Drag Racing in Austin, TX??? (1 Viewer)

[Jim]

Every time I see the Formula One car streak down the main(?) straight at the Circuit of the Americas, I wonder if we'll see an NHRA national event there or (imagining they'll need to utilize the track more than one week a year) even a regular weekly program.

I realize they had some problems with "grip" over the first few days (all ashphalt? versus concrete) but the dual luxurious stands seem perfect for big time drag racing (and Alexis' father is an owner).

Anybody know "anything" rumored or definite?.

 

[Mike]

JP is a investor.

 

[Toejam]

Every time I see the Formula One car streak down the main(?) straight at the Circuit of the Americas, I wonder if we'll see an NHRA national event there or (imagining they'll need to utilize the track more than one week a year) even a regular weekly program.

I realize they had some problems with "grip" over the first few days (all ashphalt? versus concrete) but the dual luxurious stands seem perfect for big time drag racing (and Alexis' father is an owner).

Anybody know "anything" rumored or definite?.

When NHRA added 2nd races to both Dallas and Houston, it was a disaster! I think adding a National event in Austin will kill attendance at both Dallas and Houston!

 

[tb]

Every time I see the Formula One car streak down the main(?) straight at the Circuit of the Americas, I wonder if we'll see an NHRA national event there or (imagining they'll need to utilize the track more than one week a year) even a regular weekly program.

Next year COTA will have Grand Am, Australian V-8 Supercars, World Challenge, ALMS, WEC and I think MotoGP (if not 2013, then 2014 contract already in place).

IndyCars will run their at some point. I also think that NASCAR will hold their third road course race their in the future. Plus lots of teams will use it for testing

So it will get used more than once a year

tb

 

[yoda]

When NHRA added 2nd races to both Dallas and Houston, it was a disaster! I think adding a National event in Austin will kill attendance at both Dallas and Houston!

And the City of Austin is spectacular about promoting events in their city (SXSW, ACL, etc.). Houston may not have a worry, but Dallas....??

 

[Toejam]

And the City of Austin is spectacular about promoting events in their city (SXSW, ACL, etc.). Houston may not have a worry, but Dallas....??

Martin, Austin is a Music/sports city. Drag racing is a whole nuther animal!

 

[Tumbleweed]

They used to have a drag strip in Austin off of Old Hwy 290 in the SW corner.

It tanked......people prefer San Antonio and believe it or not, Temple (of all places) for bracket racing close to Austin......

 

[turbo ken]

I think a having a NHRA national event in Austin would hurt both Houston, and Dallas. To go to Houston, or Dallas a lot of people have to drive halfway, or all the way across the state (if you ever had to drive across Texas you know what I mean) while going to Austin you would have to drive a little more than half way at the most from just about any direction. But I sure wouldn't mind having to drive about an hour to get to Austin to see a race.

 

[Jeff]

Just pulled the rig back in the barn from attending the race this weekend. What a venue! I got a little bored with the lack of traction on Friday and spent some time walking around to figure out how you'd shoehorn a drag strip in there. As you folks have noted from TV, the main grandstands are the only way it would work.

I was there all three days and listened and talked to a lot of normal spectators like me. Attendance was 65k Friday, 82k Saturday, and they haven't said for today ... but based on parking and humans per square foot, 120k would not surprise me a bit.

I'd guess that 20 percent of the people on the grounds were from outside the US. Once you got into grandstand seating, my guess would rise to 25%.

I'd also guess that 50% of the people (including my family) where there for the event ... not huge fans, but the event was enough of a draw to pull us in.

Yes, I'd love to see JPD use his influence to bring drag racing to the venue, but my guess is that the venue will be plenty of a success on it's own with 8 to 10 motorsports events a year when they get the various series signed up.

Sadly, after seeing just the physical logistics, it has a very low likelihood of happening ... but man it would be awesome.

Now I've got to go back to work to financially recover from the trip .... $1000 for 4 days at a KOA campground 15 miles away will catch your attention. And when the guy down the way pulls in with a shortish fully painted stacker behind his matching Prevost coach .... and pulls out a very nice Ferrari for the trip to the track .... you know this is an apples to oranges comparison to drag racing.

 

[Toby]

I bet you had a blast there. Right out of college I worked for a data acq cos in Indy. They were based in Milton-Keyes England. Mainly a F1/Indy data acq company that gave drag racing a try, Pi Research. Our success/lack there of is for another story, none the less when I was with Pi I had the chance to work around a couple of F1 teams and later with the TRD F1 effort.

The level of practically everything in F1 is way about drag racing. Yes budgets over $100m a year will afford the level, but the entire show is so damn impressive.

One time I was bs'ing/drinking with a F1 guy. I asked him how in the world can a sponsor justify spending $XXX millions of dollars on this sport. He said 'Look at it this way, there is only one other sport in the world that is more popular than ours, soccer. It really put things into perspective. This was again on an entire different level than drag racing. It wasn't Billy-Bob and Joe-Bob in FL spectating a drag race in Gainesville. This was the entire world watching a group of cars go around a course for a couple of hours and the results were a main topic monday at work.

It was interesting today to watch the internet and ESPN to see the results coverage of the F1 race. On Yahoo, the NASCAR points winner was front page. The F1 race wasn't even mentioned. F1 has a ways to go in the US market obviously. There are alot of people in the country that can spell NASCAR yet not F1. After watching the race today on SPEED it looks like the race was a success.

BTW, I don't know about what you think but getting to watch F1 cars at test sessions, the more impressive attribute was how they could get the things to slow down and corner rather than accelerate.

Just pulled the rig back in the barn from attending the race this weekend. What a venue! I got a little bored with the lack of traction on Friday and spent some time walking around to figure out how you'd shoehorn a drag strip in there. As you folks have noted from TV, the main grandstands are the only way it would work.

I was there all three days and listened and talked to a lot of normal spectators like me. Attendance was 65k Friday, 82k Saturday, and they haven't said for today ... but based on parking and humans per square foot, 120k would not surprise me a bit.

I'd guess that 20 percent of the people on the grounds were from outside the US. Once you got into grandstand seating, my guess would rise to 25%.

I'd also guess that 50% of the people (including my family) where there for the event ... not huge fans, but the event was enough of a draw to pull us in.

Yes, I'd love to see JPD use his influence to bring drag racing to the venue, but my guess is that the venue will be plenty of a success on it's own with 8 to 10 motorsports events a year when they get the various series signed up.

Sadly, after seeing just the physical logistics, it has a very low likelihood of happening ... but man it would be awesome.

Now I've got to go back to work to financially recover from the trip .... $1000 for 4 days at a KOA campground 15 miles away will catch your attention. And when the guy down the way pulls in with a shortish fully painted stacker behind his matching Prevost coach .... and pulls out a very nice Ferrari for the trip to the track .... you know this is an apples to oranges comparison to drag racing.

 

[Toejam]

Just pulled the rig back in the barn from attending the race this weekend. What a venue! I got a little bored with the lack of traction on Friday and spent some time walking around to figure out how you'd shoehorn a drag strip in there. As you folks have noted from TV, the main grandstands are the only way it would work.

I was there all three days and listened and talked to a lot of normal spectators like me. Attendance was 65k Friday, 82k Saturday, and they haven't said for today ... but based on parking and humans per square foot, 120k would not surprise me a bit.

I'd guess that 20 percent of the people on the grounds were from outside the US. Once you got into grandstand seating, my guess would rise to 25%.

I'd also guess that 50% of the people (including my family) where there for the event ... not huge fans, but the event was enough of a draw to pull us in.

Yes, I'd love to see JPD use his influence to bring drag racing to the venue, but my guess is that the venue will be plenty of a success on it's own with 8 to 10 motorsports events a year when they get the various series signed up.

Sadly, after seeing just the physical logistics, it has a very low likelihood of happening ... but man it would be awesome.

Now I've got to go back to work to financially recover from the trip .... $1000 for 4 days at a KOA campground 15 miles away will catch your attention. And when the guy down the way pulls in with a shortish fully painted stacker behind his matching Prevost coach .... and pulls out a very nice Ferrari for the trip to the track .... you know this is an apples to oranges comparison to drag racing.

Based on what I heard ticket prices were....It's safe to say I won't ever attend an F1 race!

 

[Jim]

It was interesting today to watch the internet and ESPN to see the results coverage of the F1 race. On Yahoo, the NASCAR points winner was front page. The F1 race wasn't even mentioned. F1 has a ways to go in the US market obviously. There are alot of people in the country that can spell NASCAR yet not F1. After watching the race today on SPEED it looks like the race was a success. .

Interesting you should mention that:
NY Times had some publicity on the race (over several days) but, the broadcast wasn't mentioned in their "Sport on TV" listing. (NASCAR was).

PS: Is listed on rare occasions.

 

[Rajunz]

It was mentioned on the broadcast Sunday that a BILLION people around the world were watching the USGP. That's nuts.

Based on what I heard ticket prices were....It's safe to say I won't ever attend an F1 race!

General admission tickets were $160 for a 3 day pass. That's what it costs to go to an NHRA event for 3 days. Now if you're talking the Main Grandstand, that's a whole different ballgame.

Austin's Metro area is 1.7 million people, San Antonio is only an hour away with 2.1 million people. A lot of those race fans don't make the 4 hour trip to Dallas or Houston for a National Meet, but would possibly make an hour trip to Austin. The IHRA meet in San Antonio always sells out, there are a lot of Drag Racing fans in Texas.

 

[mick]

still don't understand why when there is a multi-million dollar layout for
a brand new state-of-art facility to host by far and away the #1 motorsports
series worldwide our media chooses to not even recognize it?.....in
lieu of nfl and nascar highlites? it's as bad as our network/cable news.

 

[Toejam]

It was mentioned on the broadcast Sunday that a BILLION people around the world were watching the USGP. That's nuts.

General admission tickets were $160 for a 3 day pass. That's what it costs to go to an NHRA event for 3 days. Now if you're talking the Main Grandstand, that's a whole different ballgame.

Austin's Metro area is 1.7 million people, San Antonio is only an hour away with 2.1 million people. A lot of those race fans don't make the 4 hour trip to Dallas or Houston for a National Meet, but would possibly make an hour trip to Austin. The IHRA meet in San Antonio always sells out, there are a lot of Drag Racing fans in Texas.

I thought you had to buy Seat licenses?? Or is that just reserved? Yeah $160 for Gen. Is pretty reasonable, unless your in an area where you have a crappy view of the race!

 

[Tony]

Speed network host Bob Varsha was naming some Texas racers that are well-known in motorsports circles, and he mentioned Eddie Hill in the list that included Johnny Rutherford, AJ Foyt, Carroll Shelby and others. Very impressive for our Mr Hill to be mentioned on a world-wide TV broadcast with other racing legends.

 

[DrRocket]

Speed network host Bob Varsha was naming some Texas racers that are well-known in motorsports circles, and he mentioned Eddie Hill in the list that included Johnny Rutherford, AJ Foyt, Carroll Shelby and others. Very impressive for our Mr Hill to be mentioned on a world-wide TV broadcast with other racing legends.

Bob Varsha knows his motorsports VERY well, and I can't believe the new F1 network didn't pick him for their F1 shows next year. The only reason I can think of for why they didn't is Bob's longtime commitments to Barrett Jackson's auction. There are several F1 races during the year where he stay's home and does that gig instead.

 

[tb]

Bob Varsha knows his motorsports VERY well, and I can't believe the new F1 network didn't pick him for their F1 shows next year. The only reason I can think of for why they didn't is Bob's longtime commitments to Barrett Jackson's auction. There are several F1 races during the year where he stay's home and does that gig instead.

I have heard the Varsha has a contract with SPEED that has one more year on it.

Bye the way, The SPEED crew are in Charlotte during the race, they watch a monitor and get info from the onsite F1 television crew.

The only one at the actual race is Will Buxton the pit reporter, This does not apply to the USGP

 

[DrRocket]

I have heard the Varsha has a contract with SPEED that has one more year on it.
Bye the way, The SPEED crew are in Charlotte during the race, they watch a monitor and get info from the onsite F1 television crew.

The only one at the actual race is Will Buxton the pit reporter, This does not apply to the USGP

that would explain it.

Yes, I'm aware of that. they often comment and apologize for not getting the camera feeds they'd like to present to the viewers. It's also why they rarely have video feeds when Will conducts pitside interviews during the race. the camera they have for the pre-race show is "borrowed" from the local production team, but is usually busy during the race itself, thus audio only interviews.
Will looked pretty good in his new "duds!"

 

[vegasnitro]

NBC Sports has signed Bob Varsha, David Hobbs and Leigh Diffey for their F1 coverage for next year. Diffey will also handle IndyCar for the new network.

EDIT: I read the article wrong ... It will be Hobbs, Diffey and Steve Matchett. An experienced, solid team ... But a peg or two below what it could have been with Varsha. Reminds me of when Speedvision turned to Speed and they went with Rick DeBruhl instead of Varsha. It wasn't long until Varsha was in the booth. I would venture a guess that when Varsha's contract is up with Speed/Fox we will see him back where he belongs, in the F1 booth.