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**Darren M** · 11-20-2011, 11:45 PM

More hot messy "mess"......

http://houston.culturemap.com/newsdetail/11-16-11-f1-boss-bernie-ecclestone-cancels-Formula-One-contract/

CultureMap?Houston

This just stinks and makes Texas look bad..... DAMN IT!!!! I can just hear the Euro-folk talking shit now..... "Those Cowboys and knuckle draggers don't deserve F1....." (Searching BBC and other affiliates now for a Euro-response......)

Edit.... I hate the media. I REALLY do!

Bernie Ecclestone says next year's US Grand Prix is set to be axed

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/formula_one/15766613.stm

Next year's inaugural United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, is on the brink of being axed, says Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone.

The Texas state government then issued a statement saying that $25m (£15.8m) that had been earmarked to pay the sanctioning fee to Ecclestone would not be paid until after the first race.

**Grape** · 11-21-2011, 08:44 AM

Originally posted by Slowhand View Post

That doesn't address the point he raised in any way, shape, or form. Yes, that's true for the US, but it's not true for the global television market; the BBC pays $75 million a year for the rights to F1 broadcasts.

show me where the venue gets any of that money.... that goes straight to bernie and the teams. Bottom line, a cup race will cost you $7 mil from nascar and you will net $40 mil (IN ONE DAY) if you play your cards right. this formula 1 deal costs $25 mil to get the circus to come to town to sell what, maybe 50K tickets? FIA then restricts the number of days the track can be used and what vehicles can actually run on the surface for the remainder of the year.

How much money do you want to throw away so all your good friends in texas can watch a formula 1 race? For F1 to come to the US it will have to be a charity, because making money it will not.

**Grape** · 11-21-2011, 08:47 AM

Originally posted by Darren M View Post

. I was REALLY looking forward to running on a new, VERY HIGH brow track in Texas at some point in the future..... (Was praying CHUMP or Lemons would use the track.)

EL OH EL, this will never happen with a track that FIA allows a formula 1 race to take place.

**Slowhand** · 11-21-2011, 10:20 AM

Originally posted by Grape View Post

show me where the venue gets any of that money.... that goes straight to bernie and the teams. Bottom line, a cup race will cost you $7 mil from nascar and you will net $40 mil (IN ONE DAY) if you play your cards right. this formula 1 deal costs $25 mil to get the circus to come to town to sell what, maybe 50K tickets? FIA then restricts the number of days the track can be used and what vehicles can actually run on the surface for the remainder of the year.

How much money do you want to throw away so all your good friends in texas can watch a formula 1 race? For F1 to come to the US it will have to be a charity, because making money it will not.

Point taken.

And go for it. There are plenty of people who have plenty of money to throw at this deal. There still seem like plenty of ways for this to work out.

Still don't understand how the state doesn't view this as a win-win, especially given that THEIR economic analyses paint a pretty favorable picture,.

**Grape** · 11-21-2011, 03:54 PM

Originally posted by Slowhand View Post

Point taken.

And go for it. There are plenty of people who have plenty of money to throw at this deal. There still seem like plenty of ways for this to work out.

Still don't understand how the state doesn't view this as a win-win, especially given that THEIR economic analyses paint a pretty favorable picture,.

the state's economic analysis was provided by Tavo, as a sales pitch to gather the $25 mil he needed to pay for the sanction fee. The whole thing has been a dog and pony show to play both ends against the middle with possible investors.

**RWhite** · 11-21-2011, 04:07 PM

Maybe we can get Mark Cuban to toss a few greenbacks in the pot!

**Darren M** · 11-23-2011, 09:06 AM

Originally posted by Grape View Post

EL OH EL, this will never happen with a track that FIA allows a formula 1 race to take place.

Yeah, I saw your post about the FIA dictating who/what runs on the tracks they use. While I understand the concept, the limitation must be somewhat strangling to the track.

Wait... didn't I see a low brow race at Silverstone on "Top Gear UK"??? (I realize negotiations differ at each track.)

**Grape** · 11-23-2011, 09:20 AM

Originally posted by Darren M View Post

Yeah, I saw your post about the FIA dictating who/what runs on the tracks they use. While I understand the concept, the limitation must be somewhat strangling to the track.

Wait... didn't I see a low brow race at Silverstone on "Top Gear UK"??? (I realize negotiations differ at each track.)

could be possible, silverstone keeps falling in and out of favor with bernie, so it could have happened between contracts being signed.

**aggie97** · 11-23-2011, 09:44 AM

Originally posted by Slowhand View Post

Still don't understand how the state doesn't view this as a win-win, especially given that THEIR economic analyses paint a pretty favorable picture,.

The state had to figure out how to collect the sales tax back to break even. $25M in dedicated STATE sales tax revenue, not local turism taxes, had to be collected to pay back that state. They couldn't just take Tavo's word for it and I believe required a 3rd party study to be done. I bet that study's findings were "Tavo is full of shit!"

That means the event would have to bring in $385M in taxable sales. those TV deals likely aren't taxable. So, let's say they sold 80k tickets... each attendee would have to spend $4812.50 in TAXABLE sales to pay the state back. NOT going to happen even if the TV deals and such are taxable/traceable at the state level.

Tavo is a scammer just like every other Texas land developer I have ever met. They all have these AWESOME and BIG ideas...but NEVER have any skin in the game. They always need someone else's money, live high on the hog and are usually broke as shit. Same story for many a race track owner over the years.

Sadly, we won't be getting V8 Supercars here in the US unless it's the street circuit in New Jersey. THAT would be awesome and I would pay to go watch that. The sounds would be orgasmic!

<---goes back to the garage to work on his hooptie race car.

**Justa4Banger** · 11-30-2011, 03:13 PM

Looks like the Deal is close to death... one more week to close the deal, which i doubt will happen....

Shame... I loved the F1 race i went to in Barcelona, but i think the general dumb American won't back F1 like Nascar...

I admit grand stand seating was stupid expensive(750.00 for 3 days), but in the end worth every penny.... I had a hell of an experience at the F1 race. Luckily for me i had the funds to spend. Unfortunately i will probably never see another event as they tickets and everything are damn expensive...All said and told i spent about 2500.00 for a 5 day vacation Barecelona (which i thought was nice but the women are shit compared to Colombia) with Airfare, hotel, food and tickets.

i was going to Check out Morocco for the race, but jesus the tickets for that race were north of 1000.00 for starting grid grand stand seating..Hotels were even more ridiculous

As much as i want F1 back in the USA, its not worth the tax money....