PPPPP RRRR OOOOO P P R R O O PPPPP RRRRR O O P R R O O P R R OOOOO RRRR AAA CCC EEEEE R R A A C C E RRRRR AAAAA C EEEE R R A A C C E R R A A CCC EEEEE DDDD RRRR IIIII V V EEEEE RRRR D D R R I V V E R R D D RRRRR I V V EEEE RRRRR D D R R I V V E R R DDDD R R IIIII V EEEEE R R PRO RACE DRIVER: CIRCUIT HISTORIES GUIDE by Jamie Stafford/Wolf Feather FEATHER7@IX.NETCOM.COM Initial Version Completed: December 25, 2002 Version 2.0 Completed: February 21, 2002 ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== JOIN THE FEATHERGUIDES E-MAIL LIST To be the first to know when my new and updated guides are released, join the FeatherGuides E-mail List. Go to http://www.coollist.com/group.cgi?l=featherguides for information about the list and to subscribe for free. ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== CONTENTS Spacing and Length Permissions Introduction Circuit History: A1 Ring Circuit History: Adelaide Circuit History: Bathurst Circuit History: Brands Hatch Circuit History: Bristol Circuit History: Canberra Circuit History: Catalunya Circuit History: Charlotte Circuit History: Dijon Prenois Circuit History: Donington Park Circuit History: Eastern Creek Circuit History: Fuji Circuit History: Hockenheim Circuit History: Knockhill Circuit History: Las Vegas Circuit History: Magny-Cours Circuit History: Mantorp Park Circuit History: Mexico Circuit History: Monza Circuit History: Norisring Circuit History: Nurburgring Circuit History: Oran Park Circuit History: Oschersleben Circuit History: Oulton Park Circuit History: Phillip Island Circuit History: Rockingham Circuit History: Sandown Circuit History: Sears Point Circuit History: Silverstone Circuit History: T1 Circuit AIDA Circuit History: Vallelunga Circuit History: Vancouver Circuit History: Zandvoort Circuit History: Zolder Contact Information ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== SPACING AND LENGTH For optimum readability, this driving guide should be viewed/printed using a monowidth font, such as Courier. Check for font setting by making sure the numbers and letters below line up: 12345678901234567890123456 ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ This guide is approximately 65 pages in length in the Macintosh version of Microsoft Word98 using single-spaced Courier 12-point font. Therefore, it is probably NOT a good idea to print this guide in its entirety!!!!! ============================================== PERMISSIONS Permission is hereby granted for a user to download and/or print out a copy of this driving guide for personal use. This driving guide may only be posted on: FeatherGuides, GameFAQs.com, f1gamers.com, PSXCodez.com, Cheatcc.com, Games Domain, gamesover.com, Absolute-PlayStation.com, RobsGaming.com, InsidePS2Games.com, CheatPlanet.com, RedCoupe, The Cheat Empire, a2zweblinks.com, Gameguru, CheatHeaven, IGN, GameReactors.com, cheatingplanet.com, neoseeker.com, and vgstrategies.com. Please contact me for permission to post elsewhere on the Internet. Plagiarism is NOT tolerated!!!!! ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== INTRODUCTION The 'ancient' predecessor to this section was a guide created due to a personal inquiry for a guide for F1 2002, as I was wishing to learn more about the history of the race venues then used in F1 competition; this section takes that information (from my Circuit Histories Guide) and expands it to cover other racing venues (F1 and otherwise) worldwide. This is not intended to be a detailed history of all the race venues, but more of a general overview of the many circuits included in Pro Race Driver. The majority of information for this guide comes from circuits' official Web sites, Formula1.com (http://www.formula1.com/), NASCAR.com (http://www.NASCAR.com/), and Driver Network (http://www.drivernetwork.net/). In some cases, historical information is taken directly from the circuits' own official Web sites. ============================================== CIRCUIT HISTORY: A1 RING The A1-Ring has been the host of F1's Grand Prix of Austria since 1997, but also hosts Truck Grand Prix, Classic Grand Prix, Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters, and motorbikes, among other racing series. The 2002 Grand Prix of Austria was surrounded by controversy following an extreme Ferrari public relations faux pas. Reubens Barrichello had truly dominated the entire race weekend, and was definitely on his way to his second-ever F1 win. In the closing laps of the race, teammate Michael Schumacher (P2) began closing in on Barrichello, but the assumption was that this move was to allow Ferrari's cars to be close enough for a photo opportunity for its sponsors. However, since Michael Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya (Schumacher's closest expected competition) were at that point very close in points in the Drivers' Championship, Barrichello - who that week had signed a contract extension as the NUMBER TWO TEAM DRIVER behind Michael Schumacher - was ordered to pull aside in the final meters of the race to allow his teammate to gain an extra four points in his lead over Montoya (P1 awards 10 points; P2 awards 6 points). While FIA could not do anything against the team or the drivers for the team orders, the fans in the stands (and myself watching live on television at 7AM in Arizona) were FURIOUS. Michael Schumacher having officially 'won' the race was to take the top rung on the podium, but instead took the second rung and pushed the 'true' winner Reubens Barrichello to the top rung; the FIA took objection to this and sanctioned the team and the drivers at a special hearing later in the year. F1 winners at A1-Ring: Jacques Villeneuve (1997), Mika Hakkinen (1998 and 2000), Eddie Irvine (1999), David Coulthard (2001), and Michael Schumacher (the official winner in 2002 - see the note on the controversy above, as many consider that Reubens Barrichello won the race). See the official Web site (http://www.a1ring.at/) for more information. Unfortunately, it does not appear to have any historical information on the circuit itself, nor can I find any such information online. Also, the official Web site is entirely in German, a language I cannot read. ============================================== CIRCUIT HISTORY: ADELAIDE This 3.22-kilometer (2.01-mile) temporary street circuit was used for eleven years by Formula1 for the Grand Prix of Australia (which is now held at Albert Park in Melbourne). It is currently used by Australia's V8 Supercars series in the same configuration as the F1 series. Official history relating to the Clipsal 500 V8 Supercars race: Since the inaugural 1999 Sensational Adelaide 500 attracted 162,000 patrons - a record for a national motorsport meeting in Australia, the event has not stopped growing in popularity and audience. The 2000 event attracted another record crowd for a national motorsport event, 164,000. The 2001 event raised the bar even higher, attracting a crowd of 166,800 spectators and the 2002 event surpassed all expectations with a new record attendance of 171,200. The event has been awarded the AVESCO 'Motorsport Event of the Year' for each year - 1999, 2000, 2001, as well as the Yellow Pages Tourism Award as South Australia's best major festival or special event. Over its three-year history the Clipsal 500 Adelaide has provided economic benefit to SA totaling $44.9m, with visitor bed nights having increased forty two per cent to 43,400, and the length of stay of visitors increasing from five to seven nights. This year [2002] 21,000 grandstand seats were built, providing more than three thousand extra as compared with last year (2001). Corporate clients this year numbered over 8,000 per day. Increasing from the 2001 daily figure of 7,200. Employment as a result of the event has increased to 290 full time job equivalents, while the media benefit (that is the value of international and national television, radio and press coverage) had grown by 32% over the past three years with the total value being $87.67m. A New Family Area was introduced to the event this year. The area, located in the Rymill Park Lake section of the circuit off Bartels Road (Adelaide Straight) was a designated 'dry zone' and provided a number of free attractions for children from 10am to 4pm each day, including face painting, a jumping castle, a horse & car carousel, and ladybird carousel. The area was complete with a Clipsal Vision Super screen for ease of viewing. This year two concerts were held at the event. The Saturday Night After Race Concert delivered the ultimate country show with a city appeal - featuring Lee Kernaghan and Beccy Cole, with the Sunday Night Concert featuring Australia's premiere male vocal group Human Nature, joined by special guest Deni Hines, and new South Australian talent, Candyce. The Clipsal 500 Adelaide track was modified for this year's event. The turn 8 / 9 chicane was removed making it a fast sweeper from Adelaide Straight on to Brabham Straight. The nominated charity to benefit from fundraising opportunities during the 2002 event was The Leukaemia Foundation of SA. The Clipsal 500 Adelaide television audience had grown, not only on Network 10 throughout Australia, but live in New Zealand and with a growing global audience which included South Africa, Japan, Singapore, Thailand, Russia, forty four countries in Europe, the United Kingdom, the Middle East, Canada, the Caribbean, Mexico, the United States and South America. See the official Web site (http://www.clipsal500.com.au/) for more information. This information on the 1994 F1 race at Adelaide is provided by ViperMask, one of the biggest F1 fans I have ever met. It is edited only for formatting purposes. Adelaide. This was the final race of the 1994 F1 season (the season often referred to as "The Year in Hell.") and during the race; Michael Schumacher messed up and tapped the wall at a turn. Damon Hill cut to the inside on the next turn, but Michael (who have catched up) steered right into Damon Hill, taking them both out (and with Michael's Benetton riding on 2 wheels for 3 seconds!) Michael won the championship because he was leading in the points that season. Damon Hill, and many others (including me) blamed Michael for trying to take Damon out. ============================================== CIRCUIT HISTORY: BATHURST From the official Web site of Bathurst 24 Hours (since there is no official Web site for the circuit itself; unfortunately, there is very little historical information available here): This unique circuit is located literally at the end of the main street of Bathurst, a city of 40,000 people with another 160,000 located within an 80-kilometer radius. It holds legendary status within Australian motorsport history, having hosted long distance races every year since 1963. ... The circuit runs 6.213 kms in an anti-clockwise direction. A lap time for FIA N-GT cars is expected to be in the 2 min 10 sec to 2 min 15 sec region. Although it is usually a public road, the track is constructed to an extremely high standard for racing with excellent surfaces, width and safety. The main pit areas feature permanent lock-up garages (55) with overhead corporate hospitality suites. Additional temporary pit structures will be provided for the Bathurst 24hr situated along Mountain Straight. All pit garages will use the same pit exit lane to the circuit. ... Mount Panorama is the only active motor racing track in Australia, which is open to the public. It is 6.213 kms in length, 870 metres above sea level at its height, 670 metres above sea level at its lowest point and has grades of up to 1 in 6.13 - downhill on the actual racing circuit. See the official Web site of Bathurst 24 Hours (http://www.bathurst24hr.com/) for more information. ============================================== CIRCUIT HISTORY: BRANDS HATCH Events at Brands Hatch include: MRO Powerbike, BRSCC Championship, Aston Martin Race Weekend, Champion of Brands, Historic Superprix, British F3, WSB Championship, Ferrari and Maserati Festival, British Touring Cars, MG Racing Spectacular, and Formula Ford Festival. Official circuit history (from the Octagon Motorsports Web site): Since its birth in 1926 as a local bicycle-racing venue, Brands Hatch has become synonymous with the best of British motor racing. Situated in a natural bowl, the circuit provided panoramic views of all the action, so its popularity as a racing venue grew rapidly. In 1950 Brands Hatch consisted of a mile-long oval tarmac circuit, but extensions and improvements meant that by 1960, Brands Hatch was ready to host Grand Prix events, and to write itself into the history books. In 1964, Jim Clarks won the European Grand Prix - not long after, he posted the first 100 mph lap of the circuit. A regular Grand Prix venue in the 70's and 80's, Brands Hatch also provided Nigel Mansell with his first World Championship win in 1985. Unofficial circuit history (from grandprix.com): It was back in 1926 that a group of cyclists on the main road from London to Folkestone noticed a natural amphitheater on land belonging to Brands Hatch farm, near the village of West Kingsdown. After discussions with the local farmer it was agreed that the field could be used for bicycle racing and time trials. Within a couple of years motorcycles had begun to use the dirt track and a three-quarter mile circuit was laid out in the little valley. It remained in operation throughout the 1930s but it was not until after World War II that a proper organization was established. That came with the formation of Brands Hatch Stadium Ltd. in 1947 and later that year the organizers convinced the BBC to film motorcycle races to be transmitted on the new television network. In April 1950, with a new tarmac surface and extended to a mile, the track opened for car racing with 500cc Formula 3 becoming the mainstay of the racing calendar. In 1953 the Universal Motor Racing Cub was established and a racing school was set up at the circuit. The following year the track was lengthened to 1.24-miles - with the addition of the hairpin at Druids Bend - and widened and the racing changed direction, the track having previously been anti clockwise. A grandstand, acquired from the Northolt trotting track, was added in 1955. The Le Mans disaster that year was to provide a boost to Brands Hatch as many of the rival postwar tracks were closed down because they were not safe enough. Brands Hatch managed to keep up with requirements and in 1956 hosted its first Formula 2 race with victory going to Roy Salvadori, who was in considerable pain having broken several ribs in a crash in an earlier sportscar event. There was a second F2 race a month later which was won by Colin Chapman driving one of his own Lotus 11s. A third F2 race at the end of the season established Brands Hatch as a serious racing circuit although it was obviously too short to attract any major international events. As a result the track authorities applied for planning permission to build an extension through the woods behind the track. The Kent County Council agreed and the new track hosted its first major race in August 1960 with victory in the non-championship Silver City Trophy F1 race going to Jack Brabham in a Cooper-Climax. The following year the circuit's press officer John Webb negotiated the sale of Brands Hatch to Grovewood Securities. He was put in charge of Motor Circuit Developments, the company which took over the management of the track. Major upgrading followed with new facilities added and new circuits acquired by MCD, including Mallory Park (1962), Snetterton (1963) and Oulton Park (1964). In July of that year Brands Hatch hosted its first World Championship F1 race, the RAC having agreed to alternate the British GP between Brands Hatch and Silverstone. From the earliest days Brands had a number of fatal accidents, but in the winter of 1965-66 Paddock Hill Ben in particular had acquired a dreadful eputation, for within a matter of months George Crossman, Tony Flory and Stuart Duncan were killed there and two others were seriously hurt. The death of Jo Siffert in October 1971 would lead to major safety work in 1972. In the 1970s Brands Hatch played an important role in the development of Formula Ford and in 1976 took over the running of the Formula Ford Festival. Two years later Brands Hatch hosted a race featuring Indycars, imported for the occasion from the United States of America. Webb's abilities as an organizer even enabled the track to host the 1983 European Grand Prix at 10 weeks notice after the unexpected cancellation of the New York GP. The last British GP at Brands Hatch was held in 1986 with victory going to Nigel Mansell in a Williams-Honda. That year John Foulston bought Brands Hatch, Oulton Park and Snetterton from Grovewood Securities and established a new company called Brands Hatch Leisure. The following year the company bought Cadwell Park but tragedy struck when Foulston was killed while testing a McLaren Indycar at Silverstone. BHL was taken over by his widow Mary Foulston, although John Webb remained in charge until his retirement in 1990. The running of the group was then taken over by Nicola Foulston. Without a Grand Prix Brands Hatch concentrated on Formula 3000 but a huge multiple accident in 1988 raised questions of safety again and by 1991 the F3000 circus turned its back on the track. Nicola Foulston was unperturbed and continued to develop BHL as a business. In 1996 she floated the company on the London Stock Exchange. This was a big success and Foulston began to make preparations for a bid for the British Grand Prix. In 1999 she announced that she had acquired the rights to hold the race in 2002. Planning permission was sought for rebuilding work but while this was still being discussed Foulston sold the company to the giant American advertising firm Interpublic for $195m, a premium of 36% on the price of the shares. See the official Web site of Octagon Motorsports (http://circuits.octagonmotorsports.com/) for more information on this and other Octagon Motorsports race venues in the United Kingdom. ============================================== CIRCUIT HISTORY: BRISTOL First used for NASCAR in 1961, Bristol Motor Speedway is the shortest track on the current NASCAR calendar at 0.533 miles (0.853 kilometers) - thus it is known as 'The World's Fastest Half-mile.' Formerly asphalt, the Bristol, Tennessee, USA, circuit was converted to concrete in 1992, and boasts attendance easily topping 150,000 for NASCAR events. The banking is thirty-six degrees in the corners and sixteen degrees on the straightaways. World of Outlaws and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series have also held races at Bristol Motor Speedway. Racing schools at Bristol Motor Speedway include Buck Baker Racing School, Fast Track High Performance Driving School, Jarrett Favre Driving Adventure, Richard Petty Driving Experience, SpeedTech Auto Racing School, and Roy Hill's Drag Racing School. Here is the history of Bristol Motor Speedway as given on the official Web site of the circuit: Bristol Motor Speedway could very easily have opened in 1961 under a different name. The first proposed site for the speedway was in Piney Flats but, according to Carl Moore, who built the track along with Larry Carrier and R.G. Pope, the idea met local opposition. So the track that could have been called Piney Flats International Speedway was built five miles down the road on 11-E in Bristol. The land that Bristol Motor Speedway is built on used to be a dairy farm. Larry Carrier and Carl Moore traveled to Charlotte Motor Speedway in 1960 to watch a race and it was then that they decided to build a speedway in Northeast Tennessee. However, they wanted a smaller model of CMS, something with a more intimate setting and opted to erect a half mile facility instead of mirroring the 1.5-mile track in Charlotte. Work began on what was then called Bristol International Speedway in 1960 and it took approximately one year to finish. Many ideas for the track were scratched on envelopes and brown paper bags by Carrier, Moore and Pope. Purchase of the land on which BMS now sits, as well as construction of the track, cost approximately $600,000. The entire layout for BMS covered 100 acres and provided parking for more than 12,000 cars. The track itself was a perfect half-mile, measuring 60 feet wide on the straightaways, 75 feet wide in the turns and the turns were banked at 22 degrees. Seating capacity for the very first NASCAR race at BMS - held on July 30, 1961 - was 18,000. Prior to this race the speedway hosted weekly races. The first driver on the track for practice on July 27, 1961 was Tiny Lund in his Pontiac. The second driver out was David Pearson. Fred Lorenzen won the pole for the first race at BMS with a speed of 79.225 mph. Atlanta's Jack Smith won the inaugural event - the Volunteer 500 - at BMS on July 30, 1961. However, Smith wasn't in the driver's seat of the Pontiac when the race ended. Smith drove the first 290 laps then had to have Johnny Allen, also of Atlanta, take over as his relief driver. The two shared the $3,225 purse. The total purse for the race was $16,625. Nashville star Brenda Lee, who was 17 at the time, sang the national anthem for the first race at BMS. A total of 42 cars started the first race at BMS but only 19 finished. In the fall of 1969 BMS was reshaped and remeasured. The turns were banked at 36 degrees and it became a .533-mile oval. The speedway was sold after the 1976 season to Lanny Hester and Gary Baker. In the spring of 1978 the track name was changed to Bristol International Raceway. In August of 1978 the first night race was held on the oval. On April 1, 1982 Lanny Hester sold his half of the speedway to Warner Hodgdon. On July 6, 1983, Warner Hodgdon completed 100 percent purchase of Bristol Motor Speedway, as well as Nashville Speedway, in a buy-sell agreement with Baker. Hodgdon named Larry Carrier as the track's general manager. On January 11, 1985, Warner Hodgdon filed for bankruptcy. After Warner Hodgdon filed for bankruptcy, Larry Carrier formally took possession of the speedway and covered all outstanding debts. In August of 1992 BMS became the first speedway to host a Winston Cup event that boasted a track surface that was all concrete. On Jan. 22, 1996, Larry Carrier sold the speedway to Bruton Smith at a purchase price of $26 million. At the time of the sale, the facility seated 71,000. On May 28, 1996 the track's name was officially changed to Bristol Motor Speedway. By August of 1996, 15,000 seats had been added bringing the seating capacity to 86,000. BMS continued to grow and by April of 1997 was the largest sports arena in Tennessee and one of the largest in the country, seating 118,000. The speedway also boasted 22 new skyboxes. For the August 1998 Goody's 500 the speedway featured more than 131,000 grandstand seats and 100 skyboxes. Improvements to the speedway since Smith took possession are in excess of $50 million. The seating capacity for the Food City 500 in March of 2000 was 147,000 as the Kulwicki Terrace and Kulwicki Tower were completed. Some notable track facts (taken from the official Web site): - Kurt Busch won his first career Winston Cup race in the 2002 running of the Food City 500. - Tony Stewart's initial Bristol win came in the 2001 Sharpie 500. - Elliott Sadler's victory in 2001 Food City 500 was the first for Bristol victory for Stuart, Va.'s, famed Wood Brothers team. - In 21 of 40 years since Bristol opened, a driver who won a Winston Cup race at Bristol went on to win the series title later the same year. - Rusty Wallace snapped Jeff Gordon's four-year Food City 500 winning streak in 1999 and got his 50th win in 2000. - WCS track qualifying record: Jeff Gordon, 127.216 mph, 15.083 sec. 126.37 mph, 3/22/02. - WCS race record: Charlie Glotzbach, 101.074 mph (2:38:12), 7/11/71. - Most Bristol wins (driver): Darrell Waltrip, 12 (seven consecutive). - Most Bristol wins (car owner): Junior Johnson, 21 (eight consecutive). - Most Bristol wins (manufacturer): Chevrolet, 36 (Ford is second with 23). - Most Bristol poles (driver): Cale Yarborough, nine. - Johnny Allen crossed the finish line first in the inaugural BMS race, but he was driving in relief of Jack Smith, who gets credit for Bristol's first victory. For NASCAR, race speed records are: - Winston Cup: C. Glotzbach at 101.074MPH (161.718KPH, set July 11, 1971) - Busch Series: H. Gant at 92.929MPH (148.686KPH, set April 4, 1992) - Craftsman Trucks: R. Carelli at 83.992MPH (134.387KPH, set June 22, 1996) See the official Web site (http://www.bristolmotorspeedway.com/) for more information as well as photo galleries. ============================================== CIRCUIT HISTORY: CANBERRA No information or official Web site found. ============================================== CIRCUIT HISTORY: CATALUNYA The Circuit de Catalunya near Barcelona has hosted the Grand Prix of Spain since 1997. The circuit hosts numerous forms of racing, including FIA Sportscar Championship, Spanish Formula-1 Grand Prix, 24 HOURS MOTORBIKE ENDURANCE, 24 HOURS CAR ENDURANCE, Catalunya Motorbike Championship, Spanish GT's Championship, Truck GP, and certainly F1 Racing; Catalunya even holds courses for the preparation of racing officials. Many teams also use the circuit for practice and testing. The circuit has three configurations: Grand Prix (7.563 kilometers, or 4.727 miles), National (4.907 kilometers, or 3.067 miles), and School (2.725 kilometers, or 1.703 miles). F1 winners at Catalunya: Jacques Villeneuve (1997), Mika Hakkinen (1998-2000), and Mika Hakkinen (2001 and 2002). See the official Web site (http://www.circuitcat.com) for more information. Unfortunately, it does not have any historical information on the circuit, nor can I find any such information online. ============================================== CIRCUIT HISTORY: CHARLOTTE Named 'Charlotte' in Pro Race Driver, this is really now known as Lowe's Motor Speedway. The complex sports both a superspeedway (which is highly famous amongst NASCAR fans) and a dirt track (which is highly famous amongst World of Outlaws fans). Here is the circuit history from the official Web site: Lowe's Motor Speedway was designed and built in 1959 b current chairman O. Bruton Smith. The late Curtis Turner, one of stock car racing's earliest driving stars, was Smith's business partner. At the time Smith, a native of Oakboro, N.C., was an automobile dealer and short-track stock car racing promoter at Concord Motor Speedway and the Charlotte Fairgrounds. Turner, a Virginian who amassed his money in the lumber industry, became one of the first drivers on the NASCAR circuit after the sanctioning body debuted in 1949. Together, they built their dream of a 1.5-mile superspeedway on the outskirts of The Queen City and, on June 19, 1960, the first World 600 was run at the new facility. In 1961, like many superspeedways of the era, the track fell into Chapter 11 reorganization from which it eventually emerged despite lagging ticket sales. After his departure from the speedway in 1962, Smith pursued other business interests in Texas and Illinois. Working within Ford Motor Company's dealership program, Smith became quite successful and began purchasing shares of stock in Lowe's Motor Speedway. By 1975 Smith had again become the majority stockholder in the speedway, regaining control of its day-to-day operations. He hired current President H.A. 'Humpy' Wheeler as general manager and the two began to implement plans for needed improvements and expansion. During the ensuing 25 years, Smith and Wheeler demonstrated a commitment to customer satisfaction, building a facility that continuously established new industry standards. Thousands of grandstand seats and luxury suites were built. Food concessions and restroom facilities were added and modernized to increase the comfort of race fans. Smith Tower, a 135,000-square-foot, seven-story facility connected to the speedway's grandstands, was erected and opened in 1988. The building houses the speedway's corporate offices, ticket office, souvenir gift shop, leased office space and The Speedway Club, an exclusive dining and entertainment facility. Under the watchful eye of Smith and direction of Wheeler, in 1984 Lowe's Motor Speedway became the only sports facility in America to offer year-round living accommodations when it built 40 condominiums high above turn one. Twelve additional condominium units were added in 1991. Another innovation implemented by Smith and Wheeler was a $1.7 million, 1,200-fixture permanent lighting system developed by MUSCO Lighting of Oskaloosa, Iowa. The revolutionary lighting process uses mirrors to simulate daylight without glare, shadows or obtrusive light poles. The lighting system was installed in 1992, allowing Lowe's Motor Speedway to be the first superspeedway to host night auto racing. Ever cognizant of the competitors as well as the spectators, Smith and Wheeler added a new $1 million, 20,000-square-foot Winston Cup garage area in 1994. Other additions and improvements include the development of the speedway's 2,000-plus acres. In addition to the speedway, the property, some of which is leased, includes an industrial park that serves as home to several motorsports-related businesses, a modern landfill facility operated by BFI and a natural wildlife habitat. In addition to the 1.5-mile quad oval, the Lowe's Motor Speedway complex includes a 2.25-mile road course and a six-tenths-mile karting layout in the speedway's infield; a quarter-mile asphalt oval utilizing part of the speedway's frontstretch and pit road; and a one-fifth-mile oval located outside turn three of the superspeedway. Three NASCAR Winston Cup events, two NASCAR Busch Series races, a pair of Automobile Racing Club of America events and a Goody's Dash Series race are among the events held each year on the 1.5-mile superspeedway. The FasTrack Driving School and the Richard Petty Driving Experience also use the track extensively throughout the year. Other events on the various tracks include a weekly, nationally televised short track series for Legends Cars; Sports Car Club of America national and regional competitions; American Motorcycle Association events; and World Karting Association regional, national and international races. In May 2000, a state-of-the-art four-tenths-mile clay oval-The Dirt Track @ Lowe's Motor Speedway-was complete across Highway 29 from the speedway. The stadium-style facility has nearly 15,000 seats and plays host to the Pennzoil World of Outlaws sprint cars, dirt late model stock cars, the AMA Grand National motorcycles, the Advance Auto Parts Modified Super DIRT Series and Monster Trucks. Lowe's Motor Speedway also annually presents two of the nation's largest car shows and swap meets-the Food Lion AutoFairs in April and September-and rents the facility more than 300 days per year. Corporations such as IBM, UNOCAL, Miller Brewing, Coca-Cola, Duracell, Wendy's and Lipton Tea have rented the speedway to film television commercials or to entertain employees and clients with food, music and race car rides. Motion pictures such as 'Days of Thunder,' 'Speedway' and 'Stroker Ace' and even music videos like Tracy Lawrence's 'If the Good Die Young' have been filmed at the speedway. Adding to rental dates are race team testing and automobile manufacturer research. Smith and Wheeler will quickly point out they have yet to complete their vision, and they continue to improve and expand the facility. More than 10,000 stadium-style seats, 20 new executive suites and 40 special 32-seat boxes were built in turn four in 1995. In May 1997, the Diamond Tower Terrace grandstand was opened along the backstretch to accommodate an additional 26,000 race fans for The Winston and Coca Cola 600. In May 1998, an 11,000-seat expansion of the new Diamond Tower Terrace was completed, bringing the total seating capacity of Lowe's Motor Speedway to approximately 147,000. Then in May 1999, more than 10,000 new seats were completed in the Fourth Turn Terrace grandstand. A 10,860 seat expansion of the Ford grandstand on the frontstretch was completed in May 2000, bringing the speedway's total seating capacity to 167,000. These additions are all part of a long-term project calling for additional grandstand seating, infrastructure improvements, spectator amenities and the development of adjacent land for possible commercial real estate ventures. Building on the basic philosophy of keeping spectator and competitor comfort a high priority, Lowe's Motor Speedway continues to be a leading promoter and marketer of motorsports activities in the United States. See the official Web site (http://www.charlottemotorspeedway.com/) for more information. ============================================== CIRCUIT HISTORY: DIJON PRENOIS This French circuit hosts numerous events: F3, GT, F.Renault Coupe 206CC, Porsche Carrera Cup, an historic Ferrari weekend, Historics Grand Prix, Euro 3000, and F3000. Motorcycle events here include 125cc Open, 250cc Open, 600 Supersport, Super Production, Hornet Cup, Aprilia Cup, Coupe Ducati Club, and Side Car. Historical information (translated and abridged): 1968: Beginning of the 'Automobile Stadium Project' May 26, 1972: Inauguration of Circuit Dijon-Prenois at 3.289km (2.056 miles) June 4, 1972: First race - European Prototype Championship 1974: Host of the first Grand Prix of France (F1); winner: Ronnie Peterson 1975: Host of Grand Prix of Switzerland (F1); winner: Clay Regazzoni 1977: Host of Grand Prix of France; winner: Mario Andretti 1981: Host of Grand Prix of France; winner: Alain Prost (his first F1 win) 1984: Final F1 Grand Prix race held at Dijon-Prenois; winner: Niki Lauda See the official Web site (http://www.circuit-dijon- prenois.com/) for more information. However, the Web site is currently only available in French. ============================================== CIRCUIT HISTORY: DONINGTON PARK The Donington Park venue holds two circuits: the National Circuit and the International Circuit (the latter includes the parallel straightaways behind the Paddock Area). Donington Park is billed as a great place for car testing and launches, and also has days where the average drivers can take their cars and motorcycles to the tracks. The Honda Ron Haslam Race School also used Honda Hornets, CBR600 and CBR900RR Fireblades to train people of all ages and abilities on motorcycles. There is also the public Donington Grand Prix Collection museum, which contains more than 150 grand prix cars from the 1930s to the present. Race events include: Historic Sports Car Club Championships, British Formula 3 and British GT Championships, German Touring Car Masters, Donington Vintage and Historic Car Weekend, Cinzano British Motorcycle Grand Prix, Ford Racing Festival, Mini Racing Festival, MCN British Superbike Championship, BRSCC Car Championship, and British Truck Racing Championship. The official Web site (http://www.donington-park.co.uk/) unfortunately does not include any historical information. This information on the 1993 F1 race at Donington Park is provided by ViperMask, one of the biggest F1 fans I have ever met. It is edited only for formatting purposes. You forgot about one of the GREATEST drives in Formula 1 history. In 1993 the weather was absoulutely MISERABLE. Ayrton Senna qualified 4th in a uncompetitive McLaren Ford with a 1 year old Ford engine. When the race started, he dropped to 5th place but he was able to over take Michael Schumacher in the Benetton, Karl Wendlinger in the Sauber, Damon Hill in the Williams, and FINALLY Alain Prost in the Williams ALL IN THE FIRST LAP IN THE RAIN. Also, during the post-race press conference, Prost said he had a bad set-up, and was blaming the car, so Senna said to him "So why don't you trade cars with me?" Which sparked a lot of laughs from everyone except Alain. The following URL has the first lap of Donington. http://www.geocities.com/downward_spiral_soldier/senna- donington-1993.zip ============================================== CIRCUIT HISTORY: EASTERN CREEK This 3.93-kilometer (2.456-mile) circuit hosts V8 Supercars, many Formula series, a number of sports cars and sports sedans series, touring cars, production cars, and numerous national and support motorcycle series. The pit straight even incorporates a drag strip, and the circuit permits the average driver to enter cars and motorbikes for drag racing events (so long as the vehicle is road-registered). See the official Web site (http://www.eastern-creek- raceway.com/) for more information. This Web site unfortunately does not include historical information. ============================================== CIRCUIT HISTORY: FUJI This Japanese circuit is perhaps most notable to North American classic video game enthusiasts from its appearance in Atari's Pole Position series in the stand-up arcades of the 1980s. There are a few of these classic Pole Position and Pole Position II arcade boxes still in existence, although the best bet for finding these games now is on the various gaming consoles. However, those who prefer the version of the circuit in the Pole Position series will be rather disappointed at the chicanes added along the faster sections of the Fuji circuit. See the official Web site (http://www.fujispeedway.co.jp/) for information. There is virtually NO information on the English-language portion of the site, and NO historical information. The majority of information on the site is available only in the Japanese-language section. ============================================== CIRCUIT HISTORY: HOCKENHEIM The Hockenheim circuit was an EXCELLENT and very high-speed race venue until 2002, when the circuit was redesigned and severely shortened while accommodations were added to bring in even more spectators than before. The former Hockenheim configuration ran almost entirely through the German forest. The circuit was designed in 1932, and hosts F1 and many other forms of motorsport. Notable F1 winners at Hockenheim: Niki Lauda (1977), Mario Andretti (1978), (1981, 1986, and 1987), Alain Prost (1984, 1993), Ayrton Senna (1988-1990), Nigel Mansell (1991 and 1992), Michael Schumacher (1995, 2002), and Mika Hakkinen (1998). The official Web site (http://www.hockenheimring.de/) is unfortunately only available in German - which is a language I cannot read :-( ============================================== CIRCUIT HISTORY: KNOCKHILL The official Web site (http://www.knockhill.co.uk/) is unfortunately unavailable, loading only a single blank page at the time of the writing of this guide. ============================================== CIRCUIT HISTORY: LAS VEGAS Las Vegas Motor Speedway sports a superspeedway, 'bullring,' drag strip, and dirt track. Amongst these four venues, more than four hundred different racing events were held on LVMS property in 2002. Circuit history from the official Web site: # Sept. 15, 1996-Inaugural Indy Racing League Las Vegas 500k, won by Richie Hearn. # Nov. 3, 1996-NASCAR Craftsman Truck Carquest 420k, won by Jack Sprague. # March 16, 1997-NASCAR Busch Grand National 300, won by Jeff Green. Oct. 11, 1997-Las Vegas 500k Indy Racing League, won by Eliseo Salazar. # Nov. 9, 1997 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Carquest 420k, won by Joe Ruttman. # Feb. 28, 1998-NASCAR Busch series Sam's Town 300, won by Jimmy Spencer. # March 1, 1998-Inaugural Las Vegas 400 NASCAR Winston Cup, won by Mark Martin. # Oct. 11, 1998-Pep Boys Indy Racing League Las Vegas 500k, won by Arie Luyendyk. # Nov. 8, 1998-NASCAR Craftsman Truck Sam's Town 250, won by Jack Sprague. # March 6, 1999-NASCAR Busch Series Sam's Town 300, won by Mark Martin. # March 7, 1999-NASCAR Winston Cup Las Vegas 400, won by Jeff Burton. # September 24, 1999-Nascar Craftsman Truck Series Orleans 250, won by Greg Biffle # September 25, 1999-Nascar Winston West Gold Coast 150, won by Kevin Richards # September 26, 1999-Pep Boys Indy Racing League Vegas.com., won by Sam Schmidt # March 5, 2000-NASCAR Busch Series Sam's Town 300, won by Jeff Burton # March 6, 2000-NASCAR Winston Cup Series Carsdirect.com 400, won by Jeff Burton # April 7, 2000-Inaugural NHRA Summitracing.com Nationals, winners were Kenny Bernstein (TF), Jim Epler (FC), Jeg Coughlin Jr. (PS), Bob Panella (PST), Angelle Seeling (PSB) # April 21, 2000-NASCAR Winston West, Orleans 150, won by David Starr # April 21, 2000-IRL Vegas Indy 300, won by Al Unser Jr. # March 1, 2001-NASCAR Winston West NAPA 300, won by Mark Reed # March 3, 2001-NASCAR Busch Series Sam's Town 300, won by Todd Bodine # March 4, 2001-NASCAR Winston Cup UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400, won by Jeff Gordon # April 8, 2001-NHRA Summitracing.com Nationals, won by Kenny Bernstein (TF), Tommy Johnson Jr. (FC), Jeg Coughlin Jr. (PS), Bob Panella (PST) # Oct. 14, 2001, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Orleans 350, won by Ted Musgrave # Oct. 28, 2001, Inaugural NHRA ACDelco Las Vegas Nationals, won by Darrell Russell (TF), Ron Capps (FC), Mark Pawuk (PS) and Shaun Gann (Bikes) # March 2, 2002, NASCAR Busch Series Sam's Town 300, won by Jeff Burton. # March 3, 2002, NASCAR Winston Cup UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400, won by Sterling Marlin # April 7,2002, NHRA Summitracing.com Nationals, won by Larry Dixon (TF), Gary Densham (FC) and Ron Krisher (PS). See the official Web site (http://www.lvms.com/) for more information. ============================================== CIRCUIT HISTORY: MAGNY-COURS Characterized by its three parallel straightaways (which can be aurally difficult for drivers while on the middle straightaway), Nevers Magny-Cours has hosted F1 events since 1991. The 4.226-kilometer (2.641-mile) circuit is also used for Motorbikes Championship, FIA GT Championship, Formula Renault 2000 Eurocup, FIA Sportcar Championship, Formula Nissan, historical races, and various endurance races. F1 winners at Nevers Magny-Cours: Nigel Mansell (1991 and 1992), Alain Prost (1993), Michael Schumacher (1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2001, and 2002), Damon Hill (1996), Heinz-Harald Frentzen (1999), and David Coulthard (2000). Visit the official Web site (http://www.magnycours.com/) for more information. Unfortunately, the site does not include any circuit history in either the French- or English-language versions of the site. This information on the 1996 F1 race at Magny-Cours is provided by ViperMask, one of the biggest F1 fans I have ever met. It is edited only for formatting purposes. As for Magny-Cours, Heinz Harald Frentzen's win was a very special one. He made a BEAUTIFUL drive in the wet, in the Jordan Mugen-Honda. It was one of the races that made HHF into a superstar driver AND the Driver of the Year in 1999. ============================================== CIRCUIT HISTORY: MANTORP PARK The official Web site (http://www.mantorppark.com/) is currently available only in Swedish, so a circuit history is not available in English. ============================================== CIRCUIT HISTORY: MEXICO This 2.75-mile (4.40-kilometer) permanent road circuit began hosting CART events in 2001. As such, there is no real history available for this circuit. Please see the official Web site (http://www.telmexgigantegranpremiomexico.com/) for information. ============================================== CIRCUIT HISTORY: MONZA Originally opened in 1922 to commemorate the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Milan Automobile Club, the Monza circuit (Autodromo Nazionale Monza), near Milan, Italy, has been the site of more F1 grand prix events than any other. The Monza circuit has seen numerous configurations, including the famous banked section from 1955 to 1961. Monza has always been an incredibly fast race venue... and with this speed comes even greater danger. Phil Hill's 1961 race victory (his second consecutive win at Monza) was severely overshadowed by a collision between Jim Clark and Wolfgang von Trips which took the lives of the latter driver and over one dozen spectators. A 1970 mechanical failure during Qualifying killed Jochen Rindt, so one may not be surprised that chicanes, guard rails, and reinforced fencing were added beginning in 1972 as an attempt to slow the cars and make Monza's events safer for all involved; however, the chicanes specifically were really just makeshift safety measures due to the increasing performance in virtually all realms of motorsport. In more recent years, the opening lap of the 2000 Grand Prix of Italy was seriously marred by the death of a trackside race marshal due to all the flying debris at the Roggia Chicane (the second chicane of the circuit). While there were no dangerous incidents at the 2001 Grand Prix of Italy, that particular event happened to be scheduled for the first weekend following the world- shocking terrorist attacks on the United States (September 11, 2001) AND the near-fatal accident at a new race venue in Germany (the previous afternoon) which forced the amputation of the legs of CART driver Alex Zanardi; these events cast a dark shadow over the race itself as well as the entire Grand Prix weekend. On a far more positive note, Williams driver Juan Pablo Montoya - truly making his first great impact upon the F1 world following several years of astounding success in CART - broke Keke Rosberg's twenty-seven-year record for the fastest ever F1 qualifying lap. Rosberg's then record-setting lap was 259.005KPH (161.878MPH) set at Silverstone; Montoya's new record-setting lap was 259.827KPH (162.392MPH). What makes Montoya's achievement even more impressive is that Michelin- shod F1 vehicles (led by Williams and McLaren) have generally not been able to compete with Bridgestone-shod cars (led by Ferrari). The Monza circuit has seen all sorts of motorsport events, including motorcycles and touring cars, and currently is 5.736 kilometers (3.585 miles) in length. A recent Italian telefilm on the life of Enzzo Ferrari exclusively used the Monza circuit for its racing shots using time-appropriate vehicles. Notable F1 winners at Monza: Alberto Ascari (1951 and 1952), Juan Manuel Fangio (1953-1955), Stirling Moss (1956 and 1957), Stirling Moss (1959), Jim Clark (1963), Jackie Stewart (1965 and 1969), Emerson Fittipaldi (1972), Mario Andretti (1977), Niki Lauda (1978 and 1984), Alain Prost (1981, 1985, and 1989), Nelson Piquet (1983, 1986, and 1987), Ayrton Senna (1990 and 1992), Michael Schumacher (1996, 1998, 2000, and 2002), and Juan Pablo Montoya (2001). The official Web site of Autodromo Nazionale Monza (http://www.monzanet.it/) has plenty of great information, including a large track map of Monza's various configurations and plenty of images of racing action on Monza's banked turns. ============================================== CIRCUIT HISTORY: NORISRING The official Web site (http://www.autohausamnorisring.de/) is only available in German, so a circuit history is not available. ============================================== CIRCUIT HISTORY: NURBURGRING Originally 22.677 kilometers (14.173 miles) in length, the Nurburgring first opened in 1927 (following two years of construction) and is still going strong. The opening events featured motorcycles (June 18, 1927), with cars featured the following day. The 1939 German Grand Prix was the final race at Nurburgring for quite some time due to the beginning of World War II. The circuit itself was damaged in the closing months of the war, but racing returned to Nurburgring in 1947. However, there were no races at Nurburgring in 1948, as the circuit was being brought up to safety standards. Nurburgring began hosting F1 events in 1951. Estimates show that 400,000 spectators came to the track for the 1954 F1 race. In 1958, however, the F1 race saw the death of Peter Collins as his Ferrari went out of control. The 1968 world motorcycle championship at Nurburgring had a strange stoppage: a forest fire. The F1 Grand Prix later that year had nearly impossible visibility due to intense rain and fog. In 1970, the Northern Loop of the circuit was called into question after numerous accidents. Improvements were made for the following year, when 130,000 spectators witnessed Jackie Stewart winning the F1 Grand Prix. More improvements were demanded in 1974 (first by motorcyclists, then by F1 drivers). When Nikki Lauda was seriously injured in 1976, the Northern Loop was decommissioned as an F1 venue. A new, shorter circuit was then designed and built, opening in 1984 at 4.542 kilometers (2.839 miles) in length. Alan Prost won that year's European Grand Prix. In 1986, however, the F1 race moved to Hockenheim. 1995 saw the return of F1 to Nurburgring, and the historic race venue has produced excellent races ever since. Some of the notable F1 winners at Nurburgring: Alberto Ascari (1951 and 1952), Juan Manuel Fangio (1954-1956), Stirling Moss (1961), Jim Clark (1965), Jack Brabham (1966), Jackie Stewart (1968, 1971, and 1973), Alain Prost (1984), Michael Schumacher (1995, 2000, and 2001), Jacques Villeneuve (1996 and 1997), Mika Hakkinen (1998), and Rubens Barrichello (2002). See the official Web site (http://www.nuerburgring.de/) for plenty more details about the Nurburgring. ============================================== CIRCUIT HISTORY: ORAN PARK Oran Park contains two separate circuits which are joined for form the Grand Prix circuit of 2.7 kilometers (1.7 miles) which is used for V8 Supercar. From the official Web site: Oran Park is a motorsport facility steeped in history. The facility was established by the Singer Car Club 40 years ago. In its early days it would host one race per day. The circuit initially consisted only of the current south circuit, with the extended Grand Prix figure-8 layout not being incorporated into the track until the 1970s. Oran Park has played to host to a number unique and exciting events. It has hosted Australian Grand Prix, been the home of truck racing and was the home of the final round of the Australian Touring Car Championship for quite some time. Oran Park was instrumental in running Sports Sedans racing, that captivated Sydney motor racing fans in the 1970s (and still proves very popular today). Oran Park is a multi-faceted faclity, and includes a number of separate tracks and a driver training facility. Oran Park boasts the famous Grand Prix circuit, which is a challenging figure-8 layout, with a combination of fast sweepers and tight, technical corners. The Grand Prix Circuit is able to be split up and used concurrently as South and North Circuits. The South Cicuit incorporates the long straight, while the North Circuit incorporates the figure-8 section of the track and is a short and challenging track. Additionally, Oran Park has a Skid Pan for driver training, two dirt circuits for off road events, a motorcross track, and a popular go-kart circuit. See the official Web site (http://www.oranpark.com/) for more information. ============================================== CIRCUIT HISTORY: OSCHERSLEBEN The official Web site (http://www.motopark.de/) is only available in German, so a circuit history is not available. ============================================== CIRCUIT HISTORY: OULTON PARK Located near Cheshire, England, this circuit hosts British Touring Car Championship, British Superbike Championship, and British GT Championship, along with numerous club series. Official circuit history from Octagon Motorsports: Oulton Park first established itself as the North West's premier motorsport venue in the 1950s. A decade later, it was hosting international meetings, and among the winners were household names such as Stirling Moss, Jack Brabham, Jackie Stewart and Graham Hill. The circuit has been extended over the years, and boasts the unique distinction of having three circuits in one. This allows Oulton Park to present a racing programme that includes something for just about every motorsport enthusiast. Unusually, it is also able to seat spectators within the perimeter of the circuit, providing unrivalled views of the action. See the official Web site of Octagon Motorsports (http://circuits.octagonmotorsports.com/) for more information on this and other Octagon Motorsports race venues in the United Kingdom. ============================================== CIRCUIT HISTORY: PHILLIP ISLAND In 1952, the Phillip Island Auto Racing Club was formed with the vision of building the first international grand prix circuit in Australia. In December 1956, the circuit finally opened. Major events held at Phillip Island include Australian Superbike Championship, World Superbike Championship, V8 Supercar Championship Series, Konica V8 Supercars, and Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix. See the official Web site (http://www.phillipislandcircuit.com.au/) for more information, including a highly-detailed circuit history. ============================================== CIRCUIT HISTORY: ROCKINGHAM Rockingham Motor Speedway hosts an 'oval' circuit plus an infield road circuit (i.e., a 'stadium circuit'), allowing for many types of racing at this British facility. Events here include Ascar Oval Race Meeting, Classic Motorcycle Race Meeting, British Superbike Race Meeting, F3/GT, ASCAR Oval Race Meeting, CART Rockingham 500, Uniroyal Challenge with Formula Palmer Audi & VSR Club Race Meeting, and BRDC Winter Raceday. See the official Web site (http://www.rockingham.co.uk/) for more information. Unfortunately, a circuit history is not given on the official Web site. ============================================== CIRCUIT HISTORY: SANDOWN The official Web site (http://www.sandownraceway.com.au/) is extremely slow and virtually unresponsive at the time of the initial writing of this game guide. ============================================== CIRCUIT HISTORY: SEARS POINT Sears Point Raceway is now officially known as Infineon Raceway. This is the site of one of NASCAR's two road circuit events each year, providing a drastic change for the oval-dedicated stock car drivers. Circuit history from the official Web site: Since 1968, Infineon Raceway has provided the best in motorsports action. From the fender-rubbing action of NASCAR Winston Cup and ground pounding thunder of NHRA Drag Racing to the grassroots SCCA road races and AFM motorcycle events, Infineon Raceway has played host to many of racing's greatest moments and stars. Racing legends such as Mario Andretti, Al Unser, Dan Gurney, Kenny Roberts, Dale Earnhardt, Shirley Muldowney and Don 'The Snake' Prudhomme, as well as modern day stars including Jeff Gordon, Rusty Wallace, Ron Hornaday Jr., Miguel DuHamel and John Force, have all left their indelible marks at this unique and historic facility. NASCARInfineon Raceway is arguably the world's busiest racing facility, with track activity scheduled an average of 340 days a year. It is one of the nation's only high performance automotive industrial parks. Under the ownership and vision of Speedway Motorsports Incorporated, Infineon Raceway is poised to reach new heights in facility development and in the quality of events it offers fans. What follows is a brief history of how Infineon Raceway came to be one of North America's most complete and versatile motorsports complex: In the Beginning Franklin Sears was born in Indiana in 1817. He spent his childhood in Missouri, and in 1844 ventured westward to Oregon. He left home with his friend, Granville Swift, a rifle, mule and $1.50 in his pocket. After one winter in Oregon, Sears was fed up with the rain and headed south. He volunteered for the U.S.-Mexican war and was named a hero of the Battle of San Pasquale. He spent much of the time in the thick of the battle and was a decorated solider during the war. Following the war in 1851, he married Granville Swift's sister, Margaret, and settled on 600 acres of land south of Sonoma. He built his home of hand-hewn redwood. He was a blacksmith by trade but a large source of his income came from ranching. Sears eventually partnered with Granville Swift and bought 15,000 acres of land that stretched from Infineon Raceway all the way to what is now Lakeville Highway. 1968 The 2.52-mile road racing course was constructed on 720 acres by Marin County owners Robert Marshall Jr., an attorney from Point Reyes, and land developer Jim Coleman of Kentfield. The two conceived of the idea of a race track while on a hunting trip. Ground was broken in August and paving of the race surface was completed in November. The first official event at Infineon Raceway was an SCCA Enduro, held on December 1, 1968. 1969 The track was sold to Filmways Corp., a Los Angeles-based entertainment company for $4.5 million. From 1969 through early 1970, Infineon Raceway hosted a variety of events, including USAC IndyCar races, NASCAR stock car races, SCCA races, and drag races. 1970 Dan Gurney won a 150-mile USAC IndyCar road race with a field that included Mario Andretti, Mark Donahue and Al Unser. Not long after, the track closed in May and became a tax shelter for Filmways after losses of $300,000 were reported. 1973 Hugh Harn of Belvedere and Parker Archer of Napa arranged to lease the track through Filmways vice president Lee Moselle for $1 million. Bob Bondurant, owner and operator of the Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving, announced that he would move his school from Ontario Speedway in Southern California to Infineon Raceway. The Pacific Region of the Sports Club Car of America announced it would hold a driver's school and series of non spectator races at the track. 1974 Bob Bondurant and partner Bill Benck took over management and control of the leased raceway from Archer and Harn. American Motorcycle Association national motocross races in the hills north of Turn 7 become popular with Bay Area fans, but were phased out by the end of the decade because of rising insurance costs. 1977 AMAMoselle, a lawyer with no racing experience, comes aboard and hires Jack Williams, the 1964 NHRA top fuel drag racing champion, to be his operations chief, and Art Glattke to handle public relations. Moselle was under orders from Filmways to clear spectator restrictions with the county of Sonoma and to build a major-event schedule. A group calling itself Black Mountain Inc., which included Bob Bondurant, William J. Kolb of Del Mar and Howard Meister of Newport Beach, purchased the track from Filmways for a reported $1.5 million. Two months later, in May, Kenny Roberts did wheelies on the final two laps while he waved to a crowd of 20,000 for a runaway victory in the AMA-Sonoma Motorcycle Classic. 1980 The Black Mountain Group took on an additional partner -- the Long Beach Grand Prix Association -- in hopes of improving marketing and public relations. 1981 The Long Beach Grand Prix, headed by Chris Pook, decided to rename the track Golden State International Raceway. The Black Mountain group obtained an injunction to keep Filmways from claiming the property after defaulting on payments. Black Mountain claimed Filmways gave false financial projections when it sold the property in 1979. Bondurant resigned as president of Golden State Raceway in a dispute with Pook over the Long Beach Grand Prix's management plan. Filmways regained ownership of the track and Williams, Rick Betts and John Andersen purchased the track from Filmways at an auction for $800,000. The track was renamed Infineon Raceway International Raceway. 1983 Ford became a major sponsor at the track. Williams named Dr. Frank N. Scott Jr. of Aptos and Harvey 'Skip' Berg of Tiburon as partners. 1985 The track was completely repaved, in part with funds donated from the 'Pave the Point' fund raising campaign. It was also in 1985 that the first shop spaces (Buildings A,B,C, and D -- in the main paddock area) were built. 1986 Berg, president of a real estate acquisition and management firm headquartered in Seattle, took control of the track and became major stockholder in Brenda Raceway Corp., which controlled the track until 1996. Berg named Darwin Doll, vice president and general manager of Michigan International Speedway, new track president. 1987 NHRA Top FuelOne of the most significant moves in the track's history occurred. Infineon Raceway signed a five year contract with the National Hot Rod Association for the California Nationals. The first event was held in the summer of 1988. Additional buildings constructed on the property brought shop space to more than 700,000 square feet. 1988 Berg hired Glen Long, an IBM executive, to be the track's new president. Mike Yurick was named general manager. The NHRA nationals were a resounding success, with an estimated 32 ,000 spectators on hand to watch Joe Amato edge Dick LaHaie in victory by one hundreth of a second margin. 1989 The NASCAR Winston Cup Series debuted at the raceway, with Ricky Rudd taking the inaugural victory. Infineon Raceway arrived. 1991 The Skip Barber Racing School replaced the Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving. The NASCAR Winston Cup race drew 70,000 spectators in its second year at the track. The 15-year association with International Motorsports Association (SportsCar) GTP series, was suspended. Steve Page, a marketing executive with the Oakland A's, succeeded Long as track president. 1994 More than $1 million was spent on a beautification project and construction of a 62-foot-high, four-sided electronic lap leader board in the center of the road course. A medical facility and an 18-nozzle Unocal gasoline filling station were constructed. 1995 A major $3 million renovation plan was kicked off that included posh tower VIP suites and a two-story driver's lounge/emergency medical facility. Trans-Am and SportsCar races returned to Infineon Raceway. The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series is added to the major-events schedule. 1996 The Russell Racing School signs a 10-year contract with Infineon Raceway in February to headquarter its world renowned driving school in Sonoma. The Skip Barber Driving School moves to Laguna Seca. In May of 1996, the NASCAR Winston Cup race drew a record 102,000 spectators -- the largest single-day crowd for a Northern California sports event. Infineon Raceway owner Skip Berg sells the track to O. Bruton Smith, chairman of Speedway Motorsports, Inc. in November of 1996. Speedway Motorsports also owns Atlanta, Bristol, Charlotte, Las Vegas and Texas Motor Speedways in addition to Infineon Raceway. 1997 Kragen signs a contract through the year 2001 to joint sponsor the annual NASCAR Winston Cup event. The event will be renamed the Save Mart/Kragen 350 for the 1998 season. 1998 Major renovations begin at Infineon Raceway with the creation of 'The Chute,' an 890-foot high-speed stretch that will be used for all NASCAR-sanctioned events. The stretch connects existing Turns 4 and 7 and is officially opened on May 5 by NASCAR star Jeff Gordon. The re-design of the road course shortens the circuit from 2.52 miles to 1.949 miles but increases the Winston Cup race from 74 to 112 laps, provding fans with more action. The Chute will be used for Winston Cup, Winston West, Southwest Series and Craftsman Truck Series events. In June, NASCAR marks its 10-year anniversary with Infineon Raceway and Vallejo native Gordon comes away for the victory in the Save Mart/Kragen 350 Winston Cup race. 1999 Jeff Gordon joins Rusty Wallace and Ernie Irvan as the only two-time winners at Infineon Raceway when the Vallejo native wins the Save Mart/Kragen 350 NASCAR Winston Cup race in June. The first-ever running of the American Le Mans Series takes place at Infineon Raceway in July as J.J. Lehto and Steve Soper guide BMW to the Prototype victory. This marks the return of exciting sports car racing to Infineon Raceway as a main event for the first time since 1997. The race is televised live by NBC. Progressive Insurance signs on as the title sponsor of the AMA Superbike event, which is won by Mat Mladin. The native of Australia would go on to capture his first-ever AMA Superbike championship. His only win of the year would come at Infineon Raceway. NHRA drag racing winners include Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel), Whit Bazemore (Funny Car) and Jim Yates (Pro Stock). 2000 Infineon Raceway gains unanimous approval from the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors by a 5-0 vote to begin work on a $35 million Modernization Plan that will transform the facility into one of the premier motorsports venues in the country. The comprehensive project will take two years to complete and inlcudes 64,000 Hillside Terrace seats, repaving of both the road course and drag strip and increased run-off around the entire track. Jeff Gordon becomes the first three-time NASCAR Winston Cup winner at Infineon Raceway, taking the Save Mart/Kragen 350. In other racing news, Allan McNish sets the fastest lap ever recorded at Infineon Raceway since the raceway opened in 1968. McNish, piloting an Audi R8 during the American Le Mans Series Grand Prix of Sonoma, covers a single lap at 112.440 mph. Doug Kalitta joins Gordon as a three-peat winner, claiming his third consecutive Top Fuel title at the Fram Autolite Nationals NHRA event. 2001 The 2001 season kicked off with the completion of the first phase of Infineon Raceway's $35 million Modernization Plan. The first phase of the project, which began in September, featured the completion of hillside terrace seats in Turns 2-4, a new entrance at Gate 7, the construction of two ring roads for shuttle and fan traffic, 40 permanent garages and increased run-off on the road course, among others. The 10-turn road course used for the NASCAR Dodge/Save Mart 350 featured a modified Chute lengthened by over 300 feet to include a straightaway between Turns 4 and 4a and the creation of a pure straightaway between Turns 4a and 7. Turn 7 boasts a 90-degree right-hand turn with 120 feet of runoff room for safety and creates a new passing zone on the track. The new Turn 7 proved crucial in the 2001 Dodge/Save Mart 350, with Tony Stewart making the race winning pass in this turn as Robby Gordon and Kevin Harvick battled for position. Stewart took the checkered flag after 112 laps, robbing Jeff Gordon of his fourth consecutive win at Infineon Raceway. The NHRA FRAM Autolite Nationals offered more than just exciting racing action in 2001. After Kenny Bernstein, Del Worsham and Tom Martino claimed their titles, John Force and Gary Scelzi boarded Caterpillar bulldozers to begin destruction of the drag strip and signify the beginning the of second phase of the Modernization Plan. Phase Two of the plan focuses on fan and driver amenities, including more terraces seats, repaving of the drag strip and road course surfaces and the construction of a new permanent grandstand at the start/finish line of the road course. The Plan is scheduled to be completed for the 2002 season. 2002 The 2002 racing season was a time of major change at the Sonoma raceway. In June, track officials announced that the facility had been renamed Infineon Raceway as part of a 10-year strategic partnership with Infineon Technologies, one of the world's top semiconductor manufacturing companies. The agreement includes two annual events to be held at Infineon Raceway. The annual American Le Mans Series event will be renamed the Infineon Grand Prix of Sonoma, and beginning in 2003, Infineon Raceway will host the Infineon Mountain Bike Challenge, a world class competitive biking event. Infineon Raceway became just the second motor racing facility in the country to secure a major naming rights deal. The 2002 racing season also saw the near-completion of the facility's two-year, $50 million Modernization Plan. This renovation touched nearly every area of the property and includes the addition of many fan and racer amenities. Changes to the facility include: a new permanent grandstand at start/finish of the road course; hillside terrace seating at Turns 7-9; a completely refurbished drag strip complete with 660-foot concrete launch pad; expanded paddock area; and the new Infineon Raceway Karting Center. Infineon Raceway also hosted its full-slate of annual events, including the Dodge/Save Mart 350 NASCAR Winston Cup event and NHRA FRAM Autolite Nationals, with the addition of the inaugural NHRA Summit Sport Compact Drag Racing Series event. The new drag strip surface proved fruitful at the NHRA event, with track records reset in three classes and Pro Stock Motorcycle rider, Angelle Savoie, posting the second quickest time in history. See the official Web site (http://infineonraceway.com/) for more information. ============================================== CIRCUIT HISTORY: SILVERSTONE The world-famous Silverstone circuit - often spoken of in the same terms as Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Monza - has hosted F1 racing since 1950. This 5.110-kilometer (3.194- mile) circuit is set at an airport site, and contains several configurations. The Silverstone International circuit (used for the British TOCA series) shares much of the same pavement as the Grand Prix circuit used for the annual F1 Grand Prix of Great Britain; in fact, the pavement for the two circuits even cross at approximately two-thirds of the way around the International circuit. During World War II, the Royal Air Force chose the site now known as Silverstone for an airfield and a bomber-training base. Following the war, other circuits such as Donnington Park and Brooklands could not be used for racing due to having been converted for wartime uses. Thus, in 1948, the Silverstone site was used for its first race... with the circuit marked by hay bales. The circuit was redone in 1949 and assumed a configuration roughly equivalent to that in current use. F1 began in 1950, and held its first race at Silverstone. Guiseppe Farina won the first-ever F1 race in an Alfa Romeo. The British Racing Drivers' Club operated Silverstone until 2001, when current owner Octagon Motorsports took control of the venue; this also ensures that the British Grand Prix will be held at Silverstone for at least the next fifteen years. The world's best F1 drivers have all placed themselves into the Silverstone record books, including Manuel Fangio, Stirling Moss, Mike Hawthorn, Jack Brabham, John Surtees, Jim Clark, Graham Hill, Jackie Stewart, James Hunt, John Watson, Niki Lauda, Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell, Ayrton Senna, Eddie Irvine, Jacques Villeneuve, Mika Hakkinen, Michael Schumacher, and David Coulthard. The track record is held by Michael Schumacher, at 1:24.475 with an average speed of 217.784KPH (136.115MPH). Silverstone hosts far more than just F1: Grand Prix motorcycles, SuperBikes, Karts, FIA GTs, European Le Mans, RallySprint, stages of the Rally of Great Britain, British Touring Car Championship, and British Formula 3 and GT. The official Web site is actually the site for Octagon Motorsports (http://www.octagonmotorsports.com/), which owns and operates Silverstone, as well as Snetterton, Cadwell Park, Brands Hatch, and Oulton Park. ============================================== CIRCUIT HISTORY: T1 CIRCUIT AIDA The official Web site (http://www.ti-circuit.co.jp/) is only available in Japanese, so there is no circuit history available. ============================================== CIRCUIT HISTORY: VALLELUNGA The official Web site (http://www.vallelunga.it/) has an automatic redirection to a blank page. Therefore, no circuit history is available. ============================================== CIRCUIT HISTORY: VANCOUVER The Vancouver temporary street circuit primarily features one of the three Canadian rounds of the CART-FedEx Championship Series, but also includes CASCAR Super Series, Fran-Am, Barber Dodge Pro Series, and the SCCBC Sedan Invitational Race. Circuit history from the official Web site (written in 2002): From green flag to checkered flag, the challenging Vancouver course will take the world's most talented drivers on a heart-pounding 12-turn ride through the streets of downtown Vancouver. With the spectacular North Shore mountains as a backdrop, the twisting waterfront course is sure to test the limits of every CART driver and their million-dollar racing machines. Last year a packed house of more than 65,000 cheering fans were revved up for another Canadian victory following the first ever in Vancouver the year before by Team KOOL Green's 'Thrill from Westhill', Paul Tracy. Things couldn't have started any better as 26 cars took the green flag led by the all-Canadian front row of Team Players drivers Alex Tagliani and Patrick Carpentier. After 175 miles of racing and seven lead changes, it was Patrick Racing's 'Super Sub' Roberto Moreno who powered his Visteon Reynard Lola to his first victory of the season after passing fellow Brazilian Gil de Ferran with just nine laps to go. An emotional Moreno treated the crowd to some victory donuts before dedicating the race to the memory of hometown favorite Greg Moore. As always, the Vancouver race played a pivotal role in the race for the season championship. With his second place finish, Team Penske driver Gil de Ferran, took over top spot in the standings and never looked back on his way to repeating as CART FedEx Championship Series champion. Last year, more than 160,000 motorsport fans came to Concord Place to catch thrilling wheel-to-wheel action and the roar of the 800-horsepower engines. See the official Web site (http://www.molsonindy.com/) for more information. ============================================== CIRCUIT HISTORY: ZANDVOORT The official Web site (http://www.circuit-zandvoort.nl/) is only available in Dutch, so an official circuit history of not available. ============================================== CIRCUIT HISTORY: ZOLDER Circuit Zolder has been used in the past for F1's Grand Prix of Belgium, but is a 'sore point' amongst many current drivers due to the lack of modernized safety features. For example, the 2002 season featured primarily sand and gravel in the recovery zones, whereas the majority of European racing venues are instead removing sand and gravel to be replaced by more pavement; such changes permit cars to slide off of the actual raceway, recover, and rejoin the race. Events held at Circuit Zolder include: German Touring Cars, World Championship Cyclo-Cross, Road World Championships, FIA Electro Solar Cup, Motorcycle Road Racing Grand Prix, Grand prix of the Nations, European Historic Grand Prix, Truck Super Prix, and 24 Hours of Zolder... among others. Circuit history from the official Web site: The name 'Terlamen' is derived from 'Terlaemen', the name of the local domain that is already quoted in 1293 and at the heart whereof the circuit has been constructed. The community of Heusden-Zolder is the owner of the circuit and of the greater part of the surrounding woods. The vzw Terlamen runs the circuit. In 1959, Auto-Moto-Club Bolderberg came with the idea to build a circuit where its members could practice their hobby. In 1960, this idea was materialised in a small 2,700-meters long circuit. Very soon, it became clear that this circuit was too small for national and international competitions. A permanent and larger circuit was required. On 14 July 1963, the 4,300-meters long circuit was officially inaugurated. After the works in 1994, the length was reduced up to 4,184 meters. Although not the largest, Circuit Zolder surely is one of the safest circuits of the world. Moreover, the track has been built in such a way that the drivers can demonstrate their true capacities. Since the circuit constitutes a closed complex, timings, races or other events can be organised without obstructing the circulation on the public road. Besides many Formula 1 races in the past and other internationally famous races such as the European Historic Grand Prix and the Truck Super Prix, Circuit Zolder hosts many national and regional competitions such as the New Race Festival, the 24 Hours of Zolder, the Belgian Masters and the Race Promotion Night as well. Every year, Circuit Zolder is the place-to-be for thousands of visitors. Please see the official Web site (http://www.circuit- zolder.be/) for more information. This information on the 1982 F1 race at Zolder is provided by ViperMask, one of the biggest F1 fans I have ever met. It is edited only for formatting purposes. This is where Gilles Villeneuve died on May 8th, 1982. During practice, he was driving possessed due to his hatred for his team mate Didier Pironi (because Pironi broke a gentleman's agreement not to pass each other in Imola costing Gilles the win.) Unfortunately the MARCH of Jochen Mass was on a warm up lap or a slow down lap, so Gilles try to avoid him, yet Jochen moved trying to avoid Gilles. Gilles ended up tapping the MARCH and somersaulting his Ferrari in a HORRIFIC crash. Gilles was even thrown out of the car like a crash test dummy. Gilles died in the hospital. Gilles will always be remembered as one of the best drivers who never got a F1 World Championship. But thankfully. His son Jacques Villeneuve became a F1 world champion in 1997 for Williams Renault. ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== CONTACT INFORMATION For questions, rants, raves, comments of appreciation, etc., or to be added to my e-mail list for updates to this driving guide, please contact me at: FEATHER7@IX.NETCOM.COM; also, if you have enjoyed this guide and feel that it has been helpful to you, I would certainly appreciate a small donation via PayPal (http://www.paypal.com/) using the above e-mail address. To find the latest version of this and all my other PSX/PS2/DC/Mac game guides, visit FeatherGuides at http://feathersites.angelcities.com/ ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== ======================================================================= Wolf Feather Jamie Stafford ======================================================================= Just as there are many parts needed to make a human a human, there's a remarkable number of things needed to make an individual what they are. - Major Kusanagi, _Ghost in the Shell_ ======================================================================= What isn't remembered never happened. - _Serial Experiments Lain_ =======================================================================