Circuit of the Americas Development Updates - Page 83

the Genral · #**1641** Posted **Sep 20, 2013, 5:53 AM**

Ok, that delta wing just looks weird.
As far as NASCAR not racing at COTA anytime soon, I think there are several factors that need to play out first.
1) COTA needs to be successful, and by that I mean it needs to be the track everyone wants to race on...and keep coming back. It needs to maintain a good reputation among the racers.
2) NASCAR needs to feel the need to evolve in order to reverse their declining fan base. Danica Patrick, the race for the Chase, and more realistic looking Generation 6 cars will only take them so far. New venues, especially a new road course could spark new interest, and new fans.
3) They already run 36 races plus an allstar race between February and November. Someone is going to have to lose a race date because they aren't going to add to an already loaded schedule.
4) COTA has to be able to logistically accommodate 43 stock cars, including 43 stalls on pit road, and provide competitive racing and not just single file throughout like we saw with the Australian stock car race.
I think as COTA grows and NASCAR continues to need to evolve, expect to see Brian France in Austin in the not too distance future. I say within 5 years. Then expect to see me at the top of turn 1.

JoninATX · #**1642** Posted **Sep 20, 2013, 6:23 AM**

This outta make for a good race tomorrow. 90% chance of showers, but hey we need the rain.

Jdawgboy · #**1643** Posted **Sep 20, 2013, 8:31 AM**

I can't stand NASCAR but if they can pull off a good road course like Nationwide and actually put the kind of marketing behind it unlike their oval courses then I don't have a problem with it. Other than that leave COTA to the international type races.

The ATX · #**1644** Posted **Sep 21, 2013, 1:04 AM**

The V8 Supercars won't be racing at COTA in 2014:

http://www.foxsports.com.au/motor-sp...6#.UjzwdIaKJJw

turn1 · #**1645** Posted **Sep 21, 2013, 6:29 AM**

Hey y'all. I just posted about 100 photos from a very wet Friday ALMS/WEC day at COTA. Still have lots more to sort, but it's not gonna happen tonight.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?...7614878&type=1

Here are a few:

turn1 · #**1646** Posted **Sep 22, 2013, 2:54 AM**

Wow. It's official. No V8 Supercars next year. No Separate Grand Am & ALMS/WEC weekends next year either because of the merger. So what's left is F1, Moto GP, & USCR/WEC. Am I forgetting anyone outside the Vintage Racing event?

http://jalopnik.com/texas-being-drop...-sc-1362802764

http://www.autoweek.com/article/2013...ORTS/130929959

JoninATX · #**1647** Posted **Sep 22, 2013, 3:25 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by turn1

Wow. It's official. No V8 Supercars next year. No Separate Grand Am & ALMS/WEC weekends next year either because of the merger. So what's left is F1, Moto GP, & USCR/WEC (maybe no WEC either). Am I forgetting anyone outside the Vintage Racing event?

http://jalopnik.com/texas-being-drop...-sc-1362802764

http://www.autoweek.com/article/2013...ORTS/130929959

While it's sad to see V8 car to leave next year, at least we will have the X Games to look forward to.

JoninATX · #**1648** Posted **Sep 22, 2013, 3:32 AM**

Also we might have the AMA Pro Superbike as well.

turn1 · #**1649** Posted **Sep 22, 2013, 5:45 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoninATX

Also we might have the AMA Pro Superbike as well.

Great.

turn1 · #**1650** Posted **Sep 23, 2013, 3:32 PM**

Wow! Great racing all weekend. Track was lightly staffed & seemed pretty disorganized all weekend. COTA told Stadium People earlier in the week to staff for 8-10K people & we heard there were about 11k tickets sold. Announced 3-day attendance was only ~33K. After rain all day on Friday, the weather was stunning on Saturday & Sunday. I'm working on more photos to post. I'll let you all know when they're up.

I see that the USCR 2014 calendar has been released, with Austin in the same slot as this year. I really hope the WEC comes back too. The USCR will lose a lot with no P1s and the P2s neutered so the DPs can compete with them. I wanna see P1s in full effect. They were nothing short of amazing. If you didn't go see these cars in the esses cutting through traffic like it was butter, you really missed it this weekend.

ivanwolf · #**1651** Posted **Sep 23, 2013, 9:43 PM**

I did a volunteer stint again for this weekend racing. Friday was miserable as i was soaked up to the crotch and when going back into the building it was cold with the AC. Parking lots and fan sitting areas were just very muddy. Seeing the cars with the wet sprays out the back and trying to keep from spinning was quite fun to watch. Saturday and Sunday were great over all. Saturday was the best fan day, plenty of people were there to fill up the pit walks, though the stands looked empty there were just to much space to fill with so few people. Sunday was just really nice, we thought it was super dead until the pit walk when we realized why there were no fans in the stand they were all back in the pits waiting to get into the pits. As far at COTA running things you have to know that each race it entirely different in logistics. F1 they were highly secretive and protective of the drivers and their area. V8 were all about fan access and getting the fans to know the sport. This weekend was more like V8's. So many other things were so different between the races COTA is still learning how to control the fans, what draws them in and how to fix the stuff that was broke. As a volunteer I can just attest to how they have progressed in less than a year. Give them 3-5 years and they will have things down better.

I could see a Nationwide or Trucks race at COTA but I find it unlikely Sprint cars will every race there. For this weekend they had up a pit wall and they may be able to fit 43 cars there, at least that's what i have heard it was built to hold having all sports in mind when designing the track.

I think they need to improve the paths, crushed gravel is hard to walk on for a long time, also people in wheelchairs would hate that, please pave the paths at least from the bridges to the grandstand. For the T1 stands the large stone paths are not acceptable to walk on for such a high price and they are disintegrating with the heavy rain. The road up that hill for services had a two foot deep two foot wide washout with the pavement falling away. There are lots of other things too.

turn1 · #**1652** Posted **Sep 23, 2013, 10:35 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ivanwolf

I did a volunteer stint again for this weekend racing. Friday was miserable as i was soaked up to the crotch and when going back into the building it was cold with the AC. Parking lots and fan sitting areas were just very muddy. Seeing the cars with the wet sprays out the back and trying to keep from spinning was quite fun to watch. Saturday and Sunday were great over all. Saturday was the best fan day, plenty of people were there to fill up the pit walks, though the stands looked empty there were just to much space to fill with so few people. Sunday was just really nice, we thought it was super dead until the pit walk when we realized why there were no fans in the stand they were all back in the pits waiting to get into the pits. As far at COTA running things you have to know that each race it entirely different in logistics. F1 they were highly secretive and protective of the drivers and their area. V8 were all about fan access and getting the fans to know the sport. This weekend was more like V8's. So many other things were so different between the races COTA is still learning how to control the fans, what draws them in and how to fix the stuff that was broke. As a volunteer I can just attest to how they have progressed in less than a year. Give them 3-5 years and they will have things down better.

I could see a Nationwide or Trucks race at COTA but I find it unlikely Sprint cars will every race there. For this weekend they had up a pit wall and they may be able to fit 43 cars there, at least that's what i have heard it was built to hold having all sports in mind when designing the track.

I think they need to improve the paths, crushed gravel is hard to walk on for a long time, also people in wheelchairs would hate that, please pave the paths at least from the bridges to the grandstand. For the T1 stands the large stone paths are not acceptable to walk on for such a high price and they are disintegrating with the heavy rain. The road up that hill for services had a two foot deep two foot wide washout with the pavement falling away. There are lots of other things too.

Thanks Ivan for the good post. When you thought it was super dead, you were right. Even when the fans got back in the stands, no grandstand was ever more than about 10% full. All of the permanent stands combined will only hold about 24-25K people.

Agree re: the footpaths. They look like they have received zero maintenance since being installed. They are also completely inadequate for wheelchair-bound fans. Those fans are basically screwed unless they want to go to the trouble of catching a shuttle. Even if they do, how are they supposed to get around once at their desired part of the track? They also need a sidewalk from the end of the tunnel sidewalk at the paddock entrance on up the hill to the bridges. People have to choose between walking 3/4 mile or so on grass/mud/dirt full of holes and ruts or walking on the side of the road and risking being hit by one of the many vehicles traveling that route. Not sure how wheelchair fans are supposed to make that trip at all.

And yep there are lots of other things like you say.

Things were so disorganized at one of the entrances (won't say which so they don't get in trouble) that when fans complained, the COTA employees (maybe Stadium People? but they were wearing COTA gear) agreed that it was a joke and is getting worse.

cbxpete · #**1653** Posted **Sep 24, 2013, 4:02 PM**

Hi All,
I'm new to the forum and would like to ask where is the best place to watch the racing at COTA as my wife and I are flying in from the UK and we have general admission tickets for the weekend.
Thank you for your time,

Peter.

turn1 · #**1654** Posted **Sep 24, 2013, 5:26 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by cbxpete

Hi All,
I'm new to the forum and would like to ask where is the best place to watch the racing at COTA as my wife and I are flying in from the UK and we have general admission tickets for the weekend.
Thank you for your time,

Peter.

Hi Peter! I assume you're coming for the USGP, right? COTA has fantastic General Admission viewing areas, but they do become fewer and more restricted with the addition of all the temporary Grandstands for F1.

One of the best GA areas for the USGP (and by far the most crowded) will be the area in front of and above the Turn 1 grandstand. You can see from t20 to t2, and parts of the esses & T16-19 in the distance.

The area above the esses from T3-T6 is spectacular when F1 & MotoGP aren't in town. This is typically the best GA viewing at COTA, but the F1 GSs block the broad view of the esses. The GA area from T6 to the T9 GS will have some good viewing of a technical area of the track.

hookem · #**1655** Posted **Sep 24, 2013, 5:44 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by cbxpete

Hi All,
I'm new to the forum and would like to ask where is the best place to watch the racing at COTA as my wife and I are flying in from the UK and we have general admission tickets for the weekend.

I pretty much agree with turn1's suggests. Turn one, especially watching the start of the race and the cars zooming up the hill then bunching up, is fantastic. It gets a little less exciting after that, but you still have the extensive panoramic view of the track.

Also the turn 11 GA area is pretty good. I had T11 East grandstand tickets at the last USGP and checked it the GA, was a pretty good unobstructed view on a hill. But it is quite a hike from T11 to other areas in the track.

cbxpete · #**1656** Posted **Sep 24, 2013, 6:45 PM**

Thanks Guy's for the info, my next question is what time should we get to the circuit? We are staying at Cedar Park and have shuttle bus tickets from Austin to the circuit,
Looking on Google we are around 20 miles from Austin, so I recon to give myself an hour'ish?? to get to Austin find a car park and to find where we get the bus?
And anything else we need to get for our day out.

Thanks again,

Peter.

The ATX · #**1657** Posted **Sep 25, 2013, 2:30 AM**

The county gives approval for road improvements by COTA. This will give the haters something else to piss and moan about:

http://www.kxan.com/news/local/austi...road-near-cota

jtown,man · #**1658** Posted **Sep 25, 2013, 8:33 AM**

You gotta kind of laugh at yourself when you have major disdain for Nascar yet think the racing at COTA is totally cool.

What you really mean is " yeah NASCAR is for freaking rednecks...I totally love EUROPEAN style racing...so much more advanced!"

Lets face it, both have cars driving fast in a race. Period. Some may prefer Nascar, some might not. However, I could imagine if NASCAR came to Austin and not COTA style racing, there wouldn't even be a thread on it....well there would be...but it would just be making fun of it.

the Genral · #**1659** Posted **Sep 25, 2013, 5:52 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by jtown,man

You gotta kind of laugh at yourself when you have major disdain for Nascar yet think the racing at COTA is totally cool.

What you really mean is " yeah NASCAR is for freaking rednecks...I totally love EUROPEAN style racing...so much more advanced!"

Lets face it, both have cars driving fast in a race. Period. Some may prefer Nascar, some might not. However, I could imagine if NASCAR came to Austin and not COTA style racing, there wouldn't even be a thread on it....well there would be...but it would just be making fun of it.

I like your post. I drive a "stock car", not a Ferrari or BMW, I drink beer, not wine, and I'm from NY, so I'm certainly not a "red neck" but I love Sprint Cup and associates. If they were to race at COTA, the stands would be full, or at least markedly more full than all the races after F1.
It is a truely American event that is exciting, colorful, and down to earth. It is unpretentious, and meant for people like me....simple and not as sophisticated as the Europeans I suppose.
COTA is here to stay, so why not support an event with deep American roots? There's room for everyone imo...

jtown,man · #**1660** Posted **Sep 25, 2013, 6:18 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by the Genral

I like your post. I drive a "stock car", not a Ferrari or BMW, I drink beer, not wine, and I'm from NY, so I'm certainly not a "red neck" but I love Sprint Cup and associates. If they were to race at COTA, the stands would be full, or at least markedly more full than all the races after F1.
It is a truely American event that is exciting, colorful, and down to earth. It is unpretentious, and meant for people like me....simple and not as sophisticated as the Europeans I suppose.
COTA is here to stay, so why not support an event with deep American roots? There's room for everyone imo...

Exactly, everyone has their own interests, and it shouldn't be derided.

I come from an outside perspective, I don't like any type of racing. I am sure people that like F1 and NASCAR can tell me why they are different and why one is better than the other. But at the end of the day....they are both racing...