Sheriff gives thumbs up for Phoenix race
Quote from Sheriff Joe Arpaio
“I am thankful and grateful to the owners of Grand Prix Arizona for what I didn’t hear today."
Quote from Dale Jensen
“We’re happy it was a successful test. As the Sheriff says, ‘The proof will be on race day.’ I plan on being with him in the call center when the first car turns the corner to make sure our test was indeed successful. We are appreciative to the Sheriff and his staff for the cooperation they provided."
Today’s test runs were designed to measure the sound generated by the high-performance Champ Cars and their effect on the operation of his 911 call center.
03/06/07 The three open-wheel racecars were shrieking Tuesday morning as they zoomed down Madison Street past the Maricopa County 911 emergency center. But inside the command center at First Avenue, visitors were able to talk in a whisper.
The first tests of noise mitigation for the Champ Car World Series coming this fall to downtown Phoenix streets were deemed a success by race promoters and sound experts, although county Sheriff Joe Arpaio said he would reserve judgment until race day. advertisement
"We couldn't hear any of the noise," Arpaio said. "However, when you have 20 cars racing out there, it might be a little different."
Arpaio had expressed concern that the noisy racing events Nov. 30 to Dec. 2 would cripple operations at the command center. A noise-mitigation specialist lined the center with heavy rubber window coverings and thick curtains, as well as stacking a noise barrier wall made of steel shipping containers around a corner of the building. Arizona Republic [Note: Try that with an IRL or F1 car. In both cases the noise is deafening]
03/06/07 Here is a video clip of today's test on the streets of Phoenix.
03/05/07 A dry run of the Indy-style street race coming this fall to Phoenix will create downtown traffic restrictions on Tuesday.
Four Champ Car World Series race cars, driven by professional drivers, will be going 50 mph through downtown streets and revving their engines to test a small stretch of the future track and perform a sound-measurement study.
The full-blown Phoenix race weekend is from Nov. 30 to Dec. 2 and will take place on a two-mile track on city streets. In that race, the cars will be going as fast as 180 mph.
This week's tests are designed to gauge whether the sound barriers that race officials are using will muffle the roar of the high-performance engines as the race cars whip past a Maricopa County 911 emergency call center near First Avenue and Madison Street.
Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio has expressed concerns that the noise from the race will cripple operations at the center.
The street closures will start at midnight tonight and continue until 5 p.m. Tuesday on:
• Central Avenue from Madison to Lincoln streets.
• First Avenue from Jefferson to Lincoln streets.
• Madison Street from First Street to Third Avenue.
Despite street closures, employees and visitors will still be able to access area parking garages, including the one on the northeastern corner of Madison Street and First Avenue.
The tests will take place at 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. on Tuesday, according to Champ officials.
Each test will take about 20 minutes and local access will be available between the road tests.
During the three-phase test, cars will:
• Begin on First Avenue at Buchanan Street and head north, turning onto Madison Street at about 50 mph and proceed east to First Street.
• Begin under the pedestrian overpass that crosses Madison Street and accelerate on Madison, stopping midblock between Central Avenue and First Street.
• At the intersection of First Avenue and Madison Street, the race cars will momentarily rev their engines, then continue down Madison to cool down.
Future tests will be conducted in the area before the actual race, according to Champ officials.
During the actual race, the cars will be winding around Chase Field, US Airways Center and the Phoenix Convention Center.
Champ officials expect about 150,000 spectators during the three-day festival of speed.
Stanley Futterman, owner of the Flower Stand on the corner of First Avenue and Jefferson Street, is not particularly worried.
"We have seen speed races come through here in the past and you just have to deal with it," he said.
"But they really shouldn't test during the weekdays, they should wait until the weekend," he added. Arizona Central