New Jersey in 2013

[Spritle]

The elevation changes should be good as there are some large hills in that area.

How it helps the area economically beyond ticket sales remains to be seen unless there are decent & safe hotels and restaurants on the Jersey side. Otherwise I see it as a economic boost to NYC.

I know that I will be staying and eating in Manhattan, not New Jersey.

[fieldodreams79]

This is weird. In Hoboken of all places..
Edit---it's Weehawken, not Hoboken. My B.

We have a hard enough time keeping one around and we are going to try for two?

Guess it increases the odds of one sticking...

[Marbot]

Indeed. Guess which one Bernie will be putting his money on.

[JeremySmith]

Originally Posted by Marbot

Indeed. Guess which one Bernie will be putting his money on.

Both...

[Beached]

Originally Posted by JeremySmith

Both...

Exactly. As long as both are handing over the fees he'll be happy to take their money and show up with the circus.

Listening to the event boosters mention Monaco and Spa in the same breath was hysterical. Spa has nothing to do with it, and the only element comparable to Monaco is the tight processional street course layout with some elevation change. It will look good on TV, which is all that really matters to FOM.

Regarding Laguna Seca, the current layout is partly due to a failed bid to lure F1 to the track in the '80s. Unfortunately it's just too short to support a grid of modern F1 cars, not to mention the facilities. It's breathtaking watching a few of them get around the course at an insane clip doing demo laps, but an actual race would be a nightmare. There is talk about making a major change to the final complex of corners to add some length, but F1 will never happen. It's a great track regardless, and ALMS and Rennsport IV were an amazing end to the season this year.

[WapFlap]

Joe Saward put some more pics of the track on his site. Looks a bit like Melbourne to me. Can someone tell me if there are some height differences there?

Overall it looks okay, but I doubt if there will be some overtaking as the straights just seem too short to do so.

http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2011/...om-new-jersey/

[275 GTB-4]

Originally Posted by thebear

From the WSJ article in the earlier post:

"Weehawken Mayor Richard Turner and West New York Mayor Felix Roque suggested in a joint statement that the race could prove to be a lucrative annual source of income for the area. They said no tax dollars would be involved in staging the race."

No tax dollars, indeed. Who will be paying for the Fire/Rescue, Police for traffic control and `cleanup' at the end of the day(s)?

I believe Bernie is allowing the cars to be fitted with E-Tags....they will start working the moment the transporters turn onto the Turnpike

[Marbot]

Originally Posted by JeremySmith

Both...

Back in early 2010, Bernie said this:

“I’m trying for 2012, opposite Manhattan in New Jersey with skyscrapers in the background. “Fifteen minutes from the centre of New York to the circuit. (It would be) a wonder.”

Now I deeply hope that both survive. But I know which one Bernie will love the most.

[thebear]

Originally Posted by 275 GTB-4

I believe Bernie is allowing the cars to be fitted with E-Tags....they will start working the moment the transporters turn onto the Turnpike

Quite good. Thanks.

[Paradise City]

I think both events will be a success for the first time around. New York will be old hat though second time around and expensive old hat at that. Also North Americans aren't interested unless there is an American driver at the front, a token one tailing around at the back or marooned in mid-field just won't do.

[Jacques Rabbit]

Originally Posted by Paradise City

I think both events will be a success for the first time around. New York will be old hat though second time around and expensive old hat at that. Also North Americans aren't interested unless there is an American driver at the front, a token one tailing around at the back or marooned in mid-field just won't do.

I agree that the events will be successful first-time out, and from there, it's hard to predict.

As far as American drivers go, it's even more complicated than that. If Scott Speed had been a World Champion, 1) Formula One would never be able to call itself the pinnacle of much of anything after that and 2) I don't think people would have cared, because he was not an "American" American (an ego-less, hard-working middle-class guy with tons of grit and tons of heart who started his career on short ovals before progressing to formula cars. Not sure where you find one of those, but very few Americans will see appeal in a guy full of himself who lived his entire life in Europe on daddy's money).

Though I guess if they're good enough, they could sell any American driver provided he/she was winning. Just manufacture some rivalry with those mean bad communist guys who talk funny and maybe they'll fall for it...

Glad it's not tax-funded, though some tax dollars to make the area not smell like nuclear waste would help.

But what we really can't overlook is the involvement of Humpy Wheeler. He's known for some wild ideas for pre-race (tamest being elephants on roller skates being dropped from helicopters which thankfully never happened, to the most radical idea which was to put fenders on IndyCars). He likes monster trucks and explosives. No doubt a big old F150 driven by a grizzly bear will crush a Ferrari F150th Italia asserting our dominance, culminating in Chris Christie shooting double-cheeseburgers to the crowd out of a machine gun.

We'll all complain our intelligence is insulted...

...and deep down, we'll wish they did it at every Grand Prix.

Maybe.

Probably not.

But what is probable?

Me being at a Grand Prix in 2013. Closest F1's ever going to get to me, so hey, I'll show up. Get me a seat on JFK where it's high up so I can see more (and that Manhattan skyline a-ha sings about; good song, actually), and we'll be in business.

[bjohnsonsmith]

So it looks as if Bernie's dream will finally come true. Wouldn't it be ironic if he departed this world before his dream became reality, not that I would wish it on him.

[NaBUru38]

I'm ok with the race. But why "Grand Prix of America"??? I'd have preferred New York Grand Prix, New Jersey Grand Prix or the old United States East Grand Prix. In Spanish, "América" means the whole continent, from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego. Calling a U.S.-based "Gran Premio de América" is insulting, at least to me.

[JeremySmith]

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

I'm ok with the race. But why "Grand Prix of America"??? I'd have preferred New York Grand Prix, New Jersey Grand Prix or the old United States East Grand Prix. In Spanish, "América" means the whole continent, from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego. Calling a U.S.-based "Gran Premio de América" is insulting, at least to me.

I agree..I would have thought that "The Grand Prix Of New York" would have been far more suitable..

[Paradise City]

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

I'm ok with the race. But why "Grand Prix of America"??? I'd have preferred New York Grand Prix, New Jersey Grand Prix or the old United States East Grand Prix. In Spanish, "América" means the whole continent, from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego. Calling a U.S.-based "Gran Premio de América" is insulting, at least to me.

'America' or 'Americas' suggests to me that under the steely confidence the owners are just a bit insecure. If US citizens fail to turn up for year two, they seem to expect South Americans to take up the shortfall.

As a race track the New Jersey track does look very interesting.