Houston-NRG 1277

Houston-NRG

The Champ Car World Series returned to Houston in 2006 after an absence of five years for a floodlit night race.

The Champ Car World Series returned to Houston in 2006 after an absence of five years for a floodlit night race. A new temporary circuit was laid out in the parking lots around Reliant (now NRG) Stadium and the Houston Astrodome. Drivers complained that the track surface was too bumpy and a chicane had to be installed before Turn 2 due to insufficient run-off. The 2007 Grand Prix of Houston was held in daylight and Sébastien Bourdais won for the second successive year but the event was omitted from the amalgamated IndyCar calendar in 2008.

It was revived as part of that championship in October 2013 as a double-header, although a preceding NFL match allowed just four days to prepare. A pronounced bump after Turn 1 launched the cars airborne and proved a car breaker despite overnight work. The weekend’s second race was overshadowed by the last lap accident between Dario Franchitti and Takuma Satō, with the Scot suffering back injuries that led him to retire from racing. The race was scheduled for June 2014 to avoid the NFL season but temperatures proved excessive so it was not repeated.

Circuit

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Type

Temporary road course

Length

1.634 (Miles)

Change

Race revived on reprofiled circuit

Fastest Race Lap

Luca Filippi (Dallara DW12-Honda), 59.1215s, 99.4970 mph, Indycars, 2013

Fastest Qualifying Lap

Helio Castroneves (Dallara DW12-Chevrolet), 59.1707s, 99.4141 mph, Indycars, 2014

Type

Temporary road course

Length

1.683 (Miles)

Change

Chicane replaced by new Turn 2 Esses

Fastest Race Lap

Sebastien Bourdais (Panoz DP01-Cosworth), 58.018s, 104.430 mph, Champ Cars, 2007

Fastest Qualifying Lap

Will Power (Panoz DP01-Cosworth), 57.405s, 105.545 mph, Champ Cars, 2007

Type

Temporary road course

Length

1.69 (Miles)

Change

Temporary circuit laid out in Reliant (now NRG) Park car park

Fastest Race Lap

Sebastien Bourdais (Lola B2/00-Ford), 1m00.176, 101.104 mph, Champ Cars, 2006

Fastest Qualifying Lap

Mario Dominguez (Lola B2/00-Ford), 58.026s, 104.850 mph, Champ Cars, 2006

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