British interest won’t lead to an IndyCar race in England
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| Wishful thinking Jack, IndyCar management hasn't a clue how to make IndyCar a global powerhouse. They only care about their Indy 500 |
With British interest in the Verizon IndyCar Series on the rise, Jack Harvey is hopeful it could lead to a race hitting UK shores in the years to come.
IndyCar's boom in the UK has also been aided by a wider exposure of the series thanks to two-time Formula 1 world champion Fernando Alonso's debut last year, resulting in a significant uptake in British media interest as a result – something Harvey has felt.
"It’s definitely on the rise. I did text Trevor [Carlin] yesterday, we did have a few conversations about stuff, and I was thrilled to see him be able to become the first full-time British entrant into IndyCar in North America," Harvey told Crash.net.
"Certainly the interest in IndyCar is growing a lot, I think that’s very fair to say. Honestly I just feel lucky to be a part of it. I think to be a part of that for me is something I am proud of."
Harvey is hopeful that the increased interest from British motorsport in IndyCar could lead to the championship holding a race in the UK down the line.
"If we can keep British drivers going there, who knows, maybe they will get a chance to do a race back in the UK? I think that would be incredible," Harvey said.
"I think if we can all keep trying to grow it between us and try and keep a British presence in the sport, I think that would be awesome. IndyCar racing is extremely fun, it’s exciting, it’s fun to watch, whereas sometimes Formula 1 can get a little predictable unless something really exciting happens.
"I’m thrilled that the amount of British drivers on the grid is growing, and I’m thrilled that Trevor’s got a team. I know that he’s worked a long time to be in that position.
"I’m really happy for everybody at Carlin to get this shot at the highest level."
American single-seater racing last graced British shores back in 2003 when Brands Hatch held the London Champ Car Trophy as part of the CART World Series. The track took over from Rockingham as the host of the UK round after two years due to concerns about the weather and financial pressure placed on the oval circuit.
IndyCar currently features no rounds outside of North America on its calendar, but has expressed a strong interest in staging races in both China and Mexico in the near future.