09/03/2006
NEWS STORY
Following last weekend's debacle, when for twelve hours the penultimate round of the A1 GP Championship appeared to have been cancelled, Pitpass has learned of fresh safety concerns that have caused the withdrawal of at least one support race.
Pitpass has learned that the SFR Miata Challenge, which along with Skip Barber National and US Touring Cars formed the support to the A1 GP event, has withdrawn from the schedule for "safety reasons", however, these have nothing to do with the alleged state of the track following recent heavy rainfall.
A source told Pitpass: "The organizers will not meet the SCCA (Sports Car Club of America) requirements for safety.
"Apparently the organizers don't want to pay the SCCA for corner workers or pay to meet the required 6 ambulance's required for an event to run under SCCA sanction."
Furthermore, Pitpass has learned that there are plans to move the US Touring Cars event to Thunderhill Raceway, near Sacramento.
It is unclear at this time whether the organizers are A1 GP or the Laguna Seca Raceway itself.
On Saturday evening, race teams were informed by A1 GP organizers that the event was off, as a result of safety concerns following weeks of heavy rainfall which had washed away gravel traps and even caused damage to banks from where spectators would view the race.
Twelve hours later however, A1 organizers issued a press release stating that the event would go ahead and that "Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca officials will do everything within their control to prepare the track for the A1 Grand Prix of Nations."