedish, so a circuit history is not available in English. ============================================== CIRCUIT HISTORY: MEXICO This 2.75-mile (4.40-kilometer) permanent road circuit began hosting CART events in 2001. As such, there is no real history available for this circuit. Please see the official Web site for information. ============================================== CIRCUIT HISTORY: MONZA Originally opened in 1922 to commemorate the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Milan Automobile Club, the Monza circuit (Autodromo Nazionale Monza), near Milan, Italy, has been the site of more F1 grand prix events than any other. The Monza circuit has seen numerous configurations, including the famous banked section from 1955 to 1961. Monza has always been an incredibly fast race venue... and with this speed comes even greater danger. Phil Hill's 1961 race victory (his second consecutive win at Monza) was severely overshadowed by a collision between Jim Clark and Wolfgang von Trips which took the lives of the latter driver and over one dozen spectators. A 1970 mechanical failure during Qualifying killed Jochen Rindt, so one may not be surprised that chicanes, guard rails, and reinforced fencing were added beginning in 1972 as an attempt to slow the cars and make Monza's events safer for all involved; however, the chicanes specifically were really just makeshift safety measures due to the increasing performance in virtually all realms of motorsport. In more recent years, the opening lap of the 2000 Grand Prix of Italy was seriously marred by the death of a trackside race marshal due to all the flying debris at the Roggia Chicane (the second chicane of the circuit). While there were no dangerous incidents at the 2001 Grand Prix of Italy, that particular event happened to be scheduled for the first weekend following the world- shocking terrorist attacks on the United States (September 11, 2001) AND the near-fatal accident at a new race venue in Germany (the previous afternoon) which forced the amputation of the legs of CART driver Alex Zanardi; these events cast a dark shadow over the race itself as well as the entire Grand Prix weekend. On a far more positive note, Williams driver Juan Pablo Montoya - truly making his first great impact upon the F1 world following several years of astounding success in CART - broke Keke Rosberg's twenty-seven-year record for the fastest ever F1 qualifying lap. Rosberg's then record-setting lap was 259.005KPH (161.878MPH) set at Silverstone; Montoya's new record-setting lap was 259.827KPH (162.392MPH). What makes Montoya's achievement even more impressive is that Michelin- shod F1 vehicles (led by Williams and McLaren) have generally not been able to compete with Bridgestone-shod cars (led by Ferrari). The Monza circuit has seen all sorts of motorsport events, including motorcycles and touring cars, and currently is 5.736 kilometers (3.585 miles) in length. A recent Italian telefilm on the life of Enzzo Ferrari exclusively used the Monza circuit for its racing shots using time-appropriate vehicles. Notable F1 winners at Monza: Alberto Ascari (1951 and 1952), Juan Manuel Fangio (1953-1955), Stirling Moss (1956 and 1957), Stirling Moss (1959), Jim Clark (1963), Jackie Stewart (1965 and 1969), Emerson Fittipaldi (1972), Mario Andretti (1977), Niki Lauda (1978 and 1984), Alain Prost (1981, 1985, and 1989), Nelson Piquet (1983, 1986, and 1987), Ayrton Senna (1990 and 1992), Michael Schumacher (1996, 1998, 2000, and 2002), and Juan Pablo Montoya (2001). The official Web site of Autodromo Nazionale Monza has plenty of great information, including a large track map of Monza's various configurations and plenty of images of racing action on Monza's banked turns. ============================================== CIRCUIT HISTORY: NORISRING The official Web site is only available in German, so a circuit history is not available. ============================================== CIRCUIT HISTORY: NURBURGRING Originally 22.677 kilometers (14.173 miles) in length, the Nurburgring first opened in 1927 (following two years of construction) and is still going strong. The opening events featured motorcycles (June 18, 1927), with cars featured the following day. The 1939 German Grand Prix was the final race at Nurburgring for quite some time due to the beginning of World War II. The circuit itself was damaged in the closing months of the war, but racing returned to Nurburgring in 1947. However, there were no races at Nurburgring in 1948, as the circuit was being brought up to safety standards. Nurburgring began hosting F1 events in 1951. Estimates show that 400,000 spectators came to the track for the 1954 F1 race. In 1958, however, the F1 race saw the death of Peter Collins as his Ferrari went out of control. The 1968 world motorcycle championship at Nurburgring had a strange stoppage: a forest fire. The F1 Grand Prix later that year had nearly impossible visibility due to intense rain and fog. In 1970, the Northern Loop of the circuit was called into question after numerous accidents. Improvements were made for the following year, when 130,000 spectators witnessed Jackie Stewart winning the F1 Grand Prix. More improvements were demanded in 1974 (first by motorcyclists, then by F1 drivers). When Nikki Lauda was seriously injured in 1976, the Northern Loop was decommissioned as an F1 venue. A new, shorter circuit was then designed and built, opening in 1984 at 4.542 kilometers (2.839 miles) in length. Alan Prost won that year's European Grand Prix. In 1986, however, the F1 race moved to Hockenheim. 1995 saw the return of F1 to Nurburgring, and the historic race venue has produced excellent races ever since. Some of the notable F1 winners at Nurburgring: Alberto Ascari (1951 and 1952), Juan Manuel Fangio (1954-1956), Stirling Moss (1961), Jim Clark (1965), Jack Brabham (1966), Jackie Stewart (1968, 1971, and 1973), Alain Prost (1984), Michael Schumacher (1995, 2000, and 2001), Jacques Villeneuve (1996 and 1997), Mika Hakkinen (1998), and Rubens Barrichello (2002). See the official Web site for plenty more details about the Nurburgring. ============================================== CIRCUIT HISTORY: ORAN PARK Oran Park contains two separate circuits which are joined for form the Grand Prix circuit of 2.7 kilometers (1.7 miles) which is used for V8 Supercar. From the official Web site: Oran Park is a motorsport facility steeped in history. The facility was established by the Singer Car Club 40 years ago. In its early days it would host one race per day. The circuit initially consisted only of the current south circuit, with the extended Grand Prix figure-8 layout not being incorporated into the track until the 1970s. Oran Park has played to host to a number unique and exciting events. It has hosted Australian Grand Prix, been the home of truck racing and was the home of the final round of the Australian Touring Car Championship for quite some time. Oran Park was instrumental in running Sports Sedans racing, that captivated Sydney motor racing fans in the 1970s (and still proves very popular today). Oran Park is a multi-faceted faclity, and includes a number of separate tracks and a driver training facility. Oran Park boasts the famous Grand Prix circuit, which is a challenging figure-8 layout, with a combination of fast sweepers and tight, technical corners. The Grand Prix Circuit is able to be split up and used concurrently as South and North Circuits. The South Cicuit incorporates the long straight, while the North Circuit incorporates the figure-8 section of the track and is a short and challenging track. Additionally, Oran Park has a Skid Pan for driver training, two dirt circuits for off road events, a motorcross track, and a popular go-kart circuit. See the official Web site for more information. ============================================== CIRCUIT HISTORY: OSCHERSLEBEN The official Web site is only available in German, so a circuit history is not available. ============================================== CIRCUIT HISTORY: OULTON PARK Located near Cheshire, England, this circuit hosts British Touring Car Championship, British Superbike Championship, and British GT Championship, along with numerous club series. Official circuit history from Octagon Motorsports: Oulton Park first established itself as the North West's premier motorsport venue in the 1950s. A decade later, it was hosting international meetings, and among the winners were household names such as Stirling Moss, Jack Brabham, Jackie Stewart and Graham Hill. The circuit has been extended over the years, and boasts the unique distinction of having three circuits in one. This allows Oulton Park to present a racing programme that includes something for just about every motorsport enthusiast. Unusually, it is also able to seat spectators within the perimeter of the circuit, providing unrivalled views of the action. See the official Web site of Octagon Motorsports for more information on this and other Octagon Motorsports race venues in the United Kingdom. ============================================== CIRCUIT HISTORY: PHILLIP ISLAND In 1952, the Phillip Island Auto Racing Club was formed with the vision of building the first international grand prix circuit in Australia. In December 1956, the circuit finally opened. Major events held at Phillip Island include Australian Superbike Championship, World Superbike Championship, V8 Supercar Championship Series, Konica V8 Supercars, and Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix. See the official Web site for more information, including a highly-detailed circuit history. ============================================== CIRCUIT HISTORY: ROCKINGHAM Rockingham Motor Speedway hosts an 'oval' circuit plus an infield road circuit (i.e., a 'stadium circuit'), allowing for many types of racing at this British facility. Events here include Ascar Oval Race Meeting, Classic Motorcycle Race Meeting, British Superbike Race Meeting, F3/GT, ASCAR Oval Race Meeting, CART Rockingham 500, Uniroyal Challenge with Formula Palmer Audi & VSR Club Race Meeting, and BRDC Winter Raceday. See the official Web site for more information. Unfortunately, a circuit history is not given on the official Web site. ============================================== CIRCUIT HISTORY: SANDOWN The official Web site is extremely slow and virtually unresponsive at the time of the initial writing of this game guide. ============================================== CIRCUIT HISTORY: SEARS POINT Sears Point Raceway is now officially known as Infineon Raceway. This is the site of one of NASCAR's two road circuit events each year, providing a drastic change for the oval-dedicated stock car drivers. Circuit history from the official Web site: Since 1968, Infineon Raceway has provided the best in motorsports action. From the fender-rubbing action of NASCAR Winston Cup and ground pounding thunder of NHRA Drag Racing to the grassroots SCCA road races and AFM motorcycle events, Infineon Raceway has played host to many of racing's greatest moments and stars. Racing legends such as Mario Andretti, Al Unser, Dan Gurney, Kenny Roberts, Dale Earnhardt, Shirley Muldowney and Don 'The Snake' Prudhomme, as well as modern day stars including Jeff Gordon, Rusty Wallace, Ron Hornaday Jr., Miguel DuHamel and John Force, have all left their indelible marks at this unique and historic facility. NASCARInfineon Raceway is arguably the world's busiest racing facility, with track activity scheduled an average of 340 days a year. It is one of the nation's only high performance automotive industrial parks. Under the ownership and vision of Speedway Motorsports Incorporated, Infineon Raceway is poised to reach new heights in facility development and in the quality of events it offers fans. What follows is a brief history of how Infineon Raceway came to be one of North America's most complete and versatile motorsports complex: In the Beginning Franklin Sears was born in Indiana in 1817. He spent his childhood in Missouri, and in 1844 ventured westward to Oregon. He left home with his friend, Granville Swift, a rifle, mule and $1.50 in his pocket. After one winter in Oregon, Sears was fed up with the rain and headed south. He volunteered for the U.S.-Mexican war and was named a hero of the Battle of San Pasquale. He spent much of the time in the thick of the battle and was a decorated solider during the war. Following the war in 1851, he married Granville Swift's sister, Margaret, and settled on 600 acres of land south of Sonoma. He built his home of hand-hewn redwood. He was a blacksmith by trade but a large source of his income came from ranching. Sears eventually partnered with Granville Swift and bought 15,000 acres of land that stretched from Infineon Raceway all the way to what is now Lakeville Highway. 1968 The 2.52-mile road racing course was constructed on 720 acres by Marin County owners Robert Marshall Jr., an attorney from Point Reyes, and land developer Jim Coleman of Kentfield. The two conceived of the idea of a race track while on a hunting trip. Ground was broken in August and paving of the race surface was completed in November. The first official event at Infineon Raceway was an SCCA Enduro, held on December 1, 1968. 1969 The track was sold to Filmways Corp., a Los Angeles-based entertainment company for $4.5 million. From 1969 through early 1970, Infineon Raceway hosted a variety of events, including USAC IndyCar races, NASCAR stock car races, SCCA races, and drag races. 1970 Dan Gurney won a 150-mile USAC IndyCar road race with a field that included Mario Andretti, Mark Donahue and Al Unser. Not long after, the track closed in May and became a tax shelter for Filmways after losses of $300,000 were reported. 1973 Hugh Harn of Belvedere and Parker Archer of Napa arranged to lease the track through Filmways vice president Lee Moselle for $1 million. Bob Bondurant, owner and operator of the Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving, announced that he would move his school from Ontario Speedway in Southern California to Infineon Raceway. The Pacific Region of the Sports Club Car of America announced it would hold a driver's school and series of non spectator races at the track. 1974 Bob Bondurant and partner Bill Benck took over management and control of the leased raceway from Archer and Harn. American Motorcycle Association national motocross races in the hills north of Turn 7 become popular with Bay Area fans, but were phased out by the end of the decade because of rising insurance costs. 1977 AMAMoselle, a lawyer with no racing experience, comes aboard and hires Jack Williams, the 1964 NHRA top fuel drag racing champion, to be his operations chief, and Art Glattke to handle public relations. Moselle was under orders from Filmways to clear spectator restrictions with the county of Sonoma and to build a major-event schedule. A group calling itself Black Mountain Inc., which included Bob Bondurant, William J. Kolb of Del Mar and Howard Meister of Newport Beach, purchased the track from Filmways for a reported $1.5 million. Two months later, in May, Kenny Roberts did wheelies on the final two laps while he waved to a crowd of 20,000 for a runaway victory in the AMA-Sonoma Motorcycle Classic. 1980 The Black Mountain Group took on an additional partner -- the Long Beach Grand Prix Association -- in hopes of improving marketing and public relations. 1981 The Long Beach Grand Prix, headed by Chris Pook, decided to rename the track Golden State International Raceway. The Black Mountain group obtained an injunction to keep Filmways from claiming the property after defaulting on payments. Black Mountain claimed Filmways gave false financial projections when it sold the property in 1979. Bondurant resigned as president of Golden State Raceway in a dispute with Pook over the Long Beach Grand Prix's management plan. Filmways regained ownership of the track and Williams, Rick Betts and John Andersen purchased the track from Filmways at an auction for $800,000. The track was renamed Infineon Raceway International Raceway. 1983 Ford became a major sponsor at the track. Williams named Dr. Frank N. Scott Jr. of Aptos and Harvey 'Skip' Berg of Tiburon as partners. 1985 The track was completely repaved, in part with funds donated from the 'Pave the Point' fund raising campaign. It was also in 1985 that the first shop spaces (Buildings A,B,C, and D -- in the main paddock area) were built. 1986 Berg, president of a real estate acquisition and management firm headquartered in Seattle, took control of the track and became major stockholder in Brenda Raceway Corp., which controlled the track until 1996. Berg named Darwin Doll, vice president and general manager of Michigan International Speedway, new track president. 1987 NHRA Top FuelOne of the most significant moves in the track's history occurred. Infineon Raceway signed a five year contract with the National Hot Rod Association for the California Nationals. The first event was held in the summer of 1988. Additional buildings constructed on the property brought shop space to more than 700,000 square feet. 1988 Berg hired Glen Long, an IBM executive, to be the track's new president. Mike Yurick was named general manager. The NHRA nationals were a resounding success, with an estimated 32 ,000 spectators on hand to watch Joe Amato edge Dick LaHaie in victory by one hundreth of a second margin. 1989 The NASCAR Winston Cup Series debuted at the raceway, with Ricky Rudd taking the inaugural victory. Infineon Raceway arrived. 1991 The Skip Barber Racing School replaced the Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving. The NASCAR Winston Cup race drew 70,000 spectators in its second year at the track. The 15-year association with International Motorsports Association (SportsCar) GTP series, was suspended. Steve Page, a marketing executive with the Oakland A's, succeeded Long as track president. 1994 More than $1 million was spent on a beautification project and construction of a 62-foot-high, four-sided electronic lap leader board in the center of the road course. A medical facility and an 18-nozzle Unocal gasoline filling station were constructed. 1995 A major $3 million renovation plan was kicked off that included posh tower VIP suites and a two-story driver's lounge/emergency medical facility. Trans-Am and SportsCar races returned to Infineon Raceway. The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series is added to the major-events schedule. 1996 The Russell Racing School signs a 10-year contract with Infineon Raceway in February to headquarter its world renowned driving school in Sonoma. The Skip Barber Driving School moves to Laguna Seca. In May of 1996, the NASCAR Winston Cup race drew a record 102,000 spectators -- the largest single-day crowd for a Northern California sports event. Infineon Raceway owner Skip Berg sells the track to O. Bruton Smith, chairman of Speedway Motorsports, Inc. in November of 1996. Speedway Motorsports also owns Atlanta, Bristol, Charlotte, Las Vegas and Texas Motor Speedways in addition to Infineon Raceway. 1997 Kragen signs a contract through the year 2001 to joint sponsor the annual NASCAR Winston Cup event. The event will be renamed the Save Mart/Kragen 350 for the 1998 season. 1998 Major renovations begin at Infineon Raceway with the creation of 'The Chute,' an 890-foot high-speed stretch that will be used for all NASCAR-sanctioned events. The stretch connects existing Turns 4 and 7 and is officially opened on May 5 by NASCAR star Jeff Gordon. The re-design of the road course shortens the circuit from 2.52 miles to 1.949 miles but increases the Winston Cup race from 74 to 112 laps, provding fans with more action. The Chute will be used for Winston Cup, Winston West, Southwest Series and Craftsman Truck Series events. In June, NASCAR marks its 10-year anniversary with Infineon Raceway and Vallejo native Gordon comes away for the victory in the Save Mart/Kragen 350 Winston Cup race. 1999 Jeff Gordon joins Rusty Wallace and Ernie Irvan as the only two-time winners at Infineon Raceway when the Vallejo native wins the Save Mart/Kragen 350 NASCAR Winston Cup race in June. The first-ever running of the American Le Mans Series takes place at Infineon Raceway in July as J.J. Lehto and Steve Soper guide BMW to the Prototype victory. This marks the return of exciting sports car racing to Infineon Raceway as a main event for the first time since 1997. The race is televised live by NBC. Progressive Insurance signs on as the title sponsor of the AMA Superbike event, which is won by Mat Mladin. The native of Australia would go on to capture his first-ever AMA Superbike championship. His only win of the year would come at Infineon Raceway. NHRA drag racing winners include Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel), Whit Bazemore (Funny Car) and Jim Yates (Pro Stock). 2000 Infineon Raceway gains unanimous approval from the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors by a 5-0 vote to begin work on a $35 million Modernization Plan that will transform the facility into one of the premier motorsports venues in the country. The comprehensive project will take two years to complete and inlcudes 64,000 Hillside Terrace seats, repaving of both the road course and drag strip and increased run-off around the entire track. Jeff Gordon becomes the first three-time NASCAR Winston Cup winner at Infineon Raceway, taking the Save Mart/Kragen 350. In other racing news, Allan McNish sets the fastest lap ever recorded at Infineon Raceway since the raceway opened in 1968. McNish, piloting an Audi R8 during the American Le Mans Series Grand Prix of Sonoma, covers a single lap at 112.440 mph. Doug Kalitta joins Gordon as a three-peat winner, claiming his third consecutive Top Fuel title at the Fram Autolite Nationals NHRA event. 2001 The 2001 season kicked off with the completion of the first phase of Infineon Raceway's $35 million Modernization Plan. The first phase of the project, which began in September, featured the completion of hillside terrace seats in Turns 2-4, a new entrance at Gate 7, the construction of two ring roads for shuttle and fan traffic, 40 permanent garages and increased run-off on the road course, among others. The 10-turn road course used for the NASCAR Dodge/Save Mart 350 featured a modified Chute lengthened by over 300 feet to include a straightaway between Turns 4 and 4a and the creation of a pure straightaway between Turns 4a and 7. Turn 7 boasts a 90-degree right-hand turn with 120 feet of runoff room for safety and creates a new passing zone on the track. The new Turn 7 proved crucial in the 2001 Dodge/Save Mart 350, with Tony Stewart making the race winning pass in this turn as Robby Gordon and Kevin Harvick battled for position. Stewart took the checkered flag after 112 laps, robbing Jeff Gordon of his fourth consecutive win at Infineon Raceway. The NHRA FRAM Autolite Nationals offered more than just exciting racing action in 2001. After Kenny Bernstein, Del Worsham and Tom Martino claimed their titles, John Force and Gary Scelzi boarded Caterpillar bulldozers to begin destruction of the drag strip and signify the beginning the of second phase of the Modernization Plan. Phase Two of the plan focuses on fan and driver amenities, including more terraces seats, repaving of the drag strip and road course surfaces and the construction of a new permanent grandstand at the start/finish line of the road course. The Plan is scheduled to be completed for the 2002 season. 2002 The 2002 racing season was a time of major change at the Sonoma raceway. In June, track officials announced that the facility had been renamed Infineon Raceway as part of a 10-year strategic partnership with Infineon Technologies, one of the world's top semiconductor manufacturing companies. The agreement includes two annual events to be held at Infineon Raceway. The annual American Le Mans Series event will be renamed the Infineon Grand Prix of Sonoma, and beginning in 2003, Infineon Raceway will host the Infineon Mountain Bike Challenge, a world class competitive biking event. Infineon Raceway became just the second motor racing facility in the country to secure a major naming rights deal. The 2002 racing season also saw the near-completion of the facility's two-year, $50 million Modernization Plan. This renovation touched nearly every area of the property and includes the addition of many fan and racer amenities. Changes to the facility include: a new permanent grandstand at start/finish of the road course; hillside terrace seating at Turns 7-9; a completely refurbished drag strip complete with 660-foot concrete launch pad; expanded paddock area; and the new Infineon Raceway Karting Center. Infineon Raceway also hosted its full-slate of annual events, including the Dodge/Save Mart 350 NASCAR Winston Cup event and NHRA FRAM Autolite Nationals, with the addition of the inaugural NHRA Summit Sport Compact Drag Racing Series event. The new drag strip surface proved fruitful at the NHRA event, with track records reset in three classes and Pro Stock Motorcycle rider, Angelle Savoie, posting the second quickest time in history. See the official Web site for more information. ============================================== CIRCUIT HISTORY: SILVERSTONE The world-famous Silverstone circuit - often spoken of in the same terms as Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Monza - has hosted F1 racing since 1950. This 5.110-kilometer (3.194- mile) circuit is set at an airport site, and contains several configurations. The Silverstone International circuit (used for the British TOCA series) shares much of the same pavement as the Grand Prix circuit used for the annual F1 Grand Prix of Great Britain; in fact, the pavement for the two circuits even cross at approximately two-thirds of the way around the International circuit. During World War II, the Royal Air Force chose the site now known as Silverstone for an airfield and a bomber-training base. Following the war, other circuits such as Donnington Park and Brooklands could not be used for racing due to having been converted for wartime uses. Thus, in 1948, the Silverstone site was used for its first race... with the circuit marked by hay bales. The circuit was redone in 1949 and assumed a configuration roughly equivalent to that in current use. F1 began in 1950, and held its first race at Silverstone. Guiseppe Farina won the first-ever F1 race in an Alfa Romeo. The British Racing Drivers' Club operated Silverstone until 2001, when current owner Octagon Motorsports took control of the venue; this also ensures that the British Grand Prix will be held at Silverstone for at least the next fifteen years. The world's best F1 drivers have all placed themselves into the Silverstone record books, including Manuel Fangio, Stirling Moss, Mike Hawthorn, Jack Brabham, John Surtees, Jim Clark, Graham Hill, Jackie Stewart, James Hunt, John Watson, Niki Lauda, Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell, Ayrton Senna, Eddie Irvine, Jacques Villeneuve, Mika Hakkinen, Michael Schumacher, and David Coulthard. The track record is held by Michael Schumacher, at 1:24.475 with an average speed of 217.784KPH (136.115MPH). Silverstone hosts far more than just F1: Grand Prix motorcycles, SuperBikes, Karts, FIA GTs, European Le Mans, RallySprint, stages of the Rally of Great Britain, British Touring Car Championship, and British Formula 3 and GT.
| « Previous Page | Next Page » |
