I'll call and try to get on the Bid List for the Electrical package.... NASA is rather slow these days......and UTMB Galveston is 'slow playing' the money...... I have some proprietary drawings on the table today that looks like a small city....can't tell you exactly "where"........
It only appears so. Big buildings can go up quickly now because many parts are prefab'd and brought on site as plug-in parts. The only thing about it that's quick is that the on site construction seems to be amazingly fast. But there's a lot of off-site construction that took time, which the casual observer observer doesn't see. For a track though, the construction itself shouldn't take that long but there's also the design (both track and facilities). Normally you wouldn't break ground until you have a complete design ...
I think a lot of us would be more optimistic if it weren't for the Korean experience where track construction continued through race weekend.
LOL! The night before the Texaco Grand Prix of Houston, after the gala with the Mayor I walked the track in my tux and thanked the City of Houston workers out there touching up asphalt and welding down manhole covers.. I pulled a couple of Macanudos out, and with a welder guy we lit them of off his flaming torch he was using..... It was a good thing I did so well, the next day!!!
Sounds like the story of the finish carpenters who were still working on the Titanic's maiden (why do we need to call it that, there was only one after all) voyage. Happy New Year
Now THOSE were some unlucky workman!! Interesting details in that film I watched it the other night for the first time.....I never realized they were traveling WFO, when it hit..... Happy New Year to you!! It's BOUND to get better!! LOL! I'll go check the Bid Board on this project........
Eat some crow baby!!!!! Groundbreaking today! Thanks redcar1 for the link http://m.statesman.com/statesman/pm_21986/contentdetail.htm;jsessionid=3E191F59B1503A8A59EE984B32E332DF?contentguid=LIVVu4GW
Call me cynical but it wouldn't be the first time a token effort's been made just to meet a contractual deadline. Between Christmas and New Year's I can't even get anyone on the phone and these guys are out in the field starting a major project? I do hope I'm wrong and look forward to eat crow but...
http://www.statesman.com/news/local/construction-finally-under-way-on-austins-f1-facility-1154979.html
This is fantastic news. I know it doesn't mean all that much, but its something. Congrats to them for getting it going. Mark
To recap what has been accomplished to date: State Comptroller and Governor announce $25million in monetary help to F1 race. Hire HKS, a premier global design firm for layout and buildings. Hire Austin Commercial, another huge, global firm to built the facility. Jump through all the approval hoops to get started in a tough tree-hugging area. Start moving dirt by installing the silt fencing around the project, which is required to be there prior to the heavy dirtwork commencing. And you still don't believe ? Being around roadwork and development my whole life, the track getting done is not a problem. Not an above ground, building guy, so cannot speak for the stands and facilities. I am very excited to have this world class facility in an area of Texas that has rugged natural beauty and rolling hills. Come on down !
USF1 had a tub, a factory and a bunch of people and it all came crashing down in the end despite numerous affirmations from Pinzor Wheener. So forgive us for being sceptics. USF1 has done a tremendous amount of damage to the reputation of any US business related to F1. That said, all the progress looks promising and I keep my fingers crossed.
Building a Race team and Building a Race Track..........although endearing similar interests..........i would assume, involve vastly differing infrastructures? I would think, entities interested in funding a race team, may not necessarily be similar to those interested in building a track.......... and vice versa. So comparing USF1 to Austin doesn't seem to make much sense to me..........unless they involved the same people........I do not know....beyond my area of expertise. Just hope it works.
USF1 was a team effort not a new venue for F1 so I fail too see the correlation between the two? Aswell I do not see how their effort effects our, the USA's, reputation towards F1 as I thought that was a strictly non-US biased opinion? I'm a optimist and not a pessimst where anything is possible.
Both involve vast amounts of money. Both are geared towards the US having a piece of the F1 action. Both have similar/related fan bases and customers. Both require support and sponsorship money towards a similar target audience/market. Both require some kind of faith/trust into the endeavour itself by the supporters and fans. I see a lot of parallels in this actually. USF1 destroyed all the trust of its American fan base. Let's hope the USGP can right the ship again. After all it is a different group of folks.
