US GP in Austin Discussion and Speculation...

When and to whom is that money dispersed?

Does Texas write FOM (?) a $25M check before, during, or after the GP each year?

 

The Comptroller write's a check when Tavo asks for it.

They haven't even applied for it yet. They have to wait until less than a year before the event is scheduled to apply for the funds. All that happened today was the State approved the appropriations needed for it.

A big step, but not the last one to secure the state funding

http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/Docs/CV/htm/CV.83.10.htm#5190.14

 

Hopefully Texas will ask to see proof that the project has a reasonable chance of being completed before writing the check...

 

I'm sure FOM will do enough due diligence before setting a date for 2012. No date set by them = no application to get the $$ from the comptroller to begin with.

Even if, they set a date, and Tavo doesn't deliver. The comptroller won't be on the hook for the breech of contract penalities. Mentioned explicitly (same link from two posts up.....)

 

So really, what is the current situation? Will there be an F1 race in Austin in 2012? Even 2013?

Or is this really just a dead issue?

 

Hi Ron,

The honest answer is the few who know aren't taking. Even by Tavo's own schedule they are way behind. Comparing progress to any other recent track, puts them even farther behind than Tavo's schedule.

Opinions are split... I personally think the project is running on fumes hoping for a savior with a trainload of gold... Others believe the lack of progress is due to permits...

Time will tell... But in the year since this project was announced they have done little more than move a few thousand yards of dirt and put up a fancy sign. The pipelines still sit where they did a year ago... The 1 lane road in /out is unchanged.

Not a word about it during this weekends Monaco GP coverage on Speed (that I caught)... Maybe I'm hearing what reinforces my belief,... but why so silent during the "Grandest Grand Prix of them all"...

Stay tuned...

 

They've done a little bit more than move dirt around.......Come July and they haven't started putting up buildings and I'd start worrying.

They weren't even going to file for the first building permit for a structure until the second week of April. Guess if they get them started by July, that'd put them at 10 weeks behind. Not too bad

 

http://www.kvue.com/news/local/Circuit-of-the-Americas-F1-track-construction-on-schedule-122738804.html

According to a press release, the following progress has been made:
• Elevation of entire 3.4 mile track is now cut into the site with flags marking each turn
• Construction of access tunnels well underway (tunnels go under the circuit for tractor trailers carrying race cars and other equipment can get inside the facility)
• Construction of pit building foundation is beginning
• Utility line construction well underway

Doesn't quite line up with the bid package milestones.

 

Extreme emphasis on "bit"...

 

True. Its the only hard dates we can set though. As BigTex explained earlier, all of the other dates are just ranges, and ideal ones at best.

As far as I understand, they're still waiting to hear back from FEMA. A few more things to get resolved before they can really kick it in gear (I hope)

@Simon - that bid for 3,7MM for the public water lines that we discussed last week is going through the city and Tavo & co. are paying them back. It seems like a logical assumption that if it's being bid through the city for developer reimbursement, the city has done their homework to see if they can get paid back. Just a guess, but I think its a fair assumption to make

 

Where's your optimism??? There is really only one 1 thing to resolve,... or 400,000,000 things depending on how you want to count it!

 

I said I wouldn't post further on Austin and I'm not. Just got back from Monaco to watch a video of the nonsense at Indy.

When Massa hit the armco in the tunnel, when Perez hit the barrier at the chicane, when Petrov got caught up at the swimming pool, the yellow was on it a heartbeat.

But when a rookie at Indy (not a favorite son perhaps?) hits the wall in plain sight of the starter with debris flying everywhere, it takes race control 8 seconds to throw the yellow? BS!!! TOTAL and UNADULTERATED BS!!

Weldon didn't "win" anything. IndyCar gave him a gift waiting until after the pass to throw the yellow.

BTW: attached are Vettel, Alonzo, Button nose to tail through Turn 1 on the restart after Petrov's shunt. Then you see the world's best corner workers get Maldonado's car off the track and do a precautionary sweep before the leaders make it back 1:17 later. Gotta love F1!
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Good point.

However I didn't understand what the big deal is anyway: the rookie still got 2nd place despite totaling the car. That's pretty darn good. The commentators were talking as if that guy just threw his life away when in reality he ended 2nd instead of 1st. Big deal

 

We try to keep discussion of races in dedicated threads with a *spoiler* warning in the heading. U went?? How was it, man?

More pictures off of the friends of formula 1 austin page. They sure have moved around a LOT of dirt

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.118561991560739.29636.106702412746697
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good news, Tavo & Co. are gonna help pay for the road improvements....

full speed ahead soon?

http://www.statesman.com/news/local/f1-developers-offer-to-help-pay-for-fm-1508216.html

 

Thoughts on the number of workers seen on the linked video?

A. More than enough
B. Appropriate
C. Not even close to enough

There is a 12K ft^2 house going up a couple streets over from me... seems there are more workers at that site...

 

b. appropriate for what they're permitted to do??

They don't a LOT of excavation there.

 

Oh great, I come back from the long weekend and NOW you are talking smack about my Yellow Hat friends at Indy!

That's the last straw!!





At Indy they throw the yellow flag to clean up, it had little bearing on his pass to SAFELY pick his way past the flaming wreckage and pick up the win.

The yellow lights are not wired into impact switches in the SAFER barrier, it's a call from the track spotters to Race Control, then they have to flip the switch to change the traffic signals lining the course.

I did think it fortunate he continued sliding down the wall, to cross the bricks.
Second place money at the Indy 500 isn't a bad day at the office you know.

 

A friend of mine told me that the yellow flag is not used in the last lap. If that's true, then I understand the marshall's decision. Otherwise it is a farce.

But we're way off track here.

 

Wouldn't be the first time we got off track. Without all the side talk, this couldn't be the biggest thread evr in the f1 section

 

1st at Indy makes your entire career...immortality on the Borg Warner trophy with the likes of Mario Andretti, Emerson Fittipaldi, and Jim Clark. 2nd means nothing...it IS a big deal.

It was heart wrenching to see that rookie throw the race away in the last corner especially since Wheldon won who has already won there before.

 

Wheldon doesn't even have a job (full time ride) this season??

I think his wife was happiest, about the payday.
Mine used to kiss me like that, on Fridays......

Okay back to 'construction talk', baby!

Somebody find George Carlins 'bit' on watching construction out the office window.....

 

Except that NO ONE had made a high line work thru Turn 4, all day.

In fact there IS no high line thru Turn 4, once the race has run more than a few laps at speed.
"The marbles" are there, waiting for you!

You don't run on the paint line at the bottom, either!!

 

BigTex, you didnt take the Simon quiz.

 

Multiple choice?

Is there a "who knows???" selection??

Dirt work is often maddenly slow, and for that reason alone they are focusing on the actual paving surface of the Track itself.

The support structures can use precast concrete panels cast off site and a host of other tricks to go up surprisingly fast once the permits are in hand.

I once did an 1,1oo bed Jail project in which ALL the walls, and the ceiling slab were planks like that.

Goes up fast, but kind of tough if you inadvertantly omit a light switch or something from a 6" think wall.