Now Upstate New York want a Grand Prix

[dpbird90]

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/83748

Look Bernie, just stop fking around and if you take it anywhere, go to Watkins Glen, which is perhaps one of the best tracks in America (not counting ovals)

[Scuffers]

dpbird90 said:

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/83748

Look Bernie, just stop fking around and if you take it anywhere, go to Watkins Glen, which is perhaps one of the best tracks in America (not counting ovals)

Agree with that, although the yanks have several very decent ccts outside of the ovals.

Love to see F1 cars on the corkscrew for example.

[dougc]

From this onboard I'd say it needs a little improvement before F1 would go near it...

eta - looks like an interesting circuit though...

Edited by dougc on Friday 21st May 10:29

[dpbird90]

dougc said:

From this onboard I'd say it needs a little improvement before F1 would go near it...

eta - looks like an interesting circuit though...

Edited by dougc on Friday 21st May 10:29

I think most American road courses would, for example the Watkins Glen pit garages are nowhere near the pitlane, where you'd expect them to be is actually a grandstand, but it'd be good to watch pit crews working even closer up, just could F1 handle a NASCAR style pit road? Agree with Scuffers, Laguna Seca would be awesome, watching Vettel and Hamilton dicing through corkscrew would be an amazing sight.

[Mazda Baiter]

Can someone explain to me what is so special about the corkscrew at LS? I don't get it. It's just a corner that drops away from you as you go through it. It looks ok on the tv, but i can't see any other redeeming features about it. I think the corners reputation has been cemented by a couple of overtakes there, both of which were questionable (Zanardi. Rossi). The rest of the circuit is pretty boring too, not to mention that it wouldn't get anywhere near passing an F1 safety inspection.

[Scuffers]

Tv does not really show it.

You need to drive it, it's seriously challenging.

Rest of the cct is not bad either.

[KeithR]

I would have thought Laguna Seca would be a lousy circuit for F1 cars. No decent straights to get a tow and very few, if no overtaking opportunities whatsoever.

[Olivero]

New york would be a great place for a circuit as Bernie would need to think about building a grandstand. There is almost zero interest in F1 here, sad but true.

[anonymous-user]

Bernie needs to get a grip and bring the race back to Naptown. Nobody who is here this week, or especially next, could argue that this place is not the home of motor racing in the US. The infrastructure is here, the fans are here, the city wants it and Tony George is gone. Time for F1 to come home to Indy.

[Scuffers]

unrepentant said:

Bernie needs to get a grip and bring the race back to Naptown. Nobody who is here this week, or especially next, could argue that this place is not the home of motor racing in the US. The infrastructure is here, the fans are here, the city wants it and Tony George is gone. Time for F1 to come home to Indy.

sorry, might be a top line Oval etc, but the F1 cct's a joke.

[mko9]

I did a trackday on the VIR grand course a month ago. Great circuit, really flows like Dongington does. Two long straights, some nice twisties, lots of elevation change. Unfortunately, (A) it is out in the sticks on the Virginia-North Caroline border and (B) there are no pits to speak of. ALMS was in town the following weekend and they spent the two days I was there erecting shelters in the paddock area.

[PhillT]

I think we all know that the best place for a US Grand Prix would be a straight drag race across the Bonneville salt flats. For two hours. With a compulsory pit stop.

[130R]

KeithR said:

I would have thought Laguna Seca would be a lousy circuit for F1 cars. No decent straights to get a tow and very few, if no overtaking opportunities whatsoever.

Also Laguna Seca is too short for F1, they would be probably get round in about a minute.

As for NY - street circuits are generally boring as hell, so God knows why we need more of them. Some more tracks like Suzuka and Spa would be nice.

[Galileo]

No doubt they expects to see USF1 on pole for the first race.

[Eric Mc]

1983 all over again - as I predicted.

[PabloTeK]

Tracks I think that would be better for a grand prix than MMC:

> Road America - Massive circuit;
> Road Atlanta - Slightly less-big, near a lot of racing fans;
> Watkins Glen - It's had GP's before and hosts 2 series that are top-level in the US!
> Indy - This one is meh, would prefer the oval but it's a decently equipped place;
> Daytona - Night-time F1 race?
> Mid-Ohio - Don't know much about this, look interesting though;
> Sebring - Used for the ALMS, with a bit of work it could be F1 standard;
> Talladega - Anyone else fancy a 2.66 mile oval race?

[skinny]

personally i'd be very interested to see the F1 circus tackle an oval
or road america

[Evangelion]

130R said:

... Laguna Seca is too short for F1, they would be probably get round in about a minute ...

I've done it in 1:11 in GPL and that's with a 1967 F1 car. Having said that, that is the old circuit without the additional loop round the infield; I've always thought that adds little to the circuit, better to cross the line followed by the long curve up the hill in my view.

[Curry Burns]

For Sebring they'd need to change the road surface at the last corner for F1 cars as it's all slab type things aint it?

[Scuffers]

Evangelion said:

130R said:

... Laguna Seca is too short for F1, they would be probably get round in about a minute ...

I've done it in 1:11 in GPL and that's with a 1967 F1 car. Having said that, that is the old circuit without the additional loop round the infield; I've always thought that adds little to the circuit, better to cross the line followed by the long curve up the hill in my view.

well, it's some 2.238miles long, and must be fast as the lap record is 1'07.722.

can't see anything wrong with that, it's over 2 miles and looks like you can actually overtake on it.