Should there be an American GP2?

There were some plans for an American GP2 last year, but never heard of it again. I think that would be great:

- GP2 America could be more attractive for F1 and United Sports car Championship than Indy Lights is now (only for IndyCar). The cars are not as fast as GP2 cars and for many European drivers going to Indy Lights is a step back, GP2 America would not be a step back

- GP2 America would also help IndyCar to become more popular as it could become the first option if F1 doesn't function.

- I think there would be interest in such series as Carlin is considering Indy Lights for 2015 and if the cars are the same as in Gp2 Main Series many teams could also compete there. America is a popular market for teams, sponsors and so on.

- GP2 America must be a support series for F1 races (now Austin and Montréal, perhaps also Interlagos, Mexico and New Jersey), IndyCar (Indianapolis, Long Beach and Texas) and United Sportscar Championship (Daytona, Sebring and Road Atlanta).

- The problem: In America Formula Racing is not very popular any more, as NASCAR is dominating. So will there be money for such series? Perhaps we need more than one chassis and engine supplier and a budget cap as in LMP2 class.

No

We tried U.S Formula 3. It failed after really one season (it ran two, but only a couple of F3 cars ran). 

It wouldn't work. For one, the costs would be on par to IndyCar, and like what I feel the DTM America series is going to face is lack of interest. Who would compete? IndyCar only really succeeds because of a few race (Long Beach, Indy) have some sort of importance in the racing world. 

And already Indy Lights are too expensive. Multiply the costs by triple (if not more), and you'll have maybe 4 cars competing. 

If North America was like Europe, and the national classes were smaller, feeder style series, yes. Yes, GP2 America would work. But the strength of IndyCar is still more than even the GP2 Series already running. 

I'm going to say no, but what I would like to see is an F3-like common formula that can be applied around the world, to the current GP2, Japanese F3000/FNippon/Super Formula/whatever they call it now, and Indy Lights (although Lights cars need to be oval compatible which may complicate things a bit), it could possibly reduce costs in terms of both economies of scale for suppliers, and enable teams based in one region to branch out without needing new equipment (e.g. Carlin taking their "GP2" equipment to run Indy Lights if they want a crack over there), but keep the series independent rather than being run all under one umbrella. Kind of like the planned DTM/Super GT collaboration.

Edited by FerrariV12, 24 December 2013 - 01:11.

Indeed, no. 

No.

Why? The US has ovals. Muricah!

I think it could work. Sure they love their oval races but with so many people, you are bound to appeal to one segment of the market. Austin Gp has done fairly well thus far which gives hope.

Why not? America is a pretty amazing place with a lot of talent. 

Why not? America is a pretty amazing place with a lot of talent. 

... which, from what I always read, is all in NASCAR, apart from Marco Andretti, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Charlie Kimball, Josef Newgarden, and Graham Rahal, who are in IndyCar.

In the early 2000s there were rumours of B.C. Ecclestone buying CART, especially after it was proposed that CART adopt 3.0 V10 engine rules — if my memory serves me correct — perhaps in order to turn it into the US Formula One Championship. Such a series might have helped to further adopt F1 in the US, of course, including the Indianapolis Grand Prix and perhaps 1 or 2 additional races in the US, with several more in a pleasant time zone, which is now slowly becoming the case.

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I think it could work. Sure they love their oval races but with so many people, you are bound to appeal to one segment of the market. Austin Gp has done fairly well thus far which gives hope.

And when GP2 America will also be a support race for Indy-500 and Texas, they also would run on two ovals.

... which, from what I always read, is all in NASCAR, apart from Marco Andretti, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Charlie Kimball, Josef Newgarden, and Graham Rahal, who are in IndyCar.

 

In the early 2000s there were rumours of B.C. Ecclestone buying CART, especially after it was proposed that CART adopt 3.0 V10 engine rules — if my memory serves me correct — perhaps in order to turn it into the US Formula One Championship. Such a series might have helped to further adopt F1 in the US, of course, including the Indianapolis Grand Prix and perhaps 1 or 2 additional races in the US, with several more in a pleasant time zone, which is now slowly becoming the case.

 

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Never heard of that. That would had been great.

 

No.

 

Why? The US has ovals. Muricah!

http://en.wikipedia....es#Road_courses

Nascar and its ladder series race on several of them (Road America being the most notable), in case you didn't know.

And when GP2 America will also be a support race for Indy-500 and Texas, they also would run on two ovals.

 

Sounds like a really expensive version of Indylights.

Who would pay for it, who would be interested to run it, which series would it run alongside and/or would it be sustainable on its own?

Not gonna happen.

No.

 

Why? The US has ovals. Muricah!

Anyway, it would be pointless.

Star Mazda (or Pro Mazda, whatever) is more competitive than Lights btw, even if ICS has that one lower on their so-called ladder

Sounds like a really expensive version of Indylights.

It will be more expensive than Indy Lights of course. But with a budget cap it could run. Because such a series would get more attention than Indy Lights. As I said in my first post, European drivers could be interested as well and a lot of American drivers do not need to move to Europe that early because GP2 America is not only a feeder series for IndyCar as Indy Lights now, but also for F1. Guys like Rossi, Rosenzweig, Nasr and so on could drive longer in America.

There already is Indy lights. They should just be sure it remains strong and viable.

Yes but Indy Lights is only interesting for a handful driver who wants to compete in IndyCar...

No one would go do American GP2 if all it did was replace Indylights and supported F1 in US/Mexico. It'd be the same series but with a changed name. The same series = not supporting F1. 

Calling a series GP2 doesn't give it the value, supporting F1 and more importantly promoting into F1 gives it value. GP2 outside of F1 weekends isn't very strong...

GP2 is too expensive. From the same budget you can drive and indycar full season.

No you can't - Indycar is more expensive. That's why the GP2 guys with a budget who can't afford F1 go there.

I think when currency is taken into account a GP2 season is about 3mil USD. Pagenaud finished 3rd in the championship on a per-car budget of 6.75

So you could probably put a ride together because most teams have some partial season deals. And you can do Indy competitively for 1m and put yourself in the shop window, or just do the road courses, or whatever.

or just do the road courses

All four of 'em? I like to call the road course & street circuit section of the schedule non-oval partion

No one would go do American GP2 if all it did was replace Indylights and supported F1 in US/Mexico. It'd be the same series but with a changed name. The same series = not supporting F1. 

 

Calling a series GP2 doesn't give it the value, supporting F1 and more importantly promoting into F1 gives it value. GP2 outside of F1 weekends isn't very strong...

Exactly. GP2 succeeds because it runs on the grand prix calender. Put GP2 on a schedule that did not include any (or many) grand prix rounds and you'd have Formula Renault 3.5. And lately, as for attendance, how has that series done? 

Outside of Austin and Interlagoes (still sounds like the race in Jersey and Mexico City are not happening), the series would at the very best by supporting IndyCar races. And those get naught for attention. 

Sweet, another championship that Kiwis and Aussies can dominate while never making it to Formula One!

All four of 'em? I like to call the road course & street circuit section of the schedule non-oval partion

Indy Lights has 11 non-oval races out of 14. Indycar has 12 non-oval races out of 18. If anything, they need *more* ovals.

As for getting into F1... http://www.racingste.../news.php?sid=3

The RSF's Derek Walters, who has been in Indianapolis this week finalising the arrangements for the switch, said: "The current prospects for talented young drivers to make their way out of the recognised Formula 1 feeder series into F1 itself are just too limited.

 

"Obviously we could have kept Jack in GP3 for a second year or even moved him up into GP2. But where would he go after that? The seats are just not there for up and coming drivers at present. The RSF's aim is try to steer our drivers in the direction of drives from which they can progress to become professionals. So, from that point of view, the States is by far the better place to be."

 

 

One of the best young driver schemes around states career prospects for a paid drive are better in the US. Considering that James Calado, an RSF graduate, needed Nicolas Todt's help to get into Force India's reserve seat (which of course was a ride buy), I'm not surprised.

There's barely enough credible drivers with the budget for GP2 as it is, I don't see where the demand for an American series is.

Drivers on that side of the Atlantic who want to race in F1 and have the budget for the junior series will end up in GP2 or WSbR anyway, because those are the established series. And those who don't will likely choose the existing Indycar ladder.

As for Indylights, the cars may be a step down from GP2 but drivers coming over from Europe still need to learn ovals. It's never going to be a complete waste of time.

No one would go do American GP2 if all it did was replace Indylights and supported F1 in US/Mexico. It'd be the same series but with a changed name. The same series = not supporting F1. 

 

Calling a series GP2 doesn't give it the value, supporting F1 and more importantly promoting into F1 gives it value. GP2 outside of F1 weekends isn't very strong...

It would not be the same series with a changed name. Now Indy Lights is full focused on IndyCar, GP2 America would also be support event for American F1 races and would also be focused on F1 and USSC.

 

We only have one race. In a really really good year you'd get Mexico, Austin, and New Jersey. That's not enough to make it 'GP2'. Especially if you're supporting USSC rather than Indycar. By all accounts it'd be a poorer version of Indylights. 

you forgott Montréal, perhaps also Interlagos would be possible.

The brand that is internationally recognized and that you can sell to the public is F1. So instead of making it a GP2 America, you call it F1 American championship. That is what will attract interest.

Edited by mlsnoopy, 31 December 2013 - 07:54.

f5000 with cheap stock ls1 Chevy's and stock trans like a 911 turbo 4 speed

build a strong C/F car but make the bits stuck on steel not unubtanium with limits on weight

stick some wide tyres on it but mini wings no electric tricks

like a modern road racer but using dirt/sprint car level teck and costs

in a car built for road street or big oval tracks

that does not need a rebuild after every race or a big crew

OWR in NA is on life support as it is.

There's no point in wheeling in another patient to keep alive off the same small bottle of O2.