COTA 2017 WEC/Pirelli/IMSA

[ATLFalconsFAN]

Now that we know that all three series will be visiting COTA at different times next year, I'm just curious as to who would go to which. It's too bad that we can't get accurate attendance numbers from the track, it sure would be interesting to know which series sees the best attendance, and who people were really going to see these past few Septembers.

[Akrapovic]

If I could afford it, WEC every time. That's not even a contest IMO.

[Matt]

I'd do the IMSA event every single year if I could.

[Ephaeton]

this should be a multi option vote... I'd call options 4-6.

[seanyb505]

Had to vote 4...sorry. To be fair, I would vote 4 for every WEC race, but I can't be going on cruises every time WEC comes up on the schedule.

It was a good weekend.

[fieldodreams79]

The 3 series together on the same weekend and only the three series, especially with the changes to IMSA P class next year would be appealing enough. I was considering it as I should have more of 4-6 next year.

Also along the lines with time/money, it's too far a trip, too close to PLM (40 mins from me), even though I understand the WEC time frame. There's several other races on my bucket list that would take similar time/effort ahead of a lot at COTA.

Edit: 4 WECs 4 me. I get IMSA and WC in my backyard.

[MoMedic9019]

None of the above. I have zero interest in COTA. I'd rather spend my money and time going to another facility I've never been to regardless of the series.

[Coach Ep]

Originally Posted by MoMedic9019

None of the above. I have zero interest in COTA. I'd rather spend my money and time going to another facility I've never been to regardless of the series.

+1

[Akrapovic]

Originally Posted by MoMedic9019

None of the above. I have zero interest in COTA. I'd rather spend my money and time going to another facility I've never been to regardless of the series.

If this was an option to choose in the poll then I'd have chosen that and ticked Sebring for the 12 hours or something. I've done the Daytona 24 and Long Beach, but Sebring is on the list still.

[fieldodreams79]

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

If this was an option to choose in the poll then I'd have chosen that and ticked Sebring for the 12 hours or something. I've done the Daytona 24 and Long Beach, but Sebring is on the list still.

I'd go back to Sebring 5 or more times before I went to COTA.

[ATLFalconsFAN]

Originally Posted by fieldodreams79

I'd go back to Sebring 5 or more times before I went to COTA.

I thoroughly enjoy every time I visit Sebring. The 12 hours of racing, the party, it cannot be beat by many other races.

However... at least at COTA there are several locations to watch from where you get to see a view of more than just one turn. My biggest beef with Sebring, not the best track to view at when there in person as a spectator.

[JLGarcia]

Originally Posted by MoMedic9019

None of the above. I have zero interest in COTA. I'd rather spend my money and time going to another facility I've never been to regardless of the series.

Co-sign.

[jjvincent]

Sebring 12h is a destination event. You can't compare it to an event at CoTA. Just like Lime Rock, you could have a wagon race around the track and the place would be full of campers and spectators. A track like that has a built in audience. CoTA does not. Even though it's right in Austin, it just doesn't get the spectators. It was built for F1.

The facility depends on local vendors to come out and supply the food for everyone (just like you see at Sebring). Austin is full of those vendors and food trucks. They are literally everywhere, yet at the track, there are two or three. So, if you want to go over to some stands far away, you will be all by yourself. These vendors will not go any more because they lose money at the facility. Unless you are at the few specific areas, where any types of services are, you are on your own. Unless you do the F1 race, it's like a private track rental day by the services you get.

CoTA also looks like a ghost town because it can easily hold 150K but when 10K show up, it looks like nothing (there's a reason why they do a fan walk and the respective series takes tons of PR pics because all of the spectators are in one spot for 30 minutes and it makes the event look packed). The most people I have ever seen there being physically at the track, was when GA ran there the first time in 2013. I think that was because the race was in April/May. Then for PWC, not so much. Then for the September WEC/IMSA event, even less than PWC in March.

For the WEC, they spend about $5 on local promotion for the event. If it wasn't for the local morning show on Thursday interviewing Ed Brown being the local boy racing at CoTA in the WEC, there would be literally no way of knowing there was an event at CoTA at all if you lived in the area. They even cut down or eliminated the traffic control by the local cops outside the track because they found out, there was no need for them due to no traffic.

In the end, you'll find many people willing to travel 12 hours to get to Sebring. 3 hours to get to Lime Rock, yet barely anyone making CoTA their destination event and travel great lengths to get there.

[fieldodreams79]

Originally Posted by jjvincent

Sebring 12h is a destination event. You can't compare it to an event at CoTA. Just like Lime Rock, you could have a wagon race around the track and the place would be full of campers and spectators. A track like that has a built in audience. CoTA does not. Even though it's right in Austin, it just doesn't get the spectators. It was built for F1.

The facility depends on local vendors to come out and supply the food for everyone (just like you see at Sebring). Austin is full of those vendors and food trucks. They are literally everywhere, yet at the track, there are two or three. So, if you want to go over to some stands far away, you will be all by yourself. These vendors will not go any more because they lose money at the facility. Unless you are at the few specific areas, where any types of services are, you are on your own. Unless you do the F1 race, it's like a private track rental day by the services you get.

CoTA also looks like a ghost town because it can easily hold 150K but when 10K show up, it looks like nothing (there's a reason why they do a fan walk and the respective series takes tons of PR pics because all of the spectators are in one spot for 30 minutes and it makes the event look packed). The most people I have ever seen there being physically at the track, was when GA ran there the first time in 2013. I think that was because the race was in April/May. Then for PWC, not so much. Then for the September WEC/IMSA event, even less than PWC in March.

For the WEC, they spend about $5 on local promotion for the event. If it wasn't for the local morning show on Thursday interviewing Ed Brown being the local boy racing at CoTA in the WEC, there would be literally no way of knowing there was an event at CoTA at all if you lived in the area. They even cut down or eliminated the traffic control by the local cops outside the track because they found out, there was no need for them due to no traffic.

In the end, you'll find many people willing to travel 12 hours to get to Sebring. 3 hours to get to Lime Rock, yet barely anyone making CoTA their destination event and travel great lengths to get there.

You can compare Sebring and COTA. Both facilities are the most recent hosts of "world sportscar" events, along with Road Atlanta, which attracted people / teams rapidly with PLM. However, to your deeper point, I do agree; COTA simply needs more cowbell or something.

Could another lack of appeal be something that most older tracks have and newer tracks do not and that's some sort of infield or trackside camping? (if I am correct about COTA having never been and taking a cursory view of track maps) I don't want to drive 2.5 hrs to camp at Barber when I have to take a tram to see a car whiz past. I don't like staying in hotels either....so I am picky

Originally Posted by ATLFalconsFAN

I thoroughly enjoy every time I visit Sebring. The 12 hours of racing, the party, it cannot be beat by many other races.

However... at least at COTA there are several locations to watch from where you get to see a view of more than just one turn. My biggest beef with Sebring, not the best track to view at when there in person as a spectator.

Sebring does kinda suck in that regard, especially when compared to Road Atlanta. On top of an RV in Green Park near the hairpin is pretty cool. Gurney (big bend) through the hairpin down past Fangio can be seen.

The highlighted line is why a lot of race fans I talk to prefer speedway spectating over road course (not that we have to get into that). From all the new F1 circuits, COTA is one of the more interesting ones and I've heard several others say they enjoyed their visits there; the place just needs a little more shade.

[jjvincent]

I see it this way. CoTA was built for F1. Those people that go for that event, don't camp. Most of them come from SA and Mexico anyway. So, the facility is not designed for camping. Just like you mentioned, new facilities are not designed for that (unless it's an oval).

Places like Road America, Watkins Glen, Lime Rock, Mid-Ohio, Laguna and Road Atlanta are the old school types of tracks in a park like setting. It encourages camping and I've camped at all of them more than once. Sebring, is just a tradition. Even look at Daytona. It's just a sea of people in the infield. Again, it's tradition. You have to earn that tradition, not just make a fancy new track and think just because you hold the two largest global series' out there that it will automatically get you that clout. Think about it. If LeMans was invented tomorrow, who here would care?

CoTA will continue to struggle. Then when you have events in September, it's just a struggle just because of football. Like it or not, it's just way too popular and in Texas, way, way, way too popular. IMSA and now PWC are making a mistake by having their events at that track during football season.

PWC is really making a mistake by having it during the same weekend as the home opener for the Longhorns. That event should be at Lime Rock just because it would be packed. WEC should be running at Road Atlanta that same weekend for the same reason. Instead, both are running at track that can't get many spectators on a good weekend, let alone a football one.

Maybe make a new poll. How many would go to Lime Rock for PWC or Road Atlanta for WEC over labor day weekend as opposed to the September events for both at CoTA?

[MoMedic9019]

COTA is simply unispiring. Many of the other venues like VIR, Road Atlanta, Road America, Spa etc....

They all have a story to tell. You walk through the gates, and you can feel that there is a story to be told. What does COTA have? Nothing. Sure, races have gone on, some better than others. but... there is no soul, there is no danger, it's just sterile and cold. There isn't anything particularliy magical about it, it's just a bunch of rights and lefts, some hills, and fencing... perhaps it's a place where the story can be written into it's legacy, though, I fear much like so many other Tilkedromes, it'll be abandonded and forgotten in the near future.

Perhaps that's going to be it's story.

[Deleted]

Remember that ditched Tilke circuit in say India? Whatever name and profile it had? I sure don't.

That's how I think COTA will be remembered once/if F1 pulls out of it and finds new cash revenue. Everyone will forget it in 2 years, except for some shady memory that it happened between years X and Y. And perhaps that the drivers on occasion wore cowboy hats as sort of gimmick? So it was in wild west? Yes that must have been it.

Even Caesars Palace has something to remember about.

[MoMedic9019]

Originally Posted by Chiana

Remember that ditched Tilke circuit in say India? Whatever name and profile it had? I sure don't.

That's how I think COTA will be remembered once/if F1 pulls out of it and finds new cash revenue. Everyone will forget it in 2 years, except for some shady memory that it happened between years X and Y. And perhaps that the drivers on occasion wore cowboy hats as sort of gimmick? So it was in wild west? Yes that must have been it.

Even Caesars Palace has something to remember about.

Agree. Though. I actually liked the layout of the track in India.

[Deleted]

Originally Posted by MoMedic9019

Agree. Though. I actually liked the layout of the track in India.

The only thing I remember about that track was Bob Varsha mixing India with Italy, and more than once during the same SPEED broadcast lol.

[MoMedic9019]

Originally Posted by Chiana

The only thing I remember about that track was Bob Varsha mixing India with Italy, and more than once during the same SPEED broadcast lol.

HA! That's right.

The first sector was kinda fun. After that, a few stupid long straights connected by negative radius hairpins.

[Ephaeton]

Originally Posted by Chiana

Remember that ditched Tilke circuit in say India? Whatever name and profile it had? I sure don't.

I sure do. Partially, at least. I don't know any tracks off the top of my head that I haven't tackled myself in some sort of virtual racing. Sebring is a track I haven't set my virtual tyres on, or have been to in person, so I know about it roundabout as much as, say, Tilke-India or Tilke-Korea (not fair, I remember more of Korea than Sebring). Oh my god, the blasphemy. Would I miss Sebring? I guess I'm missing Korea action more than I care about Sebring action.

This says nothing about CotA, whose layout I remember well without having set virtual tyres on or having been to. Whose layout I find interesting and worthwhile for both F1 and sports cars. It's just a pity it's obviously mis-used.

[Akrapovic]

Originally Posted by MoMedic9019

HA! That's right.

The first sector was kinda fun. After that, a few stupid long straights connected by negative radius hairpins.

India had the odd wee high speed chicane, with kerbs that meant you had to thread a needle through them right? That bit was fun.

[Coach Ep]

CotA could easily allow in- and outside camping but they won't.

F1 - and now WEC - are run to cater for vips, not the traditional sportscar crowds. Hence the standalone weekend next year so there's more time for vip & corral laps and BS stuff like that.

It's not difficult to predict IMSA will see the highest attendance of the 3 events hosted by them/WEC/PWC next year. But it still won't be a lot compared to Sebring/Road America/Petit/Lime Rock/etc.

[ATLFalconsFAN]

Originally Posted by Coach Ep

CotA could easily allow in- and outside camping but they won't.

They already do allow camping on site, it started this year. It's at the top of the track just outside the esses.

[jjvincent]

At least CoTA is not as bad as Miller. Thank goodness IMSA/GA stopped going there. Why PWC does, must because the track rental is cheap.