The art of CART

Sir
I fully endorse your comments about the CART series in December’s Arront Nonsense. I must confess to previously subscribing to the Euro-view of Indycar racing. That is until 1988 and the purchase of a video recorder which enabled me to watch Anglia Television’s full-length, but not live, transmissions at a more reasonable hour than they chose to broadcast. I gradually appreciated the package which makes it so difficult for Americans to relate to so-called Grand Prix racing. Short circuits, with lap lengths often only just over one mile, mean the spectator sees more of the cars and of the circuit. Full course yellows increase safety for the drivers, prevent boring processions and add to the tactical significance of the compulsory pit stops. Stop/go penalties are used by CART officials to resolve both technical and disciplinary infringements instantly and often result in charged-up performances from behind by the transgressors.

The television viewer is also presented with a thoroughly professional product. Stunning on-board camera pictures and comprehensive coverage of pit lane action, including mid-race interviews with team managers compensate for not being trackside. Throw in the spectacle of speeds regularly in excess of 200mph, genuine city street racing and a couple of exFormula One World champions and you might be forgiven for questioning which series can more truthfully claim the title Grand Prix. Sadly Anglia reduced their output to one-hour highlights in 1990 and failed to cover the series at all in 1991. Might I suggest that, for those of us not fortunate enough to live in Croydon or possess satellite dishes, MOTOR SPORT extends its excellent reportage to include race-by-race coverage of the CART championship in 1992.
Clive Beckwith,
Hertfordshire.