No question, it was a very good debut
for Champ Cars at Brands Hatch. The weather co-operated and British race fans
turned out in large enough numbers to make the race a success. Champ Car has a
five-year contract to race at Brands and there is plenty to discuss about
producing the right format for next year's return.
On the face of it the right thing to do is to mandate three
pitstops so that everyone can go for it rather than nursing their fuel supplies
and playing a variety of strategies. The right solution will be critical to
building further interest from the British public.
Of course there's also the matter of considering a switch to
the Grand Prix circuit, an idea which captured the imagination of many drivers
and teams last weekend. The move may not be possible for 2004 but it should be
very seriously considered for 2005 and beyond.
"I think if you're going to have an event in England,
this is the place to do it," Mario Andretti said at Brands Hatch during the
weekend. "The only options in my mind are Brands Hatch and Silverstone.
They are the classic tracks of England and both are close to London, Brands even
more so than Silverstone. You don't want to go to Silverstone and trample on
Formula One and Brands is a classic venue. It's got so much history and you
get the real hardcore race fans here.
