POSTCARD FROM America

Is motor racing 'more fun' in the US than Europe? Many drivers agree. The reason is simple - it's the racetracks

- JOHN OREOVICZ

Ask drivers who came up through the international road racing ranks what they like most about racing in America and inevitably you'll hear about the genial friendliness and relaxed paddock atmosphere. But the answer you will get most often will involve the racetracks themselves.

Most of the classic road racing circuits in the US were constructed in a three-year period from 1955-57, and the ones that have survived - Road America, Laguna Seca, Lime Rock Park, Watkins Glen and Virginia International Raceway are virtually unchanged in terms of layout some 70 years later. Supplement that core group with the likes of Mid-Ohio (which opened in 1962), Road Atlanta (1970) and add in the Sebring airfield circuit (in use since 1950) and Canadian classics Mosport (1961) and Mont-Tremblant (1964), and you have a pretty enticing group of tracks for true racers. Barber Motorsports Park, founded in 2003, offers a more modern (and less rustic) take.

These classic North American road courses couldn't be further in concept and character than the 'Tilkedromes' that dominate the international scene. In short, lots of high-speed, high-commitment corners, with little or no runoff. When a driver makes a mistake and runs wide or off course, they pay a price far beyond the threat of an ambiguous 'track limits' penalty.