Austin Formula 1 groundbreaking date released... DECEMBER

Here you go:

http://www.statesman.com/business/future-f1-site-revealed-825045.html?srcTrk=RTR_781143

http://www.formula1unitedstates.com/
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....he needs a graphics guy, too..........

Seriously David, this guy must exude charisma from every pore, when he's in the room???

I was on the job three days working for Newman Haas and I'd already rubbersheeted the pre-engineered .dwg files on top of a .pdf of the aerial photograph of downtown Houston, using some guys I had shaken out of the Oil Field topo industry.

He cut some Chartpak onto a partial Key Map????

That's IT??????

 

Adds a lot of credibility to their claims.
I wonder why they chose a name so similar to USF1 and all its bad associations though.
Good luck guys. If you race I will come.

 

There is no doubt this is going to happen - I have said it all along. There is also no doubt that with Billy Joe "Red" McCombs backing F1 will be here by 2012. I am so tired of the negativity - reminds me of my times living in the UK! Come on America where's that "can do " spirtit?

Mike,
1979 Maserati Merak.
Austin Texas.

 

RedMcCombs IS the kind of financial clout it'll take.....why, Texas Monthly featured his office refrigerator contents, only last month!!

Has some Luling BarB Que in there, IIRC.......

"Go team GO!"

 

Red McCombs?! Wow - this is definitely going to happen now....

 

+100

Quite honestly I think a lot of the people in these threads just don't like Austin or Texas. The negativity has been ridiculous.

 

That's the statesman's graphic. I don't claim to have completed any huge projects & even I can figure that out.

 

Disappointment haunted all my dreams.
Then I saw her face, now I'm a believer
Not a trace of doubt in my mind.
I'm in love, I'm a believer!

 

Ya big Monkee

This is a big step but we're not there yet. I'm much more optimistic than I was before the announcement.

 

And billionaire Chad Hurley was behind USF1.

Still don't think there will be a US GP in Austin in 2012.

 

Mike, a serious question. Do you think that in today's world it is easier to start a viable F1 team or put on an F1 race at a new venue?

 

It's FAR easier to pave concrete, IMO...there's a ton of Tech in a competitive F1 car these days.

 

I just finished a CAD/BIM presentation today on a new $1Billion dollar medical facility here, they (owner and design team)seemed to like it!

Pretty realistic rendering by my team, I was proud.
We are working off of 50% concept drawings at this point...

Let's see if I get the job......

Marketing is just marketing...ya know???
I'm rooting for this team of 'promoters', just interested from a construction standpoint.

 

Some things just speak for themselves. From the Austin NBC affiliate's story on the press conference ["elude" is NBC's usage]:



When asked what the economic impact would be for him, McCombs got a laugh from the crowd when he replied, "Well, I hope it's immense." [size=+2]He did elude to the need to raise much more capital for the estimated $250 million track.[/size]"


http://www.kxan.com/dpp/sports/mccombs-invests-f1-site-revealed

 

Dr. Freud your slip may be showing.

 

LOL

Would that be Dr. Schaden-Freud?

 

I agree plus all the planets must align perfectly for them to build it in 18 months time.

BUT that being said if it can be done anywhere I can't think of any place better than here in Austin the capitol of Texas with the government already committing they will not only help with the sales tax slush fund set asside for major events but hand walking the permitting process and of course Red bankrolling.

http://www.kxan.com/dpp/sports/mccombs-invests-f1-site-revealed

 

You know, I hope they succeed. I really do. Maybe I've seen too many projects, backed by very deep pockets and seemingly good for a local economy, fail for one reason or another.

I'd love to go to an F1 race in Austin. When they get the money and the construction permits, I'll buy a tee shirt.

 

If you're talking without the benefit of an unlimited (i.e. royalty) wad of cash that is replenished from a money tree in the back yard, I would have to say it would be easier to start a viable F1 team.

You just have to stay within the 107% rule, be very judicious with expenses and be content to be on the grid and running.

I don't think any F1 venue can make money these days unless Bernie makes radical changes to his contracts. And as long as he has a line of people with money trees willing to pay, he won't make those changes.

And if an F1 race can't make money, it probably won't happen outside of charity or gov't investment.. and I am not sure there are either of those two things to the extent necessary in the USA to support a new track.


What's your opinion?

 

There is a good deal of difference between running a team and a track, this is like comparing apples and oranges or worse. With the track the big if is where does the investment money come from. If the investors own and operate the track, the track then only has to make enough revenue to cover operations to be a going concern. That doesn't make the investors happy, but it's still a going concern. If the money is borrowed, whether loans, bonds, or however, then the capital has to be paid back as well as meeting operating expenses, which is a whole different animal. If the track is well designed and built, new capital may not be necessary for some time. With a racing team, much of the capital investment, such as the plant, machinery, carriers, etc. are also going to last, but the cars are not. They require constant redevelopment and replacement. If the driver hits the wall, poof, new capital investment. The track doesn't hit the wall, and it doesn't have to meet new specs every year as well as becoming obsolete while you're standing looking at it.

 

At the risk of further pissing off the people who want this GP to happen.... it has been my observation over the years that big deals like this are often/usually huge moneymakers for the first guys in, even if the deals themselves fall apart. Sort of like any IPO. I have no knowledge of Red McCombs other than what little I've read about him in a few articles today, but he is a savvy businessman and certainly not against utilizing whatever resources are presented to earn $$$. An F1 race is an opportunity to make a whole lot of money, and he has a big name. I have no doubt that his part in this means he's getting paid whether this things works out or not. I am sure he got a preferential equity position at least, maybe (a lot) more for being the first one to sign up (publicly) for this deal.

I do hope it works out, because I would really love to have a US GP again. But to me, it still doesn't pass the smell test. I don't think they can get a track built in < 1.5 years and if this was a real event, I don't think Tavo would ever be the one they would contract with. I think it's a hail Mary pass on Tavo's part, zero risk on Bernie's part - at best, if it works out, he got a cherry deal out of the USA. If it doesn't work out, it's a useful bargaining chip with Indy.

 

If it's all legit with Red McCombs and all, and the F1 cars are legitimately scheduled to line up on the grid in Austin in 2012, then put me down for a round of drinks for the F-Chat crew sometime that weekend.

 

I'll take a LARGE margarita thanks!