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SPORTS

The Edmonton Sun n FRIdAY, JulY 20, 2012

edmonton indy

One-year-old track all new again

Everything new is new again. The change to the racing circuit at City Centre Airport for the 2011 Indy was dramatic. Kind of like changing the Anthony Henday into Groat Road. Kind of the difference between boating around a lake and zipping down a waterslide. Modern-day racing is all about gigabytes of information being calculated by the corner. But great drivers can adapt as quickly as they turn those corners. Seatof-the-pants still counts as much as the computers. So the IndyCar drivers should have it all down pat, right? Yes. And no. Some drivers even say both. There are several new twists that could/should affect the dynamics new chassis, new engines and new tires. And, as if those arent enough, Indy has reinstituted one of the coolest-ever things in racing the push to pass button. Yeehaw.

Crash Cameron
Its pretty good because you can really pass somebody (out of Turn 1), its such a hard braking zone. It definitely funnels down there from the start. The new car has done some good racing this year so it should do it here, too.

david.cameron@sunmedia.ca @SUN_Crash

To be completely honest, the older layout was more fun for us. Fast, the most physical track on the schedule by a longshot. But it was very difficult to pass so the races were often processional. This new layout was a completely different challenge. Add the new cars, the push to pass to the racing we saw here jameS hiNChCliffe last year this could be exciting. I honestly loved the other track fast, very, very challenging, one of the most challenging we raced. The new configuration is more for overtaking. In a perfect world Id like to have both together! If we could make the two (into one) it would be a dream.

SimONa de SilveSTRO

Its braking. Thats the big thing with the long straightaways brakings crucial (but) you still need horsepower. (Itll also change) with the softer street racing tire. I think, last year, the tires were a little hard for this track.

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ORiOl SeRvia

RyaN bRiSCOe

TakUma SaTO

Edmonton was so well known as a high-speed track. With it changing its become (a) very heavy braking circuit. The push to pass is designed for overtaking and this circuit already showed we had more overtaking.

I remember the second hairpin, really tight and a lot of incidents, people outbraking themselves. And Turn 10 was really bumpy, hard to get the grip through there.

jUSTiN wilSON

You want to walk through the track to see if the asphalt changed, if anything has changed.Its not a permanent track, so sometimes the walls might be in a little bit different place from the notes we have from last year.

heliO CaSTRONeveS

Bouncing around Brazil was a key for Colombian

gUSTavO yaCamaN
iNdyCaR/LAT USA

When the crashing, collapsing and calamities finished up two weeks ago at the Toronto Indy, Ryan Hunter-Reay gained firm hold of the IndyCar spotlight with his third win in a row. A similar IndyLights race helped raise the profile of Guastavo Yacaman. The checkered flag of his

season helped push him up into fourth, while teammates and season leaders Esteban Guerrieri and Tristan Vautier made contact on the first lap in Toronto. The Maple Leaf added another national flag to the list of countries Yacaman has stood on the top step of the podium.

I got started go karting in Colombia, in my home country, said the 21-year-old on Thursday as he surveyed the track at City Centre Airport. I won five national championships out of six. And the one I didnt win, I finished second. It was obviously time to step up another level.

I moved to Brazil and finished third in their national championship. Hes also notched gokart championships in the U.S. as well as formula series wins in Spain before arriving in IndyLights. The experience in Brazil was key, Yacaman said. It was a huge kart-

ing nation, a huge karting culture. A lot of Brazilian race cars drivers, as you know, started there. I learned a lot that year. The Colombian didnt hesitate in naming a Brazilian as racing idol. Ayrton Senna. I think 90% of drivers would say that.