US Grand Prix – Austin 2013

OK, just booked airline tickets for Nov 15th-18th so the family can eeerrr visit some close friends in Austin. I wonder if anything else is going on in town the same weekend.

So, looking at General admission tickets they are a jaw dropping, brain numbing $269!!!!!! For General admission fer chrissake!! I just paid $25 for General admission to the Detroit Grand Prix to see the Indy cars. There’s no way you can tell me F1 is 11.5 times the spectacle of Indycars. berkeley Bernie in the goat ass with a barb wire encrusted dildo. I guess my Christmas present this year is one ticket, unless someone knows of a cheaper way to get tickets.

Still can’t wait even with the wallet raping. Anyone else going?

Already got mine.

I can't wait!!!

carguy123 wrote: Already got mine. I can't wait!!!

GA or Grand stand?

HAve you been before, is there good viewing to be had in GA?

I am seriously stunned at the cost, I swear the last Indy F1 race was less than $150 for a weekend grandstand ticket.

In reply to Adrian_Thompson:

I was there for the 2012 USGP. Had great time moving from one place to another with my GA ticket.

I would do it again this year, but ticket price is holding me back a little. I believe last year the GA ticket was around $100 range.

My favorite views were from T11 and T12 and 15. Others include T3 and T6. T1 was definitely interesting in the first few laps of the race, but unless you were there well before the start of the race, finding a spot will be difficult.

I gotta say, to experience F1 machines coming out of T5 under the walkway is intoxicating to say the least when you're on the walkway. I just wish they didn't cover them up with banners and such.

I would recommend GA ticket over any stand ticket. Unless you prefer to stay out of the elements and avoid walking long distances.

In reply to thh1511:

Thanks, that's what I wanted to hear. I guess I'll wait on buying the ticket. One of two things will happen, they wont sell and the price will drop, or I'll still buy a GA for silly money and not many will sell so I'll have a great view

GA is the way to go.

Friday and Saturday during practice and Qual you can usually find a seat in the grandstands that are empty. They were not checking tickets for seat assignments those days. If someone walks up and says you are in their seat just say sorry, I am on the wrong row and find another empty seat.

Being able to walk around for the race is great. I was at T1 for the start and then worked my way around the track across the two bridges taking pictures and enjoying the view. Standing on the T4/5 bridge watching passes down the hill into T2 was pretty incredible. Phenomenal driving.

I also enjoyed the T13/4/5/6 combination. Its a sequence of tight/kink/kink/tight leading into the way too fast 17/18 combination. It was fun watching the cars exit too fast and mess up T19. The two cars that got it right in Q2 were the ones that were 1-2 on the podium.

F1 was a great experience. The only thing I did not like was that I could not track positions during the race. I could not read the big-screens from a distance.

My buddy went last year, he's trying to talk me into going this year. I may not make it inside the event with all the BBQ stands and vendors he said he saw on the way to the site. In the land of Texasganistan, I don't think I could make it out of there without filling myself silly with all sorts of fire cooked meats.

Plus, In-N-Out burger is there.

Also, ticketmaster has tickets for $182~ after taxes etc. https://www.ticketmaster.com/checkout/order?v=ZX8ogabdRlp1lLUoc3Auz3r1gHH7yZGB-ac2SXB4pcGCcboUcKopBxe-JWoXzuaZTsH530-q85D3-haPNo1ez1KHBfn9pcYe1XKKUNaA-DW3BhJE9IVvJgt8C-fdaQVmdw

Parking is Glad I have a friend that lives in Austin and could shuttle me if I go.

In reply to Adrian_Thompson:

Is that the weekend price, or just one day?

I'm still kind of taken aback by the prices of Austin- the want of a seat licence + getting multiple race weekends vs just the f1 weekend, etc- and the price. I know that all slowed down some after the initial sale.

But the prices were more than a weekend at Monza, where we were just past the start finish- which was 400 Euro for 3 days. Spa was cheaper a few years prior. But outside of Monaco, going ot see an F1 race in Europe was very similar to going to Austin. And you had the benefit of being someplace other than Texas .

Someday, we may go. But not until the supply-demand gets the tickets more in line with the rest of the series. Hope New Jersey happens, but we will see on prices there, too. At least we would be in Manhattan vs. west Texas.

alfadriver wrote: At least we would be in Manhattan vs. west Texas.

Austin's actually central (technically, eastern half) of the state.

I've got my tickets. Not sure what my lodging situation will be, but I bet it'll be sketchy.

In reply to alfadriver:

Trust me, I wouldn't be going if it were just for the race. We have close friends who moved from SE Mi to Austin last Xmas. We want to go and see them any way, so I jumped in with the plan to do it over the race weekend. I will probably only end up going on race day as we'll be spending time with them. I think I'll be the only one going to the track at all.

In reply to unevolved:

It's all one big, well whatever you want to call it, to me. I'd rather be in Monza, Central Belgum, Manhattan, French countryside around Monaco, or even north of London than Texas.

Adrian_Thompson wrote: OK, just booked airline tickets for Nov 15th-18th so the family can eeerrr visit some close friends in Austin. I wonder if anything else is going on in town the same weekend. So, looking at General admission tickets they are a jaw dropping, brain numbing $269!!!!!! For General admission fer chrissake!! I just paid $25 for General admission to the Detroit Grand Prix to see the Indy cars. There’s no way you can tell me F1 is 11.5 times the spectacle of Indycars. berkeley Bernie in the goat ass with a barb wire encrusted dildo. I guess my Christmas present this year is one ticket, unless someone knows of a cheaper way to get tickets. Still can’t wait even with the wallet raping. Anyone else going?

Ade, where are you seeing $269? It's $169 per the COTA website: http://circuitoftheamericas.com/f1

In any case, I am probably going, too.

Tom_Spangler wrote: Ade, where are you seeing $269? It's $169 per the COTA website: http://circuitoftheamericas.com/f1 In any case, I am probably going, too.

TicketMaster this year. It ends up being right around $200 at the cheapest. There's a service fee, a fee for the fee, and a delayed delivery free. Last year, I paid exactly what was on the ticket, and they next day air'd it.

alfadriver wrote: In reply to unevolved: It's all one big, well whatever you want to call it, to me. I'd rather be in Monza, Central Belgum, Manhattan, French countryside around Monaco, or even north of London than Texas.

Spa, Check
Silverstone, check
LeMons (the froggy one, not the crap can variety), check
Goodwood, check
Brighton speed trials, check
Hundreds of club events, hillclimbs etc etc check Detroit GP, check
Mid Ohio, check
Watkins Glen, check
Austin Tx for a GP on a track that gave us one of the best races in a great season last year? Not yet, hell yes I'm in for something new.

Tom_Spangler wrote:

Adrian_Thompson wrote: OK, just booked airline tickets for Nov 15th-18th so the family can eeerrr visit some close friends in Austin. I wonder if anything else is going on in town the same weekend. So, looking at General admission tickets they are a jaw dropping, brain numbing $269!!!!!! For General admission fer chrissake!! I just paid $25 for General admission to the Detroit Grand Prix to see the Indy cars. There’s no way you can tell me F1 is 11.5 times the spectacle of Indycars. berkeley Bernie in the goat ass with a barb wire encrusted dildo. I guess my Christmas present this year is one ticket, unless someone knows of a cheaper way to get tickets. Still can’t wait even with the wallet raping. Anyone else going?

Ade, where are you seeing $269? It's $169 per the COTA website: http://circuitoftheamericas.com/f1 In any case, I am probably going, too.

You’re in too. Awesome. Totally totally cool, can't wait.

Glad you seem to be correct on the $169 Vs $269, but even so that's stupid for GA.

Warren v wrote:

Tom_Spangler wrote: Ade, where are you seeing $269? It's $169 per the COTA website: http://circuitoftheamericas.com/f1 In any case, I am probably going, too.

TicketMaster this year. It ends up being right around $200 at the cheapest. There's a service fee, a fee for the fee, and a delayed delivery free. Last year, I paid exactly what was on the ticket, and they next day air'd it.

$181.84 with all the fees from what I can see. Not including parking, of course, but I'm hoping to go in with a bunch of guys on that.

I will probably be driving with my cousin. I'll drive down to his place in Indy, then we'll do Indy to Austin in one day. Should be fun.

parking at the track is $$$. Park at the airport for $10/day and take the free shuttle to the track. There will also be shuttles from downtown.

Last year there are a few local fields for parking right next to the track. Its $50 or so but split between a carload of friends is not so bad. Plus that way you are walk-in walk-out.

I live here in Austin and have not decided if I will go back for race day. HMM I don't have cable anymore so I can't watch it on TV. My wife and son went to the fan day downtown to watch the race and had a great time.

I've been to multiple races @ COTA and the GA is the way to go. There are a ton of good places to watch the action from and if you get seat tickets you'll kick yourself later for paying the extra as they are too confining.

While there are a number of other tracks with history that makes you want to go to them, you'll be amazed at how good the track and facilities are at Austin. Austin is a great place to visit as well as the surrounding territories, plus everyone speaks English.

Other than the "Hey! I'm in a foreign country" factor of most of the other tracks mentioned, Austin wins hands down in all the other factors.

alfadriver wrote: In reply to unevolved: It's all one big, well whatever you want to call it, to me. I'd rather be in Monza, Central Belgum, Manhattan, French countryside around Monaco, or even north of London than Texas.

In reply to carguy123:

I have no dought that the track is very nice, it should be its new. But for me I like the history so if I had to choose I would go to one of the places alfa mentioned.

Rusted_Busted_Spit wrote: In reply to carguy123: I have no dought that the track is very nice, it should be its new. But for me I like the history so if I had to choose I would go to one of the places alfa mentioned.

I too like history and we're seeing history in the making, at Austin.

I'd love to go to Spa or one of the other tracks - too. But the costs & time involved say that's never going to happen so I'll go where I can go.

Ticket costs are bad enough, but throw in an overseas trip & all those costs and suddenly I can't afford the trip or the race.

In an ideal world I'd go to all of them.

carguy123 wrote:

Rusted_Busted_Spit wrote: In reply to carguy123: I have no dought that the track is very nice, it should be its new. But for me I like the history so if I had to choose I would go to one of the places alfa mentioned.

I too like history and we're seeing history in the making, at Austin. I'd love to go to Spa or one of the other tracks - too. But the costs & time involved say that's never going to happen so I'll go where I can go. Ticket costs are bad enough, but throw in an overseas trip & all those costs and suddenly I can't afford the trip or the race. In an ideal world I'd go to all of them.

True. All things being equal I would go elsewhere but hopefully I can get to a race down there sometime.

I've been to all the races there. GA only. Prices will drop as tix don't sell. Park in local racer friend's field near entrance to Lot P for the going rate (which changes depending on the business they see).

if you go, make sure and stop by Wild Bubba's for some crazy good food and atmosphere. Located just outside the track on FM 812 near the back entrance.