Track Announcement - "Circuit of The Americas" Unveiled

  • Thread starter RACECAR
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Rossticles
That statement wasn't directed at anyone. It just seems like most people here in the States are saying "Why couldn't it be here/there?" and criticizing the track instead of being happy F1 is coming back to the US. I don't know if my prideful Texas ways are coming out in being happy for it, but I'm quite certain I would be just as happy if the track were anywhere else.
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Despite that its not in my neck of the woods, I'm pretty damn happy to know Texas will get an F1 race again and we get our USGP back.
 
Hear, hear; fellow Texan RACECAR! Not once have I hated on this course. I think there's actual promise for this track. Some people are saying it's a copy-and-paste job of corners, but I actually see it as pretty engaging. And it's not like the Austin area is some no-name part of America. Austin is actually a fairly good market. I at least see this course as a favorable one for central, southern, and southeastern Texas. I think people are hating on this because it's another Tilke creation. This one seems like a winner to me. It reminds me a lot rhythm-wise of Istanbul Park. There's much more rhythm at Istanbul Park, but COTA has a nice balance to it. A few races will have to be run there to see how it would hold up as a track even before the F1 boys and girls come to the Austin area.
 
I think we should all wait till we've had a race on the track before we start judging its qualities. Valencia looked fantastic on paper...as did Abu Dhabi.

Though I do think Tilke shouldn't really be given a monopoly on circuit design, you have to think he must eventually run out of ideas, it must be better to have different approaches. He has designed some fantastic tracks (Sepang, Istanbul) but he has designed some utterly terrible tracks. And yes, I know, he's limited by money and the land he is building on, he's still responsible for the final outcome. And Abu Dhabi had the money and a completely blank slate for him to do what the hell he liked.
 
Ardius
And Abu Dhabi had the money and a completely blank slate for him to do what the hell he liked.
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You ever try and clean a slate before? Wipe it away clean? Because no matter how hard you try, there's always going to be something left behind - even if it's only the faintest impression of what went before. Tilke wasn't given tabula rasa for Abu Dhabi. The city wanted a circuit that went past a marina. And it had to incorporate the hotel in some way, I believe. He had to work within those limitations, and when you look at the plot of land that was raised from the ocean for him, there wasn't a hell of a lot that could be done with it.
 
Come on, he didn't have to use negative camber corners and short switchback hairpins did he? The track could have looked completely different and still be next to the marina and the hotel. It could have even ran in reverse! There was a lot of elevation created for the track, but it really doesn't show very well (mostly because of the acres of run-off).
 
Justin
I honestly think it's idiotic to compare Indy with Austin. As far as I know the reasons as to why Indy didn't re-up are still unknown. I'm sure part of it was asking for money but I wouldn't be shocked to hear that Bernie wanted various upgrades to the track(it's not unheard of), especially in the shadow of 2005.

As for gas prices and the economy, the US actually has very low gas prices compared to Europe which doesn't seem to have a problem selling tickets. If they can manage to get people to pay hundreds to sit outside the stadium at the Superbowl they can sell seats at this track.
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WOW you are really in a delusional world. First you say it is idiotic to compare Austin to Indy and then you turn around and try to compare a USGP F-1 race to the Super Bowl. The last two Super Bowl just happen to be the all time most viewed TV events in US TV history while F-1 racing in the USA get numbers similar to beach volleyball. Sorry if my view of things differs from yours. I have never been a rah rah type of person. I always examine ALL aspects of any situation instead of falling into a cheer leader mode unless the details support that position.

You then try to compare spending habits of US fans and European assuming because Europeans will attend events with higher gas prices that automatically means US fans will not be effected by gas prices. Hell Europeans drink warm beer too, trying opening a bar in the US and only serve warm beer and see how long you stay open. I have recently seen large areas of empty seats at a motorsports event that just a few years ago had a 5 year waiting list for tickets. I hope that USGP at Austin is a success. I hope all motorsports for the most part are big successes. The thing is my name is not Peter Pan and i do not live in never never land, i live in the real world.

BTW NO ONE bought tickets to stand outside and watch the Super Bowl on TV. They bought tickets to attend the game, but their seats were eliminated at the last minute by code enforcement. To say that people were willing to buy tickets to stand outside the stadium and watch the game on a video screen is a MAJOR spin on your part.
 
G36E
Will the circuit be only for F1 and motorcycle races?
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It is very likely that we will see other event scheduled for the complex once things are up and going. Good news is that as the State Capital politics will play a roll and it is more likely that they will get better support from the State than other areas. Not so good news is that Austin like Houston is different from the rest of the state politically. Environmentalist anti racing groups will find more support for their position.
 
ncrdbl1
WOW you are really in a delusional world. First you say it is idiotic to compare Austin to Indy and then you turn around and try to compare a USGP F-1 race to the Super Bowl. The last two Super Bowl just happen to be the all time most viewed TV events in US TV history while F-1 racing in the USA get numbers similar to beach volleyball.
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Wow, really!? And you don't think that has anything to do with most F1 races being shown in the early morning hours when people are either
A) Asleep
B) Out at clubs/bars/etc.?
BTW NO ONE bought tickets to stand outside and watch the Super Bowl on TV. They bought tickets to attend the game, but their seats were eliminated at the last minute by code enforcement. To say that people were willing to buy tickets to stand outside the stadium and watch the game on a video screen is a MAJOR spin on your part.
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LOL, then why did the NFL sale them as Tailgate Party tickets? Why did they sale out? Why did they already have TVs & ticket prices set for people who wanted to tail gate before the incidents occurred? Why did the NFL keep people from trying to tailgate in the lots near the stadium?

Because they knew people weren't going to be able to get into the stadium, but still wanted to be there. I was there during the Thanksgiving game & there were people outside the stadium who paid the parking fees just so they could watch it on a big screen. If they were willing to sit outside during that game, you bet your ass there were tons of people willing to stand outside during the Super Bowl.
 
ncrdbl1
You then try to compare spending habits of US fans and European assuming because Europeans will attend events with higher gas prices that automatically means US fans will not be effected by gas prices. Hell Europeans drink warm beer too, trying opening a bar in the US and only serve warm beer and see how long you stay open. I have recently seen large areas of empty seats at a motorsports event that just a few years ago had a 5 year waiting list for tickets. I hope that USGP at Austin is a success. I hope all motorsports for the most part are big successes. The thing is my name is not Peter Pan and i do not live in never never land, i live in the real world.
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My point was, that if anything economic effects people from attending the race it will be because of the cost of things at/around the track(tickets, hotels, concessions etc...), the price of gas really won't play a huge role in it.

McLaren pretty much said what I was going to say in response to the rest.

Also, have you ever been to a beer tent?
 
ncrdbl1
WOW you are really in a delusional world. First you say it is idiotic to compare Austin to Indy and then you turn around and try to compare a USGP F-1 race to the Super Bowl. The last two Super Bowl just happen to be the all time most viewed TV events in US TV history while F-1 racing in the USA get numbers similar to beach volleyball. Sorry if my view of things differs from yours. I have never been a rah rah type of person. I always examine ALL aspects of any situation instead of falling into a cheer leader mode unless the details support that position.

You then try to compare spending habits of US fans and European assuming because Europeans will attend events with higher gas prices that automatically means US fans will not be effected by gas prices. Hell Europeans drink warm beer too, trying opening a bar in the US and only serve warm beer and see how long you stay open. I have recently seen large areas of empty seats at a motorsports event that just a few years ago had a 5 year waiting list for tickets. I hope that USGP at Austin is a success. I hope all motorsports for the most part are big successes. The thing is my name is not Peter Pan and i do not live in never never land, i live in the real world.

BTW NO ONE bought tickets to stand outside and watch the Super Bowl on TV. They bought tickets to attend the game, but their seats were eliminated at the last minute by code enforcement. To say that people were willing to buy tickets to stand outside the stadium and watch the game on a video screen is a MAJOR spin on your part.
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Wow... just wow... I really give up with you. First of all, your terrible grammar, secondly, your "I have arrived, bow down to me and accept my lousy speculation as fact" attitude. As for your comments about europeans and beer, very few people drink warm beer, and it just happens to be a kind of beer that happens to taste nice when warm. The majority of people still like cold beer. Europe is the king of beer. Have you ever tried chimay, leffe, hoeggarden, guinness, kronenburg, carlsberg or stella? And those are just the ones I can remember how to spell. They're all enjoyed cold all over the world... Next time, maybe you should visit places before you start with your magical assumptions.

Lastly, why did u you join gtp? The point is to discuss, not rant unfounded nonsense.
 
im actually excited about this circuit, i live in the panhandle of florida so a drive out to austin would not be so bad, but i can only image how much hype there will be, but it will be interesting i think.
 
G36E
Will the circuit be only for F1 and motorcycle races?
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No the website says they will also host the australian V8 Supercars. It doesnt specify when they are gonna start racing but I would most likely watch it.
 
I'm happy with a race in America because the race will be starting after 5 o'clock like Canada and Brazil. I know, crappy reason to get excited but the track map looks good.👍
 
Would be even more awesome if ALMS eventually come to this circuit. I'd probably attend it.
 
akmuq
I'm happy with a race in America because the race will be starting after 5 o'clock like Canada and Brazil. I know, crappy reason to get excited but the track map looks good.👍
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Not really. When in the UK, I like the timing of the Canadian and Brazilian Grand Prix. No early mornings and doesn't clash with work.
 
interludes
Well, excuse me if I like my touring cars to be as powerful as the races are exciting.
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It's a shame global coverage of the BTCC isn't better, they are not hugely powerful, especially now with the NGTC regs (Turbo 1.6's vs the old 2.0 S2000 spec cars), but I think you'd enjoy it. WTCC doesn't visit enough interesting tracks (tracks that don't suit the cars).... personally I think Italian V8 euro series urinates all over DTM... but hopefully with the 2012 DTM regs that will get a little more exciting soon.
 

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