Formula One in the U.S.—Back for Good?

In mid-November, the same weekend that Nascar's Chase for the Sprint Cup series came to a close at the Homestead-Miami Speedway, a very different kind of race was taking place at a brand-new track in Austin, Texas. The Formula One United States Grand Prix has not been held since 2007, and naysayers may yawn that the expensive, twisty, turny, highly technical F1 racing that is so popular around the world can't succeed in the States. The sport reached its peak relevance in the U.S. in the '60s and early '70s when the Grand Prix took place at Watkins Glen and American drivers such as Dan Gurney competed with Europe's best. The $350 million Circuit of the Americas (COTA) track in Austin, Texas, is a big and bold argument that F1 can bring back American crowds. And COTA is well-positioned to succeed where past efforts have failed.

The track is an all-in bet on F1. Past U.S. courses, such as Indianapolis from 2000 to 2007, have repurposed oval tracks, but COTA is purpose-built for F1. It's a thrilling circuit, with blind ?rises; a huge, 200-mph straight that dumps into a reversing-apex corner at turn 12; and scads of space to pass. Fireworks flew in the inaugural contest, with constant midpack passes and drivers sliding all over (and off) the track. McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton proved the best tactician, out-braking other drivers through corners and sneaking by F1 points leader? Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull/Renault-Infiniti to win the race.

Lasting success for the sport in the States largely depends on whether American racing fans will geek out to the engineering behind cars that have tiny, 2.4-liter hybrid-assist V-8s that rev to 18,000 rpm and can push a car from 0 to 60 in under 2 seconds. But on race day 117,000 people paid an average of $400 to attend the sold-out contest. What's still missing? American drivers and teams. If F1 maintains a foothold in the U.S., that will likely change. With all the investment in the COTA track and talk of another? circuit in Weehawken, N.J., in 2014 Formula One racing in the U.S. seems to be trending up rather than out.

Source: http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/news/vintage-speed/formula-one-in-the-us-back-for-good?src=rss

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