Maybe his original idea of an F1 race at Disneyworld Orlando is again a possibility?...
Maybe his original idea of an F1 race at Disneyworld Orlando is again a possibility? http://formula-one.speedtv.com/article/f1-new-venue-for-us-gp-return/
What's the old saying... "money talks and "stuff" walks?" Tony -- you better get a new pair of Nike's. You're gonna need it.
It is interesting that Tony goes the extra mile (quite literally) to Shanghai to discuss a USGP with Bernie. So all doors aren't closed. I read in another article, that Bernie commented, that Indy has all the infra, but not the fan/support base and that his dream remains a GP in Jersey. Badabum, badabing!
I would kinda like to see a USGP on the west coast. With the Canadian GP in Montreal having another race on the East Coast will just thin out the fan base further.
Formula one will only work in the following USA cities : New York Miami Los Angelis You have to be around a large foreign population, and you have to have easy air access, and a destination that people want to go... possibley you could have it in Atlanta - maybe... but doubtful, Chicago is to central, and you really don't any anyother big cities except DC, but that would be unrealistic with all the security etc.... I think Miami and LA are the best options, great weather, lots of foreign travelers every year, lots of $$$ in both locations NYC just seems like a stretch... NYC does not need F-1 at all... My vote is for LA - Longbeach something like that.
I would but that is just not a huge "tourist" draw from either Europe or Asia gamblers yes, resort folks yes, Racing fans for F-1 No. I think you need a location on one of the coasts... Vegas had races back in the 80's and they were a flop, and i think the main thing today is there is so much else to do while in Vegas... it would be hard to set F-1 apart... I could be wrong.
Actually, Orlando is #1, Miami #2, when you consider all the elements that make for a potentially successful event. This includes scheduled and chartered airlines with direct access to Europe and South America at reasonable rates, hotel rooms in abundance, venue, activities for the families of the F1 participants, etc. Orlando beats Miami only because of land costs. A distant 3rd is the Los Angeles area, Vegas is not even close. This comes from a study done in the late 1990s. Sometime in the mid 1990s, Tony, his Godfather AJ Foyt, and Michael Eisner, were in serious discussions to build a circuit and have an F1 race on the grounds of Disneyworld in Orlando. At that same time, Tony split with CART, so the venue became a one mile oval for the IRL. Now its just for the Richard Petty experience. Too bad, what could have been......
in my opinion... vegas has changed much since the 80s... I think a vegas race would be a pretty big hit. especially with the casinos backing it
So who's going to pony up Bernie's fee? Last time I looked it's running $20 million just to Bernie, before any other expenses, and with nothing but gate receipts for revenue, it's an almost guaranteed money-loser. Who wants a race badly enough to flush millions down the toilet that is Bernie's gaping maw? We all know that his recent marks have all been governments willing to pay Bernie's bribe for the publicity. Silverstone had to sign away half a billion to keep a race, and Bernie claims he left a hundred million on the table to accommodate them, out of the goodness of his heart. If that's how far his generosity stretches for the British GP, how far will it stretch for Orlando? You can argue that Bernie wants a race in the US for business reasons, and he does, but he has proven repeatedly that his main motivation is maximising his take. That's fair enough, and he was shrewd enough to make F1 what it is, financially, but if he has to choose between more money in his pocket or a more attractive package for sponsors, he keeps choosing his own pocket. It's a short-term strategy that doesn't bode well for the long-term health of F1, but frankly, I think Bernie would be only too happy to see F1 implode when he sells out or dies. Seriously, who is going to touch F1 after the way he screwed the German banks? He fooled them once, and in the process poisoned the business. One might almost think it was intentional.
If Bernie were a small business owner, he would be the type to use the philosophy of always making the employees feel as if they could be fired at any moment. There's a balance that needs to be struck between expansion/growth and letting things be. In addition to the tremendous amounts of money required to develop an F1 event, cities also see the history of dealings BernieCo has had with hosts, the one-sided terms and the likelihood of taking a bath on the deal. It isn't hard to see where they would say "No Thank You." What people forget about these larger, more popular cities as possible GP locations is that they're already large and popular for a reason. Orlando and Vegas are huge for tradeshows and tourism all year round. Plugging 9 figures into a limited-use racing event--most likely one or two weekends a year--makes little to no fiscal sense. It isn't as if they're looking for something to "put them on the map", so to speak, like many other cities/regions that beg, borrow and grovel to land a spot on the F1 calendar. A grand prix weekend would be a supplemental event that would take a long time to realize a positive ROI.
Orlando's a good pick. If you have kids they'll have something to do if the spouse is not into racing, and plenty to do as a family at night.
Thats why I think vegas would be an option... for a casino to flush a hundred million over the course of 4 days... they will more than be able to make that up!
I'm just glad to see that Tony George, savior of US open wheel racing and constructor of the world's finest F1 track, is involved.
No one in the U.S. is going to build a $200 million track to Bernie's fancy.... I doubt any metropolitan city is really interested in losing money to have the F1 circus tear up its streets for a weekend, so lets forget about all the pipe dreams of where the race could/should be held. Tony built a track and it's ready. I'm not a big Indy fan, but I went to the F1 races there, and I'd rather see a race there than not see one here at all. I'd be first in line if they could bring the GP back to Indy next year!
The only U.S. city (IMO) that could pull off a F1 grand prix in the style and manner necessary to satisfy Bernie would be ... LAS VEGAS! The glamour, glitz, and over the top manner in which the casino magnates try to do things (although they may be financially stretched to do so these days) could really create a spectacular F1 venue. They have the infrastructure in terms of accomodations, restaurants, etc. Figure out a street course using the strip as part of the main drag and it has all the components to be a Monte Carlo on steroids! I'm sure there are a thousand logistical issues to contend with but conceptually speaking it would be something to see!
I'm not a fan of his since he originally caused the divide in U.S. open wheel racing. That being said I'm glad someone is making an effort to bring a F1 race back to the U.S. If he succeeds I will forgive him for his past antics!
If F1 is to return to the US anytime soon it would have to be Indy. It's the only venue with the infrastructure to support the race itself not to mention the periphereal needs for spectators, sponsors, traffic, tansport.....etc. People need to remember that for pure spectator count it was consistantly the most attended race on the calendar. It looked a bit bleak becaue of the shear size of the place but the numbers showed serious support.....certainly the first 4 years. Any other venue such as Disney, Vegas.... would create a side show like we use to have in the 90's with Vegas. PHX and Detroit.
I'm soooooooooooo tired of hearing that. Go look at all the current F1 races and you will see quite a few are not in the best geographical locations as far as spectator access and hotel/motel accomodations. In the USA, you are going to attract the current F1 fans, and VERY FEW folks to just wander in that are not already fans of the series. With that said, if you live in the USA and YOU are an F1 fan, you will (probably) go wherever the race is - IF you want to attend a race. PS - the difference between these races is government subsidies, that is the ONLY reason some of them even take place.
i went to indy every year. it was and is the only place viable location for the usgp. no other venue has the history and soul of auto racing in this country. i go for the race. if there are any side shows going on i'm usually to tired to attend because i'm at the track from the time the gate opens until it closes. i stay close to the track and buy my food at the supermarket so i can stay at the track. the cars and the race are why i go not the restaurants, not the strip clubs, not the casinos just to meet with friends and sit in the stands or on a hill overlooking the track. certainly i'd love to have the race in my backyard but that's not going to happen so i just hope it comes back to indy
Anything, but Arizona. They might arrest the drivers for having an accent and wearing different "shoes".
