US GP in Austin Discussion and Speculation...

I just know what I read in the newspaper........
No, that's Will Rogers.

I'll extend the olive branch, as EVERYONE was "a little bit right"..

Reading that Forbes recap, the track DOUBLED in cost, from the $200M of Tavo to $450M "all in".....and the prime investor DID own the land, to start with.
Big chance there to push numbers around as it was a FAILED (or unbuilt anyway) low income MUD out in a cow pasture.

Bernie tried to protect Tavo as long as he could, but without the SIGNED deal (cost = $25M ) he was under the bus. He should have had his own investors, apart from the McCombs group.
He did have a storefront, but made a huge mistake packaging his license cost together with the track investment....
He did burn the new group for what, $2M??? He probably sent half of it with Tavo's Christmas greetings.

The State money has caused a LOT of hurt feelings in the Texas political scene, the fall out from that is yet to come.
"We are entertaining EUROpeeeuns, while our teachers starve hungry..."
Austin has kind of a trademark, on whiny drama....

We have a cool new track, but the financial challenge remains to book events and operate it at a profit for the investors....

TWS looms in College Station as an example of "if they cannot"...if I was drinking beer with Red I'd advise him to get Kevin Schwantz back, as a front man...and sell the MotoGP crowd.
There's a gazillion motorcyclists in the region, way more than F1 fans I would think.

See you on Thursday night at the Spoke!!!

 

Google 'Lucy's Chicken"....or the Italian "Tree House"

I'll push Mario's car out into the front yard (it's in the alley now)...you'll see it from either place.

I'll talk this weekend and see if either venue can cover us on the live music Permit.

Or we could just plug in, and risk going to Jail...
If you cannot find me...look in the Continental Club!!

I'll post my cell number that weekend...

 

Dang, 72-year old Mario wasn't just tooling around in a quick ceremonial lap, apparently they were really working him (guess there is more to this ambassador gig):

Here he is giving a playboy model a ride in one of the 3-seaters-

http://www.autoevolution.com/news/playboy-playmate-rides-in-f1-3-seater-at-new-texas-f1-tack-video-50910.html

 

I would buy you, Red, and KS that beer.

 

I don't know Red......my older brother knows Kevin's family.

 

Re; parking at the track. I just started looking at the options (don't want to take a shuttle if I don't have to)
Are there private lots near the track? Cota's website shows their 3 main lots sold out....
I like to have a well-thought out plan when it comes to attending a race
Kevin

 

Same here.

BTW: Once you have a plan for Spa, let me know. I'm still trying to figure that one out. I even looked into buying a "throw-away" bike in France to get to the place.

 

Video here. Looks like a fine track....

http://en.espnf1.com/usa/motorsport/story/92506.html

 

I agree the drivers feedback on it so far, is positive.

That was a 2004 Playboy bunny, maybe the fresh ones are coming on the NEXT bus......

Where's my stripper, "Michelle"????

 

That's GREAT!!!!

 

Just found this... It looks like turn 12 tickets are available $456 USD.... http://www.formula1.com/tickets_and_travel/

 

Careful those prices are in BP

 

Assumed euro. Corrected.

 

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5t8AiaeJnqo[/ame]

 

I'll be working Turn 1, next to the Helipad......not TOO close, tho....

 

A flagger? Or just "close to" turn 1?

IIRC, at least at Silverstone etc, you had to have volunteered for *years* (and have some medical/fire control etc training) before they'd let you near a marshalling post. Your early years were spent deep in the parking lots directing traffic etc - Barely get to see the cars.....

Wish you well anyway,
Cheers,
Ian

 

I'm a hostess.......

There are still openings for Track Operations and Corner Marshalls..check the website!!!
Not the TRACK website, there is another one, for COTA Volunteers, you follow a link on the Track website to see the open positions..

Beat around in there, it cannot be hard, if I did it!
Anyway I am working under Guest Services, and I made sure I was "inside"....they have 630 "Wayfinders", we get to direct 120,000 ticket holders to their seats....respectfully, with a smile.
The orientation was interesting and humorous, all the things we are "empowered" to "take care of", on behalf of a ticketed guest...and if we cannot we are empowered to FIND the person who CAN!

Of course, at 120,000 vs. 630, the odds were better, at the Alamo...

 

You know, I find it strange the Track (COTA rep of some sort) has never chimed into this thread....they are totally based on Facebook! LOL!

The General Admission is SOLD OUT
All Grandstands (Bleacher Seats, including the two they "added") are SOLD OUT
All onsite Parking is SOLD OUT
RV spaces trackside are SOLD OUT.
Those were a nice package, including hookups, and a big stack of General Admission passes.
I guess that's where NASCAR Nation will be....

As to the MAIN grandstands, all the swank Packages and Corporate stuff, they were a little 'close to the vest' on sharing that info.

I will NOT be in there, unless off course Tamara gets lost, getting of her helicopter,then the answer is "maybe"!!!!!

Anyone interested in the track development intrigue should grab a copy of Austin Monthly.
The November 2012 issue covers to role of Tavo's work in the whole event, and I'll admit we were all rather hard on the guy at the start here, he busted his ^%$&^ to make this all happen and without him, the Track Owners would not be where they are.
So, my opinion of him has changed over the past two years.
The irony is that he will operate the Track, with Bernie, for the F1 events..

He and Kevin Schwantz designed the track, there is a cocktail napkin sketch in the article, that proves it.

As I posted above, if he had executed at least the 10 year deal with Bernie, at $25M, he would have been 'in it', instead of 'out of it.'

 

The other thing, sad to me (can I just keep sharing? ) is the sales demographics.

The hotel "problem" (again just IMO) cost them most of the international business.

They know where every customer comes from, and AFTER South America (good), the response falls off like a ski jump.

By language:
Spanish: 8433
French:907
Portuguese:30
German:59
Japan: 13

Really?? Japan =13????

Now, admittedly maybe this tragedy is overstated, in my packet info, as a LOT of international business is within the Track Tours, the VIP account holders, F1 manufacturer's 'guest" passes, etc.

I have a chart by grandstand, I can see WHERE the 13 Japanese guests are sitting!
So that part is hugely interesting, if only to me.....

 

Here's some images from my "Assignment Package", I guess it's okay to share, with all my close friends.

These are pulled directly from the Construction documents and Tilke's modeling, I recognize them immediately...

The Track, complete:
Pedestrian Bridges should have been a more visible color, I told them to fix that...
I hope they post but they are .pdfs you may have to open them, to view..
View attachment 4463_001Good.pdf

 

Now HERE is my "Jurisdiction" the Turn 1 (and 2) Gate complex:
I wish they'd post into the view here....

You can see the Track Bridge in that image....getting around the Track is indeed a learning experience.
There's a Tram, but don't get on it, depending on where you are seated!!!
Going straight thru the Grand Plaza and walking over the bridges will be the shortest route, to Turn 2 Grandstand seats

Also, you'll be tired of walking....it's almost a mile, from the Shuttle Stop thru the Front Gate.
So they impressed upon us, the importance of GOOD directions, they don't want anyone walking/Tram riding the wrong way around the complex (that's over THREE miles, as we all know!!)
View attachment 4462_001 Turn1and 2 GOOD.pdf

 

If they ever figure out my LogIn here vs. my real name, ya'll will lose your Deep Throat!

 

Here is what they told us:

FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS ON YOUR TICKET!

There's only so many buses per Shuttle route, helicopters are every 6 minutes, and there WILL BE no 'taxi access/drop off' at all. They said that about 3 miles from the Track , roads get closed and/or redirected.....so if you rely on Mapquest, Google or ANY other info other than your assigned Shuttle Route, things will go horribly wrong!

You'll walk three miles (and they stressed the "no sidewalks, rattlesnakes in the brush, swamplands" info) and THEN you'll start the one mile walk, into the three mile track.

Tired yet???

 

Oh, we added a large Airstream trailer into our Private Party venue, so that's additional beds I can offer, in an emergency...

And as you all know, I consider any single hot girl an "emergency"....LOL!

 

Looks like a fantastic track. Should be a great event. Congratulations to COTA for pulling this off. Not a small task and a job well done.

For those attending,... have a great time. Have some BBQ for me. I like brisket sandwiches.