For the third year in a row, the Formula One circus returned to the United States and to the famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway, on its mission to regain a popularity lost over a 10 year absence and previous appearances at not so great venues… If in its Golden age, Formula One graced the hills of Watkin Glens or the streets of popular Long Beach, its appearance in a Las Vegas parking lot wasn't exactly glamorous. Now, F1 is back, in style and although attendance is down a bit since the inaugural race at the Brickyard, it is here to say as both the speedway's owners and the F1 "circus masters" want to see it's popularity grow in America.

For those what still believe racing in America is just about carbureted pushrod V8s turning in circle on tube frame chassis with plastic bodies... welcome to F1. We're talking ultralight carbon fiber monocoques, aerodynamics that would make a NASA engineer drool, and a 3 liter 19000 RPM normally aspirated pneumatic valved V10 developping somewhere over 800hp. I once read that, per pound, an F1 car is the most expensive piece of machinery ever built and even if that's a slight exageration, the top teams are still spending over 200 million a year.

The other unique part of F1 is how the teams develop and build their own chassis unlike other open wheel series where chassis are manufactured by companies like Reynard, Lola, etc... Not so at the pinacle of motorsport where even the smallest team like Minardi build its monocoques, engineer its suspension and tweak its aerodynamics. The largest like Ferrari, Jaguar or McLaren have their own wind tunnel running around the clock in search of that elusive final mph or pound of downforce.

Out of the 10 teams on the grid, Jaguar is certainly the one with the most special heritage although it didn't earn its wings in F1 but at Le Mans and in sports car racing. Who can best showcase this heritage than the local Jaguar club... and the Jaguar Association of Greater Indiana did just that, planning a very nice Grand Prix weekend for all to enjoy with the support of Jaguar North America.

It took a lot of effort and advance planning to organize the activities over that week end and hats off to the JAGIN crew : president Mark Smith, secretary Clif Burke, coordinator Tom Silnes and all their members who pitched in to roll out the red carpet for out of town visitors.

The fun started on Friday night with dinner at the Union Jack, a busy pub near the speedway filled with racing memorabilia, preferably British of course. It continued on Saturday with a display of Jaguars on Monument circle which provided a great background for the 30 cars parked around the outer sidewalk. Monument Circle is the heart of Indianapolis and a spectacular location with a 20 stories tall monument in the center in honor of Indiana citizens who gave their lives for their country. On Grand Prix week end, it is the near the center of the action with many private parties held at various downtown restaurants.

Of course the cars attracted a lot of attention from the crowd and with over 70 years of Jaguar history covered, it was a treat… even to those wearing BMW Williams or Ferrari caps… The entry list ranged from 1929 Swallows to the Austin Powers Shaguar XK8 brought by Jaguar, with just about everything in between: SS100, XKSS, numerous XKs, E-types and saloons. JAGIN was able to bring in a great variety of quality cars to the street of downtown Indianapolis and even the oldest one looked like they belonged there. After all, the Columbia Club is the oldest club in the city and it is likely that SS100s once graced its front door on a regular basis 65 years ago.

While the cars were displayed, JAGIN hosted a reception on the 10th floor of the elegant Columbia Club, a good opportunity for those who were visiting Indiana for the first time to meet other Jaguar enthusiasts. Among those, JCNA President Gary Hagopian and members of clubs from as far as California or Florida; various Jaguar VIPs stopped by as well.

After the reception, those who showed their cars were in for a special treat with a night time cruise through the streets of Indianapolis under police escort. A lot of excitement built up as the cars lined on the circle both from the participants and the crowd. When is the last time anyone saw traffic jam with an SS100, many XKs, E-types and XKR ? Once underway, the motorbike police sirens and our cars drew people from the restaurants on the sidewalk cheering throughout the 15 minutes cruise. Oh and yes, going thru red lights under police escort is fun...

For race day, JAGIN had reserved a block of excellent seats, at turn 12 where the infield road course links up with the oval, along with a very convenient reserved parking just across the street… perfect for a tailgate party. Once again, the Jaguars drew attention from the thousands of race fans streaming thru regardless of their attire: Ferrarri red, Williams blue, McLaren grey or Jordan yellow. Bagels, muffins and mimosas where served in style in the back of Mark Smith's series 1 XJ6... far more stylish than it would have been at the back of ... a Pontiac Aztec!

A Formula One weekend, like many other racing event, is not just the race. The fun starts on friday with practice sessions and saturday with more practice and the all important qualifying. At Indy those days provide a good opportunity to walk around the circuit and enjoy different corners. There are a number of viewing mounds around the track where you get great close up views. At turn 9 for instance, a slow first gear right hander, there is even gap in the fence... great spots for pictures. And standing alongside the back straight, 10 feet from the track where the cars rocket down at over 150 mph is a unique experience. You do feel the speed, power and even the violence. Engines are not just loud, they also make a unique sound especially during gear change. Another good vantage point is the end of the straight, at turn one, where cars brake hard from roughly 200 to 70 mph in an incredibly short distance making you believe that they just won't make the corner. They do make it.

Pre race activities included a Ferrari Challenge support race and the traditional drivers parade where they ride in the back of various classic convertibles. Another interesting part was a publicity stunt for newly reintroduced Maseratti which had Ferrari star driver Michael Schumacher drive one of their Specials which won the Indy 500 in the 30s. After that lap, the 5 time world champion took to the track in a race prepared Maseratti coupe, escorted by a Maserrati convertible press car.

The race itself was a disappointment for Jaguar with Pedro dela Rosa scoring another DNF and Eddie Irvine finishing in 10th place. The disappointment was even worst coming after a brilliant 3rd at Monza for Irvine and strong showing in practice but it was the result of poor qualifying with the big cats mysteriously loosing grip as the track temperature went up. For some reason, other Michelin shod teams didn't suffer that problem which cost Eddie and Pedro all chances during the race. To make things even worst, de la Rosa trouble occured right in front of our grandstand... with the car stuck in 5th gear limping by until the engine got enough of the abuse and stopped in a cloud of smoke.

Being at the race is a great experience even if you are not a Formula One fan; any car nut will appreciate the sight and sound of an open wheel racer thundering in front of him at 200 mph... Going to the Grand Prix weekend when the race is only part of the action, with a number of event related to our favorite Marque is event better.

JAGIN did a wonderful job presenting Jaguar’s heritage for all to appreciate and I certainly do not regret having driven a total of 2600 miles in my E-type to be part of such a fantastic weekend… can’t wait for the 2003 US GP!

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