Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Canadian Grand Prix in .NET framework

Creator Code 39 Extended in .NET framework Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Canadian Grand Prix

The Canadian Grand Prix marks a mid-season break from a spate of European races for the Formula One teams The track is situated on the outskirts of Montreal, on a temporary circuit built on the Ile-Notre Dame island in the St Lawrence Seaway (see Figure 15-12) Like the Barcelona track, the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve has some Olympics heritage, being situated next to the Olympic rowing lake used in 1976 although one of the more unusual landmarks is the famous dome that was built for Expo 67

The track held its first race in 1978 Previous to that, Canadian races had been held in Mont Tremblant in Quebec and Ontario s Mosport Park Montreal has become a popular event on the calendar because of both the downtown fun to be had in Montreal, as well as the challenges of the track Its flat-out blasts and difficult corners always ensure exciting racing: Crashes are not uncommon as drivers get a little bit too carried away! Local hero Gilles Villeneuve, whom the track is now named after, won the inaugural race For Formula One s newer fans, Villeneuve is probably more famous as the father of former World Champion Jacques Villeneuve, but at the time, he was one of the sport s biggest stars before he was tragically killed during qualifying for the 1982 Belgian Grand Prix The 1980 Canadian Grand Prix will go down in the record books as the event that saw the youngest driver ever make his Formula One debut New Zealander Mike Thackwell was just 19 years, 4 months, and 29 days old when he qualified for the race, although a first lap crash meant he had to sit out the restart after his team mate took his car as a spare

Type: Temporary road course used only for special motor races Length of lap: 2710 miles Length of race: 70 laps (189700 miles) Start time: 1 pm Usual date of race: Mid June

Although the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve has many great corners for watching and almost always produces a great race, a lot of people make the trip to the event for the parties in the evening in downtown Montreal The locals make a real effort when Formula One comes to town, so make sure you put on your coolest gear and head down to Crescent Street, which is closed off to traffic for much of the race weekend And keep your eyes well peeled, because you may even be lucky to bump into a driver or team boss

There is no more famous track in the United States than the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, shown in Figure 15-13, and it is no wonder that Formula One bosses worked so hard to make sure that the United States Grand Prix took place there

The sport held its first Formula One race in Indianapolis in 2000 and it has been a big hit with the teams and drivers The pit facilities and garages are among the best in the world, plus the great reception given by the American fans make it a winner Indianapolis is one of the most famous races courses in the world, holding the annual Indianapolis 500 which is as prestigious as the Monaco Grand Prix and the Le Mans 24 Hours It is this fame that has helped boost the popularity of the Formula One event, which takes place on a special road course built on the inside of the oval

For those who attend the Indianapolis 500 and the Brickyard 400 NASCAR race, there is something very different about Formula One at Indy it runs backwards The Grand Prix track uses a special infield section that is only safe to run in a clockwise direction, so the cars run down the start-finish straight with the pits on the right This is the only circuit on the calendar that has this unique dual use with the oval being used for all other forms of racing at the track The track provides a real challenge for the teams because setting the car up perfectly is so difficult The fact that the track is half high-speed and half tight corners means that teams face a real dilemma: Do they put the downforce on for added grip or not especially if doing so means compromising top speed from the long blast from the final corner to Turn One The success of Indianapolis almost certainly gives the United States Grand Prix its best chance yet of having a permanent home Amazingly, the country has had more venues for its Grands Prix than any other with Formula One races taking place at Sebring, Riverside, Watkins Glen, Long Beach, Las Vegas, Detroit, and Phoenix, as well as Indianapolis Most racing fans in the United States know that racing doesn t take place at Indianapolis if it rains because it is too dangerous Formula One is different, however, because rain doesn t stop play, and the United States Grand Prix provides a unique chance to see racing cars flat-out through an oval turn in the wet