That's Istanbul, not Constantinople: [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mv-KcF3Rkv8]YouTube - Tiny Toons - Istanbul[/ame]
Well, I'm also firmly in the "I'll believe it when I see it" camp, but if they build it..........I will come! Texas does have a strong economy, and $150 mill is not that much to build a racetrack - Kansas Speedway cost $215 mill when it was built 10 years ago. It has been a boon to the area too, major shopping, hotels and attractions have opened in the area and it is still booming. 10 years later the growth shows no signs of abating either.....the tax ramifications to the local gummint are just now coming onstream since there were healthy deferrements granted when the thing was built, but they promise to be substantial. There has been an IRL, a Nascar truck, the two major Nascar series - Nationwide and Sprint Cup - and a whole host of lesser series run there every year since it opened, including ARCA, and there's talk that they'll get a second Nascar weekend next year. Now wouldn't it be cool to see 3400lb sedans racing around an F1 circuit? How about SCCA, IRL, Daytona Prototypes etc? Lot's of racing can be had there, since the weather's pretty good year round. I see it as a do-able deal...but I understand the reference to Indy. I think Indy failed, not because of the track - which I thought was brilliant in that you can see the whole thing from the stands - but because it wasn't an international enough city - not glamorous enough for the wealthy F1 clientele. Cowboys however hold a certain appeal for Europeans, and Austin is a pretty nice city in general..... Not taking anything away from Indy, but that's the attitude I heard.....
I only brought Indy into the equation because most of the requirements to stage a modern F1 race were already in place with the addition of a $50 million investment. From what I've read about Austin, they're looking at at least $250 million and that's just for the facility and that's an estimate. You don't hear much about this, but in my opinion Indy failed because Tony George refused to raise ticket prices to the level that the rest of the world including Canada are paying. I paid $85 for a raceday grandstand seat at Indy back in 2002, while the equivalent in Montreal in 2002 was over $200 for a Sunday ticket. That's the only thing I would ever admit that Tony George did right...twas "for the fans" and not the deep pockets of FOM. BTW, has anyone even noticed that the 'greatest spectacle in racing' is this Sunday? Indycar popularity is at an all-time low, I'll be anxious to see if they can fill the stands like they used to...which begs the question: Who's to say that F1 will even survive the next 10 years in it's present state and make this initial investment in Austin a worthy proposition?
I've noticed ... if only for the fact that Danica got booed for trashing her team over the PA system. (Or maybe it was for her crappy driving?) Either way, love it!
I've been watching all the qually sessions too... Has anyone noticed 5 women qualified for this year's field?
See, I didn't know that...5 women! I had to search out the pole day results online on Sunday. I assume that the qualifying was not on ABC, but Versus instead? I rest my case on the Indy 500, but will try to watch a some of it on ABC on Sunday. :cornut:
From Austin chosen to host Grand Prix in 2012 - Austin Business Journal More questions than answers remain after an announcement Tuesday that organizers of the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix plan to hold their race in Austin from 2012 to 2021. Formula One World Championship Ltd. and Formula One Administration Ltd. made the announcement Tuesday with its Austin-based promoter Full Throttle Productions LP. Promoters, who want to build a track specifically for the race for the first time in its history, did not specify a location and offered few other details. A Formula 1-style race track in India cost more than $300 million, according to reports. Meanwhile, city of Austin and Austin Chamber of Commerce officials were unfamiliar with race organizers’ plans and do not appear to have been deeply involved in the deal, according to city and chamber sources. Although Mayor Lee Leffingwell was cited in the news release on the Formula 1 website, a staffer said the mayor was not informed prior to the announcement. Various Texas state government officials appear to have been the main local driver, according to published reports and interviews. Little is in the public domain about Full Throttle Productions. Company officials could not be reached. The suddenness and lack of details or public relations support surrounding the announcement is perplexing to Richard Galganov, a Dallas businessman who has spent years in the racing industry. Formula One races involve a small army of support staff, with a full logistics operation, Galganov said, adding that 600 or more people are required to support 24 drivers, along with mechanics, promotional, safety and hospitality workers. In 2007, the last time the race was held in the U.S., ESPN reported that 100,000 to 200,000 people attended the race each year while it was held in Indianapolis from 2000 to 2007. Other U.S. host cities include Watkins Glen, N.Y.; Long Beach, Calif.; Las Vegas; Detroit; Dallas; and Phoenix. “This is a case of the right timing in the right place. As many Americans know, Austin has earned a reputation as one of the ‘it’ cities in the United States. Austin features that rare combination of ideal geographic location and beauty,” Full Throttle Managing Partner Tavo Hellmund said in the news release.
Me Going for my fourth time in 4 years. Main straight away, behind pit row, few hundred yards from the start/finish line, can't wait. Makes for a long day, drive 500 miles round trip, and watch 500 miles of racing:lol:. Mark
FYI here's a note that I received yesterday from a racing person I know with some background on one of the founders of "Full Throttle Productions". This is probably at least third-hand, so take it for what it's worth.... I still haven't heard/seen anything to indicate where the $$ are coming from... ------------------- Tavo is a good friend of mine, fraternity brother and runnin’ buddy in college. He has always been a racing fanatic. He grew up in Mexico City while his father (Gustavo) worked with CART and F1. There he raced and won go-carts. He was and still is an extremely talented driver. After graduating from college he moved to England and raced Formula 3. He learned quickly that there are scores of talented drivers and only a few are fortunate enough to afford a full season of racing... getting sponsors is largely based on politics and who you know. After 3 years or so, he moved saw the NASCAR boom in the United States (happened on the heels of the INDY/CART division). He moved back and sporadically raced in the Winston West Series. The Central Texas Chevy Dealers were one of his main sponsors, along with Suzuki. He assembled a team of mechanics and would pull his car on a flatbed trailer to the venues. All the other teams were decked out in fancy uniforms and had the big rigs and technology. Tavo routinely placed 1,2 or 3. Unfortunately, I think the money ran out and Tavo moved back to Austin and started a “Safe and Sober” presentation that he gave to area schools. He also created “Full Throttle Productions” (I think I drafted the Agreement for him) and he coordinated a couple NASCAR races at the bullring in Kyle. He told me a year ago that he was working on something big and that he was working with the governor’s office in bringing big-time racing to Texas. He did it.
Promoter: Austin Formula One track 'has long been in the works' Read more: http://ww From Autoweek By Adam Cooper Veteran Formula One circuit designer Herrman Tilke will be responsible for the Austin F1 track, promoter Tavo Hellmund said on Wednesday night. Hellmund also said the project is much further along than has been assumed. “This has been long in the works,†he told AutoWeek. “Everything is in place.†Although the former racer told local media on Tuesday that three possible venues were still under consideration, that suggestion apparently was a smokescreen. While several alternatives were under consideration, Hellmund said one site was settled on some time ago and the land--more than 800 acres--has been purchased. Additionally, initial permissions for amenities such as water and waste, which are usually time-consuming affairs, have been granted. Although Hellmund has yet to divulge details, he said that the site is to the east of Austin, a few miles from the airport, apparently in hilly countryside that has provided Tilke with a good starting point for a design. The German architect is charged with creating a fast circuit with challenging corners that resemble those of classic, established tracks such as Silverstone and Spa-Francorchamps. Tilke first sent a representative of his company to Austin about two years ago and allegedly has made many personal visits since. He is looking for office space in the city from which to base the project. Hellmund was adamant that Austin is an ideal location. “Other than New York or L.A., which already have 10 million people, where are you going to find a place that within a 150-mile radius you have three of the top-10 largest markets in the United States? That is the wonderful thing. Our position between Canada and the United States, North, South and Central America, is unbelievable. “You take that into account, you take into account the draw that Austin is--it's the state capital, it's in the hill country, it's got a huge, huge vibe and tag of being the coolest place.†As reported previously, the race is set to benefit from the Texas Major Events Trust Fund, which is intended to reimburse cities for costs they face when hosting big sporting events. However, that relates only to specific events and does not have an impact on the cost of building the facility, budgeted at $200 million. The track project is financed by unknown private investors, Hellmund said. One of the key elements that helped generate funding is that, aside from F1, the circuit will be used to help develop alternative fuels. Hellmund said he has known F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone since he was a teenager. His father was involved in promoting Indy-car and Trans-Am races in Mexico City and also helped to bring F1 back to the country in 1988. Hellmund's father also was involved in the 1986 World Cup of soccer and in organizing music events. Read more: Promoter: Austin Formula One track 'has long been in the works'
Not this year, but it would not surprise me if one or three of them aren't someday in the future. Danica's been close before, DeSilvestre is fast, and Anna Beatrice is the fastest of all the rookies this year. It all bodes well, IMHO. The only one I don't understand is Milky Don't Know, she may be good looking and a pretty good sports car driver, but she's always pretty much dead last and way off the pace so far in every race I've seen her run in IRL.
F1: Schumacher Excited By US GP Return Michael Schumacher enjoys visiting the United States... Adam Cooper | NASCAR News, F1 News, and Racing News on SPEED - SPEEDtv.com | Posted May 27, 2010 Istanbul (TUR) Michael Schumacher says he’s happy to see the US GP return to the calendar in 2012, which will be the third year of his current contract with Mercedes. Schumacher has long felt an affinity with the USA and used to go on motorcycle tours either side of the Indianapolis trip. “Certainly, it’s one of the beautiful places around the world to go to and enjoy some good times, lots of great opportunities,” he said in Istanbul on Thursday. “For me, naturally, I love to go and race there as it allows me to spend some days before the race to hang out there and enjoy it. But more important for most of the manufacturers that are involved in Formula One, America is a very important market. “If you think of how many countries like Brazil, Argentina, all those countries in South America, how many we had of those guys at Indy, then we should have even more, because logistically it’s easier to go to Texas than all the way up to Indy. Hopefully, that’s the case because one of the points that we have been missing is the sort of excitement that Formula One can create and can give to the fans that are in America. “Yeah, it has not fully arrived, but quite honestly you cannot expect those things to happen overnight. You have to give it continuation, and this continuation hasn’t happened for a long enough time, plus maybe we haven’t yet got a known or successful American driver in our group that would be quite helpful for this. But certainly from our point of view, we are very happy to go there.” Meanwhile, Schumacher says he expects his team’s form to improve...
I am there too in 2012! I drove from Pittsburgh to Indianapolis for those GPs, I'll fly to Austin for the next series of F1 no problem. I'll hope to reunite with my Metroplexmini folks also. Graham Co-founder and 2nd President MetroplexMINI.org