Formula One US Grand Prix?

[fvkartguy]

I'm sort of surprised this topic hasn't been brought up yet, but I've heard from various sources (the Austin news channels talked about it everyday for a couple weeks) that F1 is coming back to the US and building a track in Austin. Some say they're only considering having a US Grand Prix and Austin is just one of the cities in the running...
If you look at my profile, you'd see that I live in Austin and am therefore extremely excited about F1 coming to town and even more excited about an awesome purpose-built facility being built here.
One news station said this would bring several million dollars of business to Austin annually... a lot of people say F1's given Austin a gross exaggeration. Either way, I'm hoping the track will have positive effects on the racing community in Texas.
What are your thoughts? The track is supposed to be a $200 million facility... Will there be some great SCCA events in Austin in the Futures? Maybe the National Runoffs will be in Texas soon?!?!

[pillowmeto]

One or two of the articles quotes the FIA on saying that it will be a F1 only track, single use. That combined with other things relating to this deal make me very skeptical that it will be completed.

[FV80]

I've always been AMAZED at just how many of the F1 venues are 'F1 **ONLY**' - they run NO OTHER EVENTS ... EVER! (except during the F1 week, of course) Astounding to think that any one, any where can support an F1 type facility on a single race (week) per year... ?? ... but, I guess then, there's that INDIANAPOLIS track !!

Steve

[AJP]

The Canadian Grand Prix has been held on a facility that spends most of the rest of the year as a park. Bike, roller blades and picnics only. They have had the Indy Cars and the last couple years some sort of Nascar thing but certainly no club racing.
I could see Austin, TX doing that as well because when it's close to a city, you can't be making a racket every weekend!

-A

[fvkartguy]

It's supposed to be out near the airport, so I don't think the noise would be too much of a problem.
There used to be a great kart track out there, but they decided kart racing needed to be ridiculously expensive and folded.
There's actually another track out that direction (http://www.drivewayaustin.com/). It's really great, but "members only" and doesn't do SCCA events.
That would be very frustrating to have another awesome track in town that I can't use!!!

[Dave]

The news release I read said it was to be a purpose built track, no mention that it would only be used for F1.

Dave

[igino]

They released the track layout today - good summary at planet-f1.com:

http://www.planet-f1.com/news/18227/635 ... t-revealed

Has anyone heard anything about opening it up to SCCA events as well?

[RacerGeek]

The promoter, Tavo Hellmund, was on Wind Tunnel with Dave Dispain 2 weeks ago. His father was a close friend of Bernie Eccelstone and he has known Eccelstone his whole life. Bernie has been talking to this guy since the 1990's about doing F1 in the US, and around 2005 they got serious about it. When they started looking at locations Austin made the most sense. He said the track will be used year round for research and development, used by the automotive industry to develop alternative fuels, motorcycle safety - not just for the F1 event. He said there's just no way to justify $220 million dollars for a facility that is used once a year. He has a partner that has owned Texas NBA and NFL franchises and they fully expect the facility to be profitable.

This is a link to Wind Tunnel segments. Go down 10-12 spots for Tavo Hellmund.

http://www.speedtv.com/video/popup/5995 ... /595125382

[Veefan]

Why build a facility???? STREET COURSE! The greatest Grand Prix race in the world is Monaco (my opinion of course ) its an amazing street course. I’ve only been to the race once, it was incredible. The U.S. already has street courses that would already make great locations for a U.S grand Prix.

Nothing against Austin Texas, its a nice place... but where they going to put 75,000 to 100,000 race fans??? According the the Austin Texas tourist board sight, the city only has 26,000 hotel rooms available per night?

[fvkartguy]

Why build a facility???? STREET COURSE! The greatest Grand Prix race in the world is Monaco (my opinion of course ) its an amazing street course. I’ve only been to the race once, it was incredible. The U.S. already has street courses that would already make great locations for a U.S grand Prix.

Nothing against Austin Texas, its a nice place... but where they going to put 75,000 to 100,000 race fans??? According the the Austin Texas tourist board sight, the city only has 26,000 hotel rooms available per night?

Cant disagree, love the street courses... like they used to have in Houston.
At the same time, I can't complain about a racetrack being built in my backyard!

[Veefan]

fvkartguy, I agree with you too! we need more tracks! Looks like based on the news you're going to get a great... big one in your back yard!

"The new Austin course was designed by famed track designer Hermann Tilke. Tilke is responsible for many of the newer race courses around the world as well as redesigning sections of older tracks including the Nürburgring."

3.4 miles... 39-52 feet wide...

Looks a little like Watkins Glen except with a lot more turns...

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