stuttgart46

Look for some changes on and off the track shortly following the 12 Hours of Sebring. They will be hosting CART early (maybe the first race of the season) in '09. Most of those practice there so often that they can probably drive around with their eye's closed.
From what I have heard, there will be added runoff and sand traps put in place. Also, there are condos going up at the inside of turn 1. That seems appropriate considering that the track is the only place in Florida that doesn't have condos yet. I'll pass on any additional info as soon as I get it.

chrisp

You mean Champ Car?

I gotta believe those things will get beat up real bad on the bumps. The test course is smooth but the original part of the full length circuit I would think is way too bumpy for what those cars are used to.

Pretty cool news nonetheless. The racing that is...not the condos.

stuttgart46

Pardon me, Champ Car. It's been long enough that I should remember that.
It is my understanding that the bumps will be smoothed out. The track may loose some of it character but it should make it safer and more user friendly.

srf506

Gosh Darn It! I wish they'd quit messing with tradition and history and leave that circuit alone! Pretty soon it'll be a smooth and easy as any European track and the Euro teams will stay home and practice for LeMans instead of coming over here to race as a practice session! No one puts a gun to driver's head to make him get in the car and drive and if its "user friendly" any bozo can drive it quick.

BluemaxxRacing

WOW!! This is BIG news to me! Especially since Sebring is my home track and I am there alot throughout the year. Any additional information on the Condos??

chris walrod

Yes, the current config used for CCWS testing is quite smooth compared to the rest of the track. These cars would more than likely be fine on the big course as most of the street circuit we race at are knarly.

srf506

Yeah Chris, running over a manhole cover or a typical urban street patch in an open-wheel car doesn't sound like a fun thing to me either. You guys must have kidneys of iron!

Bryan Watts

That's what I was thinking...Sebring is no more bumpy than a street course. Then again, I don't know any street courses with very high speed bumpy turns like you have at Sebring.

Benton

Awesome! I wish they would run at Road Atlanta sometime.

chris walrod

The only CCWS venue that comes to mind with a bumpy high(er) speed sweeper in the Houston GP.

chris walrod

Not sure about me, but I know the young punks who drive these things sure do

How could I forget the temporary S-section at LVGP. That was murder.

mdrums

Exciting news! I will attend the Champ car race in '09! Sebring is my home DE track so any improvments to the track and overall looks of the facility I am all for.

Bryan Watts

As long as those improvements don't include smoothing out the track IMO. Those two bumpy high speed turns are some of the most exciting in racing.

Erik

I don't believe that they would smooth out the track. I thought that I heard a few years ago that Don Panoz (the owner of the track) had suggested paving over the concrete parts of the track for the 12 Hours, and that most teams had begged him to leave Sebring alone. Not just because of history, but also as a testing ground for the 24 Hours of Lemans. If your car lasts the 12 hours of Sebring, it will survive the 24 hours of Le Mans. And as much as I would love to see a Cart race at Sebring, there is no way it could compete with the 12 Hours, which attracks over 150K people a year

Flying Finn

Awesome!