F1 coming to Austin?!
 

http://www.formula1.com/news/headlin...0/5/10824.html

F1 to come Austin?! That's news to me. The article says a track will be Purpose-built for this event and that we are contracted from 2012-2021.

It even has a blurb from the Mayor and our douche bag Governor.

I wish they would do a Street Course. We close downtown almost every weekend for running races anyway.

Chris

No. Fucking. Way.

Thank this means we'll get a MotoGP race too?

Chris

Awesome. Save a spot on your couch for me, please. So now I have 9-tracks within 5-hours, lol.

This is amazing. I guess I'll stay in Texas then.

F in sweet

HO...LYYYYY SHIT! I had no idea! FANTASTIC!!!!!

You also know what this means...
"This however, will be the first time a facility is constructed from the ground up specifically for Formula One in the US"
A bad-ass FIA spec world class track is going to be built soon in South Texas. I doubt they will have it at Harris Hill :giggle:. Presuming there will be track days and/or races, do the math. How would you like to be able to take a track car out on the same circuit as F1?

This better happen or I am going to kill myself from extreme disappointment.

I hope so.

That was my brother's first response as well...another awesome track in a few hours drive.

+1 I hope so! That would be just as awesome if not more so!

http://formula-one.speedtv.com/artic...bid-for-us-gp/

^This track is ~2 hours from me, and a blast to drive. Jeff Gordon and Dave Despain even spoke about this story on Wind Tunnel this past weekend. This story, and more like them, are absolute and utter bullshit, and I guarantee that they come about to boost publicity for either a track in Monticello's case, or a town, as in the Austin case. Keep dreaming, girls. ZX-Tex, better get that fillet knife polished up.

Good idea. I'll FedEx it to you, no charge, when the date for the first Austin F1 race is announced.

The rural setting of Monticello at the foot of the Catskill Mountains doesn’t really fit with what Ecclestone has been looking for, as it's no secret that he wants a race in or around an major city.

If they take advantage of the Hill Country terrain and build the track NW of Austin the track could be epic. I hope we do not get a bunch of Austin hippie tree-huggers fouling this one up.

Thanks asshole.

By the way...I just thoroughly enjoyed that pic you sent me for all of about 2.5 minutes. It was kind of hard holding my hand over 2/3rds of the monitor while I was busy with the other.

:giggle:
It really would be cool to have one local, though.

The track that I referred to above, Monticello, is surrounded by at least 10 miles of buckboard roads, at best. The closest real decent highway is further. It would require a TVA-like project just to be able to get people in the fucker, the eminent domain application would be fucking epic. It makes getting to the Glen look like driving a 6-laner.

You really need huge infrastructure to pull this type of thing off, maybe Austin could do it. Indy made grand prix weekend look like a day down at the cinema. The whole city changed flow morning and evening to get all the buffoons in and out of the track. I guess that's what happens when you've been at it for a hundred years.

I would hope you covered 4/5 of your monitor to be able to enjoy, but w/e floats your boat.

You are an epic douchefuck, your mullet no longer appeals to me. My dog shit on your face when you were passed out from the "wine" I served you, I made sure you ingested his worms.

They will have to do something about I-35 as it is really congested going through Austin, pretty much from the Mexico border to Dallas for that matter. Assuming I-35 comes into play. Then again, I-35, albeit farther North, is the main vein into Texas Motor Speedway, which sees 200K+ attendance on a NASCRAP weekend.

Austin roads used to suck, and they've spent the past decade (and fired several TXDOT district managers) trying to figure out how to get people around that town efficiently.

I counted you as 1/3rd...based on volume. Still thinking of you :makeout:

I'm absolutely sure Bernard and the good people of Austin will be closely consulting with two of the finest minds the country of Texas has ever delivered to this world.

Lol. I'm just big-boned! That's what my mom keeps telling me. I've seen bigger dudes....

So have I...but it's not always about size.

Meh, not your best work.

http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/200...BC_468x312.jpg

Out of 10.

I bet Waco and Georgetown have their Revenue Rangers salivating with the prospect of endless citations.

No joke. That is probably how the State will finance the track. DPS speeding ticket surcharge :giggle:
"Good morning Mr. Vettel. The reason I pulled you over today is you were doing 190 in a 70 MPH zone. Please step out of the car."

This is fucking awesome!! You Texans are some lucky sons of bitches.

Cool news.

Excellent. I was just in Austin for some 6th street shenanigans. About 3 hours to the city for meeeeeeee.

A Spanish sports paper is reporting it as a done deal: http://www.as.com/motor/articulo/for...sdasmot_5/Tes#

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/250520...l-host-f1.html

ZX-Tex, send me your cleaver.

Looks like the deal is further along in development than they first mentioned.

Land is under contract, permits have been permitted and track designer Herrman Tilke is already at bat.

Tilke designing Austin track, site already purchased

Thank God.

Chris

I'll believe it when I see it. Otherwise, DGAF it won't happen

Maybe if they hire vegetarian sherpas to pack in the cars part by part the hippies will either STFU or just not notice.

Sounds like it may happen.

You guys local to the area, how is the infrastructure here: "Although Hellmund has yet to divulge details of what he calls a “killer location”, he confirmed that the site is to the east of the city, a few miles from the airport. It is said to be in hilly countryside that has provided Tilke with a good starting point for a design."

I hope that they "allow" clubs to use the site for track day events. If so, you guys are lucky, indeed.

My money is on a site south of the airport between 130 and 183.


I already have a raging "clue" to drive an F1 track. Hopefully HHR will benefit from this in some capacity. I wonder if Eagles Canyon, who couldn't bring themselves to stfu about the possibility that F1 could go to that track, is on suicide watch? That track is a turd and if they don't grade the run-off, let them fail. I won't run out there again until they smooth it out.

Raging clue?

Anyway. Sounds funny to me that we are already at the track layout planning stage when the people haven't been involved in the usual bureaucratic zoning and usage types of planning. Around here, this would get gummed up in so much red tape and appeal to a non-receptive public that it would never get in the hands of Tilke before the masses had already nuked the idea. It's hard to even get a cell tower approved in NY, wind farms, even small ones, don't get past the public outcry stage. An F1 track would be laughed at.

:bowrofl::bowrofl: But only if the sherpas are wearing hemp clothing.

From the article
"The German has been asked to create a fast circuit with challenging corners that resemble those of classic established circuits such as Silverstone, Hockenheim and Spa. It will be over 3-miles in length."
:drool:
Hopefully that is not hype and the track is epic. Could you guys imagine doing HPDEs on an FIA Spec, more technical version of TWS? I think I just had an orgasm.

$200M (from the article) sounds much on the low side to me for the budget. The latest F1 circuits cost much more than that to build. Maybe they are planning on some huge 'donations' that are not in the bottom line cost. Either that or the close proximity to Mexico ;) and the almost complete lack of unionized labor here will help with labor costs.

A lot of Texans have a git-er-dun beg-for-forgiveness-later stoic attitude so that will help. But that could be offset by whatever environmentally driven (or otherwise) intelligent people in the Austin area could throw in the way. Overall I believe construction here tends to be much less expensive and much less restrictive than other areas of the country.

I still say this won't come to fruition.

Its coming...

Sweet.. I just found something to save up for.

The completion of the other recent F1 tracks on tight schedules have been minor miracles so I think Ecclestone is counting on that. Either that or they are pushing for 2012 but know 2013 is more likely. Look how fast Americans in general can build large scale projects when motivated ($$) like the mega Casinos in Vegas, or the repair of the Bay Bridge in SF after the earthquake, or hell the most impressive rapid human achievement example ever (but overused and not very applicable) the Apollo program.

Due to the recession, construction labor and expertise should be readily available from Texas and the U.S. in general so the timing there could be excellent.

I think the budget is the big problem. You can make things happen faster than usual but only when you have more money than usual.

Depends. While TX is doing pretty well relative to other states, lots of places would probab ly hand out tax incentives like crazy to get an F1 race too. Less might still get more right now.

The Hilliest part of the state is to the immediate West of 35, but parts of the East side have elevation changes. Hell, H2R is on the East side of 35.

http://static.harrishillroad.com/images/render3.jpg

Infrastructure is fine. The traffic isn't the best but the highways aren't a nightmare like downtown Dallas. If it's built around 130, and that's a pretty good assumption at this point, it's relatively easy to access from Houston, DFW, and SA. The 130 Toll Road will actually see some use.

Time to build a roach motel/RV Park in the area.

Chris

I'll be there. It's been 5 years since I saw a USGP and I'm having withdrawals.

Here's hoping they erect some thin-walled aluminum pedestrian bridges over the track like the F1 course at Indy.

A little bird who rides a bicylce with Austin cycle-fags just told me that suddenly there is a problem with securing the land and someone doesn't want to sell.

I really want another track here of course, but I don't think in a million years that we'll get a race in Austin.

That is bullshit. I'd have 9 in 3 states within 7 hours. But I only have money for one of them right now.

http://f1newsaustin.com/wp-content/u...ck-640x374.png
http://f1newsaustin.com/2010/07/trac...led-july-26th/
Very few corners are constant, they all have a radius increase or decrease...so it should be very challenging.

Can't wait to drive it.

:drool:
Look at that thing... that is going to be fucking fantastic...

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways...
-3.75-4 miles
-Technical, technical, TECHNICAL
-Long fast sweepers
- Elevation change. 100 feet is not amazing awesome (like Spa and Laguna Seca), but it is still great, and a lot better than zero *cough* MSRH *cough*. Barber only has 80 feet and the way they do it there is fantastic. I want to see the detailed elevation map.
- Just LOOK at that last right hand complex of turns before the sharp left onto the front straight. Fast entry sweeper, to decreasing radius, to increasing radius,onto a short straight, followed by heavy braking. Epic. I wonder how many oil-starved engines that will claim? Forget 3 quarts, I'll need a 3 GALLON Accusump :giggle:
- I could go on and on. Fuck... look at it... its beautiful... *sniff*

They BETTER open that up to NASA and HPDEs. If not, I say we steal a large bulldozer, knock down the gates, and run laps until the cops show up. Then find and castrate the bastard that decided not to allow us on that track.

Forget that, they better BUILD this thing or we should castrate whoever got in the way and/or gave us false hope.

"underground parking structure covered by greenery"
HA! That one must be for the Austin tree huggers.

http://goo.gl/drav
LOL

The series of corners into the "highest point" are going to be scary fast.

Yep. Judging by the elevation gradient lines some of that complex could be blind. I think some of this track could make TWS 1 and 2 look girlish in comparison.

That right hand kink southwest of the Race Control area is going to be sick, like Richochet at MSR but much faster. The straights on both sides of it are longer than the front straight at TWS. That one is going to be a real test of bravery for the CMRA liter bike guys. One could be way over 160 MPH going in there. It is going to need a gravel trap that ends somewhere around San Marcos.

F' Red McCombs.

Also, can't wait to drive/see this track. ~15 miles from my house FTW.

Chris

Thanks John, I just choked on my lunch...fucking velociraptor.

That track will be absolutely amazing for motorcycle track days...gawt damn.

Sign up on the sight now to get updates on ticketing info:

http://www.formula1unitedstates.com/

Well now I am hearing that the track map is not the real design (not released yet) and is just an ---- extraction speculative map released by the linked-to web site owner. :jerkit:

That sucks. I was getting excited.

Me too. I feel like an idiot right about now.

You should submit your velociraptor track rendering. I think it has a high chance of being used.

Not mine, got it from the web site linked to by Hustler :)

http://www.formula1.com/wi/597x478/m...welevation.jpg
Oh yes, oh yes, oh yes!!! I can't wait to drive it! I assume the Cali crew will come out for this one.