Circuit of the Americas Formula 1 Race Track

[turn1]

Originally Posted by The ATX

CNBC has an article about F1's future in the U.S. with Austin being mentioned quite a bit.

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/09/25/new-...in-austin.html

Thanks for posting. I wish this forum had 'like' buttons. Yeah that article is an absolute joke. It reads like a list of Bobby Epstein BS talking points, and I'm fairly certain that's exactly what it is. Interesting. Almost every significant thing he said re: COTA & Indy was wrong. He was clearly writing anything Bobby told him to write. No research or fact-checking at all. No credibility at all. Dude's a career NBA writer who'd never written shit about F1. I wonder how much money these 'journalists' make on the side writing for-hire garbage like this.

The main factual takeaway for me is: apparently COTA still has no contract extension, and imho it sounds a bit like maybe they're having trouble getting anyone to talk to them about changing that.

[turn1]

Proposed 2021 Cup schedule features road racing, new venues, COTA race on May 23.
https://www.motorsport.com/nascar-cu...edule/4884311/

...and:

IndyCar heading for a schedule shake-up in 2021
COTA likely off the schedule...

https://racer.com/2020/09/29/indycar...ke-up-in-2021/

Another track missing from 2021 will likely be COTA, which is going to host a NASCAR race next spring, but may also be up for sale and not financially willing or able to keep IndyCar.

[the Genral]

In regards to Indy, if its just a matter of affordability, all they need to do is charge $400 per hotdog and $75 a beer to the hundred or so fans who show up. It shouldn't come back because it was pretty much proven there is little interest for Indy Racing here. I think NASCAR will do well, but there will still be a bunch of empty seats. There just isn't the same caliber of rabid fans there once was, willing to travel wherever the race is. I was one of them, well sort of. I was a regular at TMS and Watkins Glen in NY. Now I hardly recognize the racing field, can only name a few drivers, when 20 years ago, I knew most of them if not all. Plus the racing format in NASCAR has changed. I haven't watched a NASCAR event live or on TV for many years, but I WILL be in attendance if they come to COTA. Like F1 fans, NASCAR fans do travel. Very few people know all the Indy drivers I'm sure, which is one of the reasons they are struggling to become relevant again. I don't think they can afford another embarrassing weak attendance outcome at COTA at this point, and even changing hands with someone far more competent than the current owners and managers won't do much to change that. Its quite a shame because Indy car racing is far more fun to watch on a road course than a boring oval. I'm not even sure heavy doses of advertising would help. It seems like almost all sporting events are losing popularity, including events that everyone was hoping would keep COTA in the black.

[turn1]

Originally Posted by the Genral

In regards to Indy, if its just a matter of affordability, all they need to do is charge $400 per hotdog and $75 a beer to the hundred or so fans who show up. It shouldn't come back because it was pretty much proven there is little interest for Indy Racing here. I think NASCAR will do well, but there will still be a bunch of empty seats. There just isn't the same caliber of rabid fans there once was, willing to travel wherever the race is. I was one of them, well sort of. I was a regular at TMS and Watkins Glen in NY. Now I hardly recognize the racing field, can only name a few drivers, when 20 years ago, I knew most of them if not all. Plus the racing format in NASCAR has changed. I haven't watched a NASCAR event live or on TV for many years, but I WILL be in attendance if they come to COTA. Like F1 fans, NASCAR fans do travel. Very few people know all the Indy drivers I'm sure, which is one of the reasons they are struggling to become relevant again. I don't think they can afford another embarrassing weak attendance outcome at COTA at this point, and even changing hands with someone far more competent than the current owners and managers won't do much to change that. Its quite a shame because Indy car racing is far more fun to watch on a road course than a boring oval. I'm not even sure heavy doses of advertising would help. It seems like almost all sporting events are losing popularity, including events that everyone was hoping would keep COTA in the black.

Yep. Indycar's first foray into COTA was underwhelming at the very best in terms of attendance, among other things. I thought the writing was on the wall when Indycar cancelled COTA so quickly for the pandemic while merely postponing almost everywhere else.

Your description of the evolution of your NASCAR fandom pretty much fits me to a tee as well.

[lzppjb]

Week after my birthday...hmmmm

[lonewolf]

yeah i heard a point a few weeks ago i haven't been able to get out of my head. everybody thought sports ratings would be through the roof when they returned, that has not been the case at all with any sport except maybe fighting (even then i wouldn't say they were through the roof, they just haven't slumped)

with WFH...there's no water cooler talk to recap "the game", no pressure from coworkers to keep up with any league, i've spent most of my time with family who are not into watching sports....kind of lame watching games with nobody to talk with about it. sports and sports watching are group activities

[Novacek]

Originally Posted by lonewolf

yeah i heard a point a few weeks ago i haven't been able to get out of my head. everybody thought sports ratings would be through the roof when they returned, that has not been the case at all with any sport except maybe fighting (even then i wouldn't say they were through the roof, they just haven't slumped)

with WFH...there's no water cooler talk to recap "the game", no pressure from coworkers to keep up with any league, i've spent most of my time with family who are not into watching sports....kind of lame watching games with nobody to talk with about it. sports and sports watching are group activities

Probably doesn't help that several are only halfway back.

No Big 10 (etc.) CFB yet. No crowds in the stadiums (only fake noise). A bunch of big out of conference matchups were cancelled. Big name players scratched at the last minute due to contact tracing, entire games cancelled at the last minute...

[StoOgE]

Originally Posted by Novacek

Probably doesn't help that several are only halfway back.

No Big 10 (etc.) CFB yet. No crowds in the stadiums (only fake noise). A bunch of big out of conference matchups were cancelled. Big name players scratched at the last minute due to contact tracing, entire games cancelled at the last minute...

I'm a massive sports fan and I'm barely watching F1, NBA or NCAA games and have caught part of one baseball game and ,2 downs of NFL.

The entire season feels like preseason exhibition games and the winner of these leagues is an asterisk. Like, does anyone really think this years NBA champion will be equivalent to prior champions?

[Tornado]

I enjoyed the Indy Race and would have returned had they come back to COTA. Of all of the racing I've seen at the facility, the Mazda Global Mx-5 Cup has been the most enjoyable.

[freerover]

Originally Posted by StoOgE

Like, does anyone really think this years NBA champion will be equivalent to prior champions?

Of course. The NBA played almost a whole season and more games than they played in 2011 and 99. You even got to knock out all the trash teams for the buble phase of the regular season. MLB is very debatable unless it's the Astros then it counts.

[turn1]

There's an interesting theory out there that Penske is shutting COTA out of IndyCar to help it die, so he can pick up F1 at Indy. But then, the poor crowd here for Indy was likely no help, either.

About that COTA buyout rumor ... try this on:

SMI/TMS gives COTA a 'Test Drive' - leasing COTA for the May 23 NASCAR date, & running the race on the National (short) Circuit. That allows them to keep their NASCAR schedule date, but use it at COTA. They commit minimal resources, and if it works out, they keep doing it.'

We had figured that the only way it made sense for SMI to buy COTA was if they got it very cheap. Well, this is much cheaper than that, & carries minimal commitment. If it doesn't work out, SMI can hit the 'Eject' button & pull their date back to TMS.

[Tyrone Shoes]

KXAN is reporting
NASCAR coming to Austin’s Circuit of the Americas in 2021

“Everything is bigger in Texas, including our passion for NASCAR, and NASCAR will be even bigger and better in Texas in 2021 with the addition of this race in Austin,” said Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. “Along with the races at Texas Motor Speedway, this will be a great experience for NASCAR fans in Texas, while also boosting the Texas economy.”

The event will be courtesy of Speedway Motorsports, which partnered with NASCAR and COTA to make it happen.

[the Genral]

Originally Posted by Tyrone Shoes

KXAN is reporting
NASCAR coming to Austin’s Circuit of the Americas in 2021

“Everything is bigger in Texas, including our passion for NASCAR, and NASCAR will be even bigger and better in Texas in 2021 with the addition of this race in Austin,” said Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. “Along with the races at Texas Motor Speedway, this will be a great experience for NASCAR fans in Texas, while also boosting the Texas economy.”

The event will be courtesy of Speedway Motorsports, which partnered with NASCAR and COTA to make it happen.

Very, very interesting. Like I said, I'll be there. I'm curious how they handle pit row to handle all the cars, and how turn 1 will also handle the traffic especially after start and restarts. I predict it will be dubbed Calamity Corner as well as the hairpin before that long back straight away. The attrition will be enormous here. Its an F1 track and stock cars will look sluggish by comparison. But they will be louder. The cars will also look more beat up than after a race at Bristol making this an expensive race for the owners. There have been quite a bit of on track feuding between some drivers so expect some intentional banging and grinding. That should be fun, if you like a ton of yellow flags and interrupted racing. We'll see. Are they expected to run the full course or the shorter circuit

[turn1]

Originally Posted by the Genral

Very, very interesting. Like I said, I'll be there. I'm curious how they handle pit row to handle all the cars, and how turn 1 will also handle the traffic especially after start and restarts. I predict it will be dubbed Calamity Corner as well as the hairpin before that long back straight away. The attrition will be enormous here. Its an F1 track and stock cars will look sluggish by comparison. But they will be louder. The cars will also look more beat up than after a race at Bristol making this an expensive race for the owners. There have been quite a bit of on track feuding between some drivers so expect some intentional banging and grinding. That should be fun, if you like a ton of yellow flags and interrupted racing. We'll see. Are they expected to run the full course or the shorter circuit

National (shorter) Circuit is what I was told.

[turn1]

Weird that Smith & Gossage didn't mention it in the cringey TMS stream thingy.

So since it's just a track rental with SMI as the promoter, they'd presumably get the TV money and any potential MERP money as well. COTA gets the rental fee.

[the Genral]

Originally Posted by turn1

National (shorter) Circuit is what I heard.

That actually kind of sucks. The long straight would have been fun for us and the drivers, and the hard braking at the end of it would have cars sliding into the gravel pits. I suppose they will be able to get in more laps before pitting for fuel. Still, that's disappointing. Senoma is about 2 miles long and Watkins Glen is almost 3.5 miles. I don't recall them having a closed circuit for NASCAR.

[turn1]

Originally Posted by the Genral

That actually kind of sucks. The long straight would have been fun for us and the drivers, and the hard braking at the end of it would have cars sliding into the gravel pits. I suppose they will be able to get in more laps before pitting for fuel. Still, that's disappointing. Senoma is about 2 miles long and Watkins Glen is almost 3.5 miles. I don't recall them having a closed circuit for NASCAR.

Yeah most fans and a lot of drivers came away from the V8SC race wishing they had run the full circuit. They want to use the shorter one to keep the cars closer together and increase the number of laps (number of times the fans see the cars) ... or at least that's the official line. Of course they're also doing it to put the crowd into a smaller space.

[the Genral]

Originally Posted by turn1

Yeah most fans and a lot of drivers came away from the V8SC race wishing they had run the full circuit. They want to use the shorter one to keep the cars closer together and increase the number of laps (number of times the fans see the cars) ... or at least that's the official line. Of course they're also doing it to put the crowd into a smaller space.

This just screams one and done. Or...if it is deemed successful, maybe they'll stick around next year and open up the whole track. This half ass track thing really pinches my scrotum.

[turn1]

IndyCar confirms 17-race 2021 schedule. No COTA.

https://racer.com/2020/10/01/indycar...2021-schedule/

[The ATX]

The City Council gave final approval for the zoning change. I'm still skeptical that we'll see an 11-story hotel and water park any time soon.