Laguna Seca is off... on.... etc.... {multiple merge}

[Hepatic]

http://www.pitpass.com/fes_php/pitpa...s_art_id=27251

...and if it's on pitpass, it's usually gospel. Damnit

[Fiorentina 1]

Originally Posted by BootsOntheSide

It doesn't say much for Laguna that the track should be unraceable due to rain. In California the drainage system should be up to the job? Maybe this isn't the real reason for the race being cancelled.

I've raced there in the rain BEFORE they improved the deainage system and it wasn't that bad. Ya, we weren't going as fast as A1GP, but still. So, I don't understand what the deal is.

[safc_fan89]

I did say on here in October that A1GP would probably flop, but I didn't think it would be because loads of the races are cancelled. Bad news indeed, I hope that by the time I have access to Sky the series hasn't been totally abandoned!

[Adam43]

Originally Posted by madmed

laguna seca is not good any way

Laguna Seca is great. Fact!

A shame the race is cancelled. I've been enjoying the evening ones.

[Silk Cut Jaguar]

Originally Posted by AdamAshmore

Laguna Seca is great. Fact!

Laguna is great... for bikes. I generally don't find the top level open wheeler stuff that interesting when they race there.

It's a real shame another round has been cancelled as the last few races of A1 have been thrilling and well worth watching. I was really looking forward to some of the drivers sliding down the corkscrew.

[Adam43]

Originally Posted by Silk Cut Jaguar

Laguna is great... for bikes. I generally don't find the top level open wheeler stuff that interesting when they race there.

A joy to watch one of them tackle the elevation changes though. Or Zanardi race there. Poor Herta.

Originally Posted by Silk Cut Jaguar

...I was really looking forward to some of the drivers sliding down the corkscrew.

[madmed]

Why the official site of a1gp didnt mentioned the cancellation

[ss_collins]

curious.

[pitcrew]

Doubt bad track conditions are the problem here, think its something alot deeper!

[jondownunder]

At first I thought all this seemed very fishy...

Cancel a race due to rain? Not even just postpone it to another weekend?

But looking at the pitpass article, I suppose the reasons seem believable. And with the traditional season (GP2 etc) so close, there's not much scope to reschedule a race when most of the teams will have other commitments. Not great PR for the series for another race to be cancelled, especially when it hands France the championship (well, OK, it was their's anyway...) Just hope China goes ahead as pitpass states, though a visit to another ultra-modern F1 track like Shanghai is a bit of an anti-climax to my tastes.

Anyway, congratulations to France - a well deserved and dominant win regardless of the cancellation. Hopefully next season (should the doommongers be proven wrong) the other teams will raise their game and provide a more consistent challenge to them. And hopefully some countries will learn from their poor driver selection this year (no names mentioned!)

[Fiorentina 1]

Originally Posted by pitcrew

Doubt bad track conditions are the problem here, think its something alot deeper!

I'm sure!

[Rob29]

Originally Posted by madmed

Why the official site of a1gp didnt mentioned the cancellation

They are still selling tickets! Maybe the truth is they have not sold any? Scheduling it the same day as first F1 round not too clever either,even with 12 hr time difference? At least looks like I will get a early night next Sunday.
I too have neve heard of rain so bad it will not have cleared up in a week.

[Kebab]

FIA causing trouble 'cos of overlap with F1 perhaps?

[Adam43]

I doubt that. What is i based on?
It does seem odd, but there are far simpler things it could be.

The website probably hasn't been updated yet because the guy who does it is at home! Just because it is on the 'immediate' internet doesn't mean it gets done.

The reasons will become apparent over the next few days I guess.

[Roninho]

let me put it like this: If A1gp indeed does NOT have financial problems imo they are handling these situations totally wrong. They make it look like they are having financial problems. The cars being impounded, suppliers not being paid, races postpounded, etc. etc.

It could very well be that they don't have any financial problems, but in that case i advise them to hire a good pr-manager that kills any rumours cause this is really hurting them.

[theracegypsy]

San Francisco Region SCCA web site has official cancellation notice posted. All races for the weekend are cancelled.

[M-Kart]

Anyone noticed that on autosport.com today it says that they will press ahead and WILL race at laguna seca this weekend???

this is very good news

[cos]

Yup, Pitpass is reporting that too. Very odd.

[inpitlane]

From the A1 Grand Prix media office:
A1 GRAND PRIX GIVES GREEN LIGHT TO USA RACE

Salinas, CA - Organisers of the A1 Grand Prix series have confirmed the A1 Grand
Prix of Nations, California, USA, scheduled to run at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca
on 10-12 March 2006 will go ahead as planned.

An initial inspection of the track by A1 Grand Prix officials raised concerns
over the volume of rain that has fallen over recent weeks, hindering the on-
going preparation of the facility for the penultimate round of the World Cup of
Motorsport. Following substantial discussions with Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, A1
Grand Prix have been assured that Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca officials will do
everything within their control to prepare the track for the A1 Grand Prix of
Nations.

'Despite challenges brought on by the prevailing weather conditions, Mazda
Raceway Laguna Seca is confident that the track will be presented to the
necessary standard required to host an A1 Grand Prix event,' stated A1GP chief
operating officer, David Clare. 'We will now continue to work with the circuit
to ensure the US race meets the impeccable standards dictated by A1GP.'
ENDS/.....

As some people have said if the race is going ahaed then A1 have not handled this situation at all well.

[Fiorentina 1]

Good luck getting anyone to go now. Why go up there only to find out it is indeed cancelled? I'm going to our summer house an hour south of Laguna as planned, if it's on then Sunday I'll go up, if it's not on then I won't. But, if I didn't have that option, I would never risk it and drive from L.A for nothing....

[PorscheGuy]

I just returned from walking the track at Laguna Seca and found it in good shape. Through the steepest portions of the Corkscrew, there are some small washouts in the runoff area, normal for the rainy season here. It'll take the ground crew only a day to groom the runoff areas to their usual perfect condition prior to the race event.

[M-Kart]

sorry to be a little off topic, but having not spent much time in that part of the world, how long (time-wise) a drive is it from LA to Laguna Seca?

[Rizweed]

The race in Laguna Seca is GO GO GO!!!

www.a1gp.com

[Suze]

it's off, it's on....doesn't say much for good billing of the series does it?!

good to here it's back on but still sceptical as to the original reason given

[Asp]

I'm intrigued as to what's going on? Did someone (Autosport?) get the wrong end of the stick; and other sites just copied from that? Did someone feed a dodgy press release?
People had said the official cancellation was 'fishy'. To me, this is now even 'fishier'...