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Author Topic: US Grand Prix shock: Race to be held in Texas in 2012  (Read 7120 times)

Offline stealthhaggis

US Grand Prix shock: Race to be held in Texas in 2012
« on: May 25, 2010, 08:09:35 PM »
What the....?

US Grand Prix shock: Race to be held in Texas in 2012

Posted on | May 25, 2010 | by | No Comments

Tonight the official F1 website has announced that the United States Grand Prix is to return to the calendar in 2012 in Austin, Texas.

The deal runs through to 2021 and the promoters are going to create a purpose built facility to host the event. Austin is a thriving “It” city in the USA with a strong technology sector and a dynamic reputation.

F1 has been hunting around for years for a purpose built track in the USA, along the lines of what we see in Bahrain, China or Abu Dhabi. Recently there has been a lot of chatter about a US GP returning with New Jersey being touted and more recently Monticello in upstate New York. It seems that Eccletsone has had a lot of irons in the fire hoping that one of them would come good.

The Texas deal flies in the face of the received wisdom that in order to succeed in the USA a race needs to be held wither near New York or in California, close to fans of European cars or large expatriate communities, especially Italian.

In addition to the promoter Full Throttle Productions, the event seems to enjoy some backing from state government, possibly along the lines of the “shared risk” business model which has worked well in Singapore where a local government works alongside a promoter and underwrites the major expenses, to the point at which it becomes profitable.

The announcement indicates that this project has been underway for “several years” and Austin appears to be the first past the post.

A US Grand Prix is considered essential for a sport which considers itself truly global. For many of the manufacturers and companies involved in the sport it is the number one market.

There is a major push to bring the USA under the F1 umbrella. The failure of the USF1 team was an embarrassment, but now it seems that there are efforts to resurrect the idea of an American team and You Tube founder Chad Hurley is still linked with this.

Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo has a better idea, he believes. He said in an interview today that he dreams of a third Ferrari in the stars and stripes colours.

http://www.jamesallenonf1.com/2010/05/us-grand-prix-shock-race-to-be-held-in-texas-in-2012/
« Last Edit: May 25, 2010, 08:12:11 PM by stealthhaggis »



Offline John S

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Re: US Grand Prix shock: Race to be held in Texas in 2012
« Reply #1 on: May 25, 2010, 08:17:15 PM »

Yeah it's all true here is the formula1.com link. 

http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2010/5/10824.html


Racing is Life - everything else is just....waiting. (Steve McQueen)

Offline stealthhaggis

Re: US Grand Prix shock: Race to be held in Texas in 2012
« Reply #2 on: May 25, 2010, 08:21:52 PM »
I see, so Bernie was playing darts with a map of America then?! Finally got a cluster of them in Texas! Fair enough Bernie, I'm guessing HT will give us another boring techno-track?!

Offline Scott

Re: US Grand Prix shock: Race to be held in Texas in 2012
« Reply #3 on: May 25, 2010, 08:26:01 PM »
I wonder if it will be another point and spit city course, since the closest thing they have there to racing is a go-kart track.
The Honey Badger doesn't give a...

Williamsfan

  • Guest
Re: US Grand Prix shock: Race to be held in Texas in 2012
« Reply #4 on: May 25, 2010, 09:02:16 PM »
Apparently it will be a purpose built facility for F1.  Sounds interesting, then you remember Tilke is probably involved somewhere.  Still, it is great F1 is returning to the US!

Offline lkjohnson1950

Re: US Grand Prix shock: Race to be held in Texas in 2012
« Reply #5 on: May 25, 2010, 09:14:27 PM »
Well, well. Austin is a beautiful and fairly hip town, but it doesn't strike me as F1 friendly. This is in a state that sells out NASCAR, but can't give away IRL tickets at the same track. The idea of the ultra conservative Texas government being in on it boggles the mind. Let's hope they use one of the American designers and not Tilke, but why oh why doesn't someone drop some of this money that seems to be floating around on a great track that's already established? The Glen, Road America, or Laguna would be fabulous places for F1.

Lonny
Lonny

Online Jericoke

Re: US Grand Prix shock: Race to be held in Texas in 2012
« Reply #6 on: May 25, 2010, 11:24:59 PM »
Can't say I'd have predicted that.

They did have a race in Dallas for a few years, didn't they?

I hope it works out though.

Online Dare

Re: US Grand Prix shock: Race to be held in Texas in 2012
« Reply #7 on: May 26, 2010, 02:07:58 AM »
In case Bernie hasn't noticed it get
blistering hot in Texas and a better
reason for Indy is it's close to Cos and me
Mark Twain once opined, "it's easier to con someone than to convince them they've been conned."

Williamsfan

  • Guest
Re: US Grand Prix shock: Race to be held in Texas in 2012
« Reply #8 on: May 26, 2010, 08:32:16 AM »
I wonder how much of this decision is down to like minded individuals from Texas who don't care one iota about racing but do love the $$$ coming in. 

Offline cosworth151

Re: US Grand Prix shock: Race to be held in Texas in 2012
« Reply #9 on: May 26, 2010, 12:24:41 PM »
Austin is a beautiful city. It's Riverwalk is an absolute gem. The semi-official city motto is "Keep Austin Weird."

That said, it's no place for an F1 race. If they have it in the summer, paired up with Montreal, it will be blisteringly hot and humid. I'm sure the very large Green community down there is gearing up to protest it already. Besides that, there's no track there!

Donnington will have an F1 race before Austin does!
“You can search the world over for the finer things, but you won't find a match for the American road and the creatures that live on it.”
― Bob Dylan

Offline cosworth151

Re: US Grand Prix shock: Race to be held in Texas in 2012
« Reply #10 on: May 26, 2010, 01:23:05 PM »
A quote from The Dwarf of Doom:

Quote
It was thirty years ago that the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix™ was last held on a purpose-built permanent road course circuit in Watkins Glen, NY

What about the eight races at Indy, you greedy little git?
“You can search the world over for the finer things, but you won't find a match for the American road and the creatures that live on it.”
― Bob Dylan

Online Jericoke

Re: US Grand Prix shock: Race to be held in Texas in 2012
« Reply #11 on: May 26, 2010, 01:43:48 PM »
In case Bernie hasn't noticed it get
blistering hot in Texas and a better
reason for Indy is it's close to Cos and me

Probably still cooler than Malaysia, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain or Jerez in July.  Not to mention the Indian GP.

I'd rather see Indy though.  (Closer to me too!)

Offline cosworth151

Re: US Grand Prix shock: Race to be held in Texas in 2012
« Reply #12 on: May 26, 2010, 01:53:40 PM »
Not only do they not have a track, they don't even have a place to build a track!

http://formula-one.speedtv.com/article/f1-austin-promoter-still-looking-for-site/
“You can search the world over for the finer things, but you won't find a match for the American road and the creatures that live on it.”
― Bob Dylan

Online Jericoke

Re: US Grand Prix shock: Race to be held in Texas in 2012
« Reply #13 on: May 26, 2010, 02:25:05 PM »
Not only do they not have a track, they don't even have a place to build a track!

http://formula-one.speedtv.com/article/f1-austin-promoter-still-looking-for-site/

Texas is bigger than most countries that hold F1 races.  I'm sure they can find land. 

As for a construction crew, I hear that BP has a bunch of engineers in the area who are going to find themselves without a job in the very near future...

Offline John S

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Re: US Grand Prix shock: Race to be held in Texas in 2012
« Reply #14 on: May 26, 2010, 03:03:52 PM »

As for a construction crew, I hear that BP has a bunch of engineers in the area who are going to find themselves without a job in the very near future...

Ooh! That's a low blow to us Brits Jeri. :o  As far as I'm aware it is other companies contracting to BP that have caused the problem, but as the well owners they get stuck with all the grief and costs. I also believe they have not ducked the responsibility even as it's set to become a huge black hole in their finances.



Racing is Life - everything else is just....waiting. (Steve McQueen)

 


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