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GENTLEMEN, START YOUR ENGINES!
In just a couple short days, elite-level professional racing will finally arrive in the state of Louisiana.
It’s been a long wait, but track officials tout that they are absolutely giddy for this weekend’s Indy Grand Prix of Louisiana, which will roll at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday afternoon on the asphalt of NOLA Motorsports Park in Avondale.
The race will be televised nationally on the NBC Sports Network. Thousands are expected to attend the race that NOLA Motorsports Park owner and local businessman Laney Chouest hopes will put racing on the map in our state.
“It’s going to be incredible,” Chouest said during a press session during a recent test drive at the track. “This is a great opportunity for us and for the sport. We think that the city and our facility are perfect for an event of this caliber. It’s a great chance for us to showcase what we have to offer.”
THE RACE – A WHO’S WHO SET TO RIDE
Some of the most famous names in IndyCar will be in New Orleans this weekend to compete in the race.
The Grand Prix of Louisiana is part of the Indy Car Series, which alongside NASCAR, is arguably the most well-known racing federation in the world.
The race is the second in a 16-race season for the drivers, who are all trying to build momentum in advance of the sport’s “Super Bowl” – the Indianapolis 500.
World famous drivers like Helio Castroneves, Scott Dixon, Juan Pablo Montoya, Tony Kanaan, Marco Andretti and several others are expected to compete in the race, which accumulates valuable points toward the Championship standings.
2014 IndyCar Series Champion Will Power is also expected to attend. The Australian-born driver took home the title a year ago with 671 points on the season – enough to outlast Helio Castroneves’ 609.
Throughout the past several weeks, drivers have been coming in and out of the city to make test runs on the track, which will be making its virgin run at hosting an event of this kind.
Race officials expect anywhere from 55,000-60,000 people to attend the race.
That excites IndyCar Series driver Charlie Kimball, who said that he can’t wait to get to New Orleans to enjoy a weekend of competition and hospitable people.
“I think it’s great for our sport that we’re going to be in that area,” Kimball said. “I know that a lot of people are excited about it – there’s a lot of buzz. I am very excited, as well. I think that it’s going to be a really fun weekend. It’s always fun to ride a new track and have the opportunity to drive in front of a new audience of people.”
Castroneves agreed.
He said during a recent test drive that the spirit of Louisiana is one of the biggest reasons why he thinks the race will be an unquestioned success.
“This state and this city – these are party people,” the famous racer said. “There will be a great time going on during the weekend. I think the people will be very eager and excited when they see what our sport brings.”
THE TRACK STILL IN ITS INFANCY
It didn’t take very long for this race to become a reality for Chouest and his team. In racing years, the track is actually still somewhat of a baby.
Laney Chouest is the brother of Gary. They are both the sons of Edison Chouest – the businessman who created Edison Chouest Offshore, which started as a family business, but has since exploded to become a multi-billion dollar entity.
But away from the world of massive ships, business meetings and the corporate life, those closest to Laney Chouest tout that he’s a unique man who marches to the beat of his own drummer.
The businessman’s love for both cars and competition sparked the creation of NOLA Motorsports Park, which broke ground in Avondale in late 2009.
The track was created by esteemed architect Alan Wilson and cost upwards of $60 million. The facility features several smaller tracks where tourists and residents can enjoy a good time throughout the week. The facility also features a drag strip and other wrinkles that make it somewhat of a Louisiana racing mecca of sorts – the only facility of its kind for many, many miles in any direction.
The main draw is the competition track, which is 2.67 miles long and features 13 turns that will test the drivers’ patience and maneuverability. On race day, drivers will be staked with the task of completing 75 laps around the track to cruise to the checkered flag.
In the future, the facility hopes to add on a “South” track to its facility. Once combined with what’s in place, architects plan to form a five-mile course. If that happens, NOLA Motorsports Park will be the longest in North America.
“I don’t think there’s any question that this is a pretty awesome place,” IndyCar driver Carlos Munoz said. “I think the people who are running the facility have obviously shown a great deal of commitment to get things rolling and to make this race a reality.”
The state has helped as well. In May 2014, the Legislature gave a one-time $4.5 million payment to the facility – funds that were used to ready the track for competitive racing.
“This three-day event will allow us to show off the excitement of an IndyCar race right here in Louisiana, as well as our state’s culture, entertainment and food,” Jindal said. “This event will be a great economic driver for our state and it will be a great weekend for the whole family.”
DRIVERS EXPECT SPEED
It’s probably a bit of an oxymoron to say that there will be a lot of speed roaring around the track on Sunday.
But according to drivers who have tested out the facility, NOLA Motorsports Park runs very, very fast, compared to other tracks on the IndyCar schedule.
Because of that, fans in attendance should be treated to lots of excitement and lead changes throughout the day.
Montoya said the constant turns and shifts are a challenge that the drivers will have to keep up with throughout the afternoon. But unlike other road-style courses, he said this track runs smooth and has a perfect blend of both speed and finesse.
“It’s a great course – it really is,” Montoya said. “I think we’re going to have a lot of fun. The track is fast, and I think that when we get to race day, it’s going to be very exciting seeing how we’re all able to get by.”
“It’s flat,” added Castroneves, who is a teammate of Montoya on Team Penske. “There’s not any type of up and down or anything in the terrain. You never know what exactly to expect and we’re all still learning, but I think it’s going to be very, very fast. I think it’s going to be a highly action-packed race.”
LOCAL RACE FANS GEARED UP
Houma native Will Adams isn’t much for football. The other major sports like basketball, baseball and hockey don’t really move his meter much, either.
But when it comes to racing, Adams said that he is a self-described “addict”, touting that he watches both NASCAR and IndyCar whenever it’s on TV.
“It’s the same routine, you know?” Adams said. “You buy a few supplies, flip the race on, sit back and enjoy. I think that racing is such an interesting sport. I watch it because I love cars and the personalities of the drivers. But there’s so much back and forth and chess that goes into it. It’s a complex thing.”
So for Adams and several others in the Houma-Thibodaux area, this weekend is huge. It’s the only chance to see the sport in our backyard without having to take a trip out of town.
“I will be there,” Adams said. “There is absolutely no doubt about it. I will be there.”
Houston resident and Houma native Shawn Coleman said that he, too, plans to attend – if he isn’t called to work.
Coleman said he attended a few racing events in Alabama, touting that they are “awesome” to see in person. To now have a race to call our own locally is even better, according to Coleman, who said he’d encourage anyone on the fence to get tickets.
“It’s just a spectacle, you know? It’s like a party,” Coleman said. “Even if I didn’t like racing, I’d go. It’s like hockey. Hockey isn’t popular, but if you go to a game in person, it’s awesome. To me, racing is the same way. You have an excuse to be outside, hollering and screaming while there’s engines roaring and all sorts of things going on. It’s really an experience that I think all sports fans should see at least once, you know? Almost like a bucket list thing.”
A bucket list to some or a dream come true to others.
This weekend’s race will be just that for Chouest and others with the track who have labored to make this a reality.
Now that it’s finally here, everyone is giddy to get started.
“We’re so excited,” Chouest said. “We can’t wait. We just can’t wait for the race. We think it’ll be very special.”
NOTES:
-Plenty of tickets and passes are still available for all three days of the race. To purchase online, visit www.nolamotor.com and hit the ‘tickets’ tab on the right-hand side of the screen.
-There will be ABSOLUTELY NO on-site public parking at the race during the entire three-day weekend. Public parking will be off-site at the LaPalco Boulevard Neutral Ground, the Segnette Field and also the Avondale Shipyard. The shipyard will be open only on Saturday and Sunday. To park, it will cost $20/day (CASH ONLY) and that includes a free shuttle bus ride to and from the track. Other shuttles will run from Harrah’s Casino to the track for an additional $5. The shuttle buses will run from 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The Indy Grand Prix of Louisiana will showcase IndyCar racing to a Louisiana audience. Set to run at NOLA Motorsports Park in Avondale, the race will feature some of the most famous names in the sport. The race will begin at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday afternoon. It will be televised nationally on the NBC Sports Network. Drivers who have toured the local course say that it is riding fast, which should make for an exciting day of races.
