America and Formula One
- Thread starter MCLS
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Olivier
Race Winner
Quite insigthful. Thanks for sharing.
Lewywo4
Race Winner
I believe that a major stumbling block for Americans to appreciate GP racing is oval racing, whose history has been a long dominate force in American racing, compared to that of road racing
A problem for me that I found with American tv staions like NBCSports, and SPEED when they had the rights for F1 racing, is there one particular track choice for terrestrial viewing. They usually broadcasted 5 races for terrestrial viewing here in the states, to try and expand interest with the general population, which included the Hungarian GP instead of the Belgian GP with a course like Spa. Many Americans don't realize that a track like Spa even exists. I do believe more American viewers new to F1, would have had more of an appreciation for the sport, watching cars storming through Eau Rouge, rather than watching cars running around that giant Go kart track, known as the Hungaroring.
The Austin track will always have a large attendance and following with it's close proximity to Mexico, especially with the participation of a Mexican driver.
A problem for me that I found with American tv staions like NBCSports, and SPEED when they had the rights for F1 racing, is there one particular track choice for terrestrial viewing. They usually broadcasted 5 races for terrestrial viewing here in the states, to try and expand interest with the general population, which included the Hungarian GP instead of the Belgian GP with a course like Spa. Many Americans don't realize that a track like Spa even exists. I do believe more American viewers new to F1, would have had more of an appreciation for the sport, watching cars storming through Eau Rouge, rather than watching cars running around that giant Go kart track, known as the Hungaroring.
The Austin track will always have a large attendance and following with it's close proximity to Mexico, especially with the participation of a Mexican driver.
Speed got royally screwed by Coulthard and Red Bull at Australia 2006. They cooked up some story where DC was passed under yellow and it resulted in Speed being demoted from 8th to 9th. It should have been the first point for Toro Rosso and would have given Scott his only point as well. He didn't make any friends in the aftermath of this incident either.
Il_leone
World Champion
If you talk about US GP - people will talk about Watkins Glen as it was a great track to those that remember it
Dallas was a disaster - the track crumbled up
Las Vegas in supposedly making it into a Monaco of the US did not catch on as the circuit was built on a car parks
Detroit had a decent run to support the Motor City but then you had a big US influence with Ford, Goodyear and the sponsors
Phoenix - was a series of 90 degree turns until they changed it but it did not catch on
Indy had potential but 2005 just killed it
Austin seems to show some promise so there is hope possibly ... I think the US will make big thing about Lewis Hamilton dating Nicole to get audiences which is sad
although Mexican drivers competing might pull in a lot more fans
Dallas was a disaster - the track crumbled up
Las Vegas in supposedly making it into a Monaco of the US did not catch on as the circuit was built on a car parks
Detroit had a decent run to support the Motor City but then you had a big US influence with Ford, Goodyear and the sponsors
Phoenix - was a series of 90 degree turns until they changed it but it did not catch on
Indy had potential but 2005 just killed it
Austin seems to show some promise so there is hope possibly ... I think the US will make big thing about Lewis Hamilton dating Nicole to get audiences which is sad
although Mexican drivers competing might pull in a lot more fans
il_leone,
Don't forget Long Beach!! That was a great circuit (and still is, although for a different series).
Don't forget Long Beach!! That was a great circuit (and still is, although for a different series).
Legs
Podium Finisher
The race, however, was FANTASTIC. Definitely a 10 out of 10 in today's money.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/8269884.stm
Olivier
Race Winner
Las Vegas was probably the worst of them all ...
I agree. The Las Vegas circuit was a bad as the Bugatti course at Le Mans for the 1967 French GP. That one, too, was essentially the car parks for the real Le Mans course, which were (and are) of course, public roads.
And now New Jersey is definitely on for next year (if they can get some money).
http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/news/formula-1-new-jersey-race-track-2014-123748483.html
http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/news/formula-1-new-jersey-race-track-2014-123748483.html
Blog Zbod
Podium Finisher
I think prompters and circuit owners in the USA don't see a lot of up-side to hosting an F1 race. In most of the rest of the world, being an "F1 circuit" has a certain cachet, which affects its draw all year round. And I would imagine that lesser racing leagues are eager to race on the same circuit as "the big boys." Also, America, has its own major open wheel racing league, which focuses on the roundy-round circuits. When they do have occasion to race on a road circuit, they stoop to billing it a "Grand Prix," which doesn't help F1's cause in the least.
End result, in the USA, I would think the F1 weekend is pretty much the end of the investors' opportunity to recoup the cost of Bernie's race hosting fee, not to mention the extra million$ he will hit them up for for improvements and updates to the circuit and hospitality facilities.
And the fact that in those latter years they concentrated on such 'oddball' locations as Dallas and Vegas and Indy, and gave amiss to "real" road circuits at places such as Atlanta and Sebring and Laguna Seca, gives me to wonder if there isn't a widespread fear of taking up the serpent (i.e., Bernie).
End result, in the USA, I would think the F1 weekend is pretty much the end of the investors' opportunity to recoup the cost of Bernie's race hosting fee, not to mention the extra million$ he will hit them up for for improvements and updates to the circuit and hospitality facilities.
And the fact that in those latter years they concentrated on such 'oddball' locations as Dallas and Vegas and Indy, and gave amiss to "real" road circuits at places such as Atlanta and Sebring and Laguna Seca, gives me to wonder if there isn't a widespread fear of taking up the serpent (i.e., Bernie).
Not only CVC, but Austin business leaders. I read a report not long ago that they're looking to charge ultra exorbitant rates for hotels this year as a big football game is being held in Austin the same weekend of the GP. Nothing like gouging the consumer at every turn....
Laguna Seca would be great as well, although access would prove somewhat problematic.
I also wish the Canadian GP would go back to Mt Tremblant at St. Jovite.
I also wish the Canadian GP would go back to Mt Tremblant at St. Jovite.
Lewywo4
Race Winner
Let Canada have 2 Grand Ptix's Montreal and that fantastic track St. Jovite, set in such a beautiful backdrop, and dump Korea.
soccerman17
Race Winner
IndyCar only had 4 ovals last year. I think they are up to 5 this year. The problem is that the drivers aren't going because the money (for drivers at least) in IndyCar is so lucrative for Americans. NASCAR is for the most part a whole different breed of drivers. Its like saying BTCC is stealing British drivers away from F1. Another problem is the lack of any cultural presence in America because of the lack of history, advertisements, teams, and drivers. Its hard to get new fans without any of this and it isn't something that is commonly passed down from father to son like NASCAR fandom can be.
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