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I didn't know that Austin was bidding for this. I'd be careful though. Any lapses in the building of the new track and associated facilities and infrastructure could result in it not happening. Witness Donnington Park in the UK.
I've been disinterested in F1 for a few years, but those in the know seem to think it's getting better as a spectator sport of late.
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I've been absolutely obsessed with F1 since 2005 and I haven't missed a race or qualifying in since 2007. I died a little inside when they canceled the USGP for 08. I've been following the USGP news for the past month or so and this is just out of nowhere. I really really really hope this pulls through, as it would me I would be within driving distance of an F1 grand prix. But I'm still a little skeptical. It can be done, but where's the money? And if we're going to have the USGP, why not put it on a reputable track? God knows the lack of usage that American road courses get, I find it kinda odd to build one in Austin. Austin's an awesome city, I'm just unsure about their capabilities to house a $300m race track and a GP, which is on the same level of exposure as, say, the Winter Olympics.
My first reaction was . My next reaction was . Then I felt .
I've been absolutely obsessed with F1 since 2005 and I haven't missed a race or qualifying in since 2007. I died a little inside when they canceled the USGP for 08. I've been following the USGP news for the past month or so and this is just out of nowhere. I really really really hope this pulls through, as it would me I would be within driving distance of an F1 grand prix. But I'm still a little skeptical. It can be done, but where's the money? And if we're going to have the USGP, why not put it on a reputable track? God knows the lack of usage that American road courses get, I find it kinda odd to build one in Austin. Austin's an awesome city, I'm just unsure about their capabilities to house a $300m race track and a GP, which is on the same level of exposure as, say, the Winter Olympics.
I am in the business and I can tell you most decent American road courses, including those that cater to more of the club crowd, are pretty much booked out everyday, the only slowdowns being for winter weather.
If they built this track in Austin, it would be booked every day.
Most people are under the impression race tracks make their money from motor racing. Actually for a lot of them, their bread and butter is track rental which is often more lucrative than motor racing.
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Originally Posted by OdeToArsenal47
My first reaction was . My next reaction was . Then I felt .
I've been absolutely obsessed with F1 since 2005 and I haven't missed a race or qualifying in since 2007. I died a little inside when they canceled the USGP for 08. I've been following the USGP news for the past month or so and this is just out of nowhere. I really really really hope this pulls through, as it would me I would be within driving distance of an F1 grand prix. But I'm still a little skeptical. It can be done, but where's the money? And if we're going to have the USGP, why not put it on a reputable track? God knows the lack of usage that American road courses get, I find it kinda odd to build one in Austin. Austin's an awesome city, I'm just unsure about their capabilities to house a $300m race track and a GP, which is on the same level of exposure as, say, the Winter Olympics.
The one thing I'm hoping may bring it over the top is many Europeans have a love/appreciation of American westerns and the whole Cowboys & Indians thing, it'd be great if they came for a race and stayed for a vacation. The US is a huge market and most F! sponsors will appreciate a race here I believe.
I was pretty surprised by this news as well. I didn't think there were any existing tracks in the U.S. that could accommodate a grand prix outside of Indy. Miller Motorsports park in Utah has a track similar to what F1 has been used to lately, but it doesn't have the flair. I figured they'd have to build a new facility, but never thought it would actually happen. Nice to see it will! And excited to see it when it's done! It's about time we have an F1 event here that doesn't include a partial oval.
there was a time many years ago that i would have been excited to hear this news, but these days i am not impressed with formula one racing any more.
The racing needs some help these days, but the technology is simply amazing, and the events are incredible. I can't imagine another type of racing event I'd rather attend - except maybe the 24 hour race in France.
The racing needs some help these days, but the technology is simply amazing, and the events are incredible. I can't imagine another type of racing event I'd rather attend - except maybe the 24 hour race in France.
and to me that is part of the problem, the technology. what with traction control, active suspensions, paddle shifted semi automatic transmissions, etc. all conspire to take the driver out of the equation. at one point in formula one, you may as well have used radio controlled cars on the tracks, there was that much technology being used. and while much of it is now gone, there is still too much technology being used. real race cars dont have traction control, that should be the drivers job. real race cars, not running at the drag strip, have real manual transmissions where you have to move a shifter to get your next gear. in the old days formula one had small displacement four cylinder engines, 1.5 liters as i recall, with turbochargers that made 1000hp. that was cool. today they have small displacement 12 cylinder engines, three liters??, that make 1000hp, not as cool since these engines idle at 12k rpms and peak at 18k rpms.
part of racing is making adjustments on the car during the race to make it better while the car is in the pits, not using an active suspension system to make those adjustments for you.
and to me that is part of the problem, the technology. what with traction control, active suspensions, paddle shifted semi automatic transmissions, etc. all conspire to take the driver out of the equation. at one point in formula one, you may as well have used radio controlled cars on the tracks, there was that much technology being used. and while much of it is now gone, there is still too much technology being used. real race cars dont have traction control, that should be the drivers job. real race cars, not running at the drag strip, have real manual transmissions where you have to move a shifter to get your next gear. in the old days formula one had small displacement four cylinder engines, 1.5 liters as i recall, with turbochargers that made 1000hp. that was cool. today they have small displacement 12 cylinder engines, three liters??, that make 1000hp, not as cool since these engines idle at 12k rpms and peak at 18k rpms.
part of racing is making adjustments on the car during the race to make it better while the car is in the pits, not using an active suspension system to make those adjustments for you.
I know you probably haven't been watching for a few years, but they're now using 2.4 liter V8's which still rev up to 18k... similar to what you used to watch I imagine.
The biggest problem in F1 is not the driver assisted technology, but the aerodynamics. It's the extreme down force that these cars use that allow them to theoretically drive upside down at 65 mph, yet also makes passing very difficult - which is the biggest complaint from spectators these days. Regardless of all the technology out there, it still takes an extremely skilled driver to pilot a 1300 lb car with 900 horsepower - a car that can go from 180 mph down to 50 mph in a very short distance to make it through a turn.
Oh well, I guess some will always be happy with less technology. But for some, it's pretty fascinating to see what the future holds for racing, performance, and automobiles in general. And when you watch F1 (and ALMS) you get to be the first to see it used in motorsports.
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there was a time many years ago that i would have been excited to hear this news, but these days i am not impressed with formula one racing any more.
