Formula 1 - Not for the USA ?

[lizzyhermit]

Why has F1 never caught on big time here in the US? I'm reading that the "owner" of F1 is trying to get some interest in a street race in NY and also maybe going back to Long Beach in a couple of years. Is it the fact that you can't see alot of the racing circuit?



I love all types of racing and for me the bleeding edge technology of F1 is the biggest draw. 3L engines at 19k rpm producing 900+ hp is amazing as is 0 - 100 - 0 in 4 seconds.



BTW, at the US F1 GP this last Sunday at Indianapolis one of the drivers crashed into the concrete retaining wall at 180+mph. The number crunchers estimate a 75G force when he went from 180 to 0. Did I mention he hit the wall backwards!

 

[Forrest]

Went in backwards & walked outa it? I didn't see it, but heard of it.



I would love to see F1 racing on the streets of Las Vegas. Can you imagine the draw? I'd battle the crowds for that one!!! Oo. Gotta be a money maker for any city.



900hp go-carts ... sometimes the camera angles & camera movement is such that the camera DOESN'T follow the car & you can see the acceleration of these things out of the corners.

 

[B.G. Smith]

Good question. There are few if any drivers in F1 that I recognize their names, getting to be about the same for CART and IRL, only a few USA drivers and practically no USA engines, I don't know where the body/running gear is from. I think people are more interested in races where equipment and people they can relate to are involved(Chevy, Ford, Dodge). bg

 

[nickleinonen]

i think it would be great if f1 went to laguna seca for a 2nd race in the usa. would be interesting to see the f1 cars handle the corkscrew... :-laf

 

[TowPro]

I think the problem is "most" race fans here in the US get confused when the cars make a Right turn

 

[Todd G]

I went to the F1 races here in Phoenix a few years back. Very impressive! One year it rained hard all day and there was an inch of water on the roads. The acceleration those cars have on a wet street has to be seen to be believed I was a hundred yards from a sharp corner and they would blast by me at over a 100mph.

 

[lil red cummins]

F1 definately has its following in the US. i have 2 problems with it at this time though.



1 - the standing start still creates more accidents than the rolling start.



2 - too much domination by one driver this year.



outside of that, i am happy to see the technological push that the series has. there are not enough driver interviews. they seem too distant from the public. i do understand that not all of them speak english well and i am taking that into account.



i did watch most of the race at indy on tape delay. the series is definately interesting.



NOW - if NASCAR could shorten yellow flag times and figure out how to put an end to yellow flag checkers, i wouldn't even be thinking about F1.



jim

 

[lizzyhermit]

I too, enjoy NASCAR when they are racing but all this yellow flag rubbish is losing me and others. if the cars aren't near the situation let 'em race back to the line as they used to. I understand full track yellows but come on folks this is auto racing.



even F1 is getting into this pace car stuff awfully quickly this year and detracting from the racing.



I still believe racin' should be racin' and whatever the weather is deal with it. That's one of the reasons I love watching Lemans 24hrs every year.

 

[JGheen]

Originally posted by Todd G

I went to the F1 races here in Phoenix a few years back. Very impressive! One year it rained hard all day and there was an inch of water on the roads. The acceleration those cars have on a wet street has to be seen to be believed I was a hundred yards from a sharp corner and they would blast by me at over a 100mph.

Those were not F1 cars being that they haven't been racing in the US before they came back to Indy for years on end. Not shutting you down or anything but F1 would choose Road America or Laguna Seca before they ever would even consider going to Phoenix.

 

[Todd G]

F1 was in Phoenix from 1989 to 1991.

 

[lizzyhermit]

in Phoenix - yup !

they have only recently torn out the pits and buildings that were specifically built for those events. I've been here since '81 and F1 really did race on the streets of the desert...

 

[Bova]

Just to add to what was said, If you are new to F-1 and do make it to a race make sure you sit at the end of the straight. You will not believe how hard those cars stop. I went down along the wall and paced it off to get a rough estimate 218mph down to 60mph for turn one in 120 feet! Most hard core street cars can't brake from 60mph in 120 feet.