Tagliani in awe over Vegas track

Alex Tagliani, 34, is familiar with downtown, but Sunday was his first chance to see it nearly completed as a major league 2.44-mile street-racing circuit with 12 challenging curves and turns.

He liked what he saw, except the few times his voice hit high octaves when he approached the grade change heading into the underpass on Ogden Avenue just past Main Street.

Tagliani was shocked by the idea of entering it in his race car at high speed. Exiting also got his attention.

"Oh my God," he said. "We come out of this on a curve heading uphill like this? And we go from bright sky to dark, back into the sun?"

Once his blood pressure settled, Tagliani took a third lap making slow turns while trying lines that might work today in his Champ Car.

"It is a very, very interesting track," he said. "I'm excited. It's very technical, going up and down, left and right."

He said he was impressed with the smoothness of the repaved surface, especially for a street course.

Tagliani, who has one Champ Car victory, often complimented the product created by Grand Prix circuit manager Chris Kneifel.

"I've never seen anything like it. It is one unique racetrack. It will be tough physically," he said. "This track will be fun. No one's been on it, so it should be equal for everyone." Las Vegas Review Journal