So Bernie Ecclestoneis is not happy with Indy and the U. S. of A.!

Are you smoking something? NASCAR is entertaining?

 

Now here is a guy who knows racing!

 

You can blame technology for that one. Once people realized the potential (still not met today, but close to the limit), they started spending like crazy to reach it. Computers changed everything including budgets. Also the technology in tv broadcasting, which meant more sponsors ($$$). Remember when the F1 cars were just colored in the country colors like British Racing Green for Lotus?

We won't see anything like we did before racing-wise unless you to go to a spec series. Even Nextel Cup has dominant cars in what one would think wouldn't. Hendrick has won 10 of 14 races. Sounds a bit F1, doesn't it?

 

Mexico is picking up a Grand Prix race in '09 I think it is... And you still will have Montreal...

 

The "everything is close to Indy" argument is bogus. The city of Indianapolis has sold themselves on this fact for a very long time, but it's an irrelevant statitistic. MOST of the USA population is on the East coast, especially in the North East. A city in Maryland, or especially W. Virginia, Tennessee or N. Carolina would have a better "X% of the population lives within 500 miles" stat than Indy. Furthermore, what relevance does the 500 mile number have? Is that the distance people will drive? I doubt it. That's a good 10+ hours of driving. I'd say that beyond a couple hundred miles, most would prefer to fly. A city with lots of hotel rooms, plenty of cheap flights, a good climate and some interesting things to do ranks much higher than how many % of people live w/in 500 miles. With all possible respect to Indy residents, the city sucks. There is little to do, and it pales in comparison (in terms of American culture) to New York, Boston, San Francisco, LA and plenty of others. LA may be lacking in culture but it does not lack in terms of things to do and climate. It also is glitzy and glamorous and would make Indy look like an embarassment in terms of making people want to come to the USA based on what they see on TV. And Vegas reigns supreme in cheap flights and hotel rooms. And NO city on the planet is better at hosting an event than Vegas is.

As a matter of fact the only thing Indy has going for it is the track - but it's nowhere near the jewel track of the USA as Tony George would like to have folks believe. Its probably better than any other in terms of amenities but in terms of the quality and interest of the actual track and the races held on it, it pales next to Laguna or Road Atlanta or Watkins Glen.

Now as for NASCAR and the Indy 500 - they are exciting to watch, but they are much less competitive than F1. They aren't even in the same zip code, state, country or hemisphere in terms of competitiveness. Just that most of F1's competitiveness is off-track in how the money is spent and how the cars are engineered. One should not mistake randomness with competitiveness. Just because it's a toss-up who will or may win a race, because there are so many rules that negate real competitiveness in favor of randomness, one should not make the mistake of thinking NASCAR and IRL are more competitive than F1. They simply are not.

 

I'd rather watch paint dry than watch NASCAR...

 

Don't forget my hometown of Orlando. I believe they and Las Vegas basically swap positions for # of hotel rooms every once in a while. Orlando also has a large international airport. Of course tons of attractions in the city and it's only a 1.5 hour drive east for NASA and Daytona Beach and a 1.5 hour drive west for Tampa and the gulf coast beaches (also has an international airport).

 

Yeah...Vegas or Orlando. We'll end up with another one of those canned tracks that Hermann Tillke coughs up every few years, or some half-assed street circuit, or oval with an infield "road course."

 

Hi,
I like the idea of a Vegas race but I do not want to see another flat
race track.
If they buildt a track in Vegas, it would probably be flat. They
could go out of the city and build one up against a moutain but
that would not help. They need to find some valley to build one
in and there is none around Vegas.
Bernie has so much money he should just build one in the middle
of California lets say like Pismo Beach. Has a nice ring to it.
Paul

 

Nothing against Orlando, but it's not fit to ride Vegas's jock in terms of which is better at hosting an event. Vegas is a city who'se business is entertainment. They have the best hotels, the best shows, the most things to do, the most glamour and glitz, and the most unique environment for an F1 race. Orlando is cool, with a good track, but it ain't no Vegas.

 

Vegas has definitely become more family friendly over the years. I was last there in 1996 when things started to take off a little more (Mandalay Bay, Monte Carlo, and a few other new places were just under construction). I think the biggest problem would be the track layout like said earlier. It's a really flat area and even though a night street race would *look* nice, I don't think it would be great racing.

When it comes down to traveling to an F1 race in person, I'd like a few things. Location and surrounding areas and then of course the track. I think somewhere in So Cal would be great. Nice elevation changes (just look at Laguna Seca) plus tons of places to go and things to do around that track. Vegas could get really old very fast if they have a 5+ year contract even though they have new developments going on. It's really the same product just packaged differently at each hotel.

 

I watch F1 because that is where FERRARI races. There is much less coverarge of privateer efforts, but I have been following ALMS and now LM because Ferrari is there too, though it is not the same as the factory efforts.

I'll watch Nascar as soon as Ferrari puts in a car. Same with the Indy 500, which I found as visually exciting as a ceiling fan.

F1 is great fun when Ferrari opens a big ol American sized can-o whupazz, like in Melbourne. Now I am just waiting for another dose.

 

I don't mind Nascar and I find them highly entertaining when they're on the road courses. I hate watching CART or INDY on ovals. That's just a waste.

 

I was hoping Vegas would beat Indy when the location was being decided a few years ago. Other than the race what's in Indy? Not the exact place I think of going for a long weekend with the wife. With Vegas it's a destination in itself! Like going to the 24hrs of Le Mans - turn it into a nice Paris vacation, same with Monaco or even Montreal. The Glen could be fun but I'd rather go to California to Monterey/Laguna Seca.

How about the Garmin tv commercial... turn left in 200 ft, turn left in 200ft... traffic ahead... numb skulls.

 

Maybe he didn't like seeing all the "Brickyard 400" flags and signs all over town.

 

and there it is.

 

Yep. If they pulled out of F1 (unlikely) I wouldn't watch F1 much unless the USA had it's own F1 team and drivers.

 

Hmm, I wasn't aware that NYC must be 499 miles from Indy

From an F1/manufacturer's point of view, that 'great, middle part of the U.S.' isn't too relevant, as imports & exotics get more of their $$$ from the coasts, not the midwest.

Like many who've posted, appears to me that the Indy 500 isn't even worth watching anymore(I usually go on vacation that weekend now, when yrs ago, I used to be glued to the tube - 'All Indy, all weekend').

As for Bubba Racin', who cares?
It may be 'competitive', but other than an occasional road race, I'm not much interested in watchin' cars turn left.

 

+1

 

LMAO! +1!

 

Unlike the USA many of these emerging nations have little or no real motorsport history or facilites. Maylasia is a great example... that race is either attended by the employees of large corporations or the elite of the nation... not many ordinary run of the mill Malaysians will pay the $250 for a ticket... in the USA $60 gets you into NASCAR, ALMS, INDY, CART etc... ok so they dont have Factroy Ferrari's, but there is so much more to choose from... Today's F-1 race from Indy was great ( as F-1 goes ) but regardless of the Alonzo - Hamilton war... the pole guy won!!!

I've been a life long ( 40 years ) fan of F-1, I know the history of the sport better than most Europeans, Brits, French you name it... and F-1 is really DEAD... its not the same sport, not even a sport any more.... its like WWF wrestling for world masses... LE Mans was far more interesting to a real gear head, and it has everything you need, glarmor, great driving, exotic marques, etc.... and you can actually see the drivers as humans, see the cars up close, and all for a bargan under $100 for 3-4 day ticket!!!

As for F-1 in the USA... when it left the Glen, that was its true death... Detroit was a short lived rescue... but that's it.... for F-1 to work in the USA it HAS to be in the North East or California... that means either Watkins Glen, or Laguna Seca... neither of which will meet FIA track specs.... Indy was a nice try, I feel for Tony George... but its never gonna be a center piece like in India, or Malaysia... and frankly in those countrys if folks want to spend $300 for a grandstand seat more power to them... I'll watch it on TV... like I have been doing for the last 20 years. I just count my self lucky to have lived when I did ... I got to talk to and see my heros up close and personal, and it did not take an act of God to do it or thousands of $$$, an ordinary person if so inclined could eventually work their way into the paddock to see the greats... Stewart, Fittipaldi, Lauda, Sheckter, Prost, Mansell, Senna, etc... even met Schumacher ... but that was more luck than anything else... I can say with complete confidense ... I would not wait one minute for ANY of the current drivers in F-1 today... they are all kids... I mean really kids!

So I say to you, if you want them take em... but its not the same F-1....
As for the USA... we'll be fine with out them!

 

You hit the nail on the head. One of our biggest business conventions is in Indy in February. Woo.... be still my beating heart. Who wants to go to Indy at any time? Nobody with any sanity. It has about 0.0000001% of the allure of Monterey, Los Angeles or Las Vegas. Hell, even New York is a billion times better than Indy. But for wow factor and pizazz, Los Angeles is where it's at. It would be like Monaco, only better with bigger stars And where do those people play? Vegas! If they have it in Vegas, people from around the world will want to go there - because who hasn't heard of Vegas and wanted to go there? And just imagine the TV heli shots of the opulence and over-the-top-ness that is Vegas? That's what would make the USGP a major success and that is what would bring the money and interest that would push US companies and drivers to want to get more involved.

My .02 anyway.

 

+1. I think a lot of the appeal in Nascar to US fans is it's simplicity. People in this country like simple things. The reason why is for another thread, but still, it's been proven time and time again. F1 racing is complicated, extremely technical and sophisticated. Most people in this country could care less for things like that, honestly.

Bernie get's paid by the venue, the venue makes their money off of ticket sales. It seems Bernie couldn't come to a proper agreement between Indy and everyone else, IMO.

I wish. I think if they held the race in Vegas it would draw a huge crowd, even if it was a flat road. They could run it down the strip, past all the big casino's. That would work out well IMO.

I wouldn't complain if they did it here in Phoenix, running through downtown. They're doing a Champ Car race downtown later this year. Should turn out well.

 

Been there, done that. Bernie bailed after 3 years of a 5 year contract. You should consider that bridge already burnt.

 

I already hate this guy. He's destroying the sport. It's littered with byproducts of his greed. The faster he gets out of it, the better off it will be. That short-stack-of-white-haired-s*** does not sit well with me. There are things I hate in life, such as arrogant people who cause inconvenience for others because they can't have it the way they want it, and another is foreign people causing hell or being disrespectful to Americans for any reason, but I won't touch on that much because that's another subject completely. I don't recall him "insulting the people of Indy and the U.S." and I would like some proof of this. I don't know what I can do with this, other than a righteous reason (as if I don't already have one) to punch his tiny frail greedy little a** into an oblivion should I see his rat face in person.