COTA Austin - construction and infrastructure

[hairy_scotsman]

Latest aerial photo, posted today on another forum:

[hairy_scotsman]

1st lap of paving complete:

http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/ ... 13677.html


State of the art safety fencing to be installed:

http://www.f1technical.net/news/17680


*Edited to add F1Technical.net link to 2nd story.

[Pup]

Oh my, most generous of Cota to give a discount at this particular vantage point, when everything else is already sold-out?

I'm not sure of how generous they're being...

According to budaman on the speed forum, it looks like what they've done is to reduce the price for both the turn 1 stand and the smaller corner stand at 15 - both are now the same price as the large stand at 15, where previously they were priced similarly to the main grandstand. (Current PSL holders are getting a rebate.) The other PSL prices are staying put since they've sold as expected.

A couple of things surprise me about this - first, that the T1 stand hasn't sold well; and second, that the bigger grandstand at 15 has sold well. I'd have put my money on turn 1 being just as attractive as the main straight, and I guess CotA thought so too, given what they were charging. On the other hand, I really expected to see a half-empty turn 15, since frankly I don't see that stand offering much value for the money. I'm not surprised at all about the corner stand at 15 - no idea what that stand was supposed to offer to warrant main grandstand prices.

I'm also a bit surprised that they are obviously trying to sell out those seats completely this year. I thought that they would be willing to let some sit empty and that the plan was to sell them over two or three years. So I'll be interested then to see what they do next year with the main grandstand - one reason to push for a sellout this year could be if they plan to build out the second half of the main straight grandstand next year.

[strad]

one reason to push for a sellout this year could be if they plan to build out the second half of the main straight grandstand next year.

Pup;
That is what I was thinking..That they want as close to a sell out as they can get so they can show that investing in expansion is a great idea.

[hairy_scotsman]

Here's a partial aerial photo I found yesterday on twitter:



...and a Helicopter lap from YouTube, just posted by Austin Helicopter Tours:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gN_upHFXkk4[/youtube]

[hairy_scotsman]

100 days til FP1:

http://countdown.free-and-online.com/?timer=ivhbnu5217

[astracrazy]

makes you realise how close South Korea was to not happening. This is about where they were 14 days before the gp

[hairy_scotsman]

makes you realise how close South Korea was to not happening. This is about where they were 14 days before the gp

Maybe track-wise, but not in the buildings. Still a lot to do. Should be enough time, but now we're hearing word of $0.25M in remediation work on pit building concrete after a failed inspection. Been in progress for about 10 days and has about another 3 weeks to go. Workers say work in there is limited til the work is done, so that doesn't help. Apparently the concrete crew is under a lot of pressure to finish asap.

[strad]

I'm not clear on the property lines...Can either of the ponds be turned into Aqua Drag Racing venues?
I happen to know thast drag boats are big in Texas.

[hairy_scotsman]

[strad]

Is that Bob?...I can't tell..a thumbs up is worth something from him

[hairy_scotsman]

I'm not clear on the property lines...Can either of the ponds be turned into Aqua Drag Racing venues?
I happen to know thast drag boats are big in Texas.

Austin AquaFest on Town Lake in downtown Austin featured Drag Boats for a long time until the noise complaints ruined it. Now they run in Marble Falls just west of here. LakeFest and the accompanying racing began today:

http://www.marblefallslakefest.com/

I'm not sure about the size of the ponds on the COTA land, but I suspect they may not be large enough to handle something like that.

[strad]

I'm not clear on the property lines...Can either of the ponds be turned into Aqua Drag Racing venues?
I happen to know thast drag boats are big in Texas.

Austin AquaFest on Town Lake in downtown Austin featured Drag Boats for a long time until the noise complaints ruined it. Now they run in Marble Falls just west of here. LakeFest and the accompanying racing began today:

http://www.marblefallslakefest.com/

I'm not sure about the size of the ponds on the COTA land, but I suspect they may not be large enough to handle something like that.

I am aware that they are not big enough now...the question is do you think they will expand them,,,is there room?

[Pup]

New aerials...

[Nando]

Looks lovely! thanks for posting the pictures. I have never been this excited for a new track for a long long time.

Just wish the maybe skipped this little go-cart piece and just made a fast left hander to the start of the "Turn 8 Turkey corner"
So you maybe just lift the gas slightly, hit the apex, then floor it, get over to the other side quickly and then enter the fast right hander.