IndyCar.com has put out a statement from the Indy Racing League on the current situation of the track at Sao Paulo, Brazil:
“We continue to work with circuit designer Tony Cotman and the promoter to fine tune the track with the feedback we’ve received from the drivers. This process is no different than any other new circuit we visit for the first time.Tony Cotman has done a great job creating a fast and racy track that will be a challenge to these world-class competitors while putting on a great show for our enthusiastic fans. We appreciate our drivers’ feedback as we want to make this a track they will enjoy to drive.”
Qualifying for the Sao Paulo Indy 300 has been moved to 7:30 a.m. ET (8:30 a.m. in Brazil) tomorrow morning and diamond grinding will take place overnight on the concrete Sambadromo straightaway. The Sambadromo was the place of multiple incidents today during the three practice sessions, and defending IZOD IndyCar Series champion Dario Franchitti went so far as to call it “an ice rink” on IMS Radio Network’s broadcast. It was not uncommon to see cars drift sideways multiple times on the Sambadromo before heading back onto the asphalt at the Turn 1-2 complex, the S of Samba.
Due to the postponement of qualifying, a third practice session took place instead at 1:30 p.m. ET this afternoon. Team Penske’s Will Power wound up leading the session with a lap of 91.2980 seconds in the No. 12 Verizon Wireless car, but not before KV Racing Technology’s Mario Moraes went nose first into the right side barrier in…you guessed it…the Sambadromo. Milka Duno also spun out on the straightaway, but kept her No. 18 CITGO/Dale Coyne Racing car off the wall.
