h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

What happened to F2? I seem to remember other "formulas" as well. I once saw some F5000?thread="smiley - zoom" title="zoom" class="smiley" src="http://www.h2g2.com/h2g2/skins/Alabaster/images/Smilies/f_zoom.gif"/>

F2 became F3000?thread="/h2g2/forum/3000" >F3000 title the other week.

I've never heard of F4 or F Altantic but there's things like Formula Renault and Formula Ford where the cars are all made by the respective company.

Formula Atlantic, once so-called because it was supposed to be a trans-oceanic series to bridge the gap between European and American formulae was mildly succesful in its stated mission for several years but became for a while a 'sportsmans' (rich man) series mostly in North America. Then more recently (the last ten years) a fairly intense semi-professional training ground for CART (Indy style) racers. It plays throughout North America (including Quebec City, Toronto and Vancouver here in Canada) and usually the top drivers go on to CART or the IRL. There is some online coverage. Try Canada's Performance Racing News (PRN).

jwf

I have been watching the Cart racing as broadcast on Eurosport and Chanel 5 for the last couple of years. It is, dare I say, imho, far more interestingthan F1. The racing is closer and given the limited choice of variables, much more dependant on the individual skill of the driver. They could do with getting rid of some of those yellow flags though.

I am fairly certain that I saw F4 on the race itinary for Snetterton recently.

In my dim and distant memory, I seem to recall that there was a F5000 which I understand was instigated to rid the racing world of a whole bunch of 5000 cc engines produced for F1. Can that be right?

PP

Apparently there is an F4 series in this country, but I couldn't find an official site. According to a Finnish site F4 is for cars that are slightly (1-2secs/lap) slower than F3 cars & often old F3 cars are used.

According to an F5000?thread=Apparently there is an F4 series in this country, but I couldn't find an official site. According to a Finnish site F4 is for cars that are slightly (1-2secs/lap) slower than F3 cars & often old F3 cars are used.

According to an F5000 site (which has a fairly obvious name) the British series ended in 1976 but is now being revived. As for Cart or Champ car or whatever they're callng it this year, I don't think the racing is much better than F1 any more. It used to be but F1 is more exciting now, especially than oval racing which is like watching paint dry and depends solely on pit stop tactics. Plus, F1 *looks* better - the cars look good and so do the tracks, whereas the Cart tracks look worse than the road outside my house.

Depending on where you live Cart tracks could be the road outside your door.

Ferrari first with a budget of £150,000,000.
Minardi last with a budget of £26,000,000.

Overtaking?

Exciting? Predictable?

PP

And.

Last week Cart won by about the length of a car with two overtaking manouvres on the last lap. And at over 200mph.
This week F1 won by 6 seconds (a close one!) with the winner having been in the lead from the last pit stop to the end of the race.

I saw that race on TV and yes it was close, but it wasn't exciting because it was just some American bloke beating some other American bloke, so I didn't care who won. In F1 you've got Brits up there challenging so I do care.

F1 can be dull and often is, but so is Cart (most of that race was), but when it's good, boy is it good! And those yellow flags really do mess up Cart races, plus they don't (I think) race in the rain! That's when it gets really interesting!

I am not sure about the rain. Certainly they don't race on ovals in the rain, for obvious reasons. I am sure, however, that last year the race at Atlanta(?) on the airfield, was a wet race, (and before you say it, yes, an airfield is a pretty crappy place for a car race but it was not that long ago that F1 raced around a car park in LA).

As for Brits being up there to challenge what have we in F1? Coulthard, Button and Irvine. Fat chance. The two "American" blokes that finished 1st and 2nd last week in Cart were I think actually Brazilian / Colombian (not sure which). Who came 1st and 2nd at Suzuka? A German and a Columbian.

Dario Franchiti a Scot has a real chance of winning in Cart every race.

PP

Yeah the only American blokes in CART (besides Michael Andretti) are Canadians. Tagliani and Carpentier.
The Formula Atlantic series (on a spec Toyota engine) is just as comsopolitan but a rookie Brit was doing well last time I looked at the standings.

Since the Beeb lost the F1, I've found it much more interesting to watch motorsport - World Superbikes, Touring Cars.

People overtake, different makes win (although this happens more in the Touring Cars), I actually stay awake, and the Champion is someone you wouldn't cross the street to avoid.

I'd just like to say at this point that Suzi Perry and my enthusiasm for Superbikes are ENTIRELY (entirely, do you hear me?) coincidental.

You mean they entirely coincide?

Anyway, more exciting than any circuit racing is rallying. Those drivers are superhuman! Imagine being in one of those cars going flat out! The only thig that spoils it is this silly business with not wanting to be first on gravel stages.

Entirely coincide...

Yes that just about covers it.

Unlike Suzi's T-shirts.