These guys seem to like it:

http://www.corvetteblogger.com/2013/...d-prix-indeed/

http://www.motorsport.com/alms/news/...d-motorsports/

http://www.examiner.com/article/brya...s-inner-harbor

 

You never say (to yourself and to competitors) that you hate the track or the conditions (rain, surface, walls, etc.). It's a sign of weakness. PsyOps and Race-craft 101.

 

All street courses are a joke. Even Monaco may have served past its time.

The real tragedy is that professional races on street courses take away potential profits from real race tracks, which in turn prevents those tracks from making upgrades that can benefit the rest of us.

 

The track side of it was less than stellar - but the street courses provide the venue for the business side of racing - no bucks, no buck rodgers. The race provides a backdrop for the festival atmosphere, concessions, paddocks, corrals, lounges, VIP events, hotels, etc.

I'd think that Baltimore has greater attendance figures and money moving than say the ALMS race at VIR or potential sites such as Summit Point or NJMP. I don't think every dollar from not running the race downtown would transfer to other venues.

 

City races bring in more casual or first timers than any of the permanent tracks. It's the truth. Baltimore is in a great location since it's right off a major interstate. At the PorschePlatz there were a ton of first time race attendees. They were having a blast taking in all that makes attending a race weekend a memory for a lifetime.

Once you have a fan, then you have someone willing to drive 3-5 hours to a race. Building that fan base is crucial to the success of the new sanctioning body. It was unfortunate that the incident took an hour to clean up. Up until then, the GT3 Cup race was very exciting.

 

 

the only time I ever hear a driver or team say they hate a certain track, at least in sports car racing, is when they are lobbying for a BoP concession (ie we can't keep up in the high speed corners here because the other guys have wayyyyy more downforce than we're allowed to have, etc).

 

Street courses can actually be very fun to race. I had a great weekend on the Grand-Prix de Trois-Rivières street course last month:


Don't know much about Baltimore, but for me it looks like corner 1 is really too tight and also it seems like the green flag was given too early (cars still in the chicane for Indy !).

 

After two laps I couldn't even watch that IndyCar race, it was too painful, I can't stand that circuit.
Now all the drivers are fighting as a result.

 

I wasn't participating in that race, much less paid to do so. I hope you didn't conclude that no one should be criticizing any track or race conditions ever.

Btw, try it next time and see if it works for you. Does for me. I used to hate racing in the rain and often said it before a race. Then I changed my attitude, won a race in pouring rain and now I'm one of those guys who say they love racing in the rain and they hope it pours.

 

You must be an attorney. I can recognize my own kind.