Learning a new track in optimal conditions is a tough job.
But with the slippery Sambadromo straightaway wreaking havoc during Saturday’s practice sessions for the Sao Paulo Indy 300 (Sun., 11:30 a.m. ET, Versus), the drivers and teams of the IZOD IndyCar Series found learning the 2.6-mile temporary street course more daunting than expected.
It may get even worse as well. While overnight diamond grinding on the Sambadromo may help improve conditions for tomorrow — which also includes a 15-minute warm-up (7 a.m. ET, IndyCar.com) and the qualifying session (7:30 a.m. ET, IndyCar.com) that was slated for Saturday before it was postponed – it may also drastically alter or erase any knowledge that was gained by competitors during the three practices. Not only that, rain is expected in Sao Paulo for race day.
The phrase “recipe for disaster” may come to mind.
In practice, drivers quickly found that after transitioning from the asphalt hairpin of Turn 11 to the concrete Sambadromo, they could get no grip and had to “saw” the wheel back and forth in order to keep from spinning out. Cars would drift sideways multiple times down the straightaway before going into the asphalt “S of Samba” that makes up the circuit’s first two turns. Drivers also had to keep partially off the throttle in order to navigate the stretch.
Unfortunately, that didn’t always work on Saturday. Multiple drivers, including Ryan Briscoe, Ana Beatriz, Milka Duno and Mario Moraes, had incidents on the Sambadromo that ranged from simply spins (Briscoe and Duno) to legitimate crashes (Beatriz and Moraes).
A cause of the problem comes from the Sambadromo’s main purpose as home of Sao Paulo’s Carnival celebrations. It was painted for the Mardi Gras-like party and had to be removed before the race. Cassio Cortes of RACER Magazine reports that a repaving soon followed, but a hyper-slick surface has apparently emerged as a result. Drivers also complained of major bumps in the nearly mile-long backstretch, a key feature of the Tony Cotman-penned course.
Andretti Autosport driver and former IZOD IndyCar Series champion Tony Kanaan was especially critical of Cotman for failing to take heed of pilots’ complaints. Here are Kanaan’s rather interesting comments, as reported by Cortes:
“It’s simply too bumpy; it’s nearly impossible to keep the car in a straight line in some sections. Several drivers complained to Cotman and asked for changes, but he was intransigent about it. I guess he never raced a car down a bumpy road like this…”
Defending series king Dario Franchitti also had sharp words about the course, telling IMS Radio Network that the Sambadromo was like “an ice rink” and that motocross legend Ricky Carmichael would be better suited to drive through the bumpy streets of Sao Paulo.
For their part, the IRL released a statement saying that they are working with Cotman and race promoters to “fine-tune the track with the feedback we’ve received from the drivers.” The league also communicated to a fan via Twitter that all were surprised at the difficulties.
As for Cotman himself, he explained the situation from his end on IndyCar.com.
“Understand that temporary or street circuits are unique to themselves and every one poses its own set of challenges, whether it’s paving, street closures or fencing,” he said. “I didn’t, obviously, expect the concrete to be the issue here. This is probably the first time the concrete is actually shiny and the rubber compound is not sticking to the concrete for whatever the reason.
“We want to have the concrete have a little bit more bite to it. We’re also dealing with concrete that’s a little uneven, as you do when you lay it in sections.”
Not everyone was up in arms about the course, however. While it can be argued that Alex Tagliani’s outlook was going to skew positive after he cracked the top ten in all three practices with his new FAZZT Race Team, the Canadian felt that the track would produce a fun affair.
“The track itself is a very unique track with the long straightaway, the longest in the series, and it’s going to make for a good race and a lot of action,” said Tagliani. “We have little issues here and there with the track, but everyone was very good and responsive and said they would get it all fixed overnight.
“Those are just first-year glitches for a new track, in a new city and a new circuit, but for the long term, it is going to be really good to be racing here in Sao Paulo.”
Maybe. But in the short-term, all signs are pointing to a potentially chaotic afternoon on Sunday.
Newman/Haas/Lanigan Hideki Mutoh, who was one of the many drivers that wrecked on Saturday (although his crack-up wasn’t induced by the Sambadromo), seems to be bracing for trouble.
“I think the race is going to be a little crazy and I hope I am not part of that,” the Tokyo native said. “There are a lot of rookies in the race so it will be interesting…If it rains, I think you can aquaplane on the back straight, because it is so bumpy.
“It will be a survival race if it rains. It might be anyway.”
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Some materials from a league press release was used in this article. All other quotes and reports have been properly attributed. Photo credit: Chris Jones/Indy Racing League.
