COTA Austin - construction and infrastructure

[donskar]

I can not find a map that shows the track's location relative to other points (Austin airport, for example). Can someone help?

[alelanza]

I like that website, if they can put together the race i may not have to go all the way to Canada in '12. If i can then back to back it with a sprint cup race i'll be one happy man.

[volarchico]

Here's an article from today's Austin American Statesman:
Future F1 Site Revealed

Here's an exact location on the map.
Map

It is very close to two major highways and the airport and not too far from the downtown. Perfect location I would say..

Here's your answer...from a few pages back in this very thread!

[CyleB]

does anyone know where to find pictures of the ongoing development?

[FW17]

^^

Facebook: Friends of Formula 1 Austin Texas

[andrew]

Latest bit of news:

http://www.gpupdate.net/en/f1-news/2580 ... f1-budget/

I totally agree with a venture like this loosing public funding, especially ina recession. Public funding is fine if it is something everyone can and will use but if it isn't it's a joke.

More locally to the UK, it is like the tax payer paying for the upcoming royal wedding. Why? I couldn't give a stuff about some blue blood getting married.

It'll be the same with teh Austin track. People who don't care about and have no interest in F1 or motorsport will be none too happy at their tax money going to this. Much better for the 25 million to go to education, medecine or public infrastructure.

[WhiteBlue]

This is really bad news. The major event fund was installed exactly for purposes like this and they use it regularly for big sport events like football, basketball and baseball. It is a business subsidy which is supposed to be payed back by the economic impact in taxes. The Circuit of the Americas is a worthy business for this kind of start up help. If the venture fails due to loosing the help from the fund the Texan tax payers will regret it in the long run. One cannot and should not compare this with social costs. They will not pay back the investment by increased taxes. It is comparing apples and bananas. The Texas senator who kicked this off is simply an asshole. If it was his favorite foorball team there would not be a debate at all.

[Pup]

Political grandstanding. The net economic gain to the state from the track should far outweigh a paltry $25 million. I'd be willing to bet that the funding gets quietly added back in some sub-committee.

[WhiteBlue]

Political grandstanding. The net economic gain to the state from the track should far outweigh a paltry $25 million. I'd be willing to bet that the funding gets quietly added back in some sub-committee.

Nice to see the Pup agree with me on something.

[Gatecrasher]

F1 like other sports survives for entertainment purposes. If the fan base cannot support the cost of building and running an event then why should the taxpayer foot the bill? Is Red McCombs in this for entertainment or to make money? If money is that important then Full Throttle Productions can foot the bill. I don't think $25m will stop Red from pursuing this dream.

[WhiteBlue]

F1 like other sports survives for entertainment purposes. If the fan base cannot support the cost of building and running an event then why should the taxpayer foot the bill? Is Red McCombs in this for entertainment or to make money? If money is that important then Full Throttle Productions can foot the bill. I don't think $25m will stop Red from pursuing this dream.

We are talking 25m annually for ten years, so it is more like $250m. The tax payer is simply supposed to invest to get a major event by passing all taxes to the investors. It is a very common strategy for other desirable start ups. Nothing wrong with it.

[andrew]

I doubt it is all that bad. I'm sure some rich Texan(s) will be happy to plough some cash into a venture like this and get a bit of trackside advertising for their company (if they have one) or get a corner or a grandstand named after them.

However it is correct that public money is not used for events like this (I wish that the UK Government would take this view with the royal wedding and the Olypimics). It's fine if a taxpayer is going to go to the race or watch it or is a fan of F1, but if they couldn't care less about it then why should their tax money be spent on this?

[bot6]

But is this one really desirable? When F1 has no fan base in the U.S. and this track has no historic relevance? At least the Indy venue meant something. Talladega would have had a fun twist to it. There's Sebring... But Austin?

[Paul]

Well, it is the same kind of investment as paying teachers or building roads, no charity involved. If money is well managed, local public will gain more than they have spent, or vice versa.

[andrew]

But is this one really desirable? When F1 has no fan base in the U.S. and this track has no historic relevance? At least the Indy venue meant something. Talladega would have had a fun twist to it. There's Sebring... But Austin?

Agreed. There is a lot of risk with this. I read this comment on another site:

....Here in the states if the stands are not full they will avoid aiming the cam that direction. Kinda farcical.

And I replied and got this back:

lol its true Andrew. A perfect example of them doing that has been in Fontana Calif NASCAR races. The stands have been so empty that they took one of the races off the schedule. But during the race, they never showed how many people were missing from the stands. Shut down due to no ticket sales, but when you see the race.. wow only full stands.

I don't know how accurate this is, but as no one has challenged it I'm sure it is accurate. It got me wondering about what will happen if the race at Austin is undersold. Cut price tickets?