Austin F1 has a date!

http://www.racer.com/2012-f1-calendar-unveiled-with-21-gps/article/204425/?DCMP=EMC-RACER_DAILY

The FIA has announced a 21-race calendar for the 2012 Formula 1 season.

All 20 events on this year's series are retained, with the new United States Grand Prix at Austin in Texas added June 17th. The calendar features six pairs of back-to-back events where grands prix take place just a week apart.

Great news, but I live a lot closer to Montreal.

I'm only a couple of hours from Austin. I'm already saving!!

I am stunned. Isn't the track far from being finished? My memory may be shot here, but didn't Indy have more trouble getting a date, even after they built their road course? Either way, it appears someone in Austin is throwing some money at Bernie Ecclestone. As nice as it is to see F1 find a home in the U.S., I still just don't see Austin, TX as the place. Just can't picture F1's elite cast of characters milling around in Texas of all places. I just hope this marriage lasts longer than Indianapolis did. How hot does it get in Austin during June?

Texas, and Austin is a much better locale than Indy. Infrastructure, hotels, access is all better and it's just plain nicer than the Indy area.

There's a lot more $$$ in the area as well so the F1's characters will fit in much better than at Indy.

I too am concerned about track completion, but F1 has worked around several track completions in recent years so they must have some idea that the track really can be completed on schedule.

Aerial shots of track construction progress here:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.226944120665269.80843.219399881419693

Seems like they're off to a good start. Let's hope hurricane season doesn't create any interference with the build schedule

Hurricane season doesn't usually play too much havoc with Austin. They are enough inland that usually all they feel is a couple of days of heavy rain.

Actually they'd probably relish some water about now.

ncjay wrote: I am stunned. Isn't the track far from being finished? My memory may be shot here, but didn't Indy have more trouble getting a date, even after they built their road course? Either way, it appears someone in Austin is throwing some money at Bernie Ecclestone. As nice as it is to see F1 find a home in the U.S., I still just don't see Austin, TX as the place. Just can't picture F1's elite cast of characters milling around in Texas of all places. I just hope this marriage lasts longer than Indianapolis did. How hot does it get in Austin during June?

You don't know Austin very well.

Average temp in June is in the low 80s, though it might hit 100 today.

carguy123 wrote: Texas, and Austin is a much better locale than Indy. Infrastructure, hotels, access is all better and it's just plain nicer than the Indy area.

The money may in fact be better, and the hotels may be nicer, and the area maybe better.

But Indy is better than virtually any local I've been to as a fan. There are many multiple ways in, there are more than enough hotels to support F1, and it was a super track to have an F1 race. For a Speedway who have hosted 500k for Cart and Nascar, 200k for the F1 race was a piece of cake.

Outside of Austin, how many major cities surround the area? Is Houston past the track? What other cities have freeways that go to Austin, specifically? There'd have to be tons of infrustructure built around the track to even approach Indy to be as easy a track for the fans.

I do wish the organizers well, and probably will be going to the race. But lets not pretend Indy is sime po-dunk track in the middle of nowhere.

alfadriver wrote:

carguy123 wrote: Texas, and Austin is a much better locale than Indy. Infrastructure, hotels, access is all better and it's just plain nicer than the Indy area.

The money may in fact be better, and the hotels may be nicer, and the area maybe better. But Indy is better than virtually any local I've been to as a fan. There are many multiple ways in, there are more than enough hotels to support F1, and it was a super track to have an F1 race. For a Speedway who have hosted 500k for Cart and Nascar, 200k for the F1 race was a piece of cake. Outside of Austin, how many major cities surround the area? Is Houston past the track? What other cities have freeways that go to Austin, specifically? There'd have to be tons of infrustructure built around the track to even approach Indy to be as easy a track for the fans. I do wish the organizers well, and probably will be going to the race. But lets not pretend Indy is sime po-dunk track in the middle of nowhere.

Austin alone has enough to more than support all the races you mentioned, and in better style than Indy. San Antonio, Houston, Fort Worth and Dallas are all close enough (1-3 hours away) are each able to give the same support and each takes a different multi-freeway to Austin. DFW is the only one that has to double up on the hwy for about half the distance.

You have simply got to get out more!!

Also Texas is the strongest economy in the U.S. and one of the strongest in the world! (#11 at last count)

In reply to carguy123:

I still don't see how it can be better than Indy. Easy in and out in all directions. Lots of hotel rooms. Super easy parking. Probably the best prepared for a large crowd I've ever seen.

Like I said, we'll probably be there. But I expect it to be more like Spa, where there was an interstate like thing but quite a few roads that connected it to the track. And there were not 100k people at that race, but over 200k at the Indy's we went to.

Style isn't important when I'm mad and waiting in a lot of traffic. (that, and style is relative. Indy is good mid-west representation)

oldsaw wrote: Aerial shots of track construction progress here: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.226944120665269.80843.219399881419693

Thank you!

Again, preface this with the fact that we will probably be at the event.

But looking at the location of the track- there's really no comparison to Indy. Indy has large roads that connect to a major freeway, as well as a lot of large side roads that exit from the track.

The current circuit of the americas has one two lane road that goes to it (farm to market road 812), and probably there will be some more access to the state highway right near it- Hwy 130 (a toll road). So the number of lanes that access the facility is quite a bit less than Indy. No idea how they will do parking, but it appears that there will be little that can be done where you park on properites right next to the track, and walk- it will be more like other permanent tracks.

Most of the hotel rooms will be in Austin- which have access mostly on 130, and some side roads that all go to the same place.

One might be able to take some back roads to access the other end of farm to market road 812. There are some small towns- no idea if they have lodging or not. But you can also stay at College Station and San Antonio and take back roads to get there.

Hopefully the locals will be happy to pay for new roads that go in and out of the track....

And the ticket prices will be interesting to see- whether the are similar to Indy (which were really cheap for F1 standards) or Monaco. There's a lot of sanction fees that have to be paid, which is why Indy isn't in the picture in the first place.

I want it to be good- for sure. Especially since Ines already expects to go to the race.

My Mom can beat up your Mom.

Indy does an amazing job with the race.. If it wasn't for that tire issue, it would still be on the list - have of had 2 events in the US... Personally being an hour from Indy - I would much rather it there - atleast we got motogp still!

That's my wife's birthday-sounds like a great place to celebrate!

I've been lurking but registered to respond to this thread.

Dallas (6M population), Houston (6M) and San Antonio (2M) are within three hours' drive of Austin (1.7M, about 300K fewer than Indy).

With Red McCombs' money, I feel pretty confident this will be a great facility. I just hope I get to drive it some day.

Mega Billionaire Bernie vs Sorta Billionaire Red....

Ah'm guessin Bernie's gonna collect some s**t and leave the state in a couple of years......

(Hopin' that's not the case...)

Rog

st equals "E36M3" or whatever the acronym is for poo.....

Even if Bernie leaves the state the track will remain.

What I've heard is that every major racing venue is excited about holding races at the track and we may get a major 12 to 24 hour race there.

The first year I expect traffic to be an issue cause the track itself can't be completed a huge time in advance of the race so a lot of the infrastructure obviously can't be in place, but that will change quickly.

There is just so much more of a support system around Austin than in that musty old city in Indiana. And most of the Austin area is a lot newer too. The weather will be warmer much of the year which can be a double edged sword. August racing will be an issue.

Much water around Austin and good freeways to all the other major cities.

carguy123 wrote: There is just so much more of a support system around Austin than in that musty old city in Indiana.

See, that's what I disagree about.

How many race teams call Texas home?

How many race companies call Austin, San Antonio, or Dallas home?

How many races of 100k or more has any place in Texas ever hosted?

You tell me to get out- you may want too see that Speedway and Indy have a lot more to offer than you seem to think. I find it hard to belive other things you say when you flat out say that one of the heart land locations of Amercian racing isn't capable of support vs. virtually any other place in the country.

If you were in North Carolina, among the Cup teams, there would be a point.

But Texas?

Gee!

Who'da imagined a Texan would be a little over-the-top in inflating the stature of a new sporting venue in Austin?

Or, that an engineer would be upset when a sanctioning body's plan doesn't follow his logic path.

Been to Indy, more than once unfortunately. Comparatively speaking the fans who like the Indy area will LOVE Austin! There literally is no comparison. I've lived up north and down south. As a generalization (here comes the firestorm) north is old, dirty and run down the south is cleaner, newer, nicer and roomier.

You are talking race teams I've been talking fans.

Due to the nature of the track and the fact that F1 is coming, worldwide a lot of F1 style industries seem to spring up around these tracks. There's talk of a full sized wind tunnel - one of only a handful in the world. There's talk of at least 2 F1 teams making it their home track and building a facility.

Fort Worth/dallas has a lot of aerospace industry. That translates well into F1 style race car construction and aero which means that businesses have been sniffing around the FW area (moreso than Dallas) because of the workforce, easier access to Austin and more land close to 35W to build on. Fort Worth already has that Nascar track and Motorsports Ranch the prototype of the racing country club.

This truly is one of those times that if you build it they will come.

I went to all the F1 races at Indy, and I've been there for the Brickyard and the 500, too. Eric is right, infrastructure-wise, it's hard to beat that place. They host 2-3 major races a year there, and they've had 100 years to get it right. It's an easy drive from population centers like Chicago, Cincy, Columbus, St. Louis, and Detroit (which still has a big metro area and lots of "car people"). The only thing I never cared for was the track. Just back and forth, no elevation changes, blah. Typical roval. CotA looks to be much nicer.

I'm torn on going down there for the race, though. Part of it is the fact that I can't just drive there, but a bigger part is the heat. I know a couple people who live there, including one guy who went to all those Indy races with me, and he has no intention of sitting in those stands in June. He thinks it's going to be Dallas 1984 all over again.

Tom_Spangler wrote: I'm torn on going down there for the race, though. Part of it is the fact that I can't just drive there, but a bigger part is the heat. I know a couple people who live there, including one guy who went to all those Indy races with me, and he has no intention of sitting in those stands in June. He thinks it's going to be Dallas 1984 all over again.

The logistics for driving from the North are now reversed; it was just as cumbersome for Southern fans to drive to Indy.

The heat may be an issue for some. But, considering the majority of potential fans are Texans or from the South, high temps may not be as much an issue for them. As far as comparisons to Dallas 1984, that friggin race was held on a freaking parking lot. That was a disaster just waiting to happen.