Thanks m8! Yeah, those Texan Cowboys clearly beat the Sopranos. More power to them. Will take you up on that offer. I'm sure the Austin GP will become an annual get-together of FChatters. Just as we had our parties in Indy.
+2 Actually, a NY race would be a win for Bernie, he should play nice with this one. F1 in NY didn't make sense to me at first but now I get it. Making money off a race in NY will not be difficult IMO. -F
Has anybody ever actually had crow? I bet it tastes just like chicken. A friend of mine loves to cook all kinds of birds. The smaller the happier he is. I had them occasionally, normally just a pain in the neck to eat: Lots of bones, little meat and an occasional lead pellet.
Might want to leave the crows alone. According to a recent PBS show they can recognize individual human faces. And communicate among themselves as to which of us is trouble.
Interesting read - Thanks for the link. Mystery indeed - Anything "substantial" on it before it went away? Wonder who has access to the COTA mailing list? Cheers, Ian
Maybe this will be taking its place..... http://www.planetf1.com/driver/18227/8186434/Qatar-wants-F1-test-and-race Might be an easy replacement. Another night race? It is fun to watch the Moto GP race here at night.
If the Austin ticket sales are as robust as claimed the NJ folks may be encouraged as to the health of F1 in the USA.
http://www.f1weakly.com/uncategorized/the-real-reason-why-no-f1-in-new-jersey-2013/ "After news broke that the second US race in 2013, to be hosted at New Jersey’s proposed street circuit was scrapped, media and race fans instantly believed this was because head honcho Bernie Ecclestone had not received the usual fee’s that all hosts must pay." "This has been turned on it's head however as information is emerging that Bernie himself did not pay local underworld figures enough, and in fact was beaten at his own (racketeering-esque) game...."
Fair comment!...... Very true. Pay the man, and all is good. Jerk his chain even a little and lookout! [Does seem some of these promoters take a while to figure that out. ] Cheers, Ian
"Oh, you left out a bunch of stuff." "Oh, really? Like what, for instance?" "First of all, you have to grease the local politicians for the sudden zoning problems that always come up. "Then there's the kickbacks to the carpenters. "And if you plan on using any cement in this building, I'm sure the teamsters would like to have a little chat with you, and that'll cost you. "Don't forget a little something for the building inspectors. "There's the long-term costs, such as waste disposal. "I don't know if you're familiar with who runs that business, but I assure you it's not the boy scouts." -- Back to School Welcome to Noo Joisey, Bernie. Fuggitabowdit. When they say NJ politicians were met by a cheering mob, ... Was that Long Beach? They had a similar problem the last time F1 ran there, with the manhole covers coming loose, because they'd only bolted them down instead of welding them. (And that was the days of the side skirt cars.) Which is one of the reasons that was the *last* time F1 ran there.
Ouch. Don't bring a knife to a gun fight. In all seriousness, like I said before, Bernie should play nice because I believe this race represents easy money. -F
I'm starting to get really worried about this race for several reasons: - lack of $ is a VERY bad sign - Bernie is now publicly criticizing the organizers of the NY GP - Austin has become a reality and the teams can now get off Bernie's back about not having a US GP - new candidates are at the door: Sochi, Bangkok, Qatar and Mexico City Just last week Bernie commented on all the new venues. It is always interesting to hear what he says or doesn't say: He did NOT mention any difficulties regarding Sochi and Bangkok (read: the governments are paying no matter what) whereas he remains sceptical re: NY F1 races financially are a loosing proposition. They only survive through subsidies. That puts government sponsored races on the map and privately financed ones in jeopardy.
All good points. You just never know with Bernie, what's real and what's just negotiation tactics. I agree F1 races are typically money loosing propositions. But it seems like most of those situations involve a purpose build track (mega bucks) built in out of the way locations (low turn out). A NJ race would, I assume, be cheaper to set up and would be pretty easy to sell seats. Maybe the NJ promoters are just being difficult and Bernie will have none of that. But man, a savvy businessman should never fight easy money and I think Bernie is doing just that. -F
Totally agreed that a street race is cheaper. That's why I once said that NY will happen and Austin not. I also believe that Bernie really wants the NY GP simply because it is a very cool idea and fits in his with glamour view of F1 (Monaco, Singapore, Abu Dhabi). But in the end $ is what makes or breaks Bernie's decision. If the organizers in NJ were naive/stupid enough not to stick to Bernie's/Soprano's timetable for paying up, then they only got themselves to blame.
Yep. They must have thought they were negotiating with a gentleman. Additionally, the NJ race promoters should realize a truth that affects this whole thing, especially with the race in Austin now part of the schedule: They need Bernie more than Bernie needs them. -F
I will be once again eating crow. My Davidson, nc friends have let me down again. I must say this time it came as a real surprise. Not sure what REALLY happened but I will find out when I head east and grab lunch with a friend that was in the know. I'm sure it will make for an interesting discussion. Until then....crow for me!
