For those of you who are not the biggest car race fans, you probably have no idea what a 7 series race is. Don’t stress, that’s what I’m here for! A 7 series race is a racing festival that has 7 different categories of racing. Many people assume that the Honda Indy is just one big Indy car race, but it’s actually an entire weekend of racing! Here are the 7 different kinds of races that are at this year’s Honda Indy:
Canadian Touring Car Championship
This is a race between vehicles in their original stock street version. Touring cars are designed for passengers and luggage… regular/everyday vehicles. These cars are commercially available models.
Robby Gordon’s SPEED Energy Formula Off-Road (Powered by TRAXXAS)
This race features Outdoorsy high-horsepower trucks that are life-size replicas of Traxxas Remote-Control Monster trucks. However, unlike remote-control toy trucks, they produce 600 horsepower giving them speed of up to 209 kilometres per hour (130 miles per hour). Each off-road course consists of man-made ramps and obstacles that cause the trucks to fly through the air nearly 6 meters off the ground (20 feet) and hundreds of feet down the racetrack. Robby Gordon’s SPEED Energy Formula Off-Road trucks are able to race on practically any surface. As of 2014, these trucks will be featured at IndyCar venues.
The Porsche Ultra94 GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin
?If you have not already figured it out, this race is done in a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup. The GT3 Cup Challenge is for semi-professional and aspiring professional racers. It is the perfect platform for aspiring drivers to work their way up to the highest levels of the GT competition. The 911 GT3 Cup car has a maximum engine speed of 8,500 rpm (RPM = Revolutions Per Minute: How fast the motor turns per minute).
Cooper Tires USF2000 Powered by Mazda
The USF2000 race is the first step on Mazda’s road to Indy path. It is an important training ground for drivers. The champion receives a scholarship package from Mazda to advance to the Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires. Drivers as young as age 15 can enter this competition! The USF2000 cars are open-wheel, single-seat, and open-cockpit cars with front and rear wings. The engine is a Mazda 2-litre Powerplant (4 cylinder) which can take drivers up to 241 kilometres per hour (150 mph).
?Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires
The Pro Mazda Championship features open-wheel, single-seat, and open-cockpit cars with front and rear wings. The cars utilize Mazda Renesis rotary engines which can power cars up to 257 kilometres per hour (160mph). This race is the vital second step for drivers that are working toward the Indy competition. The series’ winner gets a scholarship package from Mazda and advances to the Indy Lights race next year.
Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires
?The Indy Lights race is the final step on Mazda’s road to the Honda Indy. The winner is awarded a $750,000 scholarship towards the IndyCar Series. The cars featured at the Indy Lights are, “New state-of-the-art single-seat, open-wheel, Indy car-style chassis manufactured by Dallara Automobili,?complete with paddle shifters, push-to-pass and safety components…” as per the official Indy Lights bulletin. These cars have 2.0-litre turbocharged Mazda MZR-R engines that produce 450 horsepower.
?The Honda Indy
?The entire purpose of “Mazda’s Road to Indy,” has been to create a training program for drivers to escalate to The IndyCar Series. This progression program allows new and young drivers to grow into some of the best racing competitors in the world. The main event of The Honda Indy Toronto is the IndyCar Series. According to IndyCar, the vehicles are, “single-seat, open-cockpit cars that feature a 2.2-litre, twin turbocharged, and direct-injected V-6 engine optimized to rev to a maximum of 12,000 RPM with an estimated 500-700 horsepower.” This series is faster than any form of motorsports racing; cars have reached up to 378 kilometres per hour (235mph). The track is known for its superspeedway (a racetrack more than 3.2km in length), and short ovals. The driver with the top score at the end of the series receives the title and a 1 million dollar bonus. Good luck drivers!
?Did one of these races grasp your interest? Visit www.hondaindytoronto.com/ontrack for more information about these races as well as a full schedule of the weekend.
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