F1 Pulling out of Indy

[licker]

Man this really sucks if they cant reach an agreement! http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/racing/07/12/f1.indy.ap/index.html :thumbdwn: (bs2)

[Burner_Tbird2]

Yeah lets hope either they reach an agreement or some other part of the country has the foresight to pony up to host the USGP next year. Its the F1 fees that are trying to keep F1 out of the US, I think the last contract was for 2005-2007 and it was literally hundreds of millions that Indy had to pay for F1 to make a pit stop in the US.

[npras42]

Honestly, its a bit sad but I'm not going to miss it. The facilities at Indy are obviously among the best in the world, but I find the circuit boring, and lacking in all areas. I guess you can't ask for too much from a circuit built in the middle of another oval circuit, but I would rather see F1 at a custom built US race track.

[///MVinny]

Ecclestone mentioned New York or Vegas as alternatives, either case they don't even compare to Indy but so what if Indy's skipped next year. I like Indy better when the road course configuration is opened up, and I'll disagree with npras42 on the boredom factor regarding the track... (imho). Granted turn 13 is one of a kind! ;) But I can see where you're coming from though in relation to other circuits, Indy is pretty flat.

The popularity of the sport is gaining, (I can watch marbles roll around in a can (///NASCAR) for a few minutes and decide it's time to watch the paint dry because ///NASCAR is ///BORING. No worries, F1 is a popular sport and it'll make a comeback one way or another in the US. It's great to see an F1 race in the US, but that's not to say that some of the circuits around the planet aren't fun to watch in the meantime. It's just more incentive for other tracks in the US to step up with a road course configuration and compete for F1 visitation. If you build it, they will come...

(Next year supposedly has a night time street lit city circuit or two, maybe that has something to do with bumping indy?)

[BrianG]

I would hope Ecclestone has things worked out for another venue already. Toyota, Honda and BMW will kick his arse, otherwise. The USGP is one of the biggest schmozzing festivals available to those manufacturers, each dependign on the US as their biggest markets. All three manufacture cars here.

Damn. Guess I'll should start planning my trip to Montreal.

[Libertysyclone]

millermotorsports park............................

[BrianG]

millermotorsports park............................
Dare to dream. Is there enough seating and access these days?

[Shamrock]

Road America!

[licker]

I think what we need is a designated track designed specifically for F1. I'm not too sure about New york hopping onboard but I certainly wouldn't count Vegas out. Can you imagine the amount of revenue coming from ticket sales and along with that the amount of revenue generated from the surge of fans gambling afterwards!? Hell if they hold it in Vegas you can count me in!

[StevePMo]

Why not Watkins Glen? The USGP was there for years in the old days...I would rather see it at Road America though, a very long, very fast track.

[bigC]

hmm, F1 doesn't need a race in America?

Toyota, Honda, BMW, Ferrari, hardly sell any cars there anyway, right? :lol: Bernie Ecclestone and the rest of the organ donors that run F1 are mad if they think an F1 season without a race in the US is a good idea. Indy is a great venue, the course is OK, it has a large seating capacity, and it represents a vital foothold in the US market (the Brickyard is racing history). instead of canceling the USGP, there should be at least two races in the US.

although this is only a provisional schedule, the 2008 season will have 18 races, including two new races, in Valencia and Singapore, and only one in North America (but who knows how much longer the Canadian GP will be on the schedule, since Ecclestone is rumoured to want out of Canada too):

http://www.tsn.ca/auto_racing/Formula_One/news_story/?ID=214787&hubname=auto_racing-formula_one