Formula One back to Las Vegas? - Page 3

KaiserSose · 28 Feb 2006, 02:46 (Ref:1532915)

Quote:

F1 is just like Vegas, a corporate show, so why not?

Exactly.

F1 would be great in Vegas. The Indy track is weak, and F1 and Vegas would go hand-in-hand.

JeremySmith · 28 Feb 2006, 04:29 (Ref:1532946)

And where in Las Vegas would they race?

**ScotsBrutesFan** · 28 Feb 2006, 11:26 (Ref:1533152)

Las Vegas Motorspeedway when seen using Google Earth, has a "road course" that a conventional circuit to us Europeans, layed out between their short Concrete oval and the main 1.5 mile oval.

There doesn't appear to be any buildings associated with it when Google Earth was last updated and there is no mention of a "road course" on their website either. But it is there.

EERO · 28 Feb 2006, 18:23 (Ref:1533393)

There had been a Las Vegas raceway in the 60's where a couple of CanAm races were held, I wonder if the road course you saw is the remnant of the old one.

sr230772 · 28 Feb 2006, 18:32 (Ref:1533398)

i heard this story on talksport england,their take on it was indy wanted f1 out because of the farce of the 05 race

**ScotsBrutesFan** · 1 Mar 2006, 14:23 (Ref:1533964)

Quote:

Originally Posted by EERO

There had been a Las Vegas raceway in the 60's where a couple of CanAm races were held, I wonder if the road course you saw is the remnant of the old one.

There appeared to be two new extentions (tarmac/asphalt) at either end rather than the existing Concrete circuit. One of these was clearly over an existing parking lot, which suggests something recent.

EERO · 1 Mar 2006, 16:07 (Ref:1534013)

I saw that as well, having checked google earth. I dunno though, portions of the road course looked older than the areas through the parking lot. Who knows?

blueflagger · 1 Mar 2006, 16:43 (Ref:1534037)

IMO, F1 will stay at Indy.

The tracks you mentioned, while wonderful, would need to invest some major upgrade money to support an F1 event. Las Vegas street course is very unlikely. You can't shut down the strip for the race (and Bernie can't charge for people watching from the tops of hotels) and the 90 degree turns are so boring the people won't come to watch. Phoenix proved that. Las Vegas speedway? That hasn't done well with ChampCar on the oval (too bad) and putting a decent road course inside the oval would be difficult and couldn't happen in time for '07.

Indy now: they have the course (hopefully with better pavement this year), they already have the media setup down pat. they have excellent experience with massive crowd control and can get more spectators in and out more quickly than just about any other track in the country. It behooves Bernie to look around at what the others have to offer because it's always good to have a backup plan. But I think IMS will be the choice for a few years to come.

coldtyre · 2 Mar 2006, 21:08 (Ref:1534927)

Quote:

Originally Posted by LampCord

I'd LOVE to see the race at either track, but I'm not sure F1 cars would have the clearance for the corkscrew at Laguna Seca.

They do! Some "gentlemen" drive old F1s there, I have an image of a 2003 Ferrari on the corkscrew with a wheel off the road.

Quote:

Originally Posted by safc_fan89

I'd rather have Indy than a race in Las Vegas, so I hope it isn't a possibility. I can't say I like the Indy track but street races and F1 do not mix. I don't even like Monaco any more!

American streets are much wider... There is a lot of action in street races over there, so why not?

But I don't like the fact that Bernie choose the destinations considering their "brand name" ("Indy", "LV"...) instead of their real thrilling (Road America/Atlanta...)

Damn... When is he going to quit this happy planet?

Matt · 2 Mar 2006, 22:24 (Ref:1534976)

Sorry to burst your bubbles guys, but thats a Karting track in the parkinglot of LVMS, look at the width of it compared to the parking spaces, its two spaces wide. Not enough space to race F1 cars on.

EERO · 3 Mar 2006, 03:28 (Ref:1535109)

But the one photo I have of a Can Am race at Vegas, Lothar Motschenbacher has been rear-ended by I think a Chapparrel. Cause: narrow racing surace.

avsfan733 · 3 Mar 2006, 21:13 (Ref:1535705)

my thoughts are to expand watkins glen and go back there. The reasoning being is that it is familiar to all of the race fans here. did very well with irl this summer....

AND they could do a similar thing to the london expo in NYC a few days before. Imagine times square shut down to have MS and JB and SCOTT SPEED!! blasting off fullsong wheelspinning donuts. thats the type of thing that appeals to american fans, not to mention having and American racing against a bunch of Europeans named SPEED can't hurt

JeremySmith · 4 Mar 2006, 01:51 (Ref:1535847)

I think it should go to Watkins Glen as well....It seems to work for all types of racing, so........Why not for F1?

coldtyre · 5 Mar 2006, 08:15 (Ref:1536522)

Quote:

Originally Posted by JeremySmith

I think it should go to Watkins Glen as well....It seems to work for all types of racing, so........Why not for F1?

Because of the "armco tunnel" in the esses, and some other "safety" features which don't suit F1 current standard.
Then technically Elkhart Lake or Road Atlanta are a lot more demanding, and a lil' bit safer (I know, I mentionned them once in this thread but I like them too much

)

**chunterer** · 8 Mar 2006, 13:55 (Ref:1540304)

Quote:

Originally Posted by coldtyre

Because of the "armco tunnel" in the esses, and some other "safety" features which don't suit F1 current standard.
Then technically Elkhart Lake or Road Atlanta are a lot more demanding, and a lil' bit safer (I know, I mentionned them once in this thread but I like them too much

)

But both these venus would need significant upgrades to be of F1 'standard'. I'd rather let them race as they are but never mind.

Bernie's either got to broker a new deal to stay at Indy or get a new race on the West Coast where most of the road racing fans are -a rejuvenated Long Beach or somewhere else along the California cost line should be the target if we're gonna have to have another boring street track?

New York is also a good alternative so the Glen gets my vote. It's long enough (with a few run off mods and as you say alteration to the uphill esses) and can attract a massive audience from locality.

fazzaz · 8 Mar 2006, 15:26 (Ref:1540375)

There is no race track of consequence in the United States, save the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which is willing to host the USPG on Bernie's financial terms (and many of these track were approached by someone following the 2005 USGP). Hosting the race involves millions in upgrades, in order to suffer a multi-million dollar loss on the race itself. The benefit to the track is presented as the prestige of hosting a Grand Prix. This may work for nations, but is of limited interest to privately owned tracks which need to show at least some profit.

Las Vegas might be a cultural match for F1. It is possible that casino owners would be willing to underwrite a race if they saw enough potential business from the high-roller gamblers the event might attract. Shutting down the Strip, which would effectively deny access to casinos, isn't going to happen.

Stardust Raceway, where Jim Hall's racing career was ended in the crash with Lothar Motschenbacher, was last used in 1968 (and apparently closed in 1972). Las Vegas International, which is owned by Bruton Smith, has both a short road course inside the oval, which can be configured as a roval, and a narrow road course outside the track which is used for driving schools. There are also kart tracks on the property (which once claimed to have 29 different tracks available). The only racing which has drawn substantial crowds to the track is NASCAR. The roval configuration was used by IMSA, and has the benefit of the entire course being visible from the grandstands. It is hard to consider it as really suitable for F1.

Right now it's probable that the Indianapolis Motor Speedway holds the upper hand; that's why the 2006 USGP date was changed to the July 4th holiday. The only other realistic option Bernie seems to have is to come up with a street course in Las Vegas which does not use the Strip. Last time this gave us the parking lot race at Caesar's. Still, money talks, particularly to Bernie, and the casinos at Las Vegas have substantial promotion budgets. It's hard to see this as a long-term solution to a USGP.

I wonder how much Bernie is willing to spend to ensure a USGP, as opposed to receiving money from adding another third world country. That may determine the future of the USGP.

avsfan733 · 9 Mar 2006, 15:51 (Ref:1541781)

I think the neccesity in the situation is to 'take on' the NASCAR crowd. Not directly because we can't win them away from NASCAR, but attract them in some form. The fans themselves really aren't that different you see the zealots wether its for Dale Earnheart or MS. the problem herein is that Americans have an unfathombly short attention span ...oh look a bee... one race a year in the country and one every other week worldwide can't really compare to one race a week almost year round. especially when you can not only drive to ALL the races, but there is a good chance at least a few will be relatively close by.

blueflagger · 9 Mar 2006, 16:22 (Ref:1541797)

Quote:

Originally Posted by avsfan733

the problem herein is that Americans have an unfathombly short attention span ...oh look a bee...

It's not just one race a year, but here in couch-potato nation, fans like NASCAR because they can see the entire race from a seat in the stands and figure out who is in the lead without having to work at it. Road racing just doesn't play for these folks. (I'm not trying to imply unintelligence here, just an "entertain me" attitude.)

stradlin21 · 9 Mar 2006, 17:15 (Ref:1541828)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dixie Flatline

There is a report on f1racing.net that Formula One might be quitting Indy after the current contract expires and setting up shop in the Nevada desert in the mean streets of Las Vegas - well, at least that's the wistful thinking of Bernie E., apparently:

http://www.f1racing.net/en/news.php?newsID=109811

How great would that be.............

CombeMarshal · 21 Mar 2006, 19:45 (Ref:1556003)

Laguna Seca gets my vote!

But then the could just send 6 cars to several different circuits.........!!!

Dutton · 21 Mar 2006, 19:52 (Ref:1556011)

Or create new circuit, which encompasses a selection of corners from several different circuits.

Marbot · 21 Mar 2006, 19:54 (Ref:1556013)

Quote:

Originally Posted by CombeMarshal

Laguna Seca gets my vote!

But then the could just send 6 cars to several different circuits.........!!!

Now that's funny.

Marbot · 21 Mar 2006, 19:55 (Ref:1556015)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dutton

Or create new circuit, which encompasses a selection of corners from several different circuits.

We'll leave that to Tilke then shall we.

Dutton · 21 Mar 2006, 19:56 (Ref:1556016)

You say that like there is another option!

Marbot · 21 Mar 2006, 20:09 (Ref:1556027)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dutton

You say that like there is another option!

There's always another option.

Tilke should spend a few years redesigning the Hungaroring,it shouldn't be too difficult to improve upon.

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