Circuit of the Americas Formula 1 Race Track

[BevoLJ]

Originally Posted by F1 Tommy

I am not from Indy and I do not care about what happened to Indy other than we lost an F1 race in the USA. I am stating a fact about F1 racing in the USA. You will see within 2 years what I am talking about, or you can read up on the failure of F1 racing in the US to understand why Austin will fail. I think the NJ race will also fail. This is all a real shame.

Maybe if some rich Texas oil company would pick up the tab for this Austin race it could survive for 10 years.

I think this guy is just trolling us all. He clearly knows nothing about COTA and even less than nothing about Austin.

And how many billionaires is enough for you on this project. The local billionaires who are invested in COTA might not be rich from oil, but you know there is more than oil in Texas? In fact something like 25 of the billionaires in Texas have nothing to do with oil. And none of the ones from Austin.

[F1 Tommy]

Originally Posted by BevoLJ

I think this guy is just trolling us all. He clearly knows nothing about COTA and even less than nothing about Austin.

And how many billionaires is enough for you on this project. The local billionaires who are invested in COTA might not be rich from oil, but you know there is more than oil in Texas? In fact something like 25 of the billionaires in Texas have nothing to do with oil. And none of the ones from Austin.

I am not trolling. I am just stating the facts about F1 racing in the USA. I threw in the rich Texas oil company sentence as a joke, but since you are all very touchy I am sorry for that. I think the track will lose money on the F1 race, wich is the main event it was built for. It will be nice to have a world class track in your area, but the overall track will take years to pay for. Rich people do not like to throw money away either, so this will end up being a money hole for the state. They should really think about making it possible to run NASCAR at this future motorsport park as that will help pay for it.

I know you all realize this is a very risky adventure for your area, that explains why you are ready to pounce on anyone who says anything negative about it. I wish Austin good luck. You will still have a
very nice track in your backyard, wich is something you will enjoy for years to come.

[The ATX]

Originally Posted by F1 Tommy

I am not trolling. I am just stating the facts about F1 racing in the USA. I threw in the rich Texas oil company sentence as a joke, but since you are all very touchy I am sorry for that. I think the track will lose money on the F1 race, wich is the main event it was built for. It will be nice to have a world class track in your area, but the overall track will take years to pay for. Rich people do not like to throw money away either, so this will end up being a money hole for the state. They should really think about making it possible to run NASCAR at this future motorsport park as that will help pay for it.

I know you all realize this is a very risky adventure for your area, that explains why you are ready to pounce on anyone who says anything negative about it. I wish Austin good luck. You will still have a
very nice track in your backyard, wich is something you will enjoy for years to come.

There is a lot of skepticism here about the track too, so that's not the issue. It's being built with private money, so it can't be a "money hole for the state." The fact that you brought up NASCAR and oil companies indicates that you are using Texas stereotypes and are unfamiliar with Austin. Austin is not NASCAR country, and a NASCAR track here would have faced some opposition just as the F1 track has. The only oil business going on here is when we get the oil changed in our Cadillacs with the Longhorns that we like to put on the hoods.

[hookem]

With all the negativity that seems to follow F1 in the USA, it's no wonder that the NJ race hasn't even bothered to put a website or official facebook page/twitter page up. Even though their race is supposedly only 1 year away.

They probably have the right idea. Don't say anything and just build the track.

Although if the race there does happen, I guarantee the ticket prices will be the in the same ballpark of CoTA -- nothing like Indy or Montreal. Otherwise it will fail just that much quicker.

[F1 Tommy]

Originally Posted by Hill Country

There is a lot of skepticism here about the track too, so that's not the issue. It's being built with private money, so it can't be a "money hole for the state." The fact that you brought up NASCAR and oil companies indicates that you are using Texas stereotypes and are unfamiliar with Austin. Austin is not NASCAR country, and a NASCAR track here would have faced some opposition just as the F1 track has. The only oil business going on here is when we get the oil changed in our Cadillacs with the Longhorns that we like to put on the hoods.

Most of the fans will not come from Austin, thats why I think they should add NASCAR as it will help pay the bills. Also the state has kicked in alot of money so it is not only private. If Cota and the other investors let the track go bankrupt Texas will foot part of the bills for the remaining unpaid costs until someone buys it.

[hookem]

Originally Posted by F1 Tommy

Most of the fans will not come from Austin, thats why I think they should add NASCAR as it will help pay the bills. Also the state has kicked in alot of money so it is not only private. If Cota and the other investors let the track go bankrupt Texas will foot part of the bills for the remaining unpaid costs until someone buys it.

The state hasn't kicked in any money. That fell through. They can apply for some later, but there isn't even an application on file as of today.

Everything has been private money so far. The sanctioning fee to Bernie, the construction of the track, everything. Honestly, the investors are quite bold to do this. I hope they can make their money back. But I'm with Jdawgboy, right now Austin is pretty golden -- if there is anywhere that you can make a big project work, it's here. At least right now.

[F1 Tommy]

Originally Posted by hookem

The state hasn't kicked in any money. That fell through. They can apply for some later, but there isn't even an application on file as of today.

Everything has been private money so far. The sanctioning fee to Bernie, the construction of the track, everything. Honestly, the investors are quite bold to do this. I hope they can make their money back. But I'm with Jdawgboy, right now Austin is pretty golden -- if there is anywhere that you can make a big project work, it's here. At least right now.

I hope it happens and the investors stick with it, but it will be an uphill battle for sure. You need the rain to stop and not come back!!

[The ATX]

Originally Posted by F1 Tommy

I hope it happens and the investors stick with it, but it will be an uphill battle for sure. You need the rain to stop and not come back!!

We need the rain to continue. Having something to drink is more important a race track.

[hookem]

Originally Posted by Hill Country

We need the rain to continue. Having something to drink is more important a race track.

I admit I have some mixed feelings on this. I know we need the rain, but if the drought lasted just until Nov 18 then went away forever, I don't think I'd complain.

[The ATX]

Originally Posted by hookem

I admit I have some mixed feelings on this. I know we need the rain, but if the drought lasted just until Nov 18 then went away forever, I don't think I'd complain.

I have mixed feelings as well. The lack of water for industry and new developments is the single long term issue that could bring Austin's perpetual boom to an end. (I see traffic congestion as a more imminent short to mid-term boom wrecker.) Most of the rain we have gotten since December has fallen south of the watershed that fills the LCRA impoundments. We'll be OK during the upcoming summer regardless of the rainfall amounts simply because the rice farmers downstream near the coast are being cutoff. Enough with the downer - Let's race!

[electricron]

COTA is going to need a corporate sponsor, just about every race in America has one. Take just as an example, the races at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth.
Last month's NASCAR "Cup" race had a $7 Million purse that trickled down to all the teams. They had Samsung as the corporate sponsor. There's around 150,000 seats at TMS, with $20 for a backstretch seat at a minimum and a maximum of $120 seats near the start-finish line. If they averaged $100 per seat, which they don't, that would raise $15 Million.

Imagine what COTA is going to have to charge for seats to raise $25 Million franchise fee F1 expects every year. They're going to need a corporate sponsor.

[The ATX]

Originally Posted by electricron

COTA is going to need a corporate sponsor, just about every race in America has one. Take just as an example, the races at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth.
Last month's NASCAR "Cup" race had a $7 Million purse that trickled down to all the teams. They had Samsung as they corporate sponsor. There's around 150,000 seats at TMS, with $20 for a backstretch seat at a minimum and a maximum of $120 seats near the start-finish line. If they averaged $100 per seat, which they don't, that would raise $15 Million.

Imagine what COTA is going to have to charge for seats to raise $25 Million franchise fee F1 expects every year. They're going to need a corporate sponsor.

Samsung's largest facility outside of Korea is in Austin, so maybe...

[Jdawgboy]

Turn1 might have some inside info on that as far as any possible corporate sponsorships. I would think that they have been working on deals as far as that goes.

[turn1]

OK, so..I haven't gotten the survey, but from what we've been able to gather, here are the survey price ranges. Who knows where the prices will actually end up?

Turn 2 Grandstand – $400 to $600
Turns 3, 4, and 5 Grandstands – $200 to $600
Turn 11 Grandstand – $150 to $600
Turn 12 Grandstand – $150 to $600
General Admission – $150 to $600

Fans purchasing General Admission tickets will have access to any of the grass seating areas of the track: Turn 7 and the chicanes - Turns 8 and 9; the straightaway between Turns 10 and 11; and the straightaway between Turns 18 and 19. There are no seating structures in these areas.

Are they saying here that there will be no GA viewing except in these areas, or including these areas?

All tickets for the 2012 FORMULA 1 UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX are for three-day entry to the track on November 16-17-18, 2012. No tickets will be sold for individual days. The three-day ticket price also includes complimentary shuttle service between downtown Austin and the track.

No single-day passes? Really? I already know I'm going all 3 days but my family is only coming on Sunday, so I have to buy 4 3-day passes when I'm only using one?

[turn1]

Originally Posted by Jdawgboy

Turn1 might have some inside info on that as far as any possible corporate sponsorships. I would think that they have been working on deals as far as that goes.

As far as I know the closest thing to any sponsorship deal COTA has lined up is the Pirelli promotion partnership.

[turn1]

Originally Posted by hookem

I admit I have some mixed feelings on this. I know we need the rain, but if the drought lasted just until Nov 18 then went away forever, I don't think I'd complain.

Which reminds me...BTW...Here are some photos we shot today at COTA:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?...7614878&type=1

[migol24]

why is it so green? i don't remember seeing austin as green as those photos of the f1 track show it. has it been raining a lot?

[turn1]

Originally Posted by migol24

why is it so green? i don't remember seeing austin as green as those photos of the f1 track show it. has it been raining a lot?

Yep. Austin is typically very green. We've been in an extreme 2-year drought, but March & May have been very wet.

[electricron]

Originally Posted by turn1

Yep. Austin is typically very green. We've been in an extreme 2-year drought, but March & May have been very wet.

By July or August the natural landscaping will be a familiar brown.

[Jdawgboy]

Originally Posted by electricron

By July or August the natural landscaping will be a familiar brown.

Not necessarily this year, La Nina is over and even though we are still expected to be above average temp wise, (expect that to be the new norm), our rainfall is expected to be around average to maybe above average due to a possible active tropical season. The waters in the Gulf of Mexico are the warmest ever recorded in history (already 10 degrees above normal for where it should be this time of year) That is expected to have an increase in storm formation and also a chance of strong storms as well to form. Then by fall an El Nino will form in the Pacific, that typically gives us more rain through the fall and winter though not always. Just like this past Winter's La Nina which is typically dry and warmer, we got quite a lot of rainfall, and El Nino can also be a dry period for us. My hope and bet is that it should be a typical El Nino.

But with that in mind and more rainfall likely this summer compared to last year, can COTA still complete the track on time. I do hope they are prepared for such issues between now and November.