No US Grand Prix

So. Next year there will be no United States Grand Prix.

I am pissed beyond reason, and have been for days.

I've been taking my time in composing this post, because initally it was just a melange of; "arrogant European fucks," "Bernie Ecclestone can blow me," and "fuck this shit," with some other random quips thrown in. And at the time, it made perfect sense to me. I am not the only F1 fan in the country, and a lot of people in the country were that mad or more than that mad.

Ecclestone is not required to disclose why the track decline to host the Grand Prix. The track is not required to disclose the terms that were offered to them, in order to host the Grand Prix. Which leads to fans at this point being pretty much in the dark. F1, and the track are calling it a "mutual agreement," which has to strike every fan as a total load of bullshit. The final issue is, and will always be, money. "Reports" (which is my fancy way to say "reporter's gossip") were that F1 Management Ltd wanted as much as TWICE the fee that they had demanded the first eight seasons of the race at Indy. And I can't say that I disagree with an INCREASE in the fee to host the race. Indianapolis Motor Speedway has consistently had the largest crowds in F1 racing (while the are not mandated to release attendance figures, attendance for every race is "estimated" and usually accurate within 4% when figures have been released), and makes money hand over fist. But at the same time twice the money as the year before is one hell of an increase, and something well beyond reasonable to request.

At many other venues that host F1 racing, the tracks are owned by the city that they are in (hell, Monte Carlo, and Australia are run on city streets) and the city can directly see the benefits of the fee that they pay. Direct revenue to local businesses and the increased tax revenue generated as a result of that revenue, help to deffer that very significant initial fee. Indianapolis Motor Speedway is privately held, and as such, the only source of revenue for the people owning the track is money spent on tickets and at the track. While revenue is certainly great, asking someone to DOUBLE what they have paid simply the last year is absurd. Which leads to more speculation...

Bernie Ecclestone does not want Formula One Racing in The United States of America.

There, I've said it, and I'm not the first guy to make that proclamation. I do feel that Ecclestone has never really respected the US as a venue, and is not sad to see it go. If he wanted the fan base in this country to grow, he would have been more than willing to negotiate down to a number that Indianapolis would have accepted. Unfortunately, the man is presented with one depressing fact EVERY SINGLE YEAR...

The most popular motorsport in the US, is NASCAR...

Of course he doesn't give a damn about the US as a market. A majority of the people here are content to watch cars that are technological dinosaurs drive in a FUCKING CIRCLE. The difference between NASCAR and Formula One is the difference between a Ford Mondeo and a Ferrari. And they drive IN A CIRCLE...

Now if you happen to be a NASCAR fan, you can save your thoughts on this difference in style and performance, and simply kiss my ass. I don't give a damn how much driver skill it takes to win in NASCAR, how hard it is to do, or how "advanced" you happen to think the cars are. They drive standard V-8 engined, sheet metal bodied cars, in a loop... (If something is not above me, it is... ?) F1 cars are Carbon Fiber Chassis that have 2.4 litre V-8's making over 700 horsepower, that are rev limited at 19,000 RPM. And then there's the little fact that EVERY part is custom made for the specific car.

But I'm way off topic.

So for now we lose our race, and fans will depart the sport. It's not going to be a mass exodus, but people that had just been getting interested are indeed going to be turned off from the sport. And while dedicated fans like myself will remain, it does nothing to help the sport and it's growth in the US.


Plans for return? I'll believe it when I see it.

The US has numerous circuits that could host the race. Of course my mind says that the west coast alone has 6 or 7 tracks that would be more than adequate to host a US Grand Prix. My track picks would be Laguna Seca, Infineon Raceway, and Portland International Raceway as a "Top Three". The east coast could also get some love. New York has Watkins Glen, which would be a very tight and slow course (which also makes it easier for fans to watch the racing). St. Petersburg hosts an ALMS event in Florida, and that track would be a good venue to attract viewers on the east coast (and in the south). The list goes on and on.

The only thing that I think will NEVER happen (despite people protesting to the contrary) is a Las Vegas Grand Prix.