Phokaioglaukos

How does it work with a NASCAR race at Pocono? I've never been, but those roads are low capacity and it's very much in the middle of nowhere.

I really hope they can pull it together.

gums

It seems that whenever I meet people from outside of the Northeast they're all freaked out about traffic, and what's it like to commute into New York City every day, and they don't even know what traffic is!
Get a life already, at least when I arrive then I'm somewhere! Go to the GP, everyone else will be staying home. As Yogi said, "No one goes there anymore, it's too crowded".

ltc

In that case, there should be no problem with permitting and approval from a traffic and state infrastructure view.

That would keep them on schedule for December groundbreaking, as there haven't been reports of any other issues apart from the aforementioned traffic requirements.

Veloce Raptor

Email from local PCA region president today:

Hello Members,

I had the pleasure of having lunch today at Wild Bubba's Wild Game Grill in Elroy, Texas with Tavo Hellmund, Kevin Schwantz and several other members of the F1 team. The lunch was arranged by Vance Facundo who's the driving force behind Friends of Forumula 1 Austin Texas, an online group that can be found on Linkedin here: http://www.linkedin.com/groups?mostPopular=&gid=3173519. May I suggest you join the group as it's an effective way of staying in touch with the effort and may also turn out to be a vehicle by which to influence local political decision makers when the time arrives, which it is soon to do.

Here's a summary of the discussion:
1. Kevin Schwantz, if you don't know, is the 1993 500cc FIM World Motorcycle champion. He currently has a motorcycle school at Barber Motorsports Park. That school will move to the Austin facility when it's complete.
2. According to Tavo, permitting work is well underway. On the traffic front, he stated there've been plans completed that should result in traffic delays exiting the track significantly less than 6 hours.
3. Besides beginning to move dirt in December, the next major milestone is submitting the track layout to the FIA senate in February. Regarding the layout, Tavo said the it's very close to what was previously published with the exception that the radii of the curves in the stadium section, T12-15, have been increased since simulations showed too slow a speed. If you're interested, here's an interesting terrain study of the track: http://www.linkedin.com/news?viewArt...4&urlhash=WgTs.
4. Tavo also mentioned that much emphasis will be placed on providing an outstanding fan experience akin to what the NFL, NASCAR, MLB and other major sporting events have provided. He wants to make sure that the facility has lounges, suites, concessions and mobility so that those who are attending the "event" and not just the race are well accommodated. To that end a second architectural firm has been brought aboard, but Tavo declined to name it only to say it would be announced within the next couple of weeks. The second reason for hiring a second architectural firm is that a U.S. architect of record is required. As we know, Tilke is based in Germany.
5. As far as the date goes, although holding the event in June, the same month as the Canadian Grand Prix, would be less costly and logistically complex, FOM is not averse to jumping around the world. Consider that they will go from Brazil to Dubai in the next several weeks. What would be more problematic and significant, is competing with college football in the early fall. So the date is still open, although Tavo said that holding the race in a cooler part of the year is definitely preferable.
6. Progress on the educationsl component is far along with working going on to establish curricula with Dell Valle ISD, Huston-Tillotson, Texas A&M and UT.
7. As progress continues, public hearings will be held on a variety of issues such as variances, permits, etc.. As with many public hearings of this sort, the squeaky wheel gets the grease. In order to help favorably influence these decisions, I should be receiving a list of decision makers in various areas that we can target with supporting emails. I'll make this list available to the membership and pass along time, place and topics of these meetings as they occur. It is very important that we speak up if we wish this event to occur. As a matter of fact, Tavo has said that this is one of the best ways we can help the effort.

Lenny Zwik, President
Hill Country Region
Porsche Club of America








Professional Racing and Driving Coach

chopperzz

Thanks for the post VR.

BlackRain

The LSR Houston crowd is looking into Helicopters. Silverstone is the largest gathering of private helicopters in the world on the F1 weekend. See you there VR. Steve ps missed you at TWS last weekend!

DCP

I go to and stay in a motorhome in the Nascar/Indycar infield at the Ft. Worth track. Oval racing isn't exactly my thing, but it is a pretty entertaining crowd. Anyway, the stream of helicopters is pretty constant. It helps that a big but not passenger traffic oriented airport is just a few miles away, but clearly there are businesses which offer that transportation.

Veloce Raptor

Missed you guys, too, Steve. I made great $$$ where I was, but would rather have been driving in a no-stress environment.









Professional Racing and Driving Coach

stuttgart46

We should open a campground within 2 miles from the track.

Flying Finn

+1 Seriously.

That's how it's done in Hockenheim & Hungaroring (nothing very close to the track) and to some extent in Spa.

Hungaroring actually is even better, camping ground is right next to the track. We'd always park a friend of mine's huge RV right outside the track wall where one of the big screens was located other side of the track (straight between T5 & 6) and watched the race on the roof of the RV.
We'd wake up when the engines started (best ever alarm clock I've experienced!), through the venting opening in the roof, someone would offer beer, brats etc. to those up watching.

Then there always were the crazy scaffolding guys from Germany, they built this scary tall scaffolding platform (had to be about 100 ft tall) and watched the race from there whole thing swaying like crazy but it never came down so all good. They must've seen the whole track.

It doesn't work everywhere (Hungaroring is kinda nature's own amphitheater so you see a lot from almost everywhere).

I don't suggest to those traveling with women but for a guys F1 trip, good stuff!

If I was a land owner close to the track, I'd most certainly do an annual makeover camping ground close by. 2 miles is good enough so everyone can walk to the track and back.
And even the hefty ones need to go with a scooter or a golf cart, but it's still better than driving.

ltc

FIA visits the proposed track.

Interesting to note the April or May date mentioned.
Interesting to note that they are NOT in favor of a return to the 90 day FIA inspection deadline prior to a GP race date....

http://www.formula1.com/news/headlin.../11/11456.html


FIA official visits United States Grand Prix site

Race organisers for the forthcoming United States Grand Prix have revealed Nick Craw, president of the FIA’s senate, has made an official visit to the track site in Austin, Texas to review plans and the development’s progress. The purpose-built circuit will stage the US event from 2012, when Formula One racing returns to the country for the first time in five years.

Craw, who is also the president of the Automobile Competition Committee for the United States, toured the 900-acre site, met with Formula 1 United States team members as well as local, city and state officials.

"It will be great," he said. "This has some of the most interesting, exciting and different features, drawn from other successful venues around the world. It is a very strong team they’ve assembled here. I think it’s a very good plan and a very solid business model. They’ve set the bar pretty high.”

Craw’s visit to Austin also included meetings with Texas Comptroller Susan Combs, Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell, Travis County Judge Samuel T. Biscoe, and Peter Wahl, the managing partner of the track’s design company, Tilke GmbH.

“We were pleased to have Mr. Craw and Tim Mayer, alternate FIA delegate, visit the facility site and meet the incredible team assembled to build and operate what we believe will be one of the premiere racetracks on the circuit and a world-class venue,” said Tavo Hellmund, chairman of the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix. “Our team is committed to building more than a race track, we are thinking far beyond the expected and are developing an environment that will provide an entertainment experience for both participants and spectators alike.”

Wahl added: “The track design has been developed with the drivers and spectators in mind. The drivers want to have high-speed corners; that’s what they like. We want to force them to faults and errors; otherwise, the race is not interesting for the spectator. When we design a racing experience, we must consider both points of view to have a truly successfulevent.”

The surrounding landscape of the 3.4-mile circuit allows for maximum elevation changes and a combination of more than 20 turns. The track’s master plan also features additional visitor attractions including a proposed driving/riding experience and seminar building, motorsports driving club, kart track and welcome centre.

According to recent reports, the FIA will consider a proposal in November to return to the former requirement that new Grand Prix facilities pass inspection at least 90 days before a race. “It probably protects everybody’s interest a little better than running right up against the event,” explained Craw. “If the U.S. Grand Prix didn’t want that rule, I will lobby against it.”

Wahl, meanwhile, stated in an interview last week that he wouldn't be a fan of a 90-day rule. "We always get a time frame that is very short these days," he said. "If the (US) race was held in May or April, that would give only one year for construction.”

Hellmund was equally unconvinced a return to the 90-day rule would be necessary.

“While we would love to have the luxury of having a completed track 90 days in advance of the event date - the schedule, much like the construction schedule for the last five Grand Prix track developments and races added to the schedule, will potentially not afford us this opportunity,” he said. “All of these events have been successful in their own right and it wouldn’t make sense to invoke a 90-day mandate now, that would affect only one track in the world - ours.”