New Jersey Grand Prix For 2013 Set To Be Announced...

[Brett]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/formula_one/15440153.stm

Formula 1 will hold a Grand Prix in New Jersey in 2013, West New York mayor Felix Roque has claimed.

The United States will feature on the Formula 1 calendar for the first time since 2007 with next year's race in Austin, Texas.

New Jersey governor Chris Christie could announce the deal at a press conference scheduled for Tuesday.

Roque said: "It's incredible. This is going to be an economic boom for this whole region."

It has been claimed that the race will take place on a four-lane motorway that runs alongside the Hudson River in Weehawken, West New York.

"It will provide a very challenging course," West New York attorney Joe DeMarco said.

"They compare it to Spa in Belgium but it will have the feel of Monaco."

Lewis Hamilton won the last US Grand Prix at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2007.

[Brett]

It's a street circuit with a long stretch on Port Imperial Blvd which is a wide stretch of tarmac along the river, then there's a huge elevation change as the circuit follows JFK Blvd which is up on the cliffs. The streets up there are more narrow with apartment buildings on the street. And you can see the circuit is right across the water from Manhattan, in fact you can take the ferry from Midtown right to the Port Imperial terminal which is smack in the middle of the circuit.

[Keith Scantlebury]

Street cicuits will be a lot safer than their racetracks. I have always wanted to see a New York street cicuit. Remember the ones they played with in this country, the one in Birmingham millions spent on that, too many winging gits spoiled any chance of it being made permanant. Then there was that exhibition in London.

Could have a Bedlington GP, start at bank top, race to first bend on stead lane. up to front st ,right at red lion, down glebe bank, right onto schalksmuhle way, left to beech grove, left onto victoria /rothesay tce (good noise on long straight), right onto jubilee, down furnace bank, up hairpin right up to horton right again past atlee park x 55

Bank top to stead lane, just for the start

Edited October 25, 2011 by keith

[Brett]

Apparently the rumours have some truth in them.

[mercuryg]

Street cicuits will be a lot safer than their racetracks.

The danger is in oval racing in the USA, and largely thanks to the colossal average speeds. North America has many excellent road courses - Road America (Elkhart Lake) is a superb facility, Laguna Seca one of the best driver's circuits in the world - but none that come up to F1 'standards'. Dan Wheldon, who was killed two weeks back in Las Vegas, was a friend thanks to continued involvement in my website (www.updatef1.com) and will be missed.

I have always wanted to see a New York street cicuit.

So have I and, more importantly, so has Mr Ecclestone. When I last interviewed him - a rare opportunity that - he professed to me that he had three locations he wanted to see street races on: New York, London and Paris. There are, however, clear problems, especially that of shutting down a major city - no matter how small a part - for three days. Singapore, the greatest of the 'modern' street circuits and an instant classic - manages it by running at night; Abu Dhabi, a hit and miss affair, by being able to afford to shift all the camels into compounds.

There is another problem with any US F1 race, and without wanting to alienate those who do enjoy the sport in the USA, it's that the country as a whole is not interested in it. This has been a major thorn in the side of the car manufacturers who see the US - naturally - as a major market; Honda and Toyota, both having made a recent exodus from the sport, were partly influenced by the demise of the US GP; I have no doubt Honda will be back when the new engine regulations kick in, have it on good authority that VW is also developing an engine, and there are talks of Hyundai - believe it or not - and a couple of others being interested. Securing not one, but two, races in the USA is something that will sway them to the positive.

The lack of a US F1 driver also adds to the problem The best have plenty of opportunity to make a living in Indy, Nascar and so on, and do so without having to fly around the world every other weekend. The US has its own single seater legends, and they tent to be patriotic. The last 'major' US import to F1 - I am, apologies again, ignoring the Canadian Jaques Villeneuve and the many South Americans- was Michael Andretti who, in the early 90's, chose to dovetail his McLaren job with racing an Indycar back home. His schedule didn't lend itself to results, and a serious talent was squandered. Scott Speed doesn't count.

If F1 can find a serious footing anywhere in the USA it's with this project, and I welcome it with open arms.

Remember the ones they played with in this country, the one in Birmingham millions spent on that, too many winging gits spoiled any chance of it being made permanant. Then there was that exhibition in London.

The Birmingham project was interesting, but picked the wrong series. It's a little known fact that the organisers, when presenting the project, were offered the chance of a 'No Championship' F1 race with guaranteed entries, to be run back to back as a budget event with th British Grand Prix. Instead, they plumped for F3000, and lost a fortune.

Could have a Bedlington GP, start at bank top, race to first bend on stead lane. up to front st ,right at red lion, down glebe bank, right onto schalksmuhle way, left to beech grove, left onto victoria /rothesay tce (good noise on long straight), right onto jubilee, down furnace bank, up hairpin right up to horton right again past atlee park x 55

Bank top to stead lane, just for the start

Lovely idea; I'll dig it out for you when I can, but we actually came close to an international touring car race around the streets of Stockton......

As always, for all your F1 latest, it's updatef1.......

[Keith Scantlebury]

Merc, !!! I feel as if I have been dicected and interfered with, I have been humbled, who am I to argue

[mercuryg]

Merc, !!! I feel as if I have been dicected and interfered with, I have been humbled, who am I to argue

I can only apologise! Motor racing, and it's history, is my pet subject!