Anti-Miami Formula One Petition | FerrariChat

Anti-Miami Formula One Petition

Discussion in 'Florida' started by BartonWorkman, Nov 16, 2017.

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  1. BartonWorkman

    BartonWorkman F1 Veteran
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    Just ran across this petition on the Miami Herald site.

    I knew Miami was on a short list of potential new F1 venues in the US but
    did not know that the plan had moved forward to create this debate.

    https://www.betterfloridaalliance.org/petitions

    BHW
     
  2. HotShoe

    HotShoe F1 Veteran
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    That sucks!!!!

    What could possibly be cooler than having an F1 Race here?

    Funny how they don’t mind Art Basel, Urban Week or Ultra but F1 is bad.
     
    Gh21631 and FLY YELLOW like this.
  3. GuyIncognito

    GuyIncognito Nine Time F1 World Champ
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    where is the proposed site? Bayfront Park? if so I can see how people would be against it, downtown Miami is far more populated (both residences and office workers) now than when previous races were held there.

    Tamiami Park was used by CART in the 80's, that should work now (but not as picturesque)
     
  4. BMW.SauberF1Team

    BMW.SauberF1Team F1 World Champ

    Dec 4, 2004
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    Like every other F1 venue, F1/FIA will probably want the local government to pay a large sum of money to bring the race there. If that's the case, I agree F1 shouldn't run there. F1 sucks and doesn't deserve a cent of tax payer money let alone the ability to televise that crap on TV.

    They can take their halo-wearing vacuum cleaning sounding cars elsewhere for their stupid parade endurance laps.
     
  5. BartonWorkman

    BartonWorkman F1 Veteran
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    I've reached out to the guy who would be in the know in this regard.

    He's kind of hit and miss on Email but he usually does react eventually.

    Last I heard anything about F1 in Miami, there was discussion about reviving the original Bayfront Park
    but details were so sketchy it hardly seemed to matter. But, with this petition on the Miami Herald site,
    something must be in the works otherwise, why bother?

    I do know that the last iteration of the Miami Grand Prix of Americas which included CART and ALMS,
    the promoters asked for and got a $4M loan from the City of Miami which was never paid back. I'd be
    surprised if the same people (whom I happen to know) would be involved in this deal but it's Miami
    so you never know.

    BHW
     
  6. TheMayor

    TheMayor Nine Time F1 World Champ
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    Vegas baby
    The locals of Long Beach do not like the race there either.
     
  7. BartonWorkman

    BartonWorkman F1 Veteran
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    Just spoke with my "in".

    He says that he knew about a full page ad that Homestead/Miami International Speedway took out in the
    Miami Herald several weeks ago which was very anti-Formula One in downtown Miami.

    He elaborates that he spoke with the mayor's office and that they told him that there is "A very exciting
    proposal" but who is bringing the money?

    Recalling when the first Miami Grand Prix of the Americas happened, Homestead (ISC), put up such
    a fuss about the whole thing that the event was under threat of not happening right up to the first Friday
    practice sessions.

    So, obviously, Homestead (ISC) would be very against any sort of race be it F1 or lawn mower racing
    taking place in downtown. This quite likely explains who is behind the anti-F1 petition on the Miami
    Herald site.

    My friend says that he is continuing to look into it and he'll get back with me when he learns more.

    Best we may do for now.

    BHW
     
  8. energy88

    energy88 Two Time F1 World Champ
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    Maybe Sebring, Daytona, St. Pete, etc.… should jump in and let Homestead know they are not the only game in town.
     
  9. BartonWorkman

    BartonWorkman F1 Veteran
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    To be clear, Daytona, Sebring and Homestead are all controlled by the ISC now.

    And, while they think that they can control a virtual monopoly over all of racing in Florida, their
    efforts have been blunted at times by upstarts like St. Petersburg and a few other new independent
    club type tracks that are starting to pop up.

    Ask Brian Gaines what he had to endure from the ISC's team of lawyers when he tried launching
    Lightning Ridge Motorsports Park between Daytona and Ocala. They made his life a living hell,
    and even though the nearest residence was eight miles from his proposed location, the ISC had
    the local county putting up noise ordinances, all this, and fought him every step of the way.

    The attitude of the ISC/NASCAR is that a dollar spent on any other form of racing is a dollar out
    of their pocket that they will stop at nothing to recoup.

    BHW
     
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  10. BartonWorkman

    BartonWorkman F1 Veteran
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    Some late night messages came in regarding proposed Miami F1 Grand Prix from another
    source and I'm being told "It's happening".

    Supposing that this indeed the case, the likely date would be for 2019. For the ensuing
    two years, there is going to be a right royal war in Miami Dade between Homestead/ISC
    and organizers (Liberty), things could get ugly fast.

    BHW
     
  11. BartonWorkman

    BartonWorkman F1 Veteran
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    The difference is Art Basel, Urban Week and Ultra don't compete with Homestead/ISC...

    BHW
     
  12. GuyIncognito

    GuyIncognito Nine Time F1 World Champ
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    then why doesn't ISC promote the race? seems logical, now that they control oval and sports car racing in the US, might as well jump in to F1 as well.
     
  13. energy88

    energy88 Two Time F1 World Champ
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    ISC had better hope that their skulduggery does not stir up Greenpeace to take notice and adopt the anti-environmental cause ("big time noise pollution") in the petition and start protesting at their 3 tracks, too.
     
  14. BartonWorkman

    BartonWorkman F1 Veteran
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    The ISC/NASCAR promoting Formula One is just so not going to happen. That's akin to the NFL promoting
    the NBA. NASCAR is only interested in NASCAR. And, as stated before, the way they see it, any dollar
    spent on any other form or racing (or sports for that matter) is a dollar out of their pocket that they will
    stop at nothing to recoup.

    Of course, what goes around comes around. But, as I've been warning now for the better part of two
    decades, when NASCAR controls a monopoly over all U.S. motorsport, a war like this will be the inevitable
    result.

    F1 wants to come into NASCAR's back yard? They're going to make such a media fuss and get the old people and rubes so riled up that FOM will need to have some in court on a daily basis.

    BHW
     
  15. HotShoe

    HotShoe F1 Veteran
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    That’s the inside scoop and makes complete sense.

    The petition presented to the general public is pushed on the premise that they don’t want it due to traffic, road closures, etc.

    Sad that Homestead would try to submarine this. Makes me like Sebring that much more now. :)
     
  16. BartonWorkman

    BartonWorkman F1 Veteran
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    Yeah, the ISC is going to push every button to try and make the F1 deal sound as bad as
    possible to the Miami public. As if every major thoroughfare here isn't already under
    construction or at least one lane closure on every street, driving here is already a major
    pain in the ass.

    Sebring wouldn't be much better though. Try announcing you're building a club racing track
    within a 100 mile radius of Sebring and see how fast the ISC lawyers are at your front door
    with a blizzard of paperwork. Ha!

    Since the public in Sebring has largely been eliminated from the proceedings during 12 Hours
    week, a-la when I was a kid there and they did the technical inspections/weigh-ins and race
    parade down town, generally speaking the public in Sebring could give a flying crap about
    The Race.

    BHW
     
  17. GuyIncognito

    GuyIncognito Nine Time F1 World Champ
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    so why do they mess with the money loser that is sports car racing?
     
  18. BartonWorkman

    BartonWorkman F1 Veteran
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    NASCAR/ISC officialdom and their media talking heads have openly stated their intention to control
    a monopoly over all of racing in the U.S. going back 20-sum years.

    They vanquished the ALMS and absorbed IMSA in the hostile take over (ur, um, merger), all part
    of the plan along with the ISC's acquisition of Sebring and Road Atlanta, just growing their empire.
    At least the Canadians were smart enough to keep NASCAR's mitts off of Mosport.

    Eliminate the competition, take whatever remaining sponsors there may be and funnel them all
    into NASCAR.

    Of course, the plan is flawed, it will never work and one of the main reasons Indy Car must
    remain strong.

    BHW
     
  19. GuyIncognito

    GuyIncognito Nine Time F1 World Champ
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    that's why it make sense for them to promote an F1 race.

    they drove IndyCar to the brink of extinction.

    they drove ALMS to extinction, then took over endurance racing completely.

    if they promoted an F1 race they'd control top level racing in the US, and drive COTA out of business to boot...which they could then buy for pennies on the dollar.
     
  20. BartonWorkman

    BartonWorkman F1 Veteran
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    Getting back on topic for a moment, this Better Florida Alliance outfit looks shady at best.

    Their sole online presence is a Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/betterfloridaalliance/),
    which should be indication enough that they're a bunch of tossers, and then on the FB page, there
    is a link to a website betterfloridaalliance.com but when clicking on that, it goes to a domain for
    sale page.

    The thing we should be doing if we want to see F1 in Miami is vanquish this Better Florida Alliance
    nonsense and cut the anti-F1 messengers off by any means.

    I would propose that any such organization whose sole means of generating their message is via
    Facebook ain't got much going for them to begin with.

    BHW
     
  21. definitelysomeday

    definitelysomeday Formula Junior

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    From the web:

    "SHADY GROUP, HEAVY HITTERS -- In a low-key email announcement last night, a new 501(c)(4) group popped up calling itself the Better Florida Alliance. The group announced the hiring of two Tallahassee based consultants with ties to the governor: Brian Burgess served as his communications director and Josh Cooper currently serves as executive director of Scott's Let's Get To Work committee. The group says it is not affiliated in any way with Scott. According to their website, BFA aims to “shape the public policy debate in 2016,” and with a presidential race and open U.S. Senate seat up for grabs, BFA is worth keeping an eye on."

    Directors for the organization are John French, Emmett Mitchell, Sheila VanHoose, and John Costello. French and Mitchell seem to be Tallahassee lawyers. Vanhoose is a Broward lobbyist. Unsure of Costello.
     
  22. BartonWorkman

    BartonWorkman F1 Veteran
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    Thanks for this interesting information.

    BHW
     
  23. BartonWorkman

    BartonWorkman F1 Veteran
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  24. BMW.SauberF1Team

    BMW.SauberF1Team F1 World Champ

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  25. GuyIncognito

    GuyIncognito Nine Time F1 World Champ
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    holy crap :eek:
     

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