There were more foxy babes at the UT vs. Tech game two weeks ago than LIVE in NYC.... I'd put money down on that! If I had any...
Jersey will be more of a TV race, not much chance of walking around the "venue", here's your seats, go sit. Austin would have been a great to walk around, seeing the days events from many vantage points. I figure one won't be able to traverse up and down the Palisades and seating will be limited mostly along the Hudson where they have room for stands.
I like some things about Texas... my biggest customer is there, and I like Texas De Brazil (I think that's what it's called). Also really like Dallas as a city.. big enough for interesting skyscrapers, but small enough to navigate easily by car for an out-of-towner. On the other hand, once you get outside the downtown areas, it thins out a lot and looks much more like Plainfield, IL... just a sea of flatness interspersed with highways and strip malls. I think many of the best things about Texas aren't things you can experience as a tourist (cost of living, low taxes, gun laws, political climate). So when you look at tourists from Europe considering the US GP, it's impossible to compete with NYC. Not to mention you can fly to NYC from almost every major airport in the world. Austin is always going to be at least one more stop, maybe two beyond what NYC is. Now Houston... well, better not to talk about Houston
I have to take issue with that For years, I did a trade show route that had me in virtually every major city in the USA. It was all the same vendors so we all got to know each other. When it came to women, there were more hotties at the NYC shows than any other - more than Long Beach, San Fran, Dallas, Atlanta, Chicago, Boston, Miami, Seattle, Denver, Indy and all the rest. We were all very surprised by this - but it bore out year after year. Although the two young tattooed well endowed bi-sexual girls who came to my booth in Chicago and could not keep their hands off one another almost swung it in Chicago's favor. That and the pizza
Good point, NYC has a fashion industry, and the same goes for Dallas. I lived in Dallas at one point in my career...
As one of the "41," when things started to remind me of USF1 (months ago) - all talk no go - you had to know it was dead. How long can you move dirt around for? As a dedicated fan in the United States I'm sick of this crap. Between this and the USF1 joke it's made our country look pathetic on an international scale.
Exactly. I've been to NYC 6 times over the last year, and it's great, but it is no where near as good as Austin is and would be. How many are really going to take all the kids and crap just to see Madison or times square? I can drive to Houston from Austin quicker than I can get a family from jersey to manhattan lol. Partying is also a million times better in Austin than NYC. As a UT grad don't even try and challenge me on what a good party scene is lol. So many more and better looking women in Austin than NYC. And most importantly the biggest increases in population in the nation are taking place right where this track would be. Long term it is a winner especially when you add in central and south America citizens who are all coming in huge numbers and all are f1 fans. Half of Mexico would drive to the event lol. Then there are the hottie sa Americans who would over run the place. Shopping is great in NYC, but those who who will take part in that will hardly make a dent in with the races revenues. Plus every high end store that is in NYC is also in Austin. I'll admit though for those who don't know about Austin it is a harder sell. The moment you come though and take part in it though people always change their mind.
Don't give up hope on being proven incorrect. They're just 'negoating' right now. Hypothetically if Bernie's fee goes from $25MM with Tavo to $35MM with COTA / Epstein, that's only $100MM difference over the life of the contract. Now, assume they've already sunken $60MM or so (complete guess). I don't think COTA is going to abandon the project this far in, and Bernie wants his fee. They'll agree to something. In 2013, they could ask for money to cover the $35MM from the State......just sayin'
Big difference between cash flow and cash in bank. Susan Combs has come out and publicly said the state will not pay the money prior to the event. Bernie has come out and publicly said he requires a LOC (for his fees) from COTA to give them the contract. I have no doubt that Bernie wants 10 years of guaranteed funds, not just one. You know the State of TX isn't going bankrupt and stiffing you - but COTA? Bigger and better financed tracks have come and gone, and if they do, Bernie is left holding the bag. So it's not just $100MM over 10 years. It's the full price. Bernie wants a LOC (aka a money order) for his race fees. Unless Epstein can convince a bank to give him a LOC valued at 10 years worth of race fees while only putting up the delta between the old and new fees, he has a fatal problem. Put yourself in the bank's shoes. They need to commit to a legally binding document that they will pay FOM $25MM per year regardless of anything which happens to or within COTA. As the owner of the bank, what would *you* ask from COTA to take on that liability and write the LOC to Bernie?
Add to that some mildly talented US drivers like Daly or Lost-your-Speed and this nation isn't really all that impressive when it comes to the highest form of motorsports. Sad. We could do so much better.
Latin America is outdoing us, not that I don't mind, having Mexican parents. Sergio Perez - Mexico Esteban Gutierrez - Mexico Felipe Massa - Brazil Bruno Senna - Brazil Pastor Maldonado - Venezuela
I doubt the LOC would be for the full contract. They've never had one before. Using State funds to pay the Bernie fees over the contract was never a gurantee on the State's part. I am almost certain Bernie knew this. He probably just wants this years money up front by the time the schedule comes around. Hope they'll put up the LOC for this year, sign the new contract, and get on with thing. Have a race, and get money from the State next year.
Wow, that surprises me. That said, an NFL team stadium has a WHOLE lot more advertising impact than a track...even a world class road racing track....
Why do you doubt that the LOC would be for the full amount? Don't you think Bernie has reason to doubt that he will get paid by the Texas fund? If they are asking Bernie for a 10-year contract, Bernie would want a 10-year LOC guarantee in return. The LOC isn't cash money on Bernie's side - it is simply the guarantee of cash-money being paid when contractual obligations are fulfilled. It's a guarantee of credit. So why would Bernie give a 10-year contract in exchange for a 1-year LOC? This is not a year-by-year deal, it's a 10-year deal. The fact that the bank issuing the LOC would want something more than "don't worry, Texas will give you the $25MM each year" isn't Bernie's problem. I imagine IMS could get a similar LOC for a much lower up-front cost, because they have credit. COTA doesn't. And even if Bernie was feeling philanthropic and agreed to a 1-year LOC requirement renewed annually, that is even more damning to COTA - they can't even come up with the first years race fee?
So are you still 100% confident about there being a race in 2012, or should we fire up the BBQ and get the crow plucked?
Tavo Hellmund, a long-time associate of Ecclestone and the owner of Full Throttle Productions, said: "Mr Ecclestone has been incredibly patient with the challenges here in Austin. Full Throttle Productions has worked tirelessly to bring the Formula One United States Grand Prix to Austin. It is now the responsibility of the Circuit of the Americas to make this project happen before Mr Ecclestone's patience runs out." I wish this tool would go away. "Mr. Ecclestone?"
I just don't see any race in America willing or able to do that. And if Bernie "wants" a race in America, he's going to have to do that. Oh well, Bernie dies; race in Indy. U heard it here first No race in 2012.....*sigh*
