Circuit of the Americas Development Updates

[F1 Tommy]

The track does look great. Amazing they worked so hard to get this one done on time. We should all enjoy the F1 race. I know I also enjoyed the Indy F1 race for the 8 years it was held before they kicked Tony George out.

[turn1]

Originally Posted by electricron

A drawing existing of a tennis court configuration doesn't mean one will ever exist. The most important auto racing safety item is missing in the drawing, the crash fencing in front of both permanent stands. Removing and reinstalling that fencing will be expensive, and leaving it in place for a tennis tournament wouldn't be viable.
If it were viable, one would think one of the existing 30 F1 tracks would have held a tennis tournament in the past.

Exactly right.

[turn1]

I took a bunch of COTA photos on Wednesday. Been pretty busy, so I just got around to posting them. For those who may be visiting Austin for the first time, I also threw in some shots I got at the Texas State Capital Building during my boy's field trip there:

https://www.facebook.com/FoF1ATX

[turn1]

[turn1]

MRA just posted this shot from the tower:

ETA: Looks like an older shot.

[hookem]

I read on the Miro Rivera facebook page that the tower will be lit with color-changing LEDs... wonder if there are any renderings of how that will look? The ones I have seen of the amphitheater don't show any special lights on the tower.

[Spaceman]

Just back from COTA...Work is progressing on Kellam Ln. but still a bit to go..This is a major feeder to the track..It will be a close call if this is to be completed by race day...I certainly hope so ..My parking lot, M, is to be accessed by Kellam...A rainy spell would be a problem.

[hookem]

Originally Posted by Spaceman

Just back from COTA...Work is progressing on Kellam Ln. but still a bit to go..This is a major feeder to the track..It will be a close call if this is to be completed by race day...I certainly hope so ..My parking lot, M, is to be accessed by Kellam...A rainy spell would be a problem.

Perhaps Rick Perry should pray for rain. That's helped keep us dry before.

[turn1]

Just back from COTA...Work is progressing on Kellam Ln. but still a bit to go..This is a major feeder to the track..It will be a close call if this is to be completed by race day...I certainly hope so ..My parking lot, M, is to be accessed by Kellam...A rainy spell would be a problem.

Yep, I've been out to Kellam 3 times in about the last 2 weeks and very little has changed in that time on the south ~0.9 mile that has been torn up to be rebuilt.

Here, see it for yourself. This was shot two days ago (Wednesday). It was plenty dry but most of the equipment was idle and very little work was being done on the road. Same story as last week, and it looked the same. Sorry so rough. I did my best to hold the phone steady, but it's very bumpy now. At the beginning of the video I'm driving east on Elroy Rd. Then I turn left onto Kellam:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZzyNA-PPyI

[Jdawgboy]

Originally Posted by electricron

A drawing existing of a tennis court configuration doesn't mean one will ever exist. The most important auto racing safety item is missing in the drawing, the crash fencing in front of both permanent stands. Removing and reinstalling that fencing will be expensive, and leaving it in place for a tennis tournament wouldn't be viable.
If it were viable, one would think one of the existing 30 F1 tracks would have held a tennis tournament in the past.

It can be done. Again more negativity coming from anti-Cota guy.

This is a great thing for Austin and im looking forward to all the new sporting events.

[Spaceman]

Originally Posted by Jdawgboy

It can be done. Again more negativity coming from anti-Cota guy.

This is a great thing for Austin and im looking forward to all the new sporting events.

There was much activity today..Lots of workers and equipment on Kellam..Even Travis County had a deputy watching the work...

[electricron]

Originally Posted by Jdawgboy

It can be done. Again more negativity coming from anti-Cota guy.

This is a great thing for Austin and im looking forward to all the new sporting events.

I'm not an anti-COTA guy. I'm an anti Texas taxpayers subsidies for COTA guy.

It's also very evident you have never been to a race in America nor ever seen crash fencing.

There already are many facilities for both the players and fans in the Austin area better suited to hold pro tennis matches than COTA will ever be. Any football stadium and basketball arena for starters. It's just a matter of determining how many fans will attend before selecting the best facility to use.

[the Genral]

Originally Posted by Jdawgboy

It can be done. Again more negativity coming from anti-Cota guy.

This is a great thing for Austin and im looking forward to all the new sporting events.

I agree. They only would need to take down a relatively short section of fence, which is only needed for a half dozen or so racing events a year. I like that they are trying to fill in the non racing days with other potential high quality events and I'd love to see something happening there every week of the year as I'm sure they would. Bottom line....we got us one hell of a world class facility and they should exploit the hell out of it even if they have to tear apart a section of catch fence once in a while.

[turn1]

The tennis thing is all posturing.

[KevinFromTexas]

http://www.statesman.com/news/sports/private-planes-helicopters-expected-for-f1-weekend/nShyx/

Posted: 10:00 p.m. Friday, Oct. 19, 2012
Private planes, helicopters expected for F1 weekend

By Dave Doolittle
American-Statesman Staff

Most of the thousands of people who will fly into the Austin area for next month’s Formula One race will arrive on commercial flights at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, but Austin’s skies will also see a fair share of private aircraft.

More than 110,000 tickets have been sold for Austin’s inaugural race, on the weekend of Nov. 16-18, circuit organizers said Friday.

Of those, 60 percent are from outside Texas, including 15 percent from outside the U.S., circuit spokeswoman Julie Loignon said. She said she did not know how many Austinites bought tickets.

At Austin-Bergstrom, 80 private planes have made reservations for F1 weekend. Those aircraft, from propeller planes to jumbo jets, are coming from a variety of locations, including the United Kingdom, Mexico and across the United States, spokesman Jim Halbrook said.

A Boeing 747 and two Boeing 767s are scheduled to make one trip after the race, Halbrook said: taking Formula One personnel directly to Sao Paulo for the final race of the season the following weekend.

[hookem]

Originally Posted by turn1

The tennis thing is all posturing.

Yep. It's really World Cup Soccer they want to host.

Or maybe they can host "An Olympic activity, including a Junior or Senior activity, training program or feeder program sanctioned by the U.S. Olympic Committee’s Community Olympic Development Program", or "A national political convention of the Republican National Committee or the Democratic National Committee" or some random things like that.

[hookem]

Originally Posted by electricron

I'm not an anti-COTA guy. I'm an anti Texas taxpayers subsidies for COTA guy.

That's a pretty standard line used by the anti-COTA folks.

If you really cared about taxpayer subsidies, you'd be complaining about those who already received or are in the process of receiving 10s of millions from the state. And you'd primarily be focused on Arlington, Harris County, Houston, and San Antonio. Because they receive by far the bulk of the taxpayer subsidies. COTA so far hasn't received any METF funds. And even if it does eventually receive some, it will only be enough to cover (maybe) the F1 sanctioning fee. Not a dime for the track itself, which is all private money. Contrast that to Cowboys Stadium, for which Arlington taxpayers ponied up $325M...

Anyway, just point us to the past messages where you complained about Cowboys Stadium being built, or about the money going to Arlington or Houston for the Superbowl, or about the Final Four paid for by taxpayers in San Antonio... if you can do that, I'll agree that you aren't an anti-COTA guy. Otherwise, you leave us no conclusion other than you are anti-COTA, anti-F1, anti-Austin getting this facility, or something similar. I mean there is nothing wrong being anti-something, just come out and be intellectually honest about it.

[electricron]

Originally Posted by hookem

That's a pretty standard line used by the anti-COTA folks.

If you really cared about taxpayer subsidies, you'd be complaining about those who already received or are in the process of receiving 10s of millions from the state. And you'd primarily be focused on Arlington, Harris County, Houston, and San Antonio. Because they receive by far the bulk of the taxpayer subsidies. COTA so far hasn't received any METF funds. And even if it does eventually receive some, it will only be enough to cover (maybe) the F1 sanctioning fee. Not a dime for the track itself, which is all private money. Contrast that to Cowboys Stadium, for which Arlington taxpayers ponied up $325M...

Anyway, just point us to the past messages where you complained about Cowboys Stadium being built, or about the money going to Arlington or Houston for the Superbowl, or about the Final Four paid for by taxpayers in San Antonio... if you can do that, I'll agree that you aren't an anti-COTA guy. Otherwise, you leave us no conclusion other than you are anti-COTA, anti-F1, anti-Austin getting this facility, or something similar. I mean there is nothing wrong being anti-something, just come out and be intellectually honest about it.

The taxpayers approved the referendum authorizing using sales taxes to build their stadiums. The Rangers lease for the Ballpark in Arlington has already paid back all the City put up. Cowboys Stadium will also. Neither the Rangers, Mavericks, nor the Cowboys asked their Cities or the State to pay yearly fees to enter their pro leagues. Texas Motor Speedway hasn't asked the State to provide their $5 Million purse per each Cup race.

While COTA didn't ask for any public money to build their track facilities, they have asked the State to pay the $25 Million yearly sanctioning fee (in other words the F1 purse).

Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio haven't asked for State funds on a yearly basis either. Each occasion has been for a particular one-time event (Super Bowl or All-Star games).

[turn1]

Originally Posted by hookem

Yep. It's really World Cup Soccer they want to host.

Or maybe they can host "An Olympic activity, including a Junior or Senior activity, training program or feeder program sanctioned by the U.S. Olympic Committee’s Community Olympic Development Program", or "A national political convention of the Republican National Committee or the Democratic National Committee" or some random things like that.

Yep...or maybe they could just dig up the front straight, turn it into an Olympic pool & have the next Swimming & Diving World Championships or Olympic Quals. It could have ramps at each end and be filled with Bull Sharks to add excitement to an otherwise blah F1 GP. They could put the diving pit out by the tower & jump from it. Too bad UT doesn't already have a great natatorium and aren't looking into building a new one. Oh...wait.

I remember when I heard about them telling people on tours that they were thinking about a World Cup Soccer Stadium out there. LOL. Seriously? After all the troubles they've had getting this thing close enough to complete to have a race? Too bad we can't we already see one of the biggest, best football stadiums in the country from the east side of the track. Oh...wait.

Oh, but they're gonna spend millions to build a "World Cup" soccer venue that holds less than 10K people. OK. Sweet! Makes perfect sense! And boxing & Davis Cup Tennis, too. Too bad we don't have a place in Austin suitable for those events! Oh...wait.

Maybe they should put a giant bubble over turn 1 and build the world's largest artificial ski slope. We don't have one of those yet.



How 'bout if they first just try to do racing well?

[Austin_Expert]

Originally Posted by turn1

How 'bout if they first just try to do racing well?

Cool story, Tavo.