Lv gp

[cory mcleod]

My main concern is that when the selfie crowd gets bored with F1, 3 races in the USA won't be justified. Since F1's target audience (Eurotrash and Eurotrash wannabees with $$$$) would much rather "be seen" in Miami or Vegas than deal with a dusty track in TX, the only real race at a real track will be lost. Without the huge economic impact payments from the state of TX, I don't see how COTA survives.

[CheckeredFlag]

Now there's a Class Action suit over the LV F1 problems...........I'll guess the Lawyers bringing the suit will use their profits to buy an even bigger billboard

Welcome to the U.S. where there are lawyers on every street corner.

[CheckeredFlag]

Epic trolling by Domino's UK on X/Twitter.

[E1pix]

Actually, I believe that gaudiness was a critical, necessary part of the concept. The Vegas F1 race was sport, married to spectacle, married to gambling. All of which becomes pure content gold.

If the concept was to embarrass who we are to the rest of the world, it was indeed a smashing success.

Some things are more important than gold. Water, for instance, and in the end the entire affair will just help dry up Mead and Powell a little bit faster so California can’t grow our food. And that’s not an opinion.

The good news is the city has embraced the issue, but one look at Mead shows it’s way too late. Only a giant amount of Spring rain slowed this bullet.

And Thanks for the correction on my misspell of “gaudiness,” I’m reviled so much by the concept I can’t even spell it. ;-)

[BeerBudgetRacing]

If the concept was to embarrass who we are to the rest of the world, it was indeed a smashing success.

You clearly are not in touch with what is popular in the rest if the world. Neither am I. But I do know it's not what I think it should be. American celebrities', the music world, hip hop, instagram etc. are sought after everywhere. It's about the only thing we export these days.

Some things are more important than gold. Water, for instance, and in the end the entire affair will just help dry up Mead and Powell a little bit faster so California can’t grow our food. And that’s not an opinion.

The Colorado does not feed the central valley where 90%+ of the food is grown. That all comes from the north and the mountains surrounding the central valley.
Not saying your wrong about the impact. But Vegas itself needs it to survive.

[E1pix]

Appreciate that, and I should have specified “winter crops” in the south that largely grow nowhere else in winter.

I think more than three quarters (!) of the River is specifically used for those, largely for grain (alfalfa?) to feed cattle.

Vegas has become adept at water storage, finally, and getting it everywhere they can. At one point they were trying to drain the Badwater aquifer under Death Valley over a hundred miles away, though thankfully that failed to my recollection.

[problemchild]

My main concern is that when the selfie crowd gets bored with F1, 3 races in the USA won't be justified. Since F1's target audience (Eurotrash and Eurotrash wannabees with $$$$) would much rather "be seen" in Miami or Vegas than deal with a dusty track in TX, the only real race at a real track will be lost. Without the huge economic impact payments from the state of TX, I don't see how COTA survives.

We all value different facilities differently but my reaction to COTA struggling is "who cares?" An isolated dusty track that runs only a few club-type races per year at inflated costs. Perhaps it would be better for club racers if they were struggling for survival.

Sorry but I cannot relate COTA to our iconic facilities like Watkins Glen, Road America, Road Atlanta, Mosport, etc. Disregarding any travel or logistical factors I would much prefer to race at Mid-Ohio than COTA.

Much like NASCAR peaked a decade ago, F1 is booming right now ..... but certainly not sustainable. They should be scooping up Michaels $800 million dollar buy-in ASAP. In a few years, that buy-in number may be higher, but it can also be a whole lot smaller. The trends of our modern generations rarely last for years, much less decades.

[Rick Kirchner]

And the central valley really doesn't grow much "food" in terms of vegetables. They grow almonds, pistachios, and table grapes because they figured out that the state can't cut the water off in dry years for perennial crops.

If they actually grew "food" there, the price you pay at the grocery store would plummet. The Central Valley is 20x the size of all the vegetable growing areas in the west combined. Everybody in the US could eat fresh healthy food at a fraction of the current price.

Most of what we consider "food" is grown around Ventura, Santa Maria, Salinas, between the Salton Sea and Mexicali, Blythe, and between Goodyear and Tuscon AZ.

I predict that's going to change. Right now Ag uses 80% of available water to support 2.5% of state GDP.

[stonebridge20]

Welcome to the U.S. where there are lawyers on every street corner.

Like the old joke.....

What do you call a million lawyers at the bottom of the ocean?

A good start.

[BeerBudgetRacing]

And the central valley really doesn't grow much "food" in terms of vegetables. They grow almonds, pistachios, and table grapes because they figured out that the state can't cut the water off in dry years for perennial crops.

If they actually grew "food" there, the price you pay at the grocery store would plummet. The Central Valley is 20x the size of all the vegetable growing areas in the west combined. Everybody in the US could eat fresh healthy food at a fraction of the current price.

Most of what we consider "food" is grown around Ventura, Santa Maria, Salinas, between the Salton Sea and Mexicali, Blythe, and between Goodyear and Tuscon AZ.

I predict that's going to change. Right now Ag uses 80% of available water to support 2.5% of state GDP.

I don't think it'll change. They all supplement local supplies with state water.
What would we do with all the water? Build more homes?

2.5% is also reflective of food actually being cheap as well big revenues in tech industries.
While we continue to grow more food than ever the percentage of GDP declines. In the late 1990's is was 10% of GDP.
At the same time California has always been the #1 in the nation - even at 2.5% GDP.
So - statistics...
California can also grow 3 crop rotations a year.
We had farms in Idaho and you grew 1 (spuds, corn, etc) plus winter wheat.
It's the mild weather.

[E1pix]

Good dialog Gents, Thanks.

[FVRacer21]

By the way - this was the scene in Torrington CT on Saturday morning:

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid...y=117853503114

ChrisZ

[Allemay]

As much as I dislike all the famous people walking around the grid and some of the silly stuff only Americans would do at a F1 race I thought it was a pretty good show. The water cover incident is excusable in my opinion. There are so many things to get ready especially when part of the track needs to be open for traffic during the day. I don't think it was at all fair to Carlos but I think that will be addressed in future regulations.

Once we got through the first few laps I thought it was a hell of a good race. Lots of passing for sure. And although I like Verstappen, it was fun to see a weekend where he didn't just dominate the race.

[cory mcleod]

We all value different facilities differently but my reaction to COTA struggling is "who cares?" An isolated dusty track that runs only a few club-type races per year at inflated costs. Perhaps it would be better for club racers if they were struggling for survival.

Sorry but I cannot relate COTA to our iconic facilities like Watkins Glen, Road America, Road Atlanta, Mosport, etc. Disregarding any travel or logistical factors I would much prefer to race at Mid-Ohio than COTA.

Much like NASCAR peaked a decade ago, F1 is booming right now ..... but certainly not sustainable. They should be scooping up Michaels $800 million dollar buy-in ASAP. In a few years, that buy-in number may be higher, but it can also be a whole lot smaller. The trends of our modern generations rarely last for years, much less decades.

Agreed - We all have our favorite track lists. COTA is in my top 5, ahead of Mid-Ohio. I also much prefer visiting Austin than Mansfield.

Also agree that lower costs from COTA struggling would be great for a few years, until the facility completely closes and is redeveloped for Texas McMansions, apartments and strip centers.

[E1pix]

COTA was the only gift that’s kept on giving when nobody else would finance a race, and saved us having a GP at all.

F1 owes them, and maybe all USF1 fans do, too.

[BeerBudgetRacing]

Agreed - We all have our favorite track lists. COTA is in my top 5, ahead of Mid-Ohio. I also much prefer visiting Austin than Mansfield.

Also agree that lower costs from COTA struggling would be great for a few years, until the facility completely closes and is redeveloped for Texas McMansions, apartments and strip centers.

It seems to be booked all the time !

Maybe it'll be like these big hotels where the 2nd or 3rd owner is the one that makes money.
A local resort (Bacara) was built for $220mil, sold 10 years later for $104mil, then more recently for $500mil (Ritz).
So the original developers / banks / investors took a bath.