Circuit of the Americas Formula 1 Race Track

[The ATX]

Originally Posted by Dale

Well, we really can't say that, can we ? Whereas notable F1 drivers try NASCAR and fail, the reverse hasn't been tried, to my knowledge.

Hopefully Austin will get NASCAR too. Take a cue from F1 drivers. They love NASCAR. They just suck at it.

Have you seen this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_IfM...eature=related

FYI...I really don't give a nutria's ass about racing, I just like the economic impact that the F1 track will have on Austin.

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by BevoLJ

I'm not sure. I mean DKR is right downtown and draws a lot more people than COTA ever will and there are people who think it should be down Speedway or even the Drag rather than San Jacinto and I kinda gotta agree with them. Except that San Jacinto would just be so much easier to build. I think that there are other parts of Austin that would be better served than taking it out to the track. At least at this point in time. Like say S. Congress, S Lamar or Guadalupe up to the triangle -> N. Lamar -> Anderson -> Northcross -> and up to the Domain.

... "at this point in time" really doesn't factor into the equation considering that any rail project won't be on line for years.

[BevoLJ]

Ya, true enough. lol

[wwmiv]

I'm all for moving the race date back into the fall/early winter. November seems a bit late though.

http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/bl...-but-will.html

Austin Formula One is a go, but will the race date change?

Austin Business Journal - Colin Pope
Date: Thursday, June 30, 2011, 7:53am CDT

Promoters of a Formula One race in Austin are in the home stretch now that city leaders have put
down the yellow flag. But a new question has arisen: How long will the home stretch be?

After weeks of public debate and back-door negotiating that galvanized Austin, council members
voted 5-2 on Wednesday to endorse the race. The majority is excited about the economic and
social benefits that come with being on this global, highly regarded circuit for the next 10 years.

But take note: the deal calls for F1 organizers to be friendly to Mother Nature, and that includes
exploring the possibility of moving the inaugural race date from June 17, 2012, to a cooler time
of the year far from “ozone action days.” Perhaps as late as November, some speculate.

Officials said the track will be ready by next June. It was a tight schedule from the start, but if
there’s an upside to this drought, it’s that construction crews have been allowed to work unfettered
for months.

...

[KevinFromTexas]

http://www.statesman.com/news/local/...e-1576022.html

Judge denies F1 opponents' bid to halt state subsidy

AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Published: 8:14 p.m. Friday, July 1, 2011

A judge on Friday refused to stop Comptroller Susan Combs from paying a $25 million subsidy to support a Formula One race scheduled to start in Austin in June.

The request was part of a lawsuit filed 10 days ago that claimed Combs promised the public money to race organizers illegally. A lawyer for the plaintiffs said the decision could deal a lethal blow to the lawsuit.

Travis County State District Judge Rhonda Hurley ruled, without comment, that she would not issue a temporary restraining order halting the payment from the comptroller's Major Events Trust Fund to Circuit of the Americas. The company has said it intends to put the money toward the sanctioning fee the international Formula One organization charges local promoters.

[Somnio]

Originally Posted by BevoLJ

I mean DKR is right downtown and draws a lot more people than COTA ever will

Cota will be able to accommodate 120,000 race fans. DKR currently has a capacity of 100,119, although official attendance often exceeds that number by a thousand or so.

[Jdawgboy]

120,000 is what they expect an average attendance, COTA can hold well over 200,000 or more if need be.

[Spaceman]

Maybe not in the middle of June...The scheduling couldn't be poorer except for the middle of August. I know it is planned after Montreal but something needs to be done. Isn't the last race in Sao Paulo? Then do the Western Hemisphere swing last.

[Somnio]

I have a feeling that there's at least a 50/50 chance that the Austin race will end up taking place the week between Abu Dhabi and Brazil in mid November, or possibly the week after Brazil in early December.

Either way, the weather should be glorious in mid November or early December in Central Texas. The average high/low for November and December in Austin is 70/49 and 62/42 respectively.

The averages for June is 91/71, and obviously not this year, but severe thunderstorms are not uncommon that time of year.

Let's hope common sense prevails for the drivers, pit crews, spectators, and everyone else involved.

[Armybrat]

Texas will be playing Mizzou in Columbia November 12th, so that could be a possibility.

[BevoLJ]

Originally Posted by Somnio

Cota will be able to accommodate 120,000 race fans. DKR currently has a capacity of 100,119, although official attendance often exceeds that number by a thousand or so.

Ah, sorry. I should have said annual attendance. I remember last year (or maybe it was two years ago) some hardworking students at UT did a little study while procrastinating doing school work and went to the athletic department and got the numbers for all the events. They posted that up on Orangebloods.com. The stadium hosted something like 1.3 million people for the year they looked at. I can't remember if it was 08 or 09 though.

If COTA host that many people in a year with all of its events that would be fantastic!

[electricron]

IRL races at TMS in June, so heat shouldn't be a problem. I can't believe Central Texans are more sensitive to heat than North Texans?
In fact, the race teams like heat, because that makes their tires grip more, meaning they can take turns faster. The reason they go to Brazil in our late fall or Australia in our late winter is because it's early and late summer in the southern hemisphere. It's not a western hemisphere swing as much as its a southern hemisphere swing.
The June date for Austin matches well with the Montreal date, the true western hemisphere swing. The only thing I would do differently is visit Austin first, followed by Montreal a week or two later.
As for the heat being too much for the race fans, did you take a close look at the roofs being installed on the main grandstands, and the air conditioned suites above the pits? The roof's purpose is to provide shade and protect fans from precipitation. F1 runs in the rain as long as the downpours aren't too heavy, unlike NASCAR that red flags races as soon as it sprinkles.

[BevoLJ]

I read that from someone about how much they love races in the rain. The only problem I can see with that is that in the summer in Austin the few times we get rain it is in the form of thunderstorms. I imagine lightning would not be good for such an event.

[electricron]

Lightning for a Formula 1 event in Austin shouldn't effect race day fans any more than at an IndyCar event in Fort Worth. You just make announcements over the PA for fans to seek shelter when the thunder and bolts come. Most Texans know what to do after all.

[The ATX]

Originally Posted by electricron

Lightning for a Formula 1 event in Austin shouldn't effect race day fans any more than at an IndyCar event in Fort Worth. You just make announcements over the PA for fans to seek shelter when the thunder and bolts come. Most Texans know what to do after all.

It's nice to see you coming around to the pro-F1 side and extoll the virtues of the new venue.

[BevoLJ]

Ah, ok. So they can still run the cars with all the lightning?

[The ATX]

Originally Posted by BevoLJ

Ah, ok. So they can still run the cars with all the lightning?

According to the Granbury guy they can do anything except use state funds destined for economic development.

[BevoLJ]

lol, well even those who were against the state funds going to it may as well embrace it now. It is going to be a big part of Austin for years to come.

[electricron]

Originally Posted by Hill Country

According to the Granbury guy they can do anything except use state funds destined for economic development.

I didn't write that. What I've been trying to say all along was that I was against both the city and state wasting $250 Million of general funds over 10 years on a race.

That $250 Million could be spent on many other more worthy projects - like roads, schools, and hospitals. Of course, you can and many have argued that these revenues are self generated, that the event itself raises additional taxes. Which is probably true. The same can be said about using TIFs to fund specific projects within the TIF area. But in the case of TIFs, higher tax rates are levied. In this case over race funds, higher tax rates are NOT levied.

The general fund needs to be respected, kept whole, and not piecemeal away for special events. Do we charge liquor taxes to directly support bars and lounges that raised them? Or do we place liquor tax revenues into general revenues so that it can be spent on more worthy programs? The reason so many general Texas programs are being cut is because too many "special" interests and programs funded from general revenues aren't. And please don't suggest the F1 race isn't a "special" interest.

I'm not against the race, I was and will be forever against the State bribing "special" interests with public funds.

[Spaceman]

Drove to the construction site today and two things are obvious. First, the building needs to quicken...The hillside is cleared but I saw no structure of any kind being built..If the weather changes in the fall and winter and rain starts to fall, construction will slow greatly putting a June date at risk..Secondly, on a quiet Sunday, Highway 812 is a mess...We got behind a horse trailer and the twisty road made passing impossible There is no way a quarter of the projected attendance could get in and out of that place...The poor access could ruin this event..No one is going to wait four hours to get into the track and another four to return home.