Champ Car World Series has announced its 2007 schedule, vastly revamped from the nearly concluded 2006 season. . The 2007 calendar includes a total of four newly confirmed events with two more possible late European additions. The 4 new venues are: Los Vegas, Nevada: (April 8) Zhuhai, China: (May 20) St. Jovite, Canada; (July 1) Phoenix, Arizona (Dec. 2).
Strikingly there will be no oval races held as Champ Car focuses solely on temporary street circuits and permanent road courses for the very first time in its history. Also many traditional venues race dates have been reassigned.
The 2007 schedule kicks off with three “state-side” races in April, beginning the season on the streets of Las Vegas, followed by Long Beach and Houston. The series then takes a month off before heading to china. The schedule does allow teams to compete at Indianapolis if they so desire with China’s inaugural Champ car event preceeding Indy’s Memorial Day weekend race…
Then back to the States for Portland and Cleveland before a three race swing “north of the border.” (Canada) Portland moves up one week from its traditional Father’s Day date to be combined with the 100th running of the Rose Festival. (The final year of Portland’s 3yr contract) Moving north, Montreal which has been purposely “mismanaged” by its Canadian promoter has been dropped in favour of a NASCAR Busch Series/Grand am race. Montreal will be replaced by St. Jovite which hosted Champ Cars during 1967-68, followed by traditional stops at Toronto and Edmonton. Then back home to San Jose, followed by Road America moving back to its traditional date followed by Denver.
The schedule currently has no September races, which most likely will be filled with two European events in Holland and Germany. Rumoured venues are the road circuits of Assen in Holland and Oschersleben in Germany. Assen is known primarily for it’s motorcycle racing, but has just undergone a $100m upgrade to include car racing. Speculated dates are: September 23 and September 30.
Champ Cars then moves “down under” to Surfer’s Paradise, Australia, before swinging “south of the border” to Mexico City, Mexico. The season ends for the first time in 4 years in America with the finale being held on the downtown streets of Phoenix, Arizona.
Dropped from the calendar is the Korean race which all 3 race attempts failed. Also gone are Monterey, Mexico and the Champ Car “signature” oval, the famed Milwaukee mile which will now host the IRL a week after the Indy 500.
