Formula 1 coming to Austin, Baby!

Tavo's take on Perez. Hopefully he will be able to hang onto his seat through 2012. (Carlos Slim's money will help.) Link
cool.gif
 
Ugh; more crap! Link

I usually don't use this as an all call, but if anyone out there knows Tavo and/or anyone high up in Red's organization, I sent Red's people the answers to the following questions on 21 September. Any help getting through to them will be appreciated.

“Has the applicant set aside funding and a schedule for improving off-site roadways?”

[snip]

The multi-million-dollar question, of course, is who will wind up paying for the necessary upgrades. Gieselman said some possibilities are: Full Throttle alone; Full Throttle and the county and/or state together; or a special taxing district that might, say, levy a small tariff on admission tickets.
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We have got to get past this quickly. The entire memo can be found here:
Link
 
More election-season grandstanding.

Some of those were good questions, but not questions that needed to go out to the newspaper. In other words, questions that will be resolved in time or may already be accounted for in plans already laid out.

Others were just stupid or nitpicky.
 
I would speculate that they really do not want to return, but Japan, Inc. is going to force either Honda or Toyota to return in order to (i) keep a Japanese driver on the grid; and (ii) keep the Japan GP.
 
I hope so. I'd hate to see a great track like Suzuka go.

I think Austin's esses may resemble Suzuka's more than Silverstone's. Splitting hairs, I guess.
 
Until I actually went and looked at the layouts back to back I didn't realize how true this was. When you look at Silverstone's flatness relative to Austin and Suzuka, esp in the uphill esses sections, the similarities between Austin and Suzuka are even more striking, imho:

draft_track_layout_f1_usgp.jpg


t_track08.gif


suzuka2002.gif


Also, remember there's an extra curve before turn 10 now. This extends the esses to what is now turn 10, bringing the total # of turns in the Austin esses to a whopping 9. Here's a crude attempt at what that will look like if they go through with it:

5067272329_79d1cbd345_b.jpg
 
I have been looking at the Austin track and have come up with this:

Start - from Spa (difference is uphill instead of downhill and left turn instead of right, but the concept is the same - elevation change and massive turn).

Esses - from Suzuka (traditionalists will say Silverstone, but as Mandingo proves they are closer to Suzuka as raced).

Hairpin - from Montreal (more of a "v" than a true hairpin).

Straight - from Monza (no explaination needed).

Stadium - from Hockenheim (no explaination needed - this is a Tilke trademark).

Last bit back to start/finish - Could this be the Austin signature or is it: (i) Bahrain reversed; or (ii) Monte Carlo between Rascasse and St. Devote?
 
Suzuka is among my favorite races (has been since my "Pole Position" playing days at The Gold Mine in Northcross Mall), and the esses are one of the main reasons why. I'd love for our track to come out similar to Suzuka in that regard.
 
For all of you guys and gals in and around Austin:

Lunch with Full Throttle Productions F1 Team
You are Not Attending · Public Event

Time Friday, October 15 · 12:00pm - 9:30pm

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Location Wild Bubbas Wild Game Grill
13912 FM 812
Elroy, TX

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Created By Friends of Formula 1 Austin Texas

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More Info Friends of Formula 1 Austin Texas members are invited to a lunch meet and greet with the folks from Full Throttle Productions.
This lunch is RSVP! If you would like to attend, please contact Vance or Matt so we can add you to the guest list. This meeting date is subject to change. If we need to reschedule, you'll be notified.

From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]; [email protected]
Subject: Lunch with local Formula 1 Team Members
Date: Mon, 11 Oct 2010 14:27:18 -0500

Hello Vance and Matt,
I wanted to see if members of your group would possibly be available for lunch with a few of the local F1 team members this Friday. We are still working through schedules, so if Friday doesn’t work then we can shoot for next week. Just wanted to give you guys the heads up and see if you’re available.
Thanks,
Ali Putnam
3 Point Partners
1221 S. Mopac, Ste. 115
Austin, TX 78746
(512) 328-4055
 
Thanks, VH. I got that from Vance as well. I'm planning on being there.

Not sure, but this may be the beginning of something I was told about a couple weeks ago that would be starting soon.
 
Looks like the wheels are alrady turning to keep Japan, Inc. in the game: Link
Heidfeld appears to be the odd man out - again. Should have kept the tire testing gig.
 
This could bring us a Lollapalooza or major festival in addition to ACL. Major draws would play there. This is awesome.
 
I'm not that crazy about NASCAR, but if DTM comes I'll be out there. The thing about NASCAR being out there is it opens the eyes of some people around here and the rest of the country to this facility and brings a lot of money and attention to Austin and this track. The more markets (i.e. racing series) we draw in, the better. NASCAR is king here. If we can get them to come on down, I think it would be great, and I'd probably be out there cheering 'em on just to support the track and for the good they'd be doing.
 
First of all I would seriously doubt that Eddie Gosage and Bruton Smith would ever let Austin have any type of NASCAR race as it would take a race away from TMS. Also, several FIA people have made statements to the effect that they do not want NASCAR on the track. Unfortunately this includes Grand-Am since NASCAR owns Grand-Am. Finally, the NASCAR teams really do not like road racing (which is why there is only two Sprint Car road races.)

I don't want to give FOM and the FIA any reason to jerk Austin around. If their concerns about NASCAR destroying the track are imagined, don't go down that road. Let NASCAR race in Ft. Worth and leave the road racing to Austin. There will be plenty for Austin - F1, GT-1, ALMS, FIM, AMA.
 
Nico Hulkenburg out at Williams. Venezuelan Pastor Maldonado in.

The Link

Another win for Austin, although I do feel for Nico, who has been looking good out there. Hopefully he'll catch another ride.
 
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