Formula 1 Is Coming To...Texas??

Yeehaaaaaaaaaw! The International Traveling Circus is headed back to the Lone Star State only this time it's gonna stay. Last week news came out of a purpose built Formula 1 track to be constructed near Austin.

Formula One World Championship Limited and Formula One Administration Limited (together, the F1 Commercial Rights Holder) and Full Throttle Productions, LP, promoter of the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix™, announce that a historic agreement has been reached for Austin, Texas to serve as the host city of the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix™ for years 2012 through 2021.

The legendary Juan Manuel Fangio in a Maserati

My car fetish started with a thunderbolt when I first saw a Maserati Merak in a liquor ad. I'd never seen anything like it and it was a dream to my young boy's eyes. I've been lusting ever since. I bought Maserati books, joined their club and immersed myself in the history of the Maserati brothers as they competed during the blossoming days of Formula 1 after WWII. Their peak was winning the world championship in 1957 with Juan Manuel Fangio, the Babe Ruth of F1, as their driver. His monstrous comeback win at the Nurburgring a feat revered to this day.

In the car crazed Sixties F1 took off as well as other forms of motor racing. Engines moved from the front of the cars to the middle for better weight distribution. Aerodynamics gained attention as the bodies became sleeker in their design. George Harrison was a huge follower of the sport and that tradition continues to this day with its rock and roll following. (Jagger and Clapton could both be seen in pit lane at Monaco this year). The Sixties were also a time when racing became corporatized on all levels, only many pulled out as the car craze ended.

1966 Ferrari F1 Racer

The Seventies sucked for cars and for racing in general although the dedicated fans picked up previously were as feverish as ever in their support. This decade also saw the introduction of wings to create downforce. In fact, if the undercarriage was configured just right, the car would literally be sucked to the ground and the cornering forces were unbelievable. Problem was the downforce effects were too good and the minute the car exceeded its grip it lost all grip and went flying off the track. Aerodynamics still plays a huge role in car design but it is regulated for safety reasons.

Red Bull Racing currently has the best car in F1

I faithfully read every account of every Formula 1 race each month in Road & Track when growing up. Later on I kept up through watching races on TV but my interest soured after the 1994 death of the brilliant Ayrton Senna, my favorite driver. That interest remained dormant until last year when I ran into an F1 fanatic who sparked my fever all over again. And now I'm one giggly bitch at the thought of a race right here in my own backyard!

Bernie Ecclestone, President and CEO of the Formula One Group stated: “For the first time in the history of Formula One in the United States, a world-class facility will be purpose-built to host the event. It was thirty years ago that the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix™ was last held on a purpose-built permanent road course circuit in Watkins Glen, NY (1961-1980), which enjoyed great success. Since then, Formula One has been hosted by Long Beach, Las Vegas, Detroit, Dallas and Phoenix all on temporary street circuits. Indianapolis joined the ranks of host cities in 2000 when they added a road course inside the famed oval. Lewis Hamilton won the last Formula 1 United States Grand Prix™ in 2007, signaling the end to eight years at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. This however, will be the first time a facility is constructed from the ground up specifically for Formula One in the US.”

Formula 1 is big business now. In many countries its annual visit is their de facto Super Bowl. Budgets for the teams run into the hundreds of millions - per year. F1 cars have the same horsepower as NASCAR but with half the body weight and half the engine displacement. For me, there is no substitute for open wheeled racing. For a taste of the sport in its heyday, check out Grand Prix with James Garner and you will be dazzled at the open wheel shots as the cars race furiously down the track. F1 has fizzled out in America before but this has a different buzz to it and I got a good feeling this is going to be something special.

One lap around Spa, everything a road course should be: fast, sweeping and undulating