Officials are urging open-wheel fans to "gird their loins" for the super-fast, ovalish F1 race at Monza on Sept. 13.
Built in 1922 by a phalanx of some 3,200 workers, Autodromo Nazionale Monza is near Monza, north of Milan. It's also the spiritual home of Scuderia Ferrari and as such will be a sea of red.
The site has three tracks – the 5.793 km (3.600 mi) Grand Prix track, the 2.405 km (1.494 mi) Junior track and a decaying 4.25 km (2.64 mi) high speed track with freakish bankings.
The oval (outlined in gray above) was used in exhibition competitions in 1957 and 1958, with three 63 lap heat races each year, races which colloquially became known as the Monzanapolis series.
Here's an idea: Let's rehab the big oval and replace Snortegi with MONZA. I think I just peed myself.
If you're a fan of road/street racing -- and you know who you are -- I got no idea why you're not watching F1. F1 has had six different winners in the last six races. Backmarker Force India won the pole and finished P2 (with Giancarlo Fisichella) in Spa. That's the equivalent of a Dreyer & Reinbold getting the pole and P2 at Kentucky or Chicagoland in the IRL.
Monza will also be the debut of Fisichella as a Ferrari driver. Fisichella left Force India after Spa to finish his career as a Ferrari driver, filling in for the recuperating Felipe Massa.
Catch it all on SPEED. (All times Eastern.) Practice, Sept. 11, 8 a.m. Qualifying, Sept. 12, 8 a.m. Race, Sept. 13, 7:30 a.m.
Hey Bill,
I'm actually doing up an article of the oval and will try to have it up pre-Monza.
On a sad note, Italian authorities have attempted to have it knocked down a number of times, but have been blocked twice.
I believe there attempts to try and get the site registered as a heritage site - if I find some info, I'll send it on.
:)
Posted by: Leigh O'Gorman | September 08, 2009 at 10:41 AM
OMG....Indycar on the oval at monza...The only way it would be better is if Jim Garner came and drove a Toyota to victory...
Posted by: Adam Hines | September 08, 2009 at 11:01 AM
Leigh, send me a linky dink to your article.
Posted by: pressdog | September 08, 2009 at 12:11 PM
If we're going to run internationally, I'd rather do Europe than Brazil. Monza, Mangy Cours, Silverstone, Rockingham, Zandavort, Nurmiburg, Le Mans, they're all such great road courses, I hate how F1 tries to move to Street courses and newer, boring road courses.
Posted by: dylan | September 08, 2009 at 12:31 PM
@ Bill
Will do.
By the way, a mixture of sunny weather and rain is predicted for raceday
@ Dylan
IndyCar at Le Mans!! Now there's a thought....
It would be great to see the oval at Rockingham (UK) in use, but I've no idea how it could be fit to US TV schedules though and I think Zandvoort has now been shortened to take junior and club formula's now (which is a real shame
Posted by: Leigh O'Gorman | September 08, 2009 at 12:54 PM
Based off of the Race 07 game, Zandavort has a club part, but, the long version is still there.
Posted by: dylan | September 08, 2009 at 01:41 PM
Check out this site.
http://speedhunters.com/archive/2009/06/15/temple-of-speed-gt-gt-the-monza-banking.aspx
Posted by: S0CSeven | September 08, 2009 at 04:24 PM
Zandvoort's long circuit was closed decades ago but a club layout survived, and that was heavily extended again 15 or so years ago and has recently hosted A1GP, etc.
Comparison:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circuit_Park_Zandvoort
Posted by: Pat W | September 08, 2009 at 06:14 PM
S0CSeven ... awesome site. Thanks for the link. Fabulous photos of the old banking at MONZA. RE-HAB! REEE-HAB.
Posted by: pressdog | September 08, 2009 at 07:56 PM
I had seen pictures of the Monza oval before but this is really cool.
Speaking of F1, Autosport has news about the Singapore mess and they aren't pretty: http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/78446
Posted by: Filipe | September 09, 2009 at 12:24 PM