Brazil IndyCar race to cease? (4th Update)
Willy Herrmann, a Brazilian, said Sao Paulo’s new mayor doesn’t want the racing circuit using that key stretch of freeway, which gets too congested when losing lanes for construction.
Herrmann said possible solutions include moving the straightaway inside the property. Other locations within Sao Paulo are being considered, too, he said.
“The problem is we’re up against a time (shortage)," he said.
This year’s Brazil race was held May 5, but that date isn’t available next year due to the inaugural road course race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 10.
09/26/13 According this Brazilian news report, IndyCar is talking to Porto Alegre and Brasilia as a plan B as they scramble to save their crumbling schedule.
09/26/13 Reports surrounding the likely cancellation of the Sao Paulo Indy 300 street race continue to filter north from Brazil, and while RACER has confirmed the event has yet to be canceled, “Where there's smoke, there's fire," said one series official with knowledge of the situation.
The Sao Paulo street race, which made its debut in 2010 around the Anhembi park and exhibition center, has been the subject of numerous questions regarding its continuation on the IndyCar calendar.
Everything from a possible construction project interfering with the 2014 date to the race's Brazilian promoter (and TV broadcaster) Bandeirantes wanting to abandon the event to save money has been mentioned as reasons for shuttering IndyCar's lone flyaway race, and with the series close to finalizing its schedule for next year, resolving the Sao Paulo situation has become a high priority.
Between the close commercial relationship with Apex Brasil, its current Indy 500 winner and Brazil native Tony Kanaan and his countryman Helio Castroneves, who has a solid chance of winning his first IndyCar Series championship in the coming weeks, keeping a Brazilian race on the calendar would seem to benefit multiple parties.
With the recent loss of the Baltimore street event, the IndyCar Series is understandably keen to prevent the cancellation of another event. RACER has also learned IndyCar is “working on a second option in Brazil if the current event doesn't go forward because the market is very important for us and our partners," according to the same official. Racer.com
09/24/13 This rumor is upgraded to strong today as more rumors say the Sao Paolo IndyCar race is history. Since the destruction of IndyCar racing caused by the creation of the IRL so many IndyCar races have failed it makes the series look like losers. No stability whatsoever.
09/02/13 According to this Brazil newspaper report, it sounds like the Sao Paolo IndyCar race may be no more. If true, does IndyCar really think it can add 4 to 6 international venues as Mark Miles is talking about doing? And how long will they be around before they too cease to exist?
The fact of the matter is that IndyCar has no clue how to market itself as a global sports property. None. For years Roger Penske said IndyCar has no business racing overseas, so the brand is now just an inward facing domestic product.