Circuit of the Americas Formula 1 Race Track - Page 30

KevinFromTexas · #**581** Posted **Sep 1, 2011, 3:18 AM**

Start your engines: Austin's F1 date confirmed as Nov. 18, 2012

migol24 · #**582** Posted **Sep 1, 2011, 3:42 AM**

Just so you guys are aware, plenty of people I've met here in the Bay Area (mostly rich folks) are excited to get to Austin once the F1 tracks get rolling. It's apparently a pretty big deal, I guess. I mean, I knew it was but now outside of Austin you really get an idea of how big of a deal it is to a lot of people even here in the US.

TXAlex · #**583** Posted **Sep 6, 2011, 5:23 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by migol24

Just so you guys are aware, plenty of people I've met here in the Bay Area (mostly rich folks) are excited to get to Austin once the F1 tracks get rolling. It's apparently a pretty big deal, I guess. I mean, I knew it was but now outside of Austin you really get an idea of how big of a deal it is to a lot of people even here in the US.

Quite aware!

electricron · #**584** Posted **Sep 16, 2011, 9:26 PM**

2012 FIA Formula One calendar:
03/18 Australia (Melbourne)
03/25 Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur)
04/15 China (Shanghai)
04/22 Bahrain (Sakhir)
05/13 Spain (Catalunya)
05/27 Monaco (Monte Carlo)
06/10 Canada (Montréal)
06/24 Europe (Valencia)
07/08 Great Britain (Silverstone-near Northampton, )
07/22 Germany (Hockenheim)
07/29 Hungary (Budapest)
09/02 Belgium (Spa)
09/09 Italy (Monza)
09/23 Singapore (Singapore)
10/07 Japan (Suzuka)
10/14 Korea (Yeongam)
10/28 India (New Delhi)
11/4 Abu Dhabi (Abu Dhabi)
11/18 United States (Austin)
11/25 Brazil (São Paulo)

If next season follows this season, the driver championship will be decided long before the 2012 US Grand Prix. Go Red Bull and Sebastian Vettel.

KevinFromTexas · #**585** Posted **Sep 17, 2011, 5:59 AM**

http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/ne...-of-texas.html

Quote:

Austin could annex Circuit of the Americas track

Austin Business Journal by Vicky Garza , vgarza@bizjournals.com
Date: Friday, September 16, 2011, 8:54am CDT

-+The Austin City Council will consider annexing the Circuit of the Americas track, future home to the U.S. Grand Prix Formula One race.

The city will not collect property taxes nor receive sales tax revenue generated from events at the site since the racetrack is located in Austin’s extraterritorial jurisdiction southeast of the city.

The move could bring Austin at least $13 million in additional tax revenue over 25 years.+

DruidCity · #**586** Posted **Sep 17, 2011, 7:35 PM**

Quote:

I braved the heat and went to see the F1 car on display at the Bullock museum this weekend.

I'll add that there is also a Williams F1 car on display in the lobby at the RFMitte building at Texas State University. My brother's office is in this building, so I got to see the car when I visited him recently.

BevoLJ · #**587** Posted **Sep 21, 2011, 5:07 PM**

What a fun little video!

• Video Link

wwmiv · #**588** Posted **Sep 21, 2011, 6:17 PM**

That video makes us look like hicks. It does shed light onto why they chose land on that side of town, though. They're playing on the stereotypical cowboy persona of Texas.

electricron · #**589** Posted **Sep 21, 2011, 6:47 PM**

Today's F1 2.4 liter V8 engines generate around 750 bhp at 19k rpms.
Today's Nascar Cup 5.8 liter V8 engines generate around 865 bhp at 9k rpms.

So, Texans have seen this amount of horsepower on a racetrack before. It's nothing new.

But I will admit I'm impressed how much horsepower F1 engines generate in so small a package.

MichaelB · #**590** Posted **Sep 22, 2011, 1:58 PM**

http://www.redbullusa.com/cs/Satelli...21243088304475

Link to Video shot to promote F1 in Austin. Lots of footage of track under construction. Got this from ABJ

Dale · #**591** Posted **Sep 22, 2011, 2:18 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by electricron

Today's F1 2.4 liter V8 engines generate around 750 bhp at 19k rpms.
Today's Nascar Cup 5.8 liter V8 engines generate around 865 bhp at 9k rpms.

So, Texans have seen this amount of horsepower on a racetrack before. It's nothing new.

But I will admit I'm impressed how much horsepower F1 engines generate in so small a package.

F1 engines are down to 18k now, from a high of 22k several years ago, and will drop to 15k in 2014. So, enjoy the marvelous whine for a couple of years.

The ATX · #**592** Posted **Sep 22, 2011, 2:40 PM**

Yee-haw and howdy y'all! I sure hope them Europeans come show us Republican votin' redneck Texans some culture.

wwmiv · #**593** Posted **Sep 22, 2011, 3:17 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hill Country

Yee-haw and howdy y'all! I sure hope them Europeans come show us Republican votin' redneck Texans some culture.

LOL.

Ten characters.

DougRockstead · #**594** Posted **Sep 22, 2011, 7:31 PM**

Interesting comment but as you stated it's the size of vehicle containing that kind of power that makes it amazing.

I can show you a 400 pound man that can squat 500 pounds, and a 180 pound man that can squat 500 pounds (leg power/thrusting power) who's going to win that footrace?

NASCAR doesn't even compare.

Quote:

Originally Posted by electricron

Today's F1 2.4 liter V8 engines generate around 750 bhp at 19k rpms.
Today's Nascar Cup 5.8 liter V8 engines generate around 865 bhp at 9k rpms.

So, Texans have seen this amount of horsepower on a racetrack before. It's nothing new.

But I will admit I'm impressed how much horsepower F1 engines generate in so small a package.

electricron · #**595** Posted **Sep 22, 2011, 9:15 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by DougRockstead

Interesting comment but as you stated it's the size of vehicle containing that kind of power that makes it amazing.

I can show you a 400 pound man that can squat 500 pounds, and a 180 pound man that can squat 500 pounds (leg power/thrusting power) who's going to win that footrace?

NASCAR doesn't even compare.

True? It's more like a 400 pound man squatting 580 pounds vs a 180 pound man squatting 500 pounds.

But driving a Nascar Cup car with far less downforce than a Formula 1 car around tracks, road or ovals, takes far more skill.
How many races have previous F1 drivers, Scott Speed or Pablo Montoya, won in Nascar? If F1 drivers were really better drivers, they would have far more wins.

wwmiv · #**596** Posted **Sep 22, 2011, 9:20 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by electricron

True? It's more like a 400 pound man squatting 580 pounds vs a 180 pound man squatting 500 pounds.

But driving a Nascar Cup car with far less downforce than a Formula 1 car around tracks, road or ovals, takes far more skill.
How many races have previous F1 drivers, Scott Speed or Pablo Montoya, won in Nascar? If F1 drivers were really better drivers, they would have far more wins.

... Scott Speed and Pablo Montoya were never spectacular F1 drivers. If Nascar drivers were really so amazing then why have none ever made the transition to F1?

Jdawgboy · #**597** Posted **Sep 22, 2011, 10:00 PM**

All I know is that is nasty how those longhorns can stick their tongues up their noses. I did not know they could do that and honestly I did not really want to know either...

electricron · #**598** Posted **Sep 22, 2011, 10:06 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by wwmiv

... Scott Speed and Pablo Montoya were never spectacular F1 drivers. If Nascar drivers were really so amazing then why have none ever made the transition to F1?

I wouldn't necessarily call the record below unspectacular.
Montoya's Formula One record.
Year - Series - Team - Number of Races - Poles - Wins - Points - Final Placing
2001 Formula One WilliamsF1 17 3 1 31 6th
2002 Formula One WilliamsF1 17 7 0 50 3rd
2003 Formula One WilliamsF1 16 1 2 82 3rd
2004 Formula One WilliamsF1 18 0 1 58 5th
2005 Formula One McLaren 16 2 3 60 4th
2006 Formula One McLaren 10 0 0 26 8th

Cars and teams, more than driver skills, determine who wins and loses F1 races. In F1, to evaluate driver skills, you should compare with the driver driving the other team car.
Ralf Schumacher, Montoya's teammate, finished the 2001 championship in 4th position. Ralf beat Juan with the same car.
Ralf Schumacher, Montoya's teammate, finished the 2002 championship in 4th position. Juan beat Ralf with the same car.
Ralf Schumacher, Montoya's teammate, finished the 2003 championship in 5th position. Juan beat Ralf with the same car.
Ralf Schumacher, Montoya's first teammate, missed most of the 2004 season after a wreck in Indianapolis. Juan beat Ralf with the same car.
Kimi Räikkönen, Montoya's teammate, finished to 2005 championship in 2nd position. Kimi beat Juan with the same car.
Kimi Räikkönen, Montoya's teammate, finished to 2006 championship in 5th position. Kimi beat Juan with the same car.

Additionally, with F1 teams, there is a #1 driver and car. Juan was in the #2 car every year he competed in F1. Ralf was at the time the 3rd highest paid driver in F1. And Juan still managed to beat his teams #1 driver half the time. In today's F1, that's like Mark Webber beating Sebastian Vettel in Championship points half the time.

The ATX · #**599** Posted **Sep 22, 2011, 10:39 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jdawgboy

All I know is that is nasty how those longhorns can stick their tongues up their noses. I did not know they could do that and honestly I did not really want to know either...

From watching that "informative" video I learned that an F1 car is faster that a cowboy on horseback and that trying to rope an F1 car is a futile endeavor.

KevinFromTexas · #**600** Posted **Sep 25, 2011, 9:12 PM**

http://www.statesman.com/news/local/...n-1877840.html

Quote:

Road improvements on FM 812 delay vertical construction at the track

By John Maher
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Published: 9:44 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 24, 2011

Construction of buildings and grandstands at the Circuit of the Americas racetrack in southeastern Travis County has been delayed until crews complete road improvements near the main entrance, said Jeff Hahn, a spokesman for the track.

The Texas Department of Transportation is widening FM 812 near the entrance to create turn lanes on both sides, said Terry McCoy, TxDOT's director of transportation planning and development for the Austin district. The work began Sept. 15 and should be completed in October, McCoy said.

Circuit construction will begin shortly after, Hahn said.