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Nov. 1, 2009 1:06 a.m. DustoffDave Reader

Miller Motorsports Park could do it. It's huge and has great facilities and the track is great. With Salt Lake City only about 30 minutes away there is a place that could handle all of the incoming spectators as well.
Nov. 1, 2009 1:14 a.m. Drewsifer New Reader

DustoffDave wrote:

Miller Motorsports Park could do it. It's huge and has great facilities and the track is great. With Salt Lake City only about 30 minutes away there is a place that could handle all of the incoming spectators as well.

Wait....how did your post come before mine when I started the topic?!
Nov. 1, 2009 1:16 a.m. DirtyBird222 Dork

I think Road America would be great, I would love to see it back at Watkins Glen (they have all the stands there for the Nascar races as well), Sebring would be awesome, they handle 100k+ crowds every year for the 12 hour race and it's got a great history. The thing is though, people are gonna say the track is toooo "rough" for those delicate cars and even more delicate drivers.
Nov. 1, 2009 1:17 a.m. DirtyBird222 Dork

Drewsifer wrote:

DustoffDave wrote:

Miller Motorsports Park could do it. It's huge and has great facilities and the track is great. With Salt Lake City only about 30 minutes away there is a place that could handle all of the incoming spectators as well.

Wait....how did your post come before mine when I started the topic?!

daylights savings time > forum
Nov. 1, 2009 1:28 a.m. Drewsifer New Reader

Saw a discussion about this on another forum I haunt. What tracks in America do you think could really, honestly, truly host an F1 event? I don't mean "Well my local track could with massive renovation". I mean what tracks right now could host a race that offered something for the drivers, the fans, everyone.

The problem as I see it, there are a lot of tracks that could provide a great race that I think driver and fan would love. However there are very few tracks that can handle the sheer size of an F1 event.

For me though, I'd love to see F1 come to Road America.
Nov. 1, 2009 3:14 a.m. mrhappy New Reader

I think st. petersburg Fl where they do the IRL race on the street would be cool.
Nov. 1, 2009 6:43 a.m. maroon92 UberDork

there is only one track that is currently set up with FIA requirements in the USA, and that is Indianapolis. Without major renovation, no other track could host, therefore, the most logical thing is a street circuit. Bernie wants one in Central Park...I think that would be awesome.

(though I agree, F1 at Road America would be sweet)
Nov. 1, 2009 6:56 a.m. Kia_racer New Reader

The biggest problem with F1 is the money that the track is required to put up just to host the event. I used to be $1,000,000 plus all of the amenities. I was at the one and only Dallas F1 race back in 84. It was a street circus. But after it ran F1 stopped running new street races. A real shame as temporary tracks seem to be a little cheaper.

I agree. Road America or The Glen would be great. Just tired of Indy getting all the big open wheel races.
Nov. 1, 2009 9:00 a.m. deveous9 New Reader

I can tell you what track cant do F1, Willow Springs Raceway and for one very good reason, desert debris.
Nov. 1, 2009 10:14 a.m. z31maniac Dork

^Yes, they have no races in the desert now.
Nov. 1, 2009 10:26 a.m. DirtyBird222 Dork

on the other hand F1 is just as boring and not exciting as nascar. So why not try to get more LMS teams running over here or a series like V8 Supercars which is actually exciting to watch?
Nov. 1, 2009 10:39 a.m. Will Reader

I've heard that only Indy has a seating capacity Bernie deems worthy of F1. I think Laguna Seca or Sears Point would be the best venues for actual racing, though.

How about Bristol?
Nov. 1, 2009 11:29 a.m. BobOfTheFuture Reader

Daytona's 24hr track? would the cars be able to do the transition?
Nov. 1, 2009 2:12 p.m. Woody SuperDork

The problem is that at all the current F1 sights, the Grand Prix is the dominating event of their existence and therefore, they are willing to do back flips to keep Bernie there. Any existing US track would require the aforementioned complete overhaul, plus all of the associated fanfare that the F1 kingdom expects.

I'd love to see it, but I don't think that you will, in the land where the Grand Prix would would be a distant second to that weekend's Nascar race.
Nov. 1, 2009 2:42 p.m. wbjones Reader

It would be awesome to see the F1 cars at VIR but the surrounding area has trouble supporting the Cup race at Martinsville ... but it would be great to see them going down the Corkscrew and through Hog Pen
Nov. 1, 2009 7:48 p.m. maroon92 UberDork

how is F1 not exciting to watch? the last three seasons have been exquisite!
Nov. 1, 2009 8:40 p.m. pigeon HalfDork

Watkins Glen would be my first choice, being 45 minutes from my house. The problem with the Glen is it's in the middle of freaking nowhere, it doesn't have the party atmosphere the celebs following the F1 circus around need. I think a street circuit in NYC would be awesome but it'll never happen. I'm just happy that Montreal is back on the calendar next year - I may have to go and root USF1 on.
Nov. 1, 2009 9:01 p.m. mrwillie Reader

wbjones wrote:

It would be awesome to see the F1 cars at VIR but the surrounding area has trouble supporting the Cup race at Martinsville ... but it would be great to see them going down the Corkscrew and through Hog Pen

VIR would be great( track-wise... ), but I think the biggest bonus would be to the economy of the surrounding area. Not much else in the area now.
Nov. 1, 2009 9:08 p.m. wbjones Reader

In reply to mrwillie: you are so right about the area... they could sure 'nough use the help

[ was just there this weekend crewing for a team ( ITS BMW ) at the Charge of the Headlight Brigade a 13 hr enduro... what fun....(we finished 2nd out of a 7 or 8 car class)]

there isn't much there... F1 would totally overwhelm that area same as they would at the Glen....
Nov. 1, 2009 9:34 p.m. Drewsifer New Reader

Oh I doubt as long as Bernie is in charge, F1 won't come back to America. But I do sort of agree. F1 is fun to watch for the speed, and the great driving. But, most races you don't see an awful lot of racing...

Except this year it sounds like, which I haven't been able to watch.
Nov. 2, 2009 1:38 a.m. moTthediesel New Reader

pigeon wrote:

Watkins Glen would be my first choice, being 45 minutes from my house. The problem with the Glen is it's in the middle of freaking nowhere, it doesn't have the party atmosphere the celebs following the F1 circus around need. I think a street circuit in NYC would be awesome but it'll never happen. I'm just happy that Montreal is back on the calendar next year - I may have to go and root USF1 on.

The Glen is a great track, and I saw many GPs there, but those days are gone forever. I watched the Abu Dhabi GP from the new Yas Marina circuit this morning, what a freaking facility! Unfortunately, that is the standard (like it or not) that a new USGP venue would have to compete with.

As much as I'd like to buy Sebastian Vettel a Genny Cream Ale at the Seneca Lodge, I'm afraid it's not going to happen.
Nov. 2, 2009 6:47 a.m. Kramer HalfDork

What tracks are willing and able to fork out the money necessary to build the garages required by F1? Not many.
Nov. 2, 2009 7:54 a.m. Wally UberDork

BobOfTheFuture wrote:

Daytona's 24hr track? would the cars be able to do the transition?

I doubt it. That banking is much worse than Indys. There is a good chance either the cars or drivers would fall apart. If I remember right IRL tested a few cars and the cornering forces were high enough that the drivers would need G-suits for any sustained running.

As for the race in central park I don't see how that is at all possible. All the roads are at best 2 lanes wide and don't really connect to each other.
Nov. 2, 2009 8:56 a.m. NYG95GA SuperDork

moTthediesel wrote: ...the Abu Dhabi GP from the new Yas Marina circuit... Unfortunately, that is the standard (like it or not) that a new USGP venue would have to compete with.

That's how I figure it, too. The construction cost of Yas Marina is sketchy, but the figure of 800,000 pounds has been bandied about, which would put the dollar cost at well over a Billion. If some one or group with very deep pockets could finance it, the USA could build one (near Topeka?) sans the marina (won't get as many Shieks, though), that cost could be pared back a good bit. Also, instead of hiring that Tilke fellow to come design one of his cookie cutter tracks, we could use domestic designers, labor, suppliers, as much as possible in building the facility, in a USA-centric project of pride. In any event, we'll likely have to kiss Bernie's.. uh, ring, and grease his palm something fierce, but that's par for the course in F1.

Before any of this can happen, the American fans are going to have to warm to the whole F1 culture, which may be too much to ask. It'll be interesting to see how USF1 does; if a spark can be created, who knows? A man can dream, can't he?
Nov. 2, 2009 9:16 a.m. oldsaw HalfDork

Kramer wrote:

What tracks are willing and able to fork out the money necessary to build the garages required by F1? NONE

Fixed that for you!

Race promoters pay an average of $30M(USD) just for the privelege of hosting an F1 race. They do not get any revenue from the broadcast. They have to provide a venue that meets the standards demanded by the FIA and Ecclestone. Promoters can basically only make money off gate receipts and concession sales.

That means promoters must have a deep-pocket title sponsor, or state funding. The majority of races are run on circuits built and paid for by national governments as the the event is a way of promoting the interests of the country, not of the sport.

The US government will never put itself in that position, even for the NFL - or at least I hope not.

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