CART to Houston Ground Control: Ready for Landing, Over?

Check out the latest Sports Guides from Starting Blocks Int'l
CART to Houston Ground Control: Ready for Landing, Over?
©1997 SpeedCenter Internet Publishing, Inc.
Houston very likely to become new CART venue in 1998
Last week, drivers Bobby Rahal and Bryan Herta as well as Mario Andrettiwere visiting Houston, the home base for several major CART sponsors(Shell for Team Rahal, and Texaco for Newman/Haas). Aside frompromotional appearances for their sponsors, the CART celebrities wereoutspoken about the high likelihood that the city would be host to the"Houston Grand Prix" in 1998.
Their sponsors definitely would like a race on their home turf. Oilcompanies have traditionally been big sponsors of CART racing, and withthe conglomeration of big oil home offices in Texas, it was just a matterof time until big racing would visit the state. CART races are verypopular among sponsors as they allow them provide exclusive hospitalityentertainment for invited guests — one of the perks of being a big sponsorin racing. Having the opportunity to entertain guests near your corporate homebase must be even more appealing, and in this case may just be that extra incentive in the process of getting the event authorized by local officials.
Developing the event is a group of promoters assembled by CarlHaas, who is co-owner of the Texaco-sponsored Newman/Haas team. Allegedly,a map for the proposed track already exists, and the clearance for theevent is not expected to be a troublesome issue.
The recent turmoil over the future of the Canadian events, sparked by upcomingstrict tobacco advertising legislation in that country (see SpeedCenterEditorial Kiss Racing in Canada Goodbye),may be a driving force behindthis sudden development in Texas. When earlier this year CART determinedthat the dual-banked oval at Texas Motor Speedway was too dangerous fortheir cars (see SpeedCenter Editorial Tale of Two Banks), a city eventin Houston was already rumored as an alternative. Now, only a few weekslater, the future of the races in Vancouver and Toronto is very uncertain, and CART has it's sights set on another southern venue that wouldhelp to reduce the glut of mid-summer race dates in northern locations.
While Houston seems to be a safe bet for '98, SpeedCenter has learned thatAtlanta is yet another possible future venue. There, a roadcourse (Savannah) and a possible city layout are competing options for a date onthe CART schedule. With Canadian tracks at risk, and a frequently statedgoal to expand the CART event schedule to at least 20 races per season,the pressure is on CART to develop events in locations willing to hostthem, and efforts seem to be underway.


		Check out the latest Sports Guides from Starting Blocks Int'l

		CART to Houston Ground Control: Ready for Landing, Over? ©1997 SpeedCenter Internet Publishing, Inc. Houston very likely to become new CART venue in 1998 Last week, drivers Bobby Rahal and Bryan Herta as well as Mario Andrettiwere visiting Houston, the home base for several major CART sponsors(Shell for Team Rahal, and Texaco for Newman/Haas). Aside frompromotional appearances for their sponsors, the CART celebrities wereoutspoken about the high likelihood that the city would be host to the"Houston Grand Prix" in 1998. Their sponsors definitely would like a race on their home turf. Oilcompanies have traditionally been big sponsors of CART racing, and withthe conglomeration of big oil home offices in Texas, it was just a matterof time until big racing would visit the state. CART races are verypopular among sponsors as they allow them provide exclusive hospitalityentertainment for invited guests — one of the perks of being a big sponsorin racing. Having the opportunity to entertain guests near your corporate homebase must be even more appealing, and in this case may just be that extra incentive in the process of getting the event authorized by local officials. Developing the event is a group of promoters assembled by CarlHaas, who is co-owner of the Texaco-sponsored Newman/Haas team. Allegedly,a map for the proposed track already exists, and the clearance for theevent is not expected to be a troublesome issue. The recent turmoil over the future of the Canadian events, sparked by upcomingstrict tobacco advertising legislation in that country (see SpeedCenterEditorial Kiss Racing in Canada Goodbye),may be a driving force behindthis sudden development in Texas. When earlier this year CART determinedthat the dual-banked oval at Texas Motor Speedway was too dangerous fortheir cars (see SpeedCenter Editorial Tale of Two Banks), a city eventin Houston was already rumored as an alternative. Now, only a few weekslater, the future of the races in Vancouver and Toronto is very uncertain, and CART has it's sights set on another southern venue that wouldhelp to reduce the glut of mid-summer race dates in northern locations. While Houston seems to be a safe bet for '98, SpeedCenter has learned thatAtlanta is yet another possible future venue. There, a roadcourse (Savannah) and a possible city layout are competing options for a date onthe CART schedule. With Canadian tracks at risk, and a frequently statedgoal to expand the CART event schedule to at least 20 races per season,the pressure is on CART to develop events in locations willing to hostthem, and efforts seem to be underway.