From: danjones@pyrps5.eng.pyramid.com (Dan Jones)
Newsgroups: rec.autos.sport
Subject: Re: RA for the USGP (Was: Road America comments)
Date: 28 Aug 92 23:38:28 GMT
Organization: Pyramid Technology Corporation, Mountain View

James Montebello writes:

>Dan Jones writes:
>>Yes, Road America would be a very appropriate track to host a GP given the
>>track, tradition, etc, but these are the '90s.  Now days, F1 has other 
>>priorities such as the making things soft for the folks who count :-) (those
>>connected people, not necessarily the long term fans).  While I'm not familar 
>>with the Elkhart Lake area, it seems to me, its not a very urban kind of place
>>Even in Europe, Dijon, Magny-Cours, and in Japan, Accropolis (sp?) have or 
>>are failing this way.  In the US, FISA has been looking to an urban venue and
>>that is just not going the work with Elkhart Lake.  
>>
>>I think Laguna Seca is the only answer and would like to bet that it will
>>happen within the next three years.
>
>I would hardly call Laguna Seca an "urban venue".

No, the Monterey Peninsula isn't an urban venue, but Laguna Seca is about 
20 minutes from Carmel, Pebble Beach, and Monterey.  The area would very 
much appeal to the *IMPORTANT* people.  Maybe even to the unimportant people 
too. And Nigel and Alain would love it, with all of its the golf courses.

>Given Elkhart's proximity to Chicago, Madison, Milwaukee and the Twin
>Cities in MN, I'd say that the amount of population within a given
>distance is pretty much the same for Road America and Laguna. Remember,
>Laguna is about an hour and a half away from the south Bay area,
>probably three or more hours from the north Bay. The combined
>population of Seaside, Monterey and Salinas is pretty small.

By US standards, LS would get a good turnout.  I haven't heard what last
Saturday's Historics attentence was, but I've never seen something like that
for a Historics race.  It was more on par with a Sunday IndyCar turnout.  
Attentence would be good enough not to be a large factor.

>Also, FISA looks at the track from a different perspective than we do.
>While Laguna "the track" is wonderful, Laguna "the set of support
>facilities" is not. Track access is somewhat cramped. Stuffing more
>than 50,000 spectators into the track is difficult. 

LS was capable of hosting the Pope in '87 or so, so does that mean F1 would
draw more than the Pope?  :-) Actually, I'd be interested in hearing what 
that was like from anyone who went.

I know of at least one additional access road that could go from HW68 to 
turn 9 that wouldn't be a problem.  The *IMPORTANT* folks could go out the
Del Rey Oaks exits with a special pass in order to make things comfortable
for them. :-)

>Paddock access is impossible on race weekend. 

Is this different from other F1 races?  This is even worst with the GOBs.
You aren't going to get a paddock pass to a F1 race if you're an average
Joe.  I don't care where its held.  Of course there use to be the Thursday
walk-about at Phoenix and Montreal isn't too difficult to sneak into on
Thursdays.

>The lack of permanent pit facilities is a
>*big* minus. There are very few areas than can be used to house VIPs
>and other schmoozing parties (no condos at the track, no private boxes,
>a general lack of press facilities). I've never been to Elkhart, so
>I can't comment on it. If it, too, lacks these things, then you can
>forget having a GP there, as well. 

>Temporary tracks are generally forgiven these sorts of things (but,
>then, the history of temp. tracks proves they are short-lived as GP
>venues. Monaco is a very special exception.); however, permanent tracks
>are expected to have them today. As Dan says, this is the '90s :-).

Right, there are not any tracks in the US up to F1 standards now, but I 
think FISA would let LS skimp a bit, more like you see at the street tracks.
There is noway LS could get by with what they have now, but some garages
some track improvement and a VIP area (cheap) could do the job.  And
press facilities are not much a concern to FISA.

>Finally, due to suburban sprawl, the closing of the surrounding Army
>base, and whining neighbors, Laguna may not be around within three
>years. So the whole point may be moot.

I'm not very concerned here.  Fort Ord is closing, but the track and
some of the access roads are not on Fort Ord property anymore.  Besides
its going to take megabucks and years to clean up the base before anything
can be done with it.  LS and the neighbors are in a stalemate, LS
probably won't get more race weekends, but its going to be a while
before the neighbors can shut them down.  The organizers of LS, SCRAMP
have donated millons of dollars to the local commutity over the years.

Dan Jones
Newsgroups: rec.autos.sport